Zanardi, who lost his legs in a racing crash, was credited with helping transform the perception of disability in Italy.
Published On 2 May 20262 May 2026
Alex Zanardi, the Italian Formula One driver who became a Paralympic cycling champion after losing both legs in an accident, has died aged 59, his family announced.
Zanardi, one of his country’s most loved and respected sportsmen, who was credited with helping transform the perception of disability in Italy, died on Friday evening.
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In a statement issued on Saturday through the charity he founded, Obiettivo3, his family said he died “suddenly”, but also “peacefully, surrounded by the love of his family and friends”.
“The family would like to express their heartfelt thanks to all those who are showing their support at this time and asks that their grief and privacy be respected during this period of mourning.”
Zanardi’s death comes six years after the four-time Paralympic gold medal winner suffered a second horror crash in June 2020, when his handbike crashed into an oncoming truck during a race in Tuscany.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni hailed Zanardi as “a great champion and an extraordinary man, capable of turning every trial of life into a lesson in courage, strength and dignity”.
Cordiano Dagnoni, head of the Italian Cycling Federation, said he “transformed the culture of our country, bringing joy and happiness to those fortunate enough to know him, and hope to so many in Italy and around the world”.
He said there would be a minute’s silence observed at this weekend’s races in tribute to the athlete.
Zanardi raced for Jordan, Minardi and Lotus in F1 in the early 1990s before switching to the CART championship in the United States where he was series champion in 1997 and 1998.
He returned to F1 with Williams in 1999 before heading back to CART.
Zanardi almost died in a horrific accident in 2001 at the Lausitzring track in Germany, after which he had both legs amputated.
His car had stalled in the middle of the track after a spin and was struck by another car at a speed of more than 300km/h (186mph).
Yet he went on to become one of the best-known figures in Paralympic sports, winning two gold medals at the 2012 London Games and two more in Rio de Janeiro, four years later.
In June 2020, he was involved in another terrible accident, this time in Tuscany. He suffered serious head injuries and only returned home 18 months later.
Zanardi, born in Bologna on October 23, 1966, leaves his wife Daniela and son Niccolo.
Japan reemerges as global finance hub amid reforms, rising yields.
Japan is reasserting itself in global finance, shedding its long-standing image as a passive anchor of ultra-low rates. Nowadays, it’s moving back toward the center of international capital flows.
Three reinforcing dynamics are driving this transition: monetary normalization, sustained corporate governance reform and a renewed wave of foreign investor interest.
The gradual end of negative yields marks a structural turning point. As the gap between Japanese and US interest rates narrows, yields on long-term Japanese Government Bonds (JGBs) are rising. This is prompting a recalibration of global asset allocation strategies. This evolution is occurring alongside a broader regional reassessment, as geopolitical uncertainty encourages investors to rebalance exposure across Asia.
At the same time, reforms led by the Tokyo Stock Exchange are reshaping corporate behavior. A stronger emphasis on capital efficiency, shareholder returns and transparency has supported equity market performance and attracted nonresident inflows. Analysts expect fiscal support and a moderately reflationary environment to underpin earnings growth through 2026.
An On-The-Ground View
“The reforms have certainly been successful, but Japan’s political stability and robust regulations are also drawing attention to Tokyo,” says Tokio Morita, Executive Director of FinCity.Tokyo.
Morita notes growing interest in programs that help asset managers and fintech firms establish local operations, as well as initiatives that have supported around 15 foreign entrants and improved global communications between more than 60 Japanese firms and overseas investors.
This renewed momentum comes amid a fragile global backdrop. Total global debt reached $348 trillion in 2025. Yet, Japan’s debt-to-GDP ratio has edged down modestly relative to peers, even as headline public debt remains elevated. Emerging markets, by contrast, face more than $9 trillion in refinancing needs in 2026. This reinforces Japan’s role as a comparatively stable capital provider. As major central banks, including the Fed and the ECB, move deeper into easing cycles, Japan’s more differentiated policy path underscores its re-emergence as an independent force.
Tokyo is once again positioning itself as a market global investors cannot afford to overlook.
Aside from your plane ticket, your passport is one of the most important documents you need to travel. But Brits need to make sure their passport’s appearance doesn’t put an end to holidays before they even start.
With fuel disruptions and other global events making the thought of holidays a bit stressful, people need to make sure their passports are valid and free of any additional issues that could prevent them from heading to their destination. These could seem minor, but airport security won’t take chances, and Brits could be out of pocket.
Usually, the main concern for people jetting off on holiday is ensuring they have enough valid months left on their passport. However, minor tears and water damage that seem like small issues may render a passport invalid in the eyes of border authorities – regardless of how long it has left to expire.
According to the GOV.UK website, you must replace a damaged passport immediately. This can typically take three weeks, but it can sometimes be longer, with waits of up to six weeks, so anyone with plans coming up soon should act fast.
What kind of damage will make a passport invalid?
The GOV.UK website lists all of the reasons that could render a passport invalid for travel. These include:
when the personal details or observation page are unreadable
laminate peeling or lifting away from the personal details page
unreadable security details
missing or detached pages
where the front, back or personal details page has been cut
damage or discolouration to any part of the passport caused, for example, by water/chemical/ink spills or tears/rips/bite marks
People who have the blue e-Passport may be found invalid for travel if the perforated passport numbers have been torn or the personal details page is torn, damaged, or cracked. People could also be rejected from passport checks if their passport has a chip or antenna that shows through the endpaper on the back cover of a burgundy e-Passport or the personal details page of a blue e-Passport
Damage that does not need an explanation and won’t render a passport invalid for travel includes:
any damage that is not on the personal details or observation pages
any visas, vignettes or immigration stamps are unaffected by the damage (Passport officers must be happy there are no security features or details missing)
any damage or discolouration to the passport cover and blank visa pages is caused by water/chemical/ink spills/tears/rips/burning/bite marks/writing or drawings
To replace a damaged passport, Brits can apply online here to be processed as quickly as possible. It costs £102 for adults, and customers will need a digital photo and a credit/debit card. GOV.UK added: “You’ll need to ask someone to confirm your identity online if you’re replacing a lost or stolen passport.”
People with travel plans that are sooner than the typical three-week turnaround may apply for a fast-track service at a premium cost. This usually results in an appointment at the Passport Office within a week, with documents often being issued the next day.
This express service comes at an added cost compared to the normal wait time and process. It costs £192 for an adult passport (or £206 for a 54-page frequent traveller passport).
Ninety-five years ago next month, Aurelio Manrique Jr. landed a job as a mild-mannered L.A. Times columnist. But the resume this native of the central Mexico state of San Luis Potosí brought to the paper was that of a firebrand.
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Medical student turned political prisoner. Fought in the Mexican Revolution. Governor of his home state. Trusted advisor of general-turned-president Álvaro Obregón. Founder of a left-wing political party. Mexican legislator. He even took to the floor of Mexico’s congress to denounce former president Plutarco Elías Calles as a farsante — a phony — and then pull a gun on a rival who took issue with his vitriol.
Tall, with round wire glasses and a shock of black hair that was the inverse of his Moses-like beard, Manrique cut an exciting figure in Latino L.A. when he arrived as a political exile in 1929 after the so-called Escobar rebellion, which was an attempt to overthrow the Mexican government. A Oct. 28, 1929 Times dispatch noted that “it is not uncommon to find among the shabby, shuffling street venders [sic] of Sonoratown” former Mexican bigwigs “offering sweetmeats and trinkets from trays” in an effort to survive.
Finding a home in L.A.
They, like so many other political refugees before and since, made L.A. a home but also a place to fight for the freedom of their homeland.
Manrique, on the other hand, was hailed as the “intellectual head” of his fellow Mexican refugee politicos and an “accomplished linguist” who spoke Spanish, English, French and German.
“He stands in my memory as a pillar of fire because, at all times, he has never been afraid to do or say what he considered to be right, regardless of his own personal or political fate,” an admirer would recall decades later in the Virginia Quarterly Review.
The revolutionary found welcome audiences across the Southland with lectures and Spanish-language radio show appearances to talk about what was going on in his home country. He participated in Mexican Independence Day and Cinco de Mayo festivities and even found work in Hollywood films as everything from a British lord to an Arab sheikh.
But reputation doesn’t pay the bills, so Manrique also offered translation and interpreter services from a small Bunker Hill office. He also held Spanish-language classes twice a week at the L.A. Central Library. Soon after, The Times — a paper that back then loathed leftists of all stripes — hired Manrique as a columnist in May 1931. He was to be in charge of its daily Spanish-language roundup of world and local events, which the paper had regularly published since 1922.
The revolutionary plays a more reserved role
I wish I could say that Manrique used his platform to inveigh against the mass roundups of Mexican Americans that kicked off that year and that would lead to the repatriation of hundreds of thousands of Mexican Americans, citizens and not, during the 1930s. Or that Manrique taught his Times bosses that Latinos were more than domestic help or a societal scourge. Or that he deserves a spot in the pantheon of legendary Times metro columnists like Jack Smith, Ruben Salazar and Steve Lopez.
Alas, it was not to be.
The daily columna was just a roundup of wire stories published in Spanish, part of The Times’ effort to teach the language of Cervantes to those interested. Every Monday, the 40-year-old Manrique also wrote Platicas de Los Lunes [Monday Lessons], a place for the professor to teach new words to readers via translations, poems and sample sentences.
Manrique’s last byline was April 25, 1932. In the hundreds of columnas he wrote for us, I found nothing even remotely hinting at the progressive lion that Mexicans in Southern California knew him as. But in an era in which Latino visibility in Anglo Southern California was nonexistent when it wasn’t heavily stereotyped, Manriquez’s brief tenure at The Times was an important step for future Latino writers at the paper, all of us whom owe a debt to the man.
He returned to Mexico in early 1933 after President Abelardo L. Rodríguez announced amnesty for him and other exiles. The former revolutionary spent the rest of his life working for the Mexican government, most notably as ambassador to Scandinavian countries from 1946 to 1956.
In 1962, the retired Manrique returned to his old L.A. stomping grounds one final time five years before his death for a lecture at the Alexandria Hotel.
“He finds Los Angeles completely changed,” La Opinión reported, “and told us, with a tone of barely concealed sadness, that many of those who knew him had disappeared.”
The fate of all Angelenos, alas.
Today’s top stories
Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton speaks at a March 7 town hall in Mentone.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
A Trump-endorsed Republican could become California’s next governor
A second ticket drop for the Olympics
A second ticket drop is set to open in August and will offer refreshed inventory across all sports at a range of prices.
Those who registered but did not receive a slot in the first ticket drop or did not buy all 12 of their tickets will be enrolled in a lottery for a spot in the second ticket drop.
The parks will serve historically underserved communities with recreation and historic preservation.
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The waffle with maple butter is the drive-across-town dish at celebrity-backed Max & Helen’s, the Larchmont diner opened by Phil Rosenthal and Nancy Silverton.
(Ron De Angelis / For The Times)
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A question for you: What’s your favorite California-themed book?
Marya says, “Hard Times in Paradise” by David and Micki Colfax.
Cristina says, “Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck.
On this day 21 years ago, “Me at the zoo” was the first video uploaded to YouTube, opening the door to a new medium of television.
For the 20th anniversary last year, The Times’ Wendy Lee wrote about the video sharing platform and how it changed TV as we know it.
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Jim Rainey, staff reporter Hugo Martín, assistant editor, fast break desk Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor Andrew Campa, weekend writer Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
The former Arsenal and Villarreal boss brought with him his own backroom staff, with many of the old guard departing.
Former Sevilla goalkeeper Monchi also joined as Villa’s president of football operations in June 2023 – having previously worked with Emery at Sevilla and winning three Europa League titles together.
Emery immediately made an impact, imposing structure, clarity and belief on a Villa side that was once again flirting with relegation to guide them to a top‑seven finish and European qualification in his first season.
The following campaign proved the progress was no fluke.
Turning Villa Park into a fortress, they established themselves as a top‑four contender during 2023-24 while also reaching the semi-finals of the Conference League, where they were beaten 6-2 on aggregate by Olympiakos.
“The first year we got here in the Conference League, a lot of us hadn’t played in Europe so when we got to the latter stages there was a lot of pressure,” Watkins said.
“Each year we’ve learned and taken something from it. And to trust the manager because he’s so experienced in this competition. He’s won it numerous times so we believe in what he tells us and keep going.”
A first taste of top-tier European competition since 1982-83 came last season when they reached the Champions League quarter-finals against Emery’s former side Paris St-Germain.
And on their way to the last eight, they posted memorable league-stage wins against Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig while also holding Juventus to a goalless draw.
And this season’s run on the continental stage further underlines their upward trajectory under the Spaniard.
“It’s an amazing achievement for us to progress to the semi-finals and to go one step further than last year in the Champions League,” Watkins said.
“We’re really enjoying being in this competition and this is where we want to be, in the semi-finals.”
Emery told TNT Sports: “I’m very happy. We were organised and tried to impose our ideas and style, which is not easy against Bologna.”
“We are so happy with the way we are performing in this competition. It was fantastic. We are in the semi-finals, but there is still work to do.”
JUSTIN Bieber’s private Coachella after-party had a guest list so exclusive that promoters and influencers who were initially invited wound up being turned away, The U.S. Sun can reveal.
The pop star was supported by the Kardashian-Jenner clan, along with actor Jacob Elordi, who was seen with them in the crowd – and later cozying up with Kendall at the after-party.
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Justin Bieber with his wife Hailey and their son Jack dancing at ‘Bieberchella’ in CaliforniaCredit: InstagramJacob Elordi joined the Kardashians in the crowd for Justin Bieber’s headline set at CoachellaCredit: InstagramKendall Jenner went for a casual look at Coachella in a pair of white denim shorts, a white tank top, and a hat with shadesCredit: Instagram
Following Bieber’s headlining set on Saturday night in Indio, California, the star hosted a blowout bash with wife Hailey and A-list friends.
Kendall, 30, and Jacob, 28, were reportedly “all over each other” at the after-party.
A source told The U.S. Sun that the party was ultra-exclusive and hosted by Bieber’s new fashion brand, Skylrk, which also had a pop-up at the festival.
“Many people were turned down who had previously been invited,” they claimed.
“Promoters also had a lot of girls on their guest lists and I heard Hailey was turning them away.”
Influencer Zach Clayton echoed this by sharing a video on his TikTok showing a guy complaining, “They cut all my guest list off.”
He explained he invited 20 girls and they were all denied, joking that Hailey is a “boss,” and she was likely the reason they were not given access to the private event.
An insider also told The U.S. Sun that the party was off-grounds, as it’s well known Bieber purchased a $16.6 million estate in the ultra-exclusive Madison Club in nearby La Quinta.
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The U.S. Sun has reached out to the Biebers’ reps for comment.
Kylie and other Kardashian family members also own property in the guard-gated community.
A source told The U.S. Sun that Kendall and Jacob are not serious but were seen getting close in the early hours.
“Kendall is 100 percent Jacob’s type. I heard they’re having fun and he hung out with her Sunday, too,” they said.
Australian Jacob has been single since splitting from influencerOlivia Jade Giannulliin October 2025.
The pair had an on-and-off relationship from December 2021 through late 2025.
They last stepped out together at a Frankenstein screening in New York on January 14, but are said to be over.
“Him and Olivia are so done,” the insider added.
The U.S. Sun reached out to Kendall and Jacob’s reps for comment.
Kendall was seen at the festival dressed casually in a pair of white denim shorts, a white tank top, an Adidas hat, and shades.
Jacob wore Bieber’s merchandise, including a black Swag cap, and was seen sneaking through the crowd as he enjoyed the set with the Kardashian-Jenners.
Meanwhile, Kendall has been single since her brief romance with rapper and actor Bad Bunny.
Following their December 2023 breakup, they were spotted together again in May 2024.
Kendall was also seen at the Super Bowl in February, awkwardly dancing to his halftime performance, while the rapper had reconnected with his ex-girlfriend, Gabriela Berlingeri.
Kendall’s new romance with a movie star has tongues wagging, as her sister, Kylie Jenner, is dating Oscar-nominated actor Timothee Chalamet, who was also seen at the festival.
Both actors were highlighted as key figures of this year’s awards season, often appearing together at events.
Kim Kardashian was also seen at Coachella, hiding in the crowd with new love Lewis Hamilton as they tried to go incognito.
Kendall, Kylie, and Kourtney were seen earlier in the weekend at the annual 818 Outpost event, which promoted the family’s brands, along with Hailey Bieber’s skincare line, Rhode.
Justin Bieber will return to the stage this weekend after a headline Coachella set that sharply divided fans.
The pop star opted for a stripped-back, intimate performance style — at times sitting behind a laptop, taking requests, and playing a mix of old music videos, childhood clips, and viral moments.
Some critics labeled the set “lazy” and “low effort,” arguing it lacked the polish expected from a major headliner.
Others, however, praised the nostalgic feel, as Bieber revisited his biggest hits alongside newer material.
Kendall Jenner, Kourtney Kardashian, and Kylie Jenner at the annual 818 Outpost at CoachellaCredit: InstagramJustin Bieber on stage during his set on the first Saturday of CoachellaCredit: Getty
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
The rescue of the F-15E weapon systems officer (WSO) missing in Iran after his fighter was shot down was one of the most complex and dangerous missions the U.S. military can undertake. These kinds of operations can come in many forms. In this case, before the WSO was finally recovered from the mountain crevice where he was hiding, a forward arming and refueling point (FARP) deep inside enemy territory had to be rapidly set up and secured so that it could act as a staging area for the aircraft, equipment and troops taking part in the mission. This is an exact mission set U.S. special operations forces train for extensively.
To get more insights about how such a FARP would be set up and operated, we reached out to Kyle Rempfer, a former Special Tactics Squadron (STS) airman who served in Afghanistan and Iraq. STS units are an elite cadre of operators who work to control aircraft in the air, including from airfields they establish deep inside contested territory, and direct airpower onto the enemy, among other duties, including rescuing personnel trapped behind enemy lines. They are often paired with special operations units, such as SEALs, Delta Force and Rangers, to bring their unique skills to their missions.
Air Force Special Tactics – the Air Force’s ONLY Special Operations Ground Force
Rempfer, a journalist and former colleague of the author at Military Times, offered unique insights into the process as someone who trained for these missions.
Some of the questions and answers have been lightly edited for clarity.
Q: What happens in the Special Tactics Squadron level when the word comes out that there’s an aircraft down deep into enemy territory?
A: By this point in the campaign, Air Force Special Tactics teams – which are made up of combat controllers (CCTs) and pararescue jumpers (PJs) – would have surveyed or identified scores of Iranian runways and austere airfields that can be used for landing zones or drop zones down the line. Even if CCTs hadn’t set foot on these sites, they’d have pulled imagery of the locations and started using tools like AutoCAD, a surveying and mapping software, to sketch out the dimensions of an airfield and identify what type of aircraft could land there. Is this a site that could only work for a light short take off and landing (STOL) aircraft, or could we land something bigger like a C-17? Those types of questions are on their minds. And since this event appears to have happened near the Isfahan nuclear facility, it can be assumed that Special Tactics has been scoping out landing zones in that area since at least this war started, maybe far earlier.
Kyle Rempfer in Paktika Province, Afghanistan. (Courtesy photo)
For this mission, the Special Tactics team just needed someplace to land a couple of MC-130J Commando IIs. Those are designed to infiltrate and exfiltrate special operations troops into and out of the hinterlands, so an agricultural runway intended for crop-spraying planes would fit the bill in terms of dimensions. But on the ground, the soil strength might not hold up for repeat landings, or perhaps the recent weather has eroded the area or left it muddy. That can have an impact, and there are tools like dynamic cone penetrometers that Special Tactics teams use to assess soil strength. They’ve used those and a host of other tools to scout airfields all around potential conflict zones in Africa, northern Iraq, Syria, etc., but given the tight security in Iran, that probably was not feasible to do in advance here. So the soil strength might have been a known-unknown going in.
Q: What would happen once the FARP is set up?
A: They can do these fast. Everything is prestaged, even inside the MC-130. AH-6 Little Bird helicopters were probably offloaded and taking off within minutes, not hours, and beaming toward the WSO’s beacon. At that point, the team at the FARP site is pulling security and talking to all the aircraft overhead. Those pilots and aircrews are using sensors to monitor all the roadways that plausibly lead to the site, and potentially even putting warheads on those roadways to make them unusable. We know there were some diversionary bomb drops as part of the rescue, so they could also take that time to put big potholes in the roads.
Airbus satellite images show major road damage in Iran’s Isfahan near where U.S. forces conducted a rescue mission Sunday to recover a crew member from a downed F-15E.
Q: Can you talk about what systems, personnel and equipment would have secured the site?
A: The people who are surveying and setting up the landing zone and FARP are probably CCTs [Combat Control Teams] from the 24th Special Tactics Squadron. They would have had imagery to look at ahead of the mission, but you might not know what level of stress the ground can take until you physically get there. CCTs are trained to inspect that, blow up obstacles on the runway if needed, scan enemy activity around the landing site, etc., and then set up the austere airfield to start accepting planes and helos. They might not have had time to do a full-on reconnaissance mission, of course.
CCTs have dirt bikes, something like a Kawasaki KLR 250, that they can drive up and down the airstrip for quickly setting up lights and visually inspecting the terrain. The lights they’d use to create the airstrip would be set up to infrared mode so only people with night vision devices can see them. This isn’t the early days of Afghanistan, though, and night vision devices have proliferated to such a degree that infrared lights are no longer the game changer they once were. However, it still prevents civilians from seeing the operation at night, and that is important given reports that Iranian state media was mobilizing the population to look for the downed airman.
A 320 STS combat controller waits for the location point of a role player in Exercise Teak Knife on Camp Humphreys, South Korea, Sept. 13, 2021. Utilizing various equipment and resources helped these special operators to hone a range of unique skills during the exercise to maximize unit readiness. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Capt. Kim Chatto) Capt. Kimberly Chatto
Q: Who would be brought in for force protection?
A: The CCTs of course are not alone at the landing zone. They had DEVGRU (SEAL Team 6) for security and dozens of aircraft backing them up with an absolutely jarring amount of aerial firepower. CCTs are usually also certified JTACs so they can manage the aircraft stacks not just for landing the MC-130s and AH-6s returning from the WSO rescue, but also the dozens of aircraft overhead that can fire at targets as necessary.
Q: Reports indicate that the WSO climbed up a 7,000 foot crevice and hid out there with intermittent communications while the Iranians were looking for him. How does that complicate things? And what would the team on the ground be doing?
A: I imagine that all the communications would have been encrypted – not anything that the Iranians could listen in on. For the guys on the ground, the biggest situation is monitoring to make sure that other forces aren’t approaching the area and protecting that forward arming and refueling site, because while it’s not a base, for all intensive purposes it is the center of mass of the most U.S. forces, the safest zone you have. So basically probably just protected that site.
A Latvian Special Operations Unit Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) and U.S. Air Force Special Forces Combat Controller guide an incoming MC-130J Commando II assigned with the 352nd Special Operations Wing as part of a bilateral exercise in Riga, Latvia October, 25 2021. The aircraft was transporting a platoon in charge of the Wisconsin Army National Guard’s High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) demonstrating the rapid, ready response capabilities that special operations enable for conventional forces in austere environments. (U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Patrik Orcutt) Warrant Officer Patrik Orcutt
Q: What would be happening in the air?
A: You would have ISR assets that would be scanning the area, and not just the immediate area, but probably any roads and highways leading up to where that FARP site was set up. They would be watching anyone who could possibly be approaching.
That whole area would just be soaked with ISR assets, and I know the Iranians knocked out two Reaper drones during the operation. So presumably, there was plenty of ISR.
There would be a mix of attack and surveillance aircraft. There would be dozens of aircraft available for this mission. That is great for the team on the ground, but just like an air traffic control tower at Ronald Reagan Airport in DC can be overburdened, so will the JTAC who’s on the ground controlling all these different pilots and aircrews calling in to report threats they’ve spotted, relay their fuel or munitions status, report radio chatter they’re picking up from the ground, etc. This could require multiple JTACs on the ground, and probably also pilots in A-10s or F-35s who can act as an extra layer of forward air control in the sky, handling aircraft check-ins and keeping track of specific assets so the JTACs on the ground aren’t losing their minds mind handling a massive air stack behind enemy lines.
Most CCTs also have a JTAC certification, so they can help call in airstrikes as needed to protect the FARP site. And attack aircraft, like A-10s, or multi-role fighters, like F-35s, also have pilots who are certified as Forward Air Controller (Airborne) — or FAC(A). The E-3 can also provide a command and control function to help manage this complex battlespace.
A U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II in support of Operation Epic Fury, March 2, 2026. (U.S. Air Force Photo) U.S. Central Command Public Affa
Q: How difficult is a mission like this? What are the dangers?
A: This would have been a hot refueling site, with engines running refueling, and you’re doing all that blacked out, and you have to probably keep the amount of radio chatter on the ground to a minimum because you don’t know if maybe Iran does have something where they can break through the encryption.
So I would imagine that the danger is even more than just the IRGC coming in and shooting at you. The danger is the technicalities that you’re dealing with, with the forward arming and refueling sites and all these aircraft moving around under night vision in blacked out conditions in a tight area. It’s a small airfield, you have to keep your signature low.
A U.S. Airman assigned to 21st Special Tactics Squadron, 24th Special Operations Wing, Air Force Special Operations Command, guides a UH-1Y Venom during an assault basics exercise during Weapons and Tactics Instructor course 1-26 at K-9 Village, Yuma Proving Grounds, Arizona, Oct. 4, 2025. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Christopher J. Castro) Lance Cpl. Christopher Castro
Thankfully, they were able to get more aircraft in to usher everyone out. But that just shows how even what they were dealing with, the runway probably wasn’t built to handle these kinds of aircraft, or not maintained.
Clearly this kind of operation – where you’re coming in, setting up an airfield, whether it’s for a follow-on parachute jump or even just air landing more troops and supplies – would be repeated in most of the other scenarios people are talking about. For instance, going in and digging out Iran’s enriched uranium. I think it would have to be pretty similar. You would send in a special tactics team with some Ranger recce guys, and the Ranger reconnaissance company would maybe parachute in, and check out the airfield, and they would start bringing in the MC-130s. It’s going to be a remote, austere airfield. It’s not going to be easy to land aircraft there, it’s not going to be well maintained, and you’re going to run into a lot of problems on the ground with aircraft.
In addition to the fixed-wing planes, the U.S. also destroyed a reported four Little Birds on the way out. Imagine if you’re trying to do sustained operations bringing aircraft in, that all those aircraft are wearing down that obscure runway as you’re coming in, and you’re having more and more troops flow in. Your signature is going to be bigger and it’s going to be there for a longer time.
So this is how you create a window into a country to conduct follow-on operations. In this case, it was just to look for one guy and pick him up. But, they’re obviously looking at runways and airfields all across the country, whether they’re actual runways that are in use by the Iranian government or municipal governments, or if they’re just like roads that they can use or dirt fields that they think they can land on. So this rescue mission was probably a snapshot into larger operational planning.
Here we see a destroyed Little Bird on the right, with the hulk of a C-130 to the left. (Via X)
Q: After the rescue of the pilot, the search for the WSO seemed to turn fairly quickly from a traditional PJ mission to a Tier One rescue operation. Can you talk about that transition and how those two fit together?
A: That’s right. From my understanding, there were two missions. The first was a traditional CSAR mission that was launched in daylight immediately after the F-15E went down. This likely involved the PJs from a rescue squadron that was on standby. They were aboard HH-60W Jolly Greens and had refueling support from an HC-130J. That mission is obviously very risky and time sensitive. They’re flying low and slow, in daylight, and vulnerable to ground fire. We saw people shooting at them with small arms, which probably won’t do much barring really lucky shots, but the crews are still exposed to man portable air defense systems (MANPADS).
You can see Iranians firing small arms at the CSAR aircraft in the following video.
This initial CSAR package successfully recovered the F-15E pilot, who would have had a beacon and survival radio. But obviously the WSO was still at large. Perhaps they knew his location but couldn’t get to him before the region came alive like a bees’ nest – with everyone from locals to actual security forces scouring the scene. At that point, it appears the mission shifted from a more traditional CSAR operation conducted by a rescue squadron to something we’re actually more familiar with from Afghanistan and Iraq – Tier One raids into denied territory. This makes sense to me because this was the single most important mission going on, and it makes sense to flood this with assets to successfully pull off a second pick up. In a bigger war, I doubt downed aircrew can expect JSOC rescue parties every time one of them goes down.
A lot of people were surprised that MC-130s and AH-6s were used for this, but it actually reminds me a lot of the early Afghanistan missions Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) conducted in fall 2001, before the Taliban fell. At least one of these involved Air Force Special Tactics CCTs parachuting into a remote part of Afghanistan, setting up a dirt airstrip, landing two MC-130s, off-loading a couple of Little Birds and then flying those around all night striking Taliban targets.
An AH-6 Little Bird is rolled off an MC-130. (DoW) Airman 1st Class Joseph Pick
This rescue raid isn’t too different. It sounds like Air Force Special Tactics CCTs surveyed the airfield in advance – maybe in person, maybe just using satellite imagery – and then brought in the MC-130s that held the AH-6s to actually conduct the rescue that grabbed the WSO. This sort of scheme makes sense given the distance inside Iran. The MC-130s can bring extra fuel and ammunition to set up a mini-special ops refueling and re-arming site.
One thing to note here is why the commandos reportedly blew up the MC-130s on the way out. If the government’s version of events is accurate, this might have been because the runway was not suitable for the MC-130s and those planes got stuck or damaged landing there. The CCTs may have known this was a possibility but determined it was the least bad option. There’s also the possibility the aircraft were more damaged by enemy fire than we’ve been told. We may never know.
An image taken at the airstrip showing burned-out wrecks of an MC-130 and Little Birds.
Q: What would be the biggest danger from the Iranians? Indirect fire like artillery? Drones?
A: Hard for me to say. If the team had the element of surprise, which it seemed to, then the Iranians would have been caught off guard enough that they didn’t have time to stage artillery or have drones already scanning the area. In that case, I could see the biggest threat being local police or civilians stumbling upon the site early in the mission. As the operation gets underway, the noise signature would probably attract more and more attention. And then you have IRGC teams speeding to the scene. If they’re moving fast, they might only have small arms, maybe some belt-fed machine guns, small caliber mortars, and potentially MANPADs. The longer the U.S. team was on the ground, the more time Iran had to rush forces to the scene and that’s when things appeared to get dicey, the Army’s Delta Force reportedly had to blow in place the MC-130s and call in a quick reaction force (QRF) for pickup.
Because people keep asking, the WSO was extracted on little birds flying STS and DEVGRU. Smoke checked 9 EKIA on tgt. The QRF that got called in for the FARP was from Delta. https://t.co/mmCbzrRjys
This is also why having so many aircraft overhead would be useful. Not only are those planes there to strike targets, they can listen to enemy communications and local civilian radio chatter, they can use their sensors to scan all the routes leading up to the airfield, and they can use jamming and spoofing to befuddle the Iranian response. All that helps buy time.
Q: What kinds of geospatial tools would have been used to find and prep the site and carry out the mission?
A: I imagine in advance of this mission the airfields and runways in this area were pre-scouted using satellite imagery. I’m probably too out of date to go into specifics even if I wanted to, but we have very high resolution satellite imagery that’s available in the commercial space and is very impressive. Additionally, aircraft can fly over sites and scan the terrain using LIDAR to build 3D maps of the environment. Suffice to say, the CCTs would have a great picture of the environment before going in, but being physically on the ground shows new problems — can the soil hold up to landing an MC-130? How fine is the sand? When the AH-6s take off, are they creating a brown-out environment?
U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jacob Logsdon, 66th Weapons Squadron (WPS) combat controller, communicates with pilots of a C-130J Super Hercules prior to takeoff from a dirt runway during a U.S. Air Force Weapons School mission at Red Devil Landing Zone, Colorado, Oct. 3, 2025. The 29th and 66th WPS conducted an airdrop and evacuation in high-altitude mountain conditions, challenging students to coordinate across air and ground elements and plan complex objective areas that support joint mission success. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jennifer Nesbitt) Airman 1st Class Jennifer Nesbitt
In an ideal scenario, the CCTs could parachute in before the main mission, conducting a high-altitude, high-opening (HAHO) jump and then confirming on the ground that the site will work to land an MC-130. We don’t know if that’s what happened, but if the reporting is accurate that an MC-130 got stuck and had to be blown up in place, then perhaps they made a mistake or – my bet – they knew the runway was rough and accepted the risk.
Islamabad, Pakistan – At the start of this year, Pakistan had more imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) than it could use. Demand had been falling for three straight years, from a peak of 8.2 million tonnes in 2021 to 6.1 million tonnes by late 2025, as cheap solar panels flooded the market and factories cut back.
The government quietly sold excess gas shipments to other countries and shut down domestic gas wells to prevent pipelines from bursting under the pressure of oversupply. Gas that could not be diverted would be pushed into household networks at a financial loss, adding billions to an already crippling debt pile in the energy sector.
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Then the war came. On February 28, the United States and Israel launched hundreds of strikes against Iran in an operation named Epic Fury. The strikes targeted Iranian missiles, air defences, military infrastructure and leadership. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in the opening assault.
Iran retaliated by firing hundreds of missiles and drones across the region, and as a result, traffic passing the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and gas passes, almost came to a halt.
The energy consequences were immediate. As a part of its retaliation against US-Israeli attacks, on March 2, Iranian drones hit Qatar’s gas facilities at Ras Laffan Industrial City, the world’s largest LNG export complex.
Qatar, the world’s second-largest LNG exporter after the United States, halted all production and declared force majeure, a legal term meaning it was released from delivery obligations due to circumstances beyond its control.
The conflict escalated further on March 18, when Israel struck Iran’s South Pars gas field, the largest in the world, off Iran’s southern coast.
South Pars and Qatar’s North Field sit above the same underground reservoir, meaning the attack threatened both countries’ gas production simultaneously. Iran struck Ras Laffan again in retaliation.
QatarEnergy said that the hit had forced it to cut LNG production by 17 percent, with repairs expected to take up to five years.
Brent crude, the industry benchmark, was priced at more than $109 a barrel on Thursday,
Oil prices on Thursday climbed to $109 a barrel, while European gas prices jumped 6 percent in a single trading session.
For Pakistan, which secures nearly all its imported gas from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, and holds no emergency reserves, the shift from surplus to shortage happened almost overnight.
A system built on imports
Pakistan meets its daily gas needs from three main sources. The bulk, about 2,700 million cubic feet per day, comes from domestic gas fields that have been in slow decline for years.
The rest comes from imported LNG, supplied by Qatar under long-term contracts, adding roughly 600 million cubic feet per day when shipments flow normally.
The third source is bottled LPG, used mainly by households in rural areas not connected to the pipeline network. Pakistan gets more than 60 percent of its LPG from Iran, a supply also disrupted by the conflict.
Pakistan began importing LNG in 2015 when domestic production could no longer meet demand. Today, imported LNG powers roughly a quarter of the country’s electricity, with the power sector its largest consumer.
Qatar and the UAE together account for 99 percent of Pakistan’s LNG imports, according to energy analytics firm Kpler.
Of that, Pakistan’s LNG supply is dominated by two long-term government-to-government agreements with Qatar, one spanning 15 years and the other 10. Together, they cover nine shipments a month.
QatarEnergy’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) production facilities, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar March 2, 2026. [Stringer/Rueters]
From glut to scarcity
Monthly cargo data from Pakistan’s energy regulator, OGRA, reflects the impact of the war. The country received between eight and 12 LNG shipments a month through 2025 and into early 2026, with 12 arriving in January alone. In March, the month the war began, only two shipments arrived.
Prices have been affected too. According to data compiled by researcher Manzoor Ahmed of the Policy Research Institute for Equitable Development (PRIED), on February 13, state-owned entities Pakistan State Oil and Pakistan LNG Limited procured eight combined cargoes at an average cost of $10.47 per MMBtu, totalling $257.1m.
MMBtu is the standard international unit used to measure and price natural gas and LNG.
By March 12, the two cargoes that did arrive cost $12.49 per MMBtu, a 19 percent increase in a month, reflecting tightening global conditions even before the war’s full impact.
Pakistan had already been consuming less gas. Its share of Asian LNG markets fell from roughly 30 percent in 2020 to about 18 percent in 2025, driven largely by the rapid expansion of solar power. Millions of Pakistanis, frustrated by high electricity costs and frequent blackouts, have installed rooftop panels in recent years.
By 2025, the country had 34 gigawatts of solar capacity, with an estimated 25 gigawatts feeding into the national grid. Overall electricity demand from the grid fell nearly 11 percent between 2022 and 2025.
Gas-fired power plants built to run on imported LNG were left underutilised, especially during daylight hours.
“Of course, solarisation helps manage daytime demand, reducing the need for running thermal power plants,” said Haneea Isaad, an energy analyst at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), who has tracked Pakistan’s gas sector for years.
But the contracts with overseas gas suppliers still needed to be adhered to — so Pakistan kept buying and paying, she told Al Jazeera.
Ahmed of PRIED pointed to two compounding challenges. First, the nature of Pakistan’s gas supply contracts were such that the government had to “buy LNG even when demand collapsed,” he told Al Jazeera.
Second, “rapid solar growth and suppressed grid demand were underestimated, and their effect on overall planning was not accounted for,” the Islamabad-based analyst added.
LNG consumption dropped by 1.21 million tonnes in 2025 alone. With no large storage capacity, surplus gas was pushed into domestic pipelines at a loss.
The resulting circular debt in the gas sector now stands at 3.3 trillion rupees, approximately $11bn. By January, Islamabad was negotiating to offload 177 unwanted gas shipments projected through 2031, a liability of $5.6bn.
Isaad of IEEFA said the surplus was predictable.
“Pakistan’s energy planning has mostly been bound by long-term contracts with very little flexibility,” she said. Once considered necessary for energy security, these rigid contracts, she added, have become a financial albatross in a market increasingly prioritising flexibility and low-cost generation.
She described the government’s pre-war response, diverting excess cargoes, as “reactive crisis management” that prioritised short-term fixes over better forecasting and procurement flexibility.
Supply shock
Qatar’s LNG shipments to Pakistan have stopped almost completely since March 2. Of the eight shipments scheduled that month, only two arrived. The six expected in April are unlikely to reach the country.
At a public hearing of the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority, Central Power Purchasing Agency chief executive Rehan Akhtar said LNG supplies were under force majeure, though coal imports from South Africa and Indonesia remained unaffected.
Officials have warned of near-zero LNG availability in the coming months, even if the war ends quickly. LNG accounts for more than 21 percent of Pakistan’s power generation.
“With Pakistan’s LNG supply completely halted after Qatar’s declaration of force majeure, LNG plants are effectively out of the running order,” Isaad said.
The government has responded by restoring domestic gas production that had been deliberately curtailed during the surplus period.
Isaad said Pakistan had been holding back roughly 350 to 400 million cubic feet per day of domestic gas to accommodate LNG imports.
“There will also be the option to rely on other power generation sources such as imported coal and hydropower,” she added. But, she warned, “even with hydropower, imported coal and restored domestic gas production covering some of the gaps left by LNG, there might still be an energy shortage.”
For now, mild weather and increased solar output have provided temporary relief.
“So far, Pakistan has somehow miraculously survived any prolonged energy shortages in the power sector through a combination of mild weather and a pre-existing reduced reliance on imported LNG,” Isaad said. “But peak summer months may be a different story.”
Men load solar panels on a rickshaw (tuk tuk) at a market, in Karachi, Pakistan March 26, 2025. [File photo: Akhtar Soomro/Reuters]
Summer pressure
With an energy crisis looming, Pakistan is bracing for a few hours of daily planned power cuts this summer, alongside other energy conservation measures and higher electricity costs.
According to the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority’s State of Industry Report 2025, peak electricity demand last summer exceeded 33,000 megawatts.
Winter demand currently stands at about 15,000 megawatts, partly because solar panels now generate between 9,000 and 10,000 megawatts daily, reducing reliance on the grid.
Furnace oil, the main backup fuel, now costs 35 rupees per unit, about $0.12, and its price has more than doubled since the Strait of Hormuz disruption.
Analysts say the burden will fall unevenly. Consumers reliant on grid electricity will face both higher bills and outages, while industries dependent on gas will see production disruptions. Those with rooftop solar and battery storage will be best insulated.
Isaad is blunt about the options before Pakistan. “Returning to the spot market might not be feasible, given the dire financial consequences,” she said. “Even if it does, competition with wealthier nations may once again price Pakistan out. Furnace oil could be another option, but that will be prohibitively expensive to run.
“The only option the government may be left with is load-shedding [planned power blackouts], probably around two to three hours daily.”
AN ABANDONED department store’s roof is being turned into a huge new attraction – after success in two other UK cities.
Freight Island will open at the abandoned Debenhams in Eldon Square Shopping Centre in Newcastle in June.
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A new Freight Island food and entertainment venue will open in Newcastle in MayCredit: Refer to source
Costing £16million, the “island above the city centre” is set to become the largest food, drink, and entertainment venue in a UK city centre.
The venue itself will be on the top floor of the empty Debenhams store and span 5,574-square-metres.
Inside, the main hub called The Plant Room will boast communal areas for guests to dine under a retractable roof.
The Plant Room will feature 12 street food-style restaurants with specific brands including Meat: Stack, I Scream for Pizza, Miso, V.Goode Pies, Fab Bakery, Churros Kingdom, Fuku and Pita.
When it comes to grabbing a drink, there will be four bars including a specialist Aperitivo cocktail bar with cocktails on tap and Two by Two Brewing beers.
For music lovers, there will also be a 1,200 person venue called the Music Box, where touring acts, theatre shows, festivals and DJ sets will take place.
Reportedly, there will even be raves for kids, as well as multiple screens showing live sporting events.
When the new destination was announced last year, Co-founder and Managing Director of Freight Island, Dan Morris, said: “This venue has been designed with scale, prominence, and long-term investment in mind.
“We hope to replicate the huge success of Freight Island in Manchester, where it has already contributed over £30million to the local economy.
“This incredible venue in the heart of a very special city offers a truly exciting opportunity to create a cultural space that could become a focal point of Newcastle for years to come.”
Freight Island is already open in Manchester and, back in January, announced that it is opening a new site in the Trinity Leeds shopping centre.
Similar to the Newcastle venue, there will be street food-style stalls, bars and live entertainment.
There will also be an outdoor terrace looking over City Square.
Inside it will feature 12 street food-style restaurants, as well as a music venueCredit: Freight Island
Construction of the Leeds site is set to start in late spring.
And next month, Freight Island will open a venue in Brixton, south west London.
The rooftop destination will be able to host around 1,000 people and officially opens on May 7.
It is expected to be the capital’s largest rooftop venue with chef residencies, cocktail bars, live music, DJ sets, food festivals and major sports screenings, amongst other events.
For the upcoming World Cup, the rooftop will even have a dedicated World Cup Fanzone with screenings of the matches.
Other upcoming events include Reggae Brunch and Maggi Brunch.
There will also be four bars, including one where visitors can get cocktails on tapCredit: Refer to source
Similar to the Newcastle venue, Freight Island Brixton will have a number of speciality bars including the Casamigos ‘House of Friends’ and Hotel Milano – themed around much-loved Italian aperitivos.
Freight Island already has a destination in Manchester, located near Piccadilly Station.
It was the brand’s first venue, opening its doors back in July 2020.
Several central neighbourhoods in Beirut have been attacked in a series of Israeli strikes. Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr has been at the scene of one attack that flattened a multi-storey residential building.
“Right is right, wrong is wrong, and Trump’s wrong.” Former Marine Brian McGinnis, whose hand was broken by police and a congressman earlier this month in a protest at the US Capitol, says Donald Trump is “wrong” when it comes to the joint US-Israeli war on Iran.
Lakers center Deandre Ayton shoots over the Timberwolves’ defense on Tuesday at Crypto.com Arena.
(Ethan Swope / Associated Press)
With 33 missed shots between both teams in the first quarter, Deandre Ayton certainly had plenty of opportunities for rebounds, and the 7-foot center made the most of them.
Ayton almost single-handedly kept the Lakers in contention in the first half, scoring 12 of his 14 points in the second quarter and had a first-half double-double with 11 rebounds.
Ayton, who was scoreless in the first quarter but had six rebounds, scored three of his first four baskets off offensive rebounds. The only exception came when Reaves drove in the lane, wrapped a pass around his back as he found Ayton cutting down the lane for a vicious two-handed dunk. The crowd roared.
“He was a monster,” said Reaves, who had 31 points and eight assists. “… He was the only person scoring for us efficiently and then just being high energy on the other end, just doing what he does. That’s what we need him to do. When he does that, we’re a different team and we’re thankful to have him.”
Ayton’s effort has waned throughout the season, sometimes resulting in him getting benched late in games. But he provided major lifts in marquee wins against the Knicks (six points, eight rebounds) and Timberwolves to earn the confidence and trust of his teammates.
The Lakers needed Ayton at his best after backup centers Jaxson Hayes (back soreness) and Maxi Kleber (lumbar back strain) were ruled out of the game about 15 minutes before tip-off. Hayes was starring in his reserve role in recent weeks, bringing much-needed energy off the bench and a seamless connection with Doncic, but hearing that Ayton would have to hold down the front line by himself gave the former No. 1 draft pick extra motivation.
“I know I’m the only big,” Ayton said, “so I try my best to stay out there as long as possible, especially down the stretch.”
She simply kept showing up for it anyway, through the long and often anonymous slog of the professional tour.
Now 32 and the oldest player in the top 10, Pegula is having her best season start yet.
The fifth-ranked American reached the Australian Open semifinals for the first time in January, falling to eventual champion Elena Rybakina. She followed that by capturing the Dubai 1000-level tournament, just a rung below the majors.
She is 15-2 so far in 2026, tied with Victoria Mboko in match wins and second only to Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina (17-3), who she defeated 6-2, 6-4 in the Dubai final.
Pegula is guaranteed to emerge from this week’s BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells as the top-ranked American, overtaking No. 4 Coco Gauff, if she reaches the final.
Jessica Pegula kisses the Dubai trophy after defeating Elina Svitolina in the finals on Feb. 21.
(Altaf Qadri / Associated Press)
First, she will have to get past No. 12-seed Belinda Bencic of Switzerland, her fourth-round opponent on Wednesday. Bencic has not dropped a set in four previous meetings with Pegula.
“That will be a challenge for me,” said the characteristically even-keeled Pegula after defeating former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in the third round on Monday.
A late bloomer, Pegula has taken the long road.
She failed to qualify for Grand Slam main draws in 12 of 14 attempts from 2011 to 2018, and didn’t reach the third round at a major until the 2020 U.S. Open at age 26. All three of her Grand Slam semifinal runs — along with her 2024 U.S. Open final — have come after she turned 30.
Pegula said this week that her patience and persistence stem from “always being a little more mature for my age even when I was younger.”
“I think as I’ve gotten older, your perspective changes as well,” she added.
Pegula, whose parents are principal owners of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills and the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres, acknowledges that her wealthy family background can cut two ways.
Financial security offers freedom to push through the sport’s early years on tour, when results are uncertain and the grind is relentless. That same cushion might make it easier to walk away if the climb becomes too frustrating.
Jessica Pegula plays a backhand against Donna Vekic during their match at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells.
(Clive Brunskill / Getty Images)
Pegula says her motivation to pursue tennis came well before her family’s fortune grew.
“I’ve been wanting to be a professional tennis player and No. 1 in the world since I was like 7,” she said in a small interview room after beating Ostapenko this week.
“It’s a privilege, but at the same time I don’t want to do myself a disservice of not taking the opportunity as well,” she explained. “I’ve always looked at it that way.”
In the last few seasons, that maturity on the court has dovetailed with a growing leadership role off it.
Pegula has served for years on the WTA Player Council and was recently tapped to chair the tour’s new Tour Architecture Council, a working group tasked with examining the increasingly demanding schedule and structural pressures players say have intensified in recent seasons. The panel is expected to explore changes that could reshape the calendar and player workload in coming years.
Pegula said she hadn’t put up her hand to be involved but agreed after several players approached her to take the lead role — though she declined to say who they were.
“I think maybe as you mature … you realize how important it is to give back to the sport,” she said last week.
Life has also provided grounding and a wider lens.
The Buffalo native and Florida resident also married businessman Taylor Gahagen in 2021. Gahagen helps “holds down the fort” at home with the couple’s dogs and travels with her when possible. He is with her in Indian Wells.
“I have an amazing support system,” Pegula says.
Despite winning 10 WTA singles titles, achieving a career singles high of No. 3 in 2022 and the No. 1 doubles ranking, Pegula’s low-key demeanor means she flies a bit under the radar.
She’s not one for fashion statements, outlandish antics or attention-seeking initiatives, her joint podcast with close friend Madison Keys notwithstanding.
Instead, Pegula tends to go about her business quietly, relying on a calm temperament and a methodical style that wears opponents down over time.
She gets the job done — the Tim Duncan of the women’s tour.
“She’s just all about lacing them up and competing between the lines, and then trying to be as big an asset as she can to her peers off the court,” says Mark Knowles, the former doubles standout who has shared coaching duties with Mark Merklein since early 2024.
“I think one of her great attributes is she’s very level-headed,” Knowles adds. “She doesn’t get too high, doesn’t get too low.”
Her tennis identity echoes her steadiness.
Instead of bludgeoning opponents with power, the 5-foot-7 Pegula beats them with savvy, steadiness and tactical variety. A careful student of the game, she studies matchups and patrols the court with a composed efficiency that incrementally drains big hitters and outmaneuvers most rivals long before the final score confirms it.
Keys calls that consistency her “superpower.”
“She doesn’t lose matches that she shouldn’t lose,” the 2025 Australian Open champion said this week.
Because of injuries in the early part of her career, Knowles says Pegula might have less wear-and-tear than other players her age. And he and her team have prioritized rest and recovery, which included the decision to skip the tournament in Doha last month following her tiring Australian Open run.
On brand, there was no panic in Pegula after dropping the first set in her two matches so far at Indian Wells. As she’s done all season, she steadied herself to earn three-set wins.
Bucket-list goals remain, however. Chiefly, capturing a Grand Slam title.
Jessica Pegula returns a shot to Jelena Ostapenko during the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells on Monday.
(Matthew Stockman / Getty Images)
Pegula jokes that she briefly interrupted a run of American female success when she fell in the 2024 U.S. Open final to No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. But seeing close friend and teenage phenom Keys capture her major in Melbourne last year — after many wondered if her window had passed — hit closer to home.
“I think Madison winning Australia just motivated me even more,” Pegula says.
Although Pegula believes she is among the best hardcourt players in women’s tennis, that confidence hasn’t translated into success in the California desert. She has reached the quarterfinals just once in 10 previous appearances in Indian Wells.
“Why not try and add that one to the resume?” says Knowles, noting that she had never won the title in Dubai until last month. “She’s playing still at a very high level.”
Pegula says the key to keeping things fresh is maintaining her love of the game by continuing to improve and experiment with new ideas, a process that keeps her engaged mentally and eager to compete.
“I’m not afraid to kind of take that risk of changing and working on different things,” she says, “which just keeps my mind working and problem solving.”
For a player who never needed tennis, she remains determined to see how much more it can give her.
