The comeback continues to gather pace.
If it wasn't for the scorching midday heat, it's unlikely the resurgent Ana Ivanovic would have even broken sweat as she destroyed Sabine Lisicki of Germany 6-0, 6-3 at the Aviation Club centre court on Tuesday.
A swaggering Ivanovic broke Lisicki in the first game. Minutes later, it was 2-0. Another break made it 3-0. She never looked back after that. The win was as brutal, efficient and quick as the score suggests.
It’s been some resurrection for the former world No 1 over the last year.
In 2008, the talented Serb topped the WTA rankings at the tender age of 20. That year, she had followed up a final appearance in the Australian Open with her one and only Grand Slam title win at the Roland Garros, defeating Dinara Safina 6-4, 6-3 in the final in Paris.
She looked to have the world at her feet, but that would be as good as it got.
Though she has competed in every grand slam since — and is on a run of 42 in total — Ivanovic has never come close to matching that early success. In fact, since that win in Paris she has progressed beyond the fourth round of a Grand Slam only twice, when she reached the quarter-finals at the US Open in 2012, and at the Australian Open in Melbourne last year.
She finished 2008 ranked fifth in the world. The following years were characterised by underachievement, her ranking dropping to 22 in 2009, 17 (2010), 22 (2011), 13 (2012), 16 (2013) before 2014’s renaissance saw her hit her current position of fifth.
After dispensing of Lisicki in double-quick time, there a sense she is making up for lost time.
“Yes, definitely,” Ivanovic said with a smile. “You know, I really feel I missed competition. And even in this month I really felt like I wanted to go out there and compete. It was not easy to leave Australia so early, and to be honest, I didn’t watch later on. But I just want to keep playing and try to keep this level.”
She started 2015 with yet another disappointing first round exit in Melbourne. Yet the previous 12 months had seen her steadily climb back up the rankings since those, what was suggested to her were, “lost years”.
“You know, the only thing that I regret is that I didn’t enjoy it more,” Ivanovic admitted. “Of course it’s tough when your ranking drops, but I always felt I underachieved in those years. I really had to work hard to set others’ expectations aside and try to look for my own, and try to still embrace what I have and doing what I love in competition.”
Like many before her, the expectations of being tennis’s “next big thing” weighed heavy on her shoulders. Now 27, she has shown incredible self-belief and motivation to get back to the level of the world’s best players. She may only have one Grand Slam to her name, but that is still one more than Caroline Wozniacki, Agnieszka Radwanska, Jelena Jankovic and Simona Halep have managed between them.
The new, mature Ivanovic is grateful for those who stuck by her all those years.
“This really means a lot to me, to have this kind of support from fans,” she said. “I get lots of messages. And from friends, as well, and also tournament directors and people that I face every day, this really means a lot to me. I really appreciate all their support. Sometimes we are not very vocal about it, but their support means a lot.”
Ivanovic’s devastating form against Lisicki hints that, a decade after exploding on the scene, her best is yet to come.
“I still feel young and fit and there is still a lot of tennis to be played and tournaments to be won. That’s why I’m here,” she said. “I have this drive, and I really feel that maybe these years also gave me lots of experience. Because I think in every life you experience ups and downs in different areas and different times of your life. You just have to go through it. Unfortunately I had to go through it in public, which was not easy.”
It all seems to have been worth it in the end. Ivanovic has never looked so relaxed or at ease in public and in front of the world’s media. Is she finally embracing the spotlight that has followed her since that early success in Paris?
“Yeah, you know I realised I have no choice,” she said. “Unfortunately sometimes you have to embrace it. To be honest, I’m a different person now than I was years ago and especially when I won French Open. So when you get mature, you also get more secure about yourself. You see things differently. Now some things I don’t take it so hard and so personal as I did in the past.”
These days, Ivanovic simply takes it out on her opponents, as poor Lisicki found out to her cost in Dubai.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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'Munich: The Edge of War'
Director: Christian Schwochow
Starring: George MacKay, Jannis Niewohner, Jeremy Irons
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
The biog
Favourite books: 'Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life' by Jane D. Mathews and ‘The Moment of Lift’ by Melinda Gates
Favourite travel destination: Greece, a blend of ancient history and captivating nature. It always has given me a sense of joy, endless possibilities, positive energy and wonderful people that make you feel at home.
Favourite pastime: travelling and experiencing different cultures across the globe.
Favourite quote: “In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders” - Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook.
Favourite Movie: Mona Lisa Smile
Favourite Author: Kahlil Gibran
Favourite Artist: Meryl Streep
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
Neymar's bio
Total club appearances 411
Total goals scored 241
Appearances for Barca 186
Goals scored for Barca 105
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
Know your camel milk:
Flavour: Similar to goat’s milk, although less pungent. Vaguely sweet with a subtle, salty aftertaste.
Texture: Smooth and creamy, with a slightly thinner consistency than cow’s milk.
Use it: In your morning coffee, to add flavour to homemade ice cream and milk-heavy desserts, smoothies, spiced camel-milk hot chocolate.
Goes well with: chocolate and caramel, saffron, cardamom and cloves. Also works well with honey and dates.
Series result
1st ODI Zimbabwe won by 6 wickets
2nd ODI Sri Lanka won by 7 wickets
3rd ODI Sri Lanka won by 8 wickets
4th ODI Zimbabwe won by 4 wickets
5th ODI Zimbabwe won by 3 wickets
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
Iran's dirty tricks to dodge sanctions
There’s increased scrutiny on the tricks being used to keep commodities flowing to and from blacklisted countries. Here’s a description of how some work.
1 Going Dark
A common method to transport Iranian oil with stealth is to turn off the Automatic Identification System, an electronic device that pinpoints a ship’s location. Known as going dark, a vessel flicks the switch before berthing and typically reappears days later, masking the location of its load or discharge port.
2. Ship-to-Ship Transfers
A first vessel will take its clandestine cargo away from the country in question before transferring it to a waiting ship, all of this happening out of sight. The vessels will then sail in different directions. For about a third of Iranian exports, more than one tanker typically handles a load before it’s delivered to its final destination, analysts say.
3. Fake Destinations
Signaling the wrong destination to load or unload is another technique. Ships that intend to take cargo from Iran may indicate their loading ports in sanction-free places like Iraq. Ships can keep changing their destinations and end up not berthing at any of them.
4. Rebranded Barrels
Iranian barrels can also be rebranded as oil from a nation free from sanctions such as Iraq. The countries share fields along their border and the crude has similar characteristics. Oil from these deposits can be trucked out to another port and documents forged to hide Iran as the origin.
* Bloomberg
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
