Saka Sparks Arsenal Attack into Life Ahead of Atletico Showdown

Football - Premier League - Arsenal v Fulham - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - May 2, 2026 Arsenal's Bukayo Saka celebrates scoring their second goal. (Action Images via Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Arsenal v Fulham - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - May 2, 2026 Arsenal's Bukayo Saka celebrates scoring their second goal. (Action Images via Reuters)
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Saka Sparks Arsenal Attack into Life Ahead of Atletico Showdown

Football - Premier League - Arsenal v Fulham - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - May 2, 2026 Arsenal's Bukayo Saka celebrates scoring their second goal. (Action Images via Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Arsenal v Fulham - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - May 2, 2026 Arsenal's Bukayo Saka celebrates scoring their second goal. (Action Images via Reuters)

Bukayo Saka's return from injury has jolted Arsenal's attack back into life just in time for the Gunners to dream of a Premier League and Champions League double.

Saka scored and provided an assist for Viktor Gyokeres as Mikel Arteta's men bagged three goals for the first time in 16 games in Saturday's 3-0 win over Fulham.

All three goals arrived before Saka was withdrawn by Arteta at half-time to protect the England winger, who has been nursing an achilles injury in recent months.

Arteta had one eye on Tuesday's visit by Atletico Madrid, with Arsenal hoping to reach just the second Champions League final in their history.

The clash is evenly poised at 1-1 after a first leg dominated by penalty decisions in the Spanish capital.

Both sides netted from the spot, but Arsenal thought they should have had a second penalty when Eberechi Eze was clipped inside the box.

Saka was involved in that move and his introduction as a substitute helped Arsenal turn the tide to finish the first leg on the front foot.

The 24-year-old was recently handed a new four-year contract, reportedly making him the highest earner at the club.

Saka has struggled to find his best form since a serious hamstring injury ruled him out for three months last season.

Arteta, though, is hoping the attacker is both physically and mentally fresh to end Arsenal's long wait for silverware.

- Difference maker -

Saka's quick feet and deadly delivery left Gyokeres with the simple task of tapping into an empty net to settle the Premier League leaders' nerves early on against Fulham.

The roles were reversed for the second as Saka latched onto the Swede's pass and arrowed a shot into the bottom corner for his 10th goal of an injury-disrupted campaign.

"He certainly made a difference. He made two actions that decided the game and we know what he's capable of," said Arteta.

"He's come back in the most important period of the season and now he's fresh.

"His mind is fresh, his hunger is at the highest possible height and I think he needed a performance like that to impact the team, so that's a big platform for Tuesday."

Robert Pires was part of the only previous Arsenal side to reach the Champions League final, a 2-1 defeat to Barcelona in 2006.

The Frenchman's wing play made him a legendary figure in north London for his part in two Premier League titles under Arsene Wenger and he believes Saka can have an inspirational impact on his team-mates.

"He's found his sharpness again, he's brought back his dribbling, his drive," Pires told AFP.

"When you have players like him, capable of making the difference, it already does everyone a lot of good.

"Above all, he pulls the others along, getting them to do, or at least try to do, what he does."

Arsenal's miserly defense, which has conceded just six goals in 13 Champions League games, has carried them to the brink of the final.

Now the onus is on Saka, nicknamed "star-boy" by the club's supporters, to provide the creative spark to take Arsenal to Budapest next month.



Aryna Sabalenka Powers Her Way into the Third Round of the US Open in Just 53 Minutes

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in action against Polina Iatcentko of Russia during their second round Women’s Singles match at the US Open Tennis Championships in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 02 September 2026.  EPA/BRIAN HIRSCHFELD
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in action against Polina Iatcentko of Russia during their second round Women’s Singles match at the US Open Tennis Championships in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 02 September 2026. EPA/BRIAN HIRSCHFELD
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Aryna Sabalenka Powers Her Way into the Third Round of the US Open in Just 53 Minutes

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in action against Polina Iatcentko of Russia during their second round Women’s Singles match at the US Open Tennis Championships in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 02 September 2026.  EPA/BRIAN HIRSCHFELD
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in action against Polina Iatcentko of Russia during their second round Women’s Singles match at the US Open Tennis Championships in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 02 September 2026. EPA/BRIAN HIRSCHFELD

Aryna Sabalenka came to the US Open struggling and in danger of losing the No. 1 ranking.

She heads to the third round looking every bit ready for a three-peat.

The top-seeded Sabalenka overwhelmed Polina Iatcenko 6-1, 6-1 in 53 minutes on Wednesday night, putting on a power-hitting display that made it seem her recent problems are in the past, The Associated Press said.

“Happy with the level I played today, happy with the focus and happy to be through this match,” Sabalenka said.

A number of players have only finished one match.

Another rainy afternoon in New York suspended play for a time on outside courts, allowing action only under the roofs in Arthur Ashe Stadium and Louis Armstrong Stadium to continue uninterrupted. So the players scheduled there avoided the starts and stops that others faced.

Carlos Alcaraz was one, following Sabalenka with a 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 victory over Jaime Faria. The defending champion rebounded after dropping a set, which he didn't do until last year's final, by winning the next eight games to seize control.

Jessica Pegula needed only 56 minutes to defeat Sofia Kenin 6-3, 6-1. Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion, beat Venus Williams in her first match.

“To be out of there in under an hour, it doesn’t always happen,” Pegula said. “So I think I’m just going to take that one and run, I guess, until the next round.”

No. 8 seed Ben Shelton followed Pegula on Ashe and beat Hubert Hurkacz 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (3), 7-5, while No. 7 Daniil Medvedev raced past Sebastian Gorzny — except for a brief delay to protest the chair umpire’s decision to replay a point when two birds sat on the net — 6-3, 6-3, 7-5.

Sabalenka says she was struggling but now feels better

Sabalenka is trying to become the first player to win three in a row in Flushing Meadows since Serena Williams from 2012-14, but arrived after losing in the fourth round of her past three tournaments. She needs help to stay atop the WTA rankings even if she wins the title.

She won 15 of 16 points on first serve in the first set and only dropped off a little in the second, finishing 21 for 28 in the match, against an opponent who is playing in her first Grand Slam tournament.

“I think I struggled a little bit in the middle of the season. Once again, I’m not going to defend myself or explain why, what happened, but I’m happy with my level,” Sabalenka said. “I can definitely say that mentally I’m way stronger than I was in the middle of the season, and physically I also feel stronger. So I feel like I’m on my level of play.”

A three-day first round stretches into a fourth

When the US Open switched to a Sunday start last year, it spread out the first round over the first three days, so Wednesday would have arrived with everyone playing in the second round had the weather cooperated.

It didn't.

Alex de Minaur, the No. 6 seed from Australia, said with all the juggling his match was moved twice from the court where he was originally scheduled. He finally started his US Open on Wednesday on Court 11 and beat Italy's Andrea Guerrieri 6-2, 6-2, 6-4.

“It’s been a couple tough days. But I mean, these tournaments, it's all about adapting and that’s the name of the game,” de Minaur said. “There’s too much to play for to let something like this affect you.”

Paula Badosa said she didn't even know how to prepare for the resumption of her match against Daria Kasatkina, which was halted Tuesday with her one game from winning to set up a second-round match against No. 4 Coco Gauff.

“I didn’t know if I was going to play just two points or six, or I don’t know how much, how many I play or one more set,” the Spaniard said Wednesday after finishing off her 6-1, 6-4 victory.

“So I knew that if I was winning this match, I’m playing the next day. So, yeah, it was everything a bit different. I was very nervous that I even couldn’t eat, so a lot of different stuff I did today, but sometimes it is how it is, and I tried to play with the things I had there.”

At least she got through. No. 12 Rafael Jodar, the 19-year-old from Spain who came in after a strong summer, was routed 6-2, 6-1, 6-1 by Bu Yunchaokete of China when his first-round match was finally completed.

“I knew it wasn’t going to be easy because I was waiting a lot yesterday and today as well, but it is what it is,” Jodar said. “We cannot control the rain, so it’s difficult for both players.”

The first round was finally completed late Wednesday, a day when 25 men’s singles matches were scheduled to get the tournament back on track.

Alex Michelsen pulled off an upset in one of them by ousting fellow American Brandon Nakashima, the No. 16 seed, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. No. 11 Frances Tiafoe beat Japanese qualifier Rei Sakamoto in straight sets, and Argentina's Mariano Navone backed up his upset of Novak Djokovic by beating Matteo Berrettini 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (4).

Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova and runner-up Karolina Muchova advanced to the third round, while No. 11 Marta Kostyuk got past 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens 6-1, 7-5. No. 31 seed Leylah Fernandez set up a matchup of past US Open runners-up against Pegula, with the winner to meet either No. 16 Sorana Cirstea or No. 19 Jasmine Paolini.


Alcaraz Plans More Breaks, Warns Packed Schedule Fueling Injuries

NEW YORK - AUGUST 31: Carlos Alcaraz of Spain celebrates a point against Roman Safiullin during their Men's Singles First Round match on Day Two of the 2026 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 31, 2026 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.   Clive Brunskill/Getty Images/AFP
NEW YORK - AUGUST 31: Carlos Alcaraz of Spain celebrates a point against Roman Safiullin during their Men's Singles First Round match on Day Two of the 2026 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 31, 2026 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. Clive Brunskill/Getty Images/AFP
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Alcaraz Plans More Breaks, Warns Packed Schedule Fueling Injuries

NEW YORK - AUGUST 31: Carlos Alcaraz of Spain celebrates a point against Roman Safiullin during their Men's Singles First Round match on Day Two of the 2026 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 31, 2026 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.   Clive Brunskill/Getty Images/AFP
NEW YORK - AUGUST 31: Carlos Alcaraz of Spain celebrates a point against Roman Safiullin during their Men's Singles First Round match on Day Two of the 2026 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 31, 2026 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. Clive Brunskill/Getty Images/AFP

World number three ‌Carlos Alcaraz said he plans to take more breaks from the tour and warned that the packed tennis calendar is contributing to injuries and fatigue among players.

The Spaniard, who returned to action at the US Open after a lengthy layoff due to a wrist injury sustained in April, said the demands of the schedule made it impossible for players to compete in every major event without risking burnout, Reuters said.

"I took more than ‌I wanted ‌but seeing how tight is the calendar, I ‌don't ⁠want to have ⁠this break because of an injury," Alcaraz told reporters after beating Jaime Faria 4-6 6-0 6-3 6-2 on Wednesday.

"In the future, I'm going to take some long breaks. Maybe not four months, but one month, two months, missing some tournaments, because it's impossible to ⁠play them all."

Since 2025, seven of the ‌nine ATP Masters 1000 ‌events have been expanded to 12 days, with only Monte Carlo ‌and Paris retaining their traditional one-week formats.

The ATP ‌has said players control their own schedules and it is working to encourage an appropriate number of matches during the season.

"They are adding more important tournaments. In a way ‌they are making us play," he said.

"You can say no and decide your calendar, ⁠but there ⁠are some Masters 1000s, some Grand Slams, and we are out playing 40 weeks if we have to play every mandatory tournament that the ATP requires us to play."

Alcaraz pointed to a growing injury toll on the tour, with Jannik Sinner, Jack Draper, Holger Rune and Joao Fonseca among players who missed this year's US Open.

"We are seeing a lot of players getting injured and tired. If they don't do anything about it, we are going to see even more in the future," he added.


Startups, Sports-Sector Entities Sign MoUs at LEAP 2026

Saudi sports startups signed several MoUs with sports-sector entities during the Ministry of Sport’s participation in LEAP 2026. (SPA)
Saudi sports startups signed several MoUs with sports-sector entities during the Ministry of Sport’s participation in LEAP 2026. (SPA)
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Startups, Sports-Sector Entities Sign MoUs at LEAP 2026

Saudi sports startups signed several MoUs with sports-sector entities during the Ministry of Sport’s participation in LEAP 2026. (SPA)
Saudi sports startups signed several MoUs with sports-sector entities during the Ministry of Sport’s participation in LEAP 2026. (SPA)

A number of memoranda of understanding (MoUs) were signed Tuesday between startups that graduated from innovation programs overseen by the Ministry of Sport and entities operating in the sports sector, during the ministry's participation in the fifth edition of the global technology event LEAP 2026, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.
The MoUs aim to strengthen cooperation between startups and entities operating in the sports sector, support the use of innovative solutions and services, and open new avenues for companies to develop their businesses and expand their presence, thereby enhancing their growth prospects and sustainability in the market.

This comes as an extension of the ministry's efforts to support and empower startups and small and medium-sized enterprises, connect them with opportunities and partnerships in the sports sector, and promote innovation, modern technologies, and the entrepreneurship ecosystem, contributing to building high-quality partnerships, supporting the growth of national companies, and expanding private-sector participation in developing the sports sector.