TENNIS
Djokovic fans celebrate
Hundreds of Novak Djokovic supporters staged boisterous street celebrations after the Serb on Monday became the record-holder for most weeks as the men’s world No. 1. Djokovic topped the ATP rankings for a combined 311 weeks, surpassing Roger Federer’s tally of 310. Djokovic and his family joined fireworks in front of their restaurant in the new part of Belgrade. Main buildings downtown in the Serbian capital were lit with his portrait, including a light show displaying the best moments of his career. Jubilant fans chanted “Nolo, Nolo” and waved Serbian flags. Djokovic addressed the crowd, saying: “Today is a special day for myself, my family, as well as Serbia. Thank you for the success, which is not only mine but of the whole nation.”
SOCCER
Agnelli touts new format
The new format of the UEFA Champions League after 2024 could be “close to ideal” and just a short time away from being formalized, Andrea Agnelli, chairman of Juventus and the European Club Association (ECA), said on Monday. “I would dearly hope that everything would be done within the next couple of weeks,” said Agnelli after a general assembly of the ECA, which confirmed the consensus around a remodelling of the group phase and the expansion from 32 to 36 clubs. “There are details that need to be addressed, one being the access to the competitions,” he said. “If we have four extra spots, how will these be allocated?” The current round-robin group stage comprising eight groups of four clubs is to be scrapped and replaced by a single group of 36 clubs playing a “Swiss system,” in which they would play 10 matches against 10 different opponents before switching to the knockout phase.
FOOTBALL
Prescott, Cowboys sign deal
The Dallas Cowboys on Monday said that the franchise has agreed terms on a new contract for quarterback Dak Prescott worth a reported US$160 million over four years. The Cowboys made the announcement in a brief statement ahead of a formal press announcement today. ESPN reported that Prescott, 27, would receive a US$66 million signing bonus while the first three years of the deal would average out at about US$42 million per year. The announcement follows years of off-on negotiations that were complicated last season when the quarterback suffered a compound fracture and dislocated ankle.
OLYMPICS
Belarus disappoints IOC
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Monday said that it was maintaining current sanctions against sports leaders in Belarus, noting its “great disappointment” at the absence of guarantees that Belarusian athletes would no longer be persecuted for their political opinions. The executive board of the Olympic body decided to “not recognize” the transition of power at the top of the Belarusian Olympic Committee (NOC) on Feb. 26, which saw Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko hand over the reins to his son Viktor Lukashenko, who had previously been vice-president of the organization. Consequently, Viktor Lukashenko, as well as Dmitry Baskov on the NOC Executive Council, remain excluded “from all IOC events and activities, including the Olympic Games,” a measure taken in early December last year.
Brazil has four teams, more than any other country, in the expanded Club World Cup that kicked off yesterday in the US, but for SE Palmeiras, the competition holds a special meaning: winning it would provide some redemption. Under coach Abel Ferreira since 2020, Palmeiras lifted two Copa Libertadores titles, plus Brazilian league, cup and state championships. Even before Ferreira, it boasted another South American crown and 11 league titles. The only major trophy missing is a world champions’ title. Other Brazilian clubs like Fluminense FC and Botafogo FR, also in the tournament, have never won it either, but the problem for Palmeiras
Manchester City on Monday completed the signing of left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri from Wolverhampton Wanderers for a reported ￡31 million (US$41.8 million). The 24-year-old Algeria international has signed a five-year contract and will be available for the FIFA Club World Cup, which begins later this week. Ait-Nouri is expected to be just one of a trio of new City faces for that tournament with deals close to completion for AC Milan midfielder Tijjani Reijnders and Olympique Lyonnais playmaker Rayan Cherki. After missing out on a major trophy in the recently completed season for the first time since 2016-2017, City are hoping
Hulking Italian sprinter Jonathan Milan on Monday surged away from the pack to win the second stage of the Criterium de Dauphine in Issoire, France, to take the overall lead from Tadej Pogacar. The 1.93m, 87kg Milan had to battle to keep up on a hilly 204.6km run through central France from Premilhat. When the pack hit the home straight, he rocketed away from his rivals to collect a 10-second victory bonus and the yellow jersey. “That was really tough,” Milan said. “I was dropped at one point, and I was really on the limit, but I have to say
Paris Saint-Germain’s Lee Kang-in has pleaded with South Korea fans to get behind the team at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after more boos were aimed at coach Hong Myung-bo despite leading them to qualification. South Korea reached next year’s finals in North America without losing a game, but that does not tell the whole story. The country’s soccer association has been in the firing line, having scrambled about to find a successor after sacking the unpopular Jurgen Klinsmann in February last year. They eventually settled on Hong, the decorated former skipper who had an unsuccessful stint as coach in 2013-2014, during which
RSS