Six years ago, Zheng Qinwen and Coco Gauff squared off in the final of the Orange Bowl U18 tournament, which is arguably the most prestigious junior tennis event in the world.
Gauff, who was 14 at the time, defeated a 15-year-old Zheng, to finish her junior career on a high note.
On Saturday in Riyadh, the pair will square off on one of the biggest stages in women’s tennis: the championship match of the WTA Finals. “It's cool to see, like, six years later, here we are,” said Gauff on Friday.
Zheng and Gauff’s shared history extends beyond the court. They’ve both been coached by Spanish former ATP player Pere Riba, who currently works with Zheng but was part of Team Gauff from June to October 2023 – a stretch that included the American’s US Open title run.
This is Riba’s second stint with Zheng, having worked with the Chinese star from 2021 to mid-2023, guiding her from outside the top 100 to inside the top 30 within that span.
They reunited end of last year and have since enjoyed tremendous success together with Zheng reaching a maiden Grand Slam final at the Australian Open, winning Olympic gold in Paris, rising to a career-high No 7 in the world, and now being one victory away from becoming the first Asian player to win the WTA Finals title.
“He always has lot of passion on tennis,” Zheng said of Riba this week. “This is important. He really wants to be a good coach. Not so many coaches on tour have this type of passion.
“Many coaches, they just consider this as a high prize job. But there are a few coaches on tour, they really love the tennis, they want their player to become the best, they want their player to improve every single day. I think he's this type of coach.”
Riba indeed loves tennis and wants nothing but progress for Zheng.
He got to witness his charge shoot to superstardom in China, after she clinched the Olympic gold medal, and together, they achieved great results during the Asian swing last month, where Zheng made the semi-finals in Beijing, the final in Wuhan (her hometown tournament), and won the title in Tokyo – all of which was done amid crazy levels of fandom all around her.
Riba says it didn’t surprise him how well she performed on court while getting so much attention, which normally would translate into pressure.
“The situation for her changed a lot, especially when she got the gold medal. All the atmosphere that she produced when she arrived to China, of course I like so much watching all the people that support and show love to her, is a big thing and nice thing for her. She enjoys it a lot. And when the player is happy, everyone is happy,” Riba told The National on the sidelines of the WTA Finals in Riyadh this week.
After making the Australian Open final in January, Zheng had a brief dip in results as she adjusted to her new status, but Riba believes she quickly learnt how to handle the situation and she has been on a winning spree since mid-July.
After losing in the Wimbledon first round, Zheng has won more matches than any other player on tour, posting a 31-5 win-loss record heading into Saturday evening’s final against Gauff.
Should Zheng defeat Gauff, she would rise to a career-high No 4 in the world and pocket $4,805,000 – the largest payout in history at a WTA Tour event.
From being on the cover of fashion magazines, to collecting record prize pots, it would be easy for Zheng to lose focus, but Riba assures that hasn’t been the case.
“She's doing great, she's practising so hard, until now, I only can say good words,” said the Spaniard.
“But for me, the most important thing is that she continues having the feet on the ground. It's so easy when you are getting these results, that is the best season of her life, winning like, a 250 tournament, a 500, final in a 1000, gold medal, final in a Grand Slam, top 10 … many big results and then it's like outside, it's so easy to listen to really good words, like you are the best, they are comparing you to Li Na, this so good.
“But then I'm saying to her, now is the moment where the most complicated thing that you have to do is keep your feet on the ground and continue doing the things that you are doing. Remember from where you come from, the origin, and keep going. Because it's so easy to forget. But for the moment she understands.”
Zheng has a fiery personality on the court and can often be seen arguing with Riba during practice – something they’ve both spoken about this week in Riyadh.
“She has a great heart. When you know her – because you have to know the people – she's an amazing person, she has a great heart. But of course, when she enters the court, me I have a lot of fights with her on court, because she is really ambitious,” Riba said of the 22-year-old Zheng.
“And me, also I want her to succeed. She is a really good tennis player because she has this character, this is the reason. But sometimes, she has to control the emotions and she still is so young. But no doubt that she's an amazing person.
“And sometimes this behaviour happens with all the players, because all the players want to win. She’s so young, and these small things that maybe the people can see it’s nothing. Because finally the person, the essence is really nice.”
Looking ahead to next season, Riba has every reason to believe Zheng can hit new heights. She is achieving many things that haven’t been achieved by a Chinese woman in tennis since Li Na, but the big one would be lifting a Grand Slam trophy – a feat only Li Na has accomplished for China.
“If she continues improving and given the way she is doing the things, me I'm optimistic, and of course, it's always complicated these goals, but she will arrive with realistic options to win a Grand Slam,” said Riba of Zheng’s prospects next season.
“It can happen or cannot happen, because many players are fighting for the same thing but she will arrive with the tennis and with the fitness and with all the things that she will be capable to do it.”
The fight for the world No 1 ranking has been exclusively taking place between Aryna Sabalenka – who ends this season at the summit – and Iga Swiatek, who has held the top spot for a total of 125 weeks.
Does Riba believe Zheng, or others in the chasing pack, can enter that No 1 conversation?
“Look, I don’t like to talk too much about the other players. But of course, if you analyse, we can see that this year, Aryna and Iga, they are fighting there, it’s like a little bit more up from the other ones,” he said.
“Bu there are three, four, five players that if they are working good, working in the right way, they can enter [the conversation], and they can fight to take the spot.
“Especially because there are young players coming up that are really good. And I have a lot of confidence in Qinwen, because she has the tools, she has the weapons, every month is better.
“I don’t see that she's at the top of her potential. To be honest, I think she is at 60 per cent of what she can be. And this gives me a lot of confidence that she's going to be one day there, I really believe that.”
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net
Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.
Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.
A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.
Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.
The biog
Place of birth: Kalba
Family: Mother of eight children and has 10 grandchildren
Favourite traditional dish: Al Harees, a slow cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled cracked or coarsely ground wheat mixed with meat or chicken
Favourite book: My early life by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah
Favourite quote: By Sheikh Zayed, the UAE's Founding Father, “Those who have no past will have no present or future.”
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
Price, base: Dh1,731,672
Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm
Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm
Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km
'C'mon C'mon'
Director:Mike Mills
Stars:Joaquin Phoenix, Gaby Hoffmann, Woody Norman
Rating: 4/5
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Polarised public
31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all
Source: YouGov
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
'Skin'
Dir: Guy Nattiv
Starring: Jamie Bell, Danielle McDonald, Bill Camp, Vera Farmiga
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Brolliology: A History of the Umbrella in Life and Literature
By Marion Rankine
Melville House
Company%20profile
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Have you been targeted?
Tuan Phan of SimplyFI.org lists five signs you have been mis-sold to:
1. Your pension fund has been placed inside an offshore insurance wrapper with a hefty upfront commission.
2. The money has been transferred into a structured note. These products have high upfront, recurring commission and should never be in a pension account.
3. You have also been sold investment funds with an upfront initial charge of around 5 per cent. ETFs, for example, have no upfront charges.
4. The adviser charges a 1 per cent charge for managing your assets. They are being paid for doing nothing. They have already claimed massive amounts in hidden upfront commission.
5. Total annual management cost for your pension account is 2 per cent or more, including platform, underlying fund and advice charges.
BLACK%20ADAM
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
