Sports reports: The Ballon d'Or struggle and developments in world tennis

Barcelona and Spain national football team star Lamine Yamal believes that both he and Real Madrid's French international striker Kylian Mbappe are the best players in the world, stressing that he deserves to win the 2026 Ballon d'Or after a year full of titles with the Catalan club and La Roja.

The 19-year-old winger said in an interview with Movistar Plus, excerpts of which were published on Sunday: “Who will I give the Ballon d’Or to? For the best player in the world. To whom will they give it? That's a long story. I honestly think I deserve it this year considering the titles I achieved (the Spanish League and the World Cup). For me, Mbappe and I are the best players in the world. “It is very clear, and everyone who watches the matches knows that.”

Yamal contributed to Barcelona retaining the Spanish League title, before being crowned world champion with Spain this summer, which enhanced his chances of winning the highest individual award in the world of round football.

Yamal spoke in a more conservative tone during a press conference last Tuesday, when he said that he believes he has a chance to win the award after an “exceptional” season, but he will not seek the sympathy of voters.

On the other hand, Mbappe also strengthened his file to win the award in recent days. The France captain finished the season as top scorer in the Spanish League, the Champions League, and the World Cup, even though Real Madrid failed to win any major title.

For his part, Mbappe said during a press conference on Monday and then in a lengthy interview with France Football magazine, which organizes the award, that he has a great chance to win the Golden Ball for the first time, after he became the all-time leading scorer in the World Cup this summer.

Mbappe said: “There was no better player than me last season,” noting that he finished the season as top scorer in the Spanish League, the Champions League, and the World Cup, but without winning any group title.

As for his colleague in the French national team and winner of the award last year, Paris Saint-Germain winger, Ousmane Dembélé, he stressed that the Golden Ball must remain “in the hands” of a player from the French capital team, the European champion twice in a row. Bayern Munich's English striker Harry Kane is also among the most prominent candidates to win the award.

The Golden Ball award ceremony is scheduled to be held on October 26 in London, giving the various nominees more time to continue their brilliance in order to win the award.

American Ben Shelton said that his loss in his first Grand Slam final to German Alexander Zverev in the US Open, the last of the four major tennis tournaments, on Sunday, will increase his appetite for more opportunities in major tournaments.

Shelton (23 years old) said: “It is a very wonderful moment. Stepping onto the field today was like nothing else. "I have never felt such a feeling before." He added: “It is a feeling that a person gets addicted to when he is in such situations.”

Shelton failed in his attempt to become the first American to win a Grand Slam title in 23 years. But his best career ever in a major tournament witnessed his dramatic victory over Spaniard Carlos Alcarras, who has won 7 major titles, in a 5-set match, in addition to his strong return in the semi-finals against his compatriot Frances Tiafoe.

Shelton expressed his “disappointment” after the loss, and said: “I am motivated, but I am also disappointed with the way things went today. I'm happy with the way I fought over the two weeks, and satisfied with the progress I've made, but yeah, this loss hurts a lot. Now it's time to think about the next step. “I will try to continue developing and reach (Australia) stronger.”

Kazakhstan's Yelena Rybakina topped the World Women's Tennis Association (WTA) rankings for the first time, today, Monday, after winning the US Open "Flushing Meadows" title, the last of the four major "Grand Slam" tournaments of the current season, displacing Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka from the top, which she had held for 99 consecutive weeks.