As Novak Djokovic steeled himself again to face Roger Federer and the crowd, Djokovic tried to imagine all the scenarios that could come to pass on Centre Court.
But men’s singles finals at Wimbledon have a way of surpassing everyone’s expectations.
Add Sunday’s tightly wound classic to the list as Djokovic defeated Federer, 7-6 (5), 1-6, 7-6 (4), 4-6, 13-12 (3).
“Thank you very much for staying all the way to the end,” Djokovic, the No. 1 seed and defending champion, said to Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge as he clutched the trophy with his 4-year-old son, Stefan, by his side.
It was Djokovic’s fifth Wimbledon singles title, and he secured it by saving two match points on the 37-year-old Federer’s serve and then prevailing in the fifth-set tiebreaker at 12-12, the first of its kind in a Wimbledon final.
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Novak Djokovic captured his 16th Grand Slam title and fifth Wimbledon, outlasting Roger Federer in the longest singles final in the tournament’s history. It ended in a tiebreaker in the fifth set, a rule change this year. CreditToby Melville/Reuters
On top of winning the World Cup, the U.S. women’s soccer team did something else truly amazing this month: They got the whole country talking about economics ― specifically, equal pay for women.
At a parade in their honor in New York on Wednesday, crowds chanted for equal pay. And the wage gap ― the difference between what men and women earn ― became the subject of conversation on sports radio and in places typically unbothered by the gender inequality.
The question now is: What’s next?
Right now in the U.S., women are paid on average 80 cents for every dollar a man earns, and the pay gap is even worse for women of color. The women’s team wage gap is even more shocking ― they’re making just 38 cents on the dollar compared to the men’s team, according to the discrimination suit the women filed in March.
Megan Rapinoe and her team did what Donald Trump told them to do — they finished the job. Now the question is, how will the President honor World Cup winners who have carved out a remarkable political and societal legacy?
USA’s win over the Netherlands in the World Cup final in France on Sunday did not just spark celebrations among their fans. It validated the team’s status as icons whose willingness to go beyond soccer soundbites inspired youngsters, created critics who chafed at their politics and challenged perceptions of how athletes should behave.
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A public feud between Rapinoe and Trump during the tournament pulled her team into the political storm that constantly rages around the President.
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But the star forward’s success in leading her team to glory made a statement that resonated far beyond partisan politics. The USA team is driving the evolution in women’s soccer — which lacks the support and attention in the game’s traditional heartlands in Europe and South America that it has in the US but is beginning to catch on.
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Megan Rapinoe of the US celebrates with teammates Alex Morgan and Samantha Mewis after scoring her team’s first goal during the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup France Final yesterday at Stade de Lyon on July 7 in Lyon, France.
The U.S. Women’s National Team will take on the Netherlands in the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup final on Sunday, July 7 at 8 a.m. PT at the Stade de Lyon in Lyon, France.
The U.S. advanced to its third consecutive Women’s World Cup final after beating England 2-1 in the semifinal round. Christen Press, who came in for an injured Megan Rapinoe, and Alex Morgan, who was celebrating her 30th birthday, both scored again England to lead the USA to victory.
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Dutch players celebrate after winning the Women’s World Cup semifinal soccer match against Sweden at the Stade de Lyon outside Lyon, France, Wednesday, July 3, 2019. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
The U.S. women’s national soccer team beat England 2-1 in the World Cup semifinal in Lyon, France, on Tuesday, continuing the Americans’ winning streak as they head to the championship game.
Christen Press scored the first goal for the U.S. around the nine-minute mark with a header into the top left corner. The U.S. team has scored within the first 12 minutes of every World Cup match this year.
Less than 10 minutes later, England’s Ellen White retaliated with a goal of her own against U.S. goalie Alyssa Naeher to tie the game.
Alex Morgan, who was also celebrating her 30th birthday, scored the final goal for the U.S. at the 31-minute mark with a second lightning header, securing her team’s victory.
As the World Cup captures the world’s attention, so too has the U.S. women’s team’s demand for equal pay. The U.S. women have pulled in more money than the U.S. men for the past three years, but players on the men’s team earn significantly more than their female counterparts. Prior to the Americans’ quarterfinals victory against France last week, U.S. fans marched in Paris to demand equal pay for the women’s team.
The NBA player announced on Instagram Sunday night he would sign a contract with the Brooklyn Nets.
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The announcement was shared on the Instagram account for The Boardroom, Durant’s new series for ESPN’s streaming service, ESPN+.
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ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reported the four-year, $164 million deal.
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Durant has made the All-NBA first team six times and joined the Golden State Warriors in free agency in 2016. The team nabbed two straight NBA championships and made it to the finals this year before losing to the Toronto Raptors.
The believers are nothing else than brothers. Therefore, make peace between your brethren and observe your duty to Allah that haply ye may obtain mercy (Quran 49:10)
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Aqui trago contos e pensamentos, de personagens que passaram e passam por mim, pela minha mente. Emprestei fragmentos meus, a cada um dos mesmos... ou talvez tenha sido o contrário. Resumindo o que disse Lispector "escrever é uma maldição. Mas escrever apenas uma linha, basta para salvar a alma." E escrever é isso. Lançar em letras, o que não se pode medir, o que não se pode tocar com as mãos. Também trarei trechos de livros e crítica de artes em geral, bem como, desenhos autorais. Música Indie também fará parte do acervo.
CreditToby Melville/Reuters
FIFA World Champs
U.S. Soccer Team Beats England
Kevin Durant