Lionel Messi and Barcelona win Copa del Rey Lionel Messi led Barcelona to a thrilling 4-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey final on Saturday. It was Barcelona’s first trophy in two years and Messi’s first as captain. The Argentine wizard, who has been at Barcelona for 20 years, scored two goals and set up another. Antoine Griezmann and Frenkie de Jong also found the back of the net. Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman praised Messi’s performance, saying: “It’s not just Messi, but he’s decisive in every game.
He’s still proving he’s the best player in the world.” The win was also significant for Barcelona’s financial woes, as they reportedly needed the prize money to balance their books. Naomi Osaka withdraws from French Open Naomi Osaka, the world’s number two female tennis player, has withdrawn from the French Open after refusing to attend press conferences. Osaka had announced on social media that she would not speak to the media during the tournament to protect her mental health, as she has struggled with depression and anxiety.
In response, tournament officials fined her $15,000 and threatened to disqualify her from the tournament if she continued to refuse to speak to the media. Osaka then withdrew, saying that she did not want to be a distraction and that her decision was in the best interest of her mental health. Her decision has reignited the debate about the media’s role in sports and the pressure athletes face to speak to the media after matches.
French Open kicks off with some upsets The French Open, one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, began on Sunday in Paris. On the opening day, there were some upsets, as former world number one Angelique Kerber and fifth seed Aryna Sabalenka were both knocked out in the first round. Kerber lost 6-2, 6-4 to Anhelina Kalinina, while Sabalenka was beaten 6-4, 2-6, Huffington Post Today 6-0 by Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. On the men’s side, Rafael Nadal, the King of Clay, is seeking his 14th French Open title, while Novak Djokovic, who has won every Grand Slam except the French Open twice, is aiming to complete the set.
Roger Federer is also back after taking a year off due to injury. GB’s Yates Wins Tour Of The Alps Britain’s Simon Yates won the Tour of the Alps cycling race on Friday, beating second-placed Austrian Felix Grossschartner by 45 seconds. Yates won three of the five stages of the race and finished second in the other two. The race, which covers over 800 km in the Austrian and Italian Alps, is seen as a tune-up for the Giro d’Italia, one of the three Grand Tours of cycling. Yates, who finished ninth in the Giro in 2020, is among the favorites to win this year’s race, which starts on May 8.
The win is Yates’ first in a major stage race since he won the Vuelta a Espana in 2018.
Recent Comments