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Kyrgios Set to Return to Tennis in Brisbane with Plans for 2025 Australian Open

FILE - Nick Kyrgios of Eagles returns the ball to Grigor Dimitrov of Falcons during a match of Day 3 of the World Tennis League at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Dec. 21, 2022. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, File)
FILE - Nick Kyrgios of Eagles returns the ball to Grigor Dimitrov of Falcons during a match of Day 3 of the World Tennis League at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Dec. 21, 2022. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, File)
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Kyrgios Set to Return to Tennis in Brisbane with Plans for 2025 Australian Open

FILE - Nick Kyrgios of Eagles returns the ball to Grigor Dimitrov of Falcons during a match of Day 3 of the World Tennis League at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Dec. 21, 2022. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, File)
FILE - Nick Kyrgios of Eagles returns the ball to Grigor Dimitrov of Falcons during a match of Day 3 of the World Tennis League at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Dec. 21, 2022. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, File)

Nick Kyrgios said Thursday he will make a return to competitive tennis at the Brisbane International beginning Dec. 29 after playing only one ATP Tour match in more than two years, The Associated Press reported.
The 29-year-old Kyrgios has been mostly sidelined with career-threatening wrist and knee injuries since the 2022 US Open quarterfinals.
That run came six weeks after reaching the Wimbledon final when he came closest to winning a Grand Slam singles championship before losing in four sets to Novak Djokovic.
Also stating his intentions to play in the 2025 Australian Open in Melbourne, Kyrgios said he's planning to compete in the World Tennis League exhibition event in Abu Dhabi from Dec. 19-22, with the mixed team event also attracting players such as Iga Swiatek, Casper Ruud, Aryna Sabalenka, Taylor Fritz and Daniil Medvedev.
Kyrgios was a late withdrawal from the Australian Open in 2023 due to a knee injury that required surgery, before having to pull out of the French Open later that year with a foot issue.
A winner of seven titles on the ATP Tour, Kyrgios subsequently tore a ligament in his wrist that also needed surgery with his last tour match a short-lived return to grass at Stuttgart in June 2023.
Currently unranked, the one-time 13th-ranked player said he was excited to resume his career in front of home fans.
“Honestly, this is probably the best I’ve felt in two years,” he told a Melbourne television station Friday. “I played that amazing year in 2022. Then at the finals in Wimbledon and US Open, that’s when I started feeling some issues in my wrist. I had that wrist reconstruction and now I’m feeling amazing."
At a later media conference in Brisbane, Krygios added: “I am feeling fit and healthy, and I am excited for my return to tennis . . . it has been a long journey of recovery to be where I am today.”

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Pressure Is on Real Madrid Coach Xabi Alonso Ahead of Champions League Match Against Man City 

Real Madrid's head coach Xabi Alonso in action during a training session at Valdebebas sports city in Madrid, Spain, 09 December 2025. (EPA)
Real Madrid's head coach Xabi Alonso in action during a training session at Valdebebas sports city in Madrid, Spain, 09 December 2025. (EPA)
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Pressure Is on Real Madrid Coach Xabi Alonso Ahead of Champions League Match Against Man City 

Real Madrid's head coach Xabi Alonso in action during a training session at Valdebebas sports city in Madrid, Spain, 09 December 2025. (EPA)
Real Madrid's head coach Xabi Alonso in action during a training session at Valdebebas sports city in Madrid, Spain, 09 December 2025. (EPA)

The pressure is mounting on Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso ahead of Wednesday's Champions League match with Manchester City.

Madrid has won just two of its last seven in all competitions including a 2-0 loss to Celta Vigo over the weekend.

Ahead of the City match, Alonso had to contend with reports in the Spanish media that he had lost control of the locker room.

“This is a team, and we all stand together,” he said. “In soccer, you can change perspective quickly, and we’re at that point.”

Doubts over Kylian Mbappé's availability added to Alonso's concerns. The France striker trained separately to the rest of the team on Tuesday, having reportedly had issues with his left leg.

City manager Pep Guardiola sympathized with Alonso, who he coached as a player at Bayern Munich.

“Barcelona and Real Madrid are the toughest clubs to be manager of because of the environment,” he said. “It’s a difficult place but he knows it — it’s the reality of being here."

Other games on Wednesday include defending champion Paris Saint-Germain at Athletic Bilbao, Arsenal at Club Brugge and Italian champion Napoli at Benfica.

Sports

Chelsea’s Maresca Rues ‘Easy Goals’ Conceded in Loss to Atalanta 

Chelsea's coach Enzo Maresca leaves the pitch after losing the UEFA Champions League soccer match between Atalanta BC and Chelsea FC, in Bergamo, Italy, 09 December 2025. (EPA)
Chelsea's coach Enzo Maresca leaves the pitch after losing the UEFA Champions League soccer match between Atalanta BC and Chelsea FC, in Bergamo, Italy, 09 December 2025. (EPA)
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Chelsea’s Maresca Rues ‘Easy Goals’ Conceded in Loss to Atalanta 

Chelsea's coach Enzo Maresca leaves the pitch after losing the UEFA Champions League soccer match between Atalanta BC and Chelsea FC, in Bergamo, Italy, 09 December 2025. (EPA)
Chelsea's coach Enzo Maresca leaves the pitch after losing the UEFA Champions League soccer match between Atalanta BC and Chelsea FC, in Bergamo, Italy, 09 December 2025. (EPA)

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca was disappointed by how his side conceded two second-half goals to throw away their lead and slump to a 2-1 Champions League defeat at Atalanta on Tuesday.

Joao Pedro broke the deadlock for Chelsea after 25 minutes, but Serie A side Atalanta returned with far more intent after the break and overturned the deficit through goals from Gianluca Scamacca and Charles De Ketelaere.

Maresca said his side should have taken the chances they had to add to their first-half lead.

"After we conceded the 1-1 (goal), we lost a little bit of control of the game, and then we conceded the second one," he told reporters.

"I think both goals, we can avoid both of them. They're quite easy goals."

The win put Atalanta near the top of the Champions League table, putting them in the mix for direct qualification for the round of 16 with 13 points, while Chelsea have 10.

If the Premier League club do not win their remaining games against Cypriot side Pafos and Italy's Napoli, they will likely finish outside the top eight and be forced to play a two-legged playoff match.

"Probably with two wins, probably with 16 points, you can be in the top eight," the Italian manager added.

"Not sure about that, but now the focus has to be the next game. And then the next one, for sure. If we want to try to finish top eight, we need to win both.

"Otherwise, we try to play the playoff and then go to the next round."

Chelsea next host Everton in a league match on Saturday.

Sports

Specter of Salah Still Hangs Over Liverpool Despite Win Over Inter 

Liverpool's manager Arne Slot gestures after the Champions League, league phase, soccer match between Inter Milan and Liverpool in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Dec.9, 2025. (AP)
Liverpool's manager Arne Slot gestures after the Champions League, league phase, soccer match between Inter Milan and Liverpool in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Dec.9, 2025. (AP)
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Specter of Salah Still Hangs Over Liverpool Despite Win Over Inter 

Liverpool's manager Arne Slot gestures after the Champions League, league phase, soccer match between Inter Milan and Liverpool in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Dec.9, 2025. (AP)
Liverpool's manager Arne Slot gestures after the Champions League, league phase, soccer match between Inter Milan and Liverpool in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Dec.9, 2025. (AP)

The shadow of Mohamed Salah's bust-up with Liverpool hung over the team as they faced Inter Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday and the Egyptian forward's situation looks a long way from being resolved after they eked out a narrow 1-0 win.

Salah was left out of Tuesday's squad by coach Arne Slot after his withering comments on Saturday, when he accused the club of throwing him under the bus having been left on the bench during a 3-3 Premier League draw with Leeds United.

When asked ahead of Tuesday's game if Salah had played his last game for the club, Slot said he had "no clue".

With the travelling fans singing the coach's name after the final whistle against Inter, Slot took a slightly more conciliatory line towards Salah, suggesting that the player may have spoken in the heat of the moment after the disappointing draw with Leeds.

Yet he also suggested the responsibility may rest with Salah to repair the damage.

"You concede, and then a lot of things are being said. Normally, that affects players as well, because he's been so influential for the club and the players, so it's never nice when something happens to their team-mates," Slot said.

"Everyone makes mistakes in life, but does the player know he's made a mistake? Should the initiative (to make things right) come from him or me? That's another question," he added.

Liverpool have one more Premier League game against Brighton & Hove Albion before Salah departs to play with Egypt in the African Cup of Nations on Dec. 15.

Salah is the third-highest scorer in Liverpool's history behind Ian Rush and Roger Hunt with 250 goals in all competitions and defender Andy Robertson said he hoped the Egyptian's time at the club was not over.

"That'll be up to other people. It's not up to me, but I love playing with Mo Salah, and I hope to continue to play with him," the 31-year-old said.

Crowned Premier League champions under Slot last season with Salah contributing 34 goals and 18 assists in 52 games across all competitions, Liverpool have struggled to find their best form so far this term, but Tuesday's win might give them some breathing-room.

"We know we're in not the best moment, we know the results haven't been good enough, we know the performances haven't been good enough. So it's important that this club is in the Champions League, and then when you are you have to compete in it," Robertson said.

"The supporters expect us to go far in it (the Champions League), so we need to up our performances to get through and then to hopefully build momentum, so it was a huge result for all of us."