Rafael Nadal Outlasts Pedro Cachin to Reach Round of 16 at Madrid Open

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Rafael Nadal’s optimism is on the rise…

After spending more than three hours on court and earning a hard-fought win, the 37-year-old Spanish professional tennis star is feeling optimistic.

Rafael NadalNadal’s body withstood its toughest test yet at the Madrid Open as he needed three sets to get past 91st-ranked Pedro Cachin on Monday.

Nadal didn’t show any signs of physical limitations as he won 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-3 to make it to the round of 16 at the clay-court tournament where he is the record five-time champion.

“It’s positive, now I don’t feel that something went wrong on my body, but I need to wait until tomorrow, being 100% honest,” he said. “I am trying my best to keep dreaming. Tomorrow is another day to keep dreaming. To keep playing in front of this amazing crowd and, to me, that means everything.”

Nadal will next face 31st-ranked Jiri Lehecka.

He said he needs “to find a way to be able to play days in a row and still be competitive.”

“I don’t know if I am in that moment yet,” the 22-time Grand Slam champion said. “Let’s see what can happen tomorrow. But I going to try. I going to do the things the right way to try to be ready for tomorrow.”

Nadal is trying to get in shape for next month’s French Open. Since his latest injury layoff, he’s had two matches in Barcelona and was pessimistic about his physical condition after arriving in Madrid. But he’s won three more times in the capital.

Nadal again looked comfortable early on against Cachin. The Argentine fought back in the second set but was broken twice while serving for the set. Cachin eventually prevailed in the tiebreaker.

Nadal didn’t look as loose in the final set, but did look tired. He wasn’t as consistent with his shots but picked up three breaks to seal the victory to the delight of the local crowd in the Caja Magica.

“I took more risks in the third set, but it’s hard after so many months without competing,” Nadal said. “I hadn’t played a match like this in a long time. Let’s see how it goes tomorrow. I don’t know how I’m going to wake up. But I’m already happy for having won three matches in a row.”

Cachin asked for Nadal’s shirt after congratulating him at the net, and received the gift moments later

Beatriz Haddad Maia Defeats Maria Sakkari to Advance to Madrid Open Quarterfinals

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Beatriz Haddad Maia is still alive at the Madrid Open…

The 27-year-old Brazilian professional tennis player defeated fifth-seeded Maria Sakkari 6-4, 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals at the tournament.

Beatriz Haddad MaiaHaddad Maia, the No 11 seed and ranked No 14 in the world, will next play World No. 1 Iga Swiatek, the top seed, who defeated Spaniard Sara Sorribes Tormo.

The Brazilian beat Italian qualifier Sara Errani (6-3, 6-2) and American Emma Navarro, the No 19 seed (6-4, 6-4) earlier in the tournament.

Haddad Maia has three career WTA titles and reached her first major semifinal at the 2023 French Open.

She’s hoping to win her first title of 2024.

Noomi Rapace to Star in Nissar Modi’s Psychological Thriller “Reckoner”

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It’s reckoning day for Noomi Rapace.

The 44-year-old half-Spanish actress will star in the psychological thriller Reckoner, written and directed by Nissar Modi in his film directorial debut.

Noomi RapaceThe Prometheus and Constellation star is replacing Christina Hendricks, who is no longer attached due to scheduling conflicts.

In the film, an affluent woman’s (Rapace) carefully constructed life is disrupted by a young man connected to a tightly held secret from her past.

Produced by XYZ Films and Two & Two Pictures, XYZ Films will continue world sales on the project at the upcoming Cannes market, where it first launched last May.

Reckoner is a part of Two & Two and XYZ’s partnership to produce films from first- and second-time genre filmmakers from underrepresented demographics.

Previously, they have partnered on the upcoming Hallow Road starring Rosamund Pike and Matthew Rhys and recently announced He Bled Neon starring Joe Cole. They have also collaborated on Babak Anvari’s Under The Shadow and I Came By. The film is also a part of XYZ’s New Visions slate of films.

Millennium actress Rapace most recently starred in Apple’s Constellation and action-thriller Assassin Club.

“We are immensely excited to join forces with an exceptionally talented team for Reckoner. It is an honour to have Noomi Rapace on board to complement Nissar’s electrifying directorial debut,” said Two & Two Pictures.

Scotty McCreery Returns to “American Idol” Stage to Perform “Cab in a Solo”

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It’s a special homecoming for Scotty McCreery…

The 30-year-old part-Puerto Rican country singer and former American Idol champion returned to the AI stage on Sunday to perform his single “Cab in a Solo.”

Scotty McCreeryThe North Carolina native, who dominated Season 10 all the way to the finale and then bested Lauren Alaina for the crown. has released five albums and gained entry into the Grand Ole Opry.

He returned to the American Idol stage to show off the vocal chops that won him the title in the first place.

McCreery released the breakup ballad “Cab in a Solo” in August 2023 as the lead single off his upcoming sixth studio album, Rise and Fall, which comes out on May 10.

The “Damn Strait” singer made lost love sound downright charming on the American Idol stage: So now I’m finding out how a heartbreak taste / With a Silver Oak, 1998 / Drinking cab in a solo / Solo in the cab of my truck.

McCreery, who was a wise-beyond-his-years teenager in 2011, is all grown up. He’s now a husband, a father, a hitmaker, and a Grand Ole Opry member.

But for some longtime fans of American Idol, his victory still “feels like yesterday.” “You’re my favorite AI grand winner..,” one X/Twitter user wrote.

“Cab in a Solo” climbed to No. 2 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart. Performing it on the stage where his career began was a surreal moment for McCreery.

More than that, though, the “I Love You This Big” singer couldn’t wait to offer some support to season 22’s top 10 contestants.

“I’m always happy to chat and help them any way I can. I mean, it’s a ringer they put you through on Idol,” McCreery told Country Now. “Any of those TV shows, not just Idol. It’s a lot at once and you’ve got to just do your best to get through it and sound good and pick great songs and look confident. If I can help, I love doing that stuff.”

Ricky Martin to Headline LA Pride in the Park

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Ricky Martin is taking great pride in his next performance…

The 52-year-old Puerto Rican superstar will headline LA Pride in the Park, which will return to the Los Angeles State Historic Park on Saturday, June 8.

Ricky MartinThis marks Martin’s first-ever headlining Pride performance.

Moreover, Martin will be the first openly gay Latin artist to take center stage at the popular Pride event.

The theme for this year’s Pride season is “Power in Pride,” which celebrates the LGBTQIA+ community’s ability to live authentically.

“I am thrilled to be headlining LA Pride in the Park because it’s an incredible opportunity to celebrate love, diversity, and equality,” Martin said in a statement. “LA Pride is a testament to the power of community, the power of visibility, and the power of standing up for our rights. Being part of this vibrant community fills me with pride and purpose.”

“With his electrifying stage presence and chart-topping hits, Ricky Martin has long been an inspiration to millions around the world,” said Gerald Garth, board president of CSW/LA Pride. “His participation in LA Pride in the Park goes beyond mere entertainment; it symbolizes a powerful affirmation of queer Latin identity and a celebration of diversity within the LGBTQ+ community. We cannot wait to be ‘Livin’ La Vida Loca’ while beaming with Pride!”

Across 20 acres and with a capacity of 25,000, LA Pride in the Park is one of the largest official Pride concerts in the country.

The nonprofit Christopher Street West Association has produced the LA Pride celebration for more than 50 years. General admission and VIP passes are now available to purchase at lapride.org.

Throughout his nearly four-decade career, Martin has brought Latin music and culture to the mainstream, paving the way for an explosion of crossover talent.

Born in Puerto Rico in 1971, Martin gained fame as a member of Menudo before embarking on a highly successful solo career, which has brought him two Grammy Awards and four Latin Grammy Awards.

Martin’s 1999 smash “Livin’ La Vida Loca” topped the Billboard Hot 100 for five consecutive weeks and received Grammy nods for record and song of the year. It was also nominated for record of the year at the inaugural Latin Grammys in 2000 – a show that became a reality because of the undeniable crossover success of artists like Martin, Santana and Marc Anthony, among others.

In May 1999, Martin appeared on the cover of Time in a story headlined “Latin Music Goes Pop!”

In November 2006, at age 34, he became the youngest-ever person of the year recipient at the annual gala put on by the Latin Recording Academy.

Martin is also an accomplished actor, earning a Primetime Emmy nod for his role in FX’s The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story and displaying his talent on Broadway. He starred in Jingle Jangle for Netflix, opposite Forest Whitaker and Anika Noni Rose and can now be seen in the Apple TV series Palm Royale alongside Laura Dern, Kristen Wiig, Allison Janney and Carol Burnett.

Alex Perez Scores Knockout of Matheus Nicolau 

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Alex Perez remains in the title hunt…

The 32-year-old Mexican American mixed martial artist scored a scintillating second-round knockout of Matheus Nicolau in a battle of flyweights jockeying for title contention on Saturday in the main event of UFC Fight Night at the UFC Apex.

Alex Perez Ranked No. 8 by the UFC, Perez (25-8 MMA, 7-4 UFC) stepped into the main event picture after Manel Kape had to pull out of the bout with a rib injury.

Perez put a dramatic halt to a three-fight skid, using a high-volume approach to eventually break through Nicolau’s guard and sink him with a thudding right hand at the 2:16 mark in the second round.

Perez was the busier fighter early on with constant movement and feints. Nicolau, the UFC’s No. 5-ranked flyweight entering the night, remained composed in the opening frame and defended well as Perez routinely launched into multi-punch combinations.

Perez managed to get through with a few body shots and a leg kick before Nicolau got his attention with a counter left hand.

But the sheer amount of activity kept Nicolau on his back foot and without an answer to Perez’s salvos.

Perez kept the volume going in the second round as Nicolau attempted to counter and close the distance. A short right hand clipped the Brazilian and sent him stumbling backward. Perez immediately went for the finish as he rushed forward and launched into another violent barrage of punches as Nicolau’s back was up against the fence. A right hand slipped through and caught the Brazilian flush, immediately crumpling him along the cage wall.

“It feels amazing,” Perez said following the victory. “Everyone counted me out after three losses.”

Perez, who was coming off a loss to Muhammad Mokaev in March, was originally slated to face Tagir Ulanbekov on June 15 but took the opportunity to climb back into the top of the division with a higher-ranked opponent. It was a significant risk, but Perez was up for the challenge and cashed out in a major way.

“I tell people I don’t get paid to sit on the couch, I get paid to fight and this is the reason why,” he said about taking the fight on three weeks’ notice. “Tough times don’t last, but tough people do.”

Nicolau (19-5-1, 7-3 UFC) has dropped two in a row, both by knockout, after going on a four-fight winning streak. Saturday marked his first fight since a knockout loss to Brandon Royval last April.

With the win, Perez will keep a close eye on next week’s flyweight bout between Alexandre Pantoja and Steve Erceg at UFC 301. While a title fight might not be next, a victory of this magnitude will almost certainly land him a fight with title implications in the near future.

Yordan Alvarez Hits Two 461-Foot Homers in Houston Astros 12-4 Win Over Colorado Rockies

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It’s an impressive double for Yordan Alvarez.

The 26-year-old Cuban professional baseball designated hitter and left fielder for the Houston Astros hit two home runs on Saturday night in the MLB World Tour: Mexico City Series to help the team snap a five-game losing streak.

Yordan AlvarezKyle Tucker added a solo shot to help the Astros beat the Colorado Rockies 12-4.

Alvarez hit a two-run homer to center field and Tucker followed with a shot to left field and the Astros took a 4-2 lead in the third. Alvarez hit his seventh home run of the season in the ninth inning.

Both of Alvarez’s shots were measured at 461 feet. He became the third player since 2006 to hit multiple 460-foot homers in a game, joining Mike Napoli (2013) and Byron Buxton (2023). And he also became the sixth player in MLB history with a multi-HR game in Mexico.

“Today we were able to bat with runners in scoring positions, that’s a good sign for the team,” manager Joe Espada said. “We took strong turns and we were able to spread the ball on the field, that really helped us today.”

Alvarez went 3 for 5 with three RBI and two runs scored and Yainer Diaz had three hits and scored three runs.

“When we saw the introductions, we knew that it was a moment to think that the season was just beginning for us,” Alvarez said. “We knew that we were struggling, but we trust in the team’s talent.”

Ronel Blanco (3-0) allowed two hits and five runs in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out eight and walked two.

The Rockies’ Cal Quantrill (0-3) allowed six hits and six earned runs in five innings.

“We have not played to our standards, but hopefully we get there,” said Rockies manager Bud Black. “For me, all was positive (from the game in Mexico) except for the outcome.”

Houston arrived in Mexico City after scoring just six runs in a three-game sweep at the hands of the Chicago Cubs, but the team took advantage of the 7,349-foot elevation of the Alfredo Harp Helú stadium to break the offensive slump with 15 hits against the Rockies.

The Astros also benefited from the support of the crowd, most of them wearing the team’s colors even though the Rockies were the home team.

“We did not feel like the visiting team, we felt at home. There was a tremendous passion and energy in the stadium, and it really felt like home,” Espada said.

The Rockies took the lead on Ryan McMahon‘s two-run homer to center field in the first.

The Astros pulled ahead for good after Alvarez and Tucker hit their homers in the third.

The series marks the Astros’ second regular-season visit to Mexico. In May 2019, they swept the Angels in two games played in Monterrey. The Astros also played exhibition games in Mexico against the Padres in 2016 and Marlins in 2004.

The Rockies, who came south of the border after beating the Padres 10-9 at Coors Field, have yet to win consecutive games this season, the longest such stretch to begin a season in franchise history.

Colorado played their second regular-season game in Mexico. In 1999, they beat San Diego in their season opener, also at Monterrey.

Jorgeous to Compete on Season Nine of Paramount+’s “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars”

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Jorgeous is getting back in the race…

The 24-year-old Mexican American drag performer, whose real name is Jorge Meza, will compete on the ninth season of Paramount+’s RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars.

JorgeousJorgeous, who finished in 6th place on Season 14 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, will join seven other queens from past seasons to compete for a cash prize of $200,000 — but this time, all eight queens will be competing on behalf of a charity of their choice.

Jorgeous will compete for the National Alliance of Mental Illness.

But Jorgeous isn’t the only Latina drag artist set to compete.

Vanessa Vanjie Mateo, who competed on seasons 10 and 11, will compete for the ASPCA.

The other queens include: Angeria Paris VanMichaels (season 14), competing for the National Black Justice Collective; Gottmik (season 13), competing for Trans Lifeline;  Nina West (season 11), competing for The Trevor Project; Plastique Tiara (season 11), competing for The Asian American Foundation (TAAF); Roxxxy Andrews (season five, All Stars 2), competing for Miracle of Love; and Shannel (season one, All Stars 1), competing for  Anxiety and Depression Association of America.

This year’s $200,000 cash prize will be provided by The Palette Fund, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing grants and funding to the organizations supporting under-represented communities, including LGBTQ+ people.

All Stars 9 will mark the first time in the history of the Drag Race franchise in which queens will compete for charities.

The news comes on the heels of the finale of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 16, which aired Friday, April 19.

After a series of solo numbers and one final lip sync to Kylie Minogue’s “Padam Padam,” Nymphia Wind took home the grand prize, becoming the first Taiwanese-American queen to win in the history of the franchise.

RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 9 premieres with two new episodes on Friday, May 17, on Paramount+.

Anitta Releases New Album “Funk Generation”

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Anitta isn’t afraid to funk things up…

The 31-year-old Brazilian singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, and occasional television host has released her latest album Funk Generation via Republic Records and Universal Music Latin Entertainment.

AnittaSinging in Spanish, Portuguese and English, the trilingual superstar doubles down on her efforts to globalize Brazilian funk with the new album.

The enthralling 15-track set (her third trilingual album) is a master class, as Anitta serves cheeky, club-ready dance songs that will have you grasping for air — a nod to her set opener “Lose Ya Breath.”

A fierce proponent of funk, Anitta has no intentions of adapting this music to mainstream or pop, she does quite the opposite introducing mainstream to a genre that breaks all the rules and thrives on experimentation.

For collaborations, she casts a wide net that catches artists including Brray, Bad Gyal, DENNIS, PEDRO SAMPAIO and Sam Smith.

“My new project is very special, because it signifies my intention to create an international funk album, something I’ve always dreamed of,” Anitta says in a statement. “It’s fulfilling to see that funk is now a source of inspiration and art in the global music scene — a genre with value, awards, and admiration.”

The set comes on the heels of her upcoming first-ever North American trek, set to kick off May 21

Paramount+ Renews Diana Zermeño’s Animated Preschool Series “Dora” for Second Season

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Diana Zermeño is preparing for more explorations…

Paramount+ has renewed the animated preschool series Dora, with the 11-year-old Latina actress leading the voice cast, for a second season.

Diana Zermeño,The iconic Latina heroine returned this month in the CG-animated revival series produced by Nickelodeon Animation.

Dora, based on the original series Dora the Explorer, follows everyone’s favorite bilingual explorer, Dora (Zermeño), and her best monkey friend, Boots (Asher Colton Spence) as they embark on epic adventures in a fantastical rainforest. Guided by trustworthy Map (Anairis Quiñones), Dora and her friends must work together to overcome many obstacles while being challenged by the sneakiest fox, Swiper (Marc Weiner). Kathleen Herles, the original voice of Dora the Explorer, voices Mami.

“Kids and family programming is consistently one of the most popular genres on Paramount+ and we’re thrilled that our audience has already embraced Dora,” said Jeff Grossman, Executive Vice President, Programming, Paramount+. “It’s an incredible opportunity to introduce this beloved character and iconic franchise to a whole new generation.”

Dora is currently available to stream exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Australia, Latin America, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Austria, and also on Nick Jr. internationally.

Dora is produced by Nickelodeon Animation in Burbank, California, and created by Chris Gifford and Valerie Walsh Valdes. Chris Gifford, Valerie Walsh Valdes and Rich Magallanes serve as executive producers. Henry Lenardin-Madden serves as co-executive producer, and Alejandro Bien-Willner serves as story editor. Marielle Kaar is Nickelodeon’s Executive in Charge of Production for the series. Dora the Explorer was created by Chris Gifford, Valerie Walsh Valdes and Eric Weiner.

“Our audiences have embraced the new Dora series with open arms, and it’s incredible how she continues to capture the imaginations of preschoolers around the world with her extraordinary rainforest adventures,“ said Ramsey Naito, President, Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation. “We can’t wait for kids to discover all of the new fantastical places and colorful characters in the second season while learning and playing along with their good friend Dora.”