Carlos Alcaraz wants to play alongside Rafael Nadal in a formidable and "dream" doubles team...

It was the finish and not the fight that mattered to Anthony Joshua at the O2 on Saturday night. He got the finish he wanted, after seven rounds that he needed, and then he left the ring, his face covered in blood from his nose, to greet his fans at ringside. Joshua knocked out Robert Helenius with a perfectly-timed right hand, delivered as the third punch in a combination, to end an odd fight a minute and 27 seconds into round seven. At one point in round three, Joshua’s devoted flock had booed as the pair looked for angles, openings and safety. Helenius accepted the fight the previous Saturday and was proving to be tricky; Joshua was not in a hurry to do what everybody expected him to do. There has always been too much expectation in the Joshua game. “He was harder to hit than I thought he would be,” said Joshua. The finish was perfect, two jabs to the chest area to distract Helenius, a slight movement of the feet and then the final right cross. Helenius was out cold before he hit the canvas. It was what the crowd came for and what Joshua prepared for. “I got sloppy, I’m disappointed,” said Helenius, just before 2am, as he left the O2. “I came here to win, not to lose.” He was serious, by the way. It was a win that Joshua needed, the type of knockout his fans have come to expect since his professional debut in 2013. His domination of British boxing started shortly after that with big fights, sold-out venues and wild nights. He has had his critics from inside and outside the boxing business, but jealousy in boxing has always been in conflict with reality. Joshua has retained his dignity against great assaults – on Saturday, he asked once again for a bit of space, some space to breathe. It is hard being Anthony Joshua, just like it is hard being Tyson Fury. However, a few years ago Fury held his hands up and admitted he was struggling with his mental health. Joshua has his own struggles and battles and demons. There is no such thing as vintage Joshua; the great nights at the O2 and other vast indoor arenas, and the many wins out under the stars, have all had different elements. He has been raw, hurt, dropped, vulnerable, vicious and frustrated in fights before. There are a lot of contradictions in the fighting life and times of Anthony Joshua. Joshua now has a fight planned for January next year in Saudi Arabia against Deontay Wilder; the fight is ready to go. It is a massive fight and Saturday night’s win against Helenius should not be used as a measure of Joshua’s chances. Against Wilder, you see, it is all about concentration; fighting and beating Wilder has very little to do with punch resistance. The simple truth is that Wilder has dropped every single one of the 43 men he has beaten, he has knocked out 42 of them, including 21 in the first round. If Wilder connects, you go down – if he connects cleanly you don’t get up. It is fully possible right now, on the very brink of a massive fight worth more than any British boxer has ever received, that Joshua, a veteran of the ring, has to sort out his boxing life. And that includes admitting where he wants to be in life. On Saturday, his footwork was the best I have seen, the final shot the best he has thrown, but he hesitated, and seemed once or twice to be counting time between punches. Obviously, that version of Joshua would be an easy target for Wilder, but a more mobile Joshua can make it a real fight. And, that final right hand, delivered at the end of the jabs, will drop Wilder. It was a win, a heavy knockout and it adds to the journey. Joshua should be celebrated for his role in British boxing’s boom and not mocked because of his behaviour. He is a heavyweight and his job is to knock out opponents and thank his fans. That is exactly what he did on Saturday night. Read More Anthony Joshua shares ringside footage of brutal Robert Helenius knockout Anthony Joshua is back and reveals defiant edge needed to take down Deontay Wilder Anthony Joshua won’t get distracted by ‘hype’ of potential Deontay Wilder clash The sporting weekend in pictures Anthony Joshua won’t get distracted by ‘hype’ of potential Deontay Wilder clash Anthony Joshua eyes Deontay Wilder fight after Helenius knock out

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Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has told his players their resounding Premier League victory over Brighton will count for nothing if they do not beat Leicester to clinch a place in the Champions League. The Magpies survived a test of their top-four credentials at St James’ Park on Thursday evening when they defended a 2-1 lead in the face of a determined Seagulls backlash before eventually killing off the game to win 4-1. As a result, they climbed four points clear of fifth-placed Liverpool with both clubs having two games left, and will play in the Champions League next season if either the Reds lose at home to Aston Villa on Saturday or they beat the Foxes on Tyneside two days later. Asked if he could put into words how big a win it was, Howe said: “It’s a huge win for us. “I know it’s a bit of a cliche, but it won’t mean anything if we don’t back it up on Monday night and that’s an incredibly difficult game. After the high of today and what we’ve given in the match, we know we have to repeat it. “Nothing is given to you in the Premier League. We know Leicester’s qualities, so we have to be very calm, recover well and we have to have the same focus and mentality that we had today.” Newcastle looked to be cruising to victory when Deniz Undav’s own goal and a second from Dan Burn sent them in at the break 2-0 ahead, although Undav made amends within six minutes of the restart to spark something of a fightback before Callum Wilson and Bruno Guimaraes struck at the death. I know it's a bit of a cliche, but it won't mean anything if we don't back it up on Monday night. Eddie Howe Howe’s side cannot now finish any lower than fifth and are assured of Europa League football at worst, but the 45-year-old is still not allowing himself to get excited. He said: “Honestly I don’t [get excited]. I take great pride in the performance tonight. I’ll go back home, watch the game and I’ll be, I hope, really proud of what I see, really enthused by the players delivering a brilliant product to watch for our supporters. “The excitement stuff doesn’t really exist in this job because you know there’s just another game and another challenge and it won’t stop even if we hit our goal. There’ll just be another challenge and it will hit us in the face next season.” Liverpool’s seven-game winning run had piled the pressure on the Magpies, although it is Jurgen Klopp’s men who now have little or no margin for error. However, Howe said: “We’re not looking at any other teams or trying to make any sort of statement, we just needed to win for us and that will be the same against Leicester.” For Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi, there was disappointment as he was forced to make changes to the side which beat Arsenal at the weekend, although they too have a prize within their grasp. The Seagulls are currently sixth on 58 points, one clear of Tottenham and Aston Villa but with a game in hand. De Zerbi, whose team host Southampton and Manchester City before finishing the campaign with a trip to Villa, said: “I think we will be able to qualify anyway for Europe. “We have to win two games. We will play in our stadium and with our fans in our stadium, we play with 12 players. “It is a difficult period, but to qualify for Europe, we have to be stronger than everything because if we do, we reach a historic target, a big target, and we have right motivation and energy.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Jose Mourinho into another European final as Roma set up Sevilla showdown Bryson DeChambeau reflects on eventful year after setting early pace at US PGA Stefanos Tsitsipas victory sets up Daniil Medvedev semi-final showdown in Rome

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David Luiz rejoined Chelsea from Paris St Germain in a £32million deal on this day in 2016. The Brazil international returned to familiar territory as then Blues boss Antonio Conte shuffled his pack with full-back Marcos Alonso also arriving from Fiorentina as midfielder Juan Cuadrado joined Juventus on loan. Luiz, then 23, had initially joined Chelsea from Portuguese side Benfica in a deal worth up to £25million in January 2011. He had arrived at Stamford Bridge on the same day as striker Fernando Torres, who cost the reigning champions £50million – a record transfer fee between British clubs – when they lured him away from Liverpool. The defender made 143 appearances in his first spell and won the Champions League, Europa League and the FA Cup before Paris St Germain paid £50million for his services in June 2014 with then Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho preferring to use Gary Cahill and John Terry at the heart of his rearguard. Luiz’s time in France proved hugely successful as PSG dominated on the domestic front, but after two seasons at the Parc des Princes, he could not resist the opportunity to renew his acquaintance with English football. Speaking as his return to the Blues was confirmed, he told the club’s official website: “I’m delighted to return to Chelsea. We had a fantastic story during my first time at the club and I want to help the team and Antonio Conte achieve a lot of success. “I always had a wonderful relationship with the fans and I am looking forward to wearing the blue shirt at Stamford Bridge once again.” Over the length of his three-year contract, Luiz added a league title, an FA Cup and another Europa League trophy to his tally before making a shock – and for some, controversial – £8million move to derby rivals Arsenal in August 2019 after indicating his desire to leave. Luiz spent two seasons at the Emirates Stadium and, now 36, is currently playing his club football with Flamengo in Brazil’s Serie A. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

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