Osaka defeats Caroline Garcia to win her first Australia Open match since 2022.
Former World No. 1 Naomi Osaka triumphed over Caroline Garcia in a thrilling opening-round match at the 2025 Australian Open, securing a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 victory. The match, lasting 1 hour and 45 minutes, marked a year since Garcia had ended Osaka’s Grand Slam return after maternity leave. With this win, Osaka now leads their head-to-head record 3-2. Osaka, a two-time Australian Open champion, converted four of six break points while being broken twice. She won 78% of her first-serve points and fired seven aces, matching Garcia’s tally. A decisive break in the third game of the final set helped the 27-year-old seal the win as Garcia sent a forehand long on match point. Reflecting on the familiar setting, Osaka said, “I just tried to do my best.” She next faces No. 20 seed Karolina Muchová.
Naomi Osaka defeats Caroline Garcia to win her first #AusOpen match since 2022 👏 pic.twitter.com/GkgC5KdGak
— ESPN (@espn) January 13, 2025
James Rodríguez moves to Mexican club, León on a free transfer.
Colombia international James Rodríguez has joined Liga MX club León, the team announced Monday. The 33-year-old midfielder, recently a free agent after terminating his contract with Rayo Vallecano, will strengthen León as they begin their 2025 Clausura campaign on January 18. Both León and Rayo Vallecano confirmed the transfer without disclosing details. Rodríguez, a former Golden Boot winner at the 2014 World Cup, brings a wealth of experience, having played for top clubs like Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Porto, and Monaco earlier in his career. More recently, he has represented São Paulo, Olympiacos, Al-Rayyan, and Everton, making León his sixth team since 2021. León, eight-time Mexican champions, will also compete in June’s Club World Cup, facing Chelsea, Esperance de Tunis, and Flamengo. Rodríguez has scored 29 goals in 112 appearances for Colombia, including a standout performance at last year’s Copa América final.
🚨🇲🇽 Official: León confirm James Rodriguez as their new signing on a free transfer!
Deal completed from Rayo Vallecano. pic.twitter.com/S4eL4c9cXJ
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 13, 2025
Aston Villa agree to a £18 million fee for Dutch winger, Donyell Malen.
According to new reports from The Telegraph, Aston Villa has reportedly reached an agreement with Borussia Dortmund to sign Dutch winger Donyell Malen for around £18 million. The 25-year-old, with 41 international caps, emerged as Unai Emery’s top winter target due to his versatility across the front three positions—a quality Villa has lacked this season. Villa had been seeking a winger since Moussa Diaby’s departure last summer, and Emery was unimpressed with other options, including Jaden Philogene, who later joined Ipswich Town. Malen, who has performed well in the Bundesliga, had already agreed to personal terms with Villa and was awaiting the clubs to finalize the deal. Despite interest from other teams, Villa were confident of securing Malen’s signature. The forward is expected to undergo a medical soon as he prepares to bolster Villa’s attack for the remainder of the Premier League season.
🚨🟣🔵 Aston Villa agree deal to sign Donyell Malen from BVB, here we go!
Agreement reached with Borussia Dortmund for €23m plus €3m add-ons fee.
Medical and formal steps to follow soon to seal the deal.
Total agreement also with player, as @Plettigoal @SkySportDE report. pic.twitter.com/l0efQC9HBJ
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 13, 2025
Manchester City reaches an agreement to sign 19-year old defender, Vitor Reis.
Per Fabrizio Romano, Manchester City has reached a verbal agreement with Palmeiras to sign 19-year-old defender Vitor Reis for a fee just under €40 million (£34m/$41m). The Premier League champions aim to finalize the deal swiftly, allowing Reis to join Pep Guardiola’s squad immediately. The Brazilian youngster will travel to Manchester for a medical as both clubs iron out the final details of the transfer. Reis played 33 matches across all competitions during the 2024 Brazilian Serie A season, including 18 league appearances, helping Palmeiras secure a second-place finish. A product of Robinho’s R10 academy before joining Palmeiras in 2016, Reis is admired for his composure, ball-playing ability, and leadership, drawing comparisons to PSG and Brazil captain Marquinhos, whom he considers his role model. While City face Brentford on Tuesday, Reis could debut on January 19 against Ipswich Town if the deal concludes promptly.
🚨🔵 EXCLUSIVE: Vitor Reis to Manchester City, here we go! 🇧🇷
Verbal agreement reached right now with Palmeiras on package under €40m fee… and City want it to be IMMEDIATE transfer!
Vitor Reis, set for medical and contract signing as soon as clubs will check all documents. pic.twitter.com/ovLIrSFyDj
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 13, 2025
Heavyweight boxer, Tyson Fury announces his retirement from boxing.
Former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury has announced his Retirement from boxing. “I’m going to make this short and sweet,” the British boxer stated in a Social Media post on Monday. “I’d like to announce my retirement from boxing. It’s been a blast.” The announcement follows Fury’s unanimous decision loss to Oleksandr Usyk on December 21 in their rematch, where the Ukrainian unified the heavyweight world titles. However, Fury’s decision has been met with scepticism, as he previously declared his retirement in April 2022 after defeating Dillian Whyte, only to return months later to face Derek Chisora. If this is truly the end, Fury retires with an impressive professional record of 34 wins (24 by knockout), one draw, and two losses—both to Usyk in the past year. Before Monday’s announcement, the 36-year-old had been expected to face Anthony Joshua in 2025.
Tyson Fury has announced his retirement from boxing 🚨🤯
He leaves the sport with a 34-2-1 record pic.twitter.com/SBWU0kE5L8
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 13, 2025