Women's World Cup Winners Maintain Boycott of Spain's National Team

Spanish former Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) chief, Luis Rubiales, leaves the National Court in Madrid, Spain, 15 September 2023. EPA/Sergio Perez
Spanish former Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) chief, Luis Rubiales, leaves the National Court in Madrid, Spain, 15 September 2023. EPA/Sergio Perez
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Women's World Cup Winners Maintain Boycott of Spain's National Team

Spanish former Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) chief, Luis Rubiales, leaves the National Court in Madrid, Spain, 15 September 2023. EPA/Sergio Perez
Spanish former Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) chief, Luis Rubiales, leaves the National Court in Madrid, Spain, 15 September 2023. EPA/Sergio Perez

The new coach of Spain's women's team had to delay the announcement of her first squad Friday after the country's World Cup-winning players maintained their boycott of the national team as part of their fight against sexism in soccer.

Spain coach Montse Tomé was set to announce her squad on Friday. But 20 minutes before she was supposed to hold a news conference, the federation said it was postponed to a time to be determined.

The federation said the players had rejected their attempts to convince them to return to the team early on Friday.

That leaves Tomé with the difficult decision of whether to still call up the revolting players, or select a completely different team for upcoming Nations League games against Sweden and Switzerland on Sept. 22 and 26.

According to Spanish sports law, athletes are required to answer the call of its national teams unless there are circumstances that impede them from playing, such as an injury.

Spain’s women have had little chance to celebrate their greatest soccer achievement because Luis Rubiales, the now former president of the federation, caused an uproar when he kissed player Jenni Hermoso on the lips at the awards ceremony in Sydney on Aug. 20.

The 23 players, along with dozens of other players, responded to his subsequent refusal to step down in the days after the kiss by announcing that they would not play for their nation again until the federation underwent deep reforms and had new leadership. The federation has been in upheaval since.

Rubiales was first suspended by soccer governing body FIFA, then his interim replacement fired women’s national team coach Jorge Vilda, who was unpopular with players. Rubiales himself eventually resigned under immense pressure.

Many expected that the firing of Vilda and the exit of Rubiales would clear the path for the return of the players. But it appears that the players want more changes, even though they have not made their specific demands public.

Rubiales has been given a restraining order and is prohibited from contacting the player he kissed, Spain’s National Court said Friday.

Rubiales appeared in front of Judge Francisco de Jorge and denied any wrongdoing when questioned about kissing Hermoso on the lips, the state prosecutors’ office said.

After hearing Rubiales, the judge issued the restraining order that prohibits Rubiales from being within 200 meters of Hermoso. The state prosecutors had asked for that ban to reach 500 meters.

The judge rejected the prosecutors’ request to also oblige Rubiales to check in with a court every 15 days as well as the request by Hermoso’s lawyer to freeze assets belonging to Rubiales.



Sabalenka in No Mood to Relax after Zheng’s Early Exit

This hand out picture released by the Tennis Australia on January 15, 2025 shows Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka speaks at a press conference after her women's singles match against Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne. (Vince Caligiuri/Tennis Australia / AFP)
This hand out picture released by the Tennis Australia on January 15, 2025 shows Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka speaks at a press conference after her women's singles match against Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne. (Vince Caligiuri/Tennis Australia / AFP)
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Sabalenka in No Mood to Relax after Zheng’s Early Exit

This hand out picture released by the Tennis Australia on January 15, 2025 shows Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka speaks at a press conference after her women's singles match against Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne. (Vince Caligiuri/Tennis Australia / AFP)
This hand out picture released by the Tennis Australia on January 15, 2025 shows Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka speaks at a press conference after her women's singles match against Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne. (Vince Caligiuri/Tennis Australia / AFP)

Aryna Sabalenka said early exits by big names at the Australian Open would not make her title defense any easier after the top seed saw one of her main title rivals go out in the second round with Zheng Qinwen's defeat by world number 97 Laura Siegemund.

Sabalenka sealed a battling 6-3 7-5 victory over Spaniard Jessica Bouzas Maneiro on Wednesday shortly before fifth seed Zheng, who lost to the Belarusian in last year's final, crashed out 7-6(3) 6-3.

Zheng's exit leaves Sabalenka with one less seed to worry about but the three-times Grand Slam champion said it made little difference in such a competitive field.

"Listen, it's a slam, you know? Not everyone can handle these emotions," Sabalenka told reporters.

"As you can see, there are so many players who are playing really well in these conditions. It's not like if they're gone, it's easy for me. No, it's not.

"I have to go there, I have to compete, I have to fight. Today's match proved that. Girls can go there and just play without any fear, without anything to lose.

"They can put you in really uncomfortable positions."

Sabalenka was feeling the pressure in her own match and trailed 5-2 at one point in the second set against Bouzas Maneiro, who stunned Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova in the opening round at the All England Club last year.

"I definitely didn't want a third set. Who wants it? But at that moment I didn't really want to get bothered by that and let go of the set," said Sabalenka, who is bidding to become the first woman to win three successive titles at Melbourne Park since Martina Hingis from 1997-99.

"I told myself, 'OK, let's go play a third' and I somehow mentally prepared myself for that, tried to find my serve to not to give her too many chances.

"Then somehow it seemed to me that she got tense when it got to 5-3 and I felt there was an opportunity. I'm very glad that I managed to finish in two sets.

"I didn't really want to get too physically exhausted in the second round."

Up next for Sabalenka is Dane Clara Tauson, who won the Auckland title in the build-up to the Australian Open after Naomi Osaka retired injured.