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Gauff Sweeps Paolini Aside to Revitalize WTA Finals Defense in Riyadh

Coco Gauff of the United States plays a shot against Jasmine Paolini of Italy during their women's singles match at the WTA tennis finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. (AP)
Coco Gauff of the United States plays a shot against Jasmine Paolini of Italy during their women's singles match at the WTA tennis finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. (AP)
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Gauff Sweeps Paolini Aside to Revitalize WTA Finals Defense in Riyadh

Coco Gauff of the United States plays a shot against Jasmine Paolini of Italy during their women's singles match at the WTA tennis finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. (AP)
Coco Gauff of the United States plays a shot against Jasmine Paolini of Italy during their women's singles match at the WTA tennis finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. (AP)

Coco Gauff claimed a much-needed 6-3, 6-2 victory over Jasmine Paolini to keep her WTA Finals title defense alive in Riyadh on Tuesday.

The American third seed had lost her opener two days prior to Jessica Pegula but was far more clinical against Paolini, whose second singles defeat of the week means she has no chance of advancing to the semi-finals.

"I'm really happy with how I played today, definitely a turnaround from my first match," said Gauff, who posted her 10th top-10 win of the season.

Against Pegula on Sunday, Gauff struggled with her serve, committing 17 double faults and winning just 28 percent of the points behind her second delivery.

Her performance in the first set of her second match was already a significant improvement, as she won nine of 11 points on her second serve, misfiring just twice for two double faults.

The 21-year-old leapt to a 3-0 lead and despite Paolini's attempted comeback, was able to reclaim her advantage to take the opening set in 40 minutes.

The second set was a straightforward affair as Gauff notched two breaks of serve en route to her second win in five meetings with the Italian this season.

"I was just trying to play relaxed. I've played a WTA Finals where I lost all three of my matches (in 2022). So I tried to avoid that today," said the two-time Grand Slam champion.

"I thought I served smart. I don't think Jasmine was 100 percent today and I would like to wish her well. Playing singles and doubles here is not easy."

In other Stefanie Graf Group action, world number one Aryna Sabalenka will take on fifth-seeded Jessica Pegula later in the day. A straight-sets victory for the top seed would guarantee her a place in Friday's semi-finals.

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Ukraine’s Svitolina Saddened by IOC Decision on Belarus Athletes

Ukraine's Elina Svitolina serves a ball to United States' Hailey Baptiste during their match at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Sunday, May 10, 2026. (AP)
Ukraine's Elina Svitolina serves a ball to United States' Hailey Baptiste during their match at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Sunday, May 10, 2026. (AP)
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Ukraine’s Svitolina Saddened by IOC Decision on Belarus Athletes

Ukraine's Elina Svitolina serves a ball to United States' Hailey Baptiste during their match at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Sunday, May 10, 2026. (AP)
Ukraine's Elina Svitolina serves a ball to United States' Hailey Baptiste during their match at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Sunday, May 10, 2026. (AP)

Ukrainian tennis player Elina ‌Svitolina said it was painful to see the International Olympic Committee (IOC) clear the path for Belarusian athletes to return to the global stage under their own flag while Russia's war against her country rages on.

The IOC had recommended that Russian and Belarusian athletes be banned from events since 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Belarus has been used as a staging ground for the invasion.

However, the IOC ‌said last week ‌it no longer recommended restrictions on ‌the ⁠participation of Belarusian ⁠athletes and teams in events governed by international federations and international sports event organizers.

Svitolina, who has continued to boycott the post-match tradition of shaking hands when she faces Russian and Belarusian opponents, said the decision was difficult to process given the ongoing ⁠conflict.

"Rockets are still going to Ukraine. ‌Those two countries are ‌still considered aggressors," she told reporters at the Italian Open ‌in Rome on Sunday.

"For us it's very sad ‌and very painful to see this even considered, they're talking about it.

"It's a very heavy topic. I have a lot to say. I think now isn't the ‌best time. I'm definitely not supporting the talks."

While they are banned from team ⁠competitions, Russian ⁠and Belarusian tennis players have continued competing on the professional tours as neutrals, without national flags or anthems.

The governing International Tennis Federation said on Friday that the IOC's announcement did not change its position regarding the suspensions of the Belarus and Russian tennis federations.

However, the membership status of Belarus will be considered at its October annual general meeting by voting member nations.

Belarusian world number one Aryna Sabalenka said last week she hoped tennis governing bodies would "give us our flag back".

Sports

Ducati’s Marquez Undergoes Successful Double Surgery After French GP Crash

Gresini Racing MotoGP rider Alex Marquez of Spain is helped after crashing during the MotoGP race at the French Motorcycling Grand Prix in Le Mans, France, 10 May 2026. (EPA)
Gresini Racing MotoGP rider Alex Marquez of Spain is helped after crashing during the MotoGP race at the French Motorcycling Grand Prix in Le Mans, France, 10 May 2026. (EPA)
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Ducati’s Marquez Undergoes Successful Double Surgery After French GP Crash

Gresini Racing MotoGP rider Alex Marquez of Spain is helped after crashing during the MotoGP race at the French Motorcycling Grand Prix in Le Mans, France, 10 May 2026. (EPA)
Gresini Racing MotoGP rider Alex Marquez of Spain is helped after crashing during the MotoGP race at the French Motorcycling Grand Prix in Le Mans, France, 10 May 2026. (EPA)

Reigning ‌MotoGP champion Marc Marquez underwent successful double surgery on Sunday in Madrid following his crash in Saturday's French Grand Prix sprint, Ducati announced.

Marquez suffered a nasty highside crash at Le Mans where the Spaniard fractured his foot and was thrown off his bike, which cartwheeled through the air before landing beside him.

The 33-year-old had also planned to undergo ‌shoulder surgery ‌after the Catalan Grand Prix ‌next ⁠weekend before the ⁠crash changed the timeline and he opted to get both surgeries done together.

"The medical team... successfully stabilized the fracture in the fifth metatarsal of the rider's right foot," Ducati said in a statement.

"Simultaneously, Marquez underwent a ⁠second, pre-planned surgical procedure to ‌fix a past injury ‌in his right shoulder. This previous trauma had ‌become painful again following the violent crash ‌at last year's Indonesian Grand Prix.

"The doctors removed two screws and a bone fragment from a previous Latarjet surgery (in December 2019) that had shifted, ‌compressing the radial nerve."

Ducati said Marquez would remain in the hospital ⁠overnight and ⁠his progress over the upcoming weeks would determine his return to racing.

He was set to miss next weekend's Catalan Grand Prix and will now target a return at the Italian Grand Prix scheduled for May 29-31 at Mugello, Ducati's home turf.

Marquez, who has yet to secure a podium finish this season, has now dropped to seventh in the standings -- 71 points behind Aprilia's championship leader Marco Bezzecchi.

Sports

Barcelona Need a Point Against Real Madrid to Win La Liga

Barcelona's German coach Hans-Dieter Flick gives a press conference on the eve of the Spanish league football match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid CF at Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelona on May 9, 2026. (AFP)
Barcelona's German coach Hans-Dieter Flick gives a press conference on the eve of the Spanish league football match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid CF at Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelona on May 9, 2026. (AFP)
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Barcelona Need a Point Against Real Madrid to Win La Liga

Barcelona's German coach Hans-Dieter Flick gives a press conference on the eve of the Spanish league football match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid CF at Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelona on May 9, 2026. (AFP)
Barcelona's German coach Hans-Dieter Flick gives a press conference on the eve of the Spanish league football match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid CF at Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelona on May 9, 2026. (AFP)

Barcelona only need a draw against Real Madrid in a high-stakes Clasico to clinch back-to-back La Liga titles later Sunday, with Madrid in disarray after a dressing-room bust-up between two of their leading players.

Hansi Flick's side have an 11-point lead over their age-old rivals and while one point would be enough, a victory would keep them on course to make history -- and celebrate in style.

If Barcelona win their last four league games this season, starting with the battle against Alvaro Arbeloa's fracturing Madrid in Catalonia, they will match the all-time league record of 100 points.

Should Barca beat Madrid and then Real Betis the following weekend, they will become the first team to win all their home matches in a 38-game La Liga season.

The tension around Madrid after a season in which they will finish without a trophy for just the fifth time this century burst to the surface in extraordinary fashion this week.

A post-training clash between French midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni and teammate Federico Valverde left the Uruguayan requiring hospital treatment for a head injury, and out for a fortnight.

Valverde's explanation that he "accidentally" collided with a table during the argument "causing a small cut on my forehead" failed to smooth over the situation.

The club imposed a 500,000-euro ($590,000) fine on each player and says they have apologized to each other and to their teammates, the club's staff and to Madrid supporters.

Arbeloa said he was happy that the club had acted swiftly and that the players had "acknowledged their mistake, expressed their regret, accepted the consequences of what they have done, and asked for forgiveness."

"For me, that's enough. What I'm not going to do is burn them at the stake in public, because they don't deserve that... because of what they've shown me over these four months and over these years," the Madrid coach added.

He said despite the confrontation, Tchouameni would be in the squad for the Clasico.

- Barcelona cohesion -

Barcelona coach Flick said the incident at Madrid was something you see in other clubs, but it was not "normal".

"It happens around the world, so it's not only a thing at Real... was I surprised? Maybe a little bit," Flick told reporters.

"But in the end, I don't care about that, because it's not my club, it's not my team. So I don't have to think about that."

Flick was at pains though to stress that in contrast to Madrid, everybody at Barcelona was on the same page.

"The most important thing, and what I really appreciate a lot in this club, is that we are all going the same way," the German explained.

"When something happens, we are talking in the same way."

Adding to the raft of statistics, Barca could become the first team to clinch La Liga in a Clasico since 1932, when Madrid won their first Spanish league.

"We want to win the title, the second in a row," Flick said.

"It's amazing, not normal, here in Spain. So this is what we want to do, nothing else, nothing more."

Madrid will not be able to count on Kylian Mbappe. The French forward has been recovering from a hamstring injury and trained with his teammates on Friday, but he was not on the squad list issued by the club on social media on Sunday.

Barcelona's young star Lamine Yamal will also watch from the stands -- the 18-year-old's own hamstring injury is expected to sideline him until the World Cup.