Due to a knee issue, Juan Martin Del Potro has revealed that he will likely retire after playing the Argentina Open in Buenos Aires next week. The Argentine was handed a wildcard into the main draws of both the Buenos Aires and Rio Opens later this month. However, it's conceivable that the 33-year-old will retire in front of his home audience next week.
In a press conference on Saturday 'The Tower of Tandil' stated "This is one of the hardest messages I've ever had to face up to and communicate. Everyone knows and hopes that I return to tennis. Possibly it won't be like that and that it will be more of a farewell than a return."
In June 2019, at Queens in London, the former World No. 3 played his last tournament match. He hurt his knee and has been working hard to restore his full health since then. "The knee has been a nightmare. I've been trying alternatives and ways to resolve it for years and today I just can't manage it. I never imagined retiring from tennis anywhere other than out there on the court," The Argentine added further.
Del Potro, one of the game's most ferocious hitters, has battled injuries after conquering the US Open in 2009. He won his maiden and only Grand Slam championship in the 2009 US Open, where he was seeded sixth. He upset Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals and Roger Federer in the final. The Argentine interrupted The Swiss Maestro's five-year dynasty in New York by defeating him in a five-set final. In 2018, he made it to the final of the US Open but lost to Novak Djokovic. Del Potro has 22 tour-level championships to his name, the latest of which was the 2018 BNP Paribas Open. Nicknamed as the 'Tower of Tandil' after his city, he obtained a career-high ATP Ranking of World No. 3 in 2018.
However, Del Potro has committed to competing in both the Buenos Aires Open and the Rio de Janeiro Open this month. He will play Federico Delbonis, a fellow countryman, in his first round in Buenos Aires on Tuesday. The Rio de Janeiro Open and Buenos Aires open is all set to begin from February 12 and March 1 respectively.
Hello and welcome to Sportz Point's LIVE Coverage of the Paris Olympics 2024. Today, we will bring you all the updates of Day 3 (29th July). Nineteen medals are due to be handed out on Day 3 of Paris 2024.
This is Abishek Goswami, Koushik Biswas will join us later to give you all the updates on Day 2 from our web desk.
Swimming | Mollie O'Callaghan breaks Olympic record to win Gold in women's 200m freestyle
Australia's Mollie O'Callaghan breaks her teammate, defending Olympic and World Champion Ariarne Titmus's Olympic record to win Gold in women's 200m freestyle. She stuns the world with the timing of 1:53.27.
🥇Mollie O'Callaghan 1:53.27
🥈 Ariarne Titmus 1:53.81
🥉Siobhán Haughey 1:54.55.
Jul 29, 2024, 6:12 PM
Men's street skateboarding: Yuto Horigome wins gold
Yuto Horigome successfully defends his Gold medal in men's street skateboarding with some late heroics. He was seventh before his final trick and won the Gold at the end with 281.14 points.
Jul 29, 2024, 2:16 PM
Tennis: Djokovic beats Nadal in straight sets
Djokovic won 6-1 6-4 and this might be the last time we saw Rafael Nadal at his favourite The Philippe Chatrier. Djokovic moves to thrid round while Nadal will focus on Men's doubles now.
Jul 29, 2024, 10:54 AM
Shooting: China's Sheng Lihao grabs Gold with an Olympic record
Sheng Lihao wins the Men's 10m Rifle event with an Olympic record of 252.2.
Victor Lindgren, the World Champion collects the Silver medal in his debut Olympics. Miran Maricic wins Croatia's first medal at the Paris Olympics 2024 with a Bronze medal finish.
Shooting: Ban Hyojin equals Olympic record to win Gold in women's 10m air rifle
Ban, 16, who is still who's still studying at high school, beats Huang Yuting of China in a shoot-off to win the Gold in the Women's 10m Air Rifle final and equals the Olympic record set by Yang Qian in Tokyo.
India's Ramita Jindal finished seventh in the finals.
Jul 29, 2024, 8:46 AM
Shooting: Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh qualify for the bronze medal match
Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh qualified for the bronze medal match of the 10m air pistol mixed team event with 580 points. Bhaker scored 291 and Sarabjot scored 289. They will face Korea in the Bronze medal match tomorrow from 1pm IST.
Jul 29, 2024, 7:23 AM
Badminton: Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto in action in Women's doubles
Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto are in action in Women's Doubles against Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida of Japan.
Jul 29, 2024, 7:21 AM
Shooting:
Rhythm Sangwan and Arjun Singh are shooting in firing points 30 & 31 while Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh are at firing points 31 and 22.
Jul 29, 2024, 7:17 AM
Shooting: Reminder for Indian fans
Just a reminder, India have the Qualification world record of 587 set in Osijek in 2021.
India also have the Qualification Olympic record 582 set in Tokyo Olympics.
Jul 29, 2024, 7:06 AM
Shooting: Bhaker will be in action in 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team Qualification
Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh; Rhythm Sangwan and Arjun Singh Cheema will be in action from 12.45 pm IST in 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team Qualification.
Jul 29, 2024, 6:58 AM
Badminton: Satwik-Chirag's match is cancelled
Today's scheduled match of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy & Chirag Shetty was cancelled as their German opponents have withdrawn from the tournament because of injury.
The Indian pair will take on the Indonesian duo of Fajr and Rian tomorrow at 5.30 pm IST.
Jul 29, 2024, 3:20 AM
Léon Marchand broke Michael Phelps' 16-year-old Olympic record on Day 2
Léon Marchand broke the men's 400m individual medley Olympic record with a timing of 4:02.95. He broke Michael Phelps' previous Olympic record of 4:03.84, set at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
Jul 29, 2024, 3:17 AM
Indian athletes on Day 2
PV Sindhu won in straight sets in Women's Singles 🏸
Ramita Jindal qualified for Women's 10m Air Rifle final 🔫
Balraj Panwar qualified for the Men's sculls quarter-finals 🚣♂️
Arjun Babuta qualified for the Men's 10m Air Rifle final 🔫
Historic Bronze medal by Manu Bhaker in Women's 10m Air Pistol 🔫🥉
Sreeja Akula won in straight sets againstChristina Källberg in the Women's singles round of 64 🏓
Sharath Kamal lost against Deni Kožul by 2-4 in Men's Singles round of 64 🏓
Manika Batra defeated Great Britain's Anna Hursey 4-1 in the Women's singles round of 64 🏓
Dhinidhi Desinghu finished at the top in the women's 200m Freestyle Heat with a timing of 2:06.96. 🏊♀️
Indian Women's team lost to the Netherlands in team event quarter-final 🏹
Sumit Nagal lost against Corentin Moutet by 2-6, 6-2, 5-7 in Men's singles 🎾
Men's Singles Tennis draw for Paris Olympics 2024 confirmed
The Paris Olympics 2024 men’s tennis draw has been announced and Djokovic, seeded No. 1, is set to face Australia’s Matthew Ebden while Two-time Olympic gold medalist Rafael Nadal will face Hungary’s Marton Fuscovics.
The Paris Olympics 2024 men’s tennis draw is on the table and Two-time Olympic gold medalist Rafael Nadal will meet Hungary’s Marton Fuscovics, in Round 1. Nadal enters the tournament unseeded and is set to play his last Olympic games. There is a high possibility that he could play world No. 2, Novak Djokovic in the second round.
Novak Djokovic is likely making his last Olympic Games appearance and will be searching for his first gold medal. Djokovic won singles bronze at Beijing 2008 but a gold medal is the one prize he doesn't have won in his historic career.
The Serbian, seeded No. 1, is set to face Australia’s Matthew Ebden. Ebden received a last-minute entry into the Games after Holger Rune announced his withdrawal from the men’s singles event on Wednesday due to his wrist injury.
Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, seeded No. 2, will begin his debut Olympic campaign against Lebanon’s Hady Habib. 20-year-old Alcaraz enters the tournament as the world ranked No. 3 and is the most in-form player in the world right now. He recently won both the 2024 French Open and Wimbledon titles.
Reigning Olympic men’s champion Alexander Zverev will face Spain’s Jaume Munar in the first round. Zverev won gold in Tokyo after thrashing Khachanov in the final. He is also in form but has failed to clinch a single title this year after reaching three finals.
World No 1 Jannik Sinner was set to be the top seed in the men’s singles draw, and in the men’s doubles draw alongside fellow Italian Lorenzo Musetti. But he pulled out due to illness. He is going to be a huge miss. Denmark’s Holger Rune and Poland's Hubert Hurkacz will also miss the Men's Singles. Two-time gold medalist Andy Murray pulled out from Singles before the seeding and said that he would only compete in the men’s doubles event.
Novak Djokovic is set to be the top seed in Men's singles in the Paris Olympics 2024 after Jannik Sinner pulled out of the Olympic Games due to illness.
World No 1 Jannik Sinner was set to be the top seed in the men’s singles draw, and in the men’s doubles draw alongside fellow Italian Lorenzo Musetti. In Sinner's absence, Novak Djokovic is set to be the top seed in Men's singles at the Paris Olympics 2024. The brackets will feature 64 players, resulting in 16 seeded players. To win the gold, one must win six matches. The top 16 pre-seeded players won't face each other in the first two rounds. The players from the same country also cannot face each other in the first two rounds.
Novak Djokovic is likely making his last Olympic Games appearance and will be searching for his first gold medal. Djokovic won singles bronze at Beijing 2008 but a gold medal is the one prize he doesn't have won in his historic career.
The favourite for the gold is world No 3 and third seed, Carlos Alcaraz. Alcaraz is making his Olympic Games debut and coming after winning the French Open and Wimbledon, making him the most in-form player on tour.
Alexander Zverev is also a contender for the gold. World No. 5 Daniil Medvedev will compete as an authorized neutral athlete and is projected to be the fifth seed.
Tennis at Paris Olympics 2024: Tennis Olympics Qualification Explained
Tennis megastars such as Novak Djokovic, Iga Swiatek, and Carlos Alcaraz can qualify for the Paris Olympics 2024. But will we see another Olympic effort from legends such as Rafael Nadal?
The next Olympic Games are an important goal for the world’s top tennis players with many ATP stars expressing their desire to play at Paris Olympics 2024, where the competition will take place on the iconic courts of Roland Garros.
Megastars such as Novak Djokovic, Iga Swiatek, and Carlos Alcaraz can qualify for the Paris Olympics 2024. But will we see another Olympic effort from legends such as Rafael Nadal? What is certain is that Paris 2024 will be the seventh time that the Olympic tennis tournament has been played on clay, the first since Barcelona 1992. The ranking is essential, so all players urge to shine in the circuit tournaments in the coming weeks.
The Olympic qualification system has been released, without significant modifications from Tokyo 2020. Let's find out how tennis players can secure their spots at the upcoming Olympic Games.
Tennis at Paris Olympics 2024: Qualification Explained
How many tennis players per country can go to the Olympic Games?
According to the rules in this Olympic stratum, countries can have a maximum of 12 tennis players, which will necessarily be six men and six women. It is worth mentioning that there will be five events in action, men's and women's singles, men's and women's doubles, and mixed. In that sense, the condition is that in singles there can only be a limit of four representatives, the best positioned in ATP, for each nation.
What is the qualification system for Paris Olympics 2024?
The men's and women's tennis categories will have the performance of 64 people, who will qualify in different ways. The main path is the world ranking, which provides 56 places, although those located in that top will not necessarily travel to the event in France: declines, injuries, and the overall number of six ATP and WTA athletes per homeland are considered. The cut-off date for this segmentation will be June 10, when the Roland Garros edition ends, the second Grand Slam of the season.
Likewise, another four places will be awarded through the ITF process, which takes into account the champions or finalists of the events held in America, Asia and Africa, they require being within the Top 400 and their nation must not exceed the limit. The Argentine Facundo Diaz Acosta, the Chilean Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera (1st and 2nd in the Pan American Games) and the Chinese Zhang Zhizhen(1st in the Asian Games) are permanent. During this month of March, in Ghana, the African Games will start and a new competitor will be declared.
Finally, the two missing quotas will be distributed among those who have won Olympic gold or a major trophy. Under this scenario, Rafael Nadal would aim to receive an invitation to fight to ascend the throne. The estimated date for full registration is June 8, while reassignment due to withdrawals will take place days later.
The doubles competition will have 32 teams and each confederation will have a maximum of two sides. Players in the Top 10 in doubles will reach a direct quota if they have a compatriot in the top 300 (whether in singles or pairs). Obviously, the figure of 12 athletes per country cannot be exceeded. Then, the overall rank of the couples will be examined and, ultimately, the players already confirmed in the singles competition will be considered.
On the other hand, in the mixed doubles, 16 squads will be formed and there will only be one representation per nation. Duos will be formed between the tennis players previously classified in the remaining categories. Precisely, the combined ranking will be the restriction mode for the tournament.
What game system is there in tennis at the Olympic Games?
Tennis at Paris Olympics 2024 will take place in three sets, so the first to win two sets will advance to the round. The organization determined that the center court of the Philippe-Chatrier (Roland Garros) will host the duels, brick dust returns after 32 years (last time in Barcelona 1992). It is worth remembering that the general opening in search of the gold medal will be on July 27 and will last until August 4.
20 Highest-paid female athletes in the world: PV Sindhu only Indian on the list
Indian star shuttler PV Sindhu is India's sole representative on the list. She finished at the 16th spot alongside some of the highest-paid female athletes in the world.
Sports stands as one of the highest-paid professions globally because of vast financial rewards and entertainment value. However, despite many achievements, female athletes continue to earn substantially less than male athletes. Forbes' 2023 ranking highlighted this vast difference, with the top 20 male athletes gather $1.9 billion, more than eight times the earnings of the top 20 women. Today, we shift our focus to the top 20 highest-paid female athletes of the 2023-24 period and how much do they make in a year including prize money, endorsements and net worth.
The leading business magazine Forbes has revealed the world's highest-paid female athletes list. Twelve out of 20 athletes are from the world of tennis and dominate the chart. While Indian star shuttler PV Sindhu is India's sole representative on the list. she finished at the 16th spot alongside gymnast Simone Biles with her $7.1 million earnings.
Highest-paid Female Athletes | Top 20 List
1. Iga Swiatek (Tennis) | $23.9 million
At the age of 22, women's tennis world No. 1 Iga Swiatek of Poland topped the highest-paid female athletes list with an estimated $23.9 million (before taxes and agents' fees). In 2023, Swiatek was recognised as one of tennis's brightest stars by winning the second consecutive WTA Player of the Year Award. She has now spent a total of 82 weeks at the top spot, ranking 10th in WTA history. Swiatek also occupies the 14th position on the tour's career prize money list, boasting nearly $25 million in earnings.
Swiatek earned $14 million of her income through endorsements. Visa, On shoes and apparel, Oshee sports drinks and information technology company Infosys are some of the prominent brands endorsed by Swiatek.
2. Eileen Gu (Freestyle skiing) | $22.1 million
Eileen Gu, the freestyle skier and model, came in second on the top highest-paid female athletes list. She made $22.1 million in 2023, with the majority of her earnings coming from endorsements. Brands such as Mengniu Dairy and sportswear giant Anta in China, as well as luxury labels like Louis Vuitton and Victoria's Secret in the West, have all invested in partnerships with Gu. She was born in San Francisco but represented China in competition.
Despite struggling with a knee injury, Gu made a successful return in December and clinched victory in halfpipe events in both China and Colorado during her first World Cup action in 11 months.
Coco Gauff enjoyed the biggest season of her career in 2023 on the court, highlighted by her breakthrough victory at the US Open, her first Grand Slam title. Gauff has won four WTA tournaments in 2023 and as a result, she achieved a career-best No. 3 ranking in singles.
Apart from that, Gauff also raked in the deals and endorsements off the court, too. She has an estimated net worth of $21.7 million. 19-year-old Gauff demonstrated her commercial appeal by securing partnerships with brands such as Baker Tilly, Bose, and UPS this year. Recognized for her passion for Marvel superheroes, Gauff was featured in an advertisement for the 2023 film "The Marvels" and graced the cover of a limited-edition Invincible Iron Man comic book.
4. Emma Raducanu (Tennis) | $15.2 million
2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu, number three last year, played only 10 matches in 2023 as she underwent surgery on both her wrists and one ankle midway through the way. Despite this, she earned $15.2 million this campaign with $15 million coming from endorsements. Raducanu has an endorsement deal with HSBC, Tiffany, British Airways, Christian Dior, Vodafone, Porsche and Evian.
5. Naomi Osaka (Tennis) | $15 million
Naomi Osaka has not played an event since September 2022 till last year as as she gave birth to a daughter in July. Osaka has an estimated net worth of $15 million, which came only through endorsements.
Osaka cut way back on her sponsor commitments in 2023, but she did add a new partner three months ago; Meta created her own AI chatbot character named Tamika. Other celebrities with AI personalities on some Meta platforms include Snoop Dogg, Tom Brady, Kendall Jenner and Dwyane Wade.
Aryna Sabalenka had a dominant 2023 as the only women to reach the semifinals of all four Grand Slam events, including an Australian Open win and US Open runner-up finish. In September, she became the 29th women to ever hold the No. 1 ranking. She also received the International Tennis Federation's World Champion Award.
Sabalenka has an estimated net worth of $14.7 million. She recently collaborated with Maestro Dobel Tequila and Leaf Trading Cards. Beyond tennis, Sabalenka invested in wellness brand Beekeeper's Naturals and Olipop soda. She was also featured in Netflix's tennis docuseries Break Point.
7. Jessica Pegula (Tennis) | $12.5 million
Jessica Pegula has yet to make it past the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam event but finished the year ranked fifth in the world thanks to wins in 77% of her matches and two tournament titles. She was named to the esteemed 2024 Forbes 30 Under 30 list. Pegula's stellar year on the court was her victory at the Montreal singles tournament, marking the biggest title of her career. In addition, she reached the championship match at the WTA Finals in November.
Pegula has an estimated net worth of $12.5 million. Off the court, Pegula continues to expand her brand presence by securing partnerships with brands such as Dyson headphones, De Bethune watches, and Gorjana jewelry.
Elena Rybakina backed up her 2022 Wimbledon win with a pair of WTA 1000 tournament wins this year at Indian Wells and Rome, as well as a runner-up finish at the Australian Open. Building on this success, she had an outstanding 2023 season, securing victories in two WTA 1000 tournaments and concluding the year at an impressive No. 4 in the singles rankings.
Throughout her ascent, the 24-year-old player has strategically expanded her brand associations, forging partnerships with notable entities such as Red Bull and Yonex.
10. Leylah Fernandez (Tennis) | $8.8 million
Similar to Emma Raducanu, Leylah Fernandez continues to reap the rewards of her notable run to the 2021 US Open final. She maintains partnerships with more than 10 endorsement partners like Lululemon, Morgan Stanley, and Google Pixel phones. However, akin to Raducanu, Fernandez has encountered challenges in meeting the expectations set by her early success on the court.
11. Nelly Korda (Golf) | $8.2 million
Nelly Korda failed to reach the winner's circle in 2023, but her sponsor portfolio was transformed in a boost her off-course earnings. The 2021 Women's PGA Championship winner added lucrative new deals with Nike and TaylorMade, replacing J Lindeberg and Titleist to start the year, as well as another pair of global brands, Delta Airlines and Goldman Sachs.
11. Megan Rapinoe (Football) | $8.2 million
Megan Rapinoe did not get the storybook ending to her career as she was injured early in the NWSL Championship game, and her OL Reign fell to Gotham FC. Retirement will free up time for Rapinoe, who is a sought-after corporate speaker and last year launched a production company, A Touch More, along with her partner, WNBA legend Sue Bird.
13. Candace Parker (Basketball) | $8.1 million
Candace Parker captured the 2021 WNBA championship with the Chicago Sky and won another title (while injured) with the Las Vegas Aces in 2023. But with league salaries capped at around $200,000, she makes nearly all of her money from endorsements. Her brand partners include Adidas, CarMax and Gatorade and her annual off-the-court pay is more than double her total playing salary across her 15 years in the WNBA.
Candace was the first woman to appear on the cover of an "NBA 2K" video game and was among the star athletes to invest in trading-card exchange Alt in a funding round announced in November 2021. She also has a lucrative contract as an NBA analyst for Turner Sports.
14. Alex Morgan (Football) | $7.8 million
The US Women's National Team flamed out early at the 2023 World Cup, but Alex Morgan remains the sport's most popular choice for marketers. She has endorsement deals with Nike, Calvin Klein, Molecule, Hublot, Bodyarmor and Michelob Ultra. In 2021, she founded a female-focused media platform, Togethxr, with fellow star athletes Sue Bird, Chloe Kim and Simone Manuel. This year, she launched her own foundation. Her latest is an investment in Los Angeles Golf Club, a franchise in the Monday night golf league TGL set to launch in 2025.
15. Qinwen Zheng (Tennis) | $7.2 million
Qinwen Zheng won the WTA's Most Improved Player Award in 2023, an impressive follow-up to her 2022 Newcomer of the Year Award. She won singles titles in Palermo and Zhengzhou in 2023 and reached the US Open quarterfinals. Some in the sport wonder if she could be a marketing star along the lines of her countrywoman Li Na, who finished no lower than third in the female athletes earnings ranking from 2012 to 2014.
16. Simone Biles (Gymnastics) | $7.1 million
Simone Biles returned to competition in 2023 and was as dominant as ever. She clinched four gold medals at the World Championships, extending her record to 30 total career medals at the event, including 23 golds. She led the US to a record-breaking seventh consecutive world team title. In 2021, Biles left Nike to join Athleta, and this year, the brand released their third Athleta Girl Collection with Biles, which is entitled "Because I Can."
16. PV Sindhu (Badminton) | $7.1 million
India's PV Sindhu has made it into the list of top highest-paid female athletes by Forbes where she finished at the 16th spot alongside gymnast Simone Biles with her $7.1 million earnings. She is her country's sole representative on the list. Sindhu earned around seven million USD in off-field partnerships, having secured deals with Centuary Mattress and American Pistachio Growers in the past year.
Sindhu is already among India's most marketable athletes, with her sponsors ranging from Asian Paints to Bank of Baroda. Compared to her off-field marketing prowess, Sindhu earned just 0.1 million USD in on-field prize money, underlining her barren year and Badminton's financial disparity to other, more global sports.
Ons Jabeur reached her second straight Wimbledon final in 2023 and finished the season ranked sixth in the world. The Tunisian-born tennis ace was the first African and Arab woman to contest a major singles final. She has endorsements with Lotto, Wilson and Laval, and will collect an appearance fee in Saudi Arabia at the end of December.
19. Brooke Henderson (Golf) | $5.4 million
Henderson, a winner of two major golf championships, is arguably the most prominent female athlete in Canada. In January, she followed in the footsteps of Nelly Korda and transitioned to using TaylorMade equipment.
Following her triumphant performance at the tournament, the 24-year-old tennis star from the Czech Republic secured a new clothing sponsorship deal with J.Lindeberg. She ended the year on a high note, ranking seventh in the women's singles rankings.