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“Yall Haters Was Definitely Calling Him a Cherry Pick”- Terence Crawford Demands ‘Respect’ for Fighting Israil Madrimov

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Terence Crawford Israil Madrimov

Terence Crawford stood tall when he faced Israil Madrimov, where each punch was thrown with calculations.

In a clash of willpower and boxing IQ, he edged out the Uzbek fighter and bagged the WBA title. A few had anticipated this close encounter, where a round if it went differently, could have changed the result. But the American fighter had a fair idea of what he was getting into. Now, he wants the fans’ respect for picking a tougher champion.

Crawford, 36, had to shut down the noise about not picking other champions, with some questioning the caliber of Madrimov, 29, as a champion. However, since the fight’s conclusion, the fans have been pouring in praises for him. They hadn’t witnessed someone push ‘Bud’ to his limits in a long time and nearly stop this undefeated juggernaut. But shouldn’t Crawford be receiving respect for toppling such a champion? That’s exactly what he argues.

Terence Crawford takes unanimous decision over Israil Madrimov to become four-division world champion | DAZN News US

READ: “I’m a threat to his legacy”: Terence Crawford blasts Canelo Alvarez over ‘antics’ and ‘excuses’

Crawford, at 41-0, turned to his X handle and pointed out the love that fans had bestowed on Madrimov. He wrote, “I love that everyone is giving Madrimov his credit/respect because yall haters was definitely calling him a cherry pick when we all said he was a champion for a reason. Look just give me my respect and stop the hate.”

There have been demands for a rematch between the two. But no one is sure whether the fans will get to see a rematch or not. With the support of HE Turki Alalshikh, Crawford was on his way to face Canelo Alvarez, but it seems unlikely as the Mexican champion’s attention is now on his upcoming fight with Edgar Berlanga.

If Oscar De La Hoya is to be believed, that worked out well for the Omaha native, as the holes in his game were on display against Madrimov. What’s more? There are rumors of Vergil Ortiz Jr. being next in line. So, where do the two stand in contrast to each other?

De La Hoya weighed in on the gulf of skills between Ortiz Jr. and Madrimov and declared, “Better skills, I literally think he [Vergil Ortiz Jr.] has better skills. It’s not the punching power. Crawford has ring IQ like there’s no tomorrow, but he was exposed last Saturday night. He was exposed against Madrimov.”

While there are no concrete reports on who the WBA champion will take on next, HE Turki Alalshikh has charted out a plan. Teofimo Lopez and Ortiz Jr. find themselves in the mix. But Crawford could also pick other champions at 154, trying to become undisputed in a third division.

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GOLF

Rory McIlroy reaches unwanted career milestone

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Rory McIlroy PGA Championship

Rory McIlroy has reached an unwanted milestone in his career as 10 August marks the beginning of a second decade in his hunt for a fifth major.

Rory McIlroy knew this day was coming 22 holes into the final men’s major of the year at Royal Troon.

The four-time major champion was hoping to stick around for the weekend at The Open by making inroads early in his second round.

Fighting sickness, Rory McIlroy salvages 71 to open PGA Championship - PGA TOUR

READ: ‘Did Everything I Could..’: Phil Mickelson Revives Feud With Jay Monahan & Exposes Own Mistreatment by PGA Tour

But things went south quickly and, by the time he reached the 7th tee he was already 6-over for the day and thinking of holiday destinations.

He likely was thinking of how he was going to have to spend the next nine months being asked the same questions about whether or not he’ll ever win The Masters.

McIlroy pointed out there was still a lot to play for, such as the Olympic Games, FedEx Cup and Race to Dubai.

But we all know what he cares most about, don’t we?

Legacy, history and an annual seat at the table next to Tiger Woods at Augusta National.

Now we have arrived at 10 August 2024.

The date marks the beginning of a second decade in McIlroy’s bid for a fifth major championship.

His last major triumph came as a bushy-haired 25-year-old when he claimed the PGA Championship in darkness at Valhalla.

Few would have expected that a drought this long was to follow but this is where we are.

Since that day in Louisville, Kentucky, 39 men’s major championships have been played and won by 26 different players.

Some golfers in the same generation as McIlroy have won multiple times in that span.

Brooks Koepka is now a five-time major champion.

Jon Rahm has won two.

Bryson DeChambeau battled back from wrist and hip injuries to claim his second major at the 2024 U.S. Open.

Now McIlroy has Scottie Scheffler and an increasingly confident Xander Schauffele to contend with.

There’s also a young Swede by the name of Ludvig Aberg who the Ulsterman will be wary of.

At 35 years old, you could argue that McIlroy is now teeing it up on the back nine of his career.

But he’ll take solace from the fact that, providing he takes care of his body and remains focussed he’ll have plenty more chances of glory.

And he’ll take note of the history books.

Phil Mickelson was 34 years old when he got his hands on his first major in golf, 12 years after he made his professional debut.

Lefty went on to win five more, including the 2021 PGA Championship when he became the oldest major winner in history at 50 years, 11 months and seven days.

But this is a young man’s game.

Who knows what’s in store for the next chapter of McIlroy’s career.

Whatever comes to pass, we know it will be a captivating watch.

McIlroy has made no secret of the fact that winning The Masters is the ultimate goal.

He would complete the career grand slam and join Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Gary Player as the only golfers to win each and every major.

“I’d love to win The Masters,” McIlroy told reporters at the turn of the year.

“It’s the only major that I haven’t won.

“St Andrews is where the game started, but Augusta has become this cathedral of golf in some way, and all the greats of the game have won there in the past.

“It’s the only major that we go back to each year on the same golf course.

“It seems like it gets bigger and bigger every year, and it’s the first major of the year too – it’s more hyped up.”

Rory McIlroy

Rory McIlroy record in majors since 2014:

2014

  • Masters: T8
  • U.S. Open: T23
  • The Open Championship: Win
  • PGA Championship: Win

2015

  • Masters: 4th
  • U.S. Open: T9
  • The Open Championship: Did not play (Injury)
  • PGA Championship: 17th

2016

  • Masters: T10
  • U.S. Open: MC
  • The Open Championship: T5
  • PGA Championship: MC

2017

  • Masters: T7
  • U.S. Open: MC
  • The Open Championship: T4
  • PGA Championship: T22

2018

  • Masters: T5
  • U.S. Open: MC
  • The Open Championship: T2
  • PGA Championship: T50

2019

  • Masters: T21
  • U.S. Open: T9
  • The Open Championship: MC
  • PGA Championship: T8

2020

  • Masters: T5
  • U.S. Open: T8
  • The Open Championship: Postponed
  • PGA Championship: T33

2021

  • Masters: MC
  • U.S. Open: T7
  • The Open Championship: T46
  • PGA Championship: T49

2022

  • Masters: 2
  • U.S. Open: T5
  • The Open Championship: 3rd
  • PGA Championship: 8th

2023

  • Masters: Missed Cut
  • U.S. Open: 2
  • The Open Championship: T6
  • PGA Championship: T7

Summary:

  • Wins: 2
  • Top 5 finishes: 15
  • Missed cuts: 7
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TENNIS

“You can’t put him on the same level”: Former world No 1 believes Novak Djokovic falls short of being the GOAT athlete

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Novak Djokovic Olympic Games

Yevgeny Kafelnikov has lauded Novak Djokovic as the greatest tennis player of all time but believes that he cannot lay claim to being sports greatest ever athlete.

Kafelnikov puts basketball superstar Michael Jordan, who also played baseball at the pro level, on a pedestal as the greatest athlete of all time.

He says that Jordan’s charismatic draw sets him aside as someone that you just needed to see.

Impressed With Michael Jordan's 30,000,000 Viewership, Novak Djokovic Looks to Emulate Last Dance's Success: "Been Shooting For Years" - The SportsRush

JUST IN: Despite ATP Ranking, Carlos Alcaraz stays as world No 1 in rankings endorsed by Novak Djokovic

“There’s no doubt that Novak is the greatest tennis player of all time, that’s for sure. You can’t put him on the same level as Michael Jordan… I don’t think so, because I grew up idolising the greatest athlete of all time, which was Michael Jordan,” Kafelnikov wrote in a social media post.

“All I wanted to do was watch him play live. To me, he’s still number one, but Novak is definitely in the top three greatest athletes of all time, without a doubt – all the accomplishments, the records he’s broken, the titles he’s won.”

Djokovic found an answer for the new generation at last in Paris, blowing away many with his efforts in overcoming Carlos Alcaraz in the gold medal match.

The Serbian had identified the need to find a way to best the likes of Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner after he was bested in straight sets by the Spaniard at Wimbledon.

“Well, the Olympic Games and US Open are the two big goals for the rest of the year for me really,” Djokovic said as he took in his loss at SW19.

“I’m hoping I can be at my best on those two tournaments, yeah. That’s all I can say right now.

“I mean, being able to reach the finals of Wimbledon, of course, it’s a great confidence boost. But I also feel like in a matchup today against best player right now in the world for sure, I mean, other than Jannik, and both of them are the best this year by far, I feel like I’m not at that level.

“In order to really have a chance to I guess beat these guys in Grand Slam latter stages or Olympics, I’m going to have to play much better than I did today and feel much better than I did today.

“I’m going to work on it. It’s not something I haven’t experienced before ever in my life. I’ve had so many different experiences throughout my career. In the face of adversity, normally I rise and I learn and get stronger.

“That’s what I’m going to do.”

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TENNIS

Despite ATP Ranking, Carlos Alcaraz stays as world No 1 in rankings endorsed by Novak Djokovic

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Jannik Sinner Carlos Alcaraz Novak Djokovic

Jannik Sinner may be sitting at the top of the official ATP Rankings, but Carlos Alcaraz is top of a rankings list that may offer a more accurate reflection of current form.

Alcaraz’s stunning summer of success saw him collect a first French Open title and retain his Wimbledon crown with a crushing win against Novak Djokovic in the final at the All England Club in July.

Now Alcaraz has been confirmed as the world No 1 in the UTR Rankings that use a different method to calculate the current best players in tennis.

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic To Face No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz In ATP Finals

READ: Novak Djokovic achieves another milestone, joins Federer and Nadal in exclusive group

The UTR rankings are calculated using a different method to the traditional ATP list, with current form and the ranking of your opponent taken into account when the final analysis is made.

The method for calculating the UTR ratings differs greatly from the rolling ATP list, which ranks players based on the points they collect over 52 weeks.

Victories against higher-ranked played are worth more in the UTR list than the official ATP or WTA ranking, meaning they offer up a more accurate reflection of the current form at the top of the game.

The UTR rankings are based on the current form from the last few weeks and months rather than reflecting results that occurred up to a year ago, with the system created to promote fair and competitive play across the tennis world.

All players, regardless of age, gender, geography, or skill level, are rated on the same scale between 1.00 and 16.50 based on actual match results.

The UTR rankings have been endorsed by 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic, who has suggested they may offer a more accurate reflection of the current form in the game.

Italy’s Jannik Sinner ousted Djokovic from the top of the UTR rankings after his Australian Open win in January and he backed that up by leaping to the top of the ATP Rankings a few weeks later.

Yet Alcaraz is now at the top of the UTR list after his French Open and Wimbledon wins, with Djokovic down in third place behind Sinner.

Australia’s Alex De Minaur is in the top 5 of the UTR rankings after his impressive form in 2024 and Alexander Zverev is at No 6.

The American duo of Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul are also in the top ten, with the impressive form shown by a returning Matteo Berrettini reflected in the UTR list as he is listed as the 12th best player in the world on current form.

Russia’s Andrey Rublev is still in the top ten of the ATP rankings despite a drop in form in recent months, but he is down at a lowly ranking of No 26 in the UTR list.

Despite his stunning recent form, Alcaraz will struggle to oust Sinner from the top of the ATP Rankings in the second half of 2024.

Sinner’s last-16 defeat against Alexander Zverev in last year’s US Open means he will have a chance to gain ranking points if he can reach the semi-finals or win the last major of the year.

Meanwhile, Alcaraz lost 180 points by withdrawing from this week’s Montreal Masters and he also has plenty of points to defend next week if he plays in the Cincinnati Masters, where he was a runner-up last year.

Alcaraz will have opportunities to replace Sinner at the top of the ATP Rankings during the indoor swing on the ATP Tour, but he admits Sinner and Djokovic are still a step ahead of him in those conditions.

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BOXING

Floyd Mayweather Jealousy Of Muhammad Ali Rears Its Bitter Salty Head Again

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Floyd Mayweather Muhammad Ali

You know, it’s very interesting when it comes to Floyd Mayweather bringing up Muhammad Ali sometimes.

On one hand, and in one breath, sure, Mayweather points out some solid numerical, technical and statistical facts on comparisons of his and Muhammad Ali’s career.

Often pointing to Ali never throwing body shots, where Ali’s professional boxing record was at 36-years-old compared to his, and so on.

Mayweather justifica su particular ranking histórico: "Ali sólo peleó en una categoría" | Marca

JUST IN: ‘It showed him who’s boss’- Oleksandr Usyk planned for nine months to land one specific punch on Tyson Fury in fight win

He even goes on to state ethical truths too — such as Ali largely being hated in his life and not liked until he was a crippled vegetable of an old man, later on, basically.

He’s right damn it on that. He is though.

However, he does all this in an almost tactical way, bit by bit almost trying to undermine Ali’s legacy (which is giant obviously what a run he had in boxing) — while still saying he respects Ali for paving the way for him.

It’s almost a step by step, bit by bit, over time, kind of thing, where Mayweather has steadily been taking Ali down for a while now.

The latest with Mayweather saying here that he thinks Lennox Lewis would have beaten Ali (many boxing fans on X below both agree and disagree too):

Judge the above comments and reaction from the boxing world for yourself.

Alas, it is certainly very interesting now that Mayweather recently has gone on the attack at various parts of Ali’s legacy.

Some of it is well informed and is spot on but just the overall nature of it now, the fact it is going on so long, suggests something else.

Mayweather returns to the ring later this month in an exhibition rematch against John Gotti in Mexico city.

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BOXING

‘It showed him who’s boss’- Oleksandr Usyk planned for nine months to land one specific punch on Tyson Fury in fight win

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Oleksandr Usyk Tyson Fury

Oleksandr Usyk admits he had been working on stunning Tyson Fury from the very first bell.

Usyk and Fury did battle in an undisputed title clash in May, and the Ukrainian picked up a huge victory to make history and hand the Briton the first defeat of his career.

There had been several concerning moments for Fury including in the ninth round, where he was knocked down but managed to cling on and survive until the bell.

Oleksandr Usyk Tyson Fury

JUST IN: Anthony Joshua takes drastic measures to prevent reputation being ruined

But Usyk feels he got the respect of Fury early on, after preparing to unleash a powerful shot which crushed through the guard of the Briton in the opening three minutes.

“It was a planned action that we had worked on for nine months,” Usyk told Mail Boxing when discussing a left hand he had rocked Fury with in the opening round.

“It was necessary as it showed him immediately in the ring who the boss is.

“I was in control the whole time, there were no worries. The process was ongoing.”

Usyk then went on to describe a moment in the sixth round, where he felt he would then go on to win the clash.

He added: “When I didn’t get knocked down by an uppercut in the sixth round.

“I felt such a force behind me that I understood that nearby there is my force which I pray to.

“Maybe it was even an angel, but I felt some kind of support for my back there was no one there (behind me) but the support was felt.”

The saga is not yet over though, as he is now set to face Fury again in an immediate rematch on December 21.

Usyk threatened to close the show in their maiden clash so will be hoping to go one better and win inside the distance in Saudi Arabia.

Despite the threatening shots, Fury was confident he had done enough when the judges’ scorecards were read out.

He has even since suggested he scored himself in the lead after rewatching the clash.

And the ‘Gypsy King’ has insisted that Usyk was at the level of an ‘amateur boxer’, and that he found the exchanges ‘easy’.

Fury said on his Furocity YouTube Channel: “I’ve watched the fight back lots of times and still got the same answer – I thought I won the fight.

“Usyk knows he didn’t beat me. I thought I boxed the head right off him for most of the rounds.

“It was actually a lot easier than I thought it’d be, the Usyk fight. People said he’s a hard man to hit, I was lighting him up with four-punch combinations and laughing at him.

“My problem in that fight was I probably had too much fun. It was probably too easy. It was like I was in there with a local amateur boxer.”

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BOXING

Anthony Joshua takes drastic measures to prevent reputation being ruined

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Anthony Joshua

Two-time world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua is set to face Daniel Dubois for the IBF belt in an all-British showdown at Wembley Stadium in September

Eddie Hearn said any bottled substance that Anthony Joshua consumes is tested beforehand to avoid any attempt of the British boxer ingesting banned substances through surreptitious means.

Joshua is bidding to become a three-time world heavyweight champion on September 21 as he faces Daniel Dubois for the IBF belt in an all-British showdown at Wembley Stadium.

Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois 'had to be pulled apart' before press conference for Wembley bout | Boxing News | Sky Sports

READ:‘PEOPLE EXPECT A LOT’: JOSHUA AIMS TO DOMINATE DUBOIS

The fight will arrive almost three years to the day since Joshua relinquished his WBO, WBA, IBO and IBF titles to Oleksandr Usyk, and two years since his last world title fight after losing to the Ukrainian in a rematch.

Joshua has won all four of his fights since to galvanise his shot at title redemption.

And according to Hearn, he and his team go to great lengths to avoid any threat to the sanctity of the two-time world heavyweight champion boxing reputation amid a slew of doping scandals involving high-profile boxers in recent years, including two of Joshua’s opponents last year.

Joshua was forced to fight Robert Helenius after Dillian Whyte failed a drugs test, knocking the card down from a pay-per-view bout to a standard DAZN fight.

But the controversy only escalated after Finn also tested positive following Joshua’s seventh-round knockout. Joshua, meanwhile, returned negative tests for his Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (Vada) tests.

Both men protested their innocence. And while Helenius was handed a two-year doping ban for violating anti-doping rules, Whyte was cleared to resume his boxing career after it came to light that a contaminated substance resulted in the positive drug test ahead of his battle with Joshua.

And boxing promoter Hearn believes the threat of contamination through unintentional or even devious means is so great to boxers at elite-level, that the 45-year-old has claimed he tests every bottle that comes within touching distance of Joshua.

“I think 20% of failed drugs tests are legitimately fighters that are unlucky or have unknowingly taken a substance,” Heard told GRM Daily’s Thoughts In A Culli. “I think 80% of people cheat. And establishing what’s what is very difficult to do.

“Because fighters are never going to take illegal substances themselves. Someone will come up to them and say, we need to improve your strength and what we can do is take some of this. And maybe they won’t even tell them it’s a banned substance. But a lot of the time people are genuinely cheating.

“And we’re talking about testing to minute trace levels that would be in your blood. And in Mexico, there is a genuine thing where some meat contains testosterone. And fighters test positive for that. Things like eggs, you don’t know what people are putting in animals.

Anthony Joshua knocks down Robert Helenius

He added: “Whenever I go to a restaurant with AJ, I’m looking at the food thinking, because there’s some horrible —s out there, you put something in that food and your career is over. And imagine, everything that you built, all because of one evil individual, comes crumbling down.

“Here’s another example. After a tough fight, you might get in the ring and someone – either from the other team or wherever – and they’ll come up to you and offer something to drink. What’s in that? Do you know what I mean? I’m not saying that there is anything in there, but there could be.

“So at the top level, like AJ, every bottle is tested. Every bottle is sealed. Nothing comes in the changing room. You have to, because you’re correcting your career, your brand, your reputation. The worst thing in the world is testing positive for having not knowingly taken a substance. Then you’re called a cheat for the rest of your life despite never having done it.

“I’m paranoid in that world because I know what people are like.”

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GOLF

‘Did Everything I Could..’: Phil Mickelson Revives Feud With Jay Monahan & Exposes Own Mistreatment by PGA Tour

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Phil Mickelson Jay Monahan

Phil Mickelson doesn’t want to leave any doubt over his contribution to the PGA Tour. 

Lefty in a recent conversation, spoke of his involvement in various sponsorship deals that the PGA Tour landed. Mickelson revealed he was ‘brought in’ to resolve a few stalemates.

His words, which are worth quoting in full, read: “For 30-plus years I did everything I could to help build the PGA Tour brand, and I would be brought in to help close the deal with many CEOs when they were on the brink of potentially signing a deal, whether it was Bob Diamond at Barclays, it was Rick Waddell at Northern Trust, it was the guys at Shell, Marvin Odom (sic). There were about seven to 10 times that I would come in and try to close the deal. That was my way to help trying to build the PGA Tour at that time. I’m no longer part of the Tour.”

READ: Rory McIlroy’s Marriage Story Taking an Unexpected Turn as PGA Fans Floored

It’s not clear in what capacity Lefty was involved. The PGA Tour signed a deal with Barclays Capital, the London-based multinational investment bank, in 2004 to host ‘The Barclays’ in Westchester Country Club, New York. The original deal ran through in 2010, and the next year, the Tour decided on an extension for another five years. The tournament was the first of the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

It should be noted that Phil Mickelson also sported the Barclays logo on the right side of his polo shirt. He was one of the biggest draws at the Barclays event each year. However, they parted ways in 2017, with Mickelson moving to Intrepid Financial Partners, which, interestingly, was founded by former Barclays executive Hugh “Skip” McGee.

On the other hand, the Northern Trust succeeded Nissan as the Los Angeles event sponsor. Lefty notably played with the CEO, Rick Waddell, as recently as the 2017 Northern Trust Pro-Am. Reportedly, Waddell waited for Mickelson as his rented private jet got delayed due to fog. The Riviera event is now a Tiger Woods-hosted signature event, Genesis Invitational.

Whereas, the PGA Tour signed Shell Oil as a sponsor of its Houston event in 1992. For 25 years, the Houston stop was known as the Shell Houston Open, which Phil Mickelson won in 2011. Lefty was also a common face seen around the greens on each occasion. Interestingly, in 2011, the Tour also signed a six-year extension with the London HQ company.

From the timeline, it seems Phil Mickelson’s involvement in the sponsorship deals came under former commissioner Tim Finchem’s tenure. Jay Monahan succeeded Finchem in November of 2016. Mickelson has hinted that he tried to ‘build’ the PGA Tour even then, but Monahan torpedoed his proposals.

Mickelson refused to accept Monahan’s claim that he was the best leader to guide the PGA Tour. The 54-year-old accused Monahan of ‘strong-arming’ LIV golfers. The 45-time PGA Tour winner supported calls for Monahan’s ouster in the wake of the PGA Tour’s feud with LIV Golf. Mickelson further claimed he proposed an idea similar to the Signature events, which the Tour commissioner outrightly rejected.

The six-time major winner tweeted last year, “Before I left I brought a $1 billion commitment from a current PGATour partner to have 8 elevated events and give equity and ownership in these events to the players. JM’s quote was “ I don’t believe the league is going to happen so we won’t be doing that.” No vote, no discussion.”

It appears Mickelson wants to remind everyone that he has done whatever he could’ve for the betterment of the PGA Tour. But with Monahan at the helm, the relationship perhaps soured, and Mickelson saw an opportunity at LIV that he wanted to grab.

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TENNIS

Jannik Sinner sends message to critics as he responds to backlash over his Olympics withdrawal

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Jannik Sinner Paris Olympic

Jannik Sinner has addressed the criticism he has faced for his decision to withdraw from the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

The world No 1 highlighted the fact only he and his team knew how he felt and asserted that he gives “little importance and little weight” to those who reacted negatively.

Sinner pulled out of the Olympics prior to the tournament due to tonsillitis and expressed that he was “saddened” to not be able to compete.

Top-ranked tennis player Jannik Sinner withdraws from Paris Olympics days before matches begin | Fox News

JUST IN: Novak Djokovic achieves another milestone, joins Federer and Nadal in exclusive group

“After a good week of clay training I started to feel unwell,” he explained. “I spent a couple of days resting and during a visit the doctor found tonsillitis and strongly advised me against playing.

“Missing the Games is a huge disappointment as it was one of my main goals for this season. I couldn’t wait to have the honour of representing my country in this very important event.”

The 22-year-old Italian was hoping to make his debut at the Olympics in Paris, having opted to skip the Tokyo Games in 2021 to focus on his “development as a player.”

Sinner’s announcement that he would miss the Olympics again this year was met with a backlash from the Italian media and some fans.

The Australian Open champion’s absence received further scrutiny when it was confirmed he would play at the Canadian Open, which started two days after the Olympic tennis gold medal match.

In a press conference in Montreal, Sinner reiterated how the Games had been his main priority for this season when asked about the criticism he has received for withdrawing.

“It’s a question I don’t even want to have to answer honestly,” said the Italian. “I think only my team and I really know how I felt. From the outside it’s one thing, from the inside it’s another. I especially know how I felt.

“I had said since the beginning of the year that my biggest goal was the Olympics, but unfortunately I wasn’t even able to get out of bed. Then honestly, what people think… let’s say I give it little importance, little weight.

“I’m not on social media anymore, which is something that does me a lot of good. Then I read some things anyway, it’s obvious that when you open your phone there are notifications and I see something.

“But I also know who I am as a person and what kind of people I have around me — who all care a lot about me.

“Unfortunately this time it went like this, there will always be some good things and some a little bit worse, like this. I understand people’s reaction, I’m honest, but now I’m here in Montreal and what happened happened.”

Sinner started his title defence at the Canadian Open by defeating Borna Coric 6-2, 6-4 in the second round in Montreal on Thursday. He will face Alejandro Tabilo in the last 16 at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament.

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TENNIS

Novak Djokovic achieves another milestone, joins Federer and Nadal in exclusive group

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Serbian tennis superstar Novak Djokovic continues to rack up the accolades, as he joins rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal as just the third man to spent 850 total weeks in the top 10 rankings.

The 37-year old recently added the elusive Olympic gold medal to his resume at the Paris Olympic Games, defeating Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz in a thrilling final. Subsequently, he began his 850th week in the top 10 of the ATP ranking list.
Novak Djokovic is superior to Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in key area', claims renowned coach

READ: Carlos Alcaraz reveals what Novak Djokovic told him straight after Olympic heartbreak

The 24-time Grand Slam champion became just the third man to achieve this legendary milestone, joining fellow Big three members Federer and Nadal on this exclusive list. The Swiss Maestro leads the pack with 968 total weeks in the top 10, followed by Nadal with 912 weeks.
Djokovic cracked the top 10 rankings over 17 years ago, and appears motivated to extend his stay as he has shown little sign of slowing down. The former World No.1 entered the top 10 in 2007, after losing his first Masters final at Indian Wells to Nadal. He has remained consistent over the past decade and a half, only dropping out of the top 10 in 2017 after sustaining an elbow injury that left him sidelined.
Nonetheless, the Serbian came back in 2018, winning Wimbledon in July and reaffirming his spot amongst the elite. He is inching closer to spending 300 consecutive weeks in the top 10, and could produce another year-end top 10 finish should he successfully defend the 3000 points accrued from last year’s events at Cincinnati and the US Open.

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