Former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro is relishing every moment of his return to grand slam action at Wimbledon after being pushed to the brink of retirement by a serious wrist injury.
Del Potro has battled his way back from three wrist operations that left him depressed and considering whether it was time to hang up his racket for good last year.
The 27-year-old Argentine marked his comeback by crushing France’s Stephane Robert 6-1, 7-5, 6-0 in the Wimbledon first round.
His reward for successfully coming through his first grand slam match in 894 days is a fascinating second round tie against world No 5 Stan Wawrinka on Thursday.
“This is my comeback after three years. It means I’m feeling great sensations,” Del Potro said.
“I was close to quitting at the end of last year but now is completely different.
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“I’m expecting to be better in the future, but for this year my biggest challenge is to finish healthy and make a good preparation for next year.”
Renowned for his huge ground-strokes, the 6ft 6in Del Potro was tipped as a serious challenger to the big guns after beating Roger Federer aged just 20 in the 2009 US Open final.
Del Potro still possesses the same power game that rocked Federer and he banished world No 79 Robert in ruthless style.
Overcoming Wawrinka, a two-time grand slam champion, would be another huge step on the road to recovery, but regardless of the result, Del Potro, now ranked a lowly 165, is just relieved to be back.
“I’m feeling better week by week. I’m going one step at a time at the moment. I wake up and I can set my practice and I do it,” he said.
“That’s important for my mind, as well, because I’m not thinking about treatments or injuries or doctors.
“Just want to play free. That’s what I’m doing at the moment. I’m in a good way to be healthy very soon.”
Del Potro's last appearance at Wimbledon three years ago had provided further evidence of his potential as he rattled Novak Djokovic in a marathon five-set semi-final before finally succumbing.
“I was here in 2013 making the semi-finals in a great match against Djokovic,” Del Potro said.
“But my family and friends was very important for me. They were behind me all the time and pushed me up every day.
“I’m enjoying tennis again. I’m starting to talk about tennis and no more about my wrist. That’s important.”
Fourth seed Wawrinka, a first round winner over American teenager Taylor Fritz, is pleased to see Del Potro back on the tour.
However, Wawrinka would rather not have faced such a dangerous opponent on the fast grass courts that suit his game.
“For sure I think we’re all happy that he’s back on the tour, hopefully without any injury, and he can play for a long time now,” Wawrinka said.
“He has always been a great champion, a great player to watch also.
“I remember him winning the US Open, for sure, against Roger. An incredible match.
“I had some tough matches against him as well. It’s going to be difficult. He’s playing well again.”
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Other promotions
- Deliveroo will team up with Pineapple Express to offer customers near JLT a special treat: free banana caramel dessert with all orders on January 26
- Jones the Grocer will have their limited edition Australia Day menu available until the end of the month (January 31)
- Australian Vet in Abu Dhabi (with locations in Khalifa City A and Reem Island) will have a 15 per cent off all store items (excluding medications)
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
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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Turkish Ladies
Various artists, Sony Music Turkey
UAE Falcons
Carly Lewis (captain), Emily Fensome, Kelly Loy, Isabel Affley, Jessica Cronin, Jemma Eley, Jenna Guy, Kate Lewis, Megan Polley, Charlie Preston, Becki Quigley and Sophie Siffre. Deb Jones and Lucia Sdao – coach and assistant coach.
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