Last week, we handed out awards to the women of the WTA, to highlight some of their standout off-court achievements and qualities.
This week, we take a look at the men’s tour and make our picks for the 2020 ATP Alternative Awards.
Activism award: Frances Tiafoe
The 22-year-old American spearheaded a ‘Racquets down, Hands up’ campaign with his girlfriend Ayan Broomfield in response to the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis earlier this year.
Tiafoe and Broomfield rallied together a host of players from the black tennis community, including Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka, Gael Monfils, Coco Gauff, Sloane Stephens, and many more to take part in their video that highlights racial injustice. The montage is set to the Oscar-winning song Glory, written and performed by John Legend and Common for the film Selma.
“Ayan and I felt the need to reach out to express our feelings for what is and for what has been going on here in America … Today, we put our racquets down and our hands up,” Tiafoe said in the video.
He told Sky Sports this week that he hopes to continue raising awareness in the future.
“It definitely felt good when I raised awareness, to see how far that video went and what that meant to them to try and make people understand. I'm happy about it, I'm just going to keep doing my part,” said Tiafoe.
Keeping Things in Perspective award: Rafael Nadal
The Spaniard has helped provide a constant reminder of what is really important during the challenging times following tennis' resumption in August from the coronavirus-enforced suspension.
Moments after he won a record-equalling 20th grand slam and record-extending 13th Roland Garros crown in Paris, Nadal was quick to send out a heartwarming message.
“I want to send a message to everyone around the world. We are facing one of the worst moments that I think we remember in this world, facing and fighting against this virus. Just keep going, stay positive and all the very best, together probably we will go through this and we will beat the virus soon,” said the Mallorcan.
During his press conference, Nadal added: “Of course, it is an important day for me, but I'm not stupid, no? It's still a very sad situation worldwide.”
Nadal’s perspective and general attitude while competing during the pandemic provided a healthy template for others to follow.
Tunisian star Ons Jabeur admitted that she was discouraged by the difficult and cold conditions the players were facing at the rescheduled French Open.
“I was like, 'Why are we playing?' Obviously I was looking how Rafa was taking this whole situation. To be honest, if he's a champion and he doesn't complain about it, I mean, who am I to complain about it right now?” she explained.
Resident Philosopher award: Stefanos Tsitsipas
The 22-year-old Greek has become famous for his introspective press conferences and philosophical social media posts. Even when he’s just previewing one of his matches, he often opts for a bold statement instead of giving a typical cliché answer. “I'm chasing something spectacular,” he said ahead of his Roland Garros semi-final in October.
When he lost to Novak Djokovic a couple of days later, he tweeted: “At the end of the day, all you need is hope, persistence and strength. Your future needs you. Your past doesn’t. Thank you @rolandgarros.”
“If you invest in yourself, you will love yourself. Make it so as if your life depends on it. It's a good principal,” he posted recently.
Tsitsipas acknowledges that he might not always be understood, but it’s actually something he takes pride in.
“These posts express my inner creativity,” he told Behind the Racquet earlier this year.
“I’m just trying to be different from the rest. I put Stefanos’ twist on life. I am philosophical, I come from a country with a history of philosophy and I don’t know if I was Pythagoras or Socrates in my previous life, but I wouldn’t mind being either one.”
Voice of Reason award: Nick Kyrgios
The talented Australian is no stranger to making headlines. Whether he’s hitting outrageous tweeners, nailing underhand serves, upsetting a ‘Big Three’ player, or throwing a tantrum on court, Kyrgios always manages to elicit strong responses from the media and the public.
His unfiltered nature often lands him in hot water but not this year. In 2020, Kyrgios won over many of his detractors by emerging as a voice of reason during these difficult times.
He started the year by pledging $200 for every ace he hit during the Australian summer to help with the raging bushfires that swept through his nation and many players followed suit. His efforts led Tennis Australia to stage the Rally for Relief that raised almost A$5 million to aid bushfire charities.
During the coronavirus shutdown, he delivered essential items to people in need after offering to help out on his social media, and he has been one of the fiercest critics of the irresponsible antics of his fellow players.
The Canberra native repeatedly called out the participants of the Adria Tour – which was staged with little to no safety measures in the Balkans mid-pandemic – and later slammed Alexander Zverev for partying in the South of France after promising to self-isolate for being in close contact with several positive cases. "I'm trying to hold them accountable," Kyrgios said.
The 25-year-old can be a divisive personality but it’s hard to argue with his level-headed stance throughout the pandemic.
Hit-maker award: Corentin Moutet
The entertaining French lefty showcases lots of flair on court and is just as gifted off it. He released his debut rap EP Écorché in September, after featuring on the track Drip with Canadian player Denis Shapovalov earlier in the year.
Moutet, 21, started playing the piano when he was injured at the age of 15 and got into rap a couple of years ago, before finishing his first album during quarantine.
“I take music as therapy because it’s nice to write and get rid of everything you’re feeling inside, both good and bad,” he told atptour.com. “I like the connection with people on social media through music as well. Even if you don’t speak the same language, you can speak to a lot of people through music.”
Best Post-loss Speaker award: Novak Djokovic
You’d be hard-pressed to find a better post-loss speaker in men’s tennis than Djokovic.
To be fair the Serb doesn’t lose many matches, but when he does, there’s usually a lot on the line and it would be understandable if he wanted to keep things short when speaking to reporters in an effort to leave the venue as soon as possible. Djokovic doesn’t do that though. Instead, he has mastered the art of talking to the media after suffering a defeat.
After falling to Nadal in the French Open final in October, the world No 1 gave credit to the Spaniard before sharing his own philosophy on dealing with defeat.
“Today you showed why you’re ‘King of clay,’ I have experienced it on my own skin,” he told Nadal on court.
In his press conference he added: “I don't have much to say but that I was completely overplayed by Rafa, by a better player on the court.
“In the greatest of defeats, you learn the greatest lessons as a tennis player, but as a person as well.”
Djokovic explained how he constantly reminds himself to be grateful for the life he has, and that that taking-nothing-for-granted perspective helps him bounce back.
When asked if he was worried about not being able to catch Nadal and Roger Federer in the race for most Grand Slams won, Djokovic told B92.net: “If I thought it was too late I would have ended my career today. But I do not think it is too late. I will keep on going as long as I have fuel in my legs and love and desire towards the sport. One defeat even though it is a Grand Slam final, cannot destabilise me. As the English say, I've developed 'thick skin' and I do not allow myself to be disturbed by various speculations and situations of this kind.”
It really was a masterclass in accepting defeat.
Rising Above the Hype award: Jannik Sinner
There has been a lot of hype surrounding the 19-year-old Italian and this season, he somehow lived up to it, while wisely ignoring it.
Sinner reached his first Grand Slam quarter-final in Paris in the fall, upsetting Zverev and David Goffin along the way, and actually won more games against Nadal in the last-eight stage than Djokovic managed in the final.
He was told by a reporter at the French Open that a pundit predicted he’d be in the top 10 within a year. Sinner’s response was spot on.
“I'm a person who looks not in the future and not in the past, always in the present. At the end you have to show everything. I haven't won anything until now.
“It's just head down and trying to improve, trying to play hours after hours on court, which I need to do. I have a great team behind me. We will see in 12 months where I am.”
He won his maiden ATP title a few weeks later in Sofia to finish the year ranked inside the top 40.
Results
5pm: Reem Island – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: Farasah, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Musabah Al Muhairi
5.30pm: Sir Baniyas Island – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: SSR Ghazwan, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
6pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Astral Del Sol, Sean Kirrane, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
6.30pm: Al Maryah Island – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Toumadher, Dane O’Neill, Jaber Bittar
7pm: Yas Island – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: AF Mukhrej, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Saadiyat Island – Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 2,400m; Winner: Celestial Spheres, Gary Sanchez, Ismail Mohammed
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
WORLD RECORD FEES FOR GOALKEEPERS
1) Kepa Arrizabalaga, Athletic Bilbao to Chelsea (£72m)
2) Alisson, Roma to Liverpool (£67m)
3) Ederson, Benfica to Manchester City (£35m)
4) Gianluigi Buffon, Parma to Juventus (£33m)
5) Angelo Peruzzi, Inter Milan to Lazio (£15.7m
Zayed Sustainability Prize
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Pathaan
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The%20specs
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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
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
Recipe: Spirulina Coconut Brothie
Ingredients
1 tbsp Spirulina powder
1 banana
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (full fat preferable)
1 tbsp fresh turmeric or turmeric powder
½ cup fresh spinach leaves
½ cup vegan broth
2 crushed ice cubes (optional)
Method
Blend all the ingredients together on high in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy.
BULKWHIZ PROFILE
Date started: February 2017
Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce
Size: 50 employees
Funding: approximately $6m
Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
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The specs: Volvo XC40
Price: base / as tested: Dh185,000
Engine: 2.0-litre, turbocharged in-line four-cylinder
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 250hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 350Nm @ 1,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 10.4L / 100km
Points to remember
- Debate the issue, don't attack the person
- Build the relationship and dialogue by seeking to find common ground
- Express passion for the issue but be aware of when you're losing control or when there's anger. If there is, pause and take some time out.
- Listen actively without interrupting
- Avoid assumptions, seek understanding, ask questions
BEACH SOCCER WORLD CUP
Group A
Paraguay
Japan
Switzerland
USA
Group B
Uruguay
Mexico
Italy
Tahiti
Group C
Belarus
UAE
Senegal
Russia
Group D
Brazil
Oman
Portugal
Nigeria
Fifa Club World Cup quarter-final
Kashima Antlers 3 (Nagaki 49’, Serginho 69’, Abe 84’)
Guadalajara 2 (Zaldivar 03’, Pulido 90')
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