Friday, 30 October 2026
ATP ROUNDUP: ALEXANDER ZVEREV CLINCHES WORLD NO. 1 RANKING
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| September 9, 2026; New York, United States; Germany's Alexander Zverev serves during his quarter-final match against Netherlands' Botic van de Zandschulp. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images |
Top-seeded Alexander Zverev secured the No. 1 spot in the ATP rankings for the first time with a 6-4, 7-5 victory over the Netherlands' Tallon Griekspoor on Thursday in the second round of the Erste Bank Open in Vienna.
The German did not face a break point and broke Griekspoor once in each set to reach his tour-high 13th quarterfinal of the season.
Zverev will become the 30th player to hold the No. 1 ranking when the new list is released Monday and the first German to reach the top spot since Boris Becker in 1991. The 29-year-old won the French Open and the U.S. Open this summer, and he reached the Wimbledon final.
His next opponent will be Great Britain's Arthur Fery, who defeated Lorenzo Musetti of Italy 6-4, 5-7, 6-4.
Second-seeded Carlos Alcaraz of Spain survived four set points in the second-set tiebreaker before beating Georgia's Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-1, 7-6 (11).
No. 3 Daniil Medvedev of Russia rallied past Great Britain's Cameron Norrie 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (1), while seventh-seeded Tommy Paul routed Italy's Luciano Darderi 6-1, 6-1. Matteo Berrettini advanced when fourth-seeded fellow Italian Flavio Cobolli retired with an injury while trailing 5-2 in the opening set.
Swiss Indoors Basel
Swiss wild card Jerome Kym stunned top-seeded Ben Shelton 6-3, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (1) in the second round at Basel, Switzerland, while Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff eliminated fourth-seeded Novak Djokovic in another three-set upset.
Struff defeated Djokovic for the first time in nine career meetings, rallying for a 6-7 (4), 7-5, 7-6 (5) victory in 2 hours, 36 minutes. Djokovic failed to convert four break-point chances in the second set before Struff forced a decider, and the German closed out the final tiebreaker with an ace.
Monaco's Valentin Vacherot also knocked out a seeded player, edging No. 3 Rafael Jodar of Spain 7-6 (4), 2-6, 7-6 (5).
Second-seeded Arthur Fils of France avoided the upset bug by rallying past American Alex Michelsen 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5). Sixth-seeded Taylor Fritz of the United States dispatched Canada's Denis Shapovalov 6-4, 6-3, and No. 8 Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic defeated German lucky loser Daniel Altmaier 7-5, 6-4.
--Field Level Media
Thursday, 29 October 2026
MERCEDES-BENZ MARKS LONG HISTORY OF MAKING CARS FOR THE POPE
Pope Leo XIV also met with the executives of the German auto company on Wednesday.
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| Pope Leo XIV with some executives of Mercedes-Benz after his private audience with them at the Vatican on Oct. 28, 2026. (Photo: Vatican Media) |
Mercedes-Benz, the German luxury automaker, celebrated nearly 100 years of producing the popemobile — the pope’s personal vehicle.
To mark the occasion, Pope Leo XIV held a private audience with Mercedes-Benz executives on Wednesday. That same day, the exhibit “A Century of the Popemobile” opened at the Vatican Museums, featuring the first popemobile, gifted to Pope Pius XI in 1930, and the one in which St. John Paul II was shot on May 13, 1981.
Evolving Papal Transportation
In his address to Mercedes-Benz, the Pope praised the company for its enduring partnership with the Vatican and reflected on how papal transportation — from St. Peter to the present — has evolved.
“Over the decades, the Popemobile has evolved from a means of transportation into an instrument of encounter, enabling the pontiff to draw closer to the faithful during pastoral visits and public celebrations,” Leo said.
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| Pope Leo XIV addresses the executives of Mercedes-Benz during a private audience at the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican on Oct. 28, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media |
“In this way, your work has helped facilitate the Church’s mission of reaching out to people and bringing a message of faith, of hope, and of charity to the world.”
The Pope also encouraged them to direct their innovations toward a more sustainable world, placing their "technological innovation at the service of human dignity, care for creation, and the common good.”
From Carriages to Modern Transport
Papal transportation has evolved since the late Roman Empire, when popes were carried on the “sedia gestatoria” — ornate, ceremonial thrones carried by 12 footmen during processions and major liturgical celebrations.
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| Pope Pius XI used the Nürburg 460 Pullman, made by Mercedes-Benz, as the first official automobile to transport the pope. | Credit: Photo courtesy of the Vatican Museums |
From the late 19th century onward, popes increasingly chose modern forms of transportation, with Blessed Pius IX using the first papal train in 1859. The Nürburg 460 Pullman, made by Mercedes-Benz and given to Pope Pius XI in 1930, was the first official automobile used to transport the pope.
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| The Fiat 1107 - Nuova Campagnola, in which St. John Paul II was shot on May 13, 1981. | Credit: Ishmael Adibuah/EWTN News |
The word “popemobile” was first used to describe a custom-made Lincoln Continental for St. Paul VI’s 1965 visit to the United States. Popes since St. John Paul II have used the popemobile, with Mercedes-Benz adapting future models for security since his 1981 shooting.
Keeping the Pope Safe
Speaking on the sidelines of the launch of the exhibit “A Century of the Popemobile,” the Mercedes-Benz executives spoke with EWTN News, reflecting on the near-century-long partnership with the Vatican.
Marc Langenbrinck, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Italy, described the partnership as a privilege, especially as a Catholic.
“[This day] is just simply the most beautiful day of my career because I am Catholic and I believe, and for me it is something which is a project of a lifetime,” Langenbrinck told EWTN News.
Marcus Breitschwerdt, executive vice president of Mercedes-Benz, explained the security and accessibility measures implemented in the popemobile.
“Well, first of all, a vehicle has to move safely, comfortably, but also safely in terms of traffic and accident risks,” Breitschwerdt said to EWTN News. “It has to be safely conceived and executed in terms of the current modern risks you face if you are in big crowds.”
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| Marcus Breitschwerdt, executive vice president of Mercedes-Benz, at the exhibition “A Century of the Popemobile” at the Vatican Museums on Oct. 28, 2026. | Credit: Ishmael Adibuah/EWTN News |
“So we have armored versions; we have the secured glass Popemobiles, which are very, very sophisticated,” Breitschwerdt added.
Breitschwerdt, in a speech for the exhibit launch, also said that no Mercedes-Benz employee is ever allowed to sit on the pope’s seat in the Popemobile.
“There is a strict rule that no one — not even the mechanics who maintain the vehicles or our CEO — is allowed to sit in the popeʼs seat,” Breitschwerdt said.
- Ishmael Adibuah/EWTN News | Vatican
JAY-Z THROUGH HIS ROC NATIONS SPORTS AGENCY WILL FUND SENSATIONAL THREE YEAR OLD NEVADA PIERRE'S TRIP TO SPAIN 🇪🇸
American rapper and billionaire businessman Jay-Z, through his sports management agency Roc Nation Sports, has committed to funding an international development trip to Spain for three-year-old football sensation Nevada Pierre.
Pierre shot to global fame after videos showcasing his exceptional football skills went viral on social media. He attracted further attention following a youth match in Florida where his impressive performances reportedly led to police being called to the venue.
The trip, planned for December, will give Nevada and his family an opportunity to experience specialised football training in Spain as the young prodigy continues developing his talent.
#NevadaPierre #JayZ #Soccer #RocNation #RockNationSports
REAL MADRID APOLOGISES TO CHINAOVER MBAPPÉ'S MAO ZEDONG COMMENTS
Real Madrid apologised to the Chinese people on Wednesday after star striker Kylian Mbappé sparked a furious backlash over comments referring to the founding leader of Communist China as a dictator. The club's apology came a day after Mbappé and Spain's La Liga football championship expressed regret over the remarks.
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| Kylian Mbappé has been shut out of Chinese social media Weibo after he joked about Mao Zedong. © Jade Gao, AFP |
Real Madrid apologised to China on Wednesday for Kylian Mbappé's comments poking fun at Mao Zedong, after the star striker's remarks sparked a social media storm and saw Spanish football yanked off state TV.
Mocking former leader Mao – blamed by historians for millions of deaths – is taboo in China, and Mbappé's remarks saw him become the latest foreign sports figure to anger Beijing.
Mbappé's China faux pas: When the sports world collides with the complexities of geopolitics
In a clip of a video interview with French show "The Bridge" – since taken down – Mbappé talked about being amused by an internet meme of his face photoshopped onto "some guy, think he's a Chinese dictator", an apparent reference to Mao.
Real Madrid "wishes to express its apologies to the Chinese people for any offence caused by the recent remarks of our player Kylian Mbappé", the club said in a statement.
"The club joins in the public apology issued by Kylian Mbappé, in which the player himself expressed his regret for his words and reiterated his respect for the Chinese people," the 15-time European champions said.
The statement came a day after Mbappé issued his own apology, in French, Chinese and English, saying: "My comment was ill-judged and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world."
Foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a regular briefing on Wednesday: "We take seriously the apology the individual concerned has made."
La Liga, which saw the broadcast of its matches suspended in China, said Tuesday it "deeply regrets the offence that Kylian Mbappé's recent comments have caused among Chinese fans".
Earlier, the state-run Global Times said in an editorial that it was "not difficult to see that the club's longstanding tolerance of such behavior has contributed to Mbappé's latest offensive remarks".
Chinese beverage giant Dongpeng, which during this year's World Cup ran adverts with AI-generated images of Mbappé, said Tuesday it had scrapped its partnership with the player, as did dairy firms Mengniu and Milkground.
CMG, which oversees public broadcaster CCTV, said it had decided to suspend broadcasts of La Liga, the world's second-richest football league after England's Premier League.
Mbappé, 27, continued to face a torrent of criticism from Chinese web users on Wednesday, some of it racist.
"His remarks were hurtful toward China and the Chinese people, so they cannot be translated," wrote one user on social media platform Weibo.
Mbappé's original joke about Mao was not reposted – or had been scrubbed – from China's tightly controlled social media.
Chinese social media app Xiaohongshu had meanwhile frozen Mbappé's account, where he has over a million followers.
The same was done on the Weibo app, with a notice stating that "the user has been banned from following due to violating laws or the Weibo Community Convention".
Some Chinese media reports said global brands like Dior and Hublot had removed their Mbappé-related content on Weibo.
An AFP search on Dior and Hublot's Weibo page with Mbappé's Chinese name produced no results.
'Respect history'
Offline too the Mbappé brand appeared to be under threat.
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| People walk past a bus featuring French football star Kylian Mbappe © Jade GAO / AFP |
When AFP visited the Adidas flagship store in Beijing's Sanlitun shopping district, Real Madrid shirts were available for sale, but none bearing the striker's name.
Chinese state media have previously praised Mbappe as a "footballing sensation" and "talent".
His face is plastered on billboards, on soft drinks and across social media.
Mbappé is sometimes affectionately referred to as "Guigui", meaning "turtle" in Chinese, for his resemblance to a character from the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" movie.
Other major overseas sports leagues have previously angered China.
China suspended sponsorship deals with the NBA while the state broadcaster pulled NBA games off Chinese television for a year in October 2019.
This followed Houston Rockets executive Daryl Morey tweeting "Fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong", referring to protests Beijing called separatist and seditious.
"Respecting the history, culture, social customs and national sentiments of others is a fundamental principle for cross-border interaction, a standard of conduct widely upheld by the international community," the official People's Daily newspaper said in an opinion piece.
- FRANCE 24 with AFP
Wednesday, 28 October 2026
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