Marco Bianchi 
Rafael Nadal confirmed he has not ruled out a future coaching role, noting his family commitments and current priorities. He also highlighted his recent participation in the Rafa Nadal Academy Slam exhibition, where he and his team defeated Andy Murray’s side.
Natalia Silva captured the vacant UFC flyweight championship at UFC 332 in Salt Lake City, beating China’s Wang Cong via unanimous decision. The victory extended Silva’s 15‑fight winning streak and marked the first women’s main event on a numbered UFC card since early 2025. Former champion Valentina Shevchenko congratulated Silva but warned her not to become complacent.
Premier League giants Manchester United and Arsenal have joined a growing list of clubs monitoring Freiburg’s 23‑year‑old Croatian striker Igor Matanovic. Juventus are also targeting Liverpool defender Giovanni Leoni, while Newcastle consider letting Joe Willock leave in January. The gossip column highlights several other transfer targets across Europe.
World champion Wu Yize thrashed Judd Trump 6-1 in the Shenzhen Open semi‑final, securing a place in the inaugural final against fellow Chinese Yuan Sijun. The victory moves Wu to second in the world rankings, while Trump, the world number two, exits after a dominant display earlier in the tournament.
Celtic’s biggest shareholder Dermot Desmond was confronted by fans during the Alfred Dunhill Links pro‑am event in St Andrews, with tennis balls featuring his face thrown onto the 15th green. The protest, organised by the Celtic Fans Collective, highlighted supporter anger over the club’s performance and governance, forcing security to escort Desmond off the course.
The Dragons celebrated a Welsh derby win over the Scarlets, prevailing 38‑26 in a ten‑try thriller at Rodney Parade. Elliot Dee scored two tries and the team recorded six different try‑scorers, extending their unbeaten start to the United Rugby Championship season.
Kieran Morrison earned his first start for Northern Ireland in a Nations League match against Ukraine, delivering the cross that led to Isaac Price’s second goal in a 3-0 victory. The Liverpool loanee praised the confidence shown by manager Michael O’Neill and hopes to retain his place for the upcoming home game at Windsor Park.
Iga Swiatek posted a straight‑sets win over Gao Xinyu in the second round of the China Open. In the ensuing press conference she reflected on Aryna Sabalenka’s renewed motivation to chase the world No.1 spot and reiterated her own aim to climb back into the top eight to qualify for the WTA Finals.
Australian tennis player Alex de Minaur, after reaching the China Open quarter‑finals in Beijing, confirmed that former world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt will be assisting him in the coaching box for the next few weeks. De Minaur discussed the arrangement at his press conference and noted his upcoming match against Andrey Rublev.
Yunchaokete Bu, a Chinese wildcard, pushed Novak Djokovic to three sets at the China Open before losing 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-2. After the match, Bu said the crowd’s support for Djokovic did not bother him and praised the Serbian as the greatest player in history. The result moves Bu back into the top 100.