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Murray Backs Federer's 'Sensible Decision' to Pull out of French Open

Andy Murray. (AP)
Andy Murray. (AP)
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Murray Backs Federer's 'Sensible Decision' to Pull out of French Open

Andy Murray. (AP)
Andy Murray. (AP)

Former world number one Andy Murray said 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer made a "sensible decision" to withdraw from the French Open to protect his body after two knee operations and opt to focus his efforts on Wimbledon.

Federer, 39, decided to end his Roland Garros campaign on Sunday, a day after winning a grueling third-round match against Dominik Koepfer.

Eight-time Wimbledon winner Federer, who has hardly played in the last 17 months because of a knee injury, had been due to face Italian ninth seed Matteo Berrettini in the French Open on Monday.

Replying to a tweet from a user who said Federer was "disrespectful" to other players for "using" the French Open to gain fitness, Murray said: "In basketball, football etc when returning from injury players are given reduced minutes to build up their fitness.

"In tennis you don't have that luxury of just playing a set in first match then 2 sets the next etc and building up that way.

"I'd argue that it's quite risky to play multiple 4hr matches in a row in your 2nd tournaments back in 18 months so to me it makes sense to be reactive based on how your body feels, length of matches etc (sic)."

Federer's decision sparked mixed reactions, with seven-time French Open winner Chris Evert saying the Swiss had earned the right to do so, while former US Davis Cup captain Patrick McEnroe said he understood Federer's reasoning, but it was not a good look.

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Lindsey Vonn Back in US Following Crash in Olympic Downhill 

Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics - Alpine Skiing - Women's Downhill 3rd Official Training - Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre, Belluno, Italy - February 07, 2026. Lindsey Vonn of United States in action during training. (Reuters)
Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics - Alpine Skiing - Women's Downhill 3rd Official Training - Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre, Belluno, Italy - February 07, 2026. Lindsey Vonn of United States in action during training. (Reuters)
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Lindsey Vonn Back in US Following Crash in Olympic Downhill 

Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics - Alpine Skiing - Women's Downhill 3rd Official Training - Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre, Belluno, Italy - February 07, 2026. Lindsey Vonn of United States in action during training. (Reuters)
Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics - Alpine Skiing - Women's Downhill 3rd Official Training - Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre, Belluno, Italy - February 07, 2026. Lindsey Vonn of United States in action during training. (Reuters)

Lindsey Vonn is back home in the US following a week of treatment at a hospital in Italy after breaking her left leg in the Olympic downhill at the Milan Cortina Games.

“Haven’t stood on my feet in over a week... been in a hospital bed immobile since my race. And although I’m not yet able to stand, being back on home soil feels amazing,” Vonn posted on X with an American flag emoji. “Huge thank you to everyone in Italy for taking good care of me.”

The 41-year-old Vonn suffered a complex tibia fracture that has already been operated on multiple times following her Feb. 8 crash. She has said she'll need more surgery in the US.

Nine days before her fall in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Vonn ruptured the ACL in her left knee in another crash in Switzerland.

Even before then, all eyes had been on her as the feel-good story heading into the Olympics for her comeback after nearly six years of retirement.

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Japan Hails ‘New Chapter’ with First Olympic Pairs Skating Gold 

Gold medalists Japan's Riku Miura and Japan's Ryuichi Kihara pose after the figure skating pair skating free skating final during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan on February 16, 2026. (AFP)
Gold medalists Japan's Riku Miura and Japan's Ryuichi Kihara pose after the figure skating pair skating free skating final during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan on February 16, 2026. (AFP)
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Japan Hails ‘New Chapter’ with First Olympic Pairs Skating Gold 

Gold medalists Japan's Riku Miura and Japan's Ryuichi Kihara pose after the figure skating pair skating free skating final during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan on February 16, 2026. (AFP)
Gold medalists Japan's Riku Miura and Japan's Ryuichi Kihara pose after the figure skating pair skating free skating final during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan on February 16, 2026. (AFP)

Japan hailed a "new chapter" in the country's figure skating on Tuesday after Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara pulled off a stunning comeback to claim pairs gold at the Milan-Cortina Olympics.

Miura and Kihara won Japan's first Olympic pairs gold with the performance of their careers, coming from fifth overnight to land the title with personal best scores.

It was the first time Japan had won an Olympic figure skating pairs medal of any color.

The country's government spokesman Minoru Kihara said their achievement had "moved so many people".

"This triumph is a result of the completeness of their performance, their high technical skill, the expressive power born from their harmony, and above all the bond of trust between the two," the spokesman said.

"I feel it is a remarkable feat that opens a new chapter in the history of Japanese figure skating."

Newspapers rushed to print special editions commemorating the pair's achievement.

Miura and Kihara, popularly known collectively in Japan as "Rikuryu", went into the free skate trailing after errors in their short program.

Kihara said that he had been "feeling really down" and blamed himself for the slip-up, conceding: "We did not think we would win."

Instead, they spectacularly turned things around and topped the podium ahead of Georgia's Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava, who took silver ahead of overnight leaders Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin of Germany.

American gymnastics legend Simone Biles was in the arena in Milan to watch the action.

"I'm pretty sure that was perfection," Biles said, according to the official Games website.

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Mourinho Says It Won’t Take ‘Miracle’ to Take Down ‘Wounded King’ Real Madrid in Champions League

Benfica's coach Jose Mourinho reacts during a press conference on the eve of their UEFA Champions League knockout round play-off first leg football match against Real Madrid at Benfica Campus in Seixal, outskirts of Lisbon, on February 16, 2026. (AFP)
Benfica's coach Jose Mourinho reacts during a press conference on the eve of their UEFA Champions League knockout round play-off first leg football match against Real Madrid at Benfica Campus in Seixal, outskirts of Lisbon, on February 16, 2026. (AFP)
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Mourinho Says It Won’t Take ‘Miracle’ to Take Down ‘Wounded King’ Real Madrid in Champions League

Benfica's coach Jose Mourinho reacts during a press conference on the eve of their UEFA Champions League knockout round play-off first leg football match against Real Madrid at Benfica Campus in Seixal, outskirts of Lisbon, on February 16, 2026. (AFP)
Benfica's coach Jose Mourinho reacts during a press conference on the eve of their UEFA Champions League knockout round play-off first leg football match against Real Madrid at Benfica Campus in Seixal, outskirts of Lisbon, on February 16, 2026. (AFP)

José Mourinho believes Real Madrid is "wounded" after the shock loss to Benfica and doesn't think it will take a miracle to stun the Spanish giant again in the Champions League.

Benfica defeated Madrid 4-2 in the final round of the league phase to grab the last spot in the playoffs, and in the process dropped the 15-time champion out of the eight automatic qualification places for the round of 16.

Coach Mourinho's Benfica and his former team meet again in Lisbon on Tuesday in the first leg of the knockout stage.

"They are wounded," Mourinho said Monday. "And a wounded king is dangerous. We will play the first leg with our heads, with ambition and confidence. We know what we did to the kings of the Champions League."

Mourinho acknowledged that Madrid remained heavily favored and it would take a near-perfect show for Benfica to advance.

"I don’t think it takes a miracle for Benfica to eliminate Real Madrid. I think we need to be at our highest level. I don’t even say high, I mean maximum, almost bordering on perfection, which does not exist. But not a miracle," he said.

"Real Madrid is Real Madrid, with history, knowledge, ambition. The only comparable thing is that we are two giants. Beyond that, there is nothing else. But football has this power and we can win."

Benfica's dramatic win in Lisbon three weeks ago came thanks to a last-minute header by goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin, allowing the team to grab the 24th and final spot for the knockout stage on goal difference.

"Trubin won’t be in the attack this time," Mourinho joked.

"I’m very used to these kinds of ties, I’ve been doing it all my life," he said. "People often think you need a certain result in the first leg for this or that reason. I say there is no definitive result."