分类： sports

At 39 years old, Novak Djokovic stands alone as one of the most decorated athletes in tennis history, yet his relentless hunger for more has never faded. With a record-tying 24 Grand Slam singles titles, the most ATP Masters 1000 crowns of any male player in the sport, and a newly minted Olympic gold medal added to his trophy case in 2024, Djokovic has already secured his legacy as one of the greatest to ever pick up a racket. But in a revealing new Amazon Prime documentary, the Serbian superstar opens up about his lifelong internal battle: no number of trophies has ever been enough to quiet the voice inside that pushes him to constantly do better.

“I cannot say I feel content with what I have and who I am,” Djokovic shared in the film. “I am always looking to be more – better, faster, stronger. Oftentimes I feel I am imprisoning myself.” This unrelenting self-criticism makes Djokovic his own harshest judge. “I’m the number one doubter,” he explained. “I’m trying to prove myself wrong more than anybody else.”

His wife Jelena Djokovic echoed this insight, confirming the tennis legend holds deeply conflicting feelings about the eventual end of his playing career. “He carries that burden that he’s never enough. No matter how much he does, it will never be enough,” she said. “Tennis is a fulfilling place for him – a place where he feels worthy.”

Djokovic’s singular path to tennis greatness, and his complex relationship with the sport, is rooted in traumatic childhood experiences that few elite athletes can relate to. Born and raised in Belgrade, he was just a young boy when NATO bombing campaigns targeted the Serbian capital between March and June 1999. He recalled fleeing his residential building, which lacked any dedicated bomb shelter, in search of safety. On the way, he fell behind his family, and watched from the street as a warplane dropped two bombs on a nearby hospital. In the years that followed, daily life meant waiting hours in long lines just to secure basic necessities like bread and milk.

Far from breeding resentment, Djokovic says these hardships became the foundational building blocks that forged his character and competitive drive. “These are defining moments, something I want to portray as a building block for me as a player and a person,” he told BBC 5 Live in a recent interview. “There is no regret or resentment. In contrary, it’s appreciation and gratitude. Everything in life happens as a reason.”

As a young rising star, Djokovic was always an outsider in the historically expensive, elitist world of professional tennis. He opened up about his father having to borrow money from high-risk lenders just to fund his early training and travel for junior tournaments. When he finally broke into the upper echelons of the men’s game, he disrupted the decade-long rivalry between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal that had captivated global tennis fans. More emotionally expressive and outspoken on court than his two legendary rivals, Djokovic never enjoyed the universal adoration that the pair received early in his career. For years, he suppressed the stress and frustration of his early struggles, emotions that would later emerge during high-stakes matches. “On the court, that’s where I felt safe and comfortable. It was a familiar ground,” he said. “Tennis is much more than a game and competition. It is defining ground for who I am as a person.”

Today, with both Federer and Nadal having retired from the sport – Federer in 2022, and Nadal in 2024, both forced out by persistent, career-ending injuries – Djokovic continues to compete at the highest level. In recent years, he has scaled back his playing schedule, focusing almost exclusively on Grand Slam tournaments to preserve his body. After falling to Jannik Sinner in the 2025 Wimbledon semi-finals, he acknowledged he was pushing through major events with his energy reserves already “half-empty.”

Still, Djokovic rejects any talk of setting an expiration date for his career. Every Grand Slam tournament brings fresh speculation about when he will hang up his racket, regardless of his result, and the 2026 US Open will be no different. But for Djokovic, as long as he can still compete with and beat the best players in the world, retirement is not on the agenda.

“Why would I talk about retirement when I still keep proving to myself that I can still win?” he asked in the documentary. “As long as I have the drive, the passion, but most of all, as long as I feel like I can be one of the best players in the world, I want to keep going.”

After claiming the long-awaited Olympic men’s singles gold medal at the 2024 Paris Games – a achievement Djokovic calls the pinnacle of his entire career – he has already set his sights on competing at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. “It seems a long way out. I feel like I can make it,” he said. “I would like to end with the Serbian flag on my shoulders. It would be a nice way to wrap up something I’m very proud of.”

MILAN, Italy — One of the most decorated and globally recognizable soccer stars in history, Brazil’s Ronaldinho, has touched down in Italy, kicking off a highly anticipated return to the country more than 12 years after he retired from top-tier professional play. The small northern Italian city of Ravenna, best known for its sun-soaked Adriatic coastline rather than its competitive soccer program, is gearing up to welcome the 46-year-old icon on what local organizers have officially named “Ronaldinho Day” this Thursday.

Ronaldinho’s surprise move to Serie C, Italy’s third-tier league, first sent shockwaves through the global soccer community when the deal was announced back in June, more than a decade after he hung up his boots following a 20-year legendary career. The Brazilian great arrived via private jet at Forlì Airport, located roughly 19 miles outside Ravenna, around midday local time on the eve of his official welcome. After landing, he stopped to sign autographs on a pair of soccer balls for airport staff before heading directly to his vehicle on the runway, bypassing a small crowd of fans waiting in the terminal arrivals area.

Joining Ronaldinho on his arrival was Ignazio Cipriani, president of Ravenna Calcio and heir to the globally renowned Cipriani restaurant hospitality brand. The public is set to get its first look at the soccer legend at a star-studded ceremony held on Ravenna’s iconic waterfront on Thursday evening. The event will double as the official seasonal presentation of the entire Ravenna squad, with event planners confirming that Ronaldinho will be the final player introduced to the crowd, building up to a highly anticipated moment of fanfare.

A formal press conference with the Brazilian star is scheduled to take place ahead of the public beach ceremony. While excitement is running high, the club has confirmed that Ronaldinho will not feature in Ravenna’s opening Serie C match of the 2024-25 season, an away fixture against Reggiana scheduled for Monday. To date, details remain unconfirmed regarding how much match time the 2002 World Cup winner will see during the campaign. Still, Cipriani has shared that his personal dream for the historic deal is to see Ronaldinho score the final goal of his legendary professional career with Ravenna.

Ronaldinho’s last appearance in top professional competition came in 2015, when he played for Brazilian top-flight side Fluminense. This new spell with Ravenna marks Ronaldinho’s second run of play in Italy, having previously suited up for Serie A giant AC Milan from 2008 to 2011. Over his career, Ronaldinho has claimed the sport’s highest honors, including a FIFA World Cup title with Brazil in 2002 and the Ballon d’Or award for the world’s best men’s player in 2005.

As Italy’s top football division prepares to kick off its new campaign this weekend, all eyes are on defending champion Inter Milan, where rookie head coach Cristian Chivu’s unconventional, brotherly leadership style has emerged as an unlikely catalyst for continued dominance.

When Chivu was tapped last year to replace seasoned incumbent Simone Inzaghi at the San Siro, the appointment sparked widespread skepticism across the football world. The Nerazzurri were still reeling from a historic 5-0 Champions League final thrashing at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain, and critics questioned how a coach with only 13 prior Serie A matches under his belt could steady a fallen giant. As Inter midfielder Hakan Çalhanoğlu recalled in a recent interview with beIN Sports Australia: “Everyone was thinking that Inter was, let’s say dying, after what happened.”

What followed defied all expectations. Chivu’s fresh tactical vision and people-first approach reinvigorated a demoralized squad, steering Inter to a historic domestic double of Serie A and Coppa Italia in his first full season in charge. Unlike more autocratic managers who separate leadership from personal connection, the 45-year-old Romanian has built his program on close, trusting bonds with his players. “With Chivu it is something different, he cares more about the person, not about the football,” Çalhanoğlu explained. “For him it’s more important how you are, how you feel, and he’s open to everything. He gives you the confidence to feel good. Of course, he has tactical things … but outside of the football he’s like a brother or a friend, you can talk to him about whatever you want, he’s always close to you. That helped me a lot.”

Inter has further strengthened its title credentials this offseason with a notable injection of English talent. The club has already secured the signings of England defenders Djed Spence and John Stones, and is closing in on a deal for Liverpool and Three Lions midfielder Curtis Jones to add further depth to its starting lineup. Inter will open its title defense at home against newly promoted Monza this Saturday, kicking off what is shaping up to be one of the most unpredictable Serie A campaigns in recent memory.

While Inter enters the season as the favorite, multiple challengers are poised to push for the Scudetto, with off-season coaching changes reshaping the competitive landscape. Last season’s runner-up Napoli, who were held back by a crippling injury crisis that prevented them from mounting a closer title fight, is now led by Massimiliano Allegri, the veteran former Juventus and AC Milan manager. The appointment comes after Antonio Conte stepped down at the end of the last campaign, marking Napoli’s sixth head coaching change in just over three years. Allegri himself is returning to management after being fired by AC Milan last season following what the club called an “unequivocal failure” of a campaign.

AC Milan, which finished fifth last season after a late-season slump, has turned to Rúben Amorim, the highly rated young Portuguese coach whose stock dipped during a disappointing spell at Manchester United. The Rossoneri have already made a major statement in the transfer market, smashing their club record to sign Portugal forward Gonçalo Ramos from Paris Saint-Germain for more than €70 million ($80 million) to add much-needed attacking firepower.

Coaching turnover has hit other top half sides too: Lazio and Atalanta both appointed new managers this off-season, with long-time Lazio boss Maurizio Sarri switching to Atalanta in its first full campaign after legendary manager Gian Piero Gasperini’s departure. Former Italy head coach Gennaro Gattuso has stepped into Sarri’s old role at Lazio.

Against this wave of change, two top contenders have leaned into stability to mount their title pushes. Roma, which secured Champions League qualification for the first time since 2018 in Gasperini’s debut season at the club, is retaining the veteran manager despite a high-profile public falling out with former special adviser and ex-coach Claudio Ranieri that ended in Ranieri’s exit from the club. Gasperini has added exciting young talents Santiago Castro and Rodrigo Mora to his squad, putting Roma in position to challenge for its first Serie A title in more than 25 years. At Juventus, Luciano Spalletti will lead the side in his first full campaign after taking over in October last season. Though the Bianconeri narrowly missed out on Champions League qualification and finished sixth, Spalletti earned a new two-year contract for the club’s strong late-season form.

The most surprising contender to watch this season is Como, the Cinderella side that shocked Italian football last term by pipping Juventus and AC Milan to fourth place and the final Champions League spot. It is a staggering rise for the 119-year-old club: just seven years ago, it was competing in Italy’s fourth division, and it had never qualified for any continental competition in its history until last season. This remarkable turnaround has come under the leadership of Cesc Fàbregas, the former Arsenal, Barcelona and Spain midfield legend who has taken the club to new heights in just two years in charge.

Last season’s success was no fluke: Como boasted the tightest defense in the league while playing an expansive, attacking style of football that won plaudits across the country. This off-season, Fàbregas has strengthened his backline with the €30 million signing of Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah, and pulled off a major coup by retaining star playmaker Nico Paz for at least one more season. After last year’s historic overachievement, few are willing to count out an unlikely Como title push. The big unanswered question remains, however: how will the club’s young, inexperienced squad, almost all of whom have never competed in Champions League football, handle the increased physical and mental demands of balancing European and domestic competition?

In a high-profile transfer deal shaking up European club football, 22-year-old Belgian winger Diego Moreira has completed a move to Italian Serie A side AC Milan from French club Strasbourg, for a reported transfer fee of €50 million ($58.5 million). The transfer comes as Strasbourg faces growing financial pressure from European football’s governing body UEFA over breaches of financial sustainability rules.

AC Milan confirmed the transfer in an official statement released late Monday, announcing that Moreira has put pen to paper on a five-year contract with the club. A versatile attacking talent, Moreira earned a spot in Belgium’s squad for the most recent FIFA World Cup, where he featured in one match: he came on as a second-half substitute in the team’s dramatic 3-2 comeback victory over Senegal in the round of 32.

Moreira’s international career carries an interesting backstory: he represented both Belgium and Portugal at youth international level, before receiving formal approval from FIFA in May 2025 to switch his senior international eligibility to Belgium.

The sale of Moreira marks another major asset offload for Strasbourg this week, pushing the French club’s total transfer revenue from sales this week to roughly €100 million ($117 million). Strasbourg is currently owned by BlueCo, the same holding company that controls English Premier League side Chelsea. Back in June, UEFA handed the club a €13 million ($15 million) fine for overspending that violated the body’s financial monitoring regulations. That penalty stands as the largest financial sanction issued by the European football governing body to any club across last season.

Following the fine, UEFA ordered Strasbourg to make significant cuts to its overall player wage and transfer costs by 2026. The club will not compete in any European competition next season, after exiting the third-tier Europa Conference League at the semifinal stage last campaign.

Notably, Moreira’s path to Strasbourg came via Chelsea back in 2024, when the London club sold him to the French side. The winger never made a single senior Premier League appearance during his time on Chelsea’s roster.

For AC Milan, the signing adds a promising young attacking option to the squad ahead of the new season. Milan finished fifth in Serie A last term, which means the club will compete in the second-tier UEFA Europa League this upcoming season, under the guidance of newly appointed head coach Ruben Amorim.

Paris St-Germain’s 2026-27 Ligue 1 title defense campaign has hit an unexpected last-minute disruption, as unprecedented summer heatwaves across Western Europe have left the club’s iconic Parc des Princes pitch severely damaged. The French champions were originally scheduled to kick off their new season against Rennes this Sunday in the French capital, but the fixture will now be flipped, with the match taking place at Rennes’ home ground in Brittany instead.

Officials from the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP), France’s top football governing body, confirmed that a thorough inspection of the Parc des Princes pitch concluded the surface could not support a professional match under safe conditions. The statement highlighted that the damaged pitch posed unacceptable risks to the safety and physical well-being of all competing players.

PSG has moved quickly to address the issue, announcing plans to completely relay the playing surface ahead of their next scheduled home fixture against Monaco on 4 September. In a formal statement, the club acknowledged that the last-minute venue swap would cause unavoidable inconvenience for fans, players, and stakeholders, but emphasized that the extreme heatwave damage constituted an entirely unforeseen, exceptional situation that left no other viable option.

This venue change comes in the wake of a record-breaking summer of heat across France. On 24 June, the country recorded its hottest ever average national temperature, with Paris hitting nearly 41°C and half of all French regions placed under high-priority red heat alerts. Official mortality data shows that between 22 and 28 June, total deaths across France rose by 2,025 – a nearly 30% increase compared to average periods – with the Paris region alone seeing a 62% jump in mortality. The extreme heat has also sparked destructive wildfires across multiple regions of the country, following a wider trend of record-breaking temperatures across Western Europe this summer.

PSG is not the only top European club forced to rearrange its opening league fixture due to summer pitch damage tied to extreme heat. Earlier this month, Spanish La Liga side Celta Vigo was forced to postpone their season opener against Osasuna after an uncontrolled fungal outbreak destroyed grass at their Estadio de Balaidos home ground. The outbreak was directly linked to three straight weeks of overnight temperatures staying above 25°C, creating the warm, humid conditions that allowed the fungus to spread rapidly across the pitch.

As the reigning Ligue 1 champions, PSG claimed the 2025-26 title by a comfortable six-point margin, while Sunday’s opponents Rennes finished sixth in the table last season and secured qualification for the 2026-27 UEFA Europa League.