Good evening!

Happy Friday! No doubt you have already heard the news that Rafael Nadal, one-third of men’s tennis ‘Big Three’, will be retiring after the Davis Cup in November.

While Djokovic is still standing (and playing amazing tennis), and Nadal hasn’t been at his best since last winning the French Open in 2022, it’s certainly the end of an era. His final Davis Cup will no doubt be an emotional one for him and millions of onlookers worldwide. Vamos!

I’ve got 10 seconds

Stat of the day

142%
The increase in WNBA playoffs viewership year-on-year, according to Nielsen ratings. The first 17 playoff games before the beginning of the WNBA finals today had an average viewership of 970,000 people. In Game 1 today, the Minnesota Lynx beat the New York Liberty 95-93. Australian Opals coach Sandy Brondello is coaching the Lynx while Opals player Alanna Smith is playing for the Lynx.

Quote of the day

"It is a very special day and match for us. Our thoughts are with George [Baldock]. But we are professionals and had to play the match. We gave our soul for him tonight. Today is not a day to talk about football."
Greek football player Vangelis Pavlidis after Greece beat England for the first time. The Greek players wore black armbands during the 2-1 UEFA Nations League victory to honour former player George Baldock who died aged 31 earlier this week.

Random fact of the day

The record for the most backflips in 24 hours is 1001 and is held by Austrian Nico Scheicher. He completed the feat in May 2019.

I’ve got 30 seconds

In case you missed it…

🏉 In the AFLW, Port Adelaide moved themselves into the top eight after beating Collingwood 33-25. Ruck Matilda Scholz and forward Gemma Houghton starred for Port. Scholz took a mark that some have described as the greatest mark in AFLW history while Houghton kicked a goal from the pocket which will be a strong contender for goal of the year. Collingwood has won just one of its eight matches this year and sits in 17th.

⚽ Tom Sermanni, the Matildas interim coach, has named the squad which will prepare to face Switzerland and Germany later this month. The squad includes Daniela Gaelic who has received the call-up for the first time. Sam Kerr is still recovering from a torn ACL and will not be fit to play in the upcoming matches.  

🏏 The English men’s test cricket side has recorded their highest-scoring innings since 1938 with a record knock of 823 runs for seven wickets against Pakistan. Harry Brook and Joe Root starred for the English with respective scores of 317 and 262. Pakistan starts the final day with 115 runs to get and six wickets in hand. Root, whose score of 262 is his best-ever, has had a momentous week after he became England’s leading Test-run scorer on day three.

🏉 Australia’s women’s rugby union team, the Wallaroos, will have a chance to boost their world ranking from seventh to fifth when they take on Scotland in the third and final round of WXV 2 this weekend. Australia and Scotland are the only two unbeaten teams in the competition and will battle it out for the 2024 WXV 2 title. The Wallaroos most recent match against Scotland was in 2022 where they won 14-12. Kick-off is on Sunday at 1:50am (AEDT).

I’ve got 1 minute

Socceroos beat China to keep World Cup qualification hopes alive

The Socceroos have started their new era under coach Tony Popovic with a 3-1 win over China to keep their hopes of World Cup qualification alive. 

What happened?

Popovic made five changes to the starting side which drew 0-0 with Indonesia last month. The Socceroos began the match with the more ‘dynamic’ style of play that Popovic had promised but were left reeling when China’s Xie Wenneng opened the scoring with a counter-attacking goal in the 20th minute. Australia’s Lewis Miller then headed the ball into goal to equalise just before half-time. The Aussies came out firing in the second half with a stunning goal from Craig Goodwin and sealed the victory with a goal from debutant Nishan Velupillay in stoppage time.

What’s next?

The Socceroos will now look to next Tuesday when they face Group C leaders Japan in Saitama. Japan have won all three of their third-round qualifying matches, most recently beating Saudi Arabia 2-0. Currently sitting in second, the Socceroos must finish in the top two in Group C to gain automatic qualification to the World Cup.

Help us grow!

Enjoying the newsletter?

If you are, why not share the love with your friends? We’d love your help in getting the word out there.

Send them this link to sign up.

I’ve got 2 minutes

Rafael Nadal will retire from tennis after the Davis Cup in November

The ‘King of Clay’, Rafael Nadal has announced he will retire from professional tennis following the Davis Cup next month. The 38-year-old has had a stellar career but limited opportunities to perform at his best in recent seasons due to injury.

What happened

Nadal announced his retirement via a video posted on social media overnight. He will leave tennis following the Davis Cup finals where he will represent Spain as a player for the last time. It will be a full circle moment for Nadal who said “one of my first joys was the final in Sevilla in 2004."

Career

Nadal won 22 Grand Slams across all four major tournaments between 2005 and 2022. The Spaniard also won two Olympic gold medals and four Davis Cup titles. He had the most success at the French Open, winning a staggering 14 titles and earning a win-loss record of 112-4.

A major part of Nadal’s career was defined by his on-court relationship with his two greatest rivals and fellow members of ‘the Big Three’, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. The trio have won a combined 66 grand slams. Nadal ended Federer’s five-year winning streak at Wimbledon in the 2008 final, regarded as one of the greatest matches of all time. He pushed Djokovic to new heights in the 2012 Australian Open final, eventually losing in a historic 5-hour and 53-minute battle.

Nadal’s tenacious playing style and his ability to come back from serious injury will remain at the forefront of his legacy and an inspiration to players and fans for decades to come. Nadal’s final French Open victory in 2022 was won with a serious foot injury.

What they said

In a video on social media, Nadal said: "But, in this life, everything has a beginning and an end, and I think it's an appropriate time to put an end to a career that has been long and much more successful than I could have ever imagined."

Davis Cup

The Davis Cup will be played from 19 November to 24 November. There are eight countries in the finals, including Australia who finished as runners-up in 2023.

A message from our sponsor

Ever wondered what it takes to present at a grand final?

After the excitement of the AFL grand final a couple of weeks ago and the NRL & NRLW grand finals over the weekend, this time of year is electric for fans, players, and the world of sports communication. With interest and investment in sports surging around the globe, there’s never been a more exciting time to master this craft.

And where better to do it than Melbourne, the true heart of Australian sport?

We’re entering a Golden Decade of Sport in Australia, with up to 10 major global events on the calendar, from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup to the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The atmosphere is electric, and the demand for versatile sports media professionals is skyrocketing.

At Deakin, their sports media and journalism specialisations equip you with the skills and confidence needed to thrive in this dynamic field. Plus, you can even tailor your specialisation to focus on what you’re passionate about - whether it’s sports journalism, media, PR, communication, management, or research.

Think Beyond The Field. Study Sport at Deakin.

Looking back…

Looking forward…(All times are AEST)

TDA asks