Rafael Nadal and Emma Raducanu might be at opposite ends of their respective tennis careers but parallels can be drawn between their early years.
Both are supremely talented players who shot to superstardom by winning a Grand Slam as a youngster. Both fell victim to the misfortune of injury early in their careers. And both are now making their way back from extended injury breaks under a glaring spotlight.
For Raducanu, her shining moment famously came at the 2021 US Open, where, at the age of 18, she became the first qualifier to win a major title – achieved without dropping a set. Blue-chip sponsors clamoured to be associated with sport's newest sensation, and overnight Raducanu became one of the most marketable athletes on the planet.
But the next two years on the court were not kind to Raducanu. Struggling under the weight of expectation and dealing with a litany of injury issues, the Briton slid back down the rankings and called time on her 2023 season at the end of April after undergoing surgery on her ankle and both wrists.
Of all professional tennis players, few can empathise with Raducanu's setbacks more than Nadal. He may have amassed 22 Grand Slam titles and set a host of unbreakable records, but his has been a career significantly disrupted by injury. The most recent, a hip injury, was deemed severe enough to require surgery that kept the Spaniard on the sidelines for close to a full year.
Returning from such lengthy absences is a gradual process. Players need time not only to get their fitness up to speed, but to rediscover their touch and feel on the court, their game management, and how to deal with pressure moments and swings in momentum.
In that regard, both Raducanu and Nadal are showing encouraging signs at the start of the new season, albeit with contrasting results on Thursday.
In Auckland, Raducanu produced one of her best performances against a top player since her US Open triumph, going down in three sets to world No 25 Elina Svitolina. The world No 301 went toe-to-toe with her illustrious opponent for two long sets before tiring in the third to lose 6-7, 7-6, 6-1.
Raducanu was the far better player in the early exchanges and deserved her 5-1 lead in the first set, with Svitolina unable to handle the 21-year-old's aggression and impressive ball striking. Even after letting slip her lead by losing five straight games, Raducanu showed grit under pressure to force, and then win, the tiebreak.
An even second set went the way of Svitolina in another tiebreak and as Raducanu fatigued, the Ukrainian ultimately ran away with the decider.
But this was a good performance from Raducanu, who should take plenty of confidence from her two matches in New Zealand heading into the Australian Open, where she has gained last-minute automatic entry under her protected ranking of 103.
Later in the day and across the Tasman Sea in Brisbane, Nadal continued his own comeback with a classy display, following up his first-round win over former US Open champion Dominic Thiem with a lopsided 6-1, 6-2 victory against Australian wildcard Jason Kubler.
Granted, Nadal did not face quite the same calibre of challenge as Raducanu on Thursday, but this was still the Spaniard close to his ruthless best, refusing to allow Kubler to settle and completely controlling the match from start to finish from the baseline.
Nadal was not quite as dominant on serve as he was against Thiem and needed to save four break points throughout the match, although his return game was locked in; he won 43 per cent of Kubler's first serve points and a whopping 82 per cent on his second serve.
"I started the match playing very well, with a very good determination," the former world No 1 said on court. "I came on court trying to be aggressive with my shots from the baseline and it worked very well. It was a very positive match.
"To have the chance to play again tomorrow means a lot to me. Two victories after a long time away from the professional tour is something that makes me feel good."
Next up in Nadal's comeback mission is another Australian, Jordan Thompson, in the quarter-finals on Friday. The 37-year-old has beaten Thompson on two previous occasions, both in straight sets, and will be heavily favoured to complete the hat-trick.
Nadal, who admitted 2024 could be his final season, has been keen to stress the importance of keeping expectations low. But if he maintains this level, then it will be tough to convince anyone that he won't be a contender at the Australian Open.
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Bio
Born in Dibba, Sharjah in 1972.
He is the eldest among 11 brothers and sisters.
He was educated in Sharjah schools and is a graduate of UAE University in Al Ain.
He has written poetry for 30 years and has had work published in local newspapers.
He likes all kinds of adventure movies that relate to his work.
His dream is a safe and preserved environment for all humankind.
His favourite book is The Quran, and 'Maze of Innovation and Creativity', written by his brother.
The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable
Amitav Ghosh, University of Chicago Press
if you go
The flights
Direct flights from the UAE to the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, are available with Air Arabia, (www.airarabia.com) Fly Dubai (www.flydubai.com) or Etihad (www.etihad.com) from Dh1,200 return including taxes. The trek described here started from Jomson, but there are many other start and end point variations depending on how you tailor your trek. To get to Jomson from Kathmandu you must first fly to the lake-side resort town of Pokhara with either Buddha Air (www.buddhaair.com) or Yeti Airlines (www.yetiairlines.com). Both charge around US$240 (Dh880) return. From Pokhara there are early morning flights to Jomson with Yeti Airlines or Simrik Airlines (www.simrikairlines.com) for around US$220 (Dh800) return.
The trek
Restricted area permits (US$500 per person) are required for trekking in the Upper Mustang area. The challenging Meso Kanto pass between Tilcho Lake and Jomson should not be attempted by those without a lot of mountain experience and a good support team. An excellent trekking company with good knowledge of Upper Mustang, the Annaurpuna Circuit and Tilcho Lake area and who can help organise a version of the trek described here is the Nepal-UK run Snow Cat Travel (www.snowcattravel.com). Prices vary widely depending on accommodation types and the level of assistance required.
THE DRAFT
The final phase of player recruitment for the T10 League has taken place, with UAE and Indian players being drafted to each of the eight teams.
Bengal Tigers
UAE players: Chirag Suri, Mohammed Usman
Indian: Zaheer Khan
Karachians
UAE players: Ahmed Raza, Ghulam Shabber
Indian: Pravin Tambe
Kerala Kings
UAE players: Mohammed Naveed, Abdul Shakoor
Indian: RS Sodhi
Maratha Arabians
UAE players: Zahoor Khan, Amir Hayat
Indian: S Badrinath
Northern Warriors
UAE players: Imran Haider, Rahul Bhatia
Indian: Amitoze Singh
Pakhtoons
UAE players: Hafiz Kaleem, Sheer Walli
Indian: RP Singh
Punjabi Legends
UAE players: Shaiman Anwar, Sandy Singh
Indian: Praveen Kumar
Rajputs
UAE players: Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed
Indian: Munaf Patel
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The Details
Article 15
Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios
Directed by: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Zeeshan Ayyub
Our rating: 4/5
The biog
Name: Younis Al Balooshi
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Doctorate degree in forensic medicine at the University of Bonn
Hobbies: Drawing and reading books about graphic design
The specs
Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder and 3.6-litre 6-cylinder
Power: 220 and 280 horsepower
Torque: 350 and 360Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh136,521 VAT and Dh166,464 VAT
On sale: now
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Tottenham 0-1 Ajax, Tuesday
Second leg
Ajax v Tottenham, Wednesday, May 8, 11pm
Game is on BeIN Sports
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
One in nine do not have enough to eat
Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.
One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.
The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.
Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.
It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.
On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.
Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.
Normcore explained
Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.
