It’s that time of the year again where we hand out some alternative awards to the women who highlighted a stellar season on the WTA tour.
The reflective storyteller award
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
One of my favourite things these past five months has been listening to 30-year-old Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova discuss her long route to reaching a first grand slam final.
A tennis prodigy from her teen years who was ranked No 1 in juniors, Pavlyuchenkova was halted in the quarter-final stage of a major on six different occasions, unable to cross that last-eight barrier.
This season though, 16 years after turning pro, and a decade after making her first major quarter-final, Pavlyuchenkova finally broke through by making the final at Roland Garros, and has now risen to a career-high No 11 in the world.
Her brutal honesty when discussing her struggles dealing with her early success, navigating depression, losing motivation during the pandemic and how she battled through it all has been both refreshing and inspiring.
“I'm used to being the youngest one always on tour. Everything was ahead of me,” Pavlyuchenkova said in Madrid last May.
“I was, just, I was there. I was winning matches quite consistently. Okay, maybe I wasn't top 10, but still kind of felt like, ‘Okay, I got this’. Then all of a sudden at some point I just came to the point where I thought, ‘Maybe I don't belong there anymore. Like, maybe it's time to go’.
“At some point I felt a little bit lost. I wasn't sure, am I capable of beating those top-20 players again or top-10 players? Then you just start to doubt yourself. You doubt the work you're doing.”
Luckily she didn’t let the doubts completely take over.
Pavlyuchenkova has been dropping pearls of wisdom all year – in three different languages – and her recent interview with the brilliant Sofya Tartakova is not to be missed.
It’s not always easy to share your narrative with the rest of the world but Pavlyuchenkova has been eloquently doing it all season. There’s a lot we can all learn from her experiences.
Poignant victory speech award
Barbora Krejcikova
Whether she was giving a moving tribute to her late coach Jana Novotna after winning the French Open, or giving us all a history lesson about the Velvet Revolution that ended 41 years of one-party rule in Czechoslovakia, Barbora Krejcikova found a way to bring the house down every time she was handed a microphone on court.
“We call this day the Velvet Revolution. On 17 November 1989, we had very brave Czechoslovakia students and citizens; they went outside to the streets and they had been demonstrating against the non-democratic regime we had back then,” Krejcikova told the crowd after being crowned WTA Finals doubles champion alongside her fellow Czech Katerina Siniakova in Guadalajara earlier this month.
“Thanks to them and their sacrifice, today my generation can live in a beautiful country back home. We can live without any restrictions and also with the freedom.”
Czech-American legend Martina Navratilova was in tears on court as she listened to Krejcikova, who continued: “Just for example, so everybody understands what was happening back then, we have here Martina Navratilova who was forced to emigrate from Czechoslovakia because of the regime that was there. I’m really happy that regime is not there anymore and we can live in freedom.”
It’s remarkable to have the poise and composure to find the right words to say in a victory speech when most people would be overwhelmed and overcome by emotion.
When she lifted her maiden singles grand slam title in Paris, Krejcikova said some lovely words about her former coach Novotna, who died of cancer in 2017.
“I was going through a really hard time when Jana was passing away,” Krejcikova told the fans at Court Philippe-Chatrier. “Pretty much her last words were just enjoy and just try to win a grand slam. I know that from somewhere she's looking after me and all of this is pretty much because she's looking after me from up there.”
Poignant runner-up speech award
Leylah Fernandez
If victory speeches are difficult to pull off because of all the emotions, runner-up speeches are possibly even harder since the last thing anyone wants to do after a loss is to stand in front of thousands of people and share their thoughts.
Canadian teen Leylah Fernandez made it look easy though when she spoke to the Arthur Ashe stadium crowd after losing the US Open final to Emma Raducanu on September 11.
“I know on this day it was especially hard for New York and everyone around the United States. I just want to say that I hope I can be as strong and as resilient as New York has been the past 20 years,” said Fernandez.
Post-match hug award
Ons Jabeur
There have been many heartwarming moments on tour this year – Maria Sakkari pulling in a tearful Iga Swiatek for a hug at the net during the WTA Finals being a most recent example.
Post-match handshakes can sometimes get awkward (look for the hashtag ‘#imjusthereforthehandshake’ on Twitter, you won’t regret it) but one player who almost always goes for the hug is the tour’s most sociable star, Ons Jabeur.
The Tunisian shared the sweetest moment with Colombian teen Camila Osorio when she beat her 6-0, 6-1 at the US Open two months ago.
At the net, Jabeur gave the 19-year-old a bear hug along with some encouraging words to console her.
“She is a great human being,” Osorio told Colombian press after the match. “Outside the court she greets me and my family. She knew I wanted to do well, but things didn't work out for me. She told me to relax, that everything was fine. It was very nice.”
Mental health initiatives award
Venus Williams and Iga Swiatek
Mental health has been at the forefront of many discussions in sport this year and it was great to see the legendary Venus Williams collaborate with the WTA and BetterHelp to launch a programme that will provide $2 million of free therapy to the public.
Iga Swiatek also did her part this season by announcing a $50,000 donation to two Polish foundations working in the field of mental health.
The 20-year-old Swiatek made the decision on World Mental Health Day and chose those two foundations based on suggestions from her followers online.
“The foundations will use this money to hire new psychotherapists to work with children and teenagers who struggle with depression, anxiety, violence and suicidal thoughts,” explained Swiatek. “Never in those foundations' history has the demand for therapy been so high as it is now, mainly because of the pandemic.”
Shiny spirit award
Camila Osorio
It is incredibly hard to catch Osorio without a smile on her face. The bubbly Colombian enjoyed a breakthrough 2021, where she picked up a maiden WTA title – on home soil no less – and rose from 186 at the start of the year to a career-high 53 in the world rankings.
There were many hilarious moments with Osorio – or Cami as she is commonly known as – this season, but perhaps my favourite was when I asked her about how she’s adapting her game to grass during her Wimbledon qualifying campaign.
“I don’t even know what I’m doing, I’m just playing,” she said bursting into laughter. The self-deprecating Osorio didn’t just qualify for Wimbledon; she ended up making the third round in the main draw.
Comedy gold award
Daria Gavrilova
Daria Gavrilova has had a difficult year. She was unable to compete between February and November as she underwent Haglund’s deformity surgery and dealt with Achilles tendon enthesopathy.
The Moscow-born Aussie was stuck in Melbourne for months on end, rehabbing mostly by herself, surviving a strict statewide lockdown and unable to see her fiancé Luke Saville, who was travelling the tour and competing.
During such tough times, Gavrilova provided an endless stream of comedic content on TikTok and her other social media channels, ranging from short skits where she mockingly embodied various player stereotypes, to videos of her equally famous dog, Tofu, to clips of her dancing alone in the gym.
The humour and creativity in her videos is unrivalled, and it was nice to see someone make the best out of a bad situation while she was sidelined from competition.
Making a difference award
Sloane Stephens
The more you read up on the work Sloane Stephens does through her foundation to help young kids through “providing educational opportunities and encouraging healthy lifestyles”, the more your admiration grows for her.
From her Love, Love Compton programme, to the Doc & Glo scholarship she created in honour of her late grandparents, to her role on the WTA Player Council, Stephens is someone who likes to get involved and be proactive about affecting change.
Stephens, who joined the Council in 2019, was recently re-elected for a second term.
“I think it’s been an interesting process,” the former US Open champion told reporters at the Billie Jean King Cup earlier this month.
“We’ve made a lot of good strides on behalf of the players. When you get into it, you kind of have unfinished business; we’ve started a lot of good projects and a lot of good things for our girls and the tour and we haven’t fully finished what we needed to finish.
“I came in with Madison [Keys] and we had some goals to really accomplish and I think we’re still in the process of that, so I don’t want to get off until we’ve really made some good strides. That’s why I do it.”
Stephens recently started a blog called ‘Sloane Stephens Off-Court’, where she shares some of her unfiltered feelings and views from her day-to-day life.
“I want to do my part to encourage women to embrace life to its fullest by connecting with one another, caring for all aspects of their well-being, discovering and utilising resources that meet needs/address gaps, and prioritising joy through self-discovery, dream chasing, and living,” writes Stephens.
“By sharing some of myself and my interests, I hope to help build a community where people can learn more about experiencing overall wellness and joy. Because I truly envision a world where Black women and other women of colour are healthy, thriving and free with equitable access to the tools and resources they need to live their happiest and most fulfilling lives.”
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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More coverage from the Future Forum
Other must-tries
Tomato and walnut salad
A lesson in simple, seasonal eating. Wedges of tomato, chunks of cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, coriander or parsley leaves, and perhaps some fresh dill are drizzled with a crushed walnut and garlic dressing. Do consider yourself warned: if you eat this salad in Georgia during the summer months, the tomatoes will be so ripe and flavourful that every tomato you eat from that day forth will taste lacklustre in comparison.
Badrijani nigvzit
A delicious vegetarian snack or starter. It consists of thinly sliced, fried then cooled aubergine smothered with a thick and creamy walnut sauce and folded or rolled. Take note, even though it seems like you should be able to pick these morsels up with your hands, they’re not as durable as they look. A knife and fork is the way to go.
Pkhali
This healthy little dish (a nice antidote to the khachapuri) is usually made with steamed then chopped cabbage, spinach, beetroot or green beans, combined with walnuts, garlic and herbs to make a vegetable pâté or paste. The mix is then often formed into rounds, chilled in the fridge and topped with pomegranate seeds before being served.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
FFP EXPLAINED
What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.
What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.
What are the penalties?
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
HOW TO WATCH
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Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
The years Ramadan fell in May
Checks continue
A High Court judge issued an interim order on Friday suspending a decision by Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots to direct a stop to Brexit agri-food checks at Northern Ireland ports.
Mr Justice Colton said he was making the temporary direction until a judicial review of the minister's unilateral action this week to order a halt to port checks that are required under the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Civil servants have yet to implement the instruction, pending legal clarity on their obligations, and checks are continuing.
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The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand
UAE fixtures
May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final
1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List
James Mustich, Workman
Company info
Company name: Entrupy
Co-founders: Vidyuth Srinivasan, co-founder/chief executive, Ashlesh Sharma, co-founder/chief technology officer, Lakshmi Subramanian, co-founder/chief scientist
Based: New York, New York
Sector/About: Entrupy is a hardware-enabled SaaS company whose mission is to protect businesses, borders and consumers from transactions involving counterfeit goods.
Initial investment/Investors: Entrupy secured a $2.6m Series A funding round in 2017. The round was led by Tokyo-based Digital Garage and Daiwa Securities Group's jointly established venture arm, DG Lab Fund I Investment Limited Partnership, along with Zach Coelius.
Total customers: Entrupy’s customers include hundreds of secondary resellers, marketplaces and other retail organisations around the world. They are also testing with shipping companies as well as customs agencies to stop fake items from reaching the market in the first place.
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
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Museum of the Future in numbers
- 78 metres is the height of the museum
- 30,000 square metres is its total area
- 17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
- 14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
- 1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior
- 7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
- 2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
- 100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
- Dh145 is the price of a ticket
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.
Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.
Until the end of Ramadan, the iftar events take place from 7pm until 9pm, from Saturday to Thursday. Advanced booking is required.
For more details, email openminds@cultures.ae or visit www.cultures.ae
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MATCH INFO
Day 2 at Mount Maunganui
England 353
Stokes 91, Denly 74, Southee 4-88
New Zealand 144-4
Williamson 51, S Curran 2-28
Meydan card
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 (PA) Group 1 US$65,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm: Conditions (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,400m
7.40pm: UAE 2000 Guineas Trial (TB) $100,000 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,200m
8.50pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 (TB) Group 2 $350,000 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,900m
10pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
