Inter Miami Sign Former Barca Striker Suarez

Football - Gremio's Luis Suarez Farewell - Aeropuerto Internacional Salgado Filho, Porto Alegre, Brazil - December 8, 2023 Luis Suarez poses with a Uruguay flag outside the airport. (Reuters)
Football - Gremio's Luis Suarez Farewell - Aeropuerto Internacional Salgado Filho, Porto Alegre, Brazil - December 8, 2023 Luis Suarez poses with a Uruguay flag outside the airport. (Reuters)
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Inter Miami Sign Former Barca Striker Suarez

Football - Gremio's Luis Suarez Farewell - Aeropuerto Internacional Salgado Filho, Porto Alegre, Brazil - December 8, 2023 Luis Suarez poses with a Uruguay flag outside the airport. (Reuters)
Football - Gremio's Luis Suarez Farewell - Aeropuerto Internacional Salgado Filho, Porto Alegre, Brazil - December 8, 2023 Luis Suarez poses with a Uruguay flag outside the airport. (Reuters)

The long-awaited reunion of Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi is now a reality, after the Uruguayan striker signed with Inter Miami on Friday for the 2024 season.

Suarez and Messi spent six seasons together at Barcelona, winning four Spanish league titles and nine other trophies — including a Champions League title — in that span. Suárez is coming off a season where he was best player and best striker in the Brazilian league with Gremio.

“I’m very happy and excited to take on this new challenge with Inter Miami,” Suarez said. "I can’t wait to get started, and I’m ready to work to make the dream of winning more titles with this great club a reality. I’m optimistic about what we can achieve together with our shared ambition.”

There had been speculation for months that Suarez would join Inter Miami, especially given his relationship with Messi. Inter Miami won its first trophy — the Leagues Cup — last season shortly after Messi arrived, his signing part of an overhaul that brought elite talent like Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba to the club, along with coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino.

Busquets and Alba also played for Barcelona alongside Messi, and Martino is a former Barcelona coach.

Now, Suarez joins that mix.

“I will give my all to bring joy to these great fans I’ve heard so much about while I wear Inter Miami colors, and look forward to reuniting with great friends and players,” Suarez said. “I’m also eager to meet my new teammates and coaches.”



Novak Djokovic Breaks a Tie with Roger Federer for Most Grand Slam Matches in Tennis History

 Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 15, 2025 Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates winning his second round match against Portugal's Jaime Faria. (Reuters)
Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 15, 2025 Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates winning his second round match against Portugal's Jaime Faria. (Reuters)
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Novak Djokovic Breaks a Tie with Roger Federer for Most Grand Slam Matches in Tennis History

 Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 15, 2025 Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates winning his second round match against Portugal's Jaime Faria. (Reuters)
Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 15, 2025 Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates winning his second round match against Portugal's Jaime Faria. (Reuters)

Novak Djokovic added yet another record to his lengthy list, breaking a tie with Roger Federer for the most Grand Slam matches played in tennis history by reaching 430 on Wednesday at the Australian Open in what was a tougher-than-expected second-round victory.

Djokovic improved to 379-51 for his career at major tournaments, a .881 winning percentage, by defeating 21-year-old Portuguese qualifier Jaime Faria 6-1, 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-2 in a match briefly interrupted by light rain before Rod Laver Arena's retractable roof was shut.

“Grand Slams, of course, they are the pillars of our sport. They mean everything for the history of the sport. ... Definitely the most important tournaments,” Djokovic said. “I’m just blessed to be making another record, I guess, today.”

Oh, yes, Djokovic already holds so many marks, many of which used to belong to Federer — who went 369-60 during his 429 Slam matches, a .860 winning percentage — and there are more on the horizon.

As it is, Djokovic has won the most Grand Slam singles titles of any man, 24, ahead of Rafael Nadal's 22 and Federer's 20 (those other two members of the Big Three are now retired). The 37-year-old Serb has spent more weeks at No. 1 in the rankings than any other player. He's played in 37 Slam finals, six more than Federer's old record. And so on and so on.

Consider, too, what could possibly await for Djokovic.

A title at the end of the 15 days at Melbourne Park would be his 25th at a major, a number never reached by any man or woman. It would also be his 11th at the Australian Open, equaling Margaret Court for the most. It would make him the oldest man in the Open era — which began in 1968 — to collect a Grand Slam singles trophy (Ken Rosewall was about six months younger when he won the 1972 Australian Open).

And it would be Djokovic's 100th tour-level tournament title, a nice round number behind only Jimmy Connors' 109 and Federer's 103 in the Open era among men.

Not everything has gone perfectly this week in Australia for Djokovic in his first tournament working with former on-court rival Andy Murray as his coach.

Both of Djokovic's matches so far came against a young player making his Grand Slam debut. And both times, he was pushed to four sets.

In the first round, it was against Nishesh Basavareddy, a 19-year-old American who turned pro only last month and is ranked 107th. In the second, it was Faria, who is ranked 125th, giving him a bit of a hard time, especially during a four-game run in the second set.

“He was playing lights-out tennis. ... I had to weather the storm,” Djokovic said. “I think I responded very well in the third and, particularly fourth, (sets).”