Sharapova, Bryan brothers elected to Tennis Hall of Fame


NEW YORK - Former world number one Maria Sharapova and the US doubles team of Bob and Mike Bryan were announced as 2025 inductees to the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Sharapova, a five-time Grand Slam champion, is among only 10 women to have achieved a career singles Grand Slam. She was atop the world rankings five times in a WTA career that spanned from 2001-2020.

The Bryan brothers teamed to win 16 major doubles titles and became the ATP's most successful duo, with a record 438 weeks atop the ATP doubles rankings.

Induction ceremonies will be conducted at the Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island, on August 21-23 -- just ahead of the start of next year's US Open.

Sharapova won Wimbledon in 2004, the US Open in 2006, the Australian Open in 2008 and the French Open in 2012 and 2014.

"In retirement, you very seldomly get to reflect on your past, because you move on so quickly with life's responsibilities," Sharapova said.

"This is an incredible recognition. Thank you so much. I'm so grateful to the Hall of Fame and grateful to the voters."

Hall of Fame members, historians, journalists and fans voted in the selection process.

The Bryans, 2012 London Olympic men's doubles champions, combined for 119 tour-level titles and 1,109 match wins and helped the US team win the 2007 Davis Cup.
"It has been a great ride, the career, doing it together," Bob Bryan said. Sharapova, Bryan brothers elected to Tennis Hall of Fame
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Ravichandran Ashwin becomes No.1 ranked Test bowler replacing Anderson

Veteran Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on Wednesday jumped to the top of the latest ICC Men's Test Bowling Rankings, replacing England pacer James Anderson. Ashwin gained two places after taking six wickets in India's emphatic victory over Australia in the second Test in New Delhi. Anderson dropped to second place after England's stunning loss to New Zealand in the Wellington Test. The 36-year-old Ashwin first claimed the top honour among Test bowlers in 2015, and has returned to the top spot on several occasions since then. Ashwin bagged big wickets in India's win in Dehli, removing Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith in the same over of the first innings before returning to pick up Alex Carey for a duck. The off-spinner was at it again in the second innings, picking up three of the top five while his spin-bowling accomplice Ravindra Jadeja rattled through the rest of the Australia batters from the other end. Ashwin has an opportunity to extend his latest stay in the No.1 spot in India's remaining two Tests on home soil in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy Ashwin is the third No.1 Test bowler in as many weeks, after Anderson replaced Australia captain Pat Cummins at the summit last time around. The trio continue to make up the top three bowlers in the latest rankings. Anderson is now five rating points behind Ashwin, who remains on 864 points. Jadeja's 10 wickets in the second Test against Australia also sees him move up the bowling rankings into eighth spot, Jadeja and Ashwin occupy the top two positions in Test All-Rounder Rankings. England's Joe Root is the other big mover in the all-rounder rankings, up two spots to eighth. Root's return to top form in Wellington also sees him leapfrog Travis Head and Babar Azam into third position in the MRF Tyres ICC Test Batting Rankings. Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith remain first and second respectively among Test batters. New Zealander Tom Blundell is a new arrival in the top 10, rising four places to seventh after he helped the Black Caps to their famous follow-on victory by one run in the second Test against England. England young gun Harry Brook continues his meteoric rise up the batting rankings after another superb century, climbing 15 places to draw level with Virat Kohli in 16th. Copyright © Jammu Links News Source: Jammu Links News
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Lionel Messi, Alexia Putellas voted best players at FIFA awards again

FEB 28, 2023 NEW DELHI: World Cup winner Lionel Messi edged Kylian Mbapp again, this time to take FIFA's best men's player award on Monday. The best women's player was Spain's Alexia Putellas for a second straight year. After steering Argentina to World Cup glory in an epic final against Mbapp 's France last year in Qatar, Messi won the best player vote against Mbapp and Karim Benzema to secure the FIFA prize for the seventh time in 14 years. The three players made the final shortlist in voting by a global panel of national team captains and coaches, selected journalists in each of FIFA's 211 member countries, plus fans online. The 35-year-old Messi also beat Mbapp who was seeking his first best player award from FIFA to the Golden Ball trophy awarded by FIFA for the World Cup's best player. Putellas won her award from Alex Morgan of the United States and Beth Mead, who led England to the European Championship title in 2022. Barcelona playmaker Putellas made the top three again despite being injured days before the Euro and missing the tournament. Mead was the joint top scorer at the Euro, and was named the tournament's best player. She sustained a serious knee injury in November while playing for Arsenal and could miss the Women's World Cup in July in Australia and New Zealand. Morgan, who was second in the 2019 vote to teammate Megan Rapinoe, was player of the tournament when the U.S. won the CONCACAF W Championship last year. She was also the joint top scorer. Earlier, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni was voted FIFA men's coach of the year after leading his team to the World Cup title in December. The women's coach award went to Sarina Wiegman, who led the England to the title at the Women's European Championship. Scaloni took over Argentina at the end of 2018 on an interim basis, and was widely criticized for lacking experience as he had never coached a professional team. Earlier Monday, his contract as the national team coach was extended to the end of the 2026 World Cup. The other coaches on the shortlist were Real Madrid's Carlo Ancelotti and Manchester City's Pep Guardiola. The women's goalkeeper award was given to Euro winner Mary Earps of England, and the best men's goalkeeper was Argentina's World Cup winner Emiliano Mart nez. The event in Paris was marked by tributes to Pel , who died late last year at age 82 following a battle with colon cancer. Pel 's wife, Marcia Aoki, received a trophy honoring the soccer great from the hands of former Brazil striker Ronaldo. "I have three words to say to God, who gave us Edson, to Edson, who gave us Pel , and to the world, who received them so well: Grateful, grateful and grateful,'" she said. (AP) Copyright © Jammu Links News Source: Jammu Links News
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