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Jannik Sinner believes tennis ‘needs Carlos Alcaraz’ after Wimbledon final victory

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Jannik Sinner welcomed the competition from Alexander Zverev after defending his Wimbledon crown to win a fifth grand slam title, and hoped rival Carlos Alcaraz will return soon to provide even more.

Sinner overcame a tough four-set battle against Zverev as the Italian managed to bounce back from a difficult French Open for a second year in a row to become a two-time Wimbledon champion.

The world No 1 had won his last nine matches in a row against Zverev, winning 14 sets in a row, but this was much closer that previous meetings and the the final could have gone either way until Sinner found the crucial break in the third.

Sinner and Zverev, who ended his long wait for a grand slam title at last month’s French Open, have split the major titles while Alcaraz has been sidelined due to a wrist injury. The Spaniard is attempting to return in time for the hard-court season and could play the US Open.

“Big, big respect to Sascha, because he’s doing something amazing. His game is growing and growing,” Sinner said. “In the same time, that’s exactly what’s good, because you have always someone who is pushing you to the limit.

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“We hope that Carlos is coming back, as well, because tennis needs him. Having Novak [Djokovic] still around, having all the young players coming, it’s really, really nice. At the same time, you always need to work hard and have moments like this.”

Sinner suffered a shock second-round exit from the French Open last month, as he wilted in the intense Paris heat and lost from two sets up against Juan Manuel Cerundolo.

He arrived at Wimbledon without playing a warm-up tournament on grass and took his time to find his form, but stepped it up later in the tournament to thump Djokovic in the semi-finals and beat Zverev in the final.

(Getty)

Last year, Sinner recovered from a tough French Open final defeat to Alcaraz, when he squandered three Championship points, to beat the Spaniard and win Wimbledon for the first time.

“I think every grand slam is different, you know. Different story, different environment, different feelings before the tournament,” Sinner said.

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“For me this one means a lot because was a tough one after Paris again. Last year was also tough. But coming here, I tried to put myself in the best possible position to be as competitive as possible.

“We put in a lot of workdays in Monaco, very, very long. Definitely sacrificing a lot of my time and everything to be in this position Having this achievement, it means a lot to me. It was an amazing day today.”

Jannik Sinner lies on his back after beating Alexander Zverev (Mike Egerton/PA)
Jannik Sinner lies on his back after beating Alexander Zverev (Mike Egerton/PA) (PA Wire)

Zverev was encouraged by his run to a first Wimbledon final and the new world No 2 felt the gap to Sinner was closing despite suffering a 10th defeat in a row to him.

“I think [so] yeah,” Zverev said. “He’s still the best player in the world. I do believe that. I think he is. I do believe there’s only two, maybe three guys – you have to give Novak that – who can challenge him.

“All of us have to be working for that goal. I’ll continue working for that goal. I think I’ve challenged him today. Not enough, obviously, because I still sit here as the loser, as the loser of the match. I will continue doing that. The big tournaments are still around the corner.”

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Pochettino agrees new USA deal until 2030

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Mauricio Pochettino has agreed a new deal to remain as manager of the United States men’s national team until 2030.

The former Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea boss has been in charge since September 2024 and led the USA to the last 16 of the 2026 World Cup on home soil.

The co-hosts topped their group after wins over Paraguay and Australia before beating Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-0 in the last 32.

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Their World Cup run ended with a heavy 4-1 defeat by Belgium.

Under the new agreement, Pochettino and his coaching staff will have a bigger role within US Soccer. They will also advise and support the organisation on areas including youth development, coaching education, professional league partnerships and the wider national team pathway.

“Working together with US Soccer over the past two years, it has become clear to us that there is tremendous potential to make the men’s national team programme even stronger,” Pochettino said.

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“We are excited by the opportunity to bring all our experience and knowledge to even more areas of US Soccer while helping strengthen the pathways for players, coaches and teams across the federation.

“We want to try to have a lasting impact on the sport in the country that has welcomed us so warmly and for that impact to extend beyond results on the field.”

US Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone praised the work done by Pochettino and his staff.

“Mauricio has built a culture where players trust the group, trust the process and trust each other,” she said.

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“We saw the impact of that belief in the way the team grew, competed and performed on the world’s biggest stage.

“That culture, and the staff who helped build it, are exactly what we want to continue investing in for the men’s national team now and for the future.”

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5 players who are switching states ahead of India’s 2026-27 domestic season ft. Shashank Singh

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The annual pre-season transfer window in Indian domestic cricket allows players to switch state associations as outstation or guest recruits under the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) regulations.

State teams are permitted up to three guest players to strengthen their squads ahead of the Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy, and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaigns. These transfers are driven by players seeking more game time, specialized roles, or leadership opportunities, while developing state teams aim to recruit veteran talents to bolster their squad depth.

The upcoming 2026-27 season features several notable moves, with prominent domestic regulars and IPL players shifting allegiances. Let’s take a look at five such moves.

#1 Shashank Singh

The Punjab Kings (PBKS) all-rounder Shashank Singh will turn up for Puducherry in the 2026-27 season after shifting base from Chhattisgarh. The Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh (CSCS) has already issued an NOC to the player.

Singh alleged that the state association didn’t support him while he was recovering from an injury that he suffered last season. He further claimed that the association questioned his commitment, saying that the batter only wanted to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The 27-year-old added that CSCS officials didn’t give him any clarity over why he was left out of the Chhattisgarh Premier League and the team’s pre-season camp.

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Singh has played 21 first-class games for Chhattisgarh over the last seven years. He has also represented the state in 31 List A and 42 T20s.


#2 Yash Dayal

Royal Challengers Bengaluru fast bowler Yash Dayal will represent Chhattisgarh in the upcoming domestic season. He has already joined the team’s pre-season camp in Alur.

Dayal has not played any competitive cricket since the IPL 2025 final, after which he faced charges relating to sexual assault. The left-arm pacer was retained by Gorakhpur Lions for the upcoming UP T20 League. However, he didn’t feature in the 18-member squad the franchise announced following the auction.

The 28-year-old has represented Uttar Pradesh in 27 first-class, 23 List A, and 71 T20s, picking up 186 wickets across formats, including two five-wicket hauls.

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Dayal will look to start fresh for Chhattisgarh in the upcoming season and make his way back to the scheme of things.


#3 Dharmendrasinh Jadeja

Chhattisgarh is looking to build a strong squad for the upcoming domestic season. As a result, they have roped in Saurashtra‘s veteran left-arm spinner Dharmendrasinh Jadeja.

The 35-year-old spinner has been a stalwart in the domestic circuit, picking up 423 wickets in 100 first-class matches, including seven 10-wicket hauls and 26 five-fors. Jadeja also has 121 List A and 65 T20 wickets under his belt.

Jadeja is also a very handy batter in the lower order, accumulating almost 2900 runs across formats. He also has 10 fifties under his belt.

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Jadeja’s addition will certainly boost Chhattisgarh’s squad depth as they look to put in a spirited performance next season.


#4 Prasad Pawar

Mumbai wicketkeeper-batter Prasad Pawar has signed with Puducherry to play alongside Shashank Singh as a guest player in the upcoming domestic season.

Prasad has struggled for game time in the Mumbai squad, with Hardik Tamore playing as the first-choice wicketkeeper-batter. As a result, Prasad has decided to shift base to Puducherry in search of more playing time.

Prasad made his List A debut in 2021, while his first-class and T20 debuts came in 2023. Overall, he has represented Mumbai in 27 matches, scoring 591 runs, including one hundred and fifty each.

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#5 Jayant Yadav

An offspinner from Haryana, Jayant Yadav, has decided to join Chhattisgarh for the 2026-27 domestic season. He brings truckloads of experience along with him, having represented India in six Tests and two ODIs while picking up 17 wickets in total.

Yadav has 96 first-class, 74 List A, and 95 T20s under his belt, picking up 272, 68, and 61 wickets, respectively, including two 10-wicket hauls and 15 five-fors. He is also very handy with the bat in the lower order, scoring 4781 runs, including three hundreds and 22 fifties. The 36-year-old cricketer also has one Test hundred and fifty each to his name.

Chhattisgarh will rely heavily on the spin duo of Yadav and Jadeja to bring laurels for the team in the upcoming season.