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UAE’s Sharjah Stadium Renames Stand after Sachin Tendulkar

India's Sachin Tendulkar plays a shot against Australia during the second cricket test, at the Sydney Cricket Ground January 6, 2012. (Reuters)
India's Sachin Tendulkar plays a shot against Australia during the second cricket test, at the Sydney Cricket Ground January 6, 2012. (Reuters)
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UAE’s Sharjah Stadium Renames Stand after Sachin Tendulkar

India's Sachin Tendulkar plays a shot against Australia during the second cricket test, at the Sydney Cricket Ground January 6, 2012. (Reuters)
India's Sachin Tendulkar plays a shot against Australia during the second cricket test, at the Sydney Cricket Ground January 6, 2012. (Reuters)

The Sharjah Cricket Stadium has honored India batting great Sachin Tendulkar on his 50th birthday by naming a stand after him.

The venue in the United Arab Emirates held a ceremony for the former India captain on Monday, announcing that the "West Stand" had been renamed the "Sachin Tendulkar Stand".

Tendulkar smashed 143 runs against Australia at the stadium in April 1998 in a One-Day International dubbed "Desert Storm" after play was disrupted for 25 minutes due to a sand storm.

His knock guided India to the tri-series final against Australia, which India won by six wickets with Tendulkar striking 134 runs on his 25th birthday.

"I can't forget his birthday celebrations," said Khalaf Bukhatir, the chief executive of Sharjah Cricket. "It mesmerized the whole audience and I feel lucky to have been there.

"That day is not just special to Sachin but special to everyone who witnessed it."

The Sydney Cricket Ground also paid tribute to Tendulkar on Monday, unveiling a set of gates named after him and West Indies batsman Brian Lara.

Tendulkar retired from the professional game in 2013 after notching a still unmatched 100 international centuries in a glittering 24-year career.

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James Blake Says Future of Tennis is in Good Hands

Tennis - Italian Open - Foro Italico, Rome, Italy - May 7, 2025 General view inside the court during the round of 128 match between Serbia's Dusan Lajovic and Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka REUTERS/Aleksandra Szmigiel
Tennis - Italian Open - Foro Italico, Rome, Italy - May 7, 2025 General view inside the court during the round of 128 match between Serbia's Dusan Lajovic and Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka REUTERS/Aleksandra Szmigiel
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James Blake Says Future of Tennis is in Good Hands

Tennis - Italian Open - Foro Italico, Rome, Italy - May 7, 2025 General view inside the court during the round of 128 match between Serbia's Dusan Lajovic and Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka REUTERS/Aleksandra Szmigiel
Tennis - Italian Open - Foro Italico, Rome, Italy - May 7, 2025 General view inside the court during the round of 128 match between Serbia's Dusan Lajovic and Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka REUTERS/Aleksandra Szmigiel

James Blake believes men's tennis is poised for another Golden Era thanks to blossoming rivalries between the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner as the ex-world number four prepares to return to action himself as part of the new Legends Team Cup.
Blake, who retired from the ATP Tour in 2013 after a career spent battling greats including Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, said every changing of the guard brings anxiety that the sport will regress.
"With every generation there's this dread of a doomsday situation," he told Reuters from a golf course in San Diego.
"What's going to happen when all these legends leave? I remember when it was, 'What is the Tour going to do when (Pete) Sampras and Agassi are gone?'
"And then before you know it Roger and Rafa show up. Novak (Djokovic) is still hanging on, not wanting to pass the torch, but at this point it's kind of being ripped out of his hands by the likes of Sinner and Alcaraz."
He said the contrast in playing styles and personalities - the passionate Alcaraz's improvisational assault verse the emotionally reserved Sinner's aggressive baseline slugging - makes them ideal foes.
"The game just gets better and better," said Blake, who is the tournament director of the Miami Open and a commentator for ESPN.
"I'm never gonna be one of those commentators that says, you know, back in my day, we would do it better than this.
"No. The game keeps getting better and I love that about it. And seeing how Sinner plays makes me very happy I'm retired. The guy just has absolutely zero holes. So it's really fun to see."
LEGENDS TEAM CUP
Blake will make his return to competitive tennis this summer when the Legends Team Cup debuts.
Blake, Spanish former world number one Carlos Moya and two-time Davis Cup champion Mark Philippoussis of Australia are the captains of the team competition, which divides 18 former players into three teams.
Blake said it will not be like the "hit and giggle" exhibition events former pros sometimes take part in, in part because of the $12 million total prize purse on the line.
"When you leave from being a pro tennis player, your competitive spirit doesn't leave," said the 45-year-old Blake.
"You maybe can't play at that absolute top, top level that we were all at and we're all used to and your body starts failing you a little bit.
"So to have an opportunity to still really compete with others that have that ability and that fire is such a cool concept."
The first Legends Teams Cup event will see Team Blake take on Team Philippoussis in St. Barth June 12-14.