Sports
SGA calls MVP season failure after Thunder’s Game 7 loss
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has bagged the NBA Most Valuable Player again and is widely viewed as the league’s top player, with only three-time MVP Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets making a strong case otherwise.
But the Oklahoma City Thunder star called the 2025-26 season a failure on Sunday, a day after the Thunder fell to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals, ending their bid for back-to-back NBA titles. The Spurs advanced to face the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals, while Gilgeous-Alexander begins an offseason that arrived sooner than expected.
“I failed at my goal,” Gilgeous-Alexander said during his exit interview. “I didn’t achieve what I wanted to achieve. But I learn the most about myself and make the greatest improvements in my career when I fail and don’t get what I want. I look at this no different. I didn’t get where I wanted to go this season. There’s a reason for that. Now I have to look at that reason and try to make sure it never happens again.”
The Thunder had been considered strong favorites to reach the NBA Finals for much of the season.
Oklahoma City started 24-1 and also put together a late-season 19-1 run toward the end of its 64-18 campaign. The Thunder then won eight straight games to open the postseason before running into trouble against the Spurs.
Still, Oklahoma City held a 3-2 series lead before being routed 118-91 in San Antonio in Game 6. The Spurs also outplayed the host Thunder in Game 7, prevailing 111-103.
Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 25.9 points in the series, including three games of 30 or more, but shot just 40.9% from the field, well below his 55.3% mark in the regular season, when he averaged 31.1 points.
Gilgeous-Alexander shot less than 37% four times in a series in which Spurs star Victor Wembanyama was a constant obstacle.
“There’s a guy on their back line who is a little bit different,” Gilgeous-Alexander said of Wembanyama. “They funnel everything to him. It’s a really good defense. But it’s not impossible to score. I just think it’s very different.”
The Thunder were hurt by not having fellow star Jalen Williams for Game 7 because of a left hamstring injury. He played in just three games in the series and five in the postseason due to the injury.
Williams believes the series would have gone differently if he had been healthy.
“Obviously I think I could have made an impact,” Williams said. “I think we could have won if I played. We went to seven with them without me playing. I don’t think I make us worse. That’s really my answer to that. But it’s also hats off to them. What do you want them to do about me being hurt?”
Ajay Mitchell, who filled in well for Williams, missed the final four games after sustaining a right calf strain. His absence also hurt.
One player drawing scrutiny over the Oklahoma City collapse is big man Chet Holmgren, who was outplayed by the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama. He averaged just 10.7 points in the series and was virtually non-existent in Game 7, finishing with four points on 1-of-2 shooting and four rebounds in 33 minutes.
“I feel like part of it was being closed out heavy,” Holmgren said. “Then also just being a little bit out of rhythm sometimes. I feel like there were definitely opportunities to get more attempts up that I didn’t in the moment. That’s an area to improve.”
Wembanyama averaged 27.3 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.7 blocks in the series for San Antonio.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off June 11 across the United States, Canada and Mexico, launching the largest edition in tournament history.
Yet the buildup has been anything but routine, with political tensions, ticket pricing backlash and concerns over player welfare shaping the global conversation ahead of the opening match.
How the tournament took shape
FIFA awarded the 2026 finals in 2018 to the United States, Canada and Mexico during Donald Trump’s first term as U.S. president, defeating Morocco’s bid.
The decision marked the first time three nations were selected to co-host the World Cup, alongside FIFA’s expansion of the tournament from 32 to 48 teams.
Since Trump’s return to office in 2025, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has maintained a visible presence at the White House, drawing scrutiny over FIFA’s stated commitment to political neutrality.
Infantino’s decision to award Trump a FIFA Peace Prize in late 2025 further intensified criticism, especially as global tensions escalated following U.S. military action in the Middle East.
Key concerns
Ticket pricing has become one of the most controversial issues.
FIFA’s use of dynamic pricing, resale fees and shifting ticket categories has drawn accusations of inflated costs and artificial scarcity. Legal scrutiny has followed in parts of the United States, while fans have voiced frustration over affordability and transparency.
Transport logistics have also come under pressure, particularly in major hubs such as New Jersey and Boston, where travel costs and infrastructure strain are expected to impact supporters.
Immigration policy concerns add another layer of uncertainty. Advocacy groups warn that visa restrictions and broader enforcement measures could complicate travel for fans from several nations. Iran’s participation has also been questioned at various points amid heightened geopolitical tensions, though FIFA maintains the team will compete.
Heat is another major factor, with summer conditions across many host cities expected to test both players and spectators.
Different World Cup
This edition is the largest ever staged, featuring 48 teams, 104 matches and a new knockout structure beginning with a round of 32. It is also the first World Cup co-hosted by three countries, with Mexico becoming the first nation to host the tournament three times.
FIFA has introduced mandatory three-minute hydration breaks in every match to address extreme temperatures, regardless of weather conditions.
Teams to watch and new arrivals
France, Spain, England and defending champions Argentina are widely viewed as leading contenders, though squad fitness and club-season fatigue could prove decisive.
Four nations will make their World Cup debuts: Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan. Curaçao stands out as the smallest country ever to qualify for the tournament.
Major rule changes
FIFA has introduced several adjustments aimed at improving flow and tightening enforcement:
Referees can initiate a five-second countdown for delays on throw-ins and goal kicks, with sanctions including reversed decisions or corner kicks.
Substitutions must be completed within 10 seconds or the incoming player must wait an additional minute before entering, temporarily leaving the team short-handed.
Players forced off for injury must remain off the pitch for at least one minute.
VAR will now review corner decisions up until the ball is taken, but cannot intervene on goal kicks awarded on field. It may also step in when clear fouls by attacking teams influence goals or penalties.
Second yellow cards can be overturned by VAR if no foul occurred. Additional disciplinary measures allow red cards for players covering their mouths in confrontations or for teams that abandon the field in protest.
The 2026 World Cup arrives on a record scale, both in size and complexity.
While the expanded format promises more matches and wider global representation, the tournament is also defined by political scrutiny, logistical challenges and ongoing debate over FIFA’s governance.
Reigning champion Coco Gauff’s French Open title defence came to an end in the third round on Saturday as top seed Aryna Sabalenka and Naomi Osaka both won to set up a blockbuster last-16 clash.
Gauff went down 4-6, 7-6 (7/1), 6-4 to Austrian 28th seed Anastasia Potapova as the top seeds continued to fall right up to the close of a scorching opening week at Roland Garros.
The 22-year-old fourth seed had been a break up in the deciding set before Potapova put together a run of five games for the loss of just one to condemn Gauff to her earliest Roland Garros exit since her debut in Paris six years ago.
The two-time major winner insisted being the reigning champion had not affected her play, unlike in 2024 when she was defending her title in New York.
“I think at the US Open it did a lot more but honestly this time it didn’t. I wasn’t really nervous,” Gauff said.
“That’s what’s more frustrating because I felt like I learned a lot from that US Open experience and I’m a better player since then and I just don’t think I portrayed that today.”
In a match defined by breaks of serve, Gauff conceded the crucial 10th game of the final set despite being 30-0 up behind her own delivery with a double fault sandwiched between two booming Potapova winners, before a powerful return on her second serve forced her to hit long and bid adieu to the French capital.
It was a third win for Potapova against Gauff – in their first meeting since 2023 – but she said it was a “top three (career victory) for sure”.
With it she equalled her best ever Grand Slam performance, when she also reached the fourth round at the French Open two years ago. She can better that on Monday when she faces 22nd seed Anna Kalinskaya.
Sixth seed Amanda Anisimova also departed as the American fell in a third-set tie-break to France’s Diane Parry.
Former Australian Open winner Madison Keys edged ninth seed Victoria Mboko 6-3, 5-7, 7-5.
Earlier, Sabalenka beat Australia’s Daria Kasatkina 6-0, 7-5 in just 76 minutes to stamp her ticket to the fourth round.
After racing through the first set, Sabalenka went an early break down to her 53rd-ranked opponent before battling back.
The Belarusian world number one set up a meeting with her fellow quadruple major winner, Osaka.
Sabalenka and Osaka, both 28, have won two Australian Opens and two US Opens apiece.
Sabalenka has beaten Osaka twice this season, but Osaka won their only previous meeting at a major – at the same stage in the 2018 US Open, the first of her major titles.
“I’m just ready for the fight,” Sabalenka said of facing Osaka. “I’m ready to go out there to fight for that match, for that win. Ready to do anything it takes to get the win.”
The Japanese 16th seed battled past American 18-year-old Iva Jovic 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (3/7), 6-4 to progress.
“I was a lot calmer than in my first matches… In a Slam the further I get the calmer I am. It’s such an honour to be here,” Osaka, who had never before gone past the last 32 at Roland Garros, said.
With the men’s side of the draw wide open following the shock early exits of top seed Jannik Sinner and 24-time major winner Novak Djokovic, Felix Auger-Aliassime is now considered a prime contender to win his first Grand Slam.
The Canadian fourth seed battled past Brandon Nakashima 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/1) in the night session.
“It was a complicated match for me,” he said. “The positive is the victory and moving into the next round.”
There he will meet Alejandro Tabilo for a spot in the quarter-finals, after the Chilean ended the fairytale run of French 17-year-old Moise Kouame.
Italian 10th seed Flavio Cobolli produced an emphatic straight-sets victory over world number 18 Learner Tien.
He will next face 85th-ranked Zachary Svajda, who downed 25th seed Francisco Cerundolo.
Cerundolo’s brother, Juan Manuel who beat Sinner in the last round in five sets, emerged victorious from an epic five-setter that clocked in at two minutes shy of six hours against Martin Landaluce.
He will face Matteo Berrettini, who will be marginally fresher than the 24-year-old after spending only five hours and 13 minutes on court for his 7-6 (7/3), 5-7, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 7-6 (15/13) win over Francisco Comesana.
Frances Tiafoe of the U.S. and Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi also won long matches that went the distance to reach the second week at Roland Garros.
Türkiye and North Macedonia will face each other for the ninth time in their history in a friendly match on Monday.
The match will be played at Chobani Stadium and is scheduled to kick off at 8:30 p.m. local time.
The two national teams have met eight times previously, including four matches in North Macedonia, three in Türkiye and one at a neutral venue. Four of those encounters were official competitions and four were friendlies.
Türkiye has won five of the eight matches, while recording two draws and one loss.
The Turkish national team has scored 14 goals against North Macedonia but has conceded nine.
Türkiye has won three of its four away matches against North Macedonia, scoring six goals and conceding two. In the three matches played in Türkiye, the Crescent-Stars recorded two victories and one defeat.
The last meeting between the two sides took place nine years ago.
Türkiye, then coached by Fatih Terim, played North Macedonia to a scoreless draw in a friendly match in Skopje.
French police detained over 400 people involved in violent clashes in Paris and other French cities that erupted Saturday night after Paris Saint-Germain won the Champions League title .
Seven officers were injured as football fans set off fires and vandalized shops, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said, describing the violence as “absolutely unacceptable.” One small group even tried to storm a Paris police station.
Nuñez said rioting took place in about 15 cities in France, and that nearly 400 people were detained in all, with nearly 300 of them in Paris alone.
But he said that planned celebrations for the team’s win on Sunday afternoon at the Champ de Mars, near the Eiffel Tower, would go ahead as scheduled. The PSG team will then be hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee presidential palace.
Fans began celebrating in Paris after the final whistle Saturday evening in Budapest, Hungary, where Paris Saint-Germain won by beating Arsenal on penalties in a dramatic final.
Fans marched along the avenues near Paris’ Arc de Triomphe monument, with some setting off flares and blaring car horns. Around 20,000 people gathered on the Champs-Elysees, where police worked to contain the crowd.
The Paris police prefecture said smaller groups caused disturbances in various locations, with some vandalizing shops and setting fires. Cars were also set ablaze. Those who attempted to storm a police station in the posh 8th Arrondissement neighborhood were dispersed, police said.
In May last year following PSG’s first title, 201 people were injured in the French capital and police made more than 500 arrests across France.
Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca produced the biggest upset of the French Open so far on Friday, defeating Novak Djokovic in the third round and ending the Serbian’s bid for a record 25th Grand Slam singles title.
The 39-year-old Serb – a three-time champion at Roland Garros – lost 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7-5 as temperatures again reached 33 degrees C (91 F).
Djokovic looked exhausted in the fifth set but soldiered on and his exit leaves the men’s draw even more open following Jannik Sinner’s second-round exit on Thursday.
“Tough one for me to lose,” Djokovic said. “I was barely standing on my legs toward the end of the match.”
Facing Fonseca for the first time, Djokovic mixed trademark defense with stunning winners and delicate drop shots to win the first two sets.
“I was playing good tennis, very good tennis,” Djokovic said. “Taking everything into consideration and all the circumstances, my level was very good.”
But Fonseca proved resilient and tied the match on sets. In the final game, Djokovic had a break point for 6-6 but Fonseca served out with three consecutive aces and became the first teenager to beat Djokovic at a Grand Slam tournament.
“I just enjoyed being on court and what a pleasure it was. It’s my first stepping on court against him,” Fonseca said. “I was just trying to hit the ball as fast I could. Djokovic don’t miss, we still think he’s 20. At the end of the match I think he was more fit than me, that’s crazy.”
About his flurry of aces, he joked: “I felt like (big server) John Isner. I never did this before.”
Then he wished his mother in the crowd happy birthday and thanked all the Brazilians in the crowd.
Djokovic came to Roland Garros with doubts. After he lost the Australian Open final to Carlos Alcaraz, a shoulder injury limited his clay-court buildup to one competitive match. He labored for at least three hours in each of his previous two rounds but would have thought his chances of adding to his 2016, 2021 and 2023 French Open titles improved after Sinner’s exit.
But the heat that stressed Sinner also got to Djokovic, who applied ice packs on both sides of his face during changeovers. Still, he looked to be in command when he clinched the second set with a forehand volley at the net.
But Fonseca, who kept pushing Djokovic back with his big forehand, broke early in the third set and held on to it.
In the fifth set, Djokovic frantically tried to find ways to recover some energy against an opponent 20 years younger but he couldn’t hide his fatigue: He hunched over the advertising boards, his forearms dangling; slumped back in his chair with a towel on his head; grabbed his head with his hands.
He was gracious in defeat.
“I told him (after the match) that he deserved to win and he should be proud of himself. We’ve all seen today why there is hype around him,” Djokovic said. “Without a doubt he was a better player in important moments. Found incredible shots.”
Djokovic said he was unsure if he would play at the French Open next year, although he said the same after his semifinal defeat to Jannik Sinner last year.
Turkish rider Toprak Razgatlıoğlu this weekend returns to the spotlight at one of the most demanding stages on the calendar as he lines up for Round 7 of the 2026 season at Mugello, Italy, continuing his adaptation to MotoGP machinery with the Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP.
The Mugello Circuit delivers one of MotoGP’s most intense challenges, a 5.245 km rollercoaster of 15 corners, rapid elevation changes and a 1.141 km straight where speeds regularly exceed 360 km/h.
The 23-lap main race stretches just over 120 km, with precision, tire management and bravery all tested at the limit.
Italian fans are expected to pack the hillsides once again, adding pressure and energy to a venue known for producing some of the season’s most explosive racing.
Tough rookie season
Now competing in his debut premier-class campaign, Razgatlıoğlu made history in 2026 as the first Turkish rider in MotoGP. After six rounds, he sits 22nd in the standings with 4 points, his best result a 13th-place finish at the French Grand Prix.
Riding the Yamaha M1 has demanded a major adjustment from his World Superbike dominance. Known for aggressive braking and late corner entries, he has been working to adapt to prototype machinery that requires finer control of electronics and corner speed discipline.
Early in the season, Aprilia has set the pace, with Marco Bezzecchi leading the standings ahead of Jorge Martin and Fabio Di Giannantonio. KTM’s Pedro Acosta and Japan’s Ai Ogura complete the top five.
For Razgatlıoğlu, Mugello is less about points and more about progress. The high-speed layout will expose both strengths and weaknesses of the Yamaha package, while offering valuable data for development.
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