On Sunday, April 21, the Indian grandmaster, Dommaraju Gukesh became the youngest World Championship challenger in history after winning the Candidates Chess 2024 tournament. After a dismal outing for the Indian men’s freestyle team at the Asian Olympic Qualifiers, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) on Sunday, April 21 decided to conduct fresh trials to pick the Indian team for the World Qualifiers, which serves as the last chance to secure the Paris Olympics quotas.
Read below to learn more about major happenings in the sporting world in the last 24 hours.
Chess
Candidates Chess 2024: D Gukesh wins title; becomes youngest World Championship challenger
On Sunday, April 21, the Indian grandmaster, Dommaraju Gukesh became the youngest World Championship challenger in history after winning the Candidates Chess 2024 tournament. The 17-year-old drew against Hikaru Nakamura, but it was the marathon 109-move draw between Ian Nepomniachtchi and Fabiano Caruana, which gave him the title win with nine points, 0.5 ahead of the rest of the field.
Football
He arrived at the right moment: Ancelotti on Bellingham's winner vs FCB
Talking about Jude Bellingham's 91st-minute winner against Barcelona, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti said, "He arrived at the right moment. He made a big effort, working hard, he scored with his last bit of energy. It had been a while that he hadn't scored. He scored the goal and let's hope it's fundamental in winning the league." Speaking on where Barcelona lost the game, the Italian manager said, "When we made it 2-2, they tried to play with a lot of players up front so we had some straightforward transitions and that's how we made it 3-2. Barcelona went for it and they lost their balance."
David Beckham takes Hollywood star Mark Wahlberg to court after suffering loss of £8.5 million
Manchester United legend and Co-owner of MLS club Inter Miami, David Beckham has sued Hollywood superstar Mark Wahlberg after a brand deal turned sour, allegedly leaving the Englishman £8.5million in loss. Media reports claim Beckham's DB Ventures Ltd has claimed the Hollywood star “duped” the England football legend into working with F45.
Tennis
Simona Halep pulls out of upcoming Madrid Open 2024
Romanian tennis star Simona Halep has pulled out of the upcoming Madrid Open to work on her fitness as she is marking her return to pro-tennis after 18 months. "Unfortunately my body needs a little more time to be ready and I have made the tough decision not to play in Madrid," she wrote on X. "Tough because I want to be back on tour asap, but experience tells me not to rush. Thank you to @MutuaMadridOpen who offered me the wildcard and to my fans."
Rafael Nadal erupts with joy celebrating Bellingham's El Clasico winner at Bernabéu
Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal was over the moon as he witnessed Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham score the third goal against FC Barcelona to seal the win in a thrilling El Clasico. With both teams battling for the winner with the match even-steven at 2-2, Jude Bellingham continued his dream form and smashed the third goal as he arrived late in the box. The Englishman received a near-perfect ball from Lucas Vázquez who found the perfect connection to clinch the win for Madrid. Celebrating this magical moment, Rafael Nadal, attending this clash, was left in utter shock and awe.
Novak Djokovic withdraws from Madrid Open 2024; to return at French Open 2024
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic is the latest player to pull out of the 2024 Mutua Madrid Open. The 24-time Grand Slam winner, Djokovic pulled out of the tournament and was later not included in the ATP draws, announced on Monday, April 22. The ATP Masters 1000 will be played from April 22 till May 5 at the La Caja Magica, Spain. According to various reports, the 36-year-old will forego the clay court competition and instead focus on getting ready for the French Open in Paris next month.
Casper Ruud beats Stefanos Tsitsipas to win Barcelona Open
Casper Ruud exacted revenge over Stefanos Tsitsipas as he beat the Greek fifth seed 7-5 6-3 to win the Barcelona Open on Sunday. Reacting to this victory, Ruud said, "Honestly, this has been worth the wait. A lot of finals that I've lost have been tough, a bit disappointing, of course," he said. "Any time you reach a final, it's nonetheless a good week, so you can’t be too hard on yourself but this one has been a long time coming."
Wrestling
Wrestling Federation of India to hold fresh trials for World Qualifiers
After a dismal outing for the Indian men’s freestyle team at the Asian Olympic Qualifiers, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) on Sunday, April 21 decided to conduct fresh trials to pick the Indian team for the World Qualifiers, which serves as the last chance to secure the Paris Olympics quotas. Currently, India has secured only four out of 18 spots available for the 2024 Paris Olympics.