Lifestyle
Fit-again Nadal leaves door open to continuing career beyond 2024
BRISBANE, Australia, Dec 31 (Reuters) – Rafa Nadal refused to rule out playing beyond the 2024 season as he prepares to return from a hip injury that sidelined him for nearly a year, but the Spaniard admitted on Sunday there was also a “high percentage” chance he may not return next summer.
The 22-times Grand Slam champion had arthroscopic surgery on the iliopsoas muscle in his left hip in June after sustaining an injury during his second round defeat at the 2023 Australian Open by Mackenzie McDonald.
Advertisement · Scroll to continue
Report this ad
Nadal had previously said he expected to bring the curtains down on his glittering but injury-plagued career in 2024, but in a press conference ahead of his comeback at the Brisbane International he left the door ajar.
“The problem about saying it’s going to be my last season is that I can’t predict what’s going on 100% in the future. That’s the thing,” Nadal said ahead of a doubles match on Sunday with partner Marc Lopez. “That’s why I say probably.”
Advertisement · Scroll to continue
Report this ad
The Brisbane tournament is a tune-up for the Jan. 14-28 Australian Open during the height of the country’s summer.
Nadal plays Austria’s Dominic Thiem in his Brisbane singles opener on Tuesday – a blockbuster rematch of their 2018 and 2019 French Open title clashes, both of which the 37-year-old Spaniard won.
“It’s obvious it’s a high percentage that it’s going to be my last time playing in Australia. But if I’m here next year, don’t tell me, ‘you said it’s going to be your last season’ because I didn’t say it,” said Nadal, a two-time winner of the Australian Open men’s singles title.
“You never know what’s going on, you know? I can’t predict how I’m going to be in the next six months. I can’t predict if my body will allow me to enjoy tennis as much as I enjoyed the past 20 years.”
In an interview on Dec. 13 with Spanish newspaper El Pais and published on Sunday, Nadal said he was already thinking about the French Open, where he has won 14 of his major titles.
He said he would have more clarity about his future by then.
GOLF
Golf’s Favorite Son Returns: Jordan Spieth Makes Rare Appearance Post-Surgery
Jordan Spieth had been in insufferable pain in his wrist. And well, this is not something that just happened. The injury dates back to late 2017 when he happened to injure it during an intense training session. However, he did not get it fixed right away and became a victim of some bad swing habits. It has been a lingering issue, to put it simply, until now.
After almost seven long years, he finally decided to take care of his injury. On August 31, Spieth announced on his social media that he underwent a successful surgery to curb the issue. This was right after he competed at the FedEx St. Jude Classic.“I had a procedure on my left wrist last week, as I had mentioned was the plan,”Spieth wrote on X. “The operation went smoothly, and I’m grateful for the exceptional medical team and support of (his wife) Annie and my family.”As it turns out, he has finally reappeared, not on the greens though.
The golfer took to his official Instagram account and shared pictures of what looked like a recent vacation that he took with his beautiful wife Annie. In the caption, he wrote, “Out of office!”Well, who would not want to be out of office this way? The glimpses he shared were surreal and picturesque. A perfect vacation it seemed.
This update came after almost two weeks of posting a picture with his son, adorable Sammy, wearing a Texas Longhorns jersey. Now his wrist looks better, but that was not the case 15 days after surgery. Speith was seen at the junior fundraiser event, Crush It! Cup. At that time, Spieth’s left arm had the cast, and he could barely move it. Some time ago, Spieth was also spotted alongside Scottie Scheffler as they made it to the 48th governor of Texas, Greg Abbot’s house. There, Spieth could even hold a placard in his left hand.
While the couple looked adorable together and Jordan Spieth looked a lot better, the golf community fixated only on one question throughout the comments section.
The Golf Community is curious about Jordan Spieth’s comeback
Jordan Spieth’s last appearance was almost three months ago, trying to qualify for the 2024 BMW Championship and make it to the Tour Championship. And well, the St. Jude Classic was not his best performance. He scored a disappointing 9-over to drop down to a T68 on the leaderboard after the final round. Now, only the top 50 were to make it to the next event for the FedEx Cup Playoffs, so he did not qualify.
Two weeks later, his surgery being successful was announced. Fans have been waiting to see him play some of his best golf ever since. Taking to this, one of them wrote, “Back better than ever champ”.Another asked him, “When are you coming back, king?”Spieth aims to return to the 2025 season in January with better practice and energy.
The 31-year-old has managed to grab 13 PGA Tour wins and has almost always been a fan favorite. However, the entire 2024 season was what one might call one of his worst career years. Appearing in twenty-two events, he missed cuts in seven of them. His only top-10 finishes came during the first four months of the season, after which his performance only kept declining.
Fans suspect that this might be due to the daunting pain. And now that he is back after the successful surgery, Spieth will get back to his best form. Taking to this, one of them wrote, “😍you look great Jordan. Looking forward to seeing you back on the golf ⛳️ course. Stay strong 🙏🙏”.
The American professional has three major wins in his career. He won the Masters in 2015, the US Open in the same year, and the Open Championship in 2017. The only major he is to grab a win at is the PGA Championship to complete his grand slam. Well, fans are speculating that it won’t be long before he can achieve the feat. Taking this, one of them wrote, “Grand slam incoming”.
While others worried about his prolonged wrist injury commented on his healing process. While one of them asked him, “How’s the wrist?”another simply suggested, “Keep resting up the wrist, King.”.
Lifestyle
‘Accept Nothing Less’ – Serena Williams’ Husband Alexis Ohanian Gets Fiercely Passionate About His ‘Women’s Sports’ Slogan in Rousing UVA Speech
Alexis Ohanian is more than just a tech mogul and Serena Williams’ biggest fan—he’s a passionate advocate for women’s sports.
Whether it’s through investing in the game or speaking up for equality, the Reddit co-founder never shies away from pushing for the changes he wants to see. And his recent visit to his alma mater was no different.
Taking the stage, Ohanian once again championed the challenges women face in sports, reminding the athletes of the opportunities they deserve.
The 41-year-old visited the University of Virginia to cheer up for the women’s basketball team. Ohanian ensured to boost their confidence with an intriguing message as he reflected that women athletes deserve immense limelight just like their male counterparts and expressed his desire to keep working to support them throughout their careers.
In a video that surfaced on Instagram, Ohanian can be seen addressing some female basketball players. He promised that the next time he visits them, he would try to bring his wife, Williams, as well. He lauded the coach of the team as well and said, “Coach, credit to you too.
Their foundation starts here. It’s just so compelling and I see it out there. It’s gonna be a lot of fun to watch this program.” But what caught the attention was his remarkable admiration for female athletes and his desire to bring about a change.
Speaking further to the athletes, Ohanian said, “I will keep doing the work on the court and off the court, will take care of the rest. This is the era of excellence of women in sports.
So no matter how you are thinking like ‘how, well, should I do it now,’ like You all DESERVE EVERY BIT OF THIS!” Continuing further, he also motivated them to understand their worth.
“There is a new bar, there is a new standard Accept nothing less.” Ohanian has continued to take several measures to promote women’s sports and one such example was his initiative in the form of Athlos NYC.
Entertainment
Jordan Spieth Responds to Online Rumors: “It’s a Set-Up, I’m Being Blackmailed”
Golf star Jordan Spieth has hit back against rumors circulating online, calling them a “set-up” and claiming he is the target of blackmail.
The three-time major champion took to social media to set the record straight after false information began spreading across various platforms.
In a strongly worded post, Spieth stated, “There’s a lot of misinformation being shared right now. This is nothing more than a calculated set-up, and I am being blackmailed.”
Although he did not elaborate on the nature of the rumors, Spieth emphasized that the claims have no basis in truth and warned fans not to believe unverified stories circulating on the internet.
Spieth’s team is reportedly investigating the origins of the rumors and has hinted that legal action could be pursued against those responsible.
“We’re living in a time where anyone can say anything online without evidence,” one of Spieth’s representatives shared in a statement. “Jordan is committed to maintaining his focus on the game and protecting his reputation from these baseless attacks.”
With no official comment yet from law enforcement, fans are rallying in support of Spieth, expressing their disappointment in the prevalence of online misinformation.
- Health3 months ago
Paige Spiranac stuns in racy outfit, offers fans a shot at free Super Bowl tickets
- Lifestyle3 months ago
Simon Cowell returns to Britain’s Got Talent following illness
- Lifestyle3 months ago
Simon Cowell reveal to fans and friends his wedding to Lauren Silverman
- Entertainment2 months ago
Simon Cowell ‘disappears’ as Britain’s Got Talent past contestants return in surprise audition
- Entertainment2 months ago
Simon Cowell was ‘actually quite nervous’ after being honored to walk X-factor contestant down the aisle
- Entertainment3 months ago
Paige Spiranac revs up NASCAR fans’ hearts as she serves as honorary pace car rider at Daytona
- Lifestyle2 months ago
Rare pic of Tiger Woods’ leg without sleeve revealed following horror crash and surgery as fans say ‘that is brutal’
- Lifestyle2 months ago
Sammy Spieth and Maya Fowler Steal the Show at the Masters Par-3 Contest