Latest news with #championship
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Revealed: What really happened at the 'Wimbledon Incident' when Meghan Markle asked people not to take photos
Next week, thousands of lucky spectators will travel to London for the oldest tennis championship in the world – with tens of millions watching on TV. For many, Wimbledon marks the beginning of summer – helped by a steady flow of Pimm's cocktails.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Is Better Than Michael Jordan, Claims Former Bulls Star
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Is Better Than Michael Jordan, Claims Former Bulls Star originally appeared on Athlon Sports. There's no denying Shai Gilgeous-Alexander just delivered one of the most impressive seasons in NBA history. The Oklahoma City Thunder star led his team to a championship, outlasting the Indiana Pacers in seven games and capping a year that will be remembered for decades. Advertisement Now, the debate has turned to where Gilgeous-Alexander fits among the game's all-time greats. In doing so, the Thunder guard joined elite company. He became just the fourth player in NBA history to win a scoring title, regular-season MVP, and finals MVP in the same season, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal. That rare feat prompted former NBA All-Star Metta Sandiford-Artest, formerly known as Ron Artest, to drop a bold comparison: that at times, SGA is better than Michael Jordan. "People laughed at my quote with I said 'at times' @shaiglalex is better than MJ. Explain this . Shai is 1st ballot and will get more than 3 rings. That statement was originally made during the Western Conference finals between the Thunder and Timberwolves. In an interview with Essentially Sports, he expanded on the idea: Advertisement 'I think SGA is at times better than Michael Jordan. At times, when you look at SGA's games, he is the best basketball player that probably touched the front, top and bottom…Every move you ever dreamed of.' Speaking on the podcast "Casuals with Katie Nolan," Sandiford-Artest elaborated: "Michael Jordan's done things nobody has ever done, and it looks so elegant. But SGA, the way he plays the game, through the legs, behind the back, step back, crossover, spins, it's exactly how he wants to play it.' Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-AlexanderAlonzo Adams-Imagn Images Gilgeous-Alexander, known for his smooth, methodical style and advanced footwork, has quickly risen to the top of the league. His ability to control tempo and get to his spots on the floor has drawn comparisons to past greats, but few expected his name to be mentioned alongside Jordan, let alone ahead of him. Advertisement Sandiford-Artest, a 6-foot-7 forward, played for the Chicago Bulls from 1999 to 2002 before helping Kobe Bryant and the Lakers win the 2010 NBA title. He was an All-Star in 2004 and played for six NBA teams during his career, which spanned from 1999 to 2017. He's perhaps best remembered for the 2004 'Malice at the Palace' brawl, which led to an 86-game suspension. Michael Jordan, of course, remains the gold standard. He was a six-time NBA champion and won finals MVP every time. He also claimed five regular season MVPs and was selected to 14 All-Star games. Jordan finished his career with 32,292 points, averaging 30.1 per game. Whether SGA ever reaches that kind of legacy is still up for debate, but in the eyes of at least one former All-Star, he's already there at times. Related: Kristaps Porzingis Used Two Words to Describe the Celtics After Being Traded Related: Luka Doncic Reportedly Makes Big Change in Physical Appearance This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 25, 2025, where it first appeared.
CTV News
7 hours ago
- Sport
- CTV News
Calgary's Riley Banadyga becomes a Ninja world champion in North Carolina competition
Calgary's Riley Banadyga poses with the statue she received for winning the World Ninja League championship in North Carolina. Calgary's Riley Banadyga might be small, but she stood tall at the recent 2025 World Ninja League (WNL) world championship finals in North Carolina. Banadyga, who's nine years old and weighs around 60 pounds, competed in the kid's female division, where she beat out 130 competitors to claim the title. 'It felt really good,' Banadyga said, 'because last year I got second, but it was a different worlds (this year). 'There's two -- UNAA (Ultimate Ninja Athlete Association) and WNL (World Ninja League) -- and I went to UNAA last year.' The World Ninja League is a globally-recognized governing body for ninja obstacle competitions whose world championships draws elite athletes from around the world, challenging them to compete in three rigorous stages. Riley Banadyga Riley Banadyga met the media Friday after winning the ninja world championship in North Carolina recently. (Photo: CTV News) It was Banadyga's commanding performance in the upper body testing stage three course that set her apart from the rest of the field. 'I tried to keep a fast pace and you had a 20-second shakeout on each box,' she said, 'and I tried to take just under 10 seconds -- I tried to keep the pace and go flowy.' First Albertan Banadyga is the first Alberta ninja athlete to win a world championship at the WNL worlds. Her dad Jarrod said he's proud but not that surprised to see his daughter do well, because ninja is her passion. 'She sees it as her fun time,' said Jarrod. 'I think she enjoys all the challenges and the fact the courses change, the obstacles in the gym, it fits that change all the time. 'So it's one of those sports that keeps her guessing and keeps challenging herself and I think that's what really appeals to her -- she never sees it as work. 'It's always play time!' While Riley was a cool competitor, the same couldn't be said about her coach, Lucas Artinian. '(I was nervous) on all stages, but especially Stage 3,' Artinian said. 'She looked so calm and just collected and I was like shaking and sweating. 'I was like, OK, let's do it! And she's like, 'Yeah! Let's go!' She's way more calm than I was, that's for sure.' That calm demeanor will probably take Riley farther in the sport -- she has hopes to turn pro one day, but for now, is looking forward to defending her world title. 'I need to be older to be a pro,' she said, 'And I think I can really well, but I'm really excited for next year.' With files from CTV's Glenn Campbell
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ireland's Maguire and American Kupcho seize LPGA pairs lead
Ireland's Leona Maguire, left, and American Jennifer Kupcho grabbed a one-stroke lead after the second round of the LPGA Dow Championship pairs event (David Berding) Ireland's Leona Maguire and American Jennifer Kupcho combined to fire a 10-under par 60 in best-ball to grab the lead after Friday's second round of the LPGA Dow Championship pairs event. The back-nine starters united for eight birdies and an eagle to shoot the low round of the day at Midland Golf Club in Michigan and stand on 13-under 127 after 36 holes. Advertisement "We ham and egged it really well," Kupcho said. "She made a lot of really good putts today and yesterday also. We'll just keep it going." Scotland's Gemma Dryburgh and Australian rookie Cassie Porter, the 18-hole leaders, combined for a 62 to stand second, one shot back on 128. "We complement each other really well. We have different strengths and kind of play to those," Dryburgh said. "We got going on the front. We had a lot of good putts." Maguire birdied three of the last six holes, closing the round with six straight one-putt greens, and credited her partner with setting her up for a solid putting effort. Advertisement "Her length off the tee has been an advantage this week," Maguire said. "I think we're real fierce competitors and you see that in the Solheim Cup and week to week so I guess we're putting down our swords this week and coming together. Has been fun so far." An alternate-shot (foursomes) format will be used on Saturday with best ball again for Sunday's last round. "Just continue to hit fairways and greens and give each other putts," Kupcho said of their plans. "Just put ourselves in the best position and see what we can do." It was a big day for Porter, who made five birdies in a row from the par-five third through the par-three seventh. After she and Dryburgh both had bogeys at the eighth, Porter birdied the next four holes to reach 12-under before they closed with six pars. "We both made plenty of putts," said Porter. "You can go pretty low if you've both got the putter hot. We just made putts at the right time and helped each other out." js/bb
The Sun
a day ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Wimbledon draw revealed in full as Draper faces tough test and Raducanu opens against Brit, 17, still doing her A-levels
JACK Draper will likely have to get past Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner AND Carlos Alcaraz to become the third British man to win Wimbledon. The No4 seed - aiming to be the first English singles champ since Fred Perry in 1936 - opens against Argentinian Sebastian Baez on Tuesday. 2 2 He had avoided two-time defending champion Alcaraz until a potential final meeting on Sunday July 13. But there is a strong prospect he will need to overcome Djokovic in the quarters and world No1 Sinner in the semis after landing in their half of the draw. Meanwhile, Emma Raducanu will open her campaign against a British player who is studying this month for her A-Levels. The former US Open champion, 22, will be making her fourth tournament appearance at SW19, having made the last 16 four years ago. And her first-round clash will be against 17-year-old debutant Mimi Xu, who hails from Swansea. Xu – who is now based in London – has been handed a Golden Ticket for the event and is one of three promising British teenagers in the 128-player draw. Last year, she reached the semi-finals of the 2024 junior US Open girls singles. Xu combines her tennis aspirations with education duties, taking her Maths A-Level a year ago. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK And she only found she had been awarded a wildcard when she walked out her A-Level biology exam. Should Raducanu progress, then it is likely she will have to face 2023 champion Marketa Vondrousova in the second round – and potentially world No1 Aryna Sabalenka in the last 32. British world No719 qualifies for Wimbledon but is BANNED from claiming £66,000 prize money There are 10 British women in the draw and Katie Boulter will face good pal Paula Badosa from Spain. Hannah Klugman, 16, is another promising young talent who has a wildcard and she is up against Canadian Leylah Fernandez, who lost to Raducanu in the 2021 US Open final. Another sixteen-year-old, Mika Stojsavljevic, who lifted the US Open junior title last September, plays American Ashlyn Krueger. The draw for the 138th Championships was made by referee Denise Parnell and assistant ref Phil Evans. The winners of the men's and women's tournaments will land £3million in prize money, an 11.1 per cent increase from last year. British hopes at Wimbledon BRITAIN has 23 entrants in this year's Wimbledon - the most since 1984. Here is a list of all those competing at the All England Club and their world rankings. Men's singles Jack Draper, No. 4 Jacob Fearnley, No. 51 Cameron Norrie, No. 61 Billy Harris, No. 103 Jay Clarke, No. 199 Oliver Crawford, No. 252 Dan Evans, No. 170 Arthur Fery, No. 465 George Loffhagen, No. 302 Johannus Monday, No. 236 Jack Pinnington Jones, No. 282 Henry Searle, No. 409 Oliver Tarvet, No. 719 Women's singles Emma Raducanu, No. 38 Katie Boulter, No. 41 Sonay Kartal, No. 49 Jodie Burrage, No. 164 Harriet Dart, No. 124 Fran Jones, No. 125 Hannah Klugman, No. 577 Mika Stojsavljevic, No. 802 Heather Watson, No. 148 Mimi Xu, No. 318 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. 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.*
