Sports

PARIS — Rafael Nadal’s record-breaking French Open career came to its likely end on Monday when the 14-time champion slumped to a demoralising first round defeat against Alexander Zverev.

Nadal, who turns 38 on June 3, went down 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 to world number four Zverev, suffering only his fourth loss in 116 matches at Roland Garros since his 2005 title-winning debut.

It was the first time he had been defeated in Paris in the opening round and will again lead to questions over his long-term future in the sport.

“I don’t know if this is the last time I will be here, I am not 100 per cent sure but if it is then I wanted to enjoy it,” said Nadal.

“The feelings today are difficult to describe in words.”

Plagued by injuries, which had limited him to just four events since January last year, former world number one Nadal is now 275 in the rankings and was unseeded in Paris.

However, he insisted on the eve of the tournament that he was “100 per cent keeping the door open” on his future in a sport which has brought him 22 Grand Slam titles.

In a repeat of the 2022 semifinal, which Nadal won when Zverev quit with ankle ligament damage, the Spaniard had his chances.

He was a break of serve up in the second and third sets, only to be pinned back on both occasions by his in-form 27-year-old opponent.

Chants of “Rafa, Rafa” had loudly echoed under the roof of Court Philippe Chatrier which was shut tight against the torrential rain sweeping across the grounds and bringing havoc to the schedule.

They subsided to silence when Nadal was broken to love in his opening service game and he was left to regret his inability to convert two break points in the fourth game.

Nadal saved two set points in the ninth game but surrendered the opener after 50 minutes when he buried a loose forehand into the net.

It was only the fourth opening set he had lost at Roland Garros.

Nadal broke for the first time in the match to lead 3-2 in the second set but couldn’t back up the advantage and handed the break back to three-time semifinalist Zverev as he served for the set.

A tense tie-breaker followed which the German claimed, buoyed by stretching to 5/3 on the back of a gruelling 19-shot rally.

Nadal dug deep and with the likes of Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek having watched from the packed stands, he broke and held for 2-0 in the third set.

However, Zverev again roared back to level at 2-2 before a besieged Nadal had to save four break points in a 13-minute fifth game to stay in contention.

The effort was too much and a composed Zverev was soon 4-3 up and the match was over when Nadal fired a forehand wide and long.

AMMAN — Former Real Madrid player Michel Salgado and his family visited the rose-red city of Petra on Saturday and toured its historical and archaeological attractions.

Chief Commissioner of Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority Fares Breizat received the Spanish star on Sunday over means to develop sports in Petra and the caretaking of age groups and youth, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

During his visit to Petra, Salgado was briefed on the tourist importance of the city as one of the Seven Wonders of the World and one of the most prominent tourist attractions in the region and beyond.

Salgado voiced his happiness to visit Petra, describing it as a “historical and beautiful opportunity” to check on the monuments and archaeological facilities in Petra.

AMMAN — The Jordan Cup title is the last competition on the local 2023/2024 football calendar before focus switches to the resumption of World Cup qualifiers in less than two weeks.

But before that, Hussein Irbid will be the talk of observers and analysts after they took home the coveted Professional Football League title for the first time following an impressive season, which saw them lose only one match. Hussein had to wait to the last stage of the competition, to be able to move the trophy out of the capital to Irbid.

“My team deserved the win. They gave it all they have and earned a hard-fought title,” head coach Jamal Mahmoud was quoted following Hussein’s 2-1 come-from behind win over Sahab Saturday evening which gave them a two-point edge over Faisali who beat Shabab Urdun 6-2 and would have retained their title in case Hussein drew or lost.

Wihdat came in third after beating Aqaba 1-0 as the latter finished sixth while Ramtha finished fourth after beating Jalil 4-0 as the latter were relegated alongside Sahab.

In other matches, Salt managed a spot in the top five although they lost 1-0 to Mughayer Sarhan who held on to their spot for the third season. Ma’an took sixth spot after they beat Ahli 2-0 as the latter settled for 10th. Shabab Urdun who first joined the league in 2004 and won the title in 2006 were crowned AFC Cup champs in 2007 but have struggled lately, finished 8th.

Hussein, who took home the JD60,000 in prize money, changed the usual Faisali-Wihdat dominance of the title, like neighbours Ramtha,who won the 2021 season title for the third time in their history after 39 years.

In addition to the league, the season saw Wihdat win the Jordan Super Cup for their 15th time, while Faisali won their 9th Jordan Football Association Shield. Wihdat are now focused on winning the Jordan Cup as the quarterfinalists have now been decided. Regionally, this season saw Wihdat and Faisali failing to advance beyond Round 1 at AFC Cup and Champions League respectively.

Sarih and Jazira will be back to the Pro League next season The latter, a three-time league champion, were relegated for the fourth time– 1977, 1992, 2003, 2022 after the club was a frontrunner in the past few years and played in the AFC West Asia Zone final in 2018 and 2019.

Premier League record

(competition was not held in 1948, 1953, 1957, 1958, 1967, 1968, 1969 & 1998)

Faisali (35 times): 1944, 45, 59, 60-66, 70-74, 76, 77, 83, 85, 86, 88, 89, 90-93, 99, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2009, 2011, 2016, 2018, 2022

Wihdat (17 times): 1980, 87, 91, 94, 95, 96, 97, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2020

Ahli (8 times): 1947, 49, 50, 51, 54, 75, 78, 79

Ramtha (3 times): 1981, 82, 2021

Jazira (3 times): 1952, 55, 56

Shabab Urdun (twice): 2005, 2012

Hussein (2023), Amman: 1984, Urdun: 1946(once each)

AMMAN — Al Hussein Irbid SC won the Jordanian Pro League title for the first time in its history after defeating Sahab SC 2-1.

Al Hussein centre-forward Abdou Aziz Ndiaye scored twice in the 45th and 71st minutes, while Hamza Saifi scored Sahab's only goal.

Irbid's Al Hussein football club collected record 59 points, while the 35 times champions Faisaly collected 57 points to secure second place in the Pro League.

Nicknamed "Ghuzat Al Shamal" (Invaders of the North), Al Hussein Irbid SC was established in 1960 and had never, since then, won the title but remained in many times among the Pro League big four clubs, besides Faisaly, Wehdat and Ramtha. Al Hussein won the first-ever title in its history, and with the title, Al Hussein ended dominance of Faisaly and Wehdat two most popular and most successful Jordanian clubs.

AMMAN — It is down to the last stage of the Professional Football League, with the champion, relegated teams as well as final standings to be decided on the weekend.

Hussein lost their first match of the season last week going down 1-0 to Faisali thus delaying the title race to this weekend when they face Sahab on Saturday. A win by any score will be enough for Hussein to take home the title for the first time in their history and change the usual Faisali-Wihdat dominance of the title, like neighbors Ramtha,who won the 2021 season title for the third time in their history after 39 years.

At the same time, Faisali will play Shabab Urdun and have a chance to snatch the title if they win while hoping that Hussein draw or lose in their match.

At the other end of the standings, Jalil have been relegated to the First Division, however, the second team to join them is still to be decided with Sahab a likely possibility alongside Mughayer Sarhan, who will be playing 5th placed Salt while Ahliwill be playing Ma’an.In other matches, Wihdat face Aqaba and Ramtha play Jalil.

Ahli’s last 1-0 win over Ramtha enabled them to secure their league spot alongside Shabab Urdun who scored an important 4-0 win over Mughayer Sarhan.

Together with Ma’an, Shabab Urdun have managed to move out relegation zone although they are out of theirprevious competitive edgewhen they first played the 2004 league and won the title in their third season in 2006. The club have won the other local competitions twice each and were crowned AFC Cup champs in 2007.

After dropping out of regional events as well as settling for third in the league, Wihdat are now focused on winning the Jordan Cup as the quarterfinalists have now been decided.

PARIS — Iga Swiatek admits she is the favourite and “confident” ahead of her bid to become only the fourth woman to win four Roland Garros singles titles in the Open era.

The World No.1 could also become the first player to lift three successive women’s titles in Paris since Justine Henin in 2007.

Swiatek is a strong favourite after dominating on clay again this season, arriving in Paris off the back of WTA 1000 victories in Madrid and Rome.

The only female player in history to complete a Madrid-Rome-Roland Garros treble in the same season is Serena Williams.

But Swiatek is not daunted by what she could achieve.

“I’m number one so I’m the favourite everywhere if you look at rankings,” she told reporters after swatting aside second-ranked Aryna Sabalenka in the Rome Open final last weekend.

“But rankings don’t play, so... I’ll do everything step by step and we’ll see.

“Obviously I am confident. I feel like I’m playing great tennis. But it doesn’t change the fact that I really want to stay humble and really focused.”

The 22-year-old Pole has plenty of years ahead of her to chase records but is wasting little time — her four WTA 1000 titles this season have taken her career total to 10.

That is already only 13 short of Serena Williams’ all-time record.

With four Grand Slam titles, Swiatek has not struggled to translate that form to the major tournaments in the past, but insists it is tougher to lift the sport’s biggest trophies.

“Grand Slams are different. There is different pressure on the court and off the court,” she added.

“I love to come to Paris again and be there. It’s a great place for me to be. I really enjoy my time there anyway. These are hard seven matches that you need to win, so I don’t take anything for granted.”

Swiatek is aiming to join Chris Evert, Steffi Graf and Henin in lifting the Coupe Suzanne-Lenglen four times in the Open era.

The biggest obstacle standing in her way is Sabalenka.

The Belarusian missed three match points before losing to Swiatek in a thrilling Madrid final and will be hoping to get another crack at her rival after a one-sided loss in Rome.

Sabalenka, the two-time reigning Australian Open champion, has reached at least the semifinals in each of the past six Grand Slam events.

She is also the only woman to beat Swiatek in a final on clay — in Madrid last year — since the Pole lost her first WTA title decider as a teenager in 2019 at a low-key event in Switzerland.

Sabalenka will be ‘fighting’ 

Sabalenka has an 8-3 losing record against Swiatek, but insisted after Rome that she wanted to face her again in Paris.

“Even though I lost these two finals, I mean, I never focus on the past,” she said.

“No matter how many times I lose to the player, I know anyway if I’ll be there, if I’ll be fighting, I’ll be focusing on myself, I know that I can get that win.

“I mean, I’m going there with the confidence that I can do well there.”

Sabalenka had never even reached the second week at Roland Garros until last year, when she was knocked out by Karolina Muchova in the semis.

“I’m definitely not the favourite probably there,” she said.

“But at the same time I do feel that I can actually go for it.

“It’s 50/50, you know? But I prefer to be underdog. I really hope I’m going to make it to the final and I really hope I’ll be able to get that win, if it’s Iga or not.”

Elena Rybakina, the only player to defeat Swiatek on clay this year, was being touted as part of a new ‘big three’ 12 months ago.

But the Kazakh has failed to make the last four at a Slam since losing the 2023 Australian Open final to Sabalenka and has been passed in the rankings by US Open champion Coco Gauff.

American Gauff, playing in a major for the first time since turning 20, will be hoping to go one better than when she lost the 2022 French Open showpiece to Swiatek.

DUBLIN — Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso can confirm his status as the rising star of coaching in Wednesday’s Europa League final, but he will come up against a wily old fox in Atalanta’s Gian Piero Gasperini.

Alonso has rebuffed advances from former clubs Liverpool and Bayern Munich to remain in charge of Leverkusen after leading the club to their first ever Bundesliga title with an unprecedented unbeaten season.

The German champions have not lost in 51 games across all competitions and could wrap up a remarkable treble in two finals this week.

Leverkusen are huge favourites to see off second-tier Kaiserslautern in the German Cup final on Saturday.

But they face a much trickier task in Dublin against an Atalanta side who could also achieve the greatest ever season in their history.

A provincial club from Bergamo, Atalanta have traditionally lived in the shadow of the nearby giants AC and Inter Milan.

However, they are enjoying a golden age under Gapserini and will play in the Champions League next season for the fourth time in five years.

Yet, they have consistently missed out on a trophy to mark an era of punching above their weight.

Atalanta have not lifted silverware for 61 years having lost three Coppa Italia finals in the last six seasons, most recently to Juventus less than a week ago.

“Is it the highest point of my career? Yes, in terms of accomplishment and prestige, absolutely,” Gasperini told UEFA.com on reaching the club’s first ever European final.

“I don’t think winning a cup is necessarily always part of the parameters by which success is judged. Everyone has their own goals. When you manage to exceed them by far, as has happened at Atalanta, you still have to be very satisfied.

“If we also manage to add a cup, of course, we’ll be even more satisfied.”

The 61-year-old said Atalanta’s “world has changed” since he took over eight years ago.

Back then just surviving in Serie A was a success. Now continental football may be commonplace, but they have enjoyed two of their finest ever nights in knocking out European giants Liverpool and Marseille on the road to Dublin.

‘Golden letters’ 

Gasperini’s willingness to take risks with an attacking brand of football and nurturing young talent has earned the admiration of Alonso.

“He has a clear plan and built up a team with strong mentality and high quality,” said the Spaniard. “They are a top team. We’ll have a chance if we produce our best form.”

But it is Atalanta who must produce something remarkable in the Irish capital to halt the Leverkusen juggernaut.

In contrast to Gasperini’s modest playing career in the lower reaches of Italian football, Alonso was a World Cup and multiple Champions League winning midfielder with vast experience of European finals to call on from his playing days.

Yet, in a career that spanned Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, even he has never experienced a season quite like this.

“It would be historic,” said the 42-year-old on the possibility of going the season unbeaten in all competitions.

“It would be something written in golden letters, not only in the history of our club but probably all European football. I hope we can.”

MANCHESTER, United Kingdom — Pep Guardiola cast doubt over his long-term future at Manchester City on Sunday after winning a historic fourth straight Premier League title, admitting it is difficult to find motivation after so much sustained success.

City’s 3-1 victory against West Ham sealed a sixth top-flight title in seven seasons under the Catalan, who has taken the club to extraordinary new levels since he arrived in 2016.

His tally is exceeded only by Alex Ferguson, who won 13 Premier League titles during his long reign at Manchester United.

In 2019 City became the first club to win the domestic treble of Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup in the same season and last year they emulated Manchester United’s class of 1999 in winning the treble of Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League, which they lifted for the first time.

City are now the first side in English top-flight history to win four titles in a row — surpassing the achievements of the great Liverpool and Manchester United teams from previous eras.

And next week they will attempt to become the first English side to win back to back domestic doubles when they take on United at Wembley in the FA Cup final.

Former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager Guardiola, 53, has a contract at the Etihad until the end of next season but his future after that is unclear.

“The reality is I’m closer to leaving than to staying,” Guardiola told Sky Sports. “It’s eight years, will be nine.

“Right now my feeling is I want to stay next season. We talked with the club, we have time to talk next season because I have to see the players as well [to see] if they follow me, they follow us, for many reasons. I will stay and during the season we will talk when calm.”

Asked at his post-match press conference whether he felt as though he had “completed English football” and what he felt was left to achieve, Guardiola shrugged his shoulders and said: “I had that feeling last season.

“When we won in Istanbul [in the Champions League final] I said, ‘It’s over, what am I doing here? It’s over, there’s nothing left’.

“But I have a contract, I’m here and still enjoying. Some of the moments I’m a bit tired but some of the moments I love, and after I said ‘OK, we are here’.

“We start winning games, playing good, different players, new players and I start to think about ‘No one has done four in a row, why don’t we try?’ And now I feel ‘It’s done, so what next?’ I don’t know right now.”

He added: “Next season, right now, I’m not able to know exactly what will be the motivation to do it because it’s difficult sometimes to find it when everything is done.”

Guardiola said for now he was enjoying basking in the glow of another Premier League triumph.

“When I moved here if someone had said I would win six leagues in seven seasons I would say you’re insane — no way,” he said.

RIYADH — Oleksandr Usyk beat Tyson Fury early on Sunday in the first undisputed heavyweight clash since 1999.

The ever-bubbling alphabet soup of boxing sanctioning bodies — the winner in Riyadh becoming the first four-belt heavyweight champion — means that becoming, and remaining, undisputed champion requires not just skill and toughness in the ring, but acumen outside it.

Usyk joined a select group. Here AFP Sport picks six of the undisputed best.

Jack Dempsey (Undisputed champion from January 1921 to September 1926, 3 defences

The hard-hitting and aggressive Jack Dempsey became the first official world champion at the start of 1921 when the American National Boxing Association and the powerful New York State Athletic Commission agreed to recognise a world champion. The “Manassa Mauler”, with a right nicknamed “Iron Mike” and a left hook dubbed “Big Bertha” had become “lineal” world champion, in boxing parlance “Beating The Man to become The Man” when he bludgeoned Jess Willard in 1919. But the newly-minted official status helped turn his first sanctioned defence, against Frenchman Georges Carpentier, into the first “million-dollar fight”. He defended his title twice more, before losing twice to Gene Tunney and retiring.

Joe Louis (June 1937 to March 1949, 26 defences)

After the first African American heavyweight champion, Jack Johnson, lost to Willard in 1915, no black boxer fought for the title until 1937, because Joe Louis, who had just lost to Max Schmeling was a more palatable challenger for Cinderella Man James Braddock’s title than the German. Louis knocked out Braddock to claim a title he held for record 26 defences over more than 12 years. The most famous was the first-round revenge demolition of Schmeling at Yankee Stadium in 1938. Louis was smart, calm, technically sound and packed a ferocious punch. “Everyone has a plan until they’ve been hit,” he said.

Rocky Marciano (September 1952 to April 1956, 6 defences)

After war service, an undistinguished amateur career and a baseball tryout with the Chicago Cubs, the boxer, who changed his name from Rocco Marchegiano, turned professional just before his 25th birthday in 1948. He fought 49 times as a pro, winning every fight, 43 of them by knockout. Only 5ft 10in tall (1.78m), Marciano was relentless, resilient and a thunderous puncher. He was 29 when he got his title shot, flooring Jersey Joe Walcott in the last round with a straight right: His “Suzie Q”. Having pummelled an ageing Louis on his way up, knocked out the 39-year-old Walcott in the first round of their rematch, Marciano quit for good at 32 after stopping 42-year-old Archie Moore.

Muhammad Ali (February to September 1964, February to April 1967, October 1974 to February 1978, 10 unified defences)

The Greatest only fails to match Louis for total defences because he was effectively banned from boxing from March 1967 to October 1970 for his opposition to the military draft for the Vietnam war. The Louisville Lip, who later declared “I’m so mean, I make medicine sick”, had already upset the American establishment by changing his “white man’s name”, Cassius Clay. After toppling Sonny Liston to win the title at 22 in 1962, he lost his undisputed status for taking a rematch with Liston. Ali defended his remaining titles seven times, before reunifying the division in 1966 against Ernie Terrell. At 25 he was banned. Ali was 29 by the time he got his crack at regaining his world titles, against Joe Frazier in 1971, but suffered his first loss. It took until 1974, and his victory over George Foreman in the “Rumble in the Jungle”, a fight that highlighted Ali’s craft, cunning and courage, to reclaim his crowns. He lost his titles to Leon Spinks in 1978, won some of them back in a rematch seven months later, but, aged 38, lost a reunification bout to Larry Holmes in 1980. By then Ali had won over all but his most determined critics.

Joe Frazier (February 1970 to January 1973, 4 defences)

Joe Frazier’s often electrifying trilogy against Ali was boxing box office as two greats, with contrasting styles and personalities and opposing political views went toe-to-toe. “Smokin’ Joe” preferred close-quarters attack, but his constant bobbing made him hard to hit. In their opener, “The Fight of the Century” — a gruelling 15-rounder — he decked Ali with the devastating left hook he called his “heat-seeking missile”. By the rematch in 1974, George Foreman had taken Frazier’s title. Ali not only floated like a butterfly but clinched like a crab and won on points. In the 1975 “Thrilla in Manilla” Ali unleashed a merciless barrage in the 13th. The referee stopped the fight in the next round. Frazier, 30 at the time of that bout, only fought twice more.

Mike Tyson (August 1987 to February 1990, 6 defences)

By the time he was 13, Mike Tyson had been arrested 38 times. In 1986, at the age of 20 years and four months, he was the youngest heavyweight champion in history. Even though he was only 1.78m, his approach was vicious intimidation. He won his first 19 professional fights by knockout. Smart but troubled, his wild lifestyle took a toll. He was ambushed by Buster Douglas in 1990. Although he regained two belts in 1996, he immediately lost to Evander Holyfield. At his brief, snarling, sneering peak, Tyson lived up to his billing as the “baddest man on the planet”.