Tennis-Nadal to Skip US Open, Plans to Return at Laver Cup

20 July 2024, Sweden, Bastad: Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal celebrates after defeating Croatia's Duje Ajdukovic in the men's singles semi-finals of the Swedish Open. Photo: Steffen Trumpf/dpa
20 July 2024, Sweden, Bastad: Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal celebrates after defeating Croatia's Duje Ajdukovic in the men's singles semi-finals of the Swedish Open. Photo: Steffen Trumpf/dpa
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Tennis-Nadal to Skip US Open, Plans to Return at Laver Cup

20 July 2024, Sweden, Bastad: Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal celebrates after defeating Croatia's Duje Ajdukovic in the men's singles semi-finals of the Swedish Open. Photo: Steffen Trumpf/dpa
20 July 2024, Sweden, Bastad: Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal celebrates after defeating Croatia's Duje Ajdukovic in the men's singles semi-finals of the Swedish Open. Photo: Steffen Trumpf/dpa

Rafael Nadal has decided not to participate in the US Open due to concerns about his fitness, the Spaniard said on Wednesday while adding his next event will be the Laver Cup in late September.

For Nadal, who won the most recent of his four US Open titles in 2019, this marks the second consecutive year he has sat out the year's final Grand Slam.

"Writing today to let you guys know that I have decided not to compete at this year's US Open a place where I have amazing memories," the 38-year-old Nadal said in a post on X.

"I will miss those electric and special night sessions in NYC at Ashe, but I don't think I would be able to give my 100% this time."

Nadal added that his next event will be the Sept. 20-22 Laver Cup in Berlin.

The 22-times Grand Slam winner competed at the Paris Olympics where he lost to eventual champion Novak Djokovic in the second round of the singles competition and reached the quarter-finals of the doubles with Carlos Alcaraz, Reuters reported.

"Rafa is a tremendous champion and he will be missed during the 2024 US Open by the fans and all those associated with the tournament," US Open Tournament Director Stacey Allaster said in a statement.

"We wish him all the best and look forward to having him back at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center."

The 38-year-old former world number one has fallen to 159th in the rankings after struggling for two years with injuries and against Djokovic at the Olympics suffered one of his worst losses in a 6-1 6-4 defeat.

Nadal sat out the Australian Open in January after suffering a small muscle tear during his comeback from a long injury layoff and in May crashed to his earliest French Open exit when he lost in the first round.

The Spaniard skipped Wimbledon to prepare for the Paris Olympics where the tennis event was played on the clay courts at Roland Garros where he celebrated 14 French Open titles.

 

 

 

 

 



Olympics-Boxing-Algerian Khelif Wins Women's Semi-final

Imane Khelif beat Thailand's Janjaem Suwannapheng by unanimous decision - The AP
Imane Khelif beat Thailand's Janjaem Suwannapheng by unanimous decision - The AP
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Olympics-Boxing-Algerian Khelif Wins Women's Semi-final

Imane Khelif beat Thailand's Janjaem Suwannapheng by unanimous decision - The AP
Imane Khelif beat Thailand's Janjaem Suwannapheng by unanimous decision - The AP

Imane Khelif, the boxer at the center of a gender dispute, beat Thailand's Janjaem Suwannapheng by unanimous decision in a welterweight semi-final fight at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday to progress to the women's final at Roland Garros.

Khelif, a silver medallist at the 2022 worlds, and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting have been in the spotlight at the Olympics as part of a storm that has dominated headlines and been the subject of much discussion on social media platforms.

"I don’t want anything to be said about the controversy," Khelif said after her win, The AP reported.

Khelif and Lin were disqualified by the International Boxing Association from the 2023 World Championships in New Delhi, with the body saying in a shambolic press conference on Monday that a sex chromosome test had ruled both of them ineligible.

At those World Championships, Khelif beat Suwannapheng by unanimous decision in the semi-finals before being disqualified. Suwannapheng competed in the final after Khelif's disqualification and won silver.

Khelif and Lin are competing in the Olympics after the International Olympic Committee stripped the IBA of its status as the sport's governing body in 2023 and took control of organising the boxing in Paris.

The IOC has rejected the results of the IBA-ordered tests as arbitrary and illegitimate, saying there was no reason to conduct them.

At these Games, the IOC is using boxing eligibility rules that were applied at the 2016 and 2021 Olympics which do not include gender testing.

- FAN SUPPORT

Algerian fans flocked into a repurposed Court Philippe Chatrier, devoid of its iconic red clay, looking to support Khelif and screamed "Imane, Imane, Imane" ahead of the bout, while also booing Suwannapheng on entry.

In a cautious first round, both boxers attempted to keep their distance and engaged sparingly, but Khelif used her jab to better effect than her Thai opponent.

Suwannapheng connected with a big right hand in the second, but the rangy Algerian's excellent technique allowed her to keep landing shots and sweep the judge's scorecards.

Khelif threw caution to the wind and went after Suwannapheng in the final round, peppering her with jarring shots to claim the win by unanimous decision.

Both boxers touched gloves in a sign of respect after the fight, and when Khelif was announced as winner a deafening roar erupted from the fans in attendance.

"I just had the performance I was looking to deliver today to make the fans happy," Khelif said.

Khelif waited until her opponent left the ring before celebrating, jogging on the spot with an enormous grin on her face before leaving and shadow-boxing her way to the doctor's station for a quick medical check.

"I have not followed the controversy closely but all I know is that she is a woman and she is a strong fighter," Suwannapheng said.

Khelif will face Yang Liu of China in the final on Friday.

Lin also reached the semi-finals in the featherweight category, where she will take on Turkey's Esra Yildiz on Wednesday.

The storm surrounding Khelif and Lin erupted when the Algerian's opponent Angela Carini pulled out of their round-of-16 bout last week after just 46 seconds, saying she felt intense pain and feared for her safety after being hit with a barrage of punches.