Sports
Alcaraz storms on as Sabalenka sets teen showdown
Carlos Alcaraz has Novak Djokovic demanding payment after powering into the Australian Open quarter-finals on Sunday as Aryna Sabalenka set up a showdown against one of the brightest talents in tennis.
Top seed Alcaraz was in ominous touch at Rod Laver Arena, dismissing the American Tommy Paul 7-6 (8/6), 6-4, 7-5 in a masterclass.
The 22-year-old Spaniard plays home hope and sixth seed Alex de Minaur or 10th seed Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan next.
Alcaraz, who is yet to drop a set at this year’s tournament, has never gone beyond the quarter-finals in Melbourne.
If he can finally break his Australian duck he will become the youngest man in history to win a career Grand Slam of all four majors.
Alcaraz has in the past struggled with precision and a lack of consistency in his serving technique.
He is now sporting a new-look serve that has become a handy weapon – and been compared to Djokovic’s serve.
“I had a Djokovic message saying, ‘you have to pay me’,” he said in his on-court interview after making light work of 19th seed Paul, to laughter from an adoring crowd.
Later, three-time finalist Daniil Medvedev could face another marathon against up-and-coming American Learner Tien.
Tien and former number one Medvedev met three times last year, with the younger man winning twice, including a five-setter in the second round of the Australian Open.
“Will try to do my best to maybe surprise him somewhere,” said Medvedev, from Russia.
Whoever comes out on top will face third seed Alexander Zverev of Germany or Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina.
Teen test for Sabalenka
World number one Sabalenka will face impressive 18-year-old American Iva Jovic in a tasty last-eight encounter.
Belarusian top seed Sabalenka, a two-time Melbourne champion, opened the day on Rod Laver Arena and saw off the brave challenge of 19-year-old Canadian Victoria Mboko.
Sabalenka won 6-1, 7-6 (7/1) while Jovic destroyed unseeded Yulia Putintseva 6-0, 6-1 in just 53 dominant minutes.
“What an incredible player for such a young age,” said Sabalenka of the 17th-seeded Canadian Mboko, who has emerged as a serious threat in the past year.
“I feel like I am a kid still! She pushed me really hard today and played incredible tennis.”
Sabalenka raced through the second-set tiebreak – the 20th Grand Slam tiebreak in a row she has won – to seal victory.
She has yet to drop a set as her title charge gathers pace.
But in Jovic, who only turned 18 last month, she clashes with a player in red-hot form and rising fast, now ranked 27 having been 191 this time last year.
Jovic, who stunned two-time Grand Slam finalist and seventh seed Jasmine Paolini in the third round, said: “I feel great. I’m really glad to get through.”
Jovic is the youngest player to reach the women’s quarter-finals at the Australian Open without dropping a set since Venus Williams in 1998.
Third-seeded American Gauff faces Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina or another 18-year-old, Russian Mirra Andreeva, in the quarter-finals.
Gauff dropped a set for the second match in a row before clawing her way past Karolina Muchova 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.
The 21-year-old Gauff, a two-time major champion, has never gone beyond the last four at Melbourne Park.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu reached a pivotal milestone in his rookie MotoGP season at the United States Grand Prix, scoring his first career point and proving he can handle the relentless demands of the premier class.
The 5.513-kilometer Circuit of the Americas, with its punishing elevation shifts, tight hairpins, sweeping high-speed corners, and a long back straight, has long been considered a benchmark for rider skill and machine precision.
Over 19 dry laps, Razgatlıoğlu battled both the track and the intensity of the field to finish 15th for Prima Pramac Yamaha, crossing the line 25.549 seconds behind winner Marco Bezzecchi.
That single point may seem modest, but for the Turkish star, it marks the first step in establishing himself among MotoGP’s elite.
A multiple World Superbike champion, Razgatlıoğlu is navigating a steep learning curve with prototype machinery in his debut season.
Each race presents challenges in braking stability, cornering precision, and tire management at speeds far beyond his previous championship experiences.
Scoring at one of the calendar’s most technically demanding circuits offers a tangible signal that his adaptation is on track, and that he can translate raw talent into tangible results against the world’s best.
At the front, Bezzecchi extended a perfect start to 2026 with a commanding win, leading all 20 laps at COTA to claim his third consecutive victory of the season and fifth straight including the previous year.
He crossed the line 2.036 seconds ahead of teammate Jorge Martín, who won Saturday’s sprint, while Pedro Acosta, demoted from third to eighth due to a penalty in the sprint, rounded out the podium.
Bezzecchi’s triumph also cemented his place in MotoGP history. He became the third Italian rider after Hall of Famers Valentino Rossi and Giacomo Agostini to win five consecutive races and the first rider since Marc Marquez in 2014 to claim victories in the first three grands prix of the season.
“This is amazing. I mean, I wasn’t expecting a day like this after yesterday because it wasn’t easy and I made a mistake,” Bezzecchi said. “Luckily, my team was very close to me and they gave me the motivation to try to bounce back. I really can’t describe my emotion right now. Very, very happy and proud.”
Other notable results saw Fabio Di Giannantonio of VR46 Racing finish fourth, while defending Austin champion Francesco Bagnaia of Ducati Lenovo Team came in 10th.
With this win, Bezzecchi reclaimed the championship lead at 81 points, four ahead of Martin, as the series moves toward Europe.
The next test for Razgatlıoğlu and the rest of the grid is the Spanish Grand Prix at Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto on April 26, where the rookie will aim to build on his breakthrough moment and continue his climb among the sport’s elite.
The World Ethnosport Union will host the 8th Ethnosport Forum from April 3 to 5, 2026, gathering global leaders, athletes, and experts to advance traditional sports and games as both cultural treasures and competitive platforms.
The forum reflects the organization’s commitment to tradition, respect, solidarity, and peace, aiming to safeguard intangible cultural heritage through sport.
This year’s edition focuses on shaping the vision for Ethnosports 2027, a major international multi-sport event designed to elevate traditional sports from local practices to globally recognized competitions.
Organizers aim to establish governance standards, competitive systems, and marketing frameworks while preserving the authentic cultural roots of these games.
Record participation is expected, with more than 15 sports and culture ministers, over 100 senior government officials, international delegations, member federation representatives, academics, researchers, and athletes.
Officials and participants from 29 countries are confirmed, reflecting the Union’s expanding global reach across its 27-31 member nations.
The forum serves as a strategic platform for dialogue, collaboration, and planning, enabling policymakers, practitioners, and scholars to refine the roadmap for the international development of traditional sports.
The program begins on April 3 with arrivals and preparatory meetings.
On April 4, the forum will open with a keynote address examining the global influence of multi-sport organizations, followed by a high-level Ministers Panel chaired by World Ethnosport Union President Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan, where officials will discuss policy support for traditional sports.
The afternoon will feature parallel sessions covering organization and governance, sports and competition systems, and marketing and communication.
The day concludes with a World Ethnosport Union members’ meeting and a gala dinner.
April 5 will focus on communications strategies and public engagement, highlighted by the announcement of the Global Tradition Call and the official release of the Ethnosports 2027 Forum Declaration.
The event will also host the Traditional Sports Awards Ceremony, honoring leadership, sponsorship, academic contributions, and support for young and adult athletes.
The forum will close with remarks and an optional city tour showcasing Antalya’s cultural and historical heritage.
Discussions throughout will emphasize sustainability, international partnerships, funding models, and youth engagement, all while respecting the cultural authenticity of traditional games such as wrestling, archery, equestrian sports, and regional folk competitions.
Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Istanbul, the World Ethnosport Union promotes traditional sports as carriers of cultural identity and social values.
Its initiatives span local, national, and global levels, including festivals, championships, and UNESCO-related heritage efforts.
The annual Ethnosport Forum series has steadily grown in scale and influence, providing a platform for strategic planning and global networking.
President Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan has championed international cooperation, advocacy, and the integration of traditional sports into global discourse.
Türkiye’s long road back to the World Cup reaches its defining moment on Tuesday, with a single match against Kosovo in Pristina separating them from a return to football’s biggest stage after 24 years.
The UEFA playoff final at Fadil Vokrri Stadium kicks off at 9:45 p.m. local time.
One team advances to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The other starts over.
For Türkiye, the stakes stretch far beyond qualification.
This is about ending a drought that has lingered since their iconic third-place finish in 2002, a tournament that reshaped the nation’s football identity.
Since then, near-misses and inconsistent campaigns have defined their World Cup story. Now, under Vincenzo Montella, there is a sense that the pieces have finally aligned.
Montella has built a side rooted in structure, balance and technical quality. In 30 matches, he has delivered 17 wins, transforming Türkiye into a disciplined unit capable of grinding results, as shown in the narrow 1-0 semifinal victory over Romania.
That match was less about flair and more about control, with Ferdi Kadıoğlu’s winner capping a performance built on defensive organization and midfield authority.
That same blueprint is expected against Kosovo, though the challenge will be different.
Kosovo play with urgency and attacking freedom, traits that were on full display in their chaotic 4-3 semifinal win over Slovakia.
Franco Foda’s team are not afraid to take risks, committing numbers forward and relying on sharp transitions to overwhelm opponents.
At the heart of Kosovo’s threat is Vedat Muriqi, a physically dominant forward who blends aerial strength with clinical finishing.
His 32 goals in 67 caps underline his importance, but he is far from alone.
Milot Rashica offers pace and directness from wide areas, while the supporting cast, many of whom have experience in Turkish football, bring both familiarity and added motivation into this matchup.
That familiarity cuts both ways. Türkiye know these players well, just as Kosovo understand the tendencies of their opponents. It adds a tactical layer to a match already defined by high pressure.
Türkiye’s historical edge in this fixture is clear. Three matches, three wins, 12 goals scored and only two conceded. Yet those numbers offer little comfort now. Kosovo are a different side, more mature and far more dangerous, especially at home where the crowd in Pristina is expected to create an intense atmosphere.
Team selection could tilt the balance. Türkiye are likely to be without Merih Demiral, a key defensive presence, which may test their depth at the back.
Zeki Çelik has recovered and provides an option, while the expected back four of Kadıoğlu, Mert Müldür, Samet Akaydın and Abdülkerim Bardakcı will need to stay compact against Kosovo’s fluid attack.
In midfield, everything revolves around Hakan Çalhanoğlu.
The captain remains the team’s creative engine, dictating tempo and linking phases of play. Despite a minor calf concern, he is expected to start, and his influence could be decisive in controlling the rhythm of the game.
Further forward, Türkiye’s new generation carries the attacking burden. Arda Güler brings vision and composure beyond his years, Kenan Yıldız offers movement and unpredictability, while players like Kerem Aktürkoğlu and Barış Alper Yılmaz provide pace and width. It is a blend of youth and experience that reflects the team’s evolution under Montella.
Kosovo, meanwhile, are expected to remain unchanged. Foda is unlikely to disrupt a side that delivered under pressure, with Muriqi leading the line and wide players stretching Türkiye’s defensive shape. Their approach will likely mirror the semifinal, aggressive, direct and unafraid.
Beyond tactics and lineups, the psychological battle looms large. Türkiye carry the weight of expectation, a football nation desperate to reconnect with the World Cup stage. Kosovo carry ambition, chasing a historic first qualification that would redefine their place in international football.
If level after 90 minutes, the match will extend into extra time and potentially penalties, where composure and experience often decide outcomes. Türkiye may hold the edge there, but knockout football rarely follows script.
Awaiting the winner is a place in Group D alongside the United States, Paraguay and Australia.
San Antonio Spurs secured a 127-95 win over the Milwaukee Bucks Saturday after Victor Wembanyama scored 23 points and 15 rebounds, while Stephon Castle recorded a triple-double, helping their side extend their winning streak to eight games.
Castle contributed 22 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the Spurs, while 22-year-old French star Wembanyana added two steals, six assists and a blocked shot.
San Antonio improved to 56-18, second in the Western Conference and only two games behind league leader Oklahoma City.
The Spurs, who have clinched their first playoff berth since 2019, are an NBA-best 24-2 since Feb. 1 and often win by big margins.
“Taking a lot of pride in it,” Wembanyama said. “Something none of us was used to until recently. It shows a lot of progress. Love it.”
In his third season, 2023 NBA Draft top pick Wembanyama has lifted the Spurs from 22-60 in his Rookie of the Year campaign to a legitimate title threat.
“I guess one big component I have better than my first two years is winning. Now we’re a winning team,” he said. “Just trying to enjoy the whole thing and be the best version of myself.”
A major reason for Wembanyama’s confidence is the defensive skill he and his teammates have displayed.
“I know we’re the best defense out there,” Wembanyama said. “We have guys that have shown all season they can adapt quick. They are coachable. We have just a great collective so I’ve got 100% trust in my teammates.”
“Wemby” delivered an impressive behind-the-back pass to set up a Castle slam dunk, the guard scoring 11 points early as the Spurs jumped ahead 46-24 just 2:30 into the second quarter on the way to a 67-45 halftime lead.
San Antonio led 102-79 after three quarters and scored the first 11 points of the fourth to help secure the victory.
The Bucks (29-44), playing without Greek star Giannis Antetokounmpo for a sixth straight game due to a left knee injury, were eliminated from postseason contention, missing out on the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Milwaukee’s defeat secured no worse than play-in spots for Philadelphia, Charlotte, Orlando and Miami – who hold the seventh through 10th spots in the Eastern Conference.
Philadelphia snapped Charlotte’s five-game win streak with a 118-114 road victory.
Joel Embiid scored 29 points, Paul George added 26 points and 13 rebounds and Tyrese Maxey contributed 26 points to power the triumphant 76ers while Brandon Miller’s 29 points led the Hornets.
LaMelo Ball’s 3-pointer put Charlotte ahead 114-112 with 1:24 to play, but Embiid hit a free throw, George added a 3-pointer and Maxey added a free throw for a 117-114 76ers lead with 31 seconds remaining.
Ball missed two potential tying 3-point shots and Embiid blocked another attempt by Miller before a final George free throw settled matters.
Pistons beat T-Wolves
The Detroit Pistons dominated defensively in a 109-87 victory at Minnesota, the Timberwolves shooting only 32% (27-of-85) from the floor and missing a season-high 34 3-pointers on 9-43 from beyond the arc.
The Pistons, rated second in the NBA defensively behind league-leading Oklahoma City, improved to 5-1 since losing star Cade Cunningham to a collapsed lung.
Tobias Harris scored 18 points to lead seven Pistons in double figures.
At 54-20, Detroit moved 4.5 games ahead of Boston atop the Eastern Conference while the T-Wolves fell to 45-29, a half-game ahead of sixth-place Houston in the Western Conference.
Minnesota, lacking All-Star guard Anthony Edwards due to a knee injury, was led by Donte DiVincenzo’s game-high 22 points.
Aryna Sabalenka defeated Coco Gauff 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 Sunday to win her second straight Miami Open title and complete a “Sunshine Double” sweep of Indian Wells Open and Miami.
The world No. 1 from Belarus, fresh off her first triumph in the California desert, became the fifth woman – and the first since Iga Swiatek in 2022 – to win both of the elite early season hardcourt WTA 1000 titles.
“It means a lot,” Sabalenka said after joining Poland’s Swiatek, German great Steffi Graf, Belgian Kim Clijsters and fellow Belarusian Victoria Azarenka on the list of women to win both titles in the same year.
“My goal always been to put my name in the history, and I just did it,” she added.
Sabalenka underscored her WTA dominance in a season in which her only defeat to date was her Australian Open finals loss to Elena Rybakina – who she went on to beat in the Indian Wells title match and in the semifinals here.
She handed Gauff her first career defeat in a hardcourt final.
The American had won her first nine, including a triumph over Sabalenka in the 2023 US Open championship match.
Gauff had also beaten the Belarusian for the title on the red clay of Roland Garros last year.
So Sabalenka said she wasn’t surprised to see Gauff dig in, even after the Belarusian pocketed the first set with a ruthless display of power and precision.
She broke Gauff to open the match and, after Gauff saved three break points in a gritty fifth game, broke the American again in the seventh before serving it out in 37 minutes without facing a break point herself.
In a tense second set, Gauff’s first break point chance – from a blistering backhand passing winner in the second game – sparked a jubilant reaction from the crowd at Hard Rock Stadium, home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins that is just about an hour away from Gauff’s Delray Beach home.
But Gauff couldn’t convert, slamming a forehand into the net on the next point as Sabalenka held.
It needed another gutsy hold from Gauff to keep it on serve in the fifth game.
Up 40-0, she wasted three game points with a pair of errors off the ground and a double fault then had to save a break point before taking the game.
But Gauff was finding more depth on her returns and broke Sabalenka for the first time to take the second set.
“I knew that she’s going to try her very best to fight in this match,” Sabalenka said.
“I was just trying to keep a positive mindset going into the third set. I’m super happy how well I handled my emotions how well I stayed focused from the very beginning to the very end.”
‘What a month’
And the third set, again, was virtually all Sabalenka.
She broke to open the final frame and broke again when Gauff sailed a backhand long on Sabalenka’s first match point.
“What a month,” said Sabalenka, who along with two prestigious titles acquired a new puppy and got engaged to boyfriend Georgios Frangulis.
Gauff was also feeling grateful after a rocky March that saw her withdraw from her third-round match at Indian Wells with a nerve issue that caused “scary” pain in her left arm.
She had said after a dominant semifinal win over Karolina Muchova that she was making progress with the inconsistencies in her serve and forehand, although seven double faults hurt her cause against Sabalenka.
And after considering skipping the event, the 22-year-old was thrilled to reach the final for the first time.
“I feel like I’m nowhere near my peak of my tennis, so I think it gives me comfort a little bit playing these tournaments and having great results,” she said.
Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli capitalized on a timely safety car to win Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix, securing his second straight victory and becoming Formula One’s youngest-ever championship leader at age 19.
The Italian, who started from pole but dropped to sixth after a tardy start, crossed the line 13.7 seconds clear of Australian Oscar Piastri, who handed reigning champions McLaren their first podium of the season. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was third.
Antonelli’s win, his second from the opening three races, gives him a nine-point lead in the overall standings over teammate George Russell.
The Briton, who had held a four-point advantage going into Sunday’s race, finished a distant fourth.
“Of course, it’s too early to think about the championship,” said Antonelli who also became the first Italian to win two Formula One races in a row since Alberto Ascari in 1953.
“But we’re on the good way,” he added, acknowledging the lucky timing of the safety car but also pointing to his speed in the second half of the race.
Slow start
Antonelli made a tire-smoking getaway that left him a sitting duck and allowed his rivals to stream past.
Piastri, starting third, led into the first corner from Leclerc, reigning world champion Lando Norris, Russell and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.
It wasn’t until lap 21 that Antonelli found himself back in the lead, inherited after his rivals, including teammate George Russell, pitted for fresh rubber.
A heavy crash a lap later for Haas racer Oliver Bearman triggered a safety car and turned the race in Antonelli’s favor.
That gave the Italian the opportunity to make his stop while his rivals were running at reduced speed and keep the lead, leaving Russell, who had stopped just a lap earlier and had been leading from Antonelli, cursing his luck.
Bearman given all clear
Briton Bearman was given the all-clear by doctors after limping away from the high-speed 50G crash.
Replays showed him having to take avoiding action as he rapidly closed in on Franco Colapinto’s Alpine, with a significant speed differential between the two cars.
That sent Bearman onto the grass and into a heavy collision with the barriers.
The 20-year-old was given an X-ray at the circuit’s medical center, which revealed a right knee contusion but no fractures, a Haas spokesperson said.
Piastri redemption
Piastri’s podium helped McLaren bounce back from a dismal Chinese Grand Prix at which neither of their two cars was able to make the start in Sunday’s race.
It was also redemption for Piastri, who until Sunday had only turned racing laps in China’s Saturday sprint, having crashed out ahead of his home race in Australia.
“Yeah, we do alright when we get to start!” joked the 24-year-old.
Norris was fifth in the other McLaren ahead of Hamilton and the Briton, like Antonelli, benefited by pitting under the safety car to move up to third.
But despite another Sunday afternoon of wheel-to-wheel battling, he was unable to hang on to the podium spot.
Pierre Gasly was seventh for Alpine.
Four-time world champion Max Verstappen, who said he was “beyond frustration” after a poor qualifying Saturday, salvaged some points in eighth.
Liam Lawson was ninth for Racing Bulls, with Esteban Ocon 10th in his Haas.
Fernando Alonso handed Aston Martin their first finish of the year at power unit partner Honda’s home race. The Spaniard was 18th.
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