Alcaraz ditches tennis player group demanding prize money hike Sport Business Reigning US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from a group of top tennis stars demanding a larger proportion of prize money from the four grand slam tournaments. The Spaniard, who will take on US star Ben Shelton in a quarter-final match-up this evening, was initially part of a group which chose to take on [...]
Allianz serves up Jannik Sinner partnership Sport Business Reigning Wimbledon champion Jannik Sinner has penned a multi-year deal with Allianz. The Italian, who takes on Novak Djokovic on Friday in the Australian Open semi-finals, has inked a partnership with the insurance giant that will see him become a global brand ambassador. Sinner said he would be looking “forward to building a collaboration with [...]
Football regulator may have popular support but many will be disappointed Sport Business The Independent Football Regulator will not be the panacea for all of the English game’s ills that some are hoping for, says Ed Warner. To a stimulating conference titled “The Independent Football Regulator: challenge or opportunity?” There I found myself a minority voice in an echo chamber of regulatory advocates. An opening poll of the [...]
England cricket chiefs refusing to let counties blow Hundred cash on wages January 21, 2026 The England and Wales Cricket Board is at loggerheads with a number of counties who are growing increasingly frustrated at delays in accessing the proceeds from the £520m sale of stakes in the eight Hundred franchises last year. While the ECB have already distributed tens of millions of pounds from the sale to counties with [...]
Australian Open’s One Point Slam shows that merit still makes the best stories January 20, 2026 The Australian Open officially got under way this week, but the most talked-about moment of the year’s opening tennis slam may already be behind us. Before a ball had been struck in the main draw, a little-known tennis coach from Sydney, Jordan Smith, walked away with A$1m after winning the One Point Slam — a [...]
Why Battle of the Sexes tennis match fell short of One Point Slam January 16, 2026 Tennis recently revived the “Battle of the Sexes” concept as a way to generate attention, attract headlines and spark debate. In doing so, however, the sport risks overlooking a simple truth: women’s tennis no longer needs comparison to prove its value. Women’s tennis is a strong product in its own right, with four of the [...]
Australian Open enjoys record crowds before tournament has even begun January 12, 2026 Australian Open organisers are toasting record crowds before the Grand Slam has properly begun after a near four-fold year-on-year increase in attendance on the first day of play at Melbourne Park. More than 29,000 tennis fans poured through the gates on Monday to catch players including home favourite Bernard Tomic and Brit Dan Evans in [...]
SA20 future in doubt as Big Bash sale process squeezes cricket investment January 7, 2026 The SA20 franchise tournament is facing an uncertain financial future amid the threat of fresh competition for funding from Cricket Australia’s Big Bash, which is preparing to sell off stakes in its franchises to private investors later this year. All six SA20 franchises are owned by Indian Premier League teams, many of whom have expressed [...]
Tennis: Record prize money for Australian Open winners January 6, 2026 Winners at this year’s Australian Open will get £2m in prize money for the first time after organisers of the tennis grand slam increased their total purse. If Jannik Sinner and Madison Keys are able to defend their titles they’ll receive £2.06m from tournament organisers in Melbourne, up from £1.7m in 2025. The £55.2m purse, [...]
Tennis stars on collision course with Grand Slams over reforms September 24, 2025 Leading tennis players including Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka are understood to be unhappy with the Grand Slams about a lack of progress over welfare, prize money and consultation reforms. The top 10 players from the men’s ATP and women’s WTA tours have been in discussions with Wimbledon, the French Open, the US Open and [...]