Sports
Djokovic drops French semis hammer with drop shots against Zverev
Novak Djokovic unleashed a flurry of drop shots to outfox Alexander Zverev and book his place in the French Open semifinals on Wednesday, later admitting the blustery conditions made it feel like he was playing against two opponents.
The Serbian crafted 35 precision drop shots in a gritty 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 comeback – his 101st career win at Roland Garros – keeping alive his pursuit of a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title and setting up a semifinal clash with top seed Jannik Sinner.
“Against the wind, especially that side where I was playing the last game, I felt the wind increased in the last few games,” Djokovic told reporters. “It was almost like playing against two players. I feel the ball isn’t going anywhere you’re hitting it. People don’t see that on TV, but on the court, you can feel it a lot.
“I was just trying to mix it up. At one point, I felt like I couldn’t go through him, so I tried to bring him to the net and risk it with the drop shot, serve and volley. It had to be done.
“I was tense to finish off the match, and he was playing consistently from the back of the court in the last game – wasn’t making errors and was making me work.”
Djokovic arrived in Paris having won his 100th tour-level title in Geneva to open his account in an otherwise lackluster year, in which he crashed out early in several big tournaments.
He said in Madrid that he was coming to terms with a “new reality” in tennis – one where simply winning a match or two can no longer be taken for granted.
“That wasn’t a great feeling, but it’s something I haven’t experienced for many years – 20 years I’ve been playing,” he said. “That’s why I said I have to try to find a way to bounce back at the Grand Slams.”
“It’s no secret – it’s been like that for years, but especially now, it’s all about Grand Slams for me. I’m trying to raise the level and play my best tennis at these four tournaments. This is what I’ve been managing to do.
“The win against Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, the win in the quarterfinals tonight against Zverev – it proves to myself and others that I can still play at the highest level, and I just thrive on these occasions.
“This is where I lock in and really give my best. So I just hope I’ll be able to physically keep up with Sinner in a few days’ time. It’s a big challenge for me.”
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will arrive not just as an expanded global tournament, but as a generational shift, with Gen Z talent moving from supporting roles to central figures on football’s biggest stage.
Set to run from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada and Mexico, the first 48-team World Cup will widen the spotlight like never before.
The scale of the tournament means more matches, more minutes and more pressure moments for players still in their early 20s, turning what was once a veterans’ stage into a proving ground for the sport’s new elite.
History already shows how quickly youth can define a World Cup.
Pele scored in a final as a teenager in 1958. Kylian Mbappe exploded onto the global scene in 2018. Lionel Messi announced himself at 18 in 2006. The pattern is clear: the tournament often belongs to players who are young enough to change its direction, but mature enough to handle its weight.
Türkiye’s revival built on a young spine
Few teams embody this shift more than Türkiye, returning to the World Cup after 24 years with a squad shaped around youth, energy and technical ambition.
At the center is Arda Güler of Real Madrid, a left-footed playmaker trusted to control tempo, break defensive lines and carry creative responsibility in high-pressure moments. His rise has mirrored Türkiye’s broader resurgence, with expectations now extending beyond potential into leadership.
Alongside him, Kenan Yıldız of Juventus offers direct attacking power from wide areas, combining ball carrying, finishing and versatility across the frontline. Adding another layer is Can Uzun of Eintracht Frankfurt, a forward-thinking midfielder capable of drifting between lines and turning half-chances into goals.
Together, they represent a tactical reset for Türkiye, a side no longer defined by experience alone, but by a young core trained in Europe’s top competitive environments.
PSG’s youth pipeline stretches across continents
If Türkiye’s rise is built on cohesion, Paris Saint-Germain provides something different: a global production line of elite talent spread across multiple national teams.
Warren Zaire-Emery has already become a midfield anchor, combining defensive discipline with controlled progression in possession. Desire Doue adds unpredictability in the final third, capable of breaking structure with dribbling and sharp combinations.
In Portugal’s system, Joao Neves brings relentless energy and positional intelligence, often dictating tempo without needing to dominate the ball.
For Senegal, Ibrahim Mbaye represents raw pace and direct wing threat, the kind of profile that can swing knockout matches in seconds.
PSG’s influence underscores a broader trend: elite clubs are no longer just producing stars, they are exporting tournament-shaping players across multiple national identities.
Spain’s new technical core
For Spain, youth is not a future plan but a present reality.
Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal has already stepped into a frontline creative role, combining balance, acceleration and decision-making that rarely matches his age. He is expected to be one of the defining attacking figures of the tournament.
At the back, Pau Cubarsi has emerged as a calm defensive organizer, reading danger early and playing out from pressure with composure more often associated with seasoned internationals.
Spain’s balance of control and creativity is increasingly shaped by teenagers who are no longer being eased in, but relied upon.
A global wave
The Gen Z wave stretches well beyond the traditional European power centers.
Endrick brings explosive finishing and attacking instinct for Brazil.
Nico Paz continues to develop as a creative midfield option capable of dictating rhythm in tight spaces. Germany’s Lennart Karl and Ivory Coast’s Yan Diomande offer pace and direct attacking width, while Algeria’s Ibrahim Maza adds control and vision in midfield transitions.
England’s Kobbie Mainoo already plays with the authority of a long-term midfield fixture for the national setup.
The expanded format is not just increasing participation, it is changing the rhythm of the competition itself. More matches, tighter schedules and deeper squads mean younger players are more likely to be trusted in decisive moments.
Clubs like Real Madrid and FC Barcelona already reflect this shift at the top level, where teenagers are no longer exceptions but structural pieces.
Mirra Andreeva announced herself as a rising star in women’s tennis Saturday after defeating surprise finalist Maja Chwalinska 6-3, 6-2 to become the youngest French Open champion in more than three decades.
The 19-year-old Russian, long regarded as one of the sport’s brightest prospects, delivered on her promise on the biggest stage of all, claiming a maiden Grand Slam title and joining the select group of active major champions led by players such as Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff.
In doing so, Andreeva became the youngest women’s singles champion at Roland Garros since Monica Seles won her third consecutive title in Paris in 1992, a milestone that underlined the Russian’s precocious talent and the scale of her achievement.
“I’ll be honest, I’ve done a lot of visualizations before. Not just this tournament, but I’ve had dreams, I’ve had a lot of thoughts on how it’s going to happen, if it’s going to happen, when it’s going to happen, where,” Andreeva told reporters.
“I would say the feeling in real life is so much better, obviously, than in your dreams … looking at this trophy and realising that this is actually true, and I can call myself a Grand Slam champion.”
While Chwalinska’s remarkable run from qualifying captured the imagination and triggered praise from the greats of the game over the past fortnight, the final belonged to a player who increasingly looks equipped to shape the sport’s future.
As the 24-year-old Pole struggled to reproduce the tactical brilliance that had carried her through nine successive victories, Andreeva grew stronger with every game, imposing her power, absorbing the pressure and leaving little doubt that a new force has arrived at the top of the women’s game.
“These feelings are extra special. Now I’m already thinking of how I’m going to prepare for the grass season,” she said.
“This thing is a bit addictive, and I really want to do my best to experience all of this for the second time.”
Rankings jump
Chwalinska, however, is now allowed to dream of joining the club. Despite her below-par performance in the final, she will now jump to 21st in the world rankings.
There was no sign of a changing of the guard in the men’s doubles as Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos retained the title with a dominant 6-4, 6-2 win over Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten, claiming their third Grand Slam title as a pair.
Spaniard Granollers and Argentine Zeballos, who initially paired up in 2019, won the French Open and U.S. Open last year and justified their top seeding, having not dropped a set in their 2026 Roland Garros campaign.
The women’s title featured two Grand Slam final debutants, and the most experienced, albeit the youngest, prevailed on a windswept Court Philippe Chatrier.
Eighth-seeded Andreeva’s heavy groundstrokes began to penetrate through the wind while Chwalinska’s trademark touch and variety increasingly deserted her, allowing the Russian to take command of the contest.
The opening set was a tense affair, with both players struggling to cope with the pressure of a maiden Grand Slam final.
Marathon game
Chwalinska, only the second woman in the professional era to come through qualifying and reach a Grand Slam final after Britain’s Emma Raducanu won the 2021 U.S. Open, survived a marathon opening service game in which she saved three break points with a mixture of delicate drop shots and bold winners.
Neither player, however, could establish control.
Breaks were traded repeatedly, Andreeva surrendering one service game with two double faults while Chwalinska’s forehand often let her down.
At 3-3, Andreeva began finding greater depth and weight off her wings, pushing Chwalinska behind the baseline and growing in confidence, even smiling after netting an easy overhead smash.
She broke for 4-3 when Chwalinska netted a sliced backhand, consolidated for 5-3 and then capitalized on another nervous service game to claim the opening set.
The Russian carried that momentum into the second, breaking immediately and again for a 4-0 lead as Chwalinska struggled to contain her opponent’s relentless pressure.
The Pole briefly threatened a comeback, recovering one break and reducing the deficit to 5-2, but Andreeva remained unmoved, sealing the biggest victory of her young career with a crisp crosscourt backhand winner on her opponent’s serve.
The triumph earned Andreeva $3.22 million in prize money, while Chwalinska collected $1.61 million, roughly double her career earnings before arriving in Paris.
“It’ll be different, for sure, but I think and I hope I’ll adapt. I’ll definitely work hard,” Chwalinska said.
“I need to continue to stay in the present and give my all to be a better player every day.”
Marc Marquez secured his 100th career win across all classes with a commanding victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix Sunday at Balaton Park, just weeks after undergoing surgery on his shoulder and foot.
The 33-year-old Spaniard beat KTM’s Pedro Acosta to the checkered flag for his first win since the San Marino Grand Prix last year and his 74th in MotoGP.
The seven-time MotoGP champion’s triumph was particularly sweet as it also marked Ducati’s 100th victory, while his teammate Francesco Bagnaia finished third.
“Super happy. Expensive win because after last year it changed everything,” said Marquez, who had also won Saturday’s sprint from pole position.
“But the sport is like this. From one day to the other, one can change everything. I learned this in 2020 (after a season-ending crash).”
Multi-rider crash
It became a nightmare race for Aprilia when Jorge Martin lost his balance on the first lap at turn one and crashed into three riders, including his teammate and championship leader Marco Bezzecchi.
The crash also took out Gresini Racing’s Fermin Aldeguer and Trackhouse rider Raul Fernandez, as three Aprilia bikes were taken out of contention.
“I didn’t do a good start and when I started to brake, I just saw something arriving so fast,” Bagnaia said.
“It was Martin arriving (at) double the speed, so maybe it was two (riders) on the inside and locked the front, because the new tarmac on corner one was very slippery.”
Both Martin and Bezzecchi were taken to the medical centre, with Aprilia later confirming Martin had bruising on his back and right foot while Bezzecchi suffered contusions on his right leg and hand, though neither rider showed visible fractures.
Marquez, Acosta battle
Up front, Acosta seized the initiative on lap two, diving inside to take the lead in a thrilling battle that saw the KTM rider and Marquez trade fastest laps while leaving Bagnaia far behind in third.
The decisive moment came on lap 14 when Marquez made his move, only for Acosta to respond immediately, with the KTM rider even nudging aside his compatriot near the final turn, but Marquez was not to be denied.
Taking the lead at the chicane on the next lap, Marquez then streaked away, building a commanding advantage before cruising to victory as Acosta seemed to struggle with tire wear.
In a moment of pure joy, he stood on his bike as he crossed the finish line, before celebrating with a red flag emblazoned with the No. 100.
The milestone puts Marquez in exclusive company as only the third rider to reach a century of wins, joining motorcycling greats Giacomo Agostini (122) and Valentino Rossi (115).
“We come back and we work hard. Some difficulties this first part of the season, but I knew that here was a big chance to win,” Marquez added.
“I want to say thanks to the people that believed in me – the doctors, the physios, a lot of hours at home working. The prize was expensive but I’m happy to (make) another comeback.”
Trackhouse rider Ai Ogura finished fourth while Honda’s Luca Marini completed the Top 5.
Türkiye fought back from a goal down to defeat Venezuela 2-1 in a friendly match in Fort Lauderdale Saturday to complete their final preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The match at Inter Miami CF Stadium marked Türkiye’s last warm-up game, which head coach Vincenzo Montella praised as a “high-level” test despite difficult conditions.
The Crescent-Stars had earlier beaten North Macedonia 4-0 in Istanbul and wrapped up their training camp in Miami before heading to their main base in Mesa, Arizona. Their focus will now firmly shift to the World Cup finals.
In the match, Türkiye fell behind in the 13th minute when Gleiker Mendoza scored a screamer from outside the penalty area.
However, the Turkish national team clawed their way back into the game in the 44th minute.
On paper, Galatasaray forward Barış Alper Yılmaz scored the equalizer but full credit should go to Real Madrid star Arda Güler, whose majestic corner beat the Venezuelan goalkeeper, bounced off the far-post and took a deflection off Yılmaz, before finding the net.
Yunus Akgün then scored the decisive goal in the 54th minute, finishing from outside the penalty area after picking up a pass from Güler.
Venezuela pressed for an equalizer but failed to convert late chances as Türkiye held on for the win.
‘We can improve’
Speaking after the match, Türkiye coach Montella said both sides produced an intense contest under challenging conditions, including heat and humidity in Miami.
“It was a challenging match, a high-level match,” Montella said. “The opponent showed they are a South American team. They are known for their cunning, but there were positive aspects for us as well.”
He added that the team still needed to improve tactical spacing and cohesion between the lines, but was encouraged by the overall performance.
Montella also addressed player fitness, noting that several key players were managed carefully.
“Kerem played a few extra minutes, Ferdi was available, but we did not want to take risks, and Hakan also played limited minutes,” he said.
The coach added that he had reviewed Australia – Türkiye’s first World Cup opponent – stressing the importance of adaptation to heat and travel demands during the tournament.
“There is no excuse. Whoever adapts best will have an advantage,” he said.
Dream come true
Defender Zeki Çelik, who wore the captain’s armband for part of the match, described the moment as a personal milestone.
“It was a moment I dreamed of since childhood,” Çelik said. “I’m very happy to have worn the captain’s armband today.”
He added that Türkiye are determined to advance from the group stage, noting confidence in the squad’s quality despite being seen as outsiders by some observers.
Defender Ozan Kabak said the win was an important morale boost ahead of the tournament.
“This was the last rehearsal before the World Cup,” Kabak said. “We will be ready in the best way possible.”
He also emphasized the importance of starting the tournament strongly, saying early results in group play would be crucial.
Venezuela head coach Oswaldo Vizcarrondo described the game as competitive and useful for his team’s development despite the defeat.
“Overall, it was a balanced match,” Vizcarrondo said. “It helped us improve, but we were a bit slow in transitions.”
He added that Miami’s heat and humidity affected both sides, but praised his players’ effort and chance creation.
Iran’s national football team has been granted visas to participate in the upcoming FIFA World Cup, U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye Tom Barrack said Friday, offering clarity over the squad’s travel status amid broader tensions between Washington and Tehran.
“Proud of our outstanding team at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara for their work processing visas for Iran’s national football team on their road to the @FIFAWorldCup in the United States,” he said, commenting on a news report that Iran’s World Cup players have been granted the visas to enter the United States.
“Sports transcends borders, and we look forward to welcoming competitors and fans from around the world,” the ambassador said.
The Iranian team is due to fly from Türkiye to Spain on Saturday before travelling on to their base camp in Mexico, which has issued visas to the squad, where they will arrive on Sunday.
The team will be based in Mexico during the tournament in North America, but all three of their group stage matches are due to be held in the United States.
They were originally due to be based in the U.S. but switched their camp to Mexico due to the tensions between Tehran and Washington over the war in the Middle East.
The two countries have been at war since the UçSç and Israel began bombing Iran at the end of February, although currently a fragile cease-fire is being observed.
Iran begin their World Cup campaign against New Zealand on June 16 in Los Angeles.
They will play further group matches against Belgium, also in LA, and Egypt in Seattle.
President Donald Trump is expected to attend one or two NBA Finals games next week in New York after receiving an invitation from New York Knicks owner James Dolan.
“The answer is yes,” Trump said Thursday when asked about attending the championship series between the Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs. “(Dolan) has invited me, and I’m going. I’ll be there. It could be Monday (for Game 3). Maybe I’ll do both (with Game 4 on Wednesday).”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said the president’s presence would require heightened security at Madison Square Garden but would not disrupt the event.
“I am sure there will be announcements about coming early,” Silver said. “But I think fans are very understanding of that. They recognize that it adds to the bigness of the event.”
Trump would become the first sitting U.S. president to attend an NBA Finals game. The last sitting president to attend a regular-season NBA game was Barack Obama in 2015.
“I think sports in particular is something where we can emphasize what we have in common, not what pulls us apart,” Silver said. “It creates a sense of belonging. We’re seeing that in New York, and I think President Trump is very much a New Yorker, and I’m thrilled that yet another New Yorker wants to participate in the enthusiasm and the joy around this Knicks team.”
Dolan had extended the invitation for Trump to attend Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, Trump said last month, but the Knicks swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in four games to advance to their first NBA Finals since 1999.
New York’s opponent then and now is the Spurs, who won the previous meeting and are attempting to prevent the Knicks from winning their first league title since 1973.
The Knicks defeated the Spurs 105-95 on Wednesday for their 12th consecutive victory and can take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series on the road Friday.
“The Knicks find a way to do it,” Trump said Thursday. “They’re really great, a great team. I’m happy for Jim (Dolan) because Jim has really been fighting hard to produce such a team.”
Trump has attended multiple high-profile sporting events, including the Super Bowl, U.S. Open tennis tournament, Ryder Cup and Daytona 500, during his time in office. In November 2024, he attended a UFC event at Madison Square Garden.
Trump was a longtime New York resident and has ties to the franchise and Dolan, who also oversees operations of Madison Square Garden and the NHL’s New York Rangers.
“Before he ever ran for office, he was a big Knicks fan,” Silver said. “I’ve been with the league for a long time. I was there at many Knicks games with him in the old days. He attended many of our drafts when they used to take place at Madison Square Garden, and he appeared in one of our ‘I Love This Game’ spots when I was running NBA Entertainment years ago.”
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