The ever-bubbling alphabet soup of boxing sanctioning bodies -- the winner in Riyadh becoming the first four-belt heavyweight champion -- means that becoming, and remaining, undisputed champion requires not just skill and toughness in the ring, but acumen outside it.

Usyk joined a select group. Here AFP Sport picks six of the undisputed best.

Jack Dempsey (Undisputed champion from Jan 1921 to Sept 1926, 3 defences)

The hard-hitting and aggressive Jack Dempsey became the first official world champion at the start of 1921 when the American National Boxing Association and the powerful New York State Athletic Commission agreed to recognise a world champion. The "Manassa Mauler", with a right nicknamed "Iron Mike" and a left hook dubbed "Big Bertha" had become 'lineal' world champion, in boxing parlance "Beating The Man to become The Man" when he bludgeoned Jess Willard in 1919. But the newly-minted official status helped turn his first sanctioned defence, against Frenchman Georges Carpentier, into the first "million-dollar fight". He defended his title twice more, before losing twice to Gene Tunney and retiring.

Joe Louis (June 1937 to March 1949, 26 defences)

After the first African American heavyweight champion, Jack Johnson, lost to Willard in 1915, no black boxer fought for the title until 1937, because Joe Louis, who had just lost to Max Schmeling was a more palatable challenger for Cinderella Man James Braddock's title than the German. Louis knocked out Braddock to claim a title he held for record 26 defences over more than 12 years. The most famous was the first-round revenge demolition of Schmeling at Yankee Stadium in 1938. Louis was smart, calm, technically sound, and packed a ferocious punch. "Everyone has a plan until they've been hit," he said.

Rocky Marciano (Sept 1952 to April 1956, 6 defences)

After war service, an undistinguished amateur career and a baseball tryout with the Chicago Cubs, the boxer, who changed his name from Rocco Marchegiano, turned professional just before his 25th birthday in 1948. He fought 49 times as a pro, winning every fight, 43 of them by knockout. Only 5ft 10in tall (1.78m), Marciano was relentless, resilient and a thunderous puncher. He was 29 when he got his title shot, flooring Jersey Joe Walcott in the last round with a straight right: his "Suzie Q". Having pummelled an ageing Louis on his way up, knocked out the 39-year-old Walcott in the first round of their rematch, Marciano quit for good at 32 after stopping 42-year-old Archie Moore.

Muhammad Ali (Feb to Sept 1964, Feb to April 1967, Oct 1974 to Feb 1978, 10 unified defences)

The Greatest only fails to match Louis for total defences because he was effectively banned from boxing from March 1967 to October 1970 for his opposition to the military draft for the Vietnam war. The Louisville Lip, who later declared "I'm so mean, I make medicine sick", had already upset the American establishment by changing his "white man's name", Cassius Clay. After toppling Sonny Liston to win the title at 22 in 1962, he lost his undisputed status for taking a rematch with Liston. Ali defended his remaining titles seven times, before reunifying the division in 1966 against Ernie Terrell. At 25 he was banned. Ali was 29 by the time he got his crack at regaining his world titles, against Joe Frazier in 1971, but suffered his first loss. It took until 1974, and his victory over George Foreman in the "Rumble in the Jungle", a fight that highlighted Ali's craft, cunning and courage, to reclaim his crowns. He lost his titles to Leon Spinks in 1978, won some of them back in a rematch seven months later, but, aged 38, lost a reunification bout to Larry Holmes in 1980. By then Ali had won over all but his most determined critics.

Joe Frazier (Feb 1970 to Jan 1973, 4 defences)

Joe Frazier's often electrifying trilogy against Ali was boxing box office as two greats, with contrasting styles and personalities and opposing political views went toe-to-toe. "Smokin' Joe" preferred close-quarters attack, but his constant bobbing made him hard to hit. In their opener, "The Fight of the Century" -– a gruelling 15-rounder -- he decked Ali with the devastating left hook he called his "heat-seeking missile". By the rematch in 1974, George Foreman had taken Frazier's title. Ali not only floated like a butterfly but clinched like a crab and won on points. In the 1975 "Thrilla in Manilla" Ali unleashed a merciless barrage in the 13th. The referee stopped the fight in the next round. Frazier, 30 at the time of that bout, only fought twice more.

Mike Tyson (Aug 1987 to Feb 1990, 6 defences)

By the time he was 13, Mike Tyson had been arrested 38 times. In 1986, at the age of 20 years and four months, he was the youngest heavyweight champion in history. Even though he was only 5ft 10in (1.78m), his approach was vicious intimidation. He won his first 19 professional fights by knockout. Smart but troubled, his wild lifestyle took a toll. He was ambushed by Buster Douglas in 1990. Although he regained two belts in 1996, he immediately lost to Evander Holyfield. At his brief, snarling, sneering peak, Tyson lived up to his billing as the "baddest man on the planet".

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The five-day horticultural extravaganza, which expects over 150,000 visitors between now and Saturday, does not allow entry for under-fives and has a policy of charging older children full price, which is enough to deter most families.

But the tide appears to be turning with school children this year invited to design their own garden.

King Charles III, a passionate environmentalist, and Queen Camilla on Monday got a preview of the "RHS No Adults Allowed Garden", where the amused monarch was presented with a "King of the Compost" badge while Camilla received one with "Queen of the Bees".

"There's nothing more fun than eating the things you have grown... It tastes so much better," Charles said as he toured the feature.

Designed by 29 pupils from a west London primary school with the help of landscaper Harry Holding, the garden will be partially reinstalled at their school after the show ends.

Holding, 30, said he believed gardening should be part of the school curriculum.

"Bringing children into that conversation is absolutely vital... in a rapidly changing world where horticulture, gardening and environmentally conscious activities to do with landscape are more and more important," he said.

Working alongside nine and 10 year olds with their powers of imagination going at full throttle, however, also brought its challenges.

Some of their ideas were "very fantastical, very magical", he said.

"Some sort of den, with hidden doors, trap doors and tree houses... They wanted a crocodile... a lot of ideas were very big, like rivers and lakes," he recalled.

The body of water came into being, in a much more compact form. The crocodile, thankfully perhaps, remains a project for another day.

- Joyful creativity -

"The great thing about working with children is that they are really uninhibited by industry norms and how you should do things that really allows the creativity just to run wild," he said.

From this joyful creativity came a garden with a slide descending into a small pool, a tree house resembling a den at water level, rocks to climb on, a mini woodland, meadow and wetland.

Also featured were oversized tropical plants in bright colours and carnivorous ones in which the children were very interested.

The garden was created without the use of cement or concrete and with an emphasis on biodiversity and sustainable development.

Initially the children leaned towards a strict interpretation of the no adults theme but "some tough negotiation" resulted in a compromise acceptable to all, according to Clare Matterson, director of the Royal Horticultural Society which organises the annual event.

Adults can now enter if they commit to planting a tree, find a plant starting with the first letter of their name in the garden, or make a donation to school gardening projects.

Ever vigilant, a child kept watch shouted "Intruder! Intruder!" when an adult approached.

Around 70 children from nine London primary schools were also invited for the second year running for a picnic.

The practice was inspired by Catherine, the Princess of Wales -- wife of heir to the throne Prince William who is currently being treated for cancer.

As part of their visit, the children were asked to take part in judging the show's first ever Children's Choice award.

The six largest gardens in the competition were judged on criteria including interest for the visitor, attractiveness for wildlife, and feelings of well-being they produced.

The award went to the Octavia Hill garden by garden designer Ann-Marie Powell, whose work also focuses on adapting to new conditions linked to climate change.

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The shape-shifting SORA-Q probe -- co-developed by a major toy company -- has been compared to a friendly "Star Wars" droid and a sea turtle because of the way its metal form can navigate the dusty Moonscape.

But the gadget's chance to boldly go depends on the success of the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) mission, with a spacecraft dubbed the "Moon Sniper" by space agency JAXA for its precision landing capabilities.

The lightweight craft is due to begin its descent from lunar orbit at midnight, with touchdown planned around 20 minutes later.

But success, which would make Japan the fifth nation to land on the Moon after the United States, the Soviet Union, China and India, is far from guaranteed.

Slightly bigger than a tennis ball and weighing as much as a large potato -- eight centimetres (three inches) across and 250 grams (half a pound) -- SORA-Q was designed by JAXA with Takara Tomy, the toy company behind the original 1984 Transformers.

Sony Group and Doshisha University in Kyoto also helped develop the device, which has a front camera on an orange panel that emerges when the its metal frame snaps open, and another on its back.

Instead of rolling on wheels, the two halves of the sphere are designed to slot out and move in tandem to propel SORA-Q along the rocky surface, a design that reduces size and weight.

"The form-shifting mechanism and ultra-compact, ultra-lightweight design have been created using the technical know-how of toy development," the probe's website reads.

It can move in two ways, allowing it to drive on inclines: "'Butterfly' driving, where both the left and right wheels move together, and 'crawl' driving, where they move separately," the site explains.

Sora means "universe" in Japanese, while "Q" refers to the words "question" and "quest", its makers say.

If the mission succeeds, the probe's cameras will take valuable images of a crater where parts of the Moon's mantle, usually hidden deep below its crust, are believed to be exposed.

Back on Earth, a toy version of the probe costs 21,190 yen ($140) and can roll around a living room to take pictures of cats and babies, according to its promotional video.

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The experiment, deemed a "huge success" by the participants, represents a new step in the development of space surgery, which could become necessary to treat medical emergencies during multi-year manned voyages, such as to Mars.

The technology could also be used to develop remote-control surgery techniques on Earth, to serve isolated areas.

The robot, developed by Virtual Incision (VIC) and the University of Nebraska, is called spaceMIRA.

It took off for the International Space Station at the end of January, aboard a payload carried by a SpaceX rocket.

Stored inside a compact box the size of a microwave oven, the robot was installed last Thursday by NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara, who has been in space since last September.

The experiment, conducted from Virtual Incision's headquarters in Lincoln, Nebraska.

It lasted around two hours, with six surgeons taking a go at operating the robot, which is equipped with a camera and two arms.

"The experiment tested standard surgical techniques like grasping, manipulating and cutting tissue. The simulated tissue is made up of rubber bands," Virtual Incision said in a statement.

In a video shared by the company, one arm equipped with pincers can be seen gripping the band and stretching it, while the other arm equipped with scissors makes a cut -- mimicking a dissection.

A key difficulty is the time lag -- about 0.85 seconds -- between the operation center on Earth and the ISS.

For a control experiment, the same process will take place with the same equipment, but on Earth.

"The experiment was deemed a huge success by all surgeons and researchers, and there were little to no hiccups," Virtual Incision said in a statement, claiming it will "change the future of surgery."

NASA, which provided some financial support for the project, said that with longer space missions, "the potential need for emergency care increases, including surgical procedures from simple stitching of lacerations to more complex activities."

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Here is a selection of highlights:

‘World’s first’ flying car

US firm Alef Aeronautics displayed to the public for the first time the working model of what it says is the world’s first real flying car.

“It drives like a car, looks like a car and has a vertical take-off,” said the company’s president and CEO, Jim Dukhovny.

The electric-powered car has received special airworthiness certification from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The current prototype can transport two people a distance of up to around 110 miles (170 kilometres) and the company expects to start production of a final version at the end of 2025.

The company has already received nearly 3,000 pre-orders for the car, which sells for $300,000.

Robotic dog

Chinese firm Tecno Mobile showed off a robotic dog inspired by the German Shepherd which uses AI and powerful sensors to understand voice commands and perform lifelike actions such as bowing, shaking hands and climbing stairs.

The robot –- dubbed the "Dynamic 1" -- can be controlled by a smartphone apps as well, and it aims to provide the "joy of pet ownership" without the hassles.

Transparent laptop

Chinese manufacturer Lenovo presented a prototype of a laptop with a 17.3-inch transparent glass screen which offers "a completely borderless and see-through display experience".

Instead of a traditional keyboard, it has a touch surface where keys can be projected or you can use a special pen to draw on the screen. The company has not announced a release date for the product.

The screen's transparency can be adjusted so that not everyone who passes by can always see what you are doing.

"The transparent display existed only in futuristic movies, maybe in AR glasses. That's only in the past as we can see," said Lenovo executive director Aiguo Zheng.

AI-powered companion doll

With its cloth body, floral blouse and brown hair, Hyodol has all the look of a children's doll. But Hyodol -- made by a South Korean company of the same name -- is aimed at seniors.

Packed with sensors and AI-power microprocessors, it can play songs, remind seniors with a voice message to take their medicine and can notify the guardian of its user when no movement is detected for a certain period of time.

Standing 35 centimetres (14 inches) tall, the doll is designed to talk when touched by the user and in accordance with customisable time settings such as meal times.

"We are committed to empowering seniors to live independently while staying connected with their community and loved ones," the company said.

Impaired speech voice converter

Dutch startup Whispp demonstrated a calling app which uses AI technology to covert impaired speech due to conditions such as throat cancer, stroke or even stuttering into the user’s natural voice in real time.

Unlike other solutions for people with voice disorders which convert speech to text, the app allows the user to talk to anyone they want on their phone or laptop and maintain a natural conversation flow, while sounding like their own healthy voice.

"We are really helping people who lost their voice get their voice back," said Whispp co-founder and CEO Joris Castermans, adding he hopes the app will one day be on all smartphones "to make this a more inclusive world".

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VR and augmented reality are often associated with video gaming, or the groundbreaking hardware races underway between tech titans like Apple and Meta -- though with little in the way of mass adaptation.

But for inventor Niki Smit, VR is an avenue for humans to express their emotions and explore their mental health, including through the normally explicitly tactile experience of art therapy.

After donning the usual headgear, the user of Smit's "Soul Paint" program is invited to "paint" their virtual body, using colors and lines to explore and express their inner reality.

"When I'm stressed, I clench my teeth -- so I draw this pulsating red thing near my jaws," Smit said, demonstrating the software.

"What we've been making here is an invitation to dive into yourself, to explore yourself," he said.

In a massive hall dedicated to VR, demonstrations invited conferencegoers to watch films and test video games, faces pressed against the VR headset.

But at Smit's stand, users emerged looking visibly moved, having smeared their virtual stomachs in sickly green or their heads in gray, and dancing to free themselves from downbeat emotions.

"VR is not an extension of film. VR is not an extension of video games. We're starting to find out it is a medium about your own human body," he said.

Victor Agulhon makes VR documentaries on topics ranging from top chefs to the Kennedy assassination.

"I can't see myself working in any other medium," he said.

"For me it's really this technology, specifically, that enables unprecedented things in terms of understanding and empathy."

- Immersive, interactive -

"There's an insatiable desire by humans to use storytelling as a way to understand our experience in this world... and you want it to be more immersive with higher interactivity," said Vince Kadlubek, during a panel on the future of entertainment.

Kadlubek is one of the founders of Meow Wolf, an artist collective that now specializes in giant art installations.

From video games to immersive art, a key way to win over audiences is through giving them more interaction and control, he said.

"I don't want to just go into somebody else's world and not have the ability to build something in it, that's so confined," he said, mentioning TikTok and Minecraft as examples of platforms making strides in that area.

For Voyelle Acker, too, immersion is key.

Her studio, Small Creative, develops virtual reality experiences for small groups, in particular to "bring culture to audiences who are sometimes far removed in terms of education or geography."

"Today, we can program anything we want," she said, but "it takes human intelligence to be artistic, to find the right connections."

Creators are in high demand. French automotive giant Valeo came to the conference, known as SXSW, to encourage them to invent the future of in-car entertainment.

Executives introduced a video game for passengers, which uses sensors, cameras and radar to recreate the vehicle's environment in real time -- but for play.

"We can imagine interacting with passengers in other cars, involving them in an experience, like sharing music," said Geoffrey Bouquot, Valeo's Chief Technology Officer.

- 'Cosmic turtle' -

"What can the magical feather dress do?" asked a computer in a mini-cinema showing an endless movie called "The Golden Key."

In this work, generative artificial intelligence continuously produces images, narration and voice, but viewers influence the result by answering questions.

"The magical feather dress transcends time and space -- woven from loose plastic floating in the ocean, the cosmic turtle repurposed this for good in the world," wrote an audience member.

The innovations on display in Austin, Texas, come as the rise of content-generating AI worries many artists, who fear being replaced by machines.

But Melissa Joyner, director of "Reimagined Volume III: Young Thang," doesn't think AI would have been able to produce her VR-bound animated film, inspired by a Nigerian tale.

Generative AI can be part of the process, but it "is not going to tell you I disagree, it's not another person you respect," she said.

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The richest state in the United States by GDP, California is a hotbed of no-holds-barred tech innovation, but lawmakers in state capital Sacramento want to give the industry laws and guardrails it has largely been spared in the internet age.

Brussels has enacted a barrage of laws on US-dominated tech and sprinted to pass the AI Act after OpenAI's Microsoft-backed ChatGPT arrived on the scene in late 2022, unleashing a global AI race.

"What we're trying to do is actually learn from the Europeans, but also work with the Europeans, and figure out how to put regulations in place on AI," said David Harris, senior policy advisor at the California Initiative for Technology and Democracy.

As they have in the past with EU laws on private data, lawmakers in California are looking to recent European legislation on AI, especially given the little hope of equivalent national legislation out of Washington.

There are at least 30 different bills proposed by California state legislators that relate to various aspects of AI, according to Harris, who said he has advised officials here and in Europe on such laws.

Proposed laws in California range from requiring AI makers to reveal what was used to train models to banning election ads containing any computer generated features.

"One of the aspects I think is really important is the question of how we deal with deepfakes or fake text created to look like a human being is sending you messages," Harris told AFP.

State assembly member Gail Pellerin is backing a bill she says would essentially ban the spreading of deceptive digital content created with generative AI in the months leading up to and the weeks following an election.

"Bad actors who are utilizing this are really hoping to create chaos in an election," Pellerin said.

- Law-breaking 'bad guys' -

Industry association NetChoice is dead set against importing aspects of European legislation on AI, or any other EU tech regulation.

"They are taking, essentially, a European approach on artificial intelligence - which is that we must ban the technology," said Carl Szabo, the general counsel of the association, which advocates for light touch regulation of tech.

"Outlawing AI won't stop (anything). It's bad because bad guys don't follow the law," Szabo argued.

"That's what makes them bad guys."

US computer software giant Adobe, like most tech giants, worked with Europe on the AI Act, according to Adobe General Counsel and Chief Trust Officer Dana Rao.

At the heart of the EU AI Act is a risk-based approach, with AI practices deemed more risky getting more scrutiny.

"We feel good about where the AI Act ended up" with its high-risk, low-risk approach, said Rao.

Already, Adobe engineers carry out "impact assessments" to rate risk before making AI products available, according to Rao.

"You want to think about nuclear safety, about cybersecurity, about when AI is making substantial decisions over human rights," Rao said.

- 'Watching California' -

In California, Rao said he expected the problem of deepfakes to be the first to fall under the authority of a new law.

Assembly Bill 602 would criminalize non-consensual deepfake pornography while Assembly Bill 730 bans the use of AI deepfakes during election campaign season.

To fight this, Adobe joined other companies to create "content credentials" that Rao equated to a "nutrition label" for digital content.

Assemblywoman Pellerin expects AI laws adopted in California to be replicated in other states.

"People are watching California," Pellerin said, with a slew of US states also working on their own AI deepfake bills.

"We're all in this together; we have to stay ahead of the folks that are trying to wreak havoc in an election," she said.

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The series has featured a number of debuts on both sides with new talent shining in the absence of seasoned campaigners such as Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant and Jack Leach.

AFP Sport highlights five emerging stars who look to have a bright future in Tests:

- Dhruv Jurel -

Wicketkeeper-batsman Jurel marked his debut in Rajkot's third Test with a first-innings 46 to give a glimpse of his promise.

Jurel then displayed nerves of steel to rescue India from trouble twice in the fourth Test in Ranchi with 90 in the first innings to guide his side from 177-7 to 307 and then a match-winning 39 not out.

The 23-year-old faced a hat-trick ball when he joined Shubman Gill at 120-5 chasing 192 but calmly blunted England's spinners to guide his side to a five-wicket triumph that showed "composure and maturity", said captain Rohit Sharma.

- Sarfaraz Khan -

Middle-order batsman Sarfaraz also made his debut in Rajkot and was emotional as he received his Test cap with his teary-eyed father and wife watching.

The 26-year-old immediately repaid the selectors by cracking 62 off 66 balls in the first innings before being run out.

Sarfaraz remained unbeaten on 68 off 72 balls in the second to help set up India's declaration as they won by a massive 434 runs.

- Akash Deep -

Fast bowler Deep made an instant impact with the new ball on debut in the fourth Test, despite shouldering the burden of replacing world number one Jasprit Bumrah who was rested.

In his second over, Deep splattered Zak Crawley's stumps with a darting in-swinger, only for it to be called a no ball as he had overstepped.

Undaunted, the 27-year-old went on to rip through the England top order with Ben Duckett caught behind and Ollie Pope trapped lbw second ball.

The sweetest moment came when he smashed Crawley's stumps for a second time, but this time the delivery was legal and he dedicated his maiden wickets to his father who died in 2015.

- Tom Hartley -

Doubts surrounded England's inexperienced spin attack as the series began but left-armer Hartley marked his debut in Hyderabad with nine wickets in a match-winning display.

The 24-year-old took the key wickets of Shubman Gill and KL Rahul in India's first innings.

He then spun his team to victory with figures of 7-62, including four of the top five in India's batting order, as they folded for 202 in their second innings, chasing 231 to win.

Hartley's 20 wickets in four matches are more than any other bowler -- Bumrah has 17 -- and he has also contributed 159 useful runs down the order with a best of 36.

- Shoaib Bashir -

Bashir, who has Pakistani heritage, missed the first Test due to a visa delay but was then thrown straight in for his debut in the second despite having played only six first class matches.

The 20-year-old justified his selection in his fourth over when he induced India captain Rohit Sharma to flick to Pope at short leg for his maiden Test victim and went on to take four wickets in the match.

The 1.93 metre (6ft 4in) tall off-spinner sat out the next but used his height to exploit the variable bounce in Ranchi for his first five-wicket haul on his way to eight in the match.

"They'll be able to leave at the end of this tour with their heads held very high," said Stokes of Hartley and Bashir.

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In a joint statement, the two bodies said that the partnership marked "a significant shared commitment to enhancing global tennis".

Since 2021, PIF has invested heavily in a number of major sports industries including setting up the LIV golf tour, a rival to the PGA, and purchasing English Premier League club Newcastle United.

The statement did not give details of the amount of the investment which will see PIF become the official naming partner of the ATP rankings.

PIF will also partner with ATP Tour events in Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, Beijing and the ATP Finals, in addition to the Next Gen ATP Finals, hosted in Jeddah until 2027.

"Our strategic partnership with PIF marks a major moment for tennis," said ATP chief executive Massimo Calvelli in the joint statement.

"It's a shared commitment to propel the future of the sport. With PIF’s dedication to the next generation – fostering innovation and creating opportunities for all – the stage is set for a transformative new period of progress.”

Last year, the kingdom hosted its first ATP Tour event -- the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah -- along with exhibition matches pitting Novak Djokovic against Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka against Ons Jabeur.

- Anger at WTA bid -

In January Rafael Nadal, winner of 22 singles Grand Slams on the men's side, was named ambassador for the Saudi Tennis Federation.

The latest investment with the ATP follows a Saudi bid to secure the WTA Finals in Riyadh, a move that drew criticism from former women's champions Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova while winning the support of current world No.6 Jabeur.

PIF has reshaped the world of golf by setting up the LIV golf tour as a rival to the PGA.

The first event took place in June 2022, causing a split within the sport that caused LIV-affiliated players to be excluded from the Ryder Cup, PGA tour events and consequently the world rankings.

Reigning Masters champion Jon Rahm joined the LIV tour in December in a deal reportedly worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

However, a framework deal between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and PIF is now under discussion with a view to ending the stand-off.

It also owns four football clubs in the Saudi Pro League and has spent over $885 million (820 million euros) on some of the biggest names in football to play for its teams.

The kingdom is also set to host the 2034 football World Cup.

But Saudi Arabia has been accused by its critics of "sportswashing" by using sport to improve its international reputation after widespread criticism of its human rights and environmental record.

"Through our collaboration with ATP, PIF will be a catalyst for growth of the global tennis landscape, developing talent, fostering inclusivity and driving sustainable innovation," said PIF's Mohamed AlSayyad.

- Murray 'concerns' -

Former world number one Andy Murray highlighted the commitment from the new partners to "collaborate to elevate the long-term future of tennis".

After he was knocked out of the ATP Dubai tournament on Wednesday, he said: "I don't know exactly what it means by sponsoring the events. I don't know what that will look like.

"One of my concerns is obviously actually more about the investment in lower levels of the game and the grassroots of the sport. I think that's extremely important."

World number four Daniil Medvedev said investment can only be a boost for the sport.

"I think if we can make tennis bigger as a sport, more interesting for people, have more coverage, just in general more people will know tennis, who tennis players are," said the former US Open champion.

"I think it's going to be good."

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The team head into their 2024 campaign, which has been overshadowed by seven-time F1 champion Hamilton agreeing to join next year, trying to recover ground on all-conquering Red Bull.

And Ferrari unveiled the SF-24 to their legion of fans with a short and low-key video, adding in a statement that "a small audience of guests" were given a live viewing of the new car.

Among those present were Ferrari's Team Principal Frederic Vasseur and drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, who will race together for the last time this season.

Ferrari said that "the positive feeling the drivers had in the cockpit over the final few races of last season" was the starting point for the new car, with the aim being "a car that is easy to drive and that reacts predictably".

"This year, we must start off where we left off at the end of last season, when we were consistent front runners," said Vasseur.

"The longest ever F1 season awaits us and Charles, Carlos and I all agree, we must be more clinical and effective in how we manage the races."

The new 24-race campaign kicks off in Bahrain on March 2 with Ferrari not having won a drivers championship since 2007 and a constructors since 2008.

Ferrari finished miles behind Red Bull in both the championships in 2023, with Leclerc closing the season 369 points behind champion Max Verstappen in fifth and Sainz seventh.

"I like the look of the car a lot... But of course, what really interests me is how it will perform on track, as that's all that matters," said Leclerc.

"This season the aim is to be front runners all the time and I want to give our fans plenty to cheer about."

Briton Hamilton will partner Leclerc when he joins Ferrari -- replacing Sainz whose contract is up come the end of the season -- hoping to finally claim a record-breaking eighth F1 title.

The 39-year-old won the last of his world crowns in 2020 but lost the 2021 championship in controversial fashion to Verstappen when the race director ignored the safety car rules in Abu Dhabi, effectively blocking the Briton's route to victory in both that Grand Prix and the championship.

Dutchman Verstappen has dominated F1 since, romping to the last two championships in a powerful combination of great car and driver.

Hamilton finished third last season but he didn't win a single Grand Prix for the second year in a row and ended up 341 points behind Verstappen who won 19 of 22 races.

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