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flynas Named Official Carrier of Saudi Al-Hilal Club with Four-Season Sponsorship Deal

The agreement aligns with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, which aims for the sports sector to support both the economy and tourism. (SPA)
The agreement aligns with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, which aims for the sports sector to support both the economy and tourism. (SPA)
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flynas Named Official Carrier of Saudi Al-Hilal Club with Four-Season Sponsorship Deal

The agreement aligns with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, which aims for the sports sector to support both the economy and tourism. (SPA)
The agreement aligns with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, which aims for the sports sector to support both the economy and tourism. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia's flynas, the low-cost airline in the world and the best LCC in the Middle East, signed on Tuesday an exclusive sponsorship agreement with Al-Hilal Al-Saudi Club Company to serve as the club’s official air carrier for four seasons, extending through the end of the 2027-2028 season.

The agreement aligns with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, which aims for the sports sector to support both the economy and tourism.

The agreement was signed by flynas CEO Bander Almohanna and Al-Hilal Al-Saudi Club Company Chairman Fahad bin Saad bin Nafel, in the presence of flynas Chairman Ayed Al Jeaid and other senior executives from both sides.

Almohanna stated that flynas’ entry into the sports sector for the first time underscores its commitment to empowering the sports sector to support the economy and tourism.

This partnership will contribute to providing extensive services and products that meet the aspirations of their traveling guests, he added.

The partnership with Al-Hilal Club is consistent with flynas’ position as one of the top four low-cost airlines in the world and the best LCC in the Middle East, he added.

He emphasized Al-Hilal Club's remarkable track record of success locally and globally, aligning with flynas’ strategy for growth, expansion, and connecting the world to the Kingdom, particularly as Saudi Arabia has become a global destination for many sports, championships, and competitions.

Al-Hilal Chairman Fahad bin Saad bin Nafel expressed his enthusiasm about the partnership, describing it as a significant step and one of the largest partnership deals recently concluded by the club.

The partnership embodies the integration between the economic and sports sectors, which will positively contribute to achieving the objectives of Vision 2030, he remarked.

flynas connects more than 70 domestic and international destinations with more than 1,500 weekly flights and has flown more than 80 million passengers since its launch in 2007.

It aims to reach 165 domestic and international destinations as part of its growth and expansion plan launched under the slogan “We connect the world to the Kingdom,” in line with the objectives of Vision 2030.

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Djokovic Shut out as Young Guns Usher in New Grand Slam Era 

Tennis - US Open - Flushing Meadows, New York, United States - August 30, 2024 Novak Djokovic of Serbia reacts during his third round match against Alexei Popyrin of Australia. (Reuters)
Tennis - US Open - Flushing Meadows, New York, United States - August 30, 2024 Novak Djokovic of Serbia reacts during his third round match against Alexei Popyrin of Australia. (Reuters)
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Djokovic Shut out as Young Guns Usher in New Grand Slam Era 

Tennis - US Open - Flushing Meadows, New York, United States - August 30, 2024 Novak Djokovic of Serbia reacts during his third round match against Alexei Popyrin of Australia. (Reuters)
Tennis - US Open - Flushing Meadows, New York, United States - August 30, 2024 Novak Djokovic of Serbia reacts during his third round match against Alexei Popyrin of Australia. (Reuters)

An epoch-shifting Grand Slam season dominated by Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz has provided the clearest sign yet that the "Big Three" era of men's tennis is finally over, with Novak Djokovic destined to be its last year-end number one.

The golden rule that you should never write off Djokovic still holds true, but after he, Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer had won at least one Grand Slam title between them every season since 2003, this year there were none.

Sinner lifted the US Open title on Sunday following his breakthrough Australian Open triumph in January, while Alcaraz won the French Open and Wimbledon to mark the first time since 1993 that men aged 23 or under had swept the Grand Slams.

"It's a bit different, for sure. It's something new, but also nice to see," said Sinner, who overcame the distraction of a doping controversy to help usher in a new age.

"It's nice to see new champions. Nice to see new rivalries. I feel it's good for the sport to have some new champions."

The extraordinary dominance of the "Big Three" saw them win 66 of 81 Grand Slam tournaments from Federer's first Wimbledon title in 2003 to Djokovic's 24th major title at Flushing Meadows last year.

With Federer retired and Nadal hampered by injury, Djokovic single-handedly held back the younger generation in 2023 by winning three of the four majors and finishing as the year-end number one for a record-extending eighth time.

This year, Djokovic endured a lackluster Grand Slam campaign by his lofty standards, starting with a semi-final loss to Sinner at Melbourne Park and continuing with an injury enforced withdrawal from the quarter-finals at Roland Garros.

Mauled by Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final, he suffered a chastening defeat by Alexei Popyrin in the third round of the US Open and was shut out of the majors for the first time since his injury-plagued 2017 season.

He did, however, produce a miraculous effort to stave off much younger rivals at the Paris Olympics, including Alcaraz in the final, and claim the gold medal he had long coveted.

"From a larger perspective, of course I have to be content," Djokovic said in the aftermath of his US Open exit.

"It's hard to see the big perspective right now. You're just angry and upset that you lost and the way you played. But tomorrow is a new day. I'll obviously think about what to do next."

IMPOSSIBLE TASK

Having turned 37 in May, Djokovic is already past the age at which any man has won a Grand Slam title and finishing the season at the top of the rankings looks an impossible task in the twilight of his career.

Djokovic is ninth in the race to the season finale in Turin - the separate year-to-date standings that serve as a measuring stick for the battle for number one - and is unlikely to gain much ground in the Asian swing starting this month.

A more important target for a man who has always had a huge regard for the history of the game might be winning a 25th Grand Slam to surpass Margaret Court's record.

Nowhere is that more likely to happen than at January's Australian Open, where Djokovic has lifted the trophy a record 10 times in 19 appearances.

"You never want to count him out," seven-times major champion John McEnroe told Eurosport.

"This would certainly be the first time where you could say with some seriousness that you start to wonder if he's going to win (a major) again.

"I'm sure to be surprised either way. If he doesn't win, you'd be like 'wow, he won three of the four last year and now we're saying he'll never win it again'.

"And then I would be surprised in a way if he did, because of his age. At some point, that catches up to you and you lose a little bit of that fear factor with some of the guys."