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Saudi Dakar Rally 2024 to Start in AlUla on Friday

The rally will run until January 19, featuring 434 vehicles across multiple race categories and covering a distance of over 7,800 km. (SPA)
The rally will run until January 19, featuring 434 vehicles across multiple race categories and covering a distance of over 7,800 km. (SPA)
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Saudi Dakar Rally 2024 to Start in AlUla on Friday

The rally will run until January 19, featuring 434 vehicles across multiple race categories and covering a distance of over 7,800 km. (SPA)
The rally will run until January 19, featuring 434 vehicles across multiple race categories and covering a distance of over 7,800 km. (SPA)

The AlUla Governorate will host the fifth edition of the Saudi Dakar Rally 2024 (46th Dakar Rally) that will kick off on Friday.

The rally will run until January 19, featuring 434 vehicles across multiple race categories and covering a distance of over 7,800 km.

The 46th Dakar Rally introduces new routes that traverse diverse terrains, enabling participants to explore the landscapes and archaeological sites of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Competitors will encounter new challenges that heighten the suspense and excitement of the event.

Commenting on the event, Minister of Sports and President of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SOPC) Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal stated: "As we enter the new year of 2024, the Kingdom continues to host major global sporting events, thanks to the unwavering support provided by our esteemed leadership, particularly Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.”

“The fifth edition of the Dakar Rally will span 15 days, featuring 778 individuals representing 72 countries and showcasing 434 diverse vehicles across multiple race categories,” he added.

The rally route comprises 12 stages and one preliminary stage. Throughout the competition, drivers will be tested to their limits, both physically and mentally, as they navigate the challenging terrain of the Kingdom's desert. The race pushes participants to endure the most demanding experiences in the world of motorsports, showcasing their resilience and determination.

This year, drivers will kick off their journey with a preliminary stage at the starting camp in AlUla. They will then embark on a thrilling adventure that traverses various cities of the Kingdom, including Al-Hanakiyah, Al-Dawadmi, Al-Salamiya, Al-Hofuf, Shubaytah, Riyadh, Hail, and Yanbu.

As one of the longest-standing races in motorsports, the Dakar Rally has earned its reputation for its scale and magnitude of events. The race is organized by the Amaury Sport Organization (ASO) in partnership with the Saudi Motorsport Company with close coordination from relevant local authorities.

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Alex Michelsen Upsets Tsitsipas at the Australian Open and Thanks His Mom

Alex Michelsen of the US plays a backhand return to Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece during their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP)
Alex Michelsen of the US plays a backhand return to Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece during their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP)
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Alex Michelsen Upsets Tsitsipas at the Australian Open and Thanks His Mom

Alex Michelsen of the US plays a backhand return to Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece during their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP)
Alex Michelsen of the US plays a backhand return to Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece during their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP)

Alex Michelsen produced the biggest win so far of his fledgling career to upset 2023 runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas in the first round of the Australian Open, and he knew instinctively where credit was due.

The 20-year-old American overcame nerves on his serve in the fourth set before clinching a 7-5, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 win Monday over Tsitsipas, a 26-year-old from Greece who has a career-high No. 3 ranking and has contested two Grand Slam finals.

Michelsen started playing tennis around age 3 and hit most days as a kid with his mother, Sondra, a school teacher who played college tennis.

"Yeah, I’m sure she’s watching right now," Michelsen told the crowd on John Cain Arena, one of the three main show courts at Melbourne Park. "Yeah, we hit a million balls from the baseline every day. We’d go like 30 minutes up the middle, then we go across each way for like an hour and a half.

"I mean we would just go out there and she would never miss a ball — she’s incredible. But no chance I’d be here without her, so thanks Mom. Love you."

The No. 42-ranked Michelsen reached the third round last year on his Australia debut before losing in the first rounds at Roland Garros and Wimbledon and in the second round at the US Open.

His win over Tsitsipas was Michelsen's first against a player ranked in the top 20 at a Grand Slam.

He played with freedom against Tsitsipas, taking big swipes with his service returns — including three in the ninth game of the fourth set that helped earn him a vital break.

He got a bit tense on serve, surrendering two hard-earned breaks in the fourth set, but stayed composed in the last game.

"Yeah, I didn’t take the most direct path, that’s for sure. Shouldn’t have got broken twice in the fourth. My serve let me down. Served double faulting way too much," he said. "But I was also returning really, really well. I felt like I was winning most of the baseline rallies when I was inside the baseline and controlling the point.

"So I was thinking at 4-all, after I got broken twice, saying, ‘You’re still in this, just play every point for what it is.’ I played a great 4-all game and got it done at 5-4."

He finished the match with eight aces and eight double-faults, but hit 46 winners to only 40 unforced errors.

"First of all, I was just trying to stay super composed out there. I knew it was going to be a battle in the end," he said. "It’s all about the mindset."