Entertainment Gists
Australian Open – Roger Federer Wins 20th Grand Slam Title
Roger Federer won his sixth Australian Open and 20th Grand Slam title with a five-set victory over Marin Cilic.
The Swiss lost five games in a row as he dropped the fourth set but recovered to win 6-2 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 3-6 6-1.
Federer, 36, becomes only the fourth player after Margaret Court, Serena Williams and Steffi Graf to win 20 or more major singles titles.
“It’s a dream come true and the fairytale continues,” said Federer, who has won three of the last five majors.
The final was played under the Rod Laver Arena roof as the tournament’s extreme heat policy was invoked.
Despite starting at 19:30 local time in Melbourne, the conditions were if anything more testing than 24 hours earlier, when Caroline Wozniacki and Simona Halep played to the point of exhaustion in the women’s final.
With the roof closed and air-conditioning taking the edge off the temperature, Federer and Cilic played out a gripping contest over three hours and two minutes.
After a poor start, Cilic looked to have the momentum when he won five games in a row to force a fifth set, but Federer clung on to his serve at the start of the decider and got the key break in the following game.
The Swiss ties the record for men’s Australian Open titles at six with Novak Djokovic and Roy Emerson, and moves four clear of Rafael Nadal in the all-time list for male Grand Slam champions on 20.
“I’m so happy, it’s unbelievable,” Federer added. “After the year I had last year, it’s incredible.”
Federer holds off Cilic fightback
Cilic, 29, had come into the final brimming with positivity after an impressive run to the final that included a quarter-final win over Nadal, but he made a desperate start.
He won just four points in losing the opening four games, and Federer fired down back-to-back aces on his way to serving out the set after 25 minutes.
The Swiss saw off two break points early in the second, roaring “come on!” as he pulled a forehand winner down the line, and then resumed his assault on the Cilic serve.
Three break points were saved, the third with a second-serve ace, as Cilic edged his way into a tie-break and a chance to claw his way back into the match.
The 2014 US Open champion did just that after a huge cross-court forehand brought up two set points, and he smashed away the second to level.
Federer appeared to have regained control when a deep return drew an error as he broke for 4-2 in the third, and a fabulous half-volley pick-up said the confidence was flowing as he moved ahead again.
With a point for a double-break early in the fourth, Federer appeared as good as home, but his first-serve began to falter and Cilic ripped into the second serve with his huge forehand.
After two hours and 10 minutes he finally broke the Federer serve, and a jolt of adrenaline coursed through the Croat – and the crowd – as this unexpected fightback took him to two sets all.
Federer was now struggling to contain the world number six, and was relieved to see a return hit the net on break point at the start of the fifth, before roaring as a serve saw off a second chance for the Croat.
The Swiss had halted the momentum and in the next game he grabbed it for himself with a deep, fizzing return that Cilic could not handle.
Nerves were still apparent as the eight-time Wimbledon champion urged himself on during the changeover, but he was not about to let his opponent back in, and another break of serve all but made sure.
There was time for one more moment of uncertainty for Federer when, just as in last year’s final, he was forced to wait on match point for Hawk-Eye to confirm that he had indeed retained the title.
Roof closed in testing conditions
The decision before the match to keep the roof closed was greeted with surprise by those in Rod Laver Arena.
As forecast, the temperature in Melbourne during Sunday reached a very testing 37.5C, but that was below the 41C experienced earlier in the tournament, when the extreme heat rule was not involved.
However, the rule is not purely based on ambient temperature, but also other factors such as humidity, wind speed and angle of sun, known as the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT).
“The tournament referee made this decision based on qualified and professional advice from the Bureau of Meteorology who are on site, and the tournament’s chief medical officer,” read a Tennis Australia statement.
“At no other time during the event this year has the WBGT reading reached the threshold.”
Josh2Funny’s Album Has Fans Talking — But Should He Stick To Music Or Skits? 😂🎶
Nigerian comedian and content creator Josh2Funny has taken his comedy game into music, and Nigerians are definitely having something to say about it.
The comedian released his 15-track album, “On Behalf of Josh,” on July 10, 2026, but instead of fading away after release, the project has continued to generate conversations on X.
And the big question now is:
Should Josh2Funny continue with music or go back to skits? 😂
Fans have been divided. While some listeners openly criticized the album and told him to return to comedy, others found songs they genuinely enjoyed.
One X user joked:
“Josh2Funny stopped doing skits and started music, Everybody wan chop this music money 😂”
Another simply said:
“This Josh2Funny Album no enter make he just go back skit abeg 😂”
But then came “Lembe.” 🔥
The track caught fire on X and eventually became a trending topic in Nigeria. The #LembeChallenge also gained momentum as creators began jumping on the song.
Josh2Funny later announced ₦1 million for winners of the challenge, giving the song another major push.
And it didn’t stop there.
‘INTERNATIONAL’ FT. ICE PRINCE ALSO TRENDED
On another day, “International” featuring Ice Prince generated its own buzz on X.
One fan even called it their favourite song from the album, while praising the collaboration. The post itself pulled thousands of views, showing that people weren’t only talking about Lembe.
From album criticism to trending songs and challenges, “On Behalf of Josh” has kept Josh2Funny’s name in the conversation.
Whether you love the album or think he should return to skits, one thing is clear:
Josh2Funny has succeeded in getting Nigerians talking. 😂🔥
So, let’s settle this once and for all:
Should Josh2Funny continue with MUSIC 🎶 or return to SKITS 😂?
Music or Skits? Drop your answer! 👇
RUAN-Badkid.96 is a Nigerian recording artist whose music refuses to live inside a single genre. Blending Afrobeat, Afrofusion, trap, hip-hop, melodic rap, R&B, and global influences, he creates records that move effortlessly between raw street energy, soulful storytelling, and infectious melodies. Whether delivering hard-hitting bars, emotional love songs, or rhythm-driven African records, his sound is defined by authenticity rather than limitation.
Inspired by both African culture and international music, RUAN-Badkid.96 embraces the confidence and ambition of global hip-hop while staying deeply connected to his roots. His lyrics explore love, heartbreak, betrayal, friendship, social injustice, hope, and the everyday realities of life. He doesn’t create music to follow trends, he creates music to reflect truth, emotion, and human experience.
Behind his fearless image is an artist who believes in kindness, equality, justice, and genuine human connection. His appearance may be intimidating, but his message is rooted in compassion and authenticity. Every record carries a piece of his journey, proving that strength and vulnerability can exist in the same voice.
For RUAN-Badkid.96, music is more than entertainment, it’s a language, a testimony, and a lifelong mission to connect with people through honesty, versatility, and unforgettable sound.
Entertainment Gists
Meet the Man Who Turned Hype Into a Science: Emmy Blaq, Nigeria’s G.O.A.T. of Hype
If you have ever been at a Nigerian event and found yourself on your feet before the main act even stepped on stage, there is a good chance a hype man was responsible. But not just any hype man. Emmy Blaq, born Ikechukwu Emmanuel Chima and raised in Auchi, Edo State, has spent the last few years quietly becoming the most talked-about name in that profession, and the Nigerian press has taken notice. Punch, Vanguard, The Guardian Nigeria, The Nation, and Independent Newspaper have all sat down with him, and every conversation leads back to the same thing: this man does not just make noise; he makes moments.
What makes Emmy Blaq different is the journey behind the energy. Before the stages, the collaborations with Waje on her “Waje 2.0” album, DJ Consequence, and DJ Kaywise on the massively streamed “Joor Party Mix” series, he was repairing generators, cutting hair, and sewing clothes in Auchi. His first professional hype gig happened at a local fast food spot called Valchi, and the crowd response that night changed everything. He told The Nation directly: “My passion for entertainment and desire to make people happy led me into the craft.” Punch also captured his bigger mission when he said that hype men deserve more than what they currently earn, a statement that sparked a real conversation across Nigerian entertainment circles.
With over 1.7 million TikTok followers, 23.6 million TikTok likes, a viral “Wife Material” challenge that landed on Pulse Nigeria’s top ten social media moments of 2021, and an international performance at the Cameroon International Music Festival that Cameroonian media described as electrifying, Emmy Blaq is not building toward something. He is already there. The G.O.A.T. of Hype is not a title he gave himself and hoped would stick. It is one the rooms keep confirming every single time he grabs the mic.
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