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Anthony Joshua v Daniel Dubois: Joshua’s Weight May Make A Difference

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Anthony Joshua v Daniel Dubois

The Anthony Joshua weight has varied in his professional career and something to consider ahead of his next fight.

He takes on Daniel Dubois in Wembley stadium next month in a super fight in the UK that also sees the IBF title on the line.

Dubois is only slightly shorter in height but is eight years younger and fearless.

Anthony Joshua next fight: IBF title shot in doubt after Daniel Dubois victory - Dexerto

READ: Canelo Alvarez Fires Back at Turki Alalshikh Over Crawford Fight Offer

Joshua on his legendary night when he beat Klitschko weighed 250 lbs. all those years ago.

In his first fight with Usyk though the Anthony Joshua weight was 240 lbs. – ten pounds lighter.

He was 244.5 lbs. in the second fight with Usyk.

Maybe now years on, as long as he’s trained and well rested and in shape, maybe 250 lbs. and above is a good weight for Joshua moving forward post Usyk.

Full hydrated and ready to fight.

His power against Ngannou was there again too.

He was 252.5 lbs. that night.

So anything between there and 250 lbs. seems to now suit the Anthony Joshua weight as a pro.

People forget he learned his craft late on the job as a world champion in pro boxing with a limited amateur career even though he won Olympic gold, he didn’t have that many amateur fights.

Now that he’s settled down in his style in the pros, yes, stick to your boxing and everything you learned but don’t forget what you are good at — fast, powerful, accurate shots — where power does count in the heavyweight division.

A little extra weight over 250 lbs. has shown to be a good thing in Joshua’s career, overall, by this point.

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GOLF

“Ready for LA 2028!”: Uncertain Future Crumbles Infront of LIV Golf Jon Rahm

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Jon Rahm Paris Olympic

Many would agree with Jon Rahm. However, only a few would truly understand the Spaniard’s words when he said, “It’s basically a dream come true.” 

He was alluding to the idea of winning a gold medal at the Olympics, something he missed by four strokes. But not to worry, since the athlete seems fairly confident about his 2028 chances in Los Angeles.

The 29-year-old shared a series of pictures on his Instagram handle commemorating his appearance at the quadrennial event. He did so while mentioning how grateful he was for the whole experience: “It was a tough Sunday for sure but I remain grateful for a great week in Paris. The experience of representing my native Spain in the Olympics was special and something I will never forget.” But the highlight of it all came in the last line: “Ready for LA 2028! 🇪🇸”

 

READ: Is Tiger Woods Still the Richest Pro Golfer? 2024 Net Worth Explored

He sounds confident, doesn’t he? Well, the current world No. 10 did convey the same, despite LIV Golf not getting acknowledged by the ranking system. If the trend of the OWGR snub continues, then there is a high chance for the Spanish athlete to fall down in rankings while getting pushed out of the top 15. Sounds a bit similar to Bryson DeChambeau’s situation, right?! The 2024 U.S. Open champ had also been just short of making it into the top four ranked Americans on OWGR, resulting in his snub.

But it’s not as if the confidence is completely unfounded for Jon Rahm. The Spanish golfer needs to just do his best and rake in good finishes at the major championships if the Saudi-backed league continues to be without OWGR backing. He just needs to pull off a 2024 DeChambeau, which saw the ‘Scientist’ jump from No. 210 before the Masters to No. 9 after the Open Championship.

That’s not all. With the PIF-PGA Tour merger in the works, one can even anticipate the LIV Golf Pros being able to play in Tour-sanctioned events if everything transpires smoothly. Interestingly, the Transaction Subcommittee, including the likes of Tiger Woods, Adam Scott, and Rory McIlroy, had met with PIF officials back in June. Although the result of the same remained a delay in the proceedings, the merger seems to be very well on the cards. But all of it is for naught if Rahm fails to card the medal, like in the recent event.

The 2023 Masters champ had been at the top rungs of the leaderboard since day 1. He had even been well set at T1, that is, until a dominant Scottie Scheffler shot past him. The American’s run, coupled with Rahm’s horrid back nine, saw the 29-year-old crumble down at the end of Sunday. He carded four bogeys and a double bogey, alongside two birdies in the back nine alone. It was a truly unfortunate fourth round for the Spaniard.

The athlete, in the end, finished T5 with a score of 15-under-269, tied with McIlroy. He did so while dishing out a total of 24 birdies, 9 bogeys, 2 eagles, and 2 double bogeys over the four days of play. Had he been able to score a par putt instead of a double bogey or two of the same instead of two bogeys, then Rahm would have had a chance to force a playoff with Hideki Matsuyama for a bronze medal.

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TENNIS

Rafael Nadal legacy concerns raised by close ally with schedule up in the air

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Rafael Nadal Olympics

Rafael Nadal is yet to confirm his next move after representing Spain at the Olympics.

Spanish tennis great Alex Corretja has warned that it will be ‘almost impossible’ for Rafael Nadal to play at the US Open after taking part in the Olympics. Nadal lost to Novak Djokovic in the second round of the men’s singles event at Roland Garros and teamed up with Carlos Alcaraz in the men’s doubles.

The 38-year-old is widely expected to retire at the end of the season but is yet to reveal when he will bring the curtain down on his glittering career. He recently appeared on the entry list for the US Open but later admitted that he could skip the tournament after his Olympic farewell.

Rafael Nadal Paris Olympics

JUST IN: Sinner gives his thoughts on the Djokovic-Alcaraz ‘high level’ Olympic final

Corretja has since expressed doubt over Nadal’s participation at Flushing Meadows, suggesting that he would need to play in Cincinnati before the US Open to avoid struggling with the change to hard courts. However, he added that Nadal could feature for Spain in the Davis Cup later this year.

“For the US Open on a fast court? You can’t get there without having played on a hard court in New York,” Corretja told El Larguero. “Is he going to go to Cincinnati in 10 days with the change of surface again? I see it as almost impossible.

“He has to find a place where he says: ‘This is as far as I want to go and it is worth making that effort, like up to the Laver Cup’. What if he helps in one way or another in the Davis Cup team, maybe motivating himself to play doubles?

“[He could] contribute something to the team that in September would put him in the semis and, maybe, if he goes to the final, he would play in November. If not, how do you train in Manacor now thinking about what I am preparing for? For me, that is the problem.”

Nadal has already confirmed that he will take a short break from tennis before announcing his next move after a busy summer period. Speaking before the Olympics, he did not give much away but insisted that he would play at the Laver Cup in September.

“Nothing is linear in this life,” he said. “There are moments and states which normally go hand-in-hand with physical states. I try to enjoy and live what I feel at each moment, always with a positive vision of what my day-to-day is within my possibilities.

“After this, I am going to take some time to think carefully about what I need for myself as a person, what I really want to do. I will play the Laver Cup. After the Games, I will take some time to think carefully about what I need.”

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TENNIS

Sinner gives his thoughts on the Djokovic-Alcaraz ‘high level’ Olympic final

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Jannik Sinner Novak Djokovic Carlos Alcaraz

Despite his preparations for the upcoming North American hardcourt season, World No.1 Jannik Sinner found time to watch the men’s Olympic final between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, and was quick to praise the quality of tennis.

Djokovic and Alcaraz faced off on the clay courts of Roland Garros, which played host to the tennis event at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. An Olympic gold medal was the only accolade missing from Djokovic’s resume, and the Serbian finally struck that accomplishment off his list as he prevailed in a 7-6(3) 7-6(2) victory.
In a rematch of the 2024 Wimbledon final, it was Djokovic who emerged victorious during their encounter at the Olympics. The 24-time Grand Slam champion seemed determined to achieve the one accomplishment that had eluded him his entire career, and dropped to the ground in tears following his victory.
Carlos Alcaraz Novak Djokovic

READ: Serena Williams slams Paris restaurant after claiming they turned her and her kids away

In an interview after the final, Sinner, who withdrew from the Olympics after consulting with his medical team, was asked to give his thoughts on the historic encounter.
“Yeah, of course, I watched a little bit,” responded Sinner. “Because in the beginning I was practicing, so when I came back I watched the whole second set. Yeah, it was a very high level match. I think everyone agrees with that. I think it was a very physical match.
“And you know when two of the best players in the world face each other at the moment, they are producing something very special so it was a pleasure to watch this kind of match and I think everyone of us enjoyed it, this kind of level. We don’t see it everyday so yeah, it was an amazing match.”

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BOXING

“He’s Afraid And Only Wants Easy Fights”: Turki Alalshikh Reveals Why Canelo-Crawford Collapsed

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Canelo Alvarez Turki Alalshikh

Riyadh Season’s Turki Alalshikh has seemingly ruled out working with Saul ‘Canelo‘ Alvarez after claiming the Mexican only likes ‘easy fights’.

Alalshikh made no secret of his desire to make the huge match-up between two time undisputed champion Terence Crawford and current super-middleweight unified champion Canelo, even announcing during the Crawford-Madrimov card that an offer had been sent to Canelo’s team.

However, just 48 hours later that offer had been rescinded and the man behind big time boxing in Saudi Arabia said he had now ‘disregarded’ the clash.

Saudi Arabia's Turki Alalshikh Abandons Collaboration Plans with Canelo Alvarez

JUST IN: Anthony Joshua’s refusal to fight Zhilei Zhang is ‘worst kept secret’

“Just wrapped up an important meeting now with my team, planning for the upcoming fights that we will make for 2024-2025. I decided to disregard the Canelo fight, as I don’t want it anymore. Instead, I will be focusing for the US market with bigger fights, especially for the legend Crawford.”

In response, Canelo said he ‘doesn’t really care’ and that the fight could only happen on his terms.

“I don’t really care about it. Look, I’m focused 100% on my fight and I don’t really care about it. They text me yesterday, is it possible to talk about that Crawford fight for February or meet yesterday here in Los Angeles with him. And I said look, I’m 100% focused on this fight and I can’t talk about other fights.

Maybe that’s why he thought about that today, because I say I’m not ready to talk about other fights. And I don’t really ask him for anything. I’m good … I’m good with what I’m doing. I don’t need that kind of thing. I’m not looking for that kind of fight. If they want the fight, okay, it’s my way not their way.”

The man behind Riyadh Season has now taken to social media to claim the four-weight world champion was wasting his time and is ‘afraid’ to fight the best ever since his loss to Dmitry Bivol.

“I heard what Canelo said that he respects me but doesn’t like the way we do business. As for him respecting me, it doesn’t matter to me if he does or not. As for the way I do business, I know why he doesn’t like it, because I only target big fights at fair prices, so of course anyone who likes easy fights won’t like that.

And I know how he feels after losing to Bivol, so he’s been looking for easier fights ever since. Also, I’m not the one who’s afraid of fighting Benavidez or Crawford.

Therefore, I knew he was wasting our time and making excuses with big amounts of money that can’t be paid. So I’m continuing my way to make big fights that serve the boxing world, and he’s on his way to making easy show-only fights.”

Alalshikh is now focusing on other big fights for Crawford with Vergil Ortiz and Jaron ‘Boot’s Ennis both at the top of the list.

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BOXING

Anthony Joshua’s refusal to fight Zhilei Zhang is ‘worst kept secret’

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Anthony Joshua Zhilei Zhang

Anthony Joshua’s refusal to fight Zhilei Zhang is ‘worst kept secret’ says Chinese contender’s co-manager Terry Lane

Zhilei Zhang’s team believe Anthony Joshua has tried to ‘avoid’ a professional fight; the British star floored and defeated Zhang on points at the London 2012 Olympic Games; Joshua challenges Daniel Dubois for IBF title at Wembley on September 21

Joshua is preparing to challenge British rival Daniel Dubois for the IBF title at Wembley Stadium on September 21, live on Sky Sports Box Office.

Zhilei Zhang

JUST IN: Canelo Alvarez Fires Back at Turki Alalshikh Over Crawford Fight Offer

Zhang was floored and outpointed by Joshua at the London 2012 Olympic Games, but the big-punching southpaw has been unable to secure a revenge bout with his amateur rival in the professional ranks after a string of impressive wins, including an explosive knockout of Deontay Wilder in June.

“I think it’s the worst kept secret in boxing that AJ wants no part of Zhilei,” Lane told Sky Sports.

“There’s been opportunities for them to fight.

“It’s just very clear that there’s no interest on AJ’s end, he just wants to avoid the fight, which is unfortunate.”

Sky Sports understands Joshua believes rivals are using his name to ‘stay relevant’ as he bids to become a world heavyweight champion for a third time against Dubois.

Zhang had previously been linked with a fight against Tyson Fury following his back-to-back stoppage wins over Joe Joyce.

With Fury set to face Oleksandr Usyk in a rematch on December 21, Zhang will be watching with interest to see who emerges with the WBC, WBA and WBO belts.

Zhilei Zhang v Joseph Parker (pic courtesy of Mark Robinson)

“A world title shot is the aim,” said Lane.

“AJ and Fury are the main desires for Zhang – those are two guys he wants to fight.

“I don’t know if Usyk is serious about moving back down to cruiserweight, but I think Zhilei has more than earned a shot against Fury and AJ.

“The problem with Zhilei is he’s feared. He’s a risky fight for anybody, a big-punching southpaw.

“He ruined the plans for Joyce to fight Fury and he ruined the plans for Deontay Wilder to fight AJ, so he’s known as a risky party pooper, spoiler, so getting these guys in the ring is proving to be tough.”

Zhang’s attempt to enforce a WBO title shot was derailed by a points loss to Joseph Parker, but Lane insists the recent victory over Wilder should earn a fight against the Usyk-Fury rematch winner or Joshua.

“Obviously, we would love a rematch with Parker and getting a chance to get the WBO interim title back, but we consider Zhilei already in title contention with his rankings across the board in all of the sanctioning bodies, said Lane.”

“I think he’s top four or five in all of them, as he should be, so we think he’s already in title contention and he’s earned a shot regardless of whether the Parker rematch happens next or not.”

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BOXING

Canelo Alvarez Fires Back at Turki Alalshikh Over Crawford Fight Offer

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Terence Crawford Canelo Alvarez Turki Alalshikh

A potential fight between Terence Crawford and Saul ‘Canelo‘ Alvarez no longer has its big-money backer.

Crawford has called for the fight since his undisputed win over Errol Spence Jr last year. This past weekend he moved up to 154 and dethroned champion Israil Madrimov and much of the pre and post-fight talk was centred around Canelo.

Despite previously being dismissive of the fight by saying he would get little credit for beating the much smaller man, the Mexican super-middleweight champion did concede that he would take it if the money was right.

Turki Alalshikh On Crawford vs Canelo: "I Don't Want It Anymore"

READ: Canelo Alvarez Brand Terence Crawford Fight “Easy Money”, Admits David Benavidez “Is a Risk

With progress seemingly made, Riyadh Season’s Turki Alalshikh said during the Crawford-Madrimov card that he had made an official offer. Just over two days later, he performed a u-turn on social media.

“Just wrapped up an important meeting now with my team, planning for the upcoming fights that we will make for 2024-2025. I decided to disregard the Canelo fight, as I don’t want it anymore. Instead, I will be focusing for the US market with bigger fights, especially for the legend Crawford.”

Canelo is diligently focused on facing undefeated Puerto Rican Edgar Berlanga next and he believes that to be the sticking point for Alalshikh.

Speaking to FightHype, the 34-year-old revealed that he was contacted for a meeting but turned it down due to his upcoming defence. He then said that, since he wasn’t the one seeking the fight out, he ‘didn’t care’ about the recent turn of events.

“I don’t really care about it. Look, I’m focused 100% on my fight and I don’t really care about it. They text me yesterday, is it possible to talk about that Crawford fight for February or meet yesterday here in Los Angeles with him. And I said look, I’m 100% focused on this fight and I can’t talk about other fights.

Maybe that’s why he thought about that today, because I say I’m not ready to talk about other fights. And I don’t really ask him for anything. I’m good … I’m good with what I’m doing. I don’t need that kind of thing. I’m not looking for that kind of fight. If they want the fight, okay, it’s my way not their way.”

Canelo defends three of the four major super-middleweight belts against Berlanga on September 14 having recently been stripped of the IBF title.

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GOLF

Is Tiger Woods Still the Richest Pro Golfer? 2024 Net Worth Explored

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Tiger Woods PGA Tour

The Man, the Myth, the Legend, Tiger Woods, is known for his jaw-dropping golfing skills.

The golfer has proven to be one of the best to ever step foot on the greens having several wins under his belt, 82 PGA Tour wins, and 15 majors to be precise. Well, being the one with the highest Tour wins is not the only accolade he has earned as a golfer. Woods is also the first billionaire golfer in history!

As per Forbes, Woods is worth a whopping 1.3 billion dollars in 2024. For the whole of his career on the PGA Tour, the golfer has earned $120,999,166 in prize money, which makes him the leader of the all-time career earnings list of the Tour. In 2022, Woods officially joined the billionaire athlete club alongside LeBron James when Forbes declared his net worth to be at least $1 billion. If that was enough to blow your mind, read this. Despite turning down a lucrative offer from LIV Golf, and we’re talking a lot of numbers here, roughly around $700 million, Woods is the richest golfer.

After major letdown, Tiger Woods confronts one tough truth

READ: ‘Not Technically the Strongest Field’: Scottie Scheffler’s Olympic Gold Not Enough Doubts

However, you’ll be surprised to know that less than 10% of Woods’s income comes from his golf wins, as most of his career earnings come from his sponsors and endorsements. The 15-time major winner’s sponsors in 2024 are Gatorade, TaylorMade, and Rolex. Nike was also on the sponsorship list until early 2024. It came as a shock to everyone when, earlier this year, Woods said goodbye to his $500 million deal with one of the most popular shoe brands in the world.

“Over 27 years ago, I was fortunate to start a partnership with one of the most iconic brands in the world,” Woods wrote on X.  Nike in response wrote, “It was a hell of a round, Tiger.” With billions of dollars to his name, Tiger Woods certainly knows how to make smart use of his wealth, especially with the kind of businessman he is!

Tiger Woods is more than just a golf legend; he’s a successful entrepreneur and a savvy businessman. Over the past 20 years, he has expanded his brand into various ventures, including charity work, golf course design, restaurants, apparel, and other golf-related ventures like TGL and Popstroke. Established in 1996, the TGR Foundation supports children and allows them to pursue their dreams. He has also hosted several charity events, including the Tiger Jam and Hero World Challenge, to raise funds for his foundation.

Woods has also made a name for himself in golf course design. With projects like El Cardonal in Mexico and Bluejack National in Texas, TGR Designs has a bright future ahead of itself. He also has his own restaurant, The Woods Jupiter, in Florida, which opened back in 2015. His latest ventures are TGL with Rory McIlroy: a league that will go live in January 2025, T-Squared with Justin Timberlake, and Sun Day Red in collaboration with TaylorMade that has been garnering a lot of backlash for one reason or another since its launch.

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TENNIS

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

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Carlos Alcaraz Novak Djokovic

Carlos Alcaraz was defeated by Novak Djokovic in the men’s singles final at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, with the pair sharing an emotional moment after their thrilling match

Carlos Alcaraz has opened up about the heartfelt words Novak Djokovic shared with him after their epic Olympic final clash.

The young Spaniard was bested in an edge-of-your-seat match that ended 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2) to Djokovic, who exacted revenge for his Wimbledon defeat. The aftermath of the match was charged with emotion as both men broke down crying.

Carlos Alcaraz reveals what Novak Djokovic told him at the net as he vows 'to be better than Djokovic'

JUST IN: Serena Williams slams Paris restaurant after claiming they turned her and her kids away

For Djokovic, the victory marked a long-awaited triumph, securing his first Olympic gold at the fifth attempt to add to his bronze from Beijing 2008. Despite the overwhelming joy of his own success, the 37-year-old Serb took a touching moment to commend his 21-year-old rival, who snagged the silver medal in his debut Olympics.

Alcaraz shared Djokovic’s seven-word comment at the net during his post-match press conference, telling reporters (via the Express): “He told me that ‘I will win Olympic gold one day’. We are going to work for that. I’m sure my time will come.”

With Djokovic driven to complete the career golden slam, Alcaraz felt he couldn’t match his opponent’s insatiable drive. “His tears at the end of the match reflect the desire he had for this moment to come and he deserves it because he has played very well,” he continued.

“Today I had a Novak Djokovic in front of me who wanted to win the gold more than I did. At certain times he played better tennis and deserved the victory.”

As for his own emotions, which saw him have to pause his on-court interview, Alcaraz explained it was the disappointment of falling short in the crucial tiebreaks. But he insisted he held no regrets over his performance.

Carlos Alcaraz crying after defeat

“Those tears were because I felt that I didn’t achieve the goal of all Spaniards, but winning an Olympic medal is never easy and that is why I am also proud,” Alcaraz added. “It was a difficult moment to manage because I wanted more, I wanted the gold, but I am proud. In the end, I tried everything and I fought until the last ball.”

He also mentioned the pressure of his nation’s expectations, something he’s not felt so far in his career, potentially affecting his performance. However, he won’t have long to dwell on it as he is set to head to the upcoming Cincinnati Open later this week.

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TENNIS

Serena Williams slams Paris restaurant after claiming they turned her and her kids away

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Serena Williams The Peninsula

The restaurant has responded to her claims

Serena Williams has slammed a Michelin-star restaurant in Paris after they allegedly didn’t let her or her children eat there.

In a post on X, the legendary tennis player claimed she had she and her family weren’t allowed into L’Oiseau Blanc, the rooftop restaurant at The Peninsula, a luxury Parisian hotel.

She wrote: “Yikes @peninsulaparis I’ve been denied access to rooftop to eat in a empty restaurant of nicer places but never with my kids. Always a first.”

READ: “I put my heart, soul, body, everything on the line”: Novak Djokovic achieves Olympic Games destiny dream at age 37

Her post was immediately met with support from her followers, with one person writing: “Who doesn’t make room for a queen?”

Another said: “You can buy the whole damn place.”

A third wrote: “Shame on them.”

However, the hotel has since responded to Williams’ post, saying the restaurant was in fact just fully booked on the night she turned up.

Replying to the former tennis pro, the hotel said: “Dear Mrs. Williams,  please accept our deepest apologies for the disappointment you encountered tonight.

“Unfortunately, our rooftop bar was indeed fully booked and the only unoccupied tables you saw belonged to our gourmet restaurant, L’Oiseau Blanc, which was fully reserved.

“We have always been honored to welcome you and will always be to welcome you again.”

Serena Williams Says She Was 'Denied Access' to Paris Restaurant During Olympics

Williams has been in Paris in recent days after playing a key role in the Olympics opening ceremony last month.

The 23-time Grand Slam winner was a torchbearer during the ceremony, alongside the likes of fellow tennis star Rafael Nadal, athletics legend Carl Lewis, and French football icon Zinedine Zidane.

Along with her multiple major titles, Williams also won four Olympic gold medals during her career, one in the women’s singes in 2012 and three in the women’s doubles alongside her sister Venus in 2000, 2004 and 2008.

 

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