- PSG drop first points in draw at Reims
- Vinicius, Mbappe on target as Madrid crush plucky Espanyol
- Jeeno leads Ko by two at LPGA Queen City Championship
- Bottega Veneta goes for 'E.T.' chic as Madonna pops into D&G
- Messi, Miami frustrated by New York late leveler
- Musk's X platform takes first step toward lifting Brazil ban
- 'Business as usual' for Australia match-winner Carey amid boos
- Israeli jets pound Lebanon after deadly Beirut strike
- Ten Hag bemoans Man Utd's lack of killer instinct in Palace stalemate
- France's Macron appoints new government in shift to right
- Cheika proud of Leicester grit after winning start as boss
- Profligate Man Utd pay price in 0-0 draw at Palace
- Kane, Olise run riot as Bayern thump Bremen
- Diaz fires Liverpool top of Premier League, Man Utd held at Palace
- LIV champion Rahm out of LIV Team semis with severe flu
- Slot surprised by tearful Nunez's moment of magic
- Title rivals Norris, Verstappen on 'cool' front row for Singapore GP
- Biden talks China with 'Quad' leaders in hometown summit
- Juve and Napoli play out goalless draw in early Serie A title tussle
- Alcaraz fears tennis tour grind will 'kill us'
- Carey sparks recovery as Australia thrash England in 2nd ODI
- Leclerc, Sainz lament 'disappointing' Saturday in Singapore
- Bottega Veneta holds investors' aces as Madonna pops into D&G
- Beirut digs for victims at building flattened in Israeli strike
- Verstappen stages protest over 'ridiculous' swearing punishment
- Bayern boss Kompany lauds 'special talent' Olise
- Diaz fires Liverpool top of Premier League, Spurs bounce back
- Heavy fire over Israel-Lebanon border after deadly Beirut strike
- Ramos guides unbeaten Toulouse to Montpellier win despite Hogg scuffle
- Myanmar flood death toll jumps to 384
- Chelsea owners 'happy' with win at West Ham amid rift report
- Kane and Olise run riot as Bayern thump Bremen
- Ramos guides unbeaten Toulouse to Montpellier win
- Norris pips Verstappen to dramatic Singapore pole after Sainz crash
- Carey takes Australia to 270 in 2nd ODI against England after collapse
- Two Hezbollah leaders killed in Israel's Beirut strike
- Hungary Danube waters reach decade high after Storm Boris
- Bagnaia cuts Martin's MotoGP lead with Emilia-Romagna sprint win
- Jackson double fires Chelsea to victory at woeful West Ham
- Fiji beat Japan to lift Pacific Nations Cup
- Kasatkina to face Haddad Maia in Korea Open final
- S.Africa snowfall closes roads, strands motorists overnight
- Lawyers of women alleging Al-Fayed sex abuse receive over 150 new enquiries
- President Museveni's son backs Ugandan strongman for 7th term
- Norris quickest as Verstappen bounces back in Singapore practice
- Wallabies lament All Blacks' fast start
- Germany's Oktoberfest opens under tight security after attacks
- Environmental protesters block French cruise liner port
- Hezbollah in disarray after Israeli strike kills top commanders
- No place like home: Biden hosts 'Quad' leaders
Alcaraz fears tennis tour grind will 'kill us'
Carlos Alcaraz hit out at the tennis calendar on Saturday, claiming the schedule is "going to kill us".
The 21-year-old French Open and Wimbledon champion is currently taking part in the Laver Cup, his 14th tournament of the year.
Before arriving in Berlin the Spanish star had already played 50 singles matches in 2024, winning three titles and also collecting a silver medal at the Paris Olympics.
"Probably they are going to kill us in some way," Alcaraz said Saturday after defeating Ben Shelton in straight sets at the Laver Cup.
Alcaraz said that players had different opinions on the topic, but in his view "the calendar is so tight", adding "right now there are a lot of injuries."
"Right now a lot of good players are going to miss a lot of tournaments because of that."
He added that the crowded schedule meant he sometimes struggled to motivate himself on the tour.
"Sometimes, you don't want to go to a tournament. I'm not going to lie -- I have felt this way a few times already.
"Sometimes I don't feel motivated at all. But as I've said many, many times, I play my best tennis when I smile and enjoy it on court. That's the best option to keep motivating (myself)."
At the US Open, where he won his first Grand Slam title in 2022, Alcaraz suffered a shock second-round exit to 74th-ranked Botic van de Zandschulp.
He admitted he had blundered by not taking a longer break between the Olympics and New York.
At the Paris Games, he lost an emotionally-draining gold medal match to Novak Djokovic, just weeks after sweeping the Serb off court to successfully defend his Wimbledon title.
"I took a little break after the Olympic Games. I thought it was enough. Probably it wasn't enough. Probably I came here without as much energy as I thought I was going to (have)," he said after his US Open horror show.
"I have to think about it and I have to learn about it."
Meanwhile, Alcaraz said he hopes he and Jannik Sinner can carve out a storied rivalry like that of Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
"I hope so," Alcaraz said when asked if he and world number one Sinner could emulate the dominance of the "Big Three" who amassed 66 Grand Slam titles between them.
"A lot of people talk about it. And I hear it, I'm not going to lie. I hope that our rivalry is going to be almost like what the big three had during their whole career."
In 2024, Alcaraz and Sinner each won two Grand Slams, making it the first year since 2002 when neither one of Federer, Nadal or Djokovic won a major.
"Hopefully we're going to keep going like that, fighting for the great tournaments, sharing great moments. He has pushed me to become a better player every day," added Alcaraz after a 6-4 6-4 win over Shelton that drew Team Europe level on points with Team World at the Laver Cup.
B.Shevchenko--BTB