The former Manchester United boss has been spotted watching a match between Carlos Alcaraz and Karen Khachanov

Former Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has surprised fans by making an appearance at the Qatar Open tennis tournament, just over a month on from his sacking.

The Portuguese was sacked from his role as United boss back in January, earning a reported £12 million pay-off. The decision to part ways with Amorim came after an explosive press conference following the draw at Leeds United.

On Thursday evening, Amorim was spotted at the Qatar Open quarter-final match between Carlos Alcaraz and Karen Khachanov. In the closing stages, he was shown on the TV coverage of the match, watching the action from the stands.

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The former United boss was shown as Alcaraz closed out a three-set win. The Spaniard had found himself one set down after a tie-breaker, but came back to win the second set 6-4 and take the third deciding set 6-3.

After Amorim was shown, United fans took to social media to show their surprise at seeing him. “Did not expect to see Ruben Amorim at a tennis match,” one wrote.

A second said: “Why is Amorim there lmao.” A third added: “What is Ruben Amorim doing watching Alcaraz in Qatar!”

A fourth fan asked: “Is Amorim going to take the Qatar national team job?”

“Just spotted Amorim in the stands watching Carlos Alcaraz versus Khachanov. Dude, just minding his business in Doha,” another wrote.

Amorim was replaced by Michael Carrick at United, with the former midfielder coming in on an interim basis until the end of the season.

The side remain unbeaten under the stewardship of the 44-year-old Wins over Manchester City, Arsenal, Fulham and Tottenham was followed with a 1-1 draw against West Ham last week.

United currently sit in fourth place in the Premier League table, one point above Chelsea in fifth position, and three points ahead of sixth-placed Liverpool.

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Amorim’s appearance in Qatar is not the first time that he has been spotted since his exit from United. Shortly after the decision, he was pictured walking in Manchester with his wife.

It’s reported that the manager is waiting until the end of the season before speaking out about his time at United. It’s said that he does not want to disrupt the remainder of the season under Carrick.

Skeleton race controversy: Canada defends move amid sabotage claims

Canada has launched a robust defence against accusations it deliberately withdrew four athletes from a skeleton race, a move that dashed eventual winner Katie Uhlaender’s hopes of qualifying for the Winter Olympics.

Dhakshineswar Suresh once again showed why he is quickly becoming India’s trusted man in tennis, as he helped the hosts bounce back against the Netherlands in the Davis Cup Qualifiers first round in Bengaluru on Saturday.

After India lost the opening round in a closely fought match between Sumit Nagal and Guy den Ouden, the pressure was firmly on Suresh to level the tie. The 25-year-old Indian responded in style, defeating Dutch No. 1 Jesper de Jong 6-4, 7-5 in under 90 minutes on a bright and breezy afternoon.

With that win, India leveled the scores at 1-1, keeping the tie alive heading into Sunday’s decisive matches, where Nagal will face De Jong and Suresh will lock horns against Den Ouden.

A calm performance under pressure

Suresh’s performance was built around his biggest strength – his powerful serve. Standing at 6 feet 5 inches, the right-hander used his height and reach to full advantage, firing down nine aces and conceding just one break point, which he saved comfortably.

“I think my big serves and big forehand troubled De Jong the most,” Suresh said after the match. “In conditions like Bengaluru, the high altitude makes the ball travel faster. It’s tough to control the ball when I’m hitting hard, and I felt I could keep him under pressure.”

This is not the first time Suresh has delivered for India on the big stage. He made his Davis Cup debut in 2025 during the World Group-1 tie against Switzerland. On that occasion, he beat Jerome Kym, who was ranked 155 at the time, to give India an early lead in the tie.

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Who is Dhakshineswar Suresh?

Hailing from Tamil Nadu, Suresh’s journey has not been an overnight success. He spent several years playing collegiate tennis in the United States, first representing Georgia Gwinnett College before moving to Wake Forest University. The experience helped him develop his physical game and all-court skills.

A major milestone in Suresh’s career came in 2024, when he made his ATP main draw debut at the Winston-Salem Open. He received a wildcard entry into the doubles main draw, partnering Luca Pow, which gave him his first opportunity to compete at the highest level of the men’s tour.

He reached a career-high ATP singles ranking of world No. 465 on 2 February 2026. In doubles, he has enjoyed even more success, achieving a career-best ranking of No. 352 on 18 August 2025.

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Shirley Erskine has sadly passed away just weeks after her husband’s passing

Tennis sensation Andy Murray is mourning the loss of his grandmother, who sadly passed away just weeks after his grandfather Roy Erskine died. Shirley Erskine, died last week according to a touching tribute posted by Andy’s cousin.

The actor Ailsa Erskine, posted the heartbreaking news on Instagram with a selection of 19 pictures dedicated to her ‘one of a kind’ grandmother.

The loving caption said: “We said goodbye to my sweet, amazing, hilarious and one of a kind granny last week. She lit up every room she walked into, smiled at every stranger she passed and was always guilty of having too much chatter down Dunblane High Street.

“I will miss her so much but there will not be a day that goes by that I won’t think of her and take a little bit of her with me. What a life she led and I will count my lucky stars to have grown up with such a light of a woman in my life. Sleep well granny, mini, fairy b, gran gran, Shirley E, my best friend. Thanks for giving me the gift of the gab. Say hi to Grandpa for me. Love you so much.”

The comment section was full of tributes from those who knew Shirley. Elaine Ritchie said: “What a wonderful grand-daughter you are Beautiful words.”

Joanne Crawford commented: “What a lovely tribute to your gran. She was always such a lovely lady when she was interviewed about her grandsons and you xxx”

The tributes went on with Susan Gillespie writing: “So saddened to read this message – fond memories of Tennis Week in Elgin @ St.leonards hotel xx.” Jane Mccormack expressed: “So sorry to hear about your Granny and Grandpa x sending our love to you all.”

Shirley’s death follows the passing of her husband Roy Erskine, Andy’s grandfather, who died just weeks ago at age 94. Roy was a keen tennis player and also played football professionally for Hibernian, Stirling Albion and Cowdenbeath in his youth.

The news of his passing was announced by his former club Stirling Albion, who paid their respects. The tribute read: “Everyone at Stirling Albion was saddened to learn of the passing of former player, Roy Erskine, on the 19th of January 2026.

“Roy joined Albion from Troon Juniors in August 1954 and played with the club for two seasons before leaving for Cowdenbeath in In recent years, Roy had been a regular with his daughter Judy at club hospitality where he enjoyed speaking with supporters and chatting about his time at the club.

“He was particularly pleased to help celebrate the club’s League 2 championship win in 2022-23. A well-known and popular figure in Dunblane where he spent many years as an Optician, he will be sorely missed.”

The pair were big tennis fans often seen supporting both of their grandsons courtside.

Match Details

Fixture: (1) Emma Raducanu vs (Q) Maja Chwalinska

Date: February 5, 2026

Tournament: Transylvania Open

Round: Quarterfinal

Venue: BT Arena, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Category: WTA 250

Surface: Hard (indoor)

Prize Money: $283,347

Live Telecast: USA – Tennis Channel | UK – Sky Sports

Emma Raducanu vs Maja Chwalinska preview

Top seed Emma Raducanu will square off against qualifier Maja Chwalinska in the quarterfinals of the Transylvania Open 2026.

Raducanu kicked off her campaign here with a comfortable 6-0, 6-4 win against Greet Minnen. She was up against Kaja Juvan in the second round. It looked as if the Brit would be in it for the long haul after going down 0-5 in the first set.

However, Raducanu was quick to dispel that notion. After losing the first five games of the match, she conceded only one more game for the remainder of the contest to register a 7-5, 6-1 win.

Chwalinska came through the qualifying rounds to book her spot in the main draw of the Transylvania Open. She beat Ana Bogdan 6-3, 6-2 to book a second-round date with seventh seed Olga Danilovic.

Chwalinska dished out a breadstick to take the opening set, only for Danilovic to return the favor with the same scoreline in the second set. Chwalinska found her groove once again in the third set, eventually wrapping up a 6-1, 1-6, 6-2 win.

Emma Raducanu vs Maja Chwalinska head-to-head

This will be the first career meeting between them, so the head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.

Emma Raducanu vs Maja Chwalinska odds

(Odds via BetMGM)

Emma Raducanu vs Maja Chwalinska prediction

Raducanu overcame a slow start to outplay Juvan in the previous round. She has now advanced to her second quarterfinal of the season, following her previous quarterfinal appearance at last month’s Hobart International.

Competing in the main draw of a tournament for the first time this year, Chwalinska has now advanced to her maiden quarterfinal at the WTA level. She will aim to attain a new milestone for herself by winning three consecutive main draw matches for the first time in her career.

However, with a 3-7 career record against top 100 players, Chwalinska will be a massive underdog in this contest. This is most likely to be another routine win for Raducanu this week.

Pick: Emma Raducanu to win in straight sets.

Emma Raducanu vs Maja Chwalinska betting tips

Tip 1: The match will have at least 18 games.

Tip 2: Raducanu to win more points on serve than Chwalinska.