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Djokovic, Sabalenka Named ITF's 2023 'World Champions' 

Serbia's Novak Djokovic returns the ball against Italy's Jannik Sinner during the second men's singles semifinal tennis match between Italy and Serbia of the Davis Cup tennis tournament at the Martin Carpena sportshall, in Malaga on November 25, 2023. (AFP)
Serbia's Novak Djokovic returns the ball against Italy's Jannik Sinner during the second men's singles semifinal tennis match between Italy and Serbia of the Davis Cup tennis tournament at the Martin Carpena sportshall, in Malaga on November 25, 2023. (AFP)
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Djokovic, Sabalenka Named ITF's 2023 'World Champions' 

Serbia's Novak Djokovic returns the ball against Italy's Jannik Sinner during the second men's singles semifinal tennis match between Italy and Serbia of the Davis Cup tennis tournament at the Martin Carpena sportshall, in Malaga on November 25, 2023. (AFP)
Serbia's Novak Djokovic returns the ball against Italy's Jannik Sinner during the second men's singles semifinal tennis match between Italy and Serbia of the Davis Cup tennis tournament at the Martin Carpena sportshall, in Malaga on November 25, 2023. (AFP)

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) named Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka as its "world champions" of 2023 after their performances at this year's Grand Slams.

Djokovic was given the men's singles award for a record-extending eighth time after winning three out of the four majors, the game's global governing body said in a news release.

The 36-year-old Serb took his Grand Slam tally to 24, matching Margaret Court with the most major singles crowns, and won the ATP Finals title for a record seventh time, finishing the year as number one.

Sabalenka won her maiden major at the Australian Open, finished runner-up at the US Open and reached the semi-finals at both the French Open and Wimbledon.

The Belarusian, who was pipped to the yearend top spot by Iga Swiatek at the WTA Finals, said 2023 had been "incredible" and was delighted to be named world champion.

"I can't wait to get back out on court for the new season in January," she said in the ITF release.

Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury took the men's doubles award after winning their third consecutive US Open title while Wimbledon runners-up Storm Hunter and Elise Mertens claimed the women's doubles title.

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Man City Rallies to Beat Club Brugge and Advance in Champions League. PSG Also Wins and Stays in

Savinho (R) of Manchester City in action against Joaquin Seys of Brugge during the UEFA Champions League match between Manchester City and Club Brugge in Manchester, Britain, 29 January 2025. EPA/ADAM VAUGHAN
Savinho (R) of Manchester City in action against Joaquin Seys of Brugge during the UEFA Champions League match between Manchester City and Club Brugge in Manchester, Britain, 29 January 2025. EPA/ADAM VAUGHAN
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Man City Rallies to Beat Club Brugge and Advance in Champions League. PSG Also Wins and Stays in

Savinho (R) of Manchester City in action against Joaquin Seys of Brugge during the UEFA Champions League match between Manchester City and Club Brugge in Manchester, Britain, 29 January 2025. EPA/ADAM VAUGHAN
Savinho (R) of Manchester City in action against Joaquin Seys of Brugge during the UEFA Champions League match between Manchester City and Club Brugge in Manchester, Britain, 29 January 2025. EPA/ADAM VAUGHAN

Manchester City stayed in the Champions League, barely. Paris Saint-Germain saved its elite status in style.
Both had risked embarrassing exits before winning on Wednesday, grateful to be among the 24 teams in the knockout stage. In the new playoffs-round draw Friday, they will also find defending champion Real Madrid or Bayern Munich who finished in mid-table after the 36-team standings was finalized.
City flirted with a disaster before rallying to beat Club Brugge 3-1 in a must-win game. Trailing 1-0 at halftime, and then sitting 26th in the live standings, the 2023 title-winner was sparked by substitute Savinho to avoid elimination, the Associated Press reported.
“In the second half we let our souls and hearts free,” said City manager Pep Guardiola, who had an anguished evening on the sidelines and was shown a yellow card.
City finished 22nd but relief turns to the realization that its playoff round opponent will be either Madrid or Bayern, which slotted into the bracket possibilities in, respectively, 11th and 12th place.
PSG started play in 22nd before cruising to a 4-1 win at Stuttgart, fired by Ousmane Dembélé's hat trick, that eliminated the German club.
The French champion impressed again after a crucial 4-2 comeback win over Man City one week ago, and rose to 15th place. Still, that puts PSG on a path to meet either Liverpool or Barcelona in the round of 16 in March if it wins an all-French playoff against either Monaco or Brest.
Liverpool topped the standings despite a 3-2 loss with a weakened team at PSV Eindhoven, and Barcelona ended runner-up after a 2-2 draw with Atalanta.
Only the top eight teams go direct to the round of 16 and that excludes Madrid, which won 3-0 at Brest, and Bayern, a 3-1 winner against Slovan Bratislava.
Inter Milan, Arsenal and Atletico Madrid sealed top-eight finishes as expected with low-key wins. Inter beat Monaco 3-0, Arsenal won 2-1 at Girona and Atletico won 4-1 at Salzburg, which had a woeful campaign.
Bayer Leverkusen, Lille — which thrashed Feyenoord 6-1 — and Aston Villa completed the top eight.
Stuttgart dropped to 26th place and was eliminated along with Dinamo Zagreb, despite its 2-1 win over AC Milan whose United States playmaker Christian Pulisic had leveled the game. Milan can face Juventus in the playoffs round.
Brugge took the 24th qualification place ahead of Dinamo on the tiebreaker of goal difference.
An unprecedented Champions League night of 18 games playing at the same time — completing the new 144-game opening phase format – ended with no shock exits though final standings that defied expectations.
Three English teams finished in the top eight but not Man City.
Two Spanish teams finished in the top eight but not Real Madrid.
The one German team in the top eight is not Bayern, and the one French team is not PSG.
Those four wealthy powers of European soccer found the new eight-game format trickier than expected. They now have the burden of two extra games on back-to-back midweeks in February to earn round of 16 places that were routine in the old group-stage format.
Villa joined Liverpool and Arsenal in the top eight by beating Celtic 4-2 to rise to 16 points — the cut that meant avoiding the playoffs.
UEFA’s preseason prediction of eight points to enter the knockout phase proved far off the mark.
Dinamo got 11 points and still was eliminated, ensuring no team from eastern Europe will be in the knockout phase.
The lowest-ranked country in Friday’s playoffs round draw is Scotland, whose champion Celtic finished 21st, one place and one point above Man City.