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Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal ‘disrespected’ by tennis teen player

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Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal ‘disrespected’ by tennis teen player

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After Carlos Alcaraz successfully defended his Madrid Open title in impressive fashion, the tennis world appeared to be united behind one narrative – he is the outstanding favorite to win the French Open.

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Yet that view ignores the reality that his two great rivals have yet to take him on in 2023.

Alcaraz’s rise to the top of the ATP rankings will be confirmed after next week’s Italian Open and while the Spaniard is undoubtedly the form player on the tour heading into the second major of the season, two big questions need to be answered.

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The teenager has yet to beat Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic in a best-of-five-set Grand Slam match and until he does that, those eager to crown him as the new king of tennis need to be cautious.

It is disrespectful to Djokovic and Nadal to declare their eras of dominance are over before they have had a chance to take on the player who appears to be ready to take their place.

So while there may be huge doubts over the 22-time major champions who are facing a facing against time to get back to their best for the French Open, yet comments like these from 18-time Grand Slam legend Chris Evert suggest some in the game are writing off the living legends of the game a little too hastily.

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal ‘disrespected’ by tennis teen player

“When I look at Novak and Rafa, there are question marks about their health,” said Evert at a Eurosport event.

“These two have been the greatest clay court players of the last few years, but as they get older they get a little bit injured and we don’t know what their status will be.

“So I think Alcaraz is primed for this title at the French Open.

“Like everyone else, I am jumping on the bandwagon with Carlos because we have never seen a player with so much passion and so much hunger in such a long time.

“The guy has it all; he’s got the athleticism, the skillset, he knows defense, he knows offence and he has no weaknesses.

“To me, if he keeps himself healthy and hungry, I think the title is his (in Paris).

“If Novak and Rafa were not injured, I would have a different view and when Rafa is 80 years old, I wouldn’t rule him out from winning the French Open!

“So I am not dismissing them, but I just feel their preparation isn’t great, but Novak and Rafa have superior experience.

“They know better than anyone how to navigate their careers and they know how to manage their emotions. They also favour the majors more than anyone.

READ MORE: Iga Swiatek thinks no player should rely on solely their attack or defence as make references to Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic

“They could come out of the starting gate playing vintage tennis, but on current form, you would have to slightly favour Alcaraz.”

Like all of us who love the game, Evert has been blown away by the brilliance of US Open champion Alcaraz, but we are all waiting for the first showdown between outgoing world No 1 Djokovic and his possible successor before any defining comments on a changing of the guard can be delivered.

Novak is due to return to action at the Italian Open in the coming days and if his elbow problem has sufficiently healed, he will have all the motivation he needs to knock Alcaraz off his perch.

The great champions don’t know when they are beaten and Djokovic will be eager to confirm as much if he gets his chance to take on Alcaraz in Rome.

Then, if the French Open showdown everyone in tennis is hoping for becomes a reality, we will get the answers to the questions everyone in tennis is now asking.

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Latest Shakira and Lewis Hamilton identical surfing videos stirred reaction fron netizens

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The latest Shakira and Lewis Hamilton identical surfing videos stirred reactions from netizens

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Shakira and Lewis Hamilton dating rumors just got bigger as a couple of videos went viral for being very similar, Shakira and Lewis Hamilton are seen surfing each in their video but they are never seen together

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Shakira has most likely turned the page on her past relationship, her painful breakup with the former Spanish footballer as she has been spotted next to Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton on several occasions, fueling rumors and assumptions of a potential relationship that may be building between the two.

According to some European media reports, the singer and the F1 driver have already been seeing each other for a month and substantially increasing the number of dates.

Shakira has reportedly been seen in the arms of Lewis Hamilton in videos and photos after attending the Spanish Grand Prix.

Latest Shakira and Lewis Hamilton identical surfing videos stirred reaction from netizens

Close friends of the two have said that they have been spending a lot of time together lately and have been gradually getting to know each other, having fun and flirting.

Shakira becomes Billboard’s ‘Woman of the Year
Shakira’s first appearance at an F1 race this year took place in Miami a day after she received Billboard’s “Woman of the Year” award at the inaugural “Latin Women in Music” gala.

Watch The Video Here https://videos.marca.com/v/0_rvx79so8-lewis-hamilton-and-shakira-share-identical-videos-of-them-surfing-coincidence?count=0

Shakira reportedly confessed, during the reception of her award, that this year was one of many radical changes in her life, during which she felt more than ever what it means to be a woman.

READ MORE Ferrari ignored Charles Leclerc as problem loom

In her latest songs, Shakira has used music as therapy, referring to her ex-partner, and has tried to free herself from the trauma caused by the separation.

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Novak Djokovic discussed dealing with the pressure of playing for a historic 23rd major title after he defeated Carlos Alcaraz

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Novak Djokovic discussed dealing with the pressure of playing for a historic 23rd major title after he defeated Carlos Alcaraz

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The Serbian moved within one win of a record 23rd major trophy on Friday by defeating World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz to reach the championship match at Roland Garros. Djokovic pulled away from the physically ailing Spaniard after a pulsating opening two sets to clinch a four-set triumph and move to the brink of history.

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“Pressure is always on my shoulders, so it’s not going to be different,” said the 36-year-old, who would move ahead of Rafael Nadal in the Grand Slam titles race by defeating Casper Ruud in Sunday’s final. “But it’s part of my sport, part of my life, all that I do. I think that having pressure is a privilege. But it’s a source of motivation, as well. Great motivation to play well and to reach Sunday.

“Before the tournament, I was saying that of course for me Roland Garros is a Grand Slam, and it’s the most important tournament on this surface. So I was well-prepared so that I would be in this position so would be ready for this battle to win this other Grand Slam title.

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“I hope that I’ll play my best tennis level on Sunday. The only thing I can say now is that I’m very focused. History is always something that’s hovering over me, but I’m very happy to be in this position to write the history of this sport, but I’m just thinking about winning the next match.”

Djokovic produced some of his best tennis of the fortnight in Paris early against Alcaraz, but the Spaniard had struck back to level the pair’s semi-final at one-set-all when he began to suffer from a debilitating cramp that severely hindered his movement on Court Philippe-Chatrier. In true champion style, Djokovic stayed focused on his own game to clinch a comfortable victory in a match that had seemed set to become a Roland Garros classic.

“I have experienced that several times,” said Djokovic when asked about Alcaraz’s post-match self-assessment that the tension of the encounter had contributed to his physical issues. “Early in my career, I was struggling quite a bit physically. I can understand the emotions and circumstances that affect you mentally and emotionally.

“Being in one of the greatest tournaments of the world, [and] maybe for the first time in his career he was expected to win. He was maybe not an underdog, chasing the title and trying to win against a favorite. It was probably the other way around. So maybe that affected him. As he said, it probably did.”

Djokovic was in no doubt that 2022 US Open champion Alcaraz would soon come again on the Grand Slam stage, and likened the Spaniard’s tribulations on the Parisian clay to some that he went through earlier in his career.

“It’s part of the learning curve. It’s part of the experience,” said Djokovic, who had to wait three years between winning his first major title and his second. “He’s only 20. So, he’s got plenty of time.

“He’s shown so much maturity in the last couple of years. He appeared on the scene, just a few years ago, winning his first title, and only a year later he wins his first Grand Slam, and he becomes No. 1.

“I have tremendous respect for that, and he’s got a great coach, a great team of people around him. The career will be his. His career will be very successful if he manages obviously to keep healthy because the game is there.”

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Kevin Harvick Changes Voice About His Retirement

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Kevin Harvick Changes Voice About His Retirement

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Nascar champion Kevin Harvick is preparing for the biggest change of his professional career. It’s bigger than when he began racing full-time in the Cup Series for Richard Childress Racing, and it’s larger than becoming the ace driver at Stewart-Haas Racing.

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Harvick is ready, and he’s excited about the next challenge of his life as he steps away from full-time Nascar racing at the end of the season.

“I have no regrets,” Harvick said, reflecting on his retirement.

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The decision, he said, mulled over his head for the last five years before finally deciding now is the right time to hang up his helmet. The man who’s been one of the voices of the garage area for the last few years is now set to be the voice of Nascar on TV. He’s headed to the Nascar on Fox booth, where he’ll serve as an analyst alongside play-by-play announcer Mike Joy and former teammate Clint Bowyer.

“Every week has been like, ‘That was the last Daytona 500, the last Coke 600,’” Harvick said. “I haven’t gotten out of the car once and said, ‘I don’t know if this is the right thing to do.’ Part of that is because I know I’ll be sitting in the TV booth next year. We have all of our business in line, the structure for everything we have and our people. It’s a great time to transition and be part of what my kids have going on, and I’ll help DeLana with them. I’m enjoying every week, but I’m not disappointed it’s the last one.”

Harvick is having a solid final season with Stewart-Haas Racing. He is only one of two Ford drivers — the other being Ryan Blaney — to rank in the top 10 in the standings through the first 15 races.

Currently, Harvick is on pace to perform better in his final season than four-time Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon did in his 2015 retirement tour. That season, Gordon won his final event with just four races left in the season, locking him into the championship battle for the last time. Gordon ended his final full season with five top fives and 21 top 10s with a 13.7 average finish.

Harvick has shown that age hasn’t slowed him down one bit. As the leader of Stewart-Haas Racing, he’s been the one to find speed while his three teammates sit 25th or worse in the standings, though Chase Briscoe received one of the biggest penalties in Nascar history following the Coca-Cola 600 and was docked 120 points.

But even with strong performances to start the year, Harvick is not changing his decision. He will not pull a Tom Brady and return for another final chapter.

“As we’ve gone to each race, we started planning and put the pieces in a play about a year ago to officially say there is no more maybe and there are no more extensions,” Harvick said. “This is it.”

Harvick may be even busier in his post-driving career than he is at the moment.

KHI Management, his sports management firm, is expanding. The pieces are in place to have Harvick himself take on an enhanced role, serving as a mentor for the athletes and drivers he works with. Among the firm’s clients are potential future drivers at SHR, including Harrison Burton, Todd Gilliland, and, most recently, Josh Berry. Berry, who drives for JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series and filled in for Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman with Hendrick Motorsports in the Cup Series this year, is reportedly finalizing a deal to take over Harvick’s car in 2024.

The team at KHI, which includes three people who have worked with Harvick for 25 years, has been hard at work for the last year to prepare him for what’s next. And he leaned on SHR co-owner Tony Stewart about how to enjoy his final season.

“We put logos into place for racetracks, fans, and merchandise,” Harvick said. “We put a lot of pieces into play for the small things that we didn’t want to creep up as we started the season. Stewart-Haas Racing has been a huge part of everything that we have going on because of everything they did with Tony.

“Getting advice from Tony and everybody on his team about things they did like and didn’t like, how they did things, what was the most distracting. Our goal from the beginning was to make sure the distractions didn’t get in the way of the competition.”

Along with his Nascar on Fox gig, Harvick will be traveling to his son’s races. Until now, he’s only seen 11-year-old Keelan Harvick compete in Europe twice. Now, it’s time to focus on being a dad and a coach.

Harvick said, “Being able to spend more time with his racing and watch Piper do what she wants to do and not have my wife look at me with the evil eye while she’s traveling to watch Keelan race. I want to have flexibility in my schedule to spend more time with all of them. They’re at a pivotal point in their lives where they need both of their parents to be part of it as much as possible. Getting out of the competition side allows me to have some flexibility in my schedule.”

To top it off, Harvick is also one of the new owners of the CARS Tour, alongside Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton, and Justin Marks.

“I’ll probably be busier, but it’s a different busy,” Harvick said. “This is the part that’s hard for people to understand: you see Sunday and you see the race, but you don’t see all of the work during the week.

“Not being responsible for that competitive mindset will make my brain function a lot easier. That’s the main part that will free up the mental capacity that’s absorbed by the competition side. The only way to be good at this is to do it everyday and be involved with it at a high level, because the more details you can cover and the better that’s structured, the better you’re going to be.”

As Harvick prepares for the second half of the Nascar season, his eyes are on the championship trophy. There’s only one way for him to go out, he believes, and that’s on top.

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