Team GB hero Sir Bradley Wiggins has endured an extremely difficult life ever since walking away from cycling in 2016. The Olympic hero was lauded and given a knighthood after winning five gold medals, including at the London 2012 Games.
One of the greatest cyclists in British history, Wiggins even held the national record for the most Olympic medals won (8) at one stage. He won accolades on track and road across his 15-year professional career.
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He became the first British rider to ever win the Tour de France in 2012 and was awarded a knighthood in the New Year’s Honour list the year after. Despite his incredible accomplishments, the Team GB legend has hit hard times post-retirement.
Bradley Wiggins’ Financial Woes Lead to Homelessness
Sir Bradley Wiggins.
Like many other sports stars, Wiggins fell on hard times financially following retirement. After amassing debts of around £1 million and failing to pay the money back through his individual voluntary agreement (IVA), the ex-Olympian was declared bankrupt.
Speaking in 2025, Wiggins expressed his regret at how his financial affairs got out of hand, while claiming people took advantage of him because of who he is. He claimed:
“I regret I never paid attention to my financial affairs when I was racing. It’s one of the things that happens to athletes – you make a lot of money and, if you haven’t got your eyes on it, people take advantage.
“I was getting ripped off left, right and centre by the people looking after me. Accountants as well.”
The heartbreaking circumstances he found himself in almost led to Wiggins selling his Olympic medals. He was reported to be left homeless and moving between various addresses, including that of his ex-wife.
The now 45-year-old, who was once worth £13 million, has since revealed that his issues with money have been taken car of. He explained: “It’s all resolved now. I’m on the front foot now. This was something that was done to me. Eight months on, it has all turned around. The people who are responsible are paying a heavy price for it. Fortunately, it’s all good. My life’s in a good place.”
Wiggins Admitted to Substance Abuse Issues
Sir Bradley Wiggins
Wiggins has openly discussed his issues with substance abuse over the years. He recalled the harrowing sexual abuse he suffered as a young man. Speaking to The Telegraph about his cycling coach, he said:
“The contradiction is that the coach who abused me was my first male role model in cycling. I had grown up with an absent father, and so this man instilled a confidence in me as a bike rider.
“Wherever he went, he would tell everyone, ‘This kid’s going to be special’. It kind of offset what was going on behind the scenes. There were other kids at the club it was happening to as well. We were normalised to the behaviour, made to feel there was nothing wrong with it.”
He believes that played a big part in becoming a ‘drug addict’ after retiring from cycling. “You’re only 13, but it leads to a really dark period. Within three years of retiring in 2016, I was a drug addict. And a lot of it was to do with this recall of my childhood,” he continued.
The Belgium-born athlete has also opened up about struggling with alcohol issues during the early stages of his fame. These experiences have all led to mental health struggles.
Wiggins Feared For His Life as a ‘Functioning Addict’
In his incredibly honest autobiography, The Chain, the 45-year-old recalled his fear of being discovered dead by his children during his cocaine addiction. He wrote (as quoted by Sky News): “There were times my son thought I was going to be found dead in the morning. I was a functioning addict. People wouldn’t realise. I was high most of the time for many years.”
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The Olympic hero, who confirmed he had quit his addiction last year with the help of Lance Armstrong, admitted he was ‘lucky to be here’. He described the substance abuse as ‘self-harm and self-sabotage’ as he continued:
“I was doing s***loads of cocaine. I had a really bad problem. My kids were going to put me in rehab. I was walking a tightrope. I realised I had a huge problem. I had to stop. I’m lucky to be here. I was a victim of all my own choices, for many years.
“I already had a lot of self-hatred, but I was amplifying it. It was a form of self-harm and self-sabotage. It was not the person I wanted to be. I realised I was hurting a lot of people around me.”
Things appear to be heading in the right direction for the Olympic hero. He’s figured out his financial troubles and openly admitted he needed to put an end to his drug and alcohol use.
Cody Gakpo’s girlfriend, Noa van der Bij, has posted an emotional statement to confirm that their son has passed away during pregnancy.
The Liverpool star and his partner announced in May that they were expecting another boy. They already have one son, Samuel, who was born in 2024.
Gakpo is currently representing the Netherlands at the 2026 World Cup, while Van der Bij is in the United States of America to support him from the stands. The latter took to Instagram to share the news that their baby, who they named Elijah Raphael Gakpo, had passed.
Cody Gakpo and Noa van der Bij Lose Son
Jay Biggerstaff (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters)
Van der Bij posted to her Instagram story on Saturday afternoon, saying: “With broken hearts, we share the devastating news that our baby boy passed away during pregnancy. Thank you for your love and support. Elijah Raphael Gakpo Forever loved. Forever our son.”
She then shared a heartbreaking story of how the couple and their son, Samuel, went to light a candle at church and came across another little boy called Elijah. Her next post stated:
“We went to church to light a candle. Afterwards, we walked to the church playground with our son Samuel. There was only one other child there. His name was Elijah.
“There could not have been a more beautiful sign from God He reminded us that our little boy is never far away.”
A billionaire tennis player has chosen not to share a hotel with her Wimbledon competitors, previously claiming that she needs better facilities to help her recover efficiently and effectively.
Staying at the official Wimbledon hotel is the default expected choice for many of the tournament participants. It serves as a financial necessity for many lower-ranked players, juniors, and doubles specialists who rely on the tournament’s organisers to cover the expensive costs of hotels during their time competing.
This does rule out those that can afford to prepare for the tournament while prioritising comfort over free accommodation.
World’s Richest Tennis Player Chooses Her Own Hotels
Andrew Couldridge via Reuters
From Monday, as the tournament gets underway, the widely considered world’s richest tennis star will be staying in a premium, independent hotel of her own choosing, and will be looking to improve on her best-ever run to the quarter-finals in 2023.
She will enter the prestigious tournament as fourth seed, but has still yet to reach a major championship, with her run to the US Open final in 2024 being the closest she has ever come.
She believes that choosing her own hotel room, away from the other players, could lead to success, explaining that as she has become older, the small details matter, like having a better pillow and a quiet space to relax, with both being vital for recovery.
Why She Chooses Her Own Hotels
“We’re either on the court or we’re in the hotel room,” she said. “It’s such a big part of our lives, and as I’ve gotten older, a good hotel has become more of a priority.
“When you’re 20, and you’re just starting to travel, you’re not complaining that much: you’re more out there grinding and embracing life on tour. Once you hit 30 and kind of need a better pillow, that stuff honestly becomes really important.”
During last year’s French Open, Jessica Pegula, the daughter of the NFL Buffalo Bills owner, Terry Pegula, first decided to take this approach before realising how mentally draining it had become to share her space with her direct rivals.
“Oh my gosh, being away from everyone else is a massive thing for me,” Pegula admitted. “I think that’s what maybe sparked this, as well. I just felt like, ‘I can’t do [player hotels] anymore.’
Szymon Gorski via Reuters
“When you’re staying at a tournament hotel, I feel like it’s so mentally draining. It’s not like anyone is a problem.”
The American star is scheduled to come up against unseeded Czech Darja Vidmanova at 11am on Monday.
The 32-year-old has amassed over $2 million worth of prize money so far in her career and has really highlighted the importance of her recent decision.
“If you were going to work with someone, you would necessarily want to eat breakfast with them, practice with them, have lunch, go to the locker room, and the physio room with them, and see them in the elevators and the hallways.
“I don’t think people realise that shouldn’t happen, not with the people you’re working and competing with every single week. We play pretty much every week together, and so, all of that together, you’re ready to lose it.”
Chelsea have reportedly submitted a £26m offer to sign a Chelsea star in the summer transfer window, as personally requested by Xabi Alonso.
The Blues will be looking to back their new manager after he took over earlier this year.
It’s been a difficult period for Chelsea, who won’t be competing in the Champions League next season, and they did superbly to attract a manager of Alonso’s calibre.
The club now needs to back him with new additions in order to suit his style, while the squad also needs a refresh after their disappointing campaign.
According to a report from journalist Luca Cerchione, Chelsea have submitted a £26m bid to sign Sunderland midfielder Granit Xhaka in the summer transfer window.
The potential signing is believed to have been personally requested by Alonso, who managed Xhaka during his time at Bayer Leverkusen.
It feels unlikely that Sunderland would be willing to accept a bid of just £26 million for Xhaka, considering he was their ‘best‘ player last campaign and won their player of the season award.
Alonso knows the midfielder well, and it shouldn’t be a surprise that they are targeting that profile of signing.
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Chelsea Need to Add Experience
Chelsea have heavily focused their recruitment on bringing in young talent from around the world over the last few years.
Although it could be an effective method in the long term, they do lack experience in all positions.
The Blues are one of the most ill-disciplined sides in the Premier League, getting more red cards last season than any other team.
The signing of someone like Xhaka won’t only offer experience in himself. He’s also the type of leader who can help get the best out of other players.
Sunderland managed to qualify for European football last season, despite only being promoted the previous campaign, and Xhaka was a key reason behind that.
