Category Sports News

The Wimbledon singles main draw, which will feature the most visiting players in 41 years, has been announced by Britain’s world number 719 Oliver Tarvet.

In the final round of qualifying on Thursday, Tarvet defeated Belgian world number 144 Alexander Blockx 6-3,3-6,6-2,6-3.

The 21-year-old was playing a best-of-five match for the first time.

When Wimbledon begins on June 30th, there will be 11 men and 12 women players in the singles draw following Tarvet’s victory.

The Englishman, who hails from St. Albans, has one year to finish his University of San Diego studies.

Tarvet won’t be able to claim the majority of his £66, 000 prize money for reaching the Wimbledon first round because the majority of college sports are solely amateurs.

There are many emotions, according to Tarvet, but the main one is simply joy.

It’s been my dream since I was a young child.

In the opening two rounds of qualifying, Tavert defeated Frenchman Alexis Galarneau and Frenchman Terence Atmane.

Swiss Leandro Riedi defeated British world number 550 Hamish Stewart 6-3,4-6,6-3,6-4 earlier on Thursday.

Tarvet’s prize money situation is not unusual.

After reaching the second round of the US Open while still an amateur at the University of Texas, Australian Maya Joint forfeited more than $200, 000 in prize money last year.

Student-athletes may make up to $10,000 from any prize money, which will be used for travel costs and entrance fees.

I’m very interested in returning to University of San Diego for my fourth year because I’ve got to find a lot of expenses,” Tarvet said.

“I’m so appreciative of what they have done for me,” I said. I want to make a significant impact on US history with my fourth year there.

It’s unlikely that Tarvet’s plans for the year ahead will change after qualifying for the Wimbledon main draw.

He is said to be eager to earn his degree and participate in his final year of college in the country’s notoriously competitive US program.

In this year’s NCAA Championships, he won 23 of his 25 matches and placed among the top 5 singles players in the division one.

Although Tarvet has only won two professional tournaments this year, the San Diego-based ITF World Tour event, which cost $ 15, 000.

In his brief career, the world number 719 has already won five titles, all of which were held at the lowest level of the professional ladder.

The Wimbledon singles main draw, which will feature the most visiting players in 41 years, has been announced by Britain’s world number 719 Oliver Tarvet.

In the final round of qualifying on Thursday, Tarvet defeated Belgian world number 144 Alexander Blockx 6-3,3-6,6-2,6-3.

The 21-year-old was playing a best-of-five match for the first time.

When Wimbledon begins on June 30th, there will be 23 British players, 13 men and 10 women, in the singles draw.

The Englishman, who hails from St. Albans, has one more year of his University of San Diego studies to go.

Tarvet won’t be able to claim the majority of his £66, 000 prize money for reaching the Wimbledon first round because the majority of college sports are solely amateurs.

There are many emotions, according to Tarvet, but the main one is simply joy.

It’s been my dream since I was a young child.

In the opening two rounds of qualifying, Tarvet defeated Frenchman Alexis Galarneau and Frenchman Terence Atmane.

Swiss Leandro Riedi defeated British world number 550 Hamish Stewart 6-3,4-6,6-3,6-4 earlier on Thursday.

Tarvet’s prize money situation is not unusual.

After reaching the second round of the US Open while still an amateur at the University of Texas, Australian Maya Joint forfeited more than $200,000 (£145,000) in prize money last year.

Student-athletes may make up to $10,000 (£7,300) from any prize money, which will be used for travel costs and entrance fees.

I’m very interested in returning to University of San Diego for my fourth year because I’ve got to find a lot of expenses,” Tarvet said.

“I’m so appreciative of what they have done for me,” I said. I want to make a significant impact on US history with my fourth year there.

It’s unlikely that Tarvet’s plans for the year ahead will change after qualifying for the Wimbledon main draw.

He is said to be eager to earn his degree and participate in his final year of college in the country’s notoriously competitive US program.

In this year’s NCAA Championships, he won 23 of his 25 matches and placed among the top five singles players in the division one.

Although Tarvet has only won two professional tournaments this year, the San Diego-based ITF World Tour event, which cost $ 15, 000.

In his brief career, the world number 719 has already won five titles, all of which were held at the lowest level of the professional ladder.

Khaman Maluach used to have the unattainable dreams while wandering through Kawempe, a depressed suburb close to Kampala, in his day-dreams.

The 18-year-old’s name echoed through the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Wednesday night as the player’s name was announced as the 10th pick overall in the 2025 National Basketball Association (NBA) Draft.

After beginning the sport at age 13, Maluach’s talent has already made him compete in South Sudan at the Fiba World Cup and the Olympic Games. He was forced to wear Crocs his first games.

Even so, the 7’11” center posed for a picture on stage with NBA commissioner Adam Silver, who was clearly moved by his expression and his tears.

Maluach said, “I didn’t think I was going to cry.”

“But everything was just going through my head, my entire journey, my people, and the continent I represent,” he said.

I had faith in myself. In my dreams, I had a mental illness. It demonstrates that you can win, regardless of what the odds are.

The teenager had a special suit jacket with lining that displayed the flags of South Sudan and Uganda.

Joy had erupted when he returned to his home country in Entebbe, Uganda, where his family is based.

As they heard his name called, his mother, Mary Aweng, his older brother Majok Madit Maluach, and other siblings performed a heartfelt prayer.

Due to a South Sudanese travel ban that affects South Sudanese citizens, Maluach’s family planned to be by his side with him.

Only his sister Agum Madit, who lives in Australia, was able to attend the New York event.

Maluach’s coach from the program that initially screened him at the Solid Skills Academy in Kampala was also scheduled to attend.

That was incredibly unfortunate. “Coach Wal Deng told BBC Sport Africa, “It has taken some of our joy.”

“But we’re still so proud of him,” he said.

It resembles a dream that is actually real. This is an incredible thrill given how far he has come since learning the fundamentals of basketball and since joining the NBA.

Maluach’s standing in the US appears to be secure right now.

He had an F1 visa, the standard US student visa, that he had obtained after signing with Duke University, which was suspended in April for South Sudanese nationals.

While Maluach waited the NBA Draft, Maluach’s F1 status had already reverted to a tourist visa.

He will now be drafted and will transition to a P1 visa, which is typically granted to professional athletes competing in major US sports.

Maluach’s family fled to neighboring Uganda to escape conflict and was born in Rumbek, South Sudan, in 2006.

Basketball only became a sport after a boda boda (motorcycle taxi) rider encouraged him to pursue it because of his height after being raised by his mother alongside six siblings in Kawempe.

Last year, Maluach told BBC Sport Africa that the closest court was an hour away and that I didn’t even have shoes.

Deng and Aketch Garang, the local coaches, quickly identified his potential, though.

He “lerned so quickly,” Deng claimed. Aketch said, “I told him, this kid would be the next big thing.”

Maluach’s first significant step toward the global stage was a scholarship to the NBA Academy Africa in Dakar, Senegal, within a year.

The teenager attributes his “level up” to competing against the best talent in the continent.

Through his participation in the 2023 Fiba World Cup, he was 16 years old and playing for South Sudan’s national team, helping them win their first Olympic medal.

He made the commitment to play for Duke after earning MVP honors at the 2023 Basketball Without Borders Africa camp and MVP honors in the Basketball Africa League.

Five years after taking the first step in front of a court, Maluach is gearing up for a remarkable journey that has been based on perseverance and faith.

After being chosen by the Houston Rockets and then immediately traded to the Phoenix Suns, he declared, “It’s a day I’ll never forget.”

Deng ginned proudly while observing from a distance.

It’s “really rare to see him go from learning the fundamentals to the highest level.”

Maluach is aware of his position in the community beyond the court.

He said, “I want to change the way people perceive Africa.”

“I’m considering showing them fantastic locations in Africa like Kigali, Senegal, and safaris.” What they see on television is different from the cultures and people we have.

The Phoenix center is eager to launch.

He said, “I’m going to learn how to navigate the league, how to improve, and how to maintain consistency all year.”

“I’m excited to sport the Suns jersey with the word “Maluach” on the back.”

Although Cooper Flagg, Maluach’s Duke teammate, may have been the top draft pick, Maluach has kept his lofty goals of inducting into the NBA Hall of Fame.

He hopes to play alongside those same idols as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid, and he has already modeled his game on them.

He said, “I firmly believed in myself before anyone else.” Let the rest be left to God.

British and Irish Lions v Western Force

In Saturday’s tour opener in Australia, Dan Sheehan has challenged his British and Irish Lions team-mates to match the enthusiasm of the Western Force underdogs.

Sione Tuipulotu and Tadhg Beirne, both of whom were starting for Argentina on Friday, will lead the Lions team.

The 26-year-old Irish hooker said, “I’m sure the Force will be 150% of what they normally are.”

They will be flying into it, according to the statement, “And that extra hunger can lead to some potent things.”

They probably first entered that Western Force change room, where they would have been looking for this game. They will be greatly affected by it.

“But I don’t want them to believe that we’ll be hungrier than we are.” We must show our own mindset back.

Western Force’s head coach, Simon Cron, said a large portion of their preparation had involved presenting the players with the magnitude of the opportunity. Western Force was the lowest-ranked Australian side in this year’s Super Rugby Pacific.

For many of these guys, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience, Cron said.

We sat down as a group and discussed when we last sat down and when we were twelve years old [when the Lions lasttoured Australia].

Former Exeter scrum-half Nic White is included in the Western Force’s starting line-up, and veteran Kurtley Beale, who had previously been kept back with the Wallabies, has been replaced at full-back.

Sheehan, who for the first time faced Wales at this year’s Six Nations, believes the Lions’ dressing room will make his job easier rather than intimidating.

You look around the room and there are so many people who are more than capable of taking the captaincy of this team, he said, which helps a little bit lessen the nerves.

I just need to be myself, not make it too difficult.

I think I have a good understanding of who I am and what makes me tick, despite the fact that I am quite a quiet person. I kind of allowed these things to occur indistinctly. I realize that sounds like I’m about to sit back, but I just don’t really overthink it.

Following Saturday’s game against the Queensland Reds on Wednesday, the Lions’ schedule expands.

It’s the end of an era for Liverpool.

With Trent Alexander-Arnold joining Real Madrid and new signing Milos Kerkez placing Andy Robertson’s spot in danger, one of the Premier League’s great full-back combinations is over.

Summer signing from Bayer Leverkusen Jeremie Frimpong is likely to start at right-back next season, opposite Kerkez, with Robertson being heavily linked with a move away from Anfield.

Alexander-Arnold and Robertson played together on 279 occasions – an average of 35 games a season in all competitions in their eight seasons together.

And each of them only played more games with Mohamed Salah.

Robertson joined from Hull City for £8m in 2017-18 with Alexander-Arnold, an academy product, having made his debut the season before.

They won 185 of those 279 games, losing 43 times.

The two full-backs played attacking roles in former boss Jurgen Klopp’s high-energy football – and had a hand in nearly unprecedented numbers of goals.

In isolation their assist hauls would be remarkable but the fact they were both doing it at the same time is even more amazing.

In March 2019 Alexander-Arnold told the BBC: “We both thrive off each other’s performances.

“We have got a competition between ourselves this season to see who gets more goals and assists. It’s a healthy competition.”

Only on 10 occasions in Premier League history has a defender created 10 or more goals in a Premier League season – and Alexander-Arnold and Robertson have each done it three times.

They are the top two assisting Premier League defenders ever – with 64 for Alexander-Arnold and 60 for Robertson.

They are some way clear, with Leighton Baines (53) and Graeme le Saux (44) the only others to set up more than 40.

In all positions, only ex-Manchester City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne, Reds team-mate Salah and Tottenham forward Son Heung-min assisted more goals since the full-backs linked up in 2017-18.

They feature second and third on the list of most chances created by Premier League defenders (since Opta started to record that data in 2003-04).

Alexander-Arnold created 516 chances, with 446 for Robertson – both featuring in the top 10 in all positions since 2017-18.

The now-retired Baines tops that list for defenders with 635 chances created.

And it is not just the assists, the pair were undroppable players in the most successful Liverpool team since the 1980s.

There have been plenty of other iconic full-back partnerships – so we want you to tell us the best one.

Here are a few you can select from – and if your favourites are missing tell us in the comments at the bottom of this page.

Left-back Roberto Carlos and right-back Cafu were absolutely iconic parts of the Brazil team in the 1990s and 2000s.

Bombing down each flank they won the 2002 World Cup and the Copa America twice.

Maldini, who could play at left-back and in central defence, and right-back Tassotti were members of one of football’s most memorable defences.

The pair flanked Franco Baresi and Alessandro Costacurta for the all-conquering AC Milan side of the 1980s and 1990s.

They won three European Cups together, five Serie A titles and famously had a 58-game unbeaten run in the league from May 1991 to March 1993.

In total Maldini and Tassotti played together 328 times for Milan between 1985 and 1997. In the 1993-94 season Milan only conceded 25 goals in all competitions.

Republic of Ireland left-back Irwin and England right-back Neville played together on 231 occasions for Manchester United.

They were regular team-mates between 1994 and 2002, at which stage Irwin went to Wolves.

Attacking Brazil left-back Marcelo and battling Spain right-back Carvajal linked up to win five Champions League titles together for Real Madrid between 2014 and 2022.

The wait is almost over. Euro 2025 kicks off on 2 July, with England and Wales among the 16 teams going for glory in Switzerland.

All that is left to do is study the fixtures, consider the permutations and keep track of the results using your essential piece of kit – the Women’s Euro 2025 wallchart.

Why not print out your own, follow the fixtures and fill in the results as the tournament plays out?