Last week, we handed out awards to the women of the WTA, to highlight some of their standout off-court achievements and qualities.
This week, we take a look at the men’s tour and make our picks for the 2020 ATP Alternative Awards.
Activism award: Frances Tiafoe
The 22-year-old American spearheaded a ‘Racquets down, Hands up’ campaign with his girlfriend Ayan Broomfield in response to the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis earlier this year.
Tiafoe and Broomfield rallied together a host of players from the black tennis community, including Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka, Gael Monfils, Coco Gauff, Sloane Stephens, and many more to take part in their video that highlights racial injustice. The montage is set to the Oscar-winning song Glory, written and performed by John Legend and Common for the film Selma.
“Ayan and I felt the need to reach out to express our feelings for what is and for what has been going on here in America … Today, we put our racquets down and our hands up,” Tiafoe said in the video.
He told Sky Sports this week that he hopes to continue raising awareness in the future.
“It definitely felt good when I raised awareness, to see how far that video went and what that meant to them to try and make people understand. I'm happy about it, I'm just going to keep doing my part,” said Tiafoe.
Keeping Things in Perspective award: Rafael Nadal
The Spaniard has helped provide a constant reminder of what is really important during the challenging times following tennis' resumption in August from the coronavirus-enforced suspension.
Moments after he won a record-equalling 20th grand slam and record-extending 13th Roland Garros crown in Paris, Nadal was quick to send out a heartwarming message.
“I want to send a message to everyone around the world. We are facing one of the worst moments that I think we remember in this world, facing and fighting against this virus. Just keep going, stay positive and all the very best, together probably we will go through this and we will beat the virus soon,” said the Mallorcan.
During his press conference, Nadal added: “Of course, it is an important day for me, but I'm not stupid, no? It's still a very sad situation worldwide.”
Nadal’s perspective and general attitude while competing during the pandemic provided a healthy template for others to follow.
Tunisian star Ons Jabeur admitted that she was discouraged by the difficult and cold conditions the players were facing at the rescheduled French Open.
“I was like, 'Why are we playing?' Obviously I was looking how Rafa was taking this whole situation. To be honest, if he's a champion and he doesn't complain about it, I mean, who am I to complain about it right now?” she explained.
Resident Philosopher award: Stefanos Tsitsipas
The 22-year-old Greek has become famous for his introspective press conferences and philosophical social media posts. Even when he’s just previewing one of his matches, he often opts for a bold statement instead of giving a typical cliché answer. “I'm chasing something spectacular,” he said ahead of his Roland Garros semi-final in October.
When he lost to Novak Djokovic a couple of days later, he tweeted: “At the end of the day, all you need is hope, persistence and strength. Your future needs you. Your past doesn’t. Thank you @rolandgarros.”
“If you invest in yourself, you will love yourself. Make it so as if your life depends on it. It's a good principal,” he posted recently.
Tsitsipas acknowledges that he might not always be understood, but it’s actually something he takes pride in.
“These posts express my inner creativity,” he told Behind the Racquet earlier this year.
“I’m just trying to be different from the rest. I put Stefanos’ twist on life. I am philosophical, I come from a country with a history of philosophy and I don’t know if I was Pythagoras or Socrates in my previous life, but I wouldn’t mind being either one.”
Voice of Reason award: Nick Kyrgios
The talented Australian is no stranger to making headlines. Whether he’s hitting outrageous tweeners, nailing underhand serves, upsetting a ‘Big Three’ player, or throwing a tantrum on court, Kyrgios always manages to elicit strong responses from the media and the public.
His unfiltered nature often lands him in hot water but not this year. In 2020, Kyrgios won over many of his detractors by emerging as a voice of reason during these difficult times.
He started the year by pledging $200 for every ace he hit during the Australian summer to help with the raging bushfires that swept through his nation and many players followed suit. His efforts led Tennis Australia to stage the Rally for Relief that raised almost A$5 million to aid bushfire charities.
During the coronavirus shutdown, he delivered essential items to people in need after offering to help out on his social media, and he has been one of the fiercest critics of the irresponsible antics of his fellow players.
The Canberra native repeatedly called out the participants of the Adria Tour – which was staged with little to no safety measures in the Balkans mid-pandemic – and later slammed Alexander Zverev for partying in the South of France after promising to self-isolate for being in close contact with several positive cases. "I'm trying to hold them accountable," Kyrgios said.
The 25-year-old can be a divisive personality but it’s hard to argue with his level-headed stance throughout the pandemic.
Hit-maker award: Corentin Moutet
The entertaining French lefty showcases lots of flair on court and is just as gifted off it. He released his debut rap EP Écorché in September, after featuring on the track Drip with Canadian player Denis Shapovalov earlier in the year.
Moutet, 21, started playing the piano when he was injured at the age of 15 and got into rap a couple of years ago, before finishing his first album during quarantine.
“I take music as therapy because it’s nice to write and get rid of everything you’re feeling inside, both good and bad,” he told atptour.com. “I like the connection with people on social media through music as well. Even if you don’t speak the same language, you can speak to a lot of people through music.”
Best Post-loss Speaker award: Novak Djokovic
You’d be hard-pressed to find a better post-loss speaker in men’s tennis than Djokovic.
To be fair the Serb doesn’t lose many matches, but when he does, there’s usually a lot on the line and it would be understandable if he wanted to keep things short when speaking to reporters in an effort to leave the venue as soon as possible. Djokovic doesn’t do that though. Instead, he has mastered the art of talking to the media after suffering a defeat.
After falling to Nadal in the French Open final in October, the world No 1 gave credit to the Spaniard before sharing his own philosophy on dealing with defeat.
“Today you showed why you’re ‘King of clay,’ I have experienced it on my own skin,” he told Nadal on court.
In his press conference he added: “I don't have much to say but that I was completely overplayed by Rafa, by a better player on the court.
“In the greatest of defeats, you learn the greatest lessons as a tennis player, but as a person as well.”
Djokovic explained how he constantly reminds himself to be grateful for the life he has, and that that taking-nothing-for-granted perspective helps him bounce back.
When asked if he was worried about not being able to catch Nadal and Roger Federer in the race for most Grand Slams won, Djokovic told B92.net: “If I thought it was too late I would have ended my career today. But I do not think it is too late. I will keep on going as long as I have fuel in my legs and love and desire towards the sport. One defeat even though it is a Grand Slam final, cannot destabilise me. As the English say, I've developed 'thick skin' and I do not allow myself to be disturbed by various speculations and situations of this kind.”
It really was a masterclass in accepting defeat.
Rising Above the Hype award: Jannik Sinner
There has been a lot of hype surrounding the 19-year-old Italian and this season, he somehow lived up to it, while wisely ignoring it.
Sinner reached his first Grand Slam quarter-final in Paris in the fall, upsetting Zverev and David Goffin along the way, and actually won more games against Nadal in the last-eight stage than Djokovic managed in the final.
He was told by a reporter at the French Open that a pundit predicted he’d be in the top 10 within a year. Sinner’s response was spot on.
“I'm a person who looks not in the future and not in the past, always in the present. At the end you have to show everything. I haven't won anything until now.
“It's just head down and trying to improve, trying to play hours after hours on court, which I need to do. I have a great team behind me. We will see in 12 months where I am.”
He won his maiden ATP title a few weeks later in Sofia to finish the year ranked inside the top 40.
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
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Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
WHAT IS GRAPHENE?
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were experimenting with sticky tape and graphite, the material used as lead in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But when they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics.
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The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
MATCH INFO
Chelsea 0
Liverpool 2 (Mane 50', 54')
Red card: Andreas Christensen (Chelsea)
Man of the match: Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
ABU DHABI ORDER OF PLAY
Starting at 10am:
Daria Kasatkina v Qiang Wang
Veronika Kudermetova v Annet Kontaveit (10)
Maria Sakkari (9) v Anastasia Potapova
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova v Ons Jabeur (15)
Donna Vekic (16) v Bernarda Pera
Ekaterina Alexandrova v Zarina Diyas
The specs
Engine: 2.2-litre, turbodiesel
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Power: 160hp
Torque: 385Nm
Price: Dh116,900
On sale: now
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Leaderboard
63 - Mike Lorenzo-Vera (FRA)
64 - Rory McIlroy (NIR)
66 - Jon Rahm (ESP)
67 - Tom Lewis (ENG), Tommy Fleetwood (ENG)
68 - Rafael Cabrera-Bello (ESP), Marcus Kinhult (SWE)
69 - Justin Rose (ENG), Thomas Detry (BEL), Francesco Molinari (ITA), Danny Willett (ENG), Li Haotong (CHN), Matthias Schwab (AUT)
Zayed Sustainability Prize
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
2019 Asian Cup final
Japan v Qatar
Friday, 6pm
Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:
Ajax 2-3 Tottenham
Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate
Final: June 1, Madrid
RESULT
Aston Villa 1
Samatta (41')
Manchester City 2
Aguero (20')
Rodri (30')
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
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MATCH INFO
Sheffield United 0 Wolves 2 (Jimenez 3', Saiss 6)
Man of the Match Romain Saiss (Wolves)
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BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
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.
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
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Results
2pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m, Winner: AF Thayer, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer).
2.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: AF Sahwa, Nathan Crosse, Mohamed Ramadan.
3pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,000m, Winner: AF Thobor, Szczepan Mazur, Ernst Oertel.
3.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 2,000m, Winner: AF Mezmar, Szczepan Mazur, Ernst Oertel.
4pm: Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup presented by Longines (TB) Dh 200,000 (D) 1,700m, Winner: Galvanize, Nathan Cross, Doug Watson.
4.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,700m, Winner: Ajaj, Bernardo Pinheiro, Mohamed Daggash.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Arrogate's winning run
1. Maiden Special Weight, Santa Anita Park, June 5, 2016
2. Allowance Optional Claiming, Santa Anita Park, June 24, 2016
3. Allowance Optional Claiming, Del Mar, August 4, 2016
4. Travers Stakes, Saratoga, August 27, 2016
5. Breeders' Cup Classic, Santa Anita Park, November 5, 2016
6. Pegasus World Cup, Gulfstream Park, January 28, 2017
7. Dubai World Cup, Meydan Racecourse, March 25, 2017
