In today's news: Bianca Andreescu withdraws from Madrid Open after testing positive for coronavirus, Sydney win rights to host 2027 Netball World Cup and Fara Williams announces her retirement from football.

Bianca Andreescu out of Madrid Open

The Canadian star has been forced to withdraw from the tournament following a positive Covid-19 test. 

Despite returning two negative tests before arriving in Spain, Andreescu is out of the Miami Open. She released a statement on Twitter to inform her fans that she would not be competing any further in the competition.

The 20-year-old had been recovering from an injury she picked up during the Miami Open final against Ashleigh Barty. Whilst it wasn't viewed as a serious problem, Andreescu was unable to feature in the Billie Jean King Cup earlier this month.


Sydney to host 2027 Netball World Cup

The Australians have won the rights to host the 2027 Netball World Cup. It will be the third time Sydney have hosted the tournament, with the previous settings taking place in 1991 and 2015.

Australia are a dominant nation when it comes to netball, having won a whopping 11 World Cup titles, which is the current record for the competition. They were snubbed of a 12th victory in 2019, falling to rivals New Zealand in the final.

Australia Netball Team

"An event such as this is a north star for young athletes who can now dream of working to represent the Diamonds in front of huge home crowds," commented Netball Australia chair Paolina Hunt.


Fara Williams announces her retirement

Reading midfielder and England international Fara Williams has announced that she will hang up her boots at the end of the season.

After more than 20 years in the game, the 37-year-old posted an emotional retirement statement on social media. 

Williams holds the torch as the Lionesses' most capped ever player, boasting 172 appearances in her nation's colours. She was part of the World Cup squad that secured a bronze medal win over Germany in 2015 and she represented Team GB at the 2012 Olympics.

The playmaker was named Liverpool's Player of the Season in 2015, a side she played for for three years before moving to Arsenal and then eventually Reading in 2017.


Jessica Gadirova wins gold at European Championships

The gymnastics prodigy rounded off a senior debut to remember last weekend at the European Artistic Gymnastics Championships. Gadirova took home three medals across the tournament, finishing in style with her gold medal performance in the floor event.

Jessica Gadirova

The 16-year-old only reached professional status last year, but was unable to make any competitive appearances due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Gadirova took home the title after her closing performance earned her 13.966 points.


Jacki Gemelos joins New York Liberty as assistant coach

Jacki Gemelos has made the switch from player to coach as she is unveiled by the New York Liberty as part of their coaching team.

The 32-year-old will work alongside Shelley Patterson and Dustin Gray as assistant coach to Walt Hopkins. She joins the ranks after enjoying eight years in the game, representing the likes of Chicago Sky and Connecticut Sun. 

Gemelos, a point guard in her day, also had a domestic stint in Greece and was part of the Greek national team. She also represented USA in the World University Games in 2011, where she helped her side go on to win the gold in Shenzhen.