Ahmed Rizvi
Last month, the London-based SportsPro magazine released its annual list of the Top 50 Most Marketable Athletes in the World and a tennis player was at the top.
It was not Maria Sharapova, though, or Roger Federer.
Those two were not even on the list.
Neither were the other top tennis stars, such as Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray or the 20-time grand slam champion Serena Williams.
Tiger Woods and LeBron James do not feature on the list either.
Instead, a young blonde tennis player from Canada is at the top of the list, ahead of Brazilian football star Neymar and the 21-year-old golfer Jordan Spieth, the Masters and US Open champion.
The rankings surprised most commentators, especially since Eugenie Bouchard, the No 1 on the list, had a 7-9 win-loss record for 2015.
She has since added three straight defeats to that record, which means the Canadian, who rose from No 32 in the rankings to No 7 in 2014, has lost 10 of her past 11 matches.
The Montreal native is No 42 on the Road to Singapore leaderboard, the rankings for the season-ending championship.
Her wretched slump in 2015, following a remarkable 2014, has begged questions such as the one asked by the Montreal Gazette’s Stu Cowan last week: “What the heck happened to Eugenie Bouchard?”
According to American Chris Evert, who won 18 majors between 1974 and 1986, Bouchard probably erred in parting ways with her long-time coach Nick Saviano, who had worked with her since she was 12.
Bouchard hired Victoria Azarenka’s former coach Sam Sumyk instead, as she wanted “someone who’s played or who’s been coaching someone who had been there, getting to No 1 or winning grand slams”.
“I think that Nick Saviano was really good for her, and I think he was a very positive influence,” Evert said last week.
“I don’t know what happened – I’m not privy to what happened there.
“But I think that probably has had an effect on her.”
The bigger problem could be that all this “marketing” has gone to her head.
Fans have already started describing Bouchard as another Anna Kournikova in the making.
While that might sound harsh, fact is she has been gracing more magazine covers than back pages in recent months, spending more time being a celebrity than a tennis player.
Last December, as she signed for WME/IMG, Bouchard spoke about how the new deal could help “maximise the value of my brand” – a line that did not go down well with fans.
There have been a few other incidents that have left Bouchard with few sympathisers in her corner.
The Federation Cup “handshakegate”, where she refused to shake hands with Romanian opponent Alexandra Dulgheru before the match, was arguably the low point in terms of a public relations mistake.
In January, Bouchard once again talked about how she did not want to become “really good friends with any of the girls on tour” because it was a “distraction”.
At present, though, she must be wishing otherwise – wishing she had made a few friends on her way up in 2014.
arizvi@thenational.ae
Follow us on twitter at @NatSportUAE
Ant-Man%20and%20the%20Wasp%3A%20Quantumania
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPeyton%20Reed%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Paul%20Rudd%2C%20Evangeline%20Lilly%2C%20Jonathan%20Majors%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
