The four-times Grand Slam champion, who is eyeing her third Australian Open trophy when the tournament begins on January 18 at Melbourne Park, was pushed harder in the next set but edged ahead again at 5-4 to wrap up the win on serve.
World number one Aryna Sabalenka enters the Australian Open in her familiar role as the hot favourite but unlike in the past two years the powerful Belarusian arrives without a title to defend or the momentum of a winning run in Melbourne.
World number one Aryna Sabalenka brushed aside Marta Kostyuk 6-4, 6-3 in the Brisbane International final on Sunday to retain the title without losing a set ahead of her bid to reclaim the Australian Open title this month.
Eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi is not scheduled to play serious football on the 'G.O.A.T. India Tour 2025'.
Lionel Messi's GOAT Tour began amid chaos and vandalism at the Salt Lake Stadium, but for former India players Dipendu Biswas and Syed Rahim Nabi, it still turned into the moment of a lifetime in Kolkata on Saturday.
Argentine superstar footballer Lionel Messi's touchdown in Kolkata in the early hours of Saturday sent the city into a frenzy.
Satadru Dutta's rise was swift and ambitious. But that journey took a dramatic nosedive on Saturday.
Portugal qualified for the 2026 World Cup on Sunday with a 9-1 hammering of Armenia that included hat-tricks from both Bruno Fernandes and Joao Neves.
Obeid's widow Doaa al-Obeid now clutches the blue-and-white number 10 shorts he wore for his Gaza club, Al-Shati, one of the only mementos she has of her late husband, as she and her five children mourn the revered 41-year-old striker.
United States President Donald Trump paid homage to soccer great Pele after being met with boos and cheers from the crowd at the Club World Cup final on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Salah has called out UEFA for omitting key details about the death of Palestinian football legend Suleiman al-Obeid in their tribute post
Following a campaign, Pele in the dictionary, legendary football Pele has now been added as an adjective in the dictionary.
Precisely how many time Pele hit the net is a matter of debate, with most statisticians agreeing the number is between 1,281 and 1,283.
Pele's death has unified Brazil, a country starkly divided by a bruising presidential election.
Playing against Mohun Bagan on a slushy and jam-packed Eden Gardens on September 24, 1977 in the twilight of his career, the three-time World Cup winner was overwhelmed by the depth of talent a "little known" Indian club possessed.
Pele, the legendary Brazilian soccer player who rose from barefoot poverty to become one of the greatest and best-known athletes in modern history, died on Thursday at the age of 82.
Pele was eventually convinced to sign a multimillion-dollar deal with US club New York Santos in June 1975, aided by then-Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who wrote a letter to the Brazilian government stressing how important his presence would be for bilateral relations.
More than the story of any other footballer or athlete, Pele's life helped democratise his sport; made it the stuff of a widely shared dream. Shyam G Menon salutes the memory of the greatest footballer ever.
Neymar has left Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal to return to Santos, the Brazilian club where both he and Pele made their names.
Years later, in 1997, the queen honoured Pele with an honorary knighthood of the British Empire. He remembered the moment in an Instagram post in 2017 when he thanked "all the British people for their affection".
Pele's greatest contribution to both soccer and Brazil was to transform his underachieving nation into a footballing superpower.
The 82-year-old had a tumour removed from his colon in September 2021 and has since been in and out of the hospital for treatment on a regular basis.
"In this period, everyone's thinking of New Year's Eve, the distraction can be a problem. Two days after Leeds, we have to be ready."
Brazil, who are fifth in the CONMEBOL table with 18 points from 12 games, host Colombia on March 21 and visit Argentina five days later in a match that could see Neymar come up against former Barcelona and Paris St Germain teammate Lionel Messi.
Putting their bitter club rivalries aside, Kolkata's Big Three football clubs joined in to mourn the loss of Pele and remember his magical presence that wowed the metropolis 45 years back.
In the early hours Monday, his body arrived under fireworks in the city of about 430,000 people from Sao Paulo's Albert Einstein Hospital.
Brazilian soccer legend Pele's family members gathered at the Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo on Saturday, where the 82-year-old, widely considered one of the greatest footballers of all time, has been since late November.
The Santos, Brazil and New York Cosmos player will turn 81 on October 23. Pele is the only man to win three World Cups as a player.
Pele, 82, has been battling colon cancer since September 2021 and was hospitalized on Nov. 29 for doctors to re-evaluate his treatment. He is also being treated for a respiratory infection diagnosed following his hospitalisation.
Brazilian soccer great Pele said on Saturday he was "strong" and grateful for the widespread support he has been receiving after being hospitalized in Sao Paulo earlier this week as he battles colon cancer.
'This victory is for him. I hope that everything goes well, that he can get out of this situation and we can be champions for him.'
Brazil soccer great Pele died on Thursday, aged 82, after a long battle with cancer.
The former Brazil, Santos and New York Cosmos striker posted a picture of his face projected on a building in Qatar, where the World Cup is being held, next to a message saying "Get well soon".
Brazilian soccer legend Pele's cancer has advanced and he requires care related to renal and cardiac dysfunction, according to a medical report.
Neymar scored in extra time against Croatia
Brazil great Pele has not been moved to palliative care, one of his daughters said on Sunday, downplaying reports that he was in end-of-life care.
Brazilian soccer legend Pele made a public plea on Wednesday to Russian President Vladimir Putin to end his "wicked" and "unjustifiable" invasion of Ukraine.
Brazil lived up to expectations by smashing Bolivia 5-1 at home in their 2026 World Cup qualifiers opener on Friday.
He was hospitalized last week to re-evaluate his treatment and is also being treated for a respiratory infection, according to medical reports.
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