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Barcelona Extends Contract of Uruguay Central Defender Ronald Araújo to 2031

Barcelona's Ronald Araujo, left, duels for the ball with Betis' Juanmi during a Spanish Copa del Rey round of 16 soccer match between Barcelona and Real Betis at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
Barcelona's Ronald Araujo, left, duels for the ball with Betis' Juanmi during a Spanish Copa del Rey round of 16 soccer match between Barcelona and Real Betis at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
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Barcelona Extends Contract of Uruguay Central Defender Ronald Araújo to 2031

Barcelona's Ronald Araujo, left, duels for the ball with Betis' Juanmi during a Spanish Copa del Rey round of 16 soccer match between Barcelona and Real Betis at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
Barcelona's Ronald Araujo, left, duels for the ball with Betis' Juanmi during a Spanish Copa del Rey round of 16 soccer match between Barcelona and Real Betis at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

Barcelona has extended the contract of Uruguay central defender Ronald Araújo for six more seasons, ending speculation about a possible move to Juventus.
The club said Thursday it reached an agreement with the player to keep him until June 2031.
The 25-year-old defender has been with Barcelona since 2018, first with the club's “B” squad and then full-time with the main squad beginning in the 2020-21 season.
Araújo has 154 appearances with Barcelona's first team, with eight goals and six assists. He helped the club win a Spanish league and a Copa del Rey.
This season he has been promoted to second captain.

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Injured Djokovic Stops in Australian Open Semifinals against Zverev

Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 24, 2025 Serbia's Novak Djokovic waves to the crowd as he leaves the court after retiring from his semi final match against Germany's Alexander Zverev REUTERS/Edgar Su
Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 24, 2025 Serbia's Novak Djokovic waves to the crowd as he leaves the court after retiring from his semi final match against Germany's Alexander Zverev REUTERS/Edgar Su
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Injured Djokovic Stops in Australian Open Semifinals against Zverev

Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 24, 2025 Serbia's Novak Djokovic waves to the crowd as he leaves the court after retiring from his semi final match against Germany's Alexander Zverev REUTERS/Edgar Su
Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 24, 2025 Serbia's Novak Djokovic waves to the crowd as he leaves the court after retiring from his semi final match against Germany's Alexander Zverev REUTERS/Edgar Su

An injured Novak Djokovic quit because of a torn muscle in his left leg after dropping the first set of his Australian Open semifinal against Alexander Zverev on Friday.
Djokovic lost the opener 7-6 (5) in a tiebreaker and immediately walked around the net to concede the match to Zverev. Fans booed as Djokovic walked off toward the locker room, and he responded by giving two thumbs-up, The Associated Press reported.
“It was getting worse and worse,” Djokovic said later at his news conference, referring to the pain in his leg, which he hurt during his quarterfinal victory over Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday night. “I knew, even if I won the first set, it was going to be a huge uphill battle for me.”
Djokovic was bidding for an 11th championship at the Australian Open and record 25th Grand Slam title overall. He withdrew from last year's French Open before the quarterfinals after tearing the meniscus in his right knee.
The only set of Djokovic vs. Zverev lasted 1 hour, 20 minutes and included 19 points that lasted nine strokes or more apiece. The first four games alone lasted 31 minutes.
It was grueling — and would have been even without dealing with a problem with one’s body. But Djokovic showed up with his left thigh taped up, a reminder that he finished the contest against Alcaraz that way after hurting himself late in the first set.
“I didn't hit the ball since Alcaraz match until like an hour before today’s match,” Djokovic said Friday. “I did everything I possibly can to basically manage the muscle tear that I had. Medications and I guess the (tape) and the physio work helped to some extent today. But towards the end of that first set, I just started feeling more and more pain and it was too much for me to handle. Unfortunate ending, but I tried.”
The 37-year-old Djokovic was asked whether this might have been his last appearance at Melbourne Park.
“There is a chance. Who knows?” Djokovic said. “I’ll just have to see how the season goes. I want to keep going.”
The No. 2-seeded Zverev reached his first title match at Melbourne Park.