Exclusive: Padel pioneers to set up pro pickleball circuit in Europe and Middle East November 10, 2025 A professional pickleball circuit is coming to Europe and the Middle East in 2026 in a move its founders hope can replicate the racquet sport’s explosive growth in the US. Pickleball – played on small courts and popular with both celebrities including Dua Lipa and Emma Watson and former tennis stars such as Maria Sharapova [...]
Sabalenka to face Kyrgios in Battle of the Sexes in Dubai November 4, 2025 The United Arab Emirates will host a “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match between Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios this year. Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena will stage the first such match since 1992 when world No1 Sabalenka faces Australian Kyrgios, who reached a career-high 13th in 2016. “I have a lot of respect for Nick and [...]
Tennis chiefs risk angering players by adding Saudi Masters event to calendar October 23, 2025 The ATP is to add a new Masters 1000 event in Saudi Arabia despite complaints from some top tennis players that the calendar is already too congested. The Saudi Masters event could become a fixture on the men’s elite tour as soon as 2028, with February earmarked as the most likely window but not yet [...]
How sport can take tackle Gen Z’s problem with gender polarisation October 21, 2025 Gender is as becoming as divisive as race, politics and economics among but sport can play its part in fixing a growing problem among Gen Z, writes Matt Readman. It’s been 25 years since Nelson Mandela famously said that sport could “unite people in a way that little else does”. While sport has sometimes mirrored social [...]
Zverev earns $25,000 per minute in Six Kings Slam defeat October 16, 2025 Alexander Zverev earned $25,000 per minute for his 59-minute cameo in the Six Kings Slam tennis tournament in Saudi Arabia. The German is one of six tennis stars competing as part of Riyadh Season’s premier tennis competition with each of the participants receiving a reported appearance fee of $1.5m, rising to $6m for the eventual [...]
London hailed as global capital for women’s sport as 1.4m visit October 8, 2025 London has been hailed as a global epicentre for women’s sport after the Red Roses, Queen’s Club, the Lionesses and athletics all contributed to 1.4m fans attending events in the capital. Nearly 82,000 fans packed in to Allianz Stadium in Twickenham last month to watch England beat Canada to win a first Women’s Rugby World [...]
Riyadh Season like Saudi Arabia’s Disneyland as darts joins roster October 6, 2025 Riyadh Season’s expansion to encompass more sports and cultural events – including, for the first time, darts – has seen it likened to “Saudi Arabia’s Disneyland”. A new deal with multi-sport promotion giants Matchroom will see the Saudi Masters Darts join the likes of boxing and snooker on the Arabian peninsula. Furthermore, Riyadh Season – [...]
No Limits Tour: Cliff diving, Tom Daley and the TikTokification of sport October 4, 2025 When launching a new sports property it helps to have one of the biggest names in the game lend their support and, in diving, they don’t come much bigger than Tom Daley. So it was a timely boost to the No Limits Tour Cliff Diving Championship that former Olympic champion Daley agreed to appear in [...]
Why Ryder Cup is commercial gold and other sports have failed to copy it September 25, 2025 If the Ryder Cup didn’t exist, could you create it today? After all, this is an event that bends an individual sport into a collective enterprise, is rarely won by the away team, and hasn’t produced a close contest for 13 years. It also sees a roster of golfers playing for love pitted against another [...]
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 [...]