Category: 6. Sports

  • FIRST GOLD FOR DESAK MADE RITA, SECOND FOR NURSAMSA IN KRAKOW FINALS

    FIRST GOLD FOR DESAK MADE RITA, SECOND FOR NURSAMSA IN KRAKOW FINALS

    Indonesia claimed both gold medals in a spectacul pair of Speed finals at the IFSC Climbing World Cup Krakow 2025, with Desak Made Rita Kusuma Dewi and Raharjati Nursamsa topping the podium and both setting new personal bests in their gold medal races.

    DESAK MADE RITA CLAIMS MAIDEN WORLD CUP WIN

    In front of a packed crowd in Krakow’s central square, Desak Made Rita Kusuma Dewi of Indonesia stormed to her first-ever IFSC World Cup gold medal with a clean 6.27-second run in the women’s final. The reigning world champion delivered with consistency and defeated Emma Hunt of the USA, who slipped midway through the gold medal race and closed in 7.56 seconds.

    “I’m very happy, this is my first gold medal since Bern,” said the 24-year-old Indonesian. “In my last competition in Bali I fell in the quarter-final. My coach always tells me to enjoy the competition, and that if I do so, I can improve my personal best in each race. My goal is to set a new world record.”

    It was the second World Cup medal of the season for Hunt, who won gold earlier this year in Denver, Colorado, USA.

    The all-Polish bronze medal race saw Paris 2024 Olympic champion Aleksandra Miroslaw beat teammate Natalia Kalucka with a powerful 6.36. Kalucka, running clean, clocked 6.64. The result marked Miroslaw’s 21st career World Cup medal and a good recovery after missing out on the gold medal race.

    Notably absent from the final round was China’s Deng Lijuan, who did not start due to a finger injury sustained during yesterday’s qualification round.

    For the women’s Speed complete results click here.

    NURSAMSA STRIKES AGAIN

    In the men’s event, Raharjati Nursamsa of Indonesia shined with a lightning-fast 4.73 in the gold medal race, setting a new men’s Asian record and personal best, also securing his second World Cup win after taking gold in Jakarta, Indonesia, two years ago. His teammate Kiromal Katibin slipped early in the final and did not finish, settling for silver.

    “I feel so happy, it’s my personal best and my first gold medal in two years,” said Nursamsa. “I’m not completely satisfied, I will keep enjoy my climbing, enjoy every competition with no pressure.”

    The bronze medal went to Omasa Ryo of Japan, who kept his composure with a 5.48-second effort after Zach Hammer of the USA slipped near the top of the route. It was Omasa’s fourth career World Cup podium, and his second of the season following silver in Bali, Indonesia.

    Katibin’s silver marked his fourth consecutive podium finish of the 2025 season, having previously won gold in Denver and bronze in both Wujiang, China, and Bali.

    For the men’s Speed complete results click here.

    NEXT UP

    With the Krakow leg concluded, the IFSC World Cup Series 2025 moves to Chamonix, France, where Lead and Speed competitions are scheduled from 11 to 13 July.

    News and updates about all IFSC events will be available on the IFSC website and on the Federation’s digital channels: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube, and exclusively for the Chinese audience, Douyin, Weibo, and Xiaohongshu.


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  • Thrilled fans celebrate monster drives at the 18th green.

    Thrilled fans celebrate monster drives at the 18th green.

    +++ Saturday at Eichenried ends with a golfing experience of a
    different kind +++ Long drivers, including German world champion
    Martin Borgmeier, deliver a thrilling show at the 18th green +++ The
    “Bryan Bros” take on the long drive challenge +++



    Munich.
    It was long, it was loud, it was spectacular.
    On Saturday, right after the third round of the 36th BMW International
    Open, the 18th green in front of the main grandstand
    transformed into a long drive arena. During the “Launch Control”
    event, top-tier long drivers faced off in an adrenaline-charged show
    match. Also taking part were content creators Wesley and George Bryan
    (USA) as well as Peter Finch (ENG), all highly skilled golfers who
    proved their talent.

    In the so-called celebrity matches, Finch came out on top with a
    330-meter drive against Wesley Bryan. The only woman in the field,
    long driver Cassandra Meyer (USA), bravely took on George Bryan and
    narrowly lost with a drive of 320 meters to his 322.

    The professional long drive competition was played in a semifinal and
    final format. “Long Way” Bobby Ray (USA) surprisingly beat Ryan “The
    Canadian Lumberjack” Gregnol in the first semifinal with a 400-meter
    drive. German world champion Martin Borgmeier advanced to the final
    with a 405-meter blast against Sam Judah (USA). And the best was saved
    for last: Borgmeier claimed victory with the longest hit of the
    evening – a massive 425-meter drive to edge out Ray, who posted 408 meters.

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  • Victor Gyokores transfer news: Arsenal in talks to sign striker

    Victor Gyokores transfer news: Arsenal in talks to sign striker

    Arsenal are in talks to sign Sporting’s prolific Sweden striker Viktor Gyokeres.

    As first revealed by BBC Sport on Thursday, Arsenal have had a clear focus on completing a deal for the 27-year-old in recent days and the club are now advancing in their pursuit of the forward.

    Discussions over personal terms for Gyokeres and with the Lisbon club over a transfer fee are accelerating, with Arsenal’s sporting director Andrea Berta leading negotiations.

    A deal has not been finalised though, and there remains a degree of caution at Arsenal until agreements are reached.

    Gyokeres has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League after scoring 97 goals in 102 matches during two seasons in Portugal.

    The Gunners completed the £60m signing of Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad on Sunday.

    But the movement towards a deal for Gyokeres represents a significant development in Arsenal’s summer transfer business given a new striker was the club’s main priority.

    It is expected that Gyokeres, who spent three years as a youngster at Brighton and whose career took off during two seasons at Coventry City, would cost about £70m.

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  • Faith Kipyegon and Beatrice Chebet smash world records at an extraordinary Diamond League meeting

    Faith Kipyegon and Beatrice Chebet smash world records at an extraordinary Diamond League meeting



    CNN
     — 

    Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon and Beatrice Chebet both set new world records on Saturday at an extraordinary Diamond League meeting in Eugene, Oregon.

    Kipyegon, who fell short in her quest to become the first woman in history to run a four-minute mile last month, bounced back in impressive style to break her own women’s 1,500m world record with a time of 3:48.68.

    She dominated the race, holding off Australia’s Jessica Hull who stuck with her until the back straight, eventually winning by almost three seconds.

    As Kipyegon crossed the line, the crowd erupted, knowing she had shaved 0.36 seconds off the world record, while she turned and pointed back towards the clock before wrapping herself in a Kenyan flag.

    Earlier in the meet, also known as the Prefontaine Classic, Chebet obliterated the 5,000m world record by more than two seconds, becoming the first woman to complete the distance in under 14 minutes.

    She crossed the line in 13:58.06, more than three seconds ahead of Agnes Jebet Ngetich in second place, who recorded the third-fastest time in history.

    Gudaf Tsegay, the previous world record holder, finished the race in third place with a time of 14:04.41.

    Chebet had already broken the 14-minute barrier on the road in January when she completed the race in 13:54.

    “I’m so happy,” Chebet said afterward. “In Rome (where she recorded a time of 14:03.69), I was just running to win a race. After Rome, I say that I am capable of running a world record so let me go back home and prepare … I told myself, ‘if Faith is trying for a world record in Eugene, why not me too?’”

    “It’s a good track for me,” she added, referencing her previous success in Eugene where she broke the women’s 10,000m world record last year.

    Now, Chebet holds the 5,000m and 10,000m women’s world records as well as the Olympic titles in both events.

    Elsewhere at the meet, Mondo Duplantis comfortably won the men’s pole vault but failed to raise his own world record, hitting the bar on all three of his attempts to clear 6.29m.

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  • Monday’s full order of play and key matches

    Monday’s full order of play and key matches

    WIMBLEDON — After a slew of upsets in the first three rounds, things have settled down in the bottom half of the draw. 

    Six of the eight players left are seeded. Three of them — No. 4 Iga Swiatek, No. 7 Mirra Andreeva and No. 10 Emma Navarro — are ranked among the PIF WTA Rankings Top 10.

    Wimbledon: Scores Order of play | Draws

    The two unseeded players: Tokyo Olympic singles gold medalist Belinda Bencic, mounting a comeback after giving birth to daughter Bella, and 22-year-old Spaniard Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, ranked No. 66.

    With the losses by Elena Rybakina and Barbora Krejcikova, a first-time Wimbledon champion is guaranteed.

    Monday’s order of play

    Centre Court: 13:30 start
    No. 6 Novak Djokovic vs. No. 11 Alex de Minaur
    No. 7 Mirra Andreeva vs. No. 10 Emma Navarro
    No. 1 Jannik Sinner vs. No. 19 Grigor Dimitrov

    No.1 Court: 13:00 start
    No. 18 Ekaterina Alexandrova vs. Belinda Bencic
    No. 10 Ben Shelton vs. Lorenzo Sonego
    No. 8 Iga Swiatek vs. No. 23 Clara Tauson

    No.2 Court: 11:00 start
    No. 22 Flavio Cobolli vs. Marin Cilic
    No. 19 Liudmila Samsonova vs. Jessica Bouzas Maneiro

    Breaking down Monday’s fourth-round matches

    No. 7 Mirra Andreeva vs. No. 10 Emma Navarro

    Head-to-head: 1-0, Andreeva, a 6-2, 6-2 win in the 2024 Cincinnati Round of 64.

    Mirra Andreeva was a 6-1, 6-3 winner over Hailey Baptiste, while Navarro defeated defending champion Barbora Krejcikova 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.

    Match fact: Andreeva is the youngest woman to reach the fourth round at each of the first three Grand Slam events of the season since Nicole Vaidisova in 2006.

    No. 8 Iga Swiatek vs. No. 23 Clara Tauson

    Head-to-head: 1-0, Swiatek, three years ago in the Round of 32 at Indian Wells in three sets.

    Tauson defeated No. 11 Elena Rybakina 7-6 (6), 6-3 and later Swiatek was a 6-2, 6-3 winner over Danielle Collins.

    Match fact: Swiatek now holds the 11th highest winning percentage in women’s singles Grand Slam events in the Open Era (82.8%, 96-20), surpassing Martina Hingis (82.7%).

    No. 18 Ekaterina Alexandrova vs. Belinda Bencic

    Head-to-head: 4-all, with Alexandrova winning the most relevant meeting, 6-1, 6-2 two weeks ago in Bad Homburg’s first round.

    Alexandrova was a 6-3, 7-6 (1) winner over Zeynep Sonmez while Bencic defeated Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 [7].

    Match fact: In the past seven years, only Ons Jabeur (41) has claimed more WTA main-draw wins on grass court than Ekaterina Alexandrova’s 37 over that span.

    No. 19 Liudmila Samsonova vs. Jessica Bouzas Maneiro

    Head-to-head: 0-0.

    Samsonova was a 6-2, 6-3 winner over No. 16 Daria Kasatkina and Bouzas Maneiro defeated Dayana Yastremska 6-1, 2-6, 6-3.

    Match fact: Best result at a Grand Slam has been Round of 16 finish — four times including 2021 Wimbledon.

     

     

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  • IND vs ENG: Harry Brook’s rain warning to Shubman Gill comes true on Day 5 of Edgbaston Test; viral video resurfaces | Cricket News

    IND vs ENG: Harry Brook’s rain warning to Shubman Gill comes true on Day 5 of Edgbaston Test; viral video resurfaces | Cricket News

    England’s Harry Brook and India’s Shubman Gill (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

    A light-hearted moment from yesterday in the second Test between India and England has taken on new significance after rain washed out the opening hours of Day 5 at Edgbaston. A video featuring England batter Harry Brook warning Shubman Gill about incoming rain has gone viral, mainly because his cheeky prediction came true. During a break in play, Brook was heard joking with Gill: “Not 450 declared? Shubman, you know it’s raining tomorrow. Half day. Afternoon. It’s raining.”Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!To which Gill casually replied, “Bad luck for us.”Brook responded with a grin: “Take the draw.”

    Poll

    How do you feel about the impact of rain on the Test match between India and England?

    The clip was initially viewed as friendly banter, but with persistent rain on Sunday becoming the gap between a draw and India’s golden chance to level the series, Brook’s remark suddenly feels prophetic.Watch the viral clip:India entered Day 5 in complete control, needing just seven more wickets to seal a dominant win. England were reeling at 72/3, still 536 runs away from an impossible target of 608. But heavy showers hit Birmingham just minutes before the scheduled start, leaving the outfield soaked and conditions unplayable.The game has so far belonged to India captain Shubman Gill. The 25-year-old rewrote the record books on Saturday, becoming the first player in Test history to score 250 and 150 in the same match. His knocks of 269 and 161 powered India to massive totals of 587 and 427/6 declared, setting up what could’ve been a certain victory.If the match ends in a draw, England will head to Lord’s for the third Test, starting Thursday, with a 1-0 lead.


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  • Wimbledon star slammed for ‘picking on’ ball boy and complaining to umpire

    Wimbledon star slammed for ‘picking on’ ball boy and complaining to umpire

    Jaume Munar complained about the Wimbledon ball boy to the umpire (Picture: BBC)

    Jaume Munar faced criticism for ‘picking on’ a ball boy during his Wimbledon defeat to Marin Cilic.

    The Spanish tennis star was hoping to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career but was beaten in four sets by Cilic.

    Munar was a set and a break down in the fourth when he failed to convert a break point against the big-serving Croatian.

    A couple of points later, Cilic forced his opponent deep into the corner of the court when Munar hit a lob before bumping into a ball boy.

    After the ball went long, handing Cilic the game, Munar gestured to the ball boy and then approached the chair umpire to make a complaint.

    As he approached umpire Mohamed Lahyani, Munar was heard saying: ‘He [the ball boy] cannot move? I hit him with the racket and he stays there?’

    The experienced Lahyani replied: ‘If he was in his position, there’s nothing I can do.’ 

    Munar then said: ‘He cannot move? So if I’m running and I hit him, I just hit him? That’s it? No let, nothing? I just destroy him and that’s it? I hit him with the racket.’ 

    The world number 55 continued to vent at the next changeover, saying: ‘The rule book is from 2019-20, no? When everyone was playing volleys here.

    ‘He cannot do one step to the left? It doesn’t make sense. Can you explain that to me?’

    But Munar’s complaints fell on deaf ears and Cilic soon claimed the set to book his place in the fourth round of Wimbledon.

    Munar complaining to the chair umpire following the incident (Picture: BBC)

    Lahyani later explained that a let could only have been called if the ball boy moved from his position and directly affected the point.

    The commentators were initially confused by Munar’s angry reaction and thought he was just trying to throw Cilic off his rhythm.

    ‘He’s venting, he’s frustrated, maybe he’s trying to cause some kind of distraction to Cilic to take him out of his focus,’ one of the BBC pundits said. ‘That’s been done before, tactically be players.’

    But after seeing a replay and hearing Munar’s complaints they realised the issue, though they were not sympathetic to the Spanish number five.

    TENNIS-GBR-WIMBLEDON
    Munar arguing his case to the umpire (Picture: Getty)

    ‘I mean, where’s the ball boy supposed to stand?’ one of them said.

    ‘We can heard Munar explaining what he wanted to happen, for the ball boy to move to the left in that situation. But that puts him in a very difficult situation.’

    Another said: ‘I’m not sure it even affected his shot anyway.’

    Clashing with ball boys or girls rarely ends well and several players over the years have been widely criticised for their conduct towards them.

    TENNIS-GBR-WIMBLEDON
    Marin Cilic is enjoying a fine run at Wimbledon (Picture: Getty)

    At Wimbledon, ball boys and girls are usually around 15 years old and selected from local schools. They will have trained for around six months before the start of the Championships.

    A number of fans criticised Munar on social media, with one posting on X: ‘He’s picking on a ball boy, saying the kid interfered with his shot despite being nowhere near it.’

    Another said: ‘What is it with these prima donnas in tennis lately? The guy is complaining about a ball boy up against a wall that was nowhere near the ball.’

    While Munar heads home, former US Open champion and three-time Grand Slam finalist Cilic advances to the fourth round, where he will meet Flavio Cobolli.

    Cilic turns 37 in September but is enjoying a fine run at Wimbledon and knocked out British number one Jack Draper in his previous game.

    ‘I’m feeling good on the court,’ he said after the victory over Munar. ‘You know, I don’t know if I can win another Grand Slam.

    ‘But I’m working on it day after day and giving myself a chance and playing every match as the best I can.

    ‘You never know what’s coming in the next match but I’m going to do the best I can and hopefully I can raise games to even high levels.’

    For more stories like this, check our sport page.

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  • Kylian Mbappé’s stunning bicycle kick propels Real Madrid to win over Borussia Dortmund, and Club World Cup semifinals

    Kylian Mbappé’s stunning bicycle kick propels Real Madrid to win over Borussia Dortmund, and Club World Cup semifinals



    CNN
     — 

    A stunning bicycle kick from Kylian Mbappé propelled Real Madrid to a 3-2 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the quarterfinals of the Club World Cup on Saturday.

    Having missed the group stage of the tournament with gastroenteritis, the French star announced his return to the headlines when he acrobatically converted Arda Güler’s cross to the back post to give Los Blancos a two-goal lead in second-half stoppage time.

    His spectacular strike came after Gonzalo García – the competition’s joint-top goalscorer – and Fran García had converted crosses from Güler and Trent Alexander-Arnold, respectively, to put Madrid two goals up inside the first 20 minutes.

    Maximilian Beier halved the deficit in the 92nd minute when he drilled home from just inside the penalty area, but Mbappé restored Madrid’s two-goal lead two minutes later before apparently honoring the late Diogo Jota by holding up a two and a zero with his fingers, referencing the number 20 jersey the Portuguese forward wore at Liverpool before his death in a car crash on Thursday.

    The drama did not end there as, directly from the resulting kickoff, Carney Chukwuemeka played in Serhou Guirassy, who was pulled down by Dean Huijsen in the area. Huijsen was shown a red card, and Guirassy converted the penalty to put Dortmund back in the game again.

    The comeback was nearly completed with the final kick of the game, but Marcel Sabitzer’s 99th-minute shot was saved impressively by Thibaut Courtois, much to the delight of many of the 76,611 fans at MetLife Stadium.

    “It’s football,” said Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso of the chaotic conclusion to the match. “The truth is that up until the 80th minute, up until 2-1, we controlled the game quite well.”

    The Spaniard did admit that “too many things happened in a short period,” but added: “We’re in the semis, we’re happy, and hopefully it’s helped us not to get carried away, not to stop playing with that connection, with that presence of mind in every minute.”

    Madrid’s opponent in the semifinal will be European champion Paris Saint-Germain, after the French team beat Bayern Munich 2-0 earlier on Saturday.

    Désiré Doué, one of the heroes of PSG’s 5-0 victory over Inter Milan in May’s Champions League final, opened the scoring in the 78th minute, his left-foot shot beating Manuel Neuer at his near post.

    Despite the following 15 minutes seeing Willian Pacho and Lucas Hernández both sent off – the Ecuadorian for a high challenge Leon Goretzka and the Frenchman for an elbow on Raphaël Guerreiro – PSG made sure of the victory in the 96th minute when Achraf Hakimi slalomed through the Bayern defense and set up Ousmane Dembélé, who swept the ball home.

    The match was overshadowed, however, by a serious injury to Bayern attacking midfielder Jamal Musiala. Shortly before halftime, Musiala collided with Gianluigi Donnarumma in the PSG penalty area and went down in agony clutching his left ankle, which appeared to be twisted at an unnatural angle.

    “I’ve rarely been so angry at halftime, not against my players. There’s many things in life that are important, much more important than this. But in the end, for these guys it’s their life,” Bayern head coach Vincent Kompany told reporters afterward, per Reuters.

    “And someone like Jamal lives for this and he came back from a setback. And then it happens in the way it happens and you feel powerless…

    “When I’m sat here next to you now, the thing that gets my blood still boiling at the moment, it’s not the result. I understand this is football. But it’s the fact that it happened to someone who, one, enjoys the game so much but also very important for us.”

    Fans looks on from the stands prior to the match between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund. While the game was well-attended, some matches at the tournament have seen sparse crowds.

    Despite both of Saturday’s games drawing sizeable crowds, an apparent lack of interest in the competition’s other semifinal between Chelsea and Fluminense saw ticket prices for the game fall to $13.40 from $473.90 earlier in the week, according to AP.

    FIFA has used a dynamic pricing system for this summer’s Club World Cup, and previously dropped prices to as low as $11.15 for Chelsea’s quarterfinal against Palmeiras, and Fluminense’s quarterfinal against Al-Hilal, per AP.

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  • Get to know Zubimendi with these 12 fun facts | Feature | News

    Get to know Zubimendi with these 12 fun facts | Feature | News

    Martin Zubimendi became our second summer signing when he swapped Real Sociedad for N5, but how much do you know about our latest new face?

    The Spanish international has been a pillar of consistency throughout his career for both club and country, helping Spain to glory at Euro 2024, and while his rise has been well documented, here are some facts you might not know about the 26-year-old.

    Familiar upbringings

    Martin Zubimendi will be working closely Mikel Arteta in the future, but it’s their past that is also linked. Both born in San Sebastian, Basque Country, the pair also share a similar route through to professional football, having played for youth team Antiguoko. The famed youth side is stacked with notable alumni, having also developed the likes of Bournemouth manager Andrei Iraola and Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso.

    Euro 2024 impact

    When Rodri was substituted at half-time in the Euro 2024 final against England, many believed the Three Lions had the upper hand going into the second half. Rodri’s replacement was Zubimendi, who turned the tide in Spain’s favour. He completed 92% of his passes, made three recoveries and won all five of his duels as La Roja scored two second-half goals to win 2-1 in Berlin.

    Milestone moments

    Having made his debut in April 2019 after coming through the academy ranks after leaving Antiguoko. It would take him almost three years to bag his first goal, which came in the Europa League against RB Leipzig. Having waited so long for his first professional strike, his second came along 17 days later, netting the winner in a 1-0 victory over Alaves in La Liga.

    Read more

    36 top photos of Zubimendi’s first day at Arsenal

    Three Dozen

    Martin will be donning the number 36 for us in the 2025/26 season, a number that’s close to the midfielder’s heart. Martin wore the jersey in 2019 when making his debut for Real Sociedad against Getafe. He went on to play in the no.36 jersey on 52 occasions before switching to number three and then four for the remainder of his Real Sociedad career.

    Arsenal connection

    Martin will have some familiar faces when he meets his new teammates at the Sobha Realty Training Centre. The midfielder has played club football alongside Mikel Merino and Martin Odegaard at Real Sociedad. He has also featured with David Raya for the Spanish national team, alongside Merino.

    Merino Magic

    While he is familiar with several players in our squad, one player who stands out is Mikel Merino. The pair have played 169 matches together for both club and country, amassing 11,229 minutes on the pitch at the same time. The duo linked up for two goals during their time at Real Sociedad, with Mikel setting up Martin for a 94th-minute equaliser against Alaves in 2024 and doing the same against Girona in 2022.

    Read more

    Zubimendi: “I set my sights on Arsenal”

    Olympic Dreams

    Not many players get the opportunity to represent their nations at the Olympic Games but that was the case for Martin at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. He featured five times during the competition, which saw Spain lose to Gabriel Martinelli’s Brazil in the final, meaning they picked up the silver medal.

    Hometown hero

    Having made his debut the season prior, Martin would go on to have a hand in helping Real Sociedad claim a first major trophy since 1987 by winning the 2019-20 Copa del Rey. Martin played the full 90 minutes in a 1-0 victory over Basque rivals Athletic Club in the final, starting the match next to Merino, who won player of the match, and former Gunner Nacho Monreal.

    Spanish Link

    We’ve enjoyed great success with a host of Spanish stars over the years. A total of 16 players from the country have put on our colours, with seven Spaniards making over 100 appearances for the club: Cesc Fabregas, Manuel Almunia, Jose Antonio Reyes, Santi Cazorla, Nacho Monreal, Hector Bellerin and our manager, Mikel Arteta.

    Read more

    Quiz: Name every Spaniard to play for Arsenal

    Chess champ

    Outside of football, Martin has a talent for chess, a game he’s played since he was a child. At 11 years old, Martin won the Gipuzkoa chess championships in the under-12 category. On his love of chess, Martin said: “It’s a game that requires you to have everything under control. In both sports, the midfield is crucial because it defines the style of play.”

    Breaking the lines

    Breaking down low blocks can make the difference between winning and losing and in order to do that, a line-breaking pass is a must. During 2024/25, only three players produced more line-breaking passes in La Liga than Martin Zubimendi. His 238 line-breakers were only beaten by a trio of Real Madrid players in Luka Modric, Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni.

    Basque Joiners

    While Martin is making his way from San Sebastian, he’s not the only player hailing from the Basque Country to be joining the ranks. Kepa Arrizabalaga put pen to paper to become our first signing of the summer window and also hails from the region. Kepa was born in Ondarroa, approximately 60km from Martin in San Sebastian.

    Copyright 2025 The Arsenal Football Club Limited. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source.

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  • One year later, De Minaur gets his shot at Djokovic at Wimbledon

    One year later, De Minaur gets his shot at Djokovic at Wimbledon

    It will be an almighty challenge, given what Djokovic has produced on the lawns so far this fortnight.

    He overwhelmed fellow Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic 6-3 6-0 6-4 on Centre Court on Saturday – his 100th match victory at Wimbledon.

    The more the 38-year-old wins, the more history he creates, and there are extraordinary milestones on the line for him at SW19 this year, where he is targeting a seventh consecutive final.

    A tournament victory would see him equal Roger Federer’s men’s record of eight singles titles, earn an all-time record 25th major title, and become the oldest Grand Slam singles champion in Open-era history.

    Despite overlapping for many years on tour, Djokovic and De Mianur have only played three times. Djokovic leads the head-to-head 2-1, and in their only Grand Slam meeting, Djokovic dropped just five games in a Rod Laver Arena masterclass in 2023.

    He is, however, wary of how this match-up could unfold on grass.

    “It’s gonna be a great challenge,” Djokovic told Stan Sport.

    “I think Alex is a player who has been improving so much [in the] last couple of years. He’s already now an established top-10 player, and on grass particularly I think it suits him very well.

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