'Wimbledon towel thief' Iga Swiatek says this one's for keeps


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During the Wimbledon fortnight, a grinning Iga Swiatek was often caught on camera cramming dozens of official towels into her tennis bags, creating a running joke that "Wimbledon's towel thief strikes again!"

On Saturday, the All England Club marked her fondness with a perfectly fitting tribute. After dismantling Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 in just 57 minutes to claim her maiden Wimbledon title, Swiatek was presented with a personalised purple and green towel embroidered with the words: Property of Iga Swiatek, Wimbledon Champion.

“This one’s for keeps,” read the tournament’s post on X, accompanied by a picture of a beaming Swiatek holding her trophy and new prized possession.

Swiatek had joked earlier in the tournament that players' love of Grand Slam towels was a quiet obsession. “It’s a topic no one ever talks about,” she said. “Every time I come back from a Slam I have like 10 friends and 10 family members wanting towels. So, sorry guys. Sorry Wimbledon. I don’t know if I’m supposed to do that.”

The 24-year-old Pole now has one she will never have to sneak away with. And she earned it in style.

Already a US Open and four-time French Open champion, Swiatek’s stunning Centre Court performance made her the youngest woman since Serena Williams in 2002 to win Grand Slam titles on all three surfaces. She is also the first player since Monica Seles in 1992 to win her first six major finals.

“It’s something surreal,” Swiatek said after lifting the Venus Rosewater Dish. “Tennis keeps surprising me and I keep surprising myself. From the first day we stepped on grass, we just worked hard without expectation. I’m just happy.”

Her opponent, 13th-seed Anisimova, was left shell-shocked. The American had made an emotional run to her first Slam final but found herself overwhelmed by Swiatek’s precision and power. The defeat marked the first time since 1911 that a woman had lost a Wimbledon final 6-0, 6-0, and the first such scoreline in any major final since Steffi Graf beat Natasha Zvereva in the 1988 French Open.

Anisimova began the tournament with a 6-0, 6-0 win of her own over Yulia Putintseva but admitted she ran out of gas in the final.

“I didn’t have enough today,” she said, holding back tears. “But I’ll keep working and I believe in myself. I hope to be back again one day.”

Poland erupted in celebration. President Andrzej Duda hailed the win as “history not just for Polish sport, but for Polish pride,” while Prime Minister Donald Tusk posted a photo of himself watching Swiatek’s interview with a bowl of pasta and strawberries – her chosen Wimbledon cheat meal.

The victory, Swiatek’s 100th in just 120 Grand Slam matches, also dashed hopes of an “American Slam” sweep in 2024, after Madison Keys and Coco Gauff had won in Australia and Paris, respectively.

Among those cheering her on was Friends actress Courteney Cox, who embraced Swiatek post-match. “I’m just happy,” said Swiatek. “This is the life I’ve chosen, and moments like this make it all worth it.”

In numbers: China in Dubai

The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000

Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000

Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent

Electoral College Victory

Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate. 

 

Popular Vote Tally

The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.

RESULT

Arsenal 1 Chelsea 2
Arsenal:
Aubameyang (13')
Chelsea: Jorginho (83'), Abraham (87') 

Profile of MoneyFellows

Founder: Ahmed Wadi

Launched: 2016

Employees: 76

Financing stage: Series A ($4 million)

Investors: Partech, Sawari Ventures, 500 Startups, Dubai Angel Investors, Phoenician Fund

Skewed figures

In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458. 

UK's plans to cut net migration

Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.

Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.

But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.

Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.

Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.

The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.

Scorline

Iraq 1-0 UAE

Iraq Hussein 28’

ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

Key 2013/14 UAE Motorsport dates

October 4: Round One of Rotax Max Challenge, Al Ain (karting)

October 1: 1 Round One of the inaugural UAE Desert Championship (rally)

November 1-3: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (Formula One)

November 28-30: Dubai International Rally

January 9-11: 24Hrs of Dubai (Touring Cars / Endurance)

March 21: Round 11 of Rotax Max Challenge, Muscat, Oman (karting)

April 4-10: Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge (Endurance)

Another way to earn air miles

In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.

An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.

“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.

The candidates

Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive

Ali Azeem, business leader

Tony Booth, professor of education

Lord Browne, former BP chief executive

Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist

Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist

Dr Mark Mann, scientist

Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner

Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister

Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster

 

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
The specs

  Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now

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Company%20profile
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In numbers

Number of Chinese tourists coming to UAE in 2017 was... 1.3m

Alibaba’s new ‘Tech Town’  in Dubai is worth... $600m

China’s investment in the MIddle East in 2016 was... $29.5bn

The world’s most valuable start-up in 2018, TikTok, is valued at... $75bn

Boost to the UAE economy of 5G connectivity will be... $269bn 

Take Me Apart

Kelela

(Warp)

The biog

Name: Shamsa Hassan Safar

Nationality: Emirati

Education: Degree in emergency medical services at Higher Colleges of Technology

Favourite book: Between two hearts- Arabic novels

Favourite music: Mohammed Abdu and modern Arabic songs

Favourite way to spend time off: Family visits and spending time with friends

Company%C2%A0profile
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The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

The Sky Is Pink

Director: Shonali Bose

Cast: Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Farhan Akhtar, Zaira Wasim, Rohit Saraf

Three stars

Padmaavat

Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh

3.5/5

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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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 

F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

Updated: July 13, 2025, 4:51 AM`