Latest news with #French
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
French striker Olivier Giroud is parting ways with MLS club LAFC after 1 disappointing year
Chelsea's Cole Palmer, right, kicks a ball challenged by Los Angeles FC's Olivier Giroud during the Club World Cup group D soccer match between Chelsea and Los Angeles FC in Atlanta, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) Los Angeles FC's Olivier Giroud (9) warms up before the Club World Cup Group D soccer match between Chelsea and Los Angeles FC, Monday, June 16, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) Los Angeles FC's Olivier Giroud warms up before the Club World Cup Group D soccer match between Los Angeles FC and Flamengo in Orlando, Fla., Tuesday, June 24, 2025. (AP Photo/John Raoux) Los Angeles FC's Olivier Giroud warms up before the Club World Cup Group D soccer match between Los Angeles FC and Flamengo in Orlando, Fla., Tuesday, June 24, 2025. (AP Photo/John Raoux) Chelsea's Cole Palmer, right, kicks a ball challenged by Los Angeles FC's Olivier Giroud during the Club World Cup group D soccer match between Chelsea and Los Angeles FC in Atlanta, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) Los Angeles FC's Olivier Giroud (9) warms up before the Club World Cup Group D soccer match between Chelsea and Los Angeles FC, Monday, June 16, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) Los Angeles FC's Olivier Giroud warms up before the Club World Cup Group D soccer match between Los Angeles FC and Flamengo in Orlando, Fla., Tuesday, June 24, 2025. (AP Photo/John Raoux) LOS ANGELES (AP) — Olivier Giroud is parting ways with Los Angeles FC after one disappointing year with the Major League Soccer club. The 38-year-old Giroud and LAFC announced the decision Friday on social media. He will play in his final match Sunday night at home against Vancouver. Advertisement After scoring only five goals in 37 matches for LAFC, Giroud will become a free agent after his departure. He is widely expected to join Lille, which finished fifth in the French league last season, on a free transfer. 'I want to thank all of the fans, my teammates and the staff at LAFC for making this an enjoyable stop in my career,' Giroud said in a statement. 'I am happy to have played a part in the success of LAFC. From winning a trophy last season to participating in the Club World Cup, this has been a great experience in LA for me and my family.' Giroud joined LAFC in July 2024 as a designated player after a long European career highlighted by prolific tenures with Arsenal and Chelsea. The top goal-scorer in the history of France's national team was expected to provide dynamic offense alongside MLS stars and fellow Frenchmen Denis Bouanga and Hugo Lloris. Instead, Giroud clearly struggled to adapt to the MLS game and to LAFC's counter-attacking style under coach Steve Cherundolo. LAFC also failed to figure out ways to involve Giroud in the offense consistently, unable to provide service to one of the sport's most dangerous finishers earlier in his career. Advertisement Giroud usually played as a substitute for LAFC, and he didn't score his first MLS goal until last April 19. He did find the net in big moments, scoring in the U.S. Open Cup final last season and in the Leagues Cup final. 'Olivier has been an exemplary professional during his time at LAFC,' general manager John Thorrington said. 'He brought humility and a winning mentality that helped elevate everyone around him. Olivier has been a tremendous ambassador for the club on and off the field. We are grateful for his contributions.' LAFC is suddenly a team in full transition after a winless three-game run at the Club World Cup earlier this month. Cherundolo already has announced he will leave the club to move back to Germany after the season, and LAFC could be down to Bouanga as its only designated player by next month. LAFC added Dutch winger Javairô Dilrosun on loan from Club América earlier this month, but the loan is only through July 24. Dilrosun replaced Cengiz Ünder, whose disappointing MLS tenure ended this month. Advertisement LAFC's lengthy pursuit of Antoine Griezmann also came up fruitless earlier this month when the French star extended his contract with Atlético Madrid through 2027. LAFC (7-4-5) still sits sixth in the Western Conference standings with two or three games in hand on every club above it, and it has an infusion of cash from beating América in a play-in match to reach the Club World Cup. ___ AP soccer:
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Monaco close in on Fati loan signing from Barca
Ansu Fati is close to joining Monaco on loan from Barcelona (LLUIS GENE) Barcelona forward Ansu Fati is expected to join French club Monaco on loan with an option to buy, sources close to the deal said Friday. The 22-year-old Spanish international passed his medical on Friday as Monaco and Barcelona agreed to a season-long loan deal with an 11-million-euro fee ($12.9 million) to make the move permanent. Advertisement According to the same source, the contract will not be made official until July 1. Fati burst onto the scene at Barcelona aged 17, but has since failed to live up to initial high expectations. He made 11 appearances in all competitions for the La Liga champions last term, without finding the net. Fati spent the 2023/24 season on loan at Premier League club Brighton, where he scored four goals in 27 outings. With his expected arrival, Fati should become Monaco's third signing of the summer. Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba is slated to sign for the Ligue 1 side, following on from England international Eric Dier. Advertisement Pogba was also undergoing a medical with the principality side on Friday. The 32-year-old 2018 World Cup winner is seeking a club after having his contract terminated by Juventus in March while serving an 18-month suspension for doping. The trio should be officially announced to the press on July 3. cb/bm/nf/jc
NBC Sports
16 minutes ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
International WNBA players often leave their teams during the regular season; why that's changing
The Seattle Storm's Gabby Williams is enjoying a career season in 2025. She's averaging the most points (14), assists (4.7) and rebounds (4.5) she ever has in seven WNBA seasons. Her three-point percentage has increased by over 20 percent year-over-year even as her attempts from deep have increased from 2.6 to 4.8 in 2025. Satou Sabally too has had a career year in scoring, leading the Phoenix Mercury so far with 19.3 points per game. Imagine if both Sabally and Williams had to just pause their WNBA seasons and potential WNBA All-Star campaigns to jet off to Europe to play in EuroBasket from June 18 through June 29. EuroBasket is a biennial continental championship tournament sponsored by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) that can qualify a national team's entry into the next Olympics. For a long time, that was often the case for WNBA players with ties to countries like France, Germany, Belgium, and Italy, who would — and still do — leave their WNBA teams midseason to compete in a week-and-a-half-long tournament. The event can feature up to six games in just 12 days, with only one day of rest between the first three games. It isn't only national teams from Europe, however, that often feature WNBA players in these continental tournaments. FIBA also sponsors other continental tournaments such as the Asia Cup and the AmeriCup that serve a similar purpose. The AmeriCup runs from late June into early July and then the Asia Cup begins in the middle of July and runs for a week. The Sky's Kamilla Cardoso and the Fever's Damiris Dantas left just this week to compete in the AmeriCup for the Brazilian National team. As of right now the WNBA has 162 rostered players, which includes players on hardship contracts and 22 of them (13.5 percent) faced a choice to leave in the middle of the season or will be late for the WNBA season because of these continental tournaments. While 13 players have made commitments to play in these tournaments during the first half of the WNBA season, eight players have firmly decided not to including German national team star Sabally, French two-way wing Williams, New York Liberty French guard Marine Johannès and Sabally's sister Nyara who also plays for New York in the W. 'It gives the autonomy back to the players,' Satou told reporters about what to glean from this new trend amongst international WNBA players in 2025. All but three teams in the WNBA including the Mystics, Aces and Dream—teams that don't roster international players— have been impacted by the decisions that international players have made or will continue to make. Teams like the new expansion franchise, the Golden State Valkyries, have had to adjust the most as the franchise has dealt with one-third of their team leaving for EuroBasket in the month of June. But some teams also have players making different types of decisions that aren't in line with the desires of international federations. French Rookie Carla Leite decided to stay in San Francisco with the Valkyries rather than return to France to train with her national team prior to EuroBasket and as did No. 2 overall pick Dominique Malonga, who made a commitment to the Seattle Storm. Explaining the status quo Until 2023, the expectation for players within the French Federation's women's basketball team was that prior to competitions like EuroBasket and the Olympics players would report to the national team's training camp after their club seasons in either the French league or some other international league concluded. To be clear, this is what one player on the Connecticut Sun, 2024 No. 10 overall draft pick Leïla Lacan, has had to do this season. She is expected to join the Sun after the French national team completes their stint in EuroBasket which could be as soon as on June 30, a day after the Sun play the Lynx in Minneapolis. But prior to 2023, French players didn't really challenge the wishes of the Federation. This wasn't until Johannès had a desire to fly to New York to get settled with the Liberty and then meet the national team at EuroBasket instead of staying in France for weeks-long training sessions. She and her agent negotiated for months with the Federation but the French body didn't oblige and instead punished Johannès by not allowing her to compete in EuroBasket in addition to settling in with the Liberty first. The federation even threatened to ban Johannès from competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics, but they quickly changed course after realizing how this looked optically, banning one of their best players and how they were limiting player autonomy. To be clear, Johannès had come late every other WNBA season she's played because of her French domestic league and national team commitments. While not all federations are as strict as the French, it remains notable that both Belgian players in Julie Vanloo and Julie Allemand decided to leave their respective WNBA teams in the Valkyries and the Sparks in favor of competing in EuroBasket. They could begin their seasons in the United States, but both made different decisions compared to Johannès, Williams, and the Sabally sisters. There is also personal pressure on players to leave their WNBA teams in order to strengthen their national teams and help grow the sport in their home countries. Mercury head coach Nate Tibbets had breakfast with Satou one morning and the two were discussing her decision to stay with the Mercury amid some doubt she had about letting her country down. 'I'm sure both [Satou and Nyara] are feeling like they're leaving their country down, not being there, and because I know they've got such a pride for playing for their team,' he said. Tibbets, who came to the WNBA after 20 years of experience in the G league and NBA, isn't used to this constant struggle that many WNBA players endure season to season. 'Players would never probably leave, or that league wouldn't allow players to leave to go and play for their national team in these tournaments,' he said about the NBA. Why is that? Typically G league players or college aged players represent international federations and even Team USA. For the FIBA AmeriCup taking place this year, USA Basketball sent some of the United States' best college players rather than pulling from the WNBA. That's not always the case for Federations that don't have the depth of talent available in the United States. But also with EuroBasket in particular, the next men's tournament will happen during the NBA offseason later this summer in August. No conflict there. What sparked a change Prior to the Tokyo Olympics, Williams had a falling out with her former WNBA team the Chicago Sky. Her plan was to begin the 2021 season in France to prepare for the Olympics after her French league team ASVEL completed its domestic season. Initially the agreement between the Sky and Williams was that they would trade her contract, but then the franchise defected and suspended her contract instead, preventing her from playing at all in the WNBA in 2021. Williams explained to Andscape's Sean Heard her frustration with this situation and what she said to Sky owner Michael Alter. 'I told him, 'You have to understand, I don't make money here,' ' she said. 'Not even about money – I wasn't getting a lot of minutes. I didn't feel very important to the team – they didn't make me feel important – and I was like, 'You're asking me to sacrifice this for that.'' Williams' dissatisfaction with Sky ownership came down to an endemic WNBA issue. Over the years, the Sky were notorious for being a franchise that didn't treat its players on the level of professional athletes. Back in 2021, teams weren't in the arms race they are now to provide players with the best experience and player amenities. The WNBA was also a year into a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that had a provision that limited international players or players who chose to play overseas. The owners argued in the 2020 CBA that the quality of the product was suffering because so many of the best players were supplementing their incomes abroad and arriving late to training camp and the regular season. After Brittney Griner's ordeal in Russia, more opportunities have opened up for the top players to stay in the United States during the WNBA offseason. But players have their eyes on the next CBA which is being negotiated as we speak and set to go into action next season. Salaries are expected to go up pretty dramatically in addition to requirements for franchises when it comes to the player experience. This is the reason why players like Williams, Satou and Johannès are committing to the WNBA this year. For Satou her reason to skip EuroBasket was because of her desire to prove to the Mercury how committed she is to them. She, like most of the league, is on a one-year contract that will expire once the current CBA does. She missed more than half of the 2024 WNBA season recovering from injury and preparing for the Paris Olympics. She knew that in 2025 she would need to prove to her WNBA team that she's committed and deserving of the increase in pay that's going to come to most players. 'So sometimes you just have to give and take a little bit in your professional career,' Satou said about her decision. 'There's so many people that will pull from all sides. So just knowing what you can and can't do is also something that I've learned throughout my time.' Johannès' reasoning is similar to Satou's. She wants to prove to the Liberty and the entire league that she can play an entire season in the WNBA. But she also made a decision for her own physical and mental health. 'I'm 30 right now, and like, I can't be everywhere and nowhere, you know? I know some people were mad about my decision, but they have to understand that I'm not 23 anymore. Like, I need stabilization too.' Liberty and Australian national team coach Sandy Brondello, who once was a WNBA player who did not grow up in the United States, understands these issues from all sides. She knows how much of a bind international federations put on players, and she knows how much WNBA teams are impacted when star players leave in the beginning of the season. Leonie Fiebich, another German national team mainstay, hasn't played for the Liberty since June 14, and New York has gone 2-3 since. Brondello respects all the choices of her players, but sees a deterioration of the status quo that was prevalent in so many international federations. 'I think all the Federations understand that this is their jobs, and this is how they make money,' Brondello said about the WNBA. 'And there's a new CBA coming out next year, opportunities to be financially secure. So I just think it's just a different time where there's a little bit more appreciation, and players have more of a voice in what they should be doing for their careers and not being told what they should be doing.' Li Yueru of the Dallas Wings is a mainstay on the Chinese national team and she forced a trade this year for that same reason. Li knew that if she stayed on the Seattle Storm and continued to get small amounts of playing time, the Chinese Federation would have demanded that she return to China to compete in the Asia Cup. Li wanted to prioritize the WNBA and forced her way to Dallas to prevent conflict between her and her home federation. While Satou's sister Nyara's reasons are different from her sister's reasons for sitting EuroBasket out, especially since she's still on her rookie scale contract in 2026, hers are more about her own physical health and overall convenience. She has had a history of issues with her right knee and it flared up again earlier this WNBA season. If she would have participated in EuroBasket, she would have put her health at risk. Another flight would lead to more knee swelling, and then back-to-back games wouldn't have helped with her load management and injury prevention either. But it isn't just physical for players. It's about how difficult it is mentally to move from place to place so quickly. 'I'm always talking about coming late during the season is not easy,' Johannès told reporters reflecting on her decision. 'So I guess I think that coming here first, like going to the national team, it's completely in a different organization, like we don't play the same. So coming back again here, like, it's going to be a lot.' Challenges will persist moving forward Because of a new CBA on the way and because WNBA franchises have upped their player experience and amenities, players are more inclined to stay in the United States now during these more minor tournaments. But what is going to happen when the WNBA season has to once again contend with the 2026 FIBA World Cup which is set to take place in Germany from September 4 through September 13? The WNBA's 2025 schedule has 44 games, and it would be foolish to believe that the league would want to decrease the number of games in its season in the year after under the new CBA. Traditionally the WNBA season would end before the World Cup and the Finals would end as the World Cup begins. That might not be possible in 2026. Could the WNBA take a World Cup break in September and then resume later in the fall? That's a similar approach that the league takes with the Olympics? The possibility is one that still remains to be seen. Emma Meeseman, a former WNBA Finals MVP who hasn't played in the league for years because of limits on international players, namely prioritization under the current CBA, has expressed frustration about how often EuroBasket and other FIBA continental tournaments have to happen. But a source familiar with how FIBA operates explained to NBC Sports why FIBA probably won't be open to having less EuroBaskets, Asia Cups and AmeriCup tournaments. The tournaments are how the governing body makes money, and so the only compromise would be moving the tournaments rather than eliminating them. 'It's just a really hard scheduling problem,' Nyara said in response to Meeseman's frustrations. 'I'm pretty sure people are also working on it. I think they're probably aware of the issue that's going on and the trend that more and more players ought to stay in the States…so maybe moving it to one of the national team windows would be a possibility but that's wishful thinking.' But then Nyara noted that if EuroBasket moves to during the winter time, then players who are playing in Europe during the winter will have to miss parts of EuroLeague or their domestic league's season. The solution, which is one that's quite common in the NBA, is that with higher pay more international and domestic WNBA players won't even have to supplement their incomes overseas. With a new CBA in 2026, the WNBA could become not only the most talented league in the world, but finally a professional women's league where its players are treated like the money-making superstars they are.
Scottish Sun
18 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Emma Raducanu reveals she is studying ‘completely different' course as Wimbledon star hints at future career
All recommendations within this article are informed by expert editorial opinion. If you click on a link in this story we may earn affiliate revenue. Ace has revealed the one thing she wants to experience while playing RAD MOVE Emma Raducanu reveals she is studying 'completely different' course as Wimbledon star hints at future career EMMA RADUCANU wants to create another masterpiece at Wimbledon. At the most challenging time of her season, Raducanu will try to relax this fortnight by going for long walks 'to destress'. 3 Emma Raducanu has revealed she is studying while not playing tennis Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 3 The ace is currently preparing for the start of Wimbledon Credit: Shutterstock Editorial And in her spare time at Wimbledon, she is reading books on art history as part of an online course. French 19th century painter Claude Monet, a master of the Impressionist era, is someone whose work she is starting to appreciate more. The world No.38 said: 'I'm just doing a course, I have a year to do it and it's good. It gives me something different to do. 'A lot of my subjects at school growing up were so quantitative – maths and economics. READ MORE IN TENNIS PERFECT MATCH Raducanu and Alcaraz partner up in off-court venture as they share 'spark' 'To do art history is completely different. You have to challenge your brain and ways of thinking that it wasn't used to. 'It's quite challenging. I actually quite like it. I have to learn so many broader topics. 'You have to pick apart and analyse every single thing in the painting. It's interesting. It's really fascinating. 'I have a greater appreciation for Monet and the Impressionist era. I didn't really take as much notice of that era of painting before. Now, I can appreciate what they're able to do. BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS 'It's art history, and there's a section on the Renaissance and there's a section on sculptures and architecture as well. But I'm not at that part yet.' It is four years since Raducanu made history by winning the 2021 US Open as a qualifier for which she banked £1.8million. British world No719 qualifies for Wimbledon but is BANNED from claiming £66,000 prize money 3 It has been a difficult year for the British tennis superstar, who has had mixed results on the court and some troublesome issues off it. Her coach Nick Cavaday, a long-term friend from her childhood, quit her set-up due to health reasons after the Australian Open in January. Then Raducanu was approached by a stalker that had followed her to Dubai, an episode that saw her burst into tears. And only last week she was crying again in public, this time at Eastbourne after receiving 'some pretty bad news'. Yet in spite of the trials and tribulations she has encountered, Raducanu approaches her fourth Wimbledon determined to smile throughout and live in the moment. Raducanu said: 'I want to really embody just having a good time and feel joy. 'I've recently realised that what we do is for such a short amount of time and it'll go before we know it. 'I was actually listening to Ana Ivanovic say the same thing. She said she wished she had enjoyed it more. Ladies' singles draw in full Sabalenka v Branstine Raducanu v Xu Vondrousova v Kessler Mertens v Fruhvirtova Li v Golubic Gracheva v Sasnovich Boulter v Badosa Minnen vs Gadecki Todoni vs Bucsa Birrel v Vekic Fernandez v Klugman Stearns v Siegemund Danilov v Zhang Ruse v Keys Paolini v Sevastova Rakhimova v Ito Lys v Yuan Pera v Noskova Haddad Maia v Sramkova Dart v Galfi Wickmayer v Zarazua Putintseva v Anisimova Shnaider v Uchijima Parry v Martic Tomova v Jabeur Kartal v Ostapenko Krueger v Stojsavljevic Pavlyuchenkova v Tomljanovic Osaka v Gibson Siniakova v Zheng Andreeva v Sherif Teichmann v Bronzetti Bapiste v Cirstea Potapova v Frech Krejcikoba v Eala Dolehide v Rus Kudermetova v Zhu Kvitova v Navarro Mucholva v Wang Sonmez v Cristian Lamens v Jovic Hon v Alexandrova Linette v Jacquemot Parks v Bencic Volynets v Maria Cocciaretto v Pegula Swiatek v Kudermetova McNally v Burrage Osorio v Collins Erjavec v Kostyuk Tauson v Watson Kalinskaya v Stojanovic Sakkari v Blinkova Avanesyan v Rybakina Kasatkina v Arango Begu v Juvan Starodubtseva v Jones Joint v Samsonova Kenin v Townsend Bouzas Maneiro v Seidel Azarenka v Zakharova Yastremska v Gauff 'Sometimes I want to go into the future and think: 'Oh, my god, am I going to regret not enjoying this moment?' 'I'm 22 now. So I'm kind of like living for that person, to not have any regrets to look back on. 'I want to bring joy to what I do and enjoy this time, because it's going to go by really fast.' Stepping on Wimbledon grass on Monday against British teenager Mimi Xu brings with it enormous pressure and expectation. But Raducanu, one of the most scrutinised female athletes on the planet, is relishing the return to the biggest stage. The Kent star said: 'It's a big occasion every year. Something that brings a lot of excitement, it brings a lot of buzz. 'And that buzz of winning at Wimbledon, honestly not much beats it. So I'm really looking forward to it. 'At the same time, you do feel a bit of pressure. You do feel a bit nervous but in a good way. 'If you're able to channel that and use it to focus yourself in the matches, then it's helpful, because sometimes if you're too loose, too relaxed, you're not as locked in on the court.' Wimbledon Ticket Options There are a range of ways to get into Wimbledon as one of the only major sporting events in the world that offer sought-after tickets on the day of the event... The Queue As one of the only major sporting events that allows guests to purchase tickets on the day of the event, demand is high. Each day a large queue forms of people wanting either a Grounds or Show Court ticket - with many even arriving the night before and camping to guarantee a place. Upon arrival, visitors are issued a Queue Card, which is numbered and dated and should be kept until a ticket has been purchased. While there is a limited number of entries, it is possible to remain in the queue and wait for people already inside to leave, with those tickets then becoming available. It is also possible to check the status of the queue on the Wimbledon website. This year, organisers are asking potential queuers to download the Wimbledon app and create a myWimbledon account. Show Tickets If you get to the front of the queue, then there are a limited number of tickets available for purchase for Centre Court and Courts 1, 2 and 3. Note that Centre Court tickets are available for the first 10 days of the tournament, the final four days were already pre-sold. Prices vary depending on the Court, seat and day of the event and will increase the further into the tournament you visit. For example, Centre Court rows A-T cost £105 on Day 1 and £315 on Day 14 (men's final). Grounds Pass A Grounds Pass costs £30 and allows visitors to watch matches on Courts 3-18 on unreserved seats, though there will also be a queue to get into Court 3. Ticket Resale From 3pm each day, tickets may become available from people who have left Wimbledon and made their seat available. A Grounds Pass is needed to join the virtual queue on the Wimbledon App. Tickets cost £15 for Centre Court or £10 for Courts 1/2. Hospitality There are a range of hospitality packages still available on the Wimbledon website. Hospitality packages offer guaranteed premium seating to major matches as well as fine dining experiences, complimentary drinks, a shuttle and concierge service. Hospitality packages can also be purchased via Seat Unique. Secondary Markets Sites such as StubHub offer tickets for the main courts for specific days and times. *Please note that StubHub and similar secondary ticket resale sites may list tickets above face value.* Cavaday will not be courtside but Mark Petchey – a respected TV analyst – will be in the stands, orchestrating her training plans and giving out orders. Raducanu axed Vladimir Platenik as coach after one match in Miami after it was revealed the Slovakian had previously branded the prospect of working with her as 'coaching suicide' in an interview. Working with people who knew her before she became mega famous is something she values. Trust is an important element when it comes to whom she lets into her inner circle having been burned in the past. Raducanu said: 'You're not going to feel so comfortable all the time. 'To have those moments where you maybe open up and you're honest and you show a bit of vulnerability, you kind of only want to do that with people you're close to and can trust. 'You don't want to do the same or go into the same detail, if it's someone you don't fully trust. 'Sometimes also maybe your behaviour isn't perfect, so for them to kind of know that it's not personal. 'You're just kind of carrying a certain amount, and you just need to let certain things out. It's very helpful to know they're not going to take it personally. 'In the past, I couldn't speak out really, because I didn't want what I said to kind of be shared and spoken and gossiped about. 'Because you know how Chinese whispers go. It's just exaggerated and things are twisted.'
The Irish Sun
19 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Emma Raducanu reveals she is studying ‘completely different' course as Wimbledon star hints at future career
EMMA RADUCANU wants to create another masterpiece at Wimbledon. At the most challenging time of her season, 3 Emma Raducanu has revealed she is studying while not playing tennis Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 3 The ace is currently preparing for the start of Wimbledon Credit: Shutterstock Editorial And in her spare time at Wimbledon, she is reading books on art history as part of an online course. French 19th century painter Claude Monet, a master of the Impressionist era, is someone whose work she is starting to appreciate more. The world No.38 said: 'I'm just doing a course, I have a year to do it and it's good. It gives me something different to do. 'A lot of my subjects at school growing up were so quantitative – maths and economics. READ MORE IN TENNIS 'To do art history is completely different. You have to challenge your brain and ways of thinking that it wasn't used to. 'It's quite challenging. I actually quite like it. I have to learn so many broader topics. 'You have to pick apart and analyse every single thing in the painting. It's interesting. It's really fascinating. 'I have a greater appreciation for Monet and the Impressionist era. I didn't really take as much notice of that era of painting before. Now, I can appreciate what they're able to do. Most read in Sport BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS 'It's art history, and there's a section on the Renaissance and there's a section on sculptures and architecture as well. But I'm not at that part yet.' British world No719 qualifies for Wimbledon but is BANNED from claiming £66,000 prize money 3 It has been a difficult year for the British tennis superstar, who has had mixed results on the court and some troublesome issues off it. Her coach Nick Cavaday, a long-term friend from her childhood, quit her set-up due to health reasons after the Australian Open in January. Then Raducanu was approached by a stalker that had followed her to Dubai, an episode that saw her burst into tears. And only last week she was crying again in public, this time at Eastbourne after receiving 'some pretty bad news'. Yet in spite of the trials and tribulations she has encountered, Raducanu approaches her fourth Wimbledon determined to smile throughout and live in the moment. Raducanu said: 'I want to really embody just having a good time and feel joy. 'I've recently realised that what we do is for such a short amount of time and it'll go before we know it. 'I was actually listening to Ana Ivanovic say the same thing. She said she wished she had enjoyed it more. Ladies' singles draw in full Sabalenka v Branstine Raducanu v Xu Vondrousova v Kessler Mertens v Fruhvirtova Li v Golubic Gracheva v Sasnovich Boulter v Badosa Minnen vs Gadecki Todoni vs Bucsa Birrel v Vekic Fernandez v Klugman Stearns v Siegemund Danilov v Zhang Ruse v Keys Paolini v Sevastova Rakhimova v Ito Lys v Yuan Pera v Noskova Haddad Maia v Sramkova Dart v Galfi Wickmayer v Zarazua Putintseva v Anisimova Shnaider v Uchijima Parry v Martic Tomova v Jabeur Kartal v Ostapenko Krueger v Stojsavljevic Pavlyuchenkova v Tomljanovic Osaka v Gibson Siniakova v Zheng Andreeva v Sherif Teichmann v Bronzetti Bapiste v Cirstea Potapova v Frech Krejcikoba v Eala Dolehide v Rus Kudermetova v Zhu Kvitova v Navarro Mucholva v Wang Sonmez v Cristian Lamens v Jovic Hon v Alexandrova Linette v Jacquemot Parks v Bencic Volynets v Maria Cocciaretto v Pegula Swiatek v Kudermetova McNally v Burrage Osorio v Collins Erjavec v Kostyuk Tauson v Watson Kalinskaya v Stojanovic Sakkari v Blinkova Avanesyan v Rybakina Kasatkina v Arango Begu v Juvan Starodubtseva v Jones Joint v Samsonova Kenin v Townsend Bouzas Maneiro v Seidel Azarenka v Zakharova Yastremska v Gauff 'Sometimes I want to go into the future and think: 'Oh, my god, am I going to regret not enjoying this moment?' 'I'm 22 now. So I'm kind of like living for that person, to not have any regrets to look back on. 'I want to bring joy to what I do and enjoy this time, because it's going to go by really fast.' Stepping on Wimbledon grass on Monday against British teenager Mimi Xu brings with it enormous pressure and expectation. But Raducanu, one of the most scrutinised female athletes on the planet, is relishing the return to the biggest stage. The Kent star said: 'It's a big occasion every year. Something that brings a lot of excitement, it brings a lot of buzz. 'And that buzz of winning at Wimbledon, honestly not much beats it. So I'm really looking forward to it. 'At the same time, you do feel a bit of pressure. You do feel a bit nervous but in a good way. 'If you're able to channel that and use it to focus yourself in the matches, then it's helpful, because sometimes if you're too loose, too relaxed, you're not as locked in on the court.' Wimbledon Ticket Options There are a range of ways to get into Wimbledon as one of the only major sporting events in the world that offer sought-after tickets on the day of the event... The Queue As one of the only major sporting events that allows guests to purchase tickets on the day of the event, demand is high. Each day a large queue forms of people wanting either a Grounds or Show Court ticket - with many even arriving the night before and camping to guarantee a place. Upon arrival, visitors are issued a Queue Card, which is numbered and dated and should be kept until a ticket has been purchased. While there is a limited number of entries, it is possible to remain in the queue and wait for people already inside to leave, with those tickets then becoming available. It is also possible to check the status of the queue on the Wimbledon website. This year, organisers are asking potential queuers to download the Wimbledon app and create a myWimbledon account. Show Tickets If you get to the front of the queue, then there are a limited number of tickets available for purchase for Centre Court and Courts 1, 2 and 3. Note that Centre Court tickets are available for the first 10 days of the tournament, the final four days were already pre-sold. Prices vary depending on the Court, seat and day of the event and will increase the further into the tournament you visit. For example, Centre Court rows A-T cost £105 on Day 1 and £315 on Day 14 (men's final). Grounds Pass A Grounds Pass costs £30 and allows visitors to watch matches on Courts 3-18 on unreserved seats, though there will also be a queue to get into Court 3. Ticket Resale From 3pm each day, tickets may become available from people who have left Wimbledon and made their seat available. A Grounds Pass is needed to join the virtual queue on the Wimbledon App. Tickets cost £15 for Centre Court or £10 for Courts 1/2. Hospitality There are a range of hospitality packages still available on the Wimbledon website. Hospitality packages offer guaranteed premium seating to major matches as well as fine dining experiences, complimentary drinks, a shuttle and concierge service. Hospitality packages can also be purchased via Secondary Markets Sites such as *Please note that StubHub and similar secondary ticket resale sites may list tickets above face value.* Cavaday will not be courtside but Mark Petchey – a respected TV analyst – will be in the stands, orchestrating her training plans and giving out orders. Raducanu axed Vladimir Platenik as coach after one match in Miami after it was revealed the Slovakian had previously branded the prospect of working with her as 'coaching suicide' in an interview. Working with people who knew her before she became mega famous is something she values. Trust is an important element when it comes to whom she lets into her inner circle having been burned in the past. Raducanu said: 'You're not going to feel so comfortable all the time. 'To have those moments where you maybe open up and you're honest and you show a bit of vulnerability, you kind of only want to do that with people you're close to and can trust. 'You don't want to do the same or go into the same detail, if it's someone you don't fully trust. 'Sometimes also maybe your behaviour isn't perfect, so for them to kind of know that it's not personal. 'You're just kind of carrying a certain amount, and you just need to let certain things out. It's very helpful to know they're not going to take it personally. 'In the past, I couldn't speak out really, because I didn't want what I said to kind of be shared and spoken and gossiped about. 'Because you know how Chinese whispers go. It's just exaggerated and things are twisted.'
