Serena Williams’ controversial decision to avoid press duties after her return at Wimbledon earlier this week has caused quite the stir, and a reason for her skipping the press has now been revealed.

The 23-time Grand Slam winner was back in singles action for the first time since calling time on her illustrious career at the 2022 US Open. Still, her much-anticipated homecoming didn’t stick to the script, as she was seen off in round one by Australian youngster Maya Joint.

The 20-year-old handled the occasion well to dispatch her legendary opponent, despite some nervy moments, particularly in set two. Williams was able to rediscover some of the class that made her such a dominant opponent in years gone by and force a deciding third set with a 7-6 response after Joint threatened to run away with the tie after winning the first 6-3.

Those inroads didn’t lead to the turnaround the now 44-year-old had hoped for, who was evidently frustrated at SW19. That disappointment was shared by onlookers, who had expected one of Wimbledon’s serial winners to make light work of an opponent who had been struggling for form in previous months after suffering a lower-back injury that has so far derailed her 2026 campaign.

Serena Williams’ Post-Match Actions Raise Questions

After losing that final set 6-3, Williams made a quick exit, uninterested in sticking around to talk to the press both on court and in mandatory press conferences—a brief statement released after the match confirmed that to be the case.

“Unfortunately, Serena Williams will not be able to undertake media this evening.”

Skipping media duties is expensive business, with the Grand Slam Rulebook stating that a hefty fine can be issued without “reasonable grounds,” i.e., injury or illness.

“If a player is unable to appear, the appropriate level of direct communication is requested. Violation of this Section shall subject a player to a fine up to $50,000.”

Serena Williams Avoids Fine As Reason For Absence Emerges

Andrew Couldridge via Reuters

The five-figure fine will not be handed down to the seven-time Wimbledon winner, however, on the grounds of injury, with an apparent tweak to her knee sustained in the first set, freeing her from her media obligations.

“Serena tweaked her knee at the end of the first set and was therefore excused from her media obligations by the Wimbledon and WTA medical teams,” said Jill Smoller, the tennis icon’s long-standing agent in a statement provided to The Times.

That knee issue has thrown her continued participation at the tournament into doubt, with Serena due to compete in the doubles alongside her sister Venus. The pair have been handed a wildcard and are set to face the unseeded duo of Camila Osorio and Solana Sierra on Friday, provided she can overcome her injury problems.

Max Verstappen is comfortably one of the best drivers on the Formula 1 grid and is admired by fans, team principals, and his fellow drivers alike.

To be successful, there is a strong argument that you have to believe you are the best, and it is not unreasonable to suggest that Verstappen holds this opinion of himself.

He’s a four-time world champion with Red Bull with one of the most ruthless wheel-to-wheel driving styles on the grid, and he has gone toe-to-toe with some truly incredible drivers, including the seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.

That electric and daring 2021 season will never be forgotten, the seesawing of points between the two and the hard racing which culminated in shocking collisions, including Verstappen’s infamous 50G crash at Silverstone and their clash at Monza, when the Dutchman’s wheel ended up on the Brit’s head.

Hamilton has challenged the Dutchman, and while their fortunes have changed since 2021, the two have still been battling each other into 2026 with some fantastic overtakes in the Austrian Grand Prix reminiscent of their electric championship fight. At 41 years old, the Brit is showing no signs of bowing out of the sport as he searches for his coveted and record-breaking eighth championship, taking victory for the first time as a Ferrari driver in the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.

With Verstappen’s prowess widely recognised, it does raise an interesting question: which of his contemporaries does he rank highly?

Who Max Verstappen ‘Really Rates’

Philippe Nanchino via Reuters

Speaking on the Race F1 podcast, Viaplay commentator Nelson Valkenburg believes that the 28-year-old only considers two current drivers to be genuine threats. Naturally, one of them is Hamilton, but the other is a little more eyebrow-raising and that person is Kimi Antonelli.

The 19-year-old Italian is the current championship leader with Mercedes, beating his more experienced teammate George Russell by 50 points as of the Austrian Grand Prix, with the Brit sitting in third behind Hamilton at present.

Antonelli has received comparisons to Verstappen’s younger self as the Dutchman became the youngest driver in the sport’s history to start a race and the youngest to ever win a race, aged 17 and 18 respectively. He is seen by many as Mercedes’ new protege following the departure of Hamilton, being hailed as a ‘generational talent’ in only his second season.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has long been an admirer of Verstappen and there have been rumours simmering about a potential switch to the Silver Arrows. Speaking on the prospect of Verstappen and Antonelli leading the line for the German manufacturer, Valkenberg said: “There’s so much respect there. If I look at Verstappen there, I think there are two drivers on this grid that he really, really, really rates alongside himself, and that is Lewis [Hamilton] and Kimi [Antonelli].

Jakub Porzycki via Reuters

“The emergence of Antonelli and the realisation of what Toto Wolff saw earlier might keep Verstappen in F1 for longer than he initially anticipated. I think it tickles him completely. He’s dealt with Hamilton, but Hamilton is a little older.

It remains to be seen whether Verstappen can master the new regulations, which he is an outspoken critic of, and brand the season with his own usual spark of brilliance. If there’s one thing that 2025 taught us, it’s this: Don’t write Verstappen out of the equation too soon.

Gilberto Mora is on track to be the breakout star of the 2026 World Cup as Mexico look to have a true wonderkid on their hands.

At just 17, he is already making waves. That includes becoming Mexico’s youngest ever starter at a World Cup and the second-youngest in history behind Pele to start a knockout game.

His burgeoning career is there for all to see; he was eye-catching in the knockout victory over Ecuador and the attacking midfielder clearly possesses a wealth of talent that is already translating to the big stage.

A horde of elite clubs in Europe are already eyeing a deal; having recently signed a new deal to keep him in Mexico until 2029, a reported release clause of €20million will spark considerable interest, but they will all have to wait until he turns 18 in October before any official deal can be struck.

Gilberto Mora’s Position & Style of Play

REUTERS/Pedro Nunes

A right-footed attacking midfielder, Mora boasts all the traits that you would expect from a diminutive, creative player coupled with all the grit and desire that his country have displayed at the 2026 World Cup.

Interestingly, his heat maps from the U20 World Championships and Liga MX campaign illustrate someone who operates in the half spaces on the left of midfield. He has shown an ability to do so on either flank, but he often drifts inside, especially from the left, just as he did against Ecuador early in the game as he fired a wicked shot just past the post after cutting in.

At club level, he has been gifted the freedom to drift from central attacking areas to out onto the left and that same freedom was afforded in Javier Aguirre’s team, as his heat maps showcase a wide range of movement all over the pitch. Hailed by pundits and his club’s owner, he has already made a grand impression.

Former Mexican international and now FOX pundit, Alberto García Aspe, spoke after the Czech Republic game saying: “We kept saying we wanted to see more of him, and the truth is he proved he’s a star. The pass for the second goal was impressive.”

And he was hailed by the Club Tijuana owner Alberto when speaking to the Athletic:

Gilberto Mora’s Stats (Liga MX 2025/26)

Despite his age, he has already racked up 53 appearances for Club Tijuana. Across that time, he’s recorded 10 goals and three assists, featuring heavily in the first-half of the 2025/26 Liga MX Apertura campaign. However, he failed to feature much in the Clausura Liga MX part of the season due to physical overload and suffering pubalgia — the same ailment that troubled Lamine Yamal last season.

Yet, his figures in Liga MX demonstrate his quality. Clear figures such as six goals in 20 Apertura league appearances are the eye-catching numbers, but looking deeper, it illustrates a more unique profile. Not only did he outperform his expected goals by 1.38, his goal conversion rate was a clinical 23 per cent.

On top of that, he was fouled nearly two times per game, and recorded 88% passing accuracy in the Apertura with 18.9 passes per game that also included 0.9 key passes per game. Capable on the ball, his figures reflect his strong profile as an attacking midfielder that leaves plenty of room to grow and develop even further.

Whilst it is a very small sample size, his World Cup figures across three games (South Africa, the Czech Republic and Ecuador) are hugely encouraging — his key passes have risen from 0.9 per game in the Apertura to 1.3 at the World Cup, his passing accuracy grew from 88% to 90% despite the significant jump in opposition quality, and he is producing a higher long ball percentage and more successful dribbles. Illustrating how he has risen to the level.

*Figures from SofaScore

Who is Gilberto Mora similar to?

REUTERS/Raquel Cunha via Action Images

With his size and frame and creative ability, there are a number of past and current players he can be compared to. One comparison already made by ESPN Liga MX pundit Sebastian Abreu is that he resembles former Argentina attacker Pablo Aimar.

Furthermore, he suggested that if he continued on his current trajectory that he could match Luka Modrić‘s career, high praise indeed, but there is certainly a high ceiling for Mora to aspire to.