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Saudi Crown Prince Attends Esports World Cup 2026 Closing Ceremony in Paris

The Saudi Crown Prince’s attendance underscored his continued support for the gaming and esports sector. SPA
The Saudi Crown Prince’s attendance underscored his continued support for the gaming and esports sector. SPA
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Saudi Crown Prince Attends Esports World Cup 2026 Closing Ceremony in Paris

The Saudi Crown Prince’s attendance underscored his continued support for the gaming and esports sector. SPA
The Saudi Crown Prince’s attendance underscored his continued support for the gaming and esports sector. SPA

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, attended the closing ceremony of the Esports World Cup 2026 in Paris on Sunday, alongside French President Emmanuel Macron.

During the ceremony, the Crown Prince witnessed Macron crown AG.AL as the Esports World Cup 2026 Club Champion. The club secured the title after finishing first in the overall standings with 5,300 points, earning the $7 million grand prize.

The Crown Prince’s attendance underscored his continued support for the gaming and esports sector and his vision to position the Kingdom at the forefront of the industry’s global growth and development.

The 2026 edition recorded continued growth across the tournament, attracting large audiences and a 94% increase in tickets sold to esports competitions.

More than 850 million viewers followed the competition across digital platforms worldwide, generating over 440 million hours of watch time through global content distributed in 47 languages.

CEO of the Esports Foundation Ralf Reichert said: “We are deeply grateful for the continued support of HRH the Crown Prince, which has been instrumental in building the Esports World Cup into the global platform it is today. Bringing EWC to Paris marks an important new chapter and demonstrates the strength of the model established in Saudi Arabia, while Riyadh remains its home.”

He congratulated AG.AL and said “Paris embraced the Esports World Cup and made it its own, proving that something created in Saudi Arabia can belong to fans everywhere.”

The Paris edition marks a new international chapter for the Esports World Cup and demonstrates the strength of the model established in the Kingdom: a global sporting and cultural platform capable of engaging audiences across major world capitals. Riyadh remains the home of the Esports World Cup and a central pillar of its long-term vision.

Held from July 6 to August 23, the 2026 edition brought together more than 2,000 professional players representing 200 clubs from 100 countries.

They competed in 25 tournaments featuring some of the world's most popular esports titles for a prize pool exceeding $75 million, the largest in esports history.

The Esports World Cup was announced by the Crown Prince in 2023 as a Saudi-born initiative with global ambition. Riyadh hosted the inaugural edition in 2024 and an expanded second edition in 2025, before Paris became the first international city to stage the tournament outside Saudi Arabia in 2026.

With the conclusion of its third edition, the Esports World Cup continues to strengthen its position as a global platform that brings people and communities together through competition, excellence and innovation.

The Kingdom, meanwhile, continues to advance its leading role in shaping the future of esports and transforming young people’s passion for gaming into sustainable economic, professional and cultural opportunities.

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Sports

Mercedes No Longer Have the Fastest Car in F1, Says Antonelli

23 August 2026, Netherlands, Zandvoort: Italian second placed Formula One driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli of team Mercedes speaks during the drivers' press conference after the Dutch Formula One Grand Prix at Mascot Circuit Zandvoort. (dpa)
23 August 2026, Netherlands, Zandvoort: Italian second placed Formula One driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli of team Mercedes speaks during the drivers' press conference after the Dutch Formula One Grand Prix at Mascot Circuit Zandvoort. (dpa)
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Mercedes No Longer Have the Fastest Car in F1, Says Antonelli

23 August 2026, Netherlands, Zandvoort: Italian second placed Formula One driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli of team Mercedes speaks during the drivers' press conference after the Dutch Formula One Grand Prix at Mascot Circuit Zandvoort. (dpa)
23 August 2026, Netherlands, Zandvoort: Italian second placed Formula One driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli of team Mercedes speaks during the drivers' press conference after the Dutch Formula One Grand Prix at Mascot Circuit Zandvoort. (dpa)

McLaren have taken a big step forward and Mercedes no longer have the quickest car in Formula One, championship leader Kimi Antonelli said after Sunday's Dutch Grand Prix.

McLaren's reigning champion Lando Norris celebrated his second win in a row from pole position at Zandvoort, with Antonelli and Mercedes teammate George Russell second and third ahead of Ferrari pair Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.

"We’re clearly not the fastest car anymore on the grid," said Antonelli, who won five races in a row earlier in the season.

"We’re probably second or third, at least in today’s race, and McLaren has taken a huge step, especially since Hungary, since the big upgrade package they brought."

Norris, who lost out to Antonelli at the race restart and then had to overtake him on track, questioned ‌that assertion however.

"I ‌don’t think it’s true. I think if I didn’t get Kimi when ‌I ⁠overtook him, I ⁠don’t think I would have won the race," he said.

"For once I would give myself a little bit of credit that I feel like I’m doing a better job than everyone, and I think that can also make a difference.

"We certainly have a car now capable of beating them ... but I think they have a better all-round performing car than what we do."

Zandvoort, and Budapest's Hungaroring before that, played to McLaren's strengths but some of the tracks coming up may be less favorable.

Ferrari can be expected to go well at their home ⁠grand prix at Monza early next month, with upgrades in the pipeline, ‌while Antonelli faces hefty grid penalties for an engine change.

A TOUGHER ‌RIDE

Mercedes are still way ahead of Ferrari and McLaren in the constructors' championship and scored more points (46 to McLaren's ‌43 and Ferrari's 31) than anyone else over the weekend.

"We have a strong car in certain ‌areas. It’s not like last year where we were pretty good everywhere," said Norris.

"We’re very, very strong in high speed, and that’s the place we’ve improved the car the most, is high-speed performance. No one matches us in high speed, and that’s a good thing.

"But the advantage that they (Mercedes) have to us in slow speed is also crazy. And ‌therefore, I don’t have the confidence to say 'yeah, I can easily fight for a championship for the rest of the season.

"I know I’ve just ⁠won two races in ⁠a row and had two poles in a row, but at the minute I don’t have the car I need to fight for a championship," added the Briton, who is 83 points behind Antonelli with another 11 rounds remaining unless the situation in the Middle East forces a calendar change.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said cost-cap restrictions meant Mercedes did not have the money to put developments on the car as fast as they might like to.

"We are trying to evenly split that through the season based on our calculations of when we can bring the biggest updates and optimizing the championship points," he told reporters.

"So, the ride has been a bit tougher than at the beginning of the year."

McLaren principal Andrea Stella said he expected Mercedes to accelerate their car's development regardless.

"I'm sure their car in the wind tunnel is quite a bit faster than the car they have on track," said the Italian.

"And they will want to now convert some of this potential into upgrades that make it to the real car. I'm just pretty sure that they will have upgrades."

Sports

Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan: The 'Paris Edition' Affirmed the Growing Stature of Esports

Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan (Esports World Cup)
Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan (Esports World Cup)
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Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan: The 'Paris Edition' Affirmed the Growing Stature of Esports

Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan (Esports World Cup)
Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan (Esports World Cup)

Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan, Chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation, said the Esports World Cup’s Paris edition marked further international growth and expansion, describing its reach to audiences outside Saudi Arabia as an important milestone in the tournament’s development.

“We are proud of what the Esports World Cup achieved in Paris, particularly in terms of its international growth and expansion,” Prince Faisal said. “The tournament’s ability to reach a global audience outside the Kingdom is an important milestone in its journey and a sign of the growing recognition of esports as a global sector capable of bringing together communities, cultures and audiences from around the world”.

He added: “The attendance of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, is clear evidence of the growing interest in esports and of the sector’s development and standing. I congratulate all the players, clubs, publishers, partners and organizers who contributed to the success of this edition. Paris has marked an important chapter in the tournament’s journey and laid a strong foundation on which to build in the years ahead.”

Eddie Chen, chief operating officer of All Gamers Global, said his team’s club championship was the result of a project that began with the club’s global expansion in 2024, coinciding with the launch of the Esports World Cup.

“When we began expanding the club’s global presence in 2024, the same year the Esports World Cup was launched, our goal was to build a club capable of succeeding across different games, regions and cultures,” Chen said. “This title demonstrates how far that vision has progressed.”

“Our journey in Paris reflected the strength of the entire organization... This trophy is the product of the efforts of every player, coach and member of the club who contributed with dedication to getting us here”, he added.

All Gamers Global won the Club Championship at the 2026 Esports World Cup with 5,300 points, beating second-placed Falcons (4,600) and Vitality (3,300).

Sports

Gauff Powers Past Pegula to Win US Open Warm-up in Cincinnati

MASON, OHIO - AUGUST 23: Coco Gauff of the United States celebrates with the Rookwood Cup after defeating Jessica Pegula of the United Staes during the Women's Final on day twelve of the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 23, 2026 in Mason, Ohio. Matthew Stockman/Getty Images/AFP
MASON, OHIO - AUGUST 23: Coco Gauff of the United States celebrates with the Rookwood Cup after defeating Jessica Pegula of the United Staes during the Women's Final on day twelve of the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 23, 2026 in Mason, Ohio. Matthew Stockman/Getty Images/AFP
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Gauff Powers Past Pegula to Win US Open Warm-up in Cincinnati

MASON, OHIO - AUGUST 23: Coco Gauff of the United States celebrates with the Rookwood Cup after defeating Jessica Pegula of the United Staes during the Women's Final on day twelve of the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 23, 2026 in Mason, Ohio. Matthew Stockman/Getty Images/AFP
MASON, OHIO - AUGUST 23: Coco Gauff of the United States celebrates with the Rookwood Cup after defeating Jessica Pegula of the United Staes during the Women's Final on day twelve of the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 23, 2026 in Mason, Ohio. Matthew Stockman/Getty Images/AFP

Coco Gauff made a statement Sunday with the US Open approaching, dominating Jessica Pegula 6-2, 6-4 to win her first title of 2026 at the WTA 1000 in Cincinnati.

World number four Gauff claimed her first WTA title since last October in Wuhan, having come up short in finals in Miami and Rome this year.

Her victory over third-ranked Pegula gave her a second Cincinnati crown. Gauff earned her first in 2023, going on to claim the first of her two Grand Slam titles at the US Open that year.

The first all-American WTA final in Cincinnati since Rosie Casals beat Nancy Richey in 1970 was a lopsided affair.

Gauff insisted it shouldn't be considered a barometer for the US Open, but admitted it was a welcome confidence boost.

"I don't think that this is an indicator that I'm going to do well in New York or anything like that to be honest," Gauff said, but added: "(I'm going in) knowing that I can figure out these matches (even if) I'm not playing my best, but also knowing that I can play that great tennis that I felt I was playing this week.

"Hopefully I can use the experience here in New York."

MASON, OHIO - AUGUST 23: Coco Gauff of the United States is congratulated by Jessica Pegula of the United Staes after their match during the Women's Final on day twelve of the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 23, 2026 in Mason, Ohio. Matthew Stockman/Getty Images/AFP

Gauff polished off an impressive tournament with victory in 75 minutes and will head to New York riding a wave of confidence for the start of the US Open next Sunday.

It's a far cry from an early exit in Cincinnati last year, which Gauff said left her "in the parking lot in tears" after she coughed up 16 double-faults in defeat.

"It's a big difference, what a year can make," added Gauff, who was so bothered by her service struggles this time last year that she hired a new coach days before the US Open.

"Last year I was just frustrated with my game, and I felt like I was declining," AFP quoted her as saying. "It's not something any player wants to feel. You always want to feel like you're getting better, at the worst, like just plateauing."

This time around Gauff was rock-solid on serve and Pegula, coming off a hard-fought win over defending champion Iga Swiatek, had no answer for Gauff's speed and aggression.

Gauff broke Pegula twice for a 4-0 lead and was up 5-0 before Pegula got on the scoreboard, holding serve and clawing back a break.

It was a brief reprieve as Gauff broke again to pocket the opening set after 34 minutes.

The second set was more of the same, Gauff breaking on the way to a 3-0 lead and Pegula playing catch-up.

Gauff sealed victory on her first match point to conclude 12 days of tennis at the sprawling Midwest venue.

Gauff's win squared the career series between the two at five wins each. Gauff won her second match this season against Pegula after defeating her compatriot in a Wimbledon quarter-final.

Pegula was not displeased with her own performance heading into the final Grand Slam of the season.

"I don't think I played bad but you played a very high level, it was not fun to play against," she told Gauff during the trophy ceremony.

"You have amazing momentum heading into the US Open."