Biography of Serena Williams

Serena Jameka Williams Price (born September 26, 1981) is a professional tennis player from the United States, born in Saginaw, Michigan. Her father, Richard Williams, and her mother, Oracene, divorced in 2001. During her childhood, the family had to face difficulties due to her father’s decisions, who, despite his favorable economic and social position, decided to move the family from Long Beach, on the West Coast of Los Angeles, to Compton, a closed and difficult neighborhood in the center of the city, with the goal of raising his daughters in a tough environment.

Beginnings in tennis

Since she was very young, she started training tennis, a sport that was mostly practiced by people of high economic standing. Serena trained tirelessly every day. Her father, Richard, supported her and saw her great talent, as well as his ambition to take advantage of her potential. Richard was always an ambitious and controlling man, so he became the manager of his two talented daughters. At the age of eleven, a rivalry emerged with her sister Venus, who also trained and had exceptional performance. At that time, she had won 63 consecutive regional level games.

Contract with Reebok

In 1991, Richard decided to seek out a well-known star coach located in Florida, Rick Macci. His father’s decision had quick results and the family moved to a luxurious place in Florida after his daughter signed a contract with Reebok. Although Serena’s progress was not as notable compared to Venus’, she always showed her strength on the court. At the age of fourteen, she had the opportunity to enter the professional circuit with notable success. However, two years passed before she began to compete seriously.

How did she manage to finish her studies?

Venus has always been an inspiration to Serena. So, in 1997, when Venus reached the final stages of the US Open, but lost to then world number one Martina Hingis, it was a hard blow for the family but also a reason to keep training relentlessly. Due to their sporting responsibilities, the sisters finished school irregularly at an exclusive school of only thirty students located in Lake Placid, the Dwightwood Academy. Serena graduated in June 1999, the school administrators allowed her to graduate even though her grades were not the best because they knew that her future and talent was to compete professionally in this sport.

First African American player to win a Grand Slam

Although it seemed that the 1999 season was going to be better for Serena, it ended up being better for Venus. Then, Serena overtook Venus by winning her first Grand Slam title at the US Open. That moment in the history of Serena, her family, the United States, and also the African American population was glorious. It was the first time an African American player had won a Grand Slam. To add to the happiness, on April 5th of that year, Serena was able to enter the top ten and shortly after, in the doubles category, she and her sister won the French Open and the Federation Cup.

The Williams sisters

It is known that, on many occasions, while they were young, the Williams sisters had problems produced by competition and by the specialized press publications that usually compared them. In the year 2000, Venus defeated Serena in the final of the Lipton tournament. Serena showed great serenity and heartily congratulated her sister. Later, she won the Paris Indoor. That year, in the Wimbledon competition, Venus eliminated Serena in the semifinals, and later raised the title against Davenport. Additionally, both won doubles in two major tournaments: Roland Garros and the US Open.

By that time, the Williams‘ dominance was already being talked about and it was natural that when referring to one sister, the other would also be mentioned. Although they rarely competed together, their bond was very strong. Serena was already imposing herself as one of the best in the women’s professional circuit. In 2002, she defeated Venus in the Wimbledon final with a score of 7-6 and 6-3. This was the best moment of her career as she reached the top spot in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) ranking and by that time she already had sixteen international circuit titles.

On September 9th, Serena, 20 years old, amazed at the US Open with her latest display of power by defeating Venus in the final with a score of 6-4 and 6-3 in just 72 minutes. With this victory, she managed to tie with her elder sister in their personal matchups (5-5) and in Grand Slam titles, both with four each. It is important to highlight that Serena’s impressive season included six titles, 45 wins and only 4 losses. An injury to her ankle prevented her from participating in the Australian Open, allowing American Jennifer Capriati to triumph.

Fifth Grand Slam title.

The following year, Serena did not win at Roland Garros, where she surprisingly fell in the semifinals to Belgian Justine Henin-Hardenne. However, she did win at Wimbledon, where the Venus-Serena final from the previous year was repeated. Serena added her fifth Grand Slam title. She was involved in a legal conflict with a German man who was harassing her. After being reported, he was arrested and imprisoned on March 3, 2002 for stripping in front of the reception of a hotel in Scottsdale (Arizona), where Serena was staying. Serena’s father threatened the harasser with death and Serena threatened to kill him if her daughter suffered any harm.

Causes of her temporary retirement from tennis.

In September 2003, the family mourned when Yetunde, her sister, was murdered by a common criminal. After this, the sisters were off the courts for a while. Serena started taking acting classes with an experienced teacher in Los Angeles. In acting, she finds a moment of escape and claims to forget about her sporting commitments. Serena received the ESPY Athlete of the Year Award. Her popularity as an athlete allowed her to be a model and official image for several sports brands.

Contracts, performance, marriage.

First she signed with Puma, then with Nike, with whom she signed for an exorbitant amount of money. After studying acting, she began studying design, so now she is the designer of a sportswear brand: Aneres, she usually wears her clothes in competitions. We have not only seen her on the courts and in the advertisements but also in TV series such as ER, Law & Order, and Hair Show, among others. In 2016, she equaled the record of German Steffi Graf with 22 Grand Slam titles. In addition, she enjoyed a beautiful romantic relationship with Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. They got married in 2016 and currently have a son.

Biografía de Erling Braut Haaland

Erling Braut Haaland (born July 21, 2000) is a Norwegian-English professional footballer who plays as a forward. He achieved success with Borussia Dortmund, becoming the first player in Champions League history to score a hat trick in his debut match. Haaland began his career at Bryne F.K. at the age of 15, later moving to Molde in 2016 and signing with Salzburg in 2018. With Salzburg, he made history in 2019. With Borussia Dortmund, he became one of the most famous players in the Bundesliga. He has also been a member of the Norwegian national under-20 team.

Early Years

Haaland was born on July 21, 2000 in Leeds, England. He is the son of sports couple Alf Inge Haaland and Gry Marita. His father was a footballer who played for Leeds at the time of his birth, while his mother was an athlete and a Norwegian champion in heptathlon. From a very young age, football became his passion. Even when an injury forced his father to retire from the game, Haaland continued to play.

Erling Haaland’s Early Career

Haaland began his career at the age of 15 with the Norwegian team Bryne F.K. During the 2015-16 seasons, he played for Bryne 2, the team’s reserve squad, where he scored 18 goals in 14 games. In May 2016, Berntsen gave him his first chance with the first team. He made his debut on May 12, 2016 in a first division match against Ranheim. With Bryne, Haaland played in 16 games.

Molde (2017-18)

In February 2017, it was announced that he had signed with Molde. He made his debut for the team on April 26, 2017, scoring his first goal in a 3-2 victory against Volda TI in the Norwegian Cup. Two months later, on July 4, he made his league debut as a substitute against Sarpsborg 08. Haaland scored the winning goal in that match, his first in the Eliteserien. On September 17, 2017, he scored his second goal against Viking FK. Haaland ended his first season with 4 goals in 20 appearances with Molde.

During his second season under coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Haaland scored 16 goals in 30 games. One of his most notable performances during his second season was on July 1, 2018, when he scored four goals against SK Brann in the first 21 minutes of the match. His impressive talent attracted the attention of Juventus and Salzburg.

Red Bull Salzburg (2018-20)

Haaland joined the Austrian team on August 19, 2018. His first season, however, did not go as expected. He played only five games and scored only one goal, so he was hardly taken into account. In the 2019-20 season, everything changed after he scored 9 goals in the under-20 match against Honduras. After this surprising match, Haaland became a key player for Salzburg. He made history with the team and in the Champions League, by scoring a hat-trick in the first half of his Champions League debut against Genk on September 17, 2019. In his second season with Salzburg, he played a total of 22 games, starting 11, and scored 28 goals.

Borussia Dortmund (2020-22)

At the beginning of 2020, Haaland signed with Borussia Dortmund of the Bundesliga. He made his debut on January 18, 2020 against FC Augsburg, scoring his first hat-trick in 23 minutes. He became the second player in the team’s history to score three goals during his Bundesliga debut, after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. On February 18, 2020, Haaland scored both goals in the 2-1 victory against Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16. He had several standout performances before the league closed due to the pandemia.

On May 16, 2020, he scored the first goal after the league break against Schalke; it was his tenth goal in domestic competition. A month later, he scored two goals in a 2-0 victory against Leipzig, securing a spot in the Champions League for the following season for Dortmund. On September 19, 2020, he scored another double in the 3-0 victory against Borussia Mönchengladbach. Then he returned to score in the 2-3 loss on September 30th against Bayern Munich in the German Super Cup and in the league again against Bayern on November 7th. On November 21st, he scored four goals in 32 minutes in the 5-2 thrashing of Hertha Berlin. On the same day, he became the first Norwegian to win the Golden Boy award. Three days later, on November 24th, he scored a double in the 3-0 victory over Club Brugge. He became the fastest player to reach 15 goals in the UEFA Champions League, with only 12 appearances in the tournament.

In December 2020, Haaland suffered a tendon injury that kept him out of action until January 2021. He returned to the team on January 3, 2021, in the match against VfL Wolfsburg. Six days later, he scored a double in the 3-1 victory as a visitor against Leipzig. Then, he scored two goals in the 2-4 defeat against Mönchengladbach on January 22nd. He scored two goals and recorded an assist in the 2-3 victory against Sevilla F.C. in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16, and later scored two more goals in the return match to secure Dortmund’s passage to the quarterfinals. Although Dortmund was eliminated, Haaland became the top goal scorer of the competition (with 10 goals).

With the season finished, Haaland was named the best player of the Bundesliga 2020-21 after scoring 27 goals in 28 matches played.

Manchester City (2022)

On June 13, 2022, the transfer to Manchester City F.C. was completed with a five-year contract. He made his debut on July 30, 2022, in Manchester’s 3-1 defeat against Liverpool.

Teams

• Bryne F. K. (2016)
• Molde F. K. (2017-18)
• C. Red Bull Salzburgo (2018-19)
• Borussia Dortmund (2020-22)
• Manchester City F. C. (2022-act.)

Biography of Dani Alves

Dani Alves (born May 6, 1983) is a professional soccer player. He was born in Juazeiro, Bahia, Brazil. He played for Paris Saint-Germain Football Club from 2017 to 2019. His full name is Daniel Samuel Alves da Silva. Since 2006, he has played for the Brazilian national team, with whom he recently won the 2019 Copa America. He made his professional debut in 2001 with Esporte Clube Bahia, winning the Campeonato Baiano and two Copas do Nordeste.

Dani in the Spanish League

He later joined Sevilla Football Club, with a transfer fee of €500,000. In January 2004, the Sevilla team acquired him permanently for €850,000. At this team he played as a fullback, but his style has always been offensive. He also performs well in the midfield and even in the forward position, he played in a game as a forward against Sevilla and Zenit St. Petersburg. In 2003, he made his official debut in the Spanish League against RCD Espanyol. His first goal came on November 9, 2003 against the renowned team Real Madrid. In the summer of 2005, he acquired Spanish nationality.

In August 2007, Dani expressed his desire to play for Chelsea F.C. in the English Premier League, but Sevilla’s high financial demands prevented the transfer from happening. This caused several problems with the team, to the point where he refused to travel to play a crucial match against AEK Athens for their Champions League qualification. A year later, he was finally transferred to Football Club Barcelona.

Alves at Barcelona (2008-2016)

On July 2, 2008, Alves was officially presented as a Barcelona player, with his contract lasting until 2012. At the event, the president of the club, Joan Laporta, referred to him as “the best right-back in the world.” His transfer fee of €35.5 million made him the second most expensive signing in the club’s history after Marc Overmars, later surpassed by Zlatan Ibrahimović. He scored his first goal for Barcelona at the Camp Nou against UD Almería on October 25, 2008.

Alves played for Barcelona until June 2016. He became an integral part of the team’s defense and established himself as the starting right-back. His contributions to the team and his performances were always admired for his attacking ability, speed, assists, and free-kick taking. In the 2013-14 season, he wore the number 22 in honor of his former teammate Éric Abidal. At that time, he was the second foreign player with the most appearances for Barcelona.

In 2014, rumors of his departure from the team began to surface. Barcelona attempted to renew his contract for one more season, until 2016, but the negotiations were unsuccessful. However, Dani later renewed his contract until 2017 with an optional extension to 2018. But in 2016, he left Barcelona to join Juventus in Turin.

From Juventus to PSG

He only played one season with the Italian club, winning two titles and reaching the final of the Champions League. In 2017, he joined Paris Saint-Germain of the French Ligue 1 and was presented as a new player for two seasons. With this team, he was the star player and became the champion of the 2017 French Super Cup.

On May 8, 2018, Dani was crowned champion of the French Cup after defeating Les Herbiers. In June 2019, it was announced through a post on his social media that he was leaving the team.

São Paulo (2019-21)

On August 1, 2019, it was confirmed that he had joined São Paulo FC, signing with the team until December 2022. However, due to delays in paying his salary, he did not show up to training on September 10, 2021, and was fired. Later it was known that the team owed him more than 11 million Brazilian Reals.

Return to Barcelona (2021-22)

 

Ver esta publicación en Instagram

 

Una publicación compartida de Daniel Alves (@danialves)

On November 17, 2021, Alves was officially presented as the new player of Barcelona, returning to the team he had played for until 2016. He was called up for the first time since his return to the team on January 5, 2022, starting in the Copa del Rey match against Deportivo Linares. The match ended with a 1-2 victory for F.C. Barcelona. A month later, on February 6, Alves scored his first goal in a 4-2 victory against Atlético Madrid, provided an assist, and was sent off in the 69th minute. On June 15, 2022, his departure from Barca was confirmed after 6 months in the Club.

Pumas UNAM (2022)

On July 21, 2022, Alves signed with Pumas UNAM for the Apertura 2022. This signing marked his entry into the Mexican league. He will wear the #33 shirt.

Brazil National Team

Alves is an international with the Brazilian senior team, he was preparing to play in the 2018 World Cup but was unable to participate due to injury. He has played with the team since 2006, and has been a champion of the 2007 Copa America, the 2009 and 2013 Confederations Cup, and also played in the 2019 Copa America. He has accumulated over 41 national and international titles with clubs and the national team, and is one of the most decorated players in the history of football. In August 2021, Alves was also crowned Olympic champion.

Personal Life

In 2017, he married Spanish model Joana Sanz.

Scandal and Arrest for Alleged Sexual Assault

In January 2023, he was arrested in Spain on suspicion of sexual assault, and a judge ordered him to be held in pre-trial detention without bail while awaiting trial. Despite the accusations, Alves has denied any illegal or inappropriate actions and his wife, a Spanish model, has publicly supported him and stated that the accusation makes no sense. As a result of these events, his contract with Pumas UNAM was terminated.

Biography of Rafel Nadal

Rafael Nadal Parera was born on June 3rd, 1986 in Manacor, Mallorca, Spain. He is a Spanish tennis player, currently ranked second in the ATP. Nadal is considered one of the best tennis players in history due to his talent and skill on the court. He has won numerous tournaments, including eleven Roland Garros, two Wimbledon, and three US Open. Currently, his main opponent is the Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic, who is ranked first in the ATP and winner of the 2019 Australian Open. Nadal’s career began in 2001, when he enrolled in the ATP at rank 818. The following year, he made his debut at the Mallorca Open, where he defeated Paraguayan player Ramón Delgado. Four years later, he was already seen as one of the new figures in tennis, holding the second place in the ATP at the age of nineteen. Later, he became the number one at the age of 22, dethroning Roger Federer. Since then, he has achieved a great number of triumphs, consolidating himself as one of the most outstanding figures in tennis.

Family, beginnings in tennis.

Rafael Nadal Parera is the son of Sebastián Nadal and Ana María Parera, and has a sister named María Isabel, who is his most enthusiastic fan. The young tennis player was raised in a well-off family with a long tradition in Mallorca. His father, Sebastián, is a businessman and the director of a company dedicated to the construction of paddle courts, and also an organizer of sports events. The young tennis player was named Rafael in honor of his grandfather. Since his family was involved in the world of sports, he gradually became interested in it. He played all kinds of sports, such as soccer, in which he stood out playing in the lower categories. A short time later, tennis caught his attention, influenced to a great extent by his uncle, Toni Nadal, who, upon perceiving his talent in the area, became his coach. He guided Rafael in a strict and disciplined manner, and later became his representative.

Giving up academic studies

During his training with his uncle Toni, Rafael Nadal chose to play with his left hand, despite being right-handed in his daily life. This decision has characterized his career as a professional tennis player. Due to the demands of his career, he left school at an early age and focused fully on his career as a professional tennis player. This decision affected his mother, who expected him to complete his education. However, over time, she understood how difficult it would be for him to make a career as a professional while studying at the same time.

Rafael Nadal’s professional career path

Rafael Nadal’s professional career began at the end of 2001, when the young tennis player enrolled in the ATP at the age of 15, occupying the 818th position. At that time, he belonged to the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona. He made his debut on April 29, 2002, at the Mallorca Open, where he defeated Paraguayan player Ramón Delgado. After his appearance in Mallorca, he expected to participate in the Roland Garros in 2003, but an injury kept him away from the courts throughout the circuit. At the end of the following year, he returned to the courts, winning the Sopot tournament and the Davis Cup. At that time, his performances on the court earned him a place on the list of the top 100 tennis players in the world.

In 2005, Rafael Nadal won the French Open and Roland Garros, becoming one of the leading figures in tennis. His name spread worldwide and he climbed the ATP rankings to the number three position, a position he surpassed in 2008, when he held the number one spot on the ATP list, surpassing famous player Roger Federer. That same year, he also won the Olympic title in Beijing, winning the Roland Garros and his first Wimbledon Championship consecutively. For his sports achievements, he was awarded the Prince of Asturias Sports Prize.

Rafael Nadal Foundation, Awards, Trophies

In 2008, he created the Rafa Nadal Foundation, an organization dedicated to social work, helping children and young people through sport and education, including those with intellectual disabilities. Between 2008 and 2010, he continued to reap successes in the Masters 1000, Grand Slam, Roland Garros tournament, Wimbledon Championship, Australian Open and US Open. After winning the US and Australian Open in 2010, he was recognized with the Laureus Best International Sportsman award. That same year, he returned to be number one in the ATP. The following year, he defeated Federer again in the Grand Slam final with a score of 7-5, 7-6 (3), 5-7 and 6-1. Later, he won his third Grand Slam title against Novak Djokovic, and shortly after, he again surpassed the Serbian player in the Masters 1000. That same year, he broke the record of the Swede Björn Borg, after winning his seventh title at Roland Garros. At the beginning of 2013, he held the fourth position in the ATP. Throughout the year, he triumphed in Sao Paulo, Acapulco, Indian Wells, and Viña del Mar. He won the Madrid, Montreal, and Cincinnati Masters, as well as the US Open against Djokovic. He closed the year in Beijing, once again occupying the number one position.

2014-2017

The following year he had a tough season, losing consecutively to Novak Djokovic, but later defeated him by winning the Roland Garros again. Later, he was operated due to appendicitis, which kept him out of play at the end of the year. In 2015, he started strong at Roland Garros, but fell in the quarterfinals against Djokovic. The next year, representing Spain at the 2016 Rio Olympics, he won a gold medal in doubles and placed fourth in singles. Throughout 2017, he achieved his tenth title in Monte Carlo, becoming the player with the most clay titles. He also won the Barcelona Open, Roland Garros and US Open.

Eleventh title at Roland Garros, marriage

In the summer of 2018, Rafael Nadal won his eleventh title at the Roland Garros by defeating Dominic Thiem. Later, he participated in the Wimbledon Championship, reaching the semifinals where he was defeated by the Serbian Novak Djokovic. He then took part in the Canadian Masters 1000, in which he defeated Greek player Stefanos Tsitsipas. However, due to severe knee pain, he withdrew from the Grand Slam and took a two-month break, announcing his retirement from the season. In the course of 2019, the Spanish tennis player participated in the Australian Open, where he was defeated by the Serbian Djokovic, who currently holds the number one position in the ATP. Shortly after, he married María Francisca Perrello, known as Xisca, whom he has been in a romantic relationship with since 2005.

Biography of Mykhailo Mudryk

Mykhailo Mudryk is a professional Ukrainian football player born on January 5, 2001 in Krasnohrad, Járkov Oblast. He is internationally recognized as one of the young promises of European football thanks to his outstanding performances in the Champions League with Shaktar Donetsk. In January 2023, his transfer to Chelsea F.C. generated great media attention.

Family life

Mykhailo Mudryk grew up surrounded by his family, consisting of his parents Inna Nikolaevna Mudryk and Petrovyche Mudryk, as well as his sister Tatyana. His deceased grandmother, Fedorova Lyudmila Dmitrievna, played an important role in his personal and spiritual formation, helping him overcome his fears from an early age.

Beginning in Football

Mykhailo Mudryk began his football career in the youth divisions of Shaktar Donetsk, making his professional debut on October 31, 2018 in a Ukrainian Cup match. In 2019, he was loaned to the same competition’s team, Arsenal Kiev, where he made his debut on March 3, 2019.

After his loan period ended, he returned to Shaktar Donetsk to face the 2019-2020 season. With the team, he won the local league title and played in three games, accumulating more than 80 minutes.

In the 2020-2021 season, he was loaned again, this time to FC Desna Chernihiv in Ukraine, where he played in ten games in the first half of the season. For the end of the season he returned to Shaktar Donetsk where he played in six games, demonstrating exceptional performance which led him to be recognized as the best player of Shaktar in the months of November and December. This predicted a starring role for what would be the 2021-2022 season.

The 2021-2022 season would launch Mykhailo Mudryk as the figure of Shaktar. After playing 12 games he managed to score 7 goals and give 7 assists, which would make him the leader of his team in the local tournament. However, his international recognition came thanks to his outstanding performances in the Champions League, especially for the media impact that faced teams like Inter Milan, Celtic of Scotland, and the most times winner of the competition, the legendary Real Madrid. Mykhailo Mudryk managed to score 3 goals and give 2 assists in 6 games, besides showing a high level in each of the games played in the group stage. According to local media, Mykhailo Mudryk was recognized as the best Ukrainian footballer of the season.

Mykhailo Mudryk and his move to Chelsea F.C

After long negotiations that seemed to bring the Ukrainian player to Arsenal in England, an unexpected turn placed Mykhailo Mudryk as the new player of Chelsea F.C. On January 14, 2023, the player’s transfer was officially announced for a total of 100 million euros (70 million direct and 30 million in bonuses). This operation became the highest transfer of a Ukrainian player in history and the highest of the winter market in England, at the time the operation was completed.

“Dear God,

if today I lose hope,

please remind me that

your plans are better than

my dreams…”

Tattoo on Mykhailo Mudryk’s chest.

Curiosities about Mykhailo Mudryk

• Mykhailo Mudryk had problems with nightmares in his childhood, but he overcame them thanks to the help of his grandmother, who helped him overcome his fear of darkness through a portrait of the archangel Michael and advising him to make the sign of the cross before going to sleep.
• He is known for having religious tattoos, which indicates that religion plays an important role in his life.
• He began his football career in the youth divisions of Shaktar Donetsk and made his professional debut in a match of the Ukrainian Cup in October 2018.
• He was loaned twice to teams of the same competition, first to Arsenal Kiev and later to FC Desna Chernihiv, where he showed outstanding performance.
• He was recognized as the best player of Shaktar in the months of November and December of the 2020-2021 season, which forecasted a leading role for what would be the 2021-2022 season.