Sports
Djokovic predicts Serena’s return
A Serbian professional tennis player, Novak Djokovic is convinced US tennis great Serena Williams will return to competition, and the 24-time Grand Slam champion is itching to see “one of the greatest athletes” back on court, a report by AFP said.
“I think she’s coming back,” Djokovic said Wednesday at the ATP/WTA Indian Wells Masters.
“I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to her, but I guess the sentiment is that she’s coming back. Where and how, singles, doubles, we don’t know, and if I’m in her position, I would hide it too.”
But the 44-year-old mother of two re-entered the anti-doping testing pool in December and regained eligibility.
Initially, she denied she planned a comeback, but in January, she declined to rule it out, telling NBC’s “Today” show: “That’s not a yes or a no. I don’t know; I’m just going to see what happens.”
Djokovic said players were buzzing at the prospect.
“Everybody is excited, and it’s definitely something that’s very highly anticipated,” he said.
Williams’s sister Venus, 45, accepted a wild card into the Indian Wells singles draw and will face France’s Diane Parry in the first round.
Djokovic suggested Serena could return for Wimbledon — where she is a seven-time singles champion.
“I pick that one as well as her comeback,” he said. “I don’t know. I think she might maybe play a doubles tournament or two with Venus. That would be nice to see, just from my point of view and tennis fans’, for sure.
“She’s one of the greatest athletes, really. It would be great to have her back, too.”
Djokovic is seeded third in Indian Wells as he plays his first event since he fell to Carlos Alcaraz in the Australian Open final after toppling Jannik Sinner in the semis.
“For me, that has been a phenomenal result,” the 38-year-old said. “I have proven to myself primarily and to others that I can still compete at the highest level and beat these guys.
“So my logic is, why not keep going as long as I have that fire and flair and quality and also motivation to do that?
“There are objectives and goals that are always there. You want to win, so you want to get another title and get another Slam, hopefully,” he said. “I was close in Australia.”
Djokovic’s five Indian Wells titles are tied for the most with Swiss great Roger Federer.
But he hasn’t reached the quarter-finals since his last title run in 2016.
He’ll launch his latest desert campaign on Saturday against either France’s Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard or Poland’s Kamil Majchrzak.
A Somali referee, Omar Artan, prevented from entering the United States of America to officiate at the world cup, will not get any help from the world football governing body, FIFA.
FIFA said it could not intervene, stressing that visa and entry decisions rest solely with host governments.
“In line with previous FIFA events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country,” a FIFA spokesperson said.
A spokesperson for U.S. Customs and Border Protection U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Artan was denied entry after routine inspection, citing “vetting concerns.”
The Somali government expressed “deep regret” over his exclusion, saying Artan “represents the very best of Somali talent.”
The controversy comes as the expanded FIFA World Cup FIFA World Cup prepares to begin under heightened political tensions.
said the “biggest dream of my life” was taken away after he was denied entry into the United States to officiate at the FIFA World Cup, following what authorities described as vetting concerns.
Artan, who was named Referee of the Year in 2025 by the Confederation of African Football, has since been removed from FIFA’s list of tournament officials after he was refused entry on arrival in Miami on Saturday.
The decision comes amid broader immigration restrictions linked to travel bans introduced under the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump, which include Somalia among several affected countries.
A U.S. State Department United States Department of State official told AFP that Artan was considered “associated with suspected members of terrorist organizations,” a claim that rendered him “inadmissible” under U.S. entry rules.
Following an 11-hour interview with border officials in Miami ,Miami, Artan said he was moved to a holding facility before being placed on a flight back to Istanbul.
“I’m just simply a referee who’s trying to live his dream… to come to the World Cup,” he told The New York Times The New York Times in a phone interview, adding that he had valid documen
tation and a visa.
A Somali referee, Omar Artan, has said the “biggest dream of my life” was taken away after he was denied entry into the United States to officiate at the FIFA World Cup, following what authorities described as vetting concerns.
Artan, who was named Referee of the Year in 2025 by the Confederation of African Football Confederation of African Football, has since been removed from FIFA’s list of tournament officials after he was refused entry on arrival in Miami on Saturday.
The decision comes amid broader immigration restrictions linked to travel bans introduced under the administration of the U.S. President Donald Trump Donald Trump, which include Somalia among several affected countries.
A U.S. State Department United States Department of State official told AFP that Artan was considered “associated with suspected members of terrorist organizations,” a claim that rendered him “inadmissible” under U.S. entry rules.
Following an 11-hour interview with border officials in Miami Miami, Artan said he was moved to a holding facility before being placed on a flight back to Istanbul.
“I’m just simply a referee who’s trying to live his dream… to come to the World Cup,” he told The New York Times The New York Times in a phone interview, adding that he had valid documentation and a visa.
FIFA said it could not intervene, stressing that visa and entry decisions rest solely with host governments.
“In line with previous FIFA events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country,” a FIFA spokesperson said.
A spokesperson for U.S. Customs and Border Protection U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Artan was denied entry after routine inspection, citing “vetting concerns.”
The Somali government expressed “deep regret” over his exclusion, saying Artan “represents the very best of Somali talent.”
The controversy comes as the expanded FIFA World Cup FIFA World Cup prepares to begin under heightened political tensions.
Iran, one of the participating teams, has reportedly faced logistical disruptions, including changes to training arrangements and visa issues affecting staff and supporters, according
to football authorities.
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