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Felix Thinks of Women’s Rights, Future as She Runs Last US Race

Allyson Felix acknowledges the crowd after she competed in the Women 400 Meter Dash Final during the USATF Championships at Hayward Field on June 25, 2022 in Eugene, Oregon. (Getty Images)
Allyson Felix acknowledges the crowd after she competed in the Women 400 Meter Dash Final during the USATF Championships at Hayward Field on June 25, 2022 in Eugene, Oregon. (Getty Images)
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Felix Thinks of Women’s Rights, Future as She Runs Last US Race

Allyson Felix acknowledges the crowd after she competed in the Women 400 Meter Dash Final during the USATF Championships at Hayward Field on June 25, 2022 in Eugene, Oregon. (Getty Images)
Allyson Felix acknowledges the crowd after she competed in the Women 400 Meter Dash Final during the USATF Championships at Hayward Field on June 25, 2022 in Eugene, Oregon. (Getty Images)

There was a bit of sadness as legendary sprinter Allyson Felix stepped off the track on Saturday after her final US championships.

"But I think more than anything this season showed me that I have no doubts about walking away," said America's most decorated track and field athlete who is nearing the end of 19 amazing seasons.

"There is nothing left that I have to do," Felix, 36, said. "For the first time in me, I didn't feel I had that fight in me, and that's who I am. And when I felt that I knew there was nothing left to do but be grateful and watch all these amazing athletes."

The concluding US championship race came in the women's 400 meters final with Felix taking sixth in 51.34 seconds.

"I think I could be in good position for a maybe mixed relay, the Californian said of the upcoming world championships at the same Oregon track in July.

The US team will likely be named in early July, with Felix in line for her 10th world championship team to go with five Olympics.

Yet the weekend had bittersweet moments for the winner of 11 Olympic medals and 18 world championship honors.

The US Supreme Court overturned the legal decision Roe v. Wade, which had guaranteed American women the constitutional right to an abortion, on Friday morning before Felix ran in the women's 400m semifinals.

"I think any time women's rights get taken away, it's a sad day," Felix said on Saturday.

A fierce advocate for the rights of women since the birth of her daughter in 2018, Felix said "I will always fight for women and always will stand on that decision. It was very unfortunate."

A final street race in Los Angeles in early August will close out her running career.

Then Felix, who has begun her own apparel and shoe company, will turn her attention to raising her daughter and spending more time advocating for causes she is passionate about.

"To step right into that means so much to me," Felix said.

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Sports

Madrid’s Mendy Suffers Another Injury Setback

Real Madrid's Ferland Mendy receives medical attention during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between RCD Espanyol and Real Madrid, in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, 03 May 2026. (EPA)
Real Madrid's Ferland Mendy receives medical attention during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between RCD Espanyol and Real Madrid, in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, 03 May 2026. (EPA)
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Madrid’s Mendy Suffers Another Injury Setback

Real Madrid's Ferland Mendy receives medical attention during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between RCD Espanyol and Real Madrid, in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, 03 May 2026. (EPA)
Real Madrid's Ferland Mendy receives medical attention during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between RCD Espanyol and Real Madrid, in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, 03 May 2026. (EPA)

Injury-plagued Real Madrid defender Ferland Mendy has suffered a thigh injury, with Spanish media reporting on Monday that he will be sidelined for several months.

Left-back Mendy was replaced after just 14 minutes of Sunday's 2-0 win over Espanyol, which delayed Barcelona winning the La Liga title.

The France international will undergo surgery in the coming hours after suffering his 16th injury since joining Madrid from Lyon in 2019.

"Following tests carried out today on our player Ferland Mendy... he has been diagnosed with a rectus femoris tendon injury in his right leg," Madrid said in a statement.

Mendy made his last France appearance in June 2024 and was unlikely to be in contention for a place in Didier Deschamps's World Cup squad.

Sports

Asharq Al-Awsat Reveals Saudi FA Financials With SAR 88 Million Surplus

Asharq Al-Awsat Reveals Saudi FA Financials With SAR 88 Million Surplus
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Asharq Al-Awsat Reveals Saudi FA Financials With SAR 88 Million Surplus

Asharq Al-Awsat Reveals Saudi FA Financials With SAR 88 Million Surplus

The Saudi Arabian Football Federation is set to approve its consolidated financial statements for the period from July 1, 2024 to December 31, 2025, at its general assembly meeting scheduled for May 18 in Riyadh. The move reflects the close of the financial cycle and entry into the formal approval phase.

Asharq Al-Awsat has obtained detailed figures from those statements through its sources. Total revenue reached SAR 2.599 billion (about $693.1 million), compared with expenditures of SAR 2.511 billion (around $669.6 million), generating a surplus of SAR 88.4 million (approximately $23.6 million). The outcome points to balanced finances despite elevated spending levels.

Competition-related spending topped the expenditure categories at SAR 717 million (about $191.2 million). This figure covers the organization of domestic competitions as well as hosting regional, continental, and international tournaments. It also includes club support and prize money totaling SAR 246 million (around $65.6 million), underscoring the scale of investment in domestic competitions.

For national teams, the federation reported spending of roughly SAR 467 million (about $124.5 million), while allocations for referees reached SAR 210 million (around $56 million), reflecting a clear push to strengthen technical and organizational standards and develop officiating and training camps.

On the human resources front, total salaries and incentives for federation staff and all Saudi national teams, men’s and women’s (19 teams), amounted to SAR 543 million (about $144.8 million).

In terms of operating revenue, sponsorship agreements, broadcasting rights, and matchday income generated SAR 256 million (around $68.3 million). Meanwhile, travel and transportation costs for federation personnel and national teams totaled SAR 229 million (about $61.1 million), a category tied to the domestic and international scope of activities.

As for the general assembly agenda, it includes announcing the session and confirming its formation in line with the statutes, approving the agenda, and delivering the president’s address. This will be followed by the appointment of three delegates to review the meeting minutes, the designation of independent auditors, and ratification of the previous meeting’s minutes.

The assembly will also review the president’s report on activities since the last meeting, before presenting the external auditor’s report and approving the consolidated financial statements, including the statement of financial position and activities report.

Members will then vote on proposed amendments to regulations and standing orders, culminating in the appointment of an independent external auditor based on a board recommendation, in a session with a distinctly regulatory and financial focus that will shape the next phase.

Sports

Top Tennis Players Slam Roland Garros Prize Money, Citing a Shrinking Share of Tournament Revenue

Tennis - Madrid Open - Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain - April 28, 2026 Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka reacts during her quarterfinal match against Hailey Baptiste of the US. (Reuters)
Tennis - Madrid Open - Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain - April 28, 2026 Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka reacts during her quarterfinal match against Hailey Baptiste of the US. (Reuters)
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Top Tennis Players Slam Roland Garros Prize Money, Citing a Shrinking Share of Tournament Revenue

Tennis - Madrid Open - Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain - April 28, 2026 Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka reacts during her quarterfinal match against Hailey Baptiste of the US. (Reuters)
Tennis - Madrid Open - Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain - April 28, 2026 Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka reacts during her quarterfinal match against Hailey Baptiste of the US. (Reuters)

A group of leading players including Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff have expressed “their deep disappointment” at the level on prize money at Roland Garros amid a lingering dispute with Grand Slam tournament organizers.

The clay-court Grand Slam event starts later this month in western Paris. The players said they have other demands that have not been addressed by officials, including better representation, health and pensions.

The players' call came after French Open organizers announced last month the Roland Garros prize money has increased by about 10% for an overall pot of 61.7 million euros ($72.1 million), with the total amount up 5.3 million euros from last year.

“Players’ share of Roland Garros tournament revenue has declined from 15.5% in 2024 to 14.9% projected in 2026,” the group of players responded in a statement on Monday.

Play begins on May 24 at Roland Garros. Men’s and women’s singles champions each receive 2.8 million euros and the runners-up 1.4 million euros. Semifinalists earn 750,000 euros and first round losers get 87,000 euros. Men’s and women’s doubles winners pocket 600,000 euros and the mixed doubles champions get 122,000 euros.

But the statement said “the underlying figures tell a very different story,” claiming that players receive a declining share of the value they contribute to generate.

“According to tournament officials, Roland Garros generated 395 million euros in revenue in 2025, a 14% year-on-year increase, yet prize money rose by just 5.4%, reducing players’ share of revenue to 14.3%,” they said. “With estimated revenues of over 400 million euros for this year’s tournament, prize money as a percentage of revenue will likely still be less than 15%, far short of the 22% that players have requested to bring the Grand Slams into line with the ATP and WTA Combined 1000 events.”

French Open organizers did not immediately respond to a request for comments.

The same group of 20 players had already signed a letter sent to the heads of the four Grand Slam tournaments last year, seeking more prize money and a greater say in what they called “decisions that directly impact us.”

They said in their latest statement they remain “united in their desire to see meaningful progress, both in terms of fair financial distribution and in how the sport is governed.”

They insisted they have not received any response to their proposals on welfare, including pension and long-term health, adding that no progress has been made “on fair and transparent player representation within Grand Slam decision-making.”

“While other major international sports are modernizing governance, aligning stakeholders, and building long-term value, the Grand Slams remain resistant to change,” they said. “The absence of player consultation and the continued lack of investment in player welfare reflect a system that does not adequately represent the interests of those who are central to the sport’s success.”