分类： sports

Australian professional tennis player Bernard Tomic, long known for his turbulent on and off-court reputation, has sent shockwaves through his fanbase with a sudden, unexpected announcement: he and long-term partner Keely Hannah have welcomed their first child together, a baby girl named Astara Aurelia Tomic.

The newborn arrived on Easter Sunday, April 5, 2026, but the couple managed to keep the entire pregnancy and birth completely hidden from the public eye, maintaining a complete radio silence across their social media channels in the months leading up to the reveal. Hannah, Tomic’s partner since 2022, broke the quiet on Sunday, sharing a carousel of tender photos of baby Astara to her Instagram account alongside the caption: “The most beautiful secret we’ve ever kept.”

A closer look at Hannah’s social media history confirms how successfully the couple concealed their exciting news: she has not shared any public posts to her account since July of the previous year, letting followers remain completely unaware of her pregnancy.

The surprise arrival marks a new chapter for Tomic, a player who has long been no stranger to off-court controversy alongside his on-court pursuits. The former world No. 17 has weathered public scrutiny of his relationship with Hannah before: during a 2024 ATP Challenger tournament, Tomic made headlines when he retired mid-match after a heated public argument with Hannah that was caught on live tournament broadcast.

Today, Tomic continues his comeback push on the ATP Challenger Tour, currently holding the world No. 191 ranking as he fights to climb back into the men’s top 100 and earn a return to the upper echelons of professional tennis.

The Manly Sea Eagles are heading into Thursday’s away clash against the North Queensland Cowboys in Townsville with renewed momentum, as the club’s stunning recent form has drawn comparisons to their memorable 2021 comeback season. At the center of pre-match speculation is veteran forward Jake Trbojevic, who is on track to be named in the matchday squad despite sustaining a grueling eye injury during last weekend’s victory over the St. George Illawarra Dragons.

Trbojevic was forced to exit the Dragons win early after a hard tackle left him with a deep cut below his right eye, which swelled so severely that the eye closed completely completely. While initial medical checks ruled out any concussion — a key concern given Trbojevic’s history of head impacts — he was unable to rejoin the game due to impaired vision. Posts from rugby league medical observers on social media shortly after the incident raised questions about a possible eye socket fracture, leaving Sea Eagles fans waiting anxiously for updates on his condition.

The star forward skipped all contact drills at Monday’s training session at the NSWRL Centre of Excellence in Sydney’s Olympic Park, but his presence on the training ground remained critical. Trbojevic stayed on the field to lead warm-ups, walk through tactical drills, and direct younger teammates, signaling his preparation to suit up for the Townsville match. When asked about his availability, Trbojevic confirmed to teammates he intends to play, a commitment his front row partner Taniela Paseka says he fully trusts.

“He’s told me he’s in, so I’m going to go off that because whatever he says usually happens,” Paseka told NewsWire. “It’s going to be very important to have him in our team this week against a big, physical forward pack like the Cowboys.”

Beyond his on-field contributions, Paseka says Trbojevic’s natural leadership and tactical eye suggest a successful second career as a coach once he retires from playing. “I reckon he’ll definitely be a coach, and I keep telling him that. I think he’s very good at explaining the game, so I told him ‘Mate, you should be a coach.’ Maybe not a head coach straight away because it’s too big of a job, but he would be an excellent forwards coach focusing on one area of the game. He’s actually thinking about it, and he’s admitted the idea appeals to him.”

Trbojevic’s expected return is just the latest bright spot for a Sea Eagles side that has undergone a dramatic transformation since a disastrous 0-3 start to the 2026 season. That poor opening stretch cost head coach Anthony Seibold his job, with former Manly playmaker Kieran Foran stepping into the interim head coach role. The shift has already delivered staggering results: Manly has put up 80 points across Foran’s first two games in charge, a far cry from the lackluster performance that saw them booed off their home ground by angry fans in round four.

Paseka attributes the sudden turnaround to growing on-field cohesion after the squad’s major mid-season shakeup. “It took a while for us to get it right with the chemistry and the combinations,” he explained. “Now that we’ve played a few games together, we’ve figured out what’s working for us and what isn’t. We doubled down on the strategies that fit this group, and that’s paid off over the last two weeks. We’re just building on that week after week.”

Even with two straight wins under their belt, Paseka says the squad is remaining grounded, taking each match as it comes rather than getting ahead of themselves. “I think the sky’s the limit for this group. As more key players come back from injury, we’ll only get stronger. We’re just trying every week to be present, take it week by week and not look too far ahead. We’re winning at the moment, but we’re still very grounded, if that makes sense, because you don’t want to get ahead of yourself.”

For long-time Sea Eagles supporters, the current run of form is already bringing back echoes of 2021, a season that saw Manly start with four straight losses before storming through the back half of the year to reach the NRL preliminary final. That turnaround was fueled by superstar fullback Tom Trbojevic – Jake’s brother – who missed the opening of that season before producing one of the most dominant attacking individual campaigns in modern NRL history. Today, Tom “Turbo” Trbojevic is back in top form heading into Thursday’s trip to north Queensland, a parallel Paseka doesn’t deny.

“I do see similarities to 2021. But like I said, I don’t want to look too far ahead because you’ve got to be present,” Paseka said. “But for sure, that was a great year for us and for Turbo as well. Right now, Turbo’s playing great footy, and that’s a huge boost for all of us.”

Nineteen-year-old rugby league prodigy Cooper Bai has opened up about the agonizing choice that saw him walk away from a pre-agreed move to the Melbourne Storm to re-sign with the Gold Coast Titans, a decision that already appears vindicated after his standout performance in Sunday’s dominant 50-point win over the Parramatta Eels.

Still only seven games into his senior NRL career, Bai already displays the physical tools and mental maturity of a veteran front-rower, and has emerged as one of the Titans’ most critical long-term building blocks under new head coach Josh Hannay. The teen talent confirms that backing out of his earlier agreement to join Melbourne was the hardest call he has ever had to make, one that pitted his childhood home against a storied franchise with deep family connections.

Bai’s father Marcus is a club legend of the Storm from their early championship-winning years, and top club figures including legendary head coach Craig Bellamy and football director Frank Ponissi held extensive talks with the young forward to convince him to make the move south to Victoria. “Those conversations were really helpful to get a different perspective on how other clubs operate,” Bai explained. “But at the end of the day, this is where I’ve grown up my whole life, this is all I’ve ever known. I had to make the choice that felt right for me, and that was staying here with the new coaching group that’s building something new.”

While Bellamy’s decades of sustained success at Storm made the opportunity to learn from one of the game’s greatest coaches incredibly tempting, Bai says Hannay’s fresh approach and personal mentorship have been transformative for his early career. Under Hannay’s leadership, the Titans have overhauled their defensive structure and clicked into attacking form, notching only the second 50-point game in franchise history against the Eels.

“Hannay has honestly been a game-changer for me,” Bai said. “He’s drilled me on the core basics of my position, helped me get my mindset right for the physical grind of the NRL, and taught me to start strong from the first minute instead of playing catch-up. As a young middle forward, there’s a lot of external noise, but he’s helped me stay focused on my role and keep improving every week.”

Sunday’s blowout win has already validated the call for Bai and captain Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, both of whom committed long-term to the rebuilding Titans. “It silences a lot of that off-field noise,” Bai said. “We got to show our home fans what this new Titans brand is all about. We’re not just here to play flashy footy – we’re putting in the hard work to change the culture around this club. I never doubted that staying was the right call. I loved training every day with this group, and I didn’t want to look back and wonder what if I left. I’m young, there will be more choices down the line, but right now this is where I want to be.”

Looking ahead, the newly approved 2028 entry of Papua New Guinea’s NRL franchise – widely nicknamed the PNG Chiefs – is set to trigger intense pursuit of Bai, who already has two Test caps for PNG and earned hero status among local fans when he featured off the bench in last year’s Prime Minister’s XIII match. Bai says he has no plans to think about future moves for now, but made clear he holds the PNG rugby league community close to his heart.

“The love and support I get from everyone in PNG is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced,” Bai said with a smile. “It’s such an honor to play for them there. Right now, though, I’m just focused on my time here with the Titans. If opportunities come up later, they come up, but my focus is here right now.”

Liverpool Football Club enters one of the most pivotal nights in its recent history this Tuesday, tasked with a seemingly insurmountable mission to overturn a 2-0 first-leg deficit against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarter-finals – a result that could not only rescue a deeply underwhelming season but also decide the future of manager Arne Slot.

Just 12 months after lifting the Premier League title, the Reds have endured a turbulent 2024-25 campaign. Currently sitting fifth in the top-flight table, the club was eliminated early from both the FA Cup and EFL Cup, leaving the continent’s premier club competition as their only remaining path to silverware this term. Their challenge became far steeper after a dominant PSG side outclassed them in the French capital two weeks ago, but wasteful finishing from the Parisians kept Liverpool in the tie, setting the stage for a potential iconic night at Anfield.

As one of European football’s most successful clubs with six Champions League crowns to their name, Liverpool has a storied history of pulling off miraculous come-from-behind wins on their home ground. The most famous of these recent examples came in 2019, when current captain Virgil van Dijk was part of the side that erased a 3-0 first-leg deficit to beat Lionel Messi’s Barcelona 4-0 at Anfield, a result that propelled the club to its sixth European title under then-manager Jurgen Klopp.

That legendary night stands as the high water mark of Klopp’s trophy-laden reign, which included three Champions League finals in five seasons. But for the core group of players who featured in that iconic run, Tuesday’s clash could be their final Champions League chapter at Anfield bar a stunning turnaround. Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson have already confirmed they will depart the club at the end of the season, while Van Dijk and Alisson Becker face an uncertain future, with no guarantee Liverpool will even qualify for next season’s tournament despite five English spots being on offer this cycle.

For Slot, the pressure could not be higher. The Dutch manager is in the final stretch of his second season at the helm, and his position has been in serious doubt after a string of underwhelming results. Following a humiliating 4-0 FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Manchester City last month, Liverpool supporters chanted the name of Xabi Alonso, the club’s former midfield icon and the overwhelming favorite to take the job should Slot be sacked at the end of the campaign, who left his role at Real Madrid earlier this year.

A much-needed 2-0 victory over Fulham at the weekend has given Slot and his squad a boost, snapping a three-game losing streak and extending their advantage over the sides chasing Champions League qualification spots in the Premier League. In the aftermath of that win, Slot issued a public rallying cry to Anfield supporters, urging them to recreate the iconic atmosphere that has lifted the club through past crises.

“This was a massive win not only for the league but looking forward to Tuesday,” Slot told reporters. “Not only for the players but also for the fans. After a 4-0 loss and a 2-0 loss everybody could do with this win. One thing is clear is that on Tuesday we need our fans. There were fans in Paris but we had a very hard time. Anfield has shown many times that it can lift the team to another level and we need that again. Half an hour before the game the players need that support and need to feel it is going to be another special evening.”

Van Dijk echoed that sentiment, drawing on his experience of the 2019 Barcelona comeback to inspire his teammates. “It’s down to us to be in the best shape possible to make a special evening on Tuesday,” the captain said. “We are at home and we have to show belief that we can do it. It needs a special performance but I’m lucky I have been part of special performances so I will try and bring that across for the team.”

Even beyond the tie, a second humiliating defeat in as many weeks on home soil would deal a further blow to Slot’s standing with supporters. Another underperformance matching the debacles in Manchester and Paris could prove to be the final straw for the fanbase, putting even more pressure on the club’s hierarchy to make a change at the end of the season.