Tara S

D’Arcy Maine, ESPN.com

It’s been an up-and-down season for Coco Gauff. After winning her first major title at the 2023 US Open, the now 20-year-old started her year by earning the trophy at Auckland and reaching the semifinals at the Australian Open but never quite found the same hot streak that highlighted her 2023.

Gauff, who won the French Open doubles title and was a flag-bearer for the United States at the Olympics, struggled during the summer and failed to defend her titles at Cincinnati and the US Open, losing in the Round of 32 and Round of 16, respectively. Following her disappointing result in New York, she parted ways with coach Brad Gilbert and brought in Matt Daly as his replacement.

Now, as the season’s end rapidly approaches, it seems as if Gauff has finally hit her stride again.

Perhaps in part buoyed by the new energy on her team, or the change of scenery during the Asian swing of the tour, Gauff won her biggest title of the season on Sunday at the 1000-level China Open behind a dominant 6-1, 6-3 victory over Karolina Muchova in the final. With 24 winners and a strong serving performance on the day — and epic points like the one below — Gauff was virtually unstoppable against the equally athletic and resurgent Muchova.

Throughout her run in Beijing, Gauff was unflappable and recorded multiple comeback victories, including against Paula Badosa in the semifinals. With the title — the eighth of her career — Gauff became the youngest champion at the event in 14 years and the first American since Serena Williams in 2013. She is now 7-1 in singles finals and became the first woman in the Open era to win her first seven hard-court finals. Gauff was unaware of that stat when asked about it by a reporter following the match but called it “pretty cool.”

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“I feel like every tournament, it’s a new stat or new record,” Gauff said. “I’m very thankful. I would be excited to see when the next stat is, the next girl, I don’t know, who will be the first person to do this since Coco Gauff. I’m excited to see that.

“It means a lot when I saw that the last American woman to win this was Serena Williams. Honestly, anytime my name is mentioned in whatever sentence hers is. It’s like a huge honor to do something no one has ever done before.”

Gauff now returns to the top five, after falling out of it after the US Open, and currently sits in the fifth spot in the race for the year-end WTA Finals. She is next in action this week at Wuhan, also a 1000-level tournament, and another title would firmly secure her ticket to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Here’s what else you might have missed last week from around the tennis world:

Alcaraz wins again
Playing the men’s final on Wednesday (and throwing off just about everyone’s internal clocks in the sport), Carlos Alcaraz defeated Jannik Sinner at the China Open. As we’ve come to expect when these players meet, it was a great battle between two of the brightest young superstars in the game with Alcaraz ultimately eking out a 6-7(6), 6-4, 7-6(3) victory in three hours and 21 minutes. It was the longest match in tournament history.

Alcaraz, who now owns a 6-4 career record over Sinner and has won all three of their meetings this season, called his rival “the best player in the world” after the match.

“He could [have won] in two, I could win in two, he could win in three,” Alcaraz said. “It was a really close match … The level that he’s playing, it’s unbelievable. It’s a really high quality of tennis. Of shots, physically, mentally, he’s a beast.”

With the win, Alcaraz returns to the No. 2 spot in the rankings, behind only Sinner. And despite the close match and their ever-evolving rivalry, the two provided the latest example of just how unique tennis is by sharing a private jet together just hours later as they made their way to Shanghai for the next tournament.

“It’s a weird thing, but I think tennis is different than other sports because of it,” Alcaraz later told Tennis TV. “Because we are fighting against each other, three-hour match, really close … At the end I got the win, and then two hours later we are in the same plane having some laughs, making jokes, talking about life and acting like nothing happened before.”

Both Alcaraz and Sinner were victorious in their opening two matches in Shanghai and are now into the Round of 16.

And prior to the China Open — which is a 500-level for men — Alcaraz and Gauff were chosen to represent the tours, visiting the Forbidden City in traditional clothing for the occasion. During the trophy ceremony on Sunday, Gauff was asked about their joint visit and the fact they had both gone on to win the titles.

“Someone in press told me that it was going to bring me luck,” Gauff said. “And I said ‘I don’t know, I don’t want to jinx it.’ Then Carlos won but at that time it was only the round of 16 for me. I guess the Imperial Palace brought us luck and maybe I will pay a visit again next year and get the same luck.”

Halep’s return
After receiving a wild card for entry at the Hong Kong 125 Open, Simona Halep notched her first victory in over two years with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 win over Arina Rodionova in the first round on Wednesday.

It marked her first match since May due to injury and just her third match since coming back from a doping ban nearly two years ago. Halep was initially given a four-year suspension after testing positive for roxadustat but it was reduced in March to nine months and she was immediately cleared to play. She made her return at the Miami Open later that month. She played in just one other event before her comeback was derailed by a knee injury.

Wednesday’s victory was an emotional one for the former world No. 1 and two-time major champion.

“Words cannot describe the feeling of being out there on court competing — and winning my first match after such a long period — in the sport I love,” she wrote on Instagram.

Halep, 33, lost her next match in straight sets to Anna Blinkova on Thursday.

Greatest introduction of all time?
After a brief tour hiatus following his third-round exit at the US Open last month, Novak Djokovic — who did help lift Serbia to victory over Greece in Davis Cup group play in the interim — returned to competition in Shanghai on Saturday.

And while the year hasn’t exactly gone to plan for the 24-time major champion, Djokovic was still given perhaps the ultimate hero’s welcome by the tournament as he was introduced to the crowd as “the greatest of all time” while taking the court for his opening match against American Alex Michelsen.

In his first match in China since 2019, the 37-year-old Djokovic was challenged by Michelsen and needed tiebreakers in both sets, but got the straight-set victory to advance. Despite the test and some rust, Djokovic was clearly thrilled by how the day transpired.

“Today on the court was marvelous,” Djokovic said later. “To experience the introduction and the support and love from Chinese fans in this way is exactly the reason why I came.”

Osaka making moves
Nearing the end of her first year back on tour following maternity leave, former No. 1 Naomi Osaka is now just outside the top 50 after a fourth-round run at the China Open. The four-time major champion, who recorded a three-set win over No. 21 seed Yulia Putinseva in the second round, looked to be on the brink of her biggest win of the season against Gauff in the Round of 16 before retiring due to a back injury ahead of the third set.

After Gauff graciously helped Osaka off the court, Osaka explained on social media that she had “locked [her] back up” in practice ahead of the match and it got progressively worse as play went on. “Totally worth it though,” she added.

While not the result she had wanted — and she has since had to withdraw from Wuhan qualifying and the upcoming Japan Open because of the injury — the China Open also marked Osaka’s first with new coach Patrick Mouratoglou. After parting ways with Wim Fissette last month, Osaka brought in Williams’ (and Halep’s) former coach and told reporters ahead of the China Open she hoped it would be a “long-term” partnership. She also admitted she was still “a little nervous around him” because of his reputation.

“I think the fact that he was Serena’s coach for me made me want to avoid him just because his persona is so big,” Osaka said. “Like, this isn’t rude because I found out it’s not true, but I didn’t know — this sounds so bad — I didn’t know if he was a good coach or he coached Serena. Does that make sense? I’m like, I’m just going to do my own thing.

“Then I met him, talked to him, worked with him on the court. He absolutely is a really good coach. I’m really glad that he’s taking this project on, as well.”

And Mouratoglou seemed pretty pleased with their debut event together, calling the experience “so rich in terms [of] learning.”

Changes for Team Iga
Osaka and Gauff aren’t the only ones shaking things up with their teams before year’s end. World No. 1 Iga Swiatek announced the end of her three-year partnership with coach Tomasz Wiktorowski on Friday.

Swiatek won four of her five major titles and took over the top ranking for the first time with Wiktorowski by her side. He was also with her during her 37-match win streak in 2022.

Swiatek thanked him for his help and guidance in an Instagram post.

“Our main goal was to become [the] No. 1 player in the world and coach Wiktorowski was the one who said it first,” she wrote. “We aimed very high, we headed to every tournament with a clear goal to win it … it happened thanks to my entire sports team.”

Swiatek, who hasn’t played since losing in the quarterfinals at the US Open early last month, added she would be spending a “couple of weeks” to find a new coach and was in talks with “coaches from abroad” as she was “ready to take the next step” in her career.

She has withdrawn from this week’s tournament in Wuhan and it is unclear when she next plans to play. She has already clinched her spot for the WTA Finals, which gets underway on Nov. 2.

By: Selina Munsamy | GNews

The 2024 SABC Woman In TV Award winner, Thato Moeng, is still revelling in the atmosphere of the prestigious evening that brought together some of the most inspiring women in sports. Thato reflects on the journey that led her to this remarkable moment.

“Being acknowledged for something that is my passion by my peers is truly a pat on the back,” Thato expressed, highlighting the whirlwind of a year that included major tournaments like the FIFA Women’s World Cup, the Comrades Marathon, AFCON, EURO’s, and the Olympics. “The award has allowed me to reflect, as I prepare for the next challenge.”

For Thato, the road to success in sports broadcasting has been paved with both triumphs and challenges. As a female broadcaster, she faced her share of setbacks, but her unwavering belief in her purpose has been her guiding light.

“Whatever the challenge, I always remember why I started. It is not about me, it is about the story, it is about sport,” she stated. Thato’s resilience has been key to her growth. “With every pushback, difficult situation, and countless ‘No’s’, you reset, rethink, and push on nonetheless.”

Shongwe, Moeng and Nokwe Elevated to Momentum gsport Awards Stage

When asked what sets women apart in the field of sports broadcasting, Thato emphasised the value of diversity. “We are all so different and so special. We see things from varied angles, and that already sets anyone apart as a storyteller.”

She encourages aspiring female presenters to embrace the ever-evolving world of media. “When I started as a journalist, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram didn’t exist. Today, we have YouTube and so many other platforms to reach the masses. Use them.”

Thato has witnessed remarkable changes in the coverage of women’s sports, particularly during her time at SuperSport. Recalling one of her earliest assignments, a WAFCON qualifier for Banyana Banyana in an empty stadium, she contrasted it with the vibrant atmosphere of today’s matches.

“Fast forward 14 years later, and I can take my daughter to a midweek Banyana game that’s almost packed to the rafters.”
2024 SABC Woman In TV Award Winner, Thato Moeng
She credits SuperSport’s commitment to women’s sports and campaigns like “Here for Her” for the ongoing growth and attention.

“2023, or as I called it 2020SHE, was a phenomenal year for women’s sport, especially in South Africa, with the ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup, the Netball World Cup, and the FIFA Women’s World Cup. The biggest flex was our all-female broadcast crew at the Netball World Cup. That’s out-of-this-world boss moves.”

The fast-paced, dynamic environment of live sports broadcasting requires intense preparation, a trait Thato has mastered over the years.

“Always be prepared, and after preparing, prepare some more. The irony is that sometimes you’re only on air for 2 minutes, other times for 15 hours. Either way, you need to be ready.”
For Thato, live television has an exhilarating rush that keeps her on her toes. “Live TV has this adrenaline rush about it. It’s sink or swim, like Russian roulette, it’s beautiful.”

Thato’s message to young women pursuing a career in media is simple yet profound, “Be stubborn about your dreams. Work at them, reach out to people, and do not be afraid of rejection. It is not a ‘No’, it is just another opportunity to rework, elevate, and be better.”

She emphasises the importance of investing in one’s craft. “Study, really invest in your craft. Write, read, watch. Immerse yourself in your passion.”

Thato Moeng’s journey from a young journalist to an award-winning sports broadcaster is a testament to the power of perseverance, passion, and preparation. With her unstoppable drive, she continues to pave the way for the next generation of women in sports media.

By: Luke Barry | DirtFish

DirtFish learns about Norbert and Francesca Maior’s relationship in and out of the car, and what’s next for them

World Rally Championship drivers having siblings that also compete is far from a rarity.

World champions like Colin McRae and Petter Solberg fall into the category – their brothers, Alister and Henning, even competed against them in period.

It happens at all levels, and in all time periods. Take today’s M-Sport Ford drivers Adrien Fourmaux and Grégoire Munster as another example. Adrien’s brother, Maxime, rallies in France while Grégoire’s, Charles, made it two Munsters on the start-line of this year’s Safari Rally Kenya – albeit in different classes (Rally1 and Rally2).

But how many siblings can you name that actually competed together as opposed to against each other?

Gilles and Hervé Panizzi are perhaps the most famous family duo, as the French brothers claimed seven WRC wins for Peugeot. But that was over 20 years ago.

Rally di San Remo 2002
Gilles (right) and Hervé Panizzi were a formidable duo on asphalt rallies in a Peugeot 206 WRC

Today, Norbert and Francesca Maior are unique.

Winning last year’s Junior ERC in emotional, last-gasp fashion, the brother and sister pairing were rewarded with a season in Junior WRC for 2024. Two podiums and a win to see out the season in Greece lifted them to second in the championship and proved they were more than up to the task.

But what is it actually like competing with your brother/sister?

How they joined forces
Norbert and Francesca’s rallying story begins with their father Robert, who has competed semi-regularly in their native Romania over the years.

But Norbert, two years Francesca’s senior, was the true inspiration for Francesca to start rallying. Not that she ever thought she’d end up sharing a car with him.

“He started karting when he was like six or seven years old and in that moment, I was just like a little kid going to his races and following him,” Francesca tells DirtFish.

“I also did some laps behind him with a little kart, just trying to learn because I loved what he was doing, and then when he started to do rally, he was 16 I was 14, and I was like ‘OK if he’s doing rally I have to do it as well to try at least’ and I did some laps in a test with him and with some other drivers and I said I love it!

Norbert and Francesca never originally had plans to compete together

“And then I started to work for it. In the beginning we didn’t really think about going together or something like that because he needed a co-driver that had more experience because he was young also, and I had no experience at that point.”

This was 2017, Norbert’s third season behind the wheel, while Francesca started her first rally alongside her dad before sitting with other drivers. But with just one season of co-driving under her belt, a decision was made.

“Norbert needed a co-driver,” Francesca says, “and I love to work for it, I love to grow.

“So we just started to be in the same car, and then we realized that we have a big passion, like both of us, so we can work for it. And he helped me a lot to grow up in co-driving, and then we just decided it’s working in a good way, so we can keep going.”

They’ve formed a formidable partnership ever since, winning countless class titles in Romania before clinching the Junior ERC title in 2023 which elevated them to the world championship this term.

Is it an advantage?

Anyone fortunate, or unfortunate, enough (delete as appropriate…) to have a sibling is well aware of how fickle a relationship that can be.

One minute you’re best friends, the next you’re stern enemies.

That adds an extra complexity to the already-important bond between driver and co-driver, so is it actually a benefit to Norbert and Francesca?

“Now it’s really good because we know each other so well and, I don’t know, we connect [with] each other in the car, we trust each other and it’s really nice,” Francesca explains.

“We have also moments, because everybody is asking us, yes, we have also moments that we fight and everything. But we move on fast. It’s like a one-minute, two-minute fight and then it’s like nothing happened and we keep going.

“Yeah, it’s a really nice relation that we have in the car and I think it’s really helpful that we are brother and sister because even if we fight, even if something is not working well, we are there for each other and we love it.”

The big advantage of Francesca is she wants to be in the rally car maybe more than me

Norbert agrees.

“I always said that it was the right decision [to compete together] because I’m not sure the other drivers how [they] are doing or the thinking, but for me the most important thing for a co-driver is that they want it more than me to be there,” he tells DirtFish.

“This is the most important: the passion. For example, if the schedule is complicated, we need to watch the video at two o’clock in the morning, three o’clock in the morning, we need to do it, so we need to have passion to do it. If you are tired or something like this, we are a team and we need to think in the same way.

“So the big advantage of Francesca is that point – that she wants to be in the rally car maybe more than me, or at least at the same level. Starting from here, from that point, everything can be improved, everything can be done well and we can grow together.”

That’s not to say it’s always been straight-forward.

“Of course, at the beginning it was not easy because you need experience, you need kilometers in the car to feel the pace, to feel the voice that you need to read the pacenotes and so on,” Norbert continues.

“So it was not easy at the beginning but now I think that Francesca is a top level co-driver and I’m really happy to have her in my car, because also in our country it’s difficult to have a co-driver and for me it’s not a good thing to change the co-drivers every time.

2024 was Norbert and Francesca’s seventh season together in the car

“So to have the same co-driver [for] many years, it’s a big advantage because we are starting a rally and everyone knows exactly what they need to do. Our jobs are really simple because on the rally Francesca is doing everything, and outside the car I am trying to manage everything, to get the sponsors, to have meetings, to organize tests and so on.

“So my job is to drive and to manage to get at the rallies. After we are on the rally location, Francesca is the boss and she knows every time what we need to do.”

Has rallying affected their brother-sister relationship?
Competing with a sibling is more common at the lower levels of rallying, but it’s far more pressurized doing so in the WRC at a professional level as part of Romania’s Napoca Rally Academy.

So how has Norbert and Francesca’s professional relationship affected their actual relationship?

“I think outside of the car we have just become more, let’s say, mature,” Francesca believes. “So we are more like grown [up] people.

“We don’t have any more those little fights that we had when we were little outside of the car. So now we are just… I don’t know, we can count on each other in any moment.”

Despite spending lots of time together, Norbert and Francesca are able to enjoy each other’s company

Norbert laughs: “But to be clear we are not staying together every time because we are living in different cities!”

Time apart from each other is important to keep their relationship healthy – just like with any other driver and co-driver pairing.

“This season like 90% of the time we were together because we would keep moving from one rally to another,” Francesca adds.

“So we spent really a lot of time together. Probably this winter we will want a little break from each other!”

The benefit of competing together though is the lack of any sibling rivalry. Any success for Norbert is also success for Francesca, and vice versa. That’s special for the entire Maior family, let alone the two inside the car.

For Norbert it often acts as an extra source of motivation.

“It’s special because, you know, not every time the things are looking great and we need to work a lot, working and working and working and maybe in one moment you are asking yourself why you are doing all these things and sometimes the answer is that Francesca is there, Francesca wanted to be there,” he says.

Norbert and Francesca motivate each other if one is losing hope

“My family, our family goes to the rally so it’s a tradition in our family, and sometimes when I feel that it is really difficult, maybe I have a boost of motivation because of Francesca and my family to be there.

“So it’s special and sometimes it motivates me to do all the things.”

“Yes,” Francesca concurs, “since I was little, I loved to be around Norbert and with my family and we were everywhere together. So I think this is really, really nice because sometimes siblings, when they grow up, they start to separate [from] each other to be, I don’t know, everyone in their own job or in their own private life.

“But for us it’s different because we are together like a lot of time and we really enjoy the time together even if we are in rally, even if we are just home and I don’t know. We enjoy to be together and to be in the same car, to achieve good results.

“And even when we don’t achieve results and we just have a, as Norbert said, a bad time, we’re there for each other and somehow we keep going. Sometimes we say ‘oh, this is so hard’ or one of us wants to… not give up, but you know that moment when you are just tired and you want a little break?

“The other one will say, ‘no, you cannot have any break. We need to keep going and to keep pushing because this is our dream’. So we like this.

“We are really happy and grateful to have these opportunities because we can be together a lot of time and we can have the same passion and we love this.”

What’s next?

Having flown high in Junior WRC this year, the plan is more of the same next year

Their biological bond is a unique aspect of the Norbert and Francesca Maior story, but it is not what defines them as a rally crew. Results are, and so far things are going swimmingly.

Considering they had not done any WRC events prior to this season, and had never competed in a four-wheel-drive car before, to finish second among such a competitive Junior WRC field – and win Acropolis Rally Greece – is a huge endorsement of their talents.

The Acropolis was a particularly special victory, as after a crash at the previous round in Finland their entry was far from guaranteed. Norbert told M-Sport Poland’s Maciej Woda to proceed preparing the car, but at that point he didn’t have the budget to compete.

It was a risk, but through tireless work they were able to make the start.

“It was the right decision,” Norbert smiles.

“That result was really special because after winning the Junior ERC for sure I didn’t thinking that we can do some nice result this year, because imagine: it was first time with four wheel drive car, first time in WRC so all new, so it’s really special and I really hope that somehow next year we will do something similar because it feels like we can.

“This is the main thing. Every rally it feels like we can. It feels like maybe if we are doing more test kilometers maybe we can be there in the top position, but it is the way we are doing.

Maior Norbert, Jürgenson Romet, Rensonnet Tom
Norbert and Francesca are busy working on making sure they visit a WRC podium more often

“So I don’t want to complain, it’s just the fight every day to be there and to prove that we can, because this is the most important goal for us, to prove that we can show also speed, we can show also great result, but step by step we are working every day to it.”

A Junior WRC 2025 is the plan again for the program, and it’s what they deserve.

“We need to say a big, big thank you to everyone that made this possible because as Norbert said it was really hard to be in Greece but it was really hard to be in every race,” Francesca concludes.

“Also last year to win the Junior [ERC] championship we needed a lot of support and we had it, so it’s a lot of people that did this, so it’s not only our achievement, it’s also the team, the partners, and every single people that ever just helped us with anything.

“A lot of people that worked for this, so we need to say a really big thank you, and hopefully next year we can do it even better.”