Djokovic and Nadal Bid to Derail Alcaraz Hype at French Open

File Photo: Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, February 11, 2021 Spain's Rafael Nadal acknowledges a fan during his second round match against Michael Mmoh of the US REUTERS/Loren Elliott
File Photo: Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, February 11, 2021 Spain's Rafael Nadal acknowledges a fan during his second round match against Michael Mmoh of the US REUTERS/Loren Elliott
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Djokovic and Nadal Bid to Derail Alcaraz Hype at French Open

File Photo: Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, February 11, 2021 Spain's Rafael Nadal acknowledges a fan during his second round match against Michael Mmoh of the US REUTERS/Loren Elliott
File Photo: Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, February 11, 2021 Spain's Rafael Nadal acknowledges a fan during his second round match against Michael Mmoh of the US REUTERS/Loren Elliott

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, with 41 Grand Slam titles between them, will attempt to derail the growing hype surrounding teenage sensation Carlos Alcaraz at the French Open from Sunday.

All three have been placed in the top-half of the draw, meaning only one will make the Roland Garros final, AFP said.

Defending champion Djokovic is seeded to face 13-time winner Nadal in the quarter-finals. Alcaraz is a potential semi-final opponent.

"I feel I am always in contention to fight for any Grand Slam trophy," said Djokovic who arrives in Paris fired up by his inability to defend his Australian Open title in January when he was deported over his vaccination status.

"Reliving the memories from last year is something that obviously gives me goose bumps and motivation to try to replicate that."

Djokovic, who turns 35 on Sunday, captured a second French Open title in 2021.

He did it the hard way, coming from two sets down to beat Lorenzo Musetti in the last-16, winning an epic four-set semi-final against Nadal before needing to overturn another two-set deficit to see off Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final.

Djokovic has played only five tournaments in 2022 but arrives in Paris buoyed by a sixth Italian Open title, becoming just the fifth man to win 1,000 career matches in the process.

It was his 38th Masters triumph, two more than Nadal at the top of the all-time list.

- Nadal 'feels better' -
Djokovic starts his French Open against 94th-ranked Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan.

Nadal has played down concerns over the chronic foot issue that resurfaced in Rome last week.

On Wednesday, he practiced in front of thousands of fans at Roland Garros without any obvious discomfort.

"There is nothing to recover," Nadal told reporters Friday. "What happened in Rome is something that happened very often in my practices."

"I was suffering after that for a couple of days, but I feel better. That's why I'm here."

Nadal began the year with a 20-match winning run, capturing a second Australian Open title to claim a record 21st Grand Slam and move ahead of Djokovic and Roger Federer.

The 35-year-old's record at the French Open stands at a staggering 105 wins and just three losses since his 2005 title-winning debut.

Djokovic has been responsible for two of those defeats. One of those came in the bruising semi-final 12 months ago, the most recent clash of the pair's epic 58-match rivalry.

"I just watched Rafa practice and it's funny because all of a sudden his forehand is just 20 miles an hour faster. He moves lighter on his feet," said world number three Alexander Zverevn on Friday.

"There is something about this court that makes him play 30% better, just being on this court."

Nadal takes on Australia's Jordan Thompson in the first round.

Alcaraz, just 19, has rocketed to six in the world on the back of four titles -- three on clay -- in 2022.

- 'Special' Alcaraz -
He won a second Masters title in Madrid, sweeping Nadal, Djokovic and Zverev on the way.

"He definitely is special," admitted Djokovic of Alcaraz who also claimed the prestigious Miami Masters earlier in the year.

Alcaraz was ranked 97 this time last year.

He was only two when Nadal won the first of his 13 French Opens in 2005 but he made his mark at the 2021 tournament where he came through qualifying to reach the third round.

Alcaraz, who has 28 wins and just three defeats this year, opens his campaign on Sunday against Argentine lucky loser Juan Ignacio Londero, ranked at 141 but who made the last 16 in 2019.

Russian world number two Daniil Medvedev, who gave up a two-sets lead to lose to Nadal in the Australian Open final, only returned to action in Geneva this week after undergoing a hernia operation.

The US Open champion has 13 titles to his name but has yet to master the draining demands of clay.

At Roland Garros, he was winless in his first four visits before managing to stop the rot with a quarter-final run in 2021.

Greek world number four Tsitsipas has enjoyed a solid clay season.

He defended his Monte Carlo title before making the last-eight in Barcelona, semi-finals in Madrid and final in Rome.



Salah Sets up Goal on Return to Liverpool Action

Liverpool's Egyptian striker #11 Mohamed Salah applauds the fans following the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on December 13, 2025. (AFP)
Liverpool's Egyptian striker #11 Mohamed Salah applauds the fans following the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on December 13, 2025. (AFP)
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Salah Sets up Goal on Return to Liverpool Action

Liverpool's Egyptian striker #11 Mohamed Salah applauds the fans following the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on December 13, 2025. (AFP)
Liverpool's Egyptian striker #11 Mohamed Salah applauds the fans following the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on December 13, 2025. (AFP)

Mohamed Salah set up a goal in Liverpool's 2-0 win against Brighton on Saturday as he returned to action after an explosive outburst cast doubt over his future at the Premier League champions.

The Egypt forward, the subject of intense scrutiny in the build-up to the game at Anfield, came off the substitutes' bench to huge cheers in the 26th minute, replacing injured defender Joe Gomez.

The home team, whose title defense has collapsed after a shocking run of results, were leading 1-0 at the time, with France forward Hugo Ekitike on the scoresheet after just 46 seconds.

Brighton squandered a number of opportunities to level and Ekitike scored his second with half an hour to go, heading home Salah's corner.

The Egyptian superstar now has 277 goal involvements for Liverpool in the Premier League -- 188 goals and 89 assists -- a new record by a player for a single club in the competition, overtaking Wayne Rooney's mark for Manchester United.

"Mohamed is a great, great professional," Ekitike told the BBC. "I look to him as an example. You can see how much he is involved in goals and assists.

"He is a legend here. To share the pitch is a blessing. That's the kind of player who makes us like to watch football."

Saturday marked a dramatic change of mood for Salah, who last week accused Liverpool of throwing him "under the bus" after he was left on the bench for the 3-3 draw at Leeds -- the third match in a row that he had been named among the replacements.

The 33-year-old winger also said he had no relationship with manager Arne Slot in his extraordinary outburst and was omitted from the midweek Champions League trip to Inter Milan, which Liverpool won 1-0.

Slot said at his pre-match press conference that he would hold talks with Salah and there was feverish speculation in the build-up to Saturday's match about what role the Egyptian would play.

Liverpool made a lightning start, taking the lead in the first minute when Joe Gomez set up Ekitike, who thumped the ball past Bart Verbruggen.

Brighton's Diego Gomez squandered a good chance and Brajan Gruda went close as the home crowd chanted Salah's name.

Liverpool doubled their lead in the 60th minute when Ekitike headed home Salah's corner.

The Egyptian himself went close in stoppage time after he was set up by Federico Chiesa but he blazed over.

He was embraced by teammates at the final whistle and was applauded by fans.

The win -- Liverpool's first at Anfield since November 4 -- lifts Slot's men to sixth in the table, easing the pressure on the beleaguered coach.

- Salah departure -

Salah, who signed a new two-year contract at Liverpool in April, will now depart for the Africa Cup of Nations.

The length of his absence depends on how far Egypt go in the competition in Morocco, with the final on January 18.

The forward had invited his family to the Brighton game as speculation swirled over his future.

"I will be in Anfield to say goodbye to the fans and go to the Africa Cup," he told reporters last week. "I don't know what is going to happen when I am there."

Salah, third in Liverpool's all-time scoring charts with 250 goals, has won two Premier League titles and one Champions League crown during his spell on Merseyside.

He scored 29 Premier League goals last season as Liverpool romped to a 20th English league title, but has managed just four league goals this season.


Algeria Keeper Zidane Likely to Start at Cup of Nations

Football - LaLiga - Atletico Madrid v Rayo Vallecano - Wanda Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain - January 2, 2022 Rayo Vallecano's Algeria international Luca Zidane, who now plays for Granada, in action with Atletico Madrid's Angel Correa. (Reuters)
Football - LaLiga - Atletico Madrid v Rayo Vallecano - Wanda Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain - January 2, 2022 Rayo Vallecano's Algeria international Luca Zidane, who now plays for Granada, in action with Atletico Madrid's Angel Correa. (Reuters)
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Algeria Keeper Zidane Likely to Start at Cup of Nations

Football - LaLiga - Atletico Madrid v Rayo Vallecano - Wanda Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain - January 2, 2022 Rayo Vallecano's Algeria international Luca Zidane, who now plays for Granada, in action with Atletico Madrid's Angel Correa. (Reuters)
Football - LaLiga - Atletico Madrid v Rayo Vallecano - Wanda Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain - January 2, 2022 Rayo Vallecano's Algeria international Luca Zidane, who now plays for Granada, in action with Atletico Madrid's Angel Correa. (Reuters)

Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane, son of French World Cup-winner Zinedine, looks likely to start at this month’s Africa Cup of Nations after the injured Alexis Guendouz was left out of the squad announced on Saturday.

Guendouz hurt his knee on Monday in the Algerian league and did not make the 28-man selection for the tournament in neighboring Morocco, leaving Zidane next in line.

The 27-year-old second son of Zinedine Zidane, who plays for Spanish second-tier side Granada, made his debut for Algeria in a World Cup qualifier in October after switching international allegiance, having played for France at junior level.

Zidane’s grandparents hail from the Kabylie region of Algeria and he is expected to be ahead of Oussama Benbot and former first-choice keeper Anthony Mandrea in the pecking order for the finals in Morocco, where Algeria will compete in Group E against Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea and Sudan.

Mandrea won a surprise recall after being dropped when coach Vladimir Petkovic said he did not want to pick a keeper playing in the third tier of French football. Mandrea’s club Caen were relegated from Ligue 2 at the end of last season.

Algeria's squad includes striker Baghdad Bounedjah, who netted the winner in the 2019 Cup of Nations final against Senegal in Cairo.

The notable absentee is Olympique de Marseille attacker Amine Gouiri, who required shoulder surgery after the World Cup qualifier against Uganda in October and is not expected to play again until February. Injury ruled him out of the last Cup of Nations finals in the Ivory Coast two years ago.

Squad

Goalkeepers: Oussama Benbot (USM Alger), Luca Zidane (Granada), Anthony Mandrea (Caen)

Defenders: Ryan Ait-Nouri (Manchester City), Youcef Atal (Al Sadd), Zineddine Belaid (JS Kabylie), Rafik Belghani (Hellas Verona), Ramy Bensebaini (Borussia Dortmund), Samir Chergui (Paris FC), Mehdi Dorval (Bari), Jaouen Hadjam (Young Boys Berne), Aissa Mandi (Lille), Mohamed Amine Tougai (Esperance)

Midfielders: Houssem Aouar (Al Ittihad), Ismael Bennacer (Dinamo Zagreb), Hicham Boudaoui (Nice), Fares Chaibi (Eintracht Frankfurt), Ibrahim Maza (Bayer Leverkusen), Ramiz Zerrouki (Twente), Adem Zorgane (Union Saint-Gilloise)

Forwards: Mohamed Amoura (Werder Bremen), Monsef Bakrar (Dinamo Zagreb), Redouane Berkane (Al Wakrah), Adil Boulbina (Al Duhail), Baghdad Bounedjah (Al Shamal), Anis Hadj-Moussa (Feyenoord), Ilan Kebbal (Paris FC), Riyad Mahrez (Al Ahli)


Griezmann Scores Again off the Bench to Give Atletico Madrid 2-1 Win Over Valencia

Football - LaLiga - Atletico Madrid v Valencia - Riyadh Air Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain - December 13, 2025 Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann celebrates scoring their second goal with Alexander Sorloth. (Reuters)
Football - LaLiga - Atletico Madrid v Valencia - Riyadh Air Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain - December 13, 2025 Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann celebrates scoring their second goal with Alexander Sorloth. (Reuters)
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Griezmann Scores Again off the Bench to Give Atletico Madrid 2-1 Win Over Valencia

Football - LaLiga - Atletico Madrid v Valencia - Riyadh Air Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain - December 13, 2025 Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann celebrates scoring their second goal with Alexander Sorloth. (Reuters)
Football - LaLiga - Atletico Madrid v Valencia - Riyadh Air Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain - December 13, 2025 Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann celebrates scoring their second goal with Alexander Sorloth. (Reuters)

Antoine Griezmann scored the winner after coming off the bench to help Atletico Madrid beat Valencia 2-1 Saturday and stay in touch with the La Liga front-runners.

Griezmann replaced Julián Álvarez with half an hour to go with Atletico leading after Koke Resurrección scored from a rebound in the 17th minute.

Lucas Beltrán pulled the visitors level in the 63rd with a shot from outside the area as the Argentine striker skirted past a defender and lashed a long strike just inside the post.

Griezmann restored the lead in the 74th at the Metropolitano Stadium when he used an exquisite control, hooking down a long ball with the tip of his boot, before he fired in the winner.

The 34-year-old Griezmann has taken a more limited role with Atletico this season, but he is still proving to be decisive. The former France star scored two goals as a substitute in a 3-1 win over Levante last month and also netted after coming on in the second half against Sevilla and Real Madrid.

His winner against Valencia increased his record haul for Atletico to 204 career goals.

Fourth-placed Atletico was six points behind Barcelona before the leader hosted Osasuna later.

The loss for Valencia will increase the pressure on coach Carlos Corberán with the team in 17th place just on the edge of the relegation zone.