Sports
Alcaraz beats Zverev in the final and achieves his first Roland Garros
The Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz won his first crown at Roland Garros and his third Grand Slam, after coming back in the final against the German Alexander Zverev, whom he beat by 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1 and 6-2 in 4 hours and 19 minutes.
The 21-year-old tennis player, who thanks to this victory will ascend to number 2 in the world, dropped on the clay of the Philippe Chatrier court before ascending to the stands where his team and family were and hugging his grandfather, his parents and siblings.
Alcaraz becomes the tenth Spaniard to win the clay Grand Slam, adds the 26th triumph of Spaniards in Paris and the youngest winner of large trophies on the three surfaces.
In addition, he is the second youngest winner of Roland Garros, behind Rafa Nadal, the only two who have won the tournament before turning 22.
On the day of the region of Murcia, from which the Spanish is originally, Alcaraz won the tournament two years after Nadal lifted the last of his fourteen (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2019, 2020 and 2022), and inscribes his name on a payroll that Manolo Santana opened in 1961 and that, after renewing it in 1964, was expanded by Andrés Gimeno (1972), Arantxa Sánchez Vicario (1989, 1994 and 1998), Sergi Bruguera (1993 and 1994), Carlos Moyá (1998), Albert Costa (2002), Juan Carlos Ferrero (2003) and Nadal.
Alcaraz himself recognized that Roland Garros is not a tournament like the others when you are Spanish and his victory consecrates him as the banner of the hade born in the new century, which is called to take over from the ‘Big 3’.
Unlike Zverev, who four years after having lost the final in the United States against the Austrian Dominic Thiem after taking two sets up, he again wasted an advantage to score his first Grand Slam.
A hard blow for this representative of the generation of the 90s, encased between the long shadow of the ‘Big 3’ and the strength of those who have been hitting hard.
At 27 years old, he lacked some breath to prevail in the final and finish his extraordinary streak of twelve consecutive victories that he began in the last tournament in Rome, where he added his sixth Masters 1,000.
But this defeat will leave its mark on the German’s mind, by the way it was produced and by the stage, the same one in which in a few months he will seek to renew his Olympic gold.
While Europe was electing its new parliament, Roland Garros was looking for a new king, the year in which the iron one, the one who has a statue that will forever remember his 14 titles, Rafa Nadal, had said goodbye at the age of 38 in the first round and that the only one who has made some shade on the clay, the Serbian Novak Djokovic, had left with an injury at 37.
The fight promised to be of high intensity, because the forecasts were not clearly inclined towards any, like the polls that leave everything to see what the undecided decide at the last minute.
It was very clear to Carlitos, who came from a merciless battle against the Italian Jannik Sinner, the virtual number 1 in the world, from which he emerged victorious by faith and perseverance and who did not seem to want any other suffering.
Sports
Ancelotti leaves door open for Neymar’s return to Brazil’s 2026 World Cup squad
Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti, current manager of the Brazil national football team, has opened the door to the possibility of Neymar being included in the final squad for the 2026 World Cup, according to an interview published Saturday by L’Equipe.
“At the moment, he is being evaluated by the Brazilian Football Confederation and by me. He still has two months to prove he has the conditions to play in the next World Cup,” Ancelotti said.
Neymar, 34, Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals in 128 appearances, was left out of the most recent national team call-up for friendlies against France and Croatia. He is also still working to regain full fitness with Santos FC.
Since returning to his club, Neymar has played only a handful of matches in the Brasileirão and the Copa Sudamericana, including an upcoming match against San Lorenzo on April 28. These games could be key for him to convince Ancelotti ahead of the final squad announcement on May 19.
“Neymar has made and continues to make history in Brazilian football. He is a great talent, and it is normal for people to believe he can help us win the next World Cup,” the Italian coach added.
When asked whether the former FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain player must be at full fitness to earn a call-up, Ancelotti admitted he does not have a definitive answer but believes Neymar “is capable of returning to 100%.”
International
Trump Says Iran Is Welcome at 2026 World Cup but Warns of Security Concerns
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, said Thursday that the national football team of Iran is “welcome” to participate in the 2026 World Cup, although he suggested it might be safer for the team not to take part in the tournament.
“The Iranian national soccer team is welcome at the World Cup, but I really don’t think it’s appropriate for them to be there, for their own safety,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.
His comments came a day after Iran’s sports minister, Ahman Donyamali, said that there are currently no conditions for the country to participate in the tournament following the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, during a military offensive launched on February 28 by Israel and the United States.
“After the corrupt government killed our leader, there are no conditions that allow us to take part in the World Cup,” the Iranian official said. He added that the country has faced two wars in the past eight or nine months, resulting in thousands of civilian deaths, making participation in the tournament unlikely.
On Tuesday, the president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, met with Trump at the White House.
Following the meeting, Infantino said that Trump reiterated that Iran’s national team would be allowed to compete in the FIFA World Cup 2026.
“We discussed the current situation in Iran and the fact that the Iranian team has qualified to participate in the FIFA World Cup 2026. During the conversation, President Trump reiterated that the Iranian team is, of course, welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States,” Infantino wrote on Instagram.
Sports
Shakira ignites El Salvador with near sold-out residency at Mágico González Stadium
The recently renovated Jorge “Mágico” González Stadium is rolling out the red carpet for Colombian superstar Shakira, whose string of concerts has sold out almost entirely, confirming the powerful bond between the artist and Salvadoran fans.
The scale of the experience begins as soon as attendees arrive at the venue. Outside the stadium, organizers have installed several photo spots so concertgoers can capture a souvenir from the major event.
Fans attending the Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour will witness a top-tier visual production, where technology and robotic lighting effects will shape an atmosphere that shifts dramatically from one segment of the show to another — moving from the intensity of ’90s rock to the festive explosion of urban pop.
Security and crowd management have been top priorities, with a coordinated operation aimed at ensuring smooth entry and exit, allowing spectators to focus solely on enjoying hits that have defined generations.
Beyond the music, the event marks a milestone for the country’s live-entertainment industry, positioning El Salvador as a destination capable of hosting artist residencies once reserved for cities such as Las Vegas or London.
The excitement is already visible across the capital: hotels are at full capacity and local businesses are riding the wave of enthusiasm sparked by the latest songs from the Colombian star.
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