For Christian Horner, a brutal end to a highly successful reign at Red Bull
A Red Bull team whose time at the top was clearly ending — Max Verstappen won just two of 14 races to end last season — and a draining spell early last year when he was cleared of inappropriate behavior toward a woman team member should have rung alarm bells for the 51-year-old.
Instead, just as he did when those allegations emerged in February 2024, Horner carried on working in the hope he could reignite another period of dominance.
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Japan Times
16 hours ago
- Japan Times
Unforgiving Swiatek crushes Anisimova 6-0 6-0 to win maiden Wimbledon crown
Iga Swiatek took another stride towards tennis greatness by ruthlessly tearing apart American 13th seed Amanda Anisimova 6-0 6-0 and lifting her first Wimbledon trophy on Saturday. The big occasion turned into a nightmare for Anisimova who became the first woman to lose a Wimbledon final by that painful scoreline since 1911 and the first to do so at any major since Steffi Graf routed Natasha Zvereva at the 1988 French Open. Already a U.S. Open champion and a four-times French Open winner, Swiatek's demolition job at the All England Club meant that she became the youngest woman since a 20-year-old Serena Williams in 2002 to lift major titles on all three surfaces. Her superb display on the sun-drenched lawns of London also ensured that she emerged as the first player since Monica Seles in 1992 to win her first six major finals. "It's something that is just surreal. I feel like tennis keeps surprising me, and I keep surprising myself," Swiatek told reporters after hoisting the gilded Venus Rosewater Dish. Poland's Iga Swiatek celebrates with the winner's trophy, the Venus Rosewater Dish, balcony after winning her women's singles final tennis match against U.S. player Amanda Anisimova on the thirteenth day of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships in London on Saturday. | AFP-JIJI "I'm really happy with the whole process, how it looked like from the first day we stepped on a grass court. Yeah, I feel like we did everything for it to go in that direction without expecting it, just working really hard. "It means a lot, and it gives me a lot of experience. Yeah, I don't even know. I'm just happy." Swiatek's triumph ended a barren 13-month run for the Polish 24-year-old, who served a short suspension late last year after an inadvertent doping violation linked to contaminated sleep medication melatonin. "I want to thank my coach (Wim Fissette). With the ups and downs now, we showed everybody it's working," Swiatek added. On another warm afternoon on Centre Court, Swiatek got off to a scorching start by breaking a nervous Anisimova three times en route to dishing out the first bagel, prompting some spectators to get behind the shell-shocked American. A frustrated Anisimova shrieked and desperately looked to her team in the stands for any kind of guidance after conceding yet another break point early in the second set and it was not long before her machine-like opponent pulled away further. Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales gives the runner-up trophy to U.S. player Amanda Anisimova after her defeat against Poland's Iga Swiatek on the thirteenth day of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships in London on Saturday. | AFP-JIJI Anisimova continued to disappointingly crack under pressure, before Swiatek completed the brutal mauling in 57 minutes with a backhand winner on her second match point to become the first Wimbledon champion from Poland. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk celebrated with a picture of himself watching a post-match interview while holding a bowl of pasta and strawberries, Swiatek's cheat meal at Wimbledon, while President Andrzej Duda was effusive in his praise. "Iga! Today, on the grass courts of Wimbledon, you wrote history — not only for Polish sport, but also for Polish pride. On behalf of the Republic of Poland — thank you," Duda wrote. Victory took Swiatek to 100 wins from 120 matches at the majors, making her the quickest to get to there since Williams in 2004, and denied Anisimova the chance to become the first American to win the title since her compatriot in 2016. Swiatek jumped for joy on court before running towards her team in the stands to celebrate her triumph. The Friends fan was equally delighted to receive a congratulatory hug from American actress Courteney Cox, who was among the spectators. All this while, Anisimova was left to wonder what could have been as she sat in her seat, before the tears began to flow during her on-court interview. Few would have envisioned the American to hit the heights she did in the last fortnight after she fell outside the top 400 following her mental health break two years ago. "I didn't have enough today," said Anisimova, who began the tournament with a 6-0 6-0 win over Yulia Putintseva but admitted to running out of gas in the final. "I'm going to keep putting in the work, and I always believe in myself. I hope to be back again one day." It was bitter disappointment for U.S. fans hoping for an "American Slam" this year after Madison Keys won the Australian Open at the start of the year and Coco Gauff triumphed at the French Open last month. Poland's Iga Swiatek smiles as she looks at the winner's trophy, the Venus Rosewater Dish in Wimbledon, southwest London, on Saturday. | AFP-JIJI
Japan Times
2 days ago
- Japan Times
Alcaraz and Sinner set to resume rivalry in Wimbledon final
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner will face defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a blockbuster Wimbledon final on Sunday as the tennis world braces for the latest chapter in their enthralling rivalry. Sinner demolished Novak Djokovic 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 in a Centre Court masterclass on Friday to reach his first Wimbledon title match and his fifth at the Grand Slams. Just hours earlier, Alcaraz — who has won the last two Wimbledon titles — reached his third successive All England Club final. The Spanish world No. 2 battled to a 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (6) win against American fifth seed Taylor Fritz. Sinner, 23, will be desperate to avenge his painful French Open defeat against Alcaraz after squandering a two-set lead and three championship points in an epic Roland Garros final in June. Only 35 days after that five-set marathon on clay in Paris, they will meet again on the lawns of Wimbledon. Sinner and Alcaraz are the undisputed new kings of men's tennis, claiming the past six majors between them. Sinner, the reigning U.S. Open and Australian Open champion, returned from a doping ban in May, losing the Italian Open final to Alcaraz before his stunning collapse at Roland Garros. Now he has a chance for revenge against the man who is the current top dog on grass. "It is a huge honor for me to share the court once again with Carlos," Sinner said. "We try to push ourselves to the limit, he is for sure one of the players I look up to. "I love watching him, what kind of talent he is. Hopefully it's going to be a good match like the last one." Sinner trails 8-4 in his head-to-head meetings with Alcaraz, including losing the past five matches. The Italian can take heart from beating Alcaraz in the Wimbledon fourth round in 2022, his rival's last defeat at the All England Club. Reflecting on the prospect of another showdown with his top rival, Alcaraz said: "In Paris it was the best match I have ever played so far. I'm not surprised he just pushed me to the limit. "I expect that on Sunday, just to be in the limit. It's going to be a great final. I'm excited about it. "I just hope not to be five hours and a half on court again! As I said, if I have to, I will. But I think it's going to be great." Spain's Carlos Alcaraz competes against Taylor Fritz during their Wimbledon semifinal on Friday. | Reuters Seven-time Wimbledon champion Djokovic, who was not 100% fit after an injury in his quarterfinal against Flavio Cobolli, must wait for another shot at a record 25th Grand Slam title. "It wasn't really a pleasant feeling on the court. I don't want to talk in details about my injury and just whine about not managing to play my best," he said. "I don't think it's bad fortune. It's just age, the wear and tear of the body." It is the first time he has failed to reach the Wimbledon final since 2017 as he fell short in his bid to equal Roger Federer's men's record of eight Wimbledon titles. After suggestions he could retire following his All England Club exit, Djokovic insisted he plans to be back at Wimbledon next year. "I'm not planning to finish my Wimbledon career today," the 38-year-old said. "I'm planning to come back definitely at least one more time, play on the Centre Court for sure." With Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio watching from the stands, Alcaraz survived a titanic semifinal lasting nearly three hours in searing temperatures. Back to his best after an inconsistent start to the tournament, Alcaraz looks in the mood to extend his reign at the All England Club. The five-time Grand Slam champion is on a career-best 24-match winning streak since losing to Holger Rune in the Barcelona final in April. That blistering run has brought him an epic French Open final triumph against Sinner and titles in Rome, Monte Carlo and at Queen's Club. The 22-year-old has won 35 of his 38 matches on grass, a golden spell including 20 successive victories at Wimbledon.
Japan Times
2 days ago
- Japan Times
Xabi Alonso ready for fresh start with Real Madrid after Club World Cup exit
Xabi Alonso is looking forward to "starting from scratch" with Real Madrid next season after being thrown into the deep end as coach of the Spanish giant at the Club World Cup. Alonso received a reality check on Wednesday when Madrid was handed a 4-0 defeat by European champion Paris Saint-Germain in the semifinals at MetLife Stadium. "PSG are a team who have been built over time, whereas we are practically just beginning," Alonso said after seeing Real Madrid fall two goals behind inside nine minutes. It was 3-0 before halftime, and PSG added a late fourth as it advanced to Sunday's final against Chelsea. "We have lots of room for improvement," Alonso said. "There are many things that we want to do better. "We have to be self-critical. This will tell us things for the future that will help us to compete at a much better level than we did today." Alonso was appointed at the end of May, taking over from Carlo Ancelotti after a successful 2½ years at Bayer Leverkusen. Real finished as runner-up to Barcelona in La Liga and the Copa del Rey, and went out of the Champions League in the quarterfinals against Arsenal. The Basque technician, a former Madrid player, would have preferred a full preseason with his squad before being thrust into competitive action, and it was always going to be a big ask for the club to beat PSG's well-oiled machine. "They are at a very high level and have been since the start of the knockout phase of the Champions League," Alonso said. "They have shown it again here, and we have to accept it — we are just beginning, learning things about where we want to go and how we are going to get there." Real eased into the knockout phase of the Club World Cup despite being held by Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia in its opening game. It then recorded narrow wins over Juventus and Borussia Dortmund prior to Wednesday's defeat. Alonso demonstrated his tactical flexibility during the tournament by changing between a back-four and a three-man central defense. Kylian Mbappe was used sparingly and sat out the group stage after being hospitalized with a stomach bug, but there were positives elsewhere. New signings Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dean Huijsen got their first taste of action for the club, and young striker Gonzalo Garcia made a big impression with four goals in the first five matches. Luka Modric, 39, made his farewell appearance against PSG, bringing down the curtain on a glorious 13-year spell at the club. He is now set to join AC Milan. "This game is the last match of this season, not the start of the next one," Alonso insisted. "We will take positives away from this. We come away from here a better team, and I am convinced this will help us start next season better." Like all the European teams that go deep into the Club World Cup, the turnaround to next season will be a quick one. Alonso's La Liga debut as Real coach is scheduled to come at home against Osasuna on Aug. 19. Attempts to have the fixture postponed have so far been unsuccessful, meaning there are less than six weeks for the players to have a break and then embark on a full preseason with their new coach. Argentine starlet Franco Mastantuono, a 17-year-old attacking midfielder, will arrive from River Plate in time for the new campaign after a transfer fee of around £63 million euros ($74 million) was agreed to last month. "In August the 2025-26 season begins," said Alonso. "Things are going to be different. We are starting from scratch."
