Father of Spain’s Yamal in ‘Serious but Stable’ Condition after Being Stabbed

Barcelona's Spanish forward #27 Lamine Yamal looks on during the UEFA Champions League 1st round day 2 group H football match between FC Porto and FC Barcelona at the Dragao stadium in Porto on October 4, 2023. (AFP)
Barcelona's Spanish forward #27 Lamine Yamal looks on during the UEFA Champions League 1st round day 2 group H football match between FC Porto and FC Barcelona at the Dragao stadium in Porto on October 4, 2023. (AFP)
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Father of Spain’s Yamal in ‘Serious but Stable’ Condition after Being Stabbed

Barcelona's Spanish forward #27 Lamine Yamal looks on during the UEFA Champions League 1st round day 2 group H football match between FC Porto and FC Barcelona at the Dragao stadium in Porto on October 4, 2023. (AFP)
Barcelona's Spanish forward #27 Lamine Yamal looks on during the UEFA Champions League 1st round day 2 group H football match between FC Porto and FC Barcelona at the Dragao stadium in Porto on October 4, 2023. (AFP)

Mounir Nasraoui, the father of Barcelona and Spain star winger Lamine Yamal, is in a "serious but stable" condition after being stabbed late on Wednesday in a car park in the northeastern Spanish town of Mataro, Spanish national TV broadcaster TVE reported.

The regional police force Mossos d'Esquadra confirmed the report and told Reuters three people had been arrested for attempted murder.

The 17-year-old Yamal, a soccer wonderkid who grew up in coastal Mataro -- a working-class, multi-ethnic suburb of Barcelona -- became the breakout star of the recent Euro 2024 held in Germany, helping Spain to win the tournament and scoring in their semi-final victory over France.

TVE said on Thursday that Yamal's father had been stabbed three times, twice in the abdomen and once in the chest.

Nasraoui was admitted to the intensive care unit of a hospital in Badalona, Barcelona, late on Wednesday and was expected to remain there for the upcoming hours, the report said.

TVE added that a fourth person had been arrested by the regional police on Thursday, with his involvement in the stabbing still unclear.

The broadcaster said the police were investigating a previous fight as the reason behind the incident.

Several videos could be seen on social media on Wednesday, showing Nasraoui having an argument with some individuals in the Rocafonda neighborhood and the police intervening. However, Reuters was not able to independently verify them.



Osaka Perplexed by Power Struggles After Cincinnati Setback 

Naomi Osaka of Japan serves during her match against Ashlyn Krueger of the United States (not pictured) during Day 2 of the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 12, 2024 in Mason, Ohio. (Getty Images/AFP)
Naomi Osaka of Japan serves during her match against Ashlyn Krueger of the United States (not pictured) during Day 2 of the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 12, 2024 in Mason, Ohio. (Getty Images/AFP)
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Osaka Perplexed by Power Struggles After Cincinnati Setback 

Naomi Osaka of Japan serves during her match against Ashlyn Krueger of the United States (not pictured) during Day 2 of the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 12, 2024 in Mason, Ohio. (Getty Images/AFP)
Naomi Osaka of Japan serves during her match against Ashlyn Krueger of the United States (not pictured) during Day 2 of the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 12, 2024 in Mason, Ohio. (Getty Images/AFP)

Naomi Osaka said she still does not feel like herself on court eight months into her comeback season following a maternity break, with the four-times Grand Slam champion puzzled at her lack of power and accuracy.

The Japanese 26-year-old was beaten by Ashlyn Krueger in the second round of qualifying for the Cincinnati Open, the latest setback in a patchy run of form heading into the final Grand Slam of the year at the US Open from Aug. 26-Sept. 8.

"My biggest issue currently isn't losses though, my biggest issue is that I don't feel like I'm in my body," Osaka wrote on Instagram on Tuesday.

"It's a strange feeling, missing balls I shouldn't miss, hitting balls softer than I remember I used to. I try to tell myself, 'It's fine you're doing great. Just get through this one and keep pushing', mentally it's really draining through.

"Internally, I hear myself screaming, 'What the hell is happening?!?!'"

Osaka returned to action in January after a 15-month break during which she gave birth to her daughter. She is now ranked 90th in the world.

"I've played a handful of matches this year that I felt like I was myself and I know this moment is probably just a small phase from all the new transitions (clay, grass, clay, hard), however the only feeling I could liken how I feel right now to is being post-partum," Osaka said.

"That scares me because I've been playing tennis since I was three, the racket should feel like an extension of my hand."

Osaka's next event will be at Flushing Meadows, where she triumphed in 2018 and 2020, but she said she did not understand why everything about her game felt "almost brand new" again.

"This should be as simple as breathing to me, but it's not," she added.

"I genuinely did not give myself grace for that fact until just now."

Despite her struggles, Osaka said she loved putting in the work each day and "eventually having the opportunity to get to where you want to be".