عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Sports

Saudi Arabia to Host World Rally Championship for First Time

Saudi Arabia will host the World Rally Championship (WRC) for the first time in its history. SPA
Saudi Arabia will host the World Rally Championship (WRC) for the first time in its history. SPA
TT
TT

Saudi Arabia to Host World Rally Championship for First Time

Saudi Arabia will host the World Rally Championship (WRC) for the first time in its history. SPA
Saudi Arabia will host the World Rally Championship (WRC) for the first time in its history. SPA

The Ministry of Sports has announced that Saudi Arabia will host the World Rally Championship (WRC) for the first time in its history, under the name “Saudi Rally,” for 10 years starting in 2025.

The event is organized by the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF) and Saudi Motorsport Company (SMC), under the supervision of the Ministry of Sports in collaboration with the WRC.
The signing ceremony of the groundbreaking sports agreement took place on the island of Sardinia, Italy, in the presence of the President of SAMF and SMC, Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al Abdullah Al Faisal, and the Director-General of the WRC, Jona Siebel.

“We are delighted to welcome the World Rally Championship [WRC] to the array of global sports events that have made Saudi Arabia a preferred and ideal destination, thanks to the generous support of our wise leadership,” said Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal, Minister of Sports and President of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SOPC).

“The arrival of another prestigious global racing series to the Kingdom signifies that our country has become a preferred destination for sports and athletes in various disciplines, including motorsports.”

He added that this significant event joins a list of other activities such as Formula 1, Formula E, Extreme E races, and the Dakar Rally, marking another success in the series of achievements in hosting events on Saudi soil.

The Kingdom's winning of this hosting bid marks the first of its kind in the Middle East since 2011 when the championship was held in Jordan.

Most Viewed

 
 
Sports

Sinner and Alcaraz Breeze through Shanghai Masters Openers

Carlos Alcaraz of Spain reacts during his Men's Singles match against Juncheng Shang of China at the Shanghai Masters tennis tournament in Shanghai, China, 05 October 2024. (EPA)
Carlos Alcaraz of Spain reacts during his Men's Singles match against Juncheng Shang of China at the Shanghai Masters tennis tournament in Shanghai, China, 05 October 2024. (EPA)
TT
TT

Sinner and Alcaraz Breeze through Shanghai Masters Openers

Carlos Alcaraz of Spain reacts during his Men's Singles match against Juncheng Shang of China at the Shanghai Masters tennis tournament in Shanghai, China, 05 October 2024. (EPA)
Carlos Alcaraz of Spain reacts during his Men's Singles match against Juncheng Shang of China at the Shanghai Masters tennis tournament in Shanghai, China, 05 October 2024. (EPA)

Carlos Alcaraz and top-ranked Jannik Sinner showed no signs of fatigue from their China Open final earlier this week to advance with comfortable straight-set victories in their opening matches of the Shanghai Masters on Saturday.

The second-ranked Alcaraz, who beat the Italian in Beijing on Wednesday for his fourth title of the year, recorded his 10th consecutive win with a 6-2, 6-2 result against 19-year-old Shang Juncheng of China.

The 21-year-old Spaniard won the first nine points of the match and four of seven break points as he rushed into a third-round meeting with another Chinese player, Wu Yibing.

“I’m not used to playing against players younger than me,” Alcaraz said. “He has been playing good tennis lately, lifting his first ATP (title in Chengdu), so I’m pretty sure he’s going to climb the rankings. I’m just happy to to be able to win these kinds of matches.”

Sinner, who is dealing with an ongoing doping case, had a comfortable 6-1, 6-4 outing against Taro Daniel of Japan for his 250th career win.

The Italian, who won the US Open last month for his second major of the year, fired 12 aces and 38 winners.

“I felt quite comfortable today,” said the 23-year-old Sinner, who next plays Tomas Martin Etcheverry of Argentina. “I feel in good shape also physically, which is very important for me. Of course I will try to improve for tomorrow’s performance, but today I was serving really, really well, especially in important moments, and was moving well.”

No. 65-ranked Jakub Mensik of the Czech Republic broke sixth-ranked Andrey Rublev seven times on his way to an upset 6-7 (7), 6-4, 6-3 victory.

Yosuke Watanuki also had a surprise win, beating No. 35-ranked Brendan Nakashima 7-6 (4), 6-3. The Japanese qualifier plays either seventh-ranked Taylor Fritz of the US or French qualifier Terence Atmane next.

Also, 24th-ranked Alexei Popyrin of Australia beat Miomir Kecmanovic of Serbia 6-3, 6-2.

Later Saturday, third-ranked Alexander Zverev began his campaign against Italian qualifier Mattia Bellucci, while fourth-ranked Novak Djokovic faced Alex Michelsen of the United States.