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Alcaraz says completing career Slam his ‘first goal’ | The Express Tribune

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Alcaraz says completing career Slam his ‘first goal’ | The Express Tribune



NEW YORK:

Carlos Alcaraz says winning next year’s Australian Open to seal a career Grand Slam is his main objective after securing a sixth major title in New York on Sunday.

Alcaraz beat chief rival Jannik Sinner 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 to claim his second US Open crown and would become the youngest man to win all four majors if he lifts the trophy in Melbourne next January.

“It’s my first goal, to be honest,” said the 22-year-old Alcaraz, who has not made it past the quarter-finals in four trips to Australia.

“When I just go to the preseasons to what I want to improve, what I want to achieve, Australian Open is there.

“It’s the first or second tournament of the year, and it is always the main goal for me to complete a career Grand Slam, calendar Grand Slam. So it’s going to be great.”

Alcaraz’s compatriot Rafael Nadal holds the record as the youngest man to win all four majors. He achieved the feat at the age of 24 in 2010 when he won the first of his four US Open titles.

“Obviously I’m going to try to do it next year, but if it is not next year, hopefully in two and three and four. So I will try to complete it,” said Alcaraz.

He will reclaim the world number one ranking from Sinner on Monday, returning to the top of the men’s game for the first time since September 2023.

“When you achieve the goals you set up yourself at the beginning of the year, it feels amazing,” said Alcaraz.

“Since I got the chance to recover the number one, it was one of the first goals that I had during the seasons, just to try to recover the number one as soon as possible or end the year as the number one.

“For me, to achieve that once again, it is, as I said, it is a dream. Doing it the same day as getting another Grand Slam feels even better.”

Alcaraz dropped just one set throughout the tournament and continued his recent mastery of Sinner, getting revenge for his loss to the Italian in the Wimbledon final.

“The performance today was perfect,” said Alcaraz’s coach Juan Carlos Ferrero.

Alcaraz and Sinner are the torch-bearers of the current generation, sweeping the last eight majors between them and taking 10 of the last 13. Novak Djokovic has won the other three.

Ferrero knows Alcaraz has the talent to hoover up considerably more silverware in the years to come but is doing his best to ensure his protégé keeps working hard at his craft.

“The potential to win many titles, many Grand Slams, is there, but we take nothing for granted. Nothing is automatic; you have to make it happen,” said Ferrero.

“I don’t think too far ahead. I can’t stop to think about whether Carlos is going to win 20 Grand Slams; you have to take each day as it comes.

“He’s 22 years old; we can’t think he’s perfect, far from it. He has a lot of things to improve on.”



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Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson fined for ‘berating’ and ‘making contact’ with an official

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Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson fined for ‘berating’ and ‘making contact’ with an official


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Cleveland Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson was fined $50,000 for “aggressively pursuing, berating and making inadvertent contact with a game official,” the NBA announced Saturday. 

The league’s announcement said the incident happened with 10:59 left in the fourth quarter of Cleveland’s 126-113 loss to the Phoenix Suns Friday. 

Atkinson was assessed his second technical foul of the game when he stormed the court after a no-call against Sam Merrill for driving on Collin Gillespie after he bumped into an official before being escorted off and ejected from the game. 

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Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson reacts during the second half in Game 4 of a first-round playoff series against the Miami Heat April 28, 2025, in Miami.  (AP Photo/Rhona Wise)

Atkinson whipped his arm against the nearby referee before the whistle was blown. 

Atkinson ripped the officials in a postgame news conference. 

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Kenny Atkinson

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson reacts in the first quarter against the Indiana Pacers during Game 2 of the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena in Cleveland May 6, 2025. (David Richard-Imagn Images)

“We had one free throw after three quarters against a team that [is 26th in fouls],” Atkinson said. “And the second free throw we got was after a flop. I’m not pleased. I thought the game got out of hand, quite honestly. Parts of the game seemed circus-like, quite honestly. I don’t know if that’s what we want as a league.

“Certain characters in this league take liberties, and we don’t stand up to them. And the game turns into reviews, challenges, go to the monitor for 20 minutes when we’re just trying to play basketball. I don’t think it’s good for the league, and I know it wasn’t good for us tonight. Thought they let the game get out of hand.”

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Cleveland Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson reacts during the first half against the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena in Cleveland May 4, 2025. (Ken Blaze-Imagn Images)

The Cavaliers fell to 29-21, while Phoenix improved to 30-19. 

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Inter Miami signs Mexico forward Germán Berterame through 2029

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Inter Miami signs Mexico forward Germán Berterame through 2029


Inter Miami CF signed Mexico national team forward Germán Berterame from Liga MX powerhouse Monterrey, the team announced Friday.

Berterame joins Lionel Messi and the reigning MLS Cup champions as a designated player on a contract running through 2029, with a club option for an additional year.

Miami secured the deal by paying Berterame’s $15 million release clause, sources told ESPN’s Lizzy Becherano.

“I’m leaving with a clear conscience, knowing I always gave my all for this club [Monterrey], and I hope I can return further down the road,” Berterame said in a video posted on Rayados de Monterrey social media accounts.

“This opportunity [signing with Miami] is all new; it’s a unique and fresh experience at the same time. It was unexpected, but I think it’s going to be a beautiful experience.

“When I renewed my contract [with Monterrey], I told him [Héctor Lara, the club’s sporting director], ‘I’m not leaving unless something really eye-catching comes along.’ I was obviously talking about teams from Europe. And I also said, ‘Unless, obviously, Messi comes and takes me with him.’ So that anecdote stuck.”

The Argentine-born forward, who became a naturalized Mexican in 2024, started his career in the Argentine Primera División, starring for San Lorenzo and Patronato before making his Liga MX debut with Atletico San Luis in 2019. While playing for Atletico San Luis, Berterame scored 31 goals in 93 games in all competitions and earned the Golden Boot for the 2021 Apertura tournament.

His efforts in Liga MX earned him recognition from the Mexican national team after he became eligible to play for El Tricolor. Although Berterame previously featured for the Argentina youth national team, his lack of appearances with the senior squad allowed Berterame to represent Mexico without filing a one-time switch with FIFA.

Berterame scored the winning goal for Mexico last Sunday in a World Cup warmup friendly against Bolivia.

Other MLS teams previously expressed interest in Berterame. FC Cincinnati attempted to trigger Berterame’s previous release clause, but the two parties failed to agree to complete the transfer.





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Pakistan register several records in crushing second T20I win over Australia

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Pakistan register several records in crushing second T20I win over Australia


Pakistan’s Usman Tariq celebrates taking a wicket with teammates during their second T20I against Australia at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on January 31, 2026. — PCB

Green Shirts on Saturday set several new records during their dominant 90-run win over Australia in the second T20I of the three-match series at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday.

Opting to bat first, the home side accumulated a massive total of 198/5 in 20 overs, courtesy of blistering half-centuries from captain Salman Ali Agha and wicketkeeper batter Usman Khan.

Agha top-scored with a 40-ball 76, studded with eight fours and four sixes, while Usman smashed six boundaries, including two sixes, on his way to a 36-ball 53.

Their batting prowess helped Pakistan register their highest score against Australia in T20Is, surpassing the previous best of 194/7, which they achieved during the league-stage match of the Zimbabwe-hosted tri-series in 2018.

Set to chase a daunting 199-run target, the 2021 champions’ batting unit was dismantled by Pakistan spinners, who shared all 10 wickets between them for the first time in the shortest format, while it was the second such occurrence during a T20I between two full-member nations.

Reigning champions India were the first team to achieve the feat during their fifth away T20I against West Indies in 2022.

Overall, in T20Is, however, it was the 10th instance when the spinners took all 10 wickets.

Leading Pakistan’s spin charge were Abrar Ahmed and Shadab Khan, who picked up three wickets each, followed by Usman Tariq with two, while Saim Ayub and Mohammad Nawaz chipped in with one apiece, as Australia were booked 108 in 15.4 overs and thus succumbed to a gruelling 90-run defeat.

Pakistan’s 90-run victory over Australia in the recently concluded fixture is now their largest against Australia in T20Is, bettering their 66-run triumph in the first T20I of the 2018 series, played in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), in 2018.





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