Sports
Words and mirror: Gauff banks on self-belief for French Open glory
Coco Gauff clinched her long-sought French Open title and second career Grand Slam by harnessing self-belief, capping a personal and professional breakthrough at just 21 years old.
Gauff defeated top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4 on Saturday to add to her U.S. Open title two years ago.
Sabalenka had been the more in-form player heading into the final and Gauff felt she needed some extra motivation.
So she drew inspiration from Gabby Thomas, who became the women’s Olympic 200-meter champion at last year’s Paris Olympics. Thomas had kept writing down that she would be the Olympic champion in her Notes app, so Gauff tried adopting the same approach and grabbed a piece of paper.
“I wrote, ‘I will be French Open champion 2025’ like a bunch of times,” Gauff explained. “She (Thomas) wrote ‘I will be the Olympic champion’ and she ended up winning the gold. I think it’s a great mindset that she had.”
Eight lines on a piece of paper written by Gauff late on a Friday night, then it was finally time for bed, time to rest.
Not quite.
Gauff then persuaded herself a little bit more by staring at the mirror and convincing herself she was looking at the face of a soon-to-be French Open champion.
“Looking at myself in the mirror, so I was trying to instill that belief, and obviously it happened. I didn’t know if it was going to work or not. (But) it did,” Gauff said, then laughed as she added: “When you’re desperate, you’re just trying anything to think that it’s going to help you win.”
Gauff also posted on Instagram another message she wrote to herself four years ago, which started with the words “I had a dream last night that I will win (the) French Open.”
Job done.
What also stood out during the 2 hours and 38 minutes on Court Philippe-Chatrier on Saturday – in a gritty final punctuated by swirling winds due to the open roof – was how Gauff stayed calm while Sabalenka imploded and continually remonstrated with herself.
All the screams and shouts were coming from Sabalenka’s side of the net, while there was an almost quiet, steely focus on Gauff’s side.
That’s largely because these days, Gauff gets her frustrations out before matches.
“I know how important it is for me to let out those emotions so that when I come on the match court I can try and be as calm as possible,” the No. 2-ranked Gauff said. “I’m more cool-headed in matches. But in practice, I can get pretty upset. Just let me be upset. If I’m upset, I’d rather be upset on the practice court than the match.”
Gauff will now switch to the grass-court season and may play in Berlin, Germany in a week’s time before heading to London for Wimbledon, which starts on May 30.
When she gets to London, Gauff will indulge in one of her favorite hobbies: trying to get out of Escape Rooms.
“For sure, I love it, and I’m going to definitely do it,” she said.
And how about Sabalenka? How will she be coping with the defeat and the frustrations she so clearly felt?
Will she be analyzing footage of the match over and over again, trying to understand where she went wrong and what she must do better?
Far from it.
She’s off to indulge herself in Greece.
“I already have a flight booked to Mykonos and alcohol, sugar. I just need couple of days to completely forget about this crazy world,” Sabalenka said. “Tequila, gummy bears, and I don’t know, swimming, being like the tourist for couple of days.”
Sports
Bronny and LeBron James are looking forward to postseason playing time together with the Lakers
LeBron James and Bronny James made NBA history last season when a father and son played together for the first time. They took their family dynamic to another level this season by playing meaningful minutes together and even getting the first father-to-son assist in NBA history.
The James clan has the chance to add another chapter to its family lore this month, thanks to Bronny’s growth into a player that all of the Los Angeles Lakers can trust.
LeBron and Bronny seem likely to play postseason minutes together this month when the Lakers face the Houston Rockets in the first round. The greatest scorer in NBA history and his 21-year-old son have been teammates for nearly two years, but the prospect of accomplishing a new first is still special to both generations.
“It’s insane,” Bronny said Thursday after practice at the Lakers’ training complex. “I mean, I’ve literally watched his whole career. Now I’m a part of it. So it’s a great experience. I’m appreciative of it – but I’m part of the job, too. So I have to do my job as well. I’ve got to lock in.”
Bronny’s playing time has increased over the last month, and he has been a rotation member for the Lakers since Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves went down with injuries two weeks ago.
LeBron takes an obvious fatherly pride in Bronny’s development into a contributor for their short-handed team.
“Every moment we get an opportunity to play together is something I never take for granted,” LeBron said.
“Me being on the floor with him postseason, regular season, training camp, practices, it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me in my career, above everything I’ve accomplished,” he added. “The fact that he’s put himself in position to get his number called for a postseason game is pretty remarkable and pretty cool, given the circumstances that he’s been through over the last couple of years. He earned it. He deserves it. He’ll be ready.”
After playing sporadic NBA minutes during his first 1 1/2 NBA seasons, Bronny has stepped up into a regular role – partly out of necessity with the Lakers’ top two scorers sidelined, but also because he earned more playing time. He has played 13 minutes or more in seven of the Lakers’ past 10 games, averaging 19 minutes over the past four.
That responsibility seems likely to continue in the postseason, since Doncic and Reaves won’t play in Game 1 on Saturday, and there’s no timetable for their return.
Lakers coach JJ Redick confirmed he will be using every healthy option while Los Angeles attempts to beat overwhelming odds without its starting backcourt.
“We’re going to have to have all hands on deck in this series,” Redick said. “That’s just what we’re handed. I think Bronny has improved a lot. We trust him. The shooting piece (of his game), I’m a believer in, because of how well he shot it the last two years in the G League. … He’s improved a ton defensively, in terms of his body positioning, both on and off ball. We want him to continue to evolve as a disruptive defender as well.”
Bronny played only four playoff minutes last season during two of the Lakers’ first-round losses to Minnesota, and he acknowledges hasn’t played in many big games during his brief basketball career.
He spent his sole collegiate season at Southern California, but he didn’t suit up for the Trojans until midseason after his recovery from an offseason cardiac incident, and that team didn’t make the NCAA Tournament.
“It’s what I’ve wanted, to play in the playoffs,” Bronny said. “I wasn’t able to play in March (Madness), and this is a bigger stage than that. I’m so excited to get out there with my teammates and try to get some wins and try to make it further in the playoffs.”
If and when they play together this month, Bronny thinks they can connect quickly. After all, he knows LeBron’s game pretty well.
“I don’t want to give all the answers to the test, but I’ve been watching him for a long time, and I’ve kind of picked up on his tendencies,” Bronny said with a grin. “I think it’s good that I’m paying attention during his career and what he likes to do in the postseason. I think we’ll be able to play good together. My IQ isn’t going to be far behind him, but I know what he’s doing and where he likes to get the ball on the floor.”
Stephen Curry hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 50 seconds left as the Golden State Warriors rallied to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 126-121 on Wednesday, keeping their NBA play-in hopes alive.
Curry, a four-time NBA champion who missed 27 games from February to early April with a nagging knee injury, shook off a slow first half to finish with 35 points.
He connected on seven of 12 of his 3-point attempts to help the Warriors, who trailed most of the way, battle back from a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit.
His last three-pointer put the Warriors up 120-117, and they held on to knock Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers out of the postseason.
The Warriors, who finished the regular season 10th in the Western Conference, will have to win one more game to reach the playoffs proper when they face the Phoenix Suns Friday.
The winner of that game will secure the Western Conference’s eighth seed and a first-round series against the top-seeded, reigning-champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
Curry said the key in Phoenix will once again be “resiliency.”
“These win-or-go-home scenarios, we think we know the team, but you’ve got to be able to withstand the runs and stay in it emotionally.”
“It was back and forth the whole game and then we got over the hump the last three minutes,” he said.
Gui Santos and Kristaps Porzingis scored 20 points apiece for the Warriors and Al Horford made four 3-pointers in the fourth quarter.
Bennedict Mathurin scored 23 points to lead the Clippers. Leonard and Darius Garland scored 21 points each, but Leonard was held to just two points in the final period.
Sixers reach playoffs
The Philadelphia 76ers, fueled by 31 points from Tyrese Maxey, held off the Orlando Magic 109-97 to punch their playoff ticket, booking a first-round meeting with the Boston Celtics.
Maxey scored 31 points and five Philadelphia players scored in double figures as the Sixers overcame the absence of star big man Joel Embiid – who made a surprise appearance watching from the bench as he recovers from an appendectomy.
“Man, we played hard as hell,” Maxey said. “Everybody who stepped on the floor contributed tonight.
“I’m just so happy because, like, a lot of these guys ain’t been to the playoffs before. I told them at the beginning of the year, I don’t care what it takes, we’re going to the playoffs.”
Rookie VJ Edgecombe added 19 points and 11 rebounds and Andre Drummond came off the bench to score 14 points with 10 rebounds, three steals and three blocked shots.
The 76ers’ play-in victory secured the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference and a first-round series against the second-seeded Celtics starting Sunday.
The Magic, led by 34 points from Desmond Bane, will have a last chance to grab the East eighth seed on Friday when they host the Charlotte Hornets, who knocked out the Miami Heat in a 127-126 overtime thriller Tuesday.
The reward for the winner of Friday’s game will be a first-round series against East’s top seeds, Detroit.
Philadelphia led most of the night, but in a tight, sometimes contentious battle, the Magic cut an 11-point deficit midway through the third quarter to one early in the fourth.
Orlando trailed by just four with four minutes remaining, but the Sixers pulled away with a late spurt capped by Drummond’s three-pointer with 41 seconds left.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said Iran will “for sure” play at the 2026 FIFA World Cup despite the U.S.-Israel war on the country, insisting the qualified team will take part in the tournament hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada.
Iran will play “for sure” at the World Cup in the summer in the United States, Mexico and Canada despite the war with the U.S. and Israel, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has said.
Infantino told American broadcasters CNBC at their Invest in America Forum that playing at the big event was important for the country.
Infantino said that Iran will be “coming for sure.”
“Iran has to come, of course. They represent their people. They have qualified. The players want to play.”
“They should play – sports should be outside of politics. Now, okay – we don’t live on the moon, we live on planet Earth, but if there is nobody else that believes in building bridges and in keeping them intact and together, well we are doing that.”
The U.S. and Israel started airstrikes against Iran on Feb. 28. Now, a fragile cease-fire is in place.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said he considers it as not “appropriate” for Iran to take part in the tournament “for their own life and safety.”
Iran had a request to move their group matches from the U.S. to Mexico turned down by FIFA, according to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.
Iran are set to play New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles and Egypt in Seattle at the June 11-July 19 tournament.
Infantino visited the Iran team for a recent friendly against Costa Rica, where he expressed optimism and after the original suggestions that the team may not play, there are now more positive signals from Iran.
Coach Amir Ghalenoei has said that “there is no reason at the moment not to participate,” and Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali was also upbeat, as long as the cease-fire remains in place and the safety of the team in the U.S. was guaranteed.
“The more normal the situation, the more likely taking part will be,” he said.
Infantino agreed, saying: “We hope that by then, of course, the situation will be a peaceful situation, that would definitely help.”
A final decision on Iran’s participation is said to be made by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, led by Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian and overseen by Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.
LaMelo Ball alternated between spectacular plays and costly mistakes as the Charlotte Hornets edged the Miami Heat 127-126 in overtime Tuesday to knock them out of the NBA play-in tournament.
Charlotte had never won a win-or-go-home postseason game in 12 previous attempts and looked in danger of extending that record after blowing a 125-120 lead with 26 seconds remaining to allow Miami to edge ahead 126-125.
After Miami star Tyler Herro sank a superb corner 3-pointer to make it 125-123, Ball carelessly turned over possession and then gave away three free throws with a rash lunge on Herro.
Herro drained all three shots to give Miami the lead with just nine seconds left.
Ball, however, made amends with a determined driving layup to make it 127-126 before an athletic block from Miles Bridges snuffed out Miami’s last-gasp attempt to win it.
“We stuck with it and ground it out,” Ball said. “We wasn’t hitting our threes, all the shots weren’t hitting, but we stuck with it.”
Ball was at the center of controversy over an incident in the second quarter, which led to Miami star Bam Adebayo hobbling out of the game.
After being blocked during a drive to the basket, Ball reached out and tripped Adebayo with a tug on his standing leg, sending the Miami star crashing to the hardwood. He played no further part in the game.
Miami coach Erik Spoelstra was furious that Ball escaped an ejection.
“The referees are there for what? How did they not see that? I don’t want this to be an excuse, Charlotte was incredible at the end,” Spoelstra fumed.
“I don’t think that’s cute. I don’t think it’s funny. I think it’s a stupid play. It’s a dangerous play. Our best player is out.
“(LaMelo) should be penalized for that. I don’t think that belongs in the game, tripping guys, shenanigans. Someone has got to see that. And he should have been thrown out of the game for that.”
The victory means Charlotte, beaten in their two previous appearances in the play-in tournament in 2021 and 2022, remain alive in the postseason while Miami are eliminated.
Charlotte will face the loser of Wednesday’s Eastern Conference play-in game between the eighth-seeded Orlando Magic and seventh-seeded Philadelphia 76ers.
The reward for the winner of that game Friday is a first-round playoff series against top seeds Detroit.
In Tuesday’s Western Conference play-in game, a sensational 41-point display from Israeli forward Deni Avdija inspired the Portland Trail Blazers to a 114-110 upset of the seventh-seeded Phoenix Suns.
Phoenix looked to be heading into a first-round playoff series against the San Antonio Spurs after moving into an eight-point lead with just over three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
But a dazzling late burst of scoring from Portland, who went on a 17-5 run to close the game, means the Suns must now play either the Golden State Warriors or Los Angeles Clippers in the final round of the play-in to advance to the playoffs.
Avdija was backed by 21 points from Jrue Holiday, while Jerami Grant added 16 points from the bench.
Jalen Green led Phoenix with 35 points while Devin Booker finished with 22 points.
Late goals from Luis Diaz and Michael Olise meant Bayern Munich finally got the better of Real Madrid in another enthralling game Wednesday to march into the Champions League semifinals.
Real’s Arda Güler scored twice, but Bayern won 6-4 on aggregate in the quarterfinal after a 4-3 second-leg victory in Munich that will live long in the memory. They face holders Paris Saint-Germain in the last four in late April and early May.
A terrible first-minute kick-out by Manuel Neuer, who was superb in a thrilling first leg, allowed Real’s Güler to fire into an empty net from 25 meters for his maiden Champions League goal.
It was a quick and sudden blow for six-time champions Bayern, who had dominated for long spells while winning 2-1 in Madrid last week.
But the home side soon leveled to lead the tie again, Real keeper Andriy Lunin this time at fault as Aleksandar Pavlovic headed in a corner while standing on the line.
Güler then bent in a free kick just before the half-hour mark, with Neuer arguably exposed again before Harry Kane scored with aplomb to put Bayern back ahead.
Kylian Mbappe netted his 15th goal of the Champions League season from Vinicius Junior’s slick pass before the break to leave the game poised for extra time. Bayern appealed for a foul early in the build-up, but were waved away.
The drama slowed slightly in the second half, but a second booking for Real substitute Eduardo Camavinga late in the half boosted the hosts.
Colombia’s Diaz then struck on 89 minutes and Olise in stoppage time as Bayern ended a run of four successive defeats against the 15-time record champions in knock-out ties in the elite European event.
The last Bayern home win against Real was in the 2012 semifinals when the Bavarians ultimately also progressed.
Bayern midfielder Joshua Kimmich told DAZN: “A lot of drama. We didn’t start like we hoped. But we knew at halftime, the longer the game went, the better it was to our advantage. It was worth watching to the end. I hope the kids in Germany were allowed to stay up.”
Tom Bischof joined fellow young star Lennart Karl in missing the game due to a calf injury as Bayern named the same team from the first leg.
Kane started having rested his ankle in the weekend’s 5-0 win at St. Pauli, which took them within four points of the Bundesliga title.
Jude Bellingham was one of four changes to Real’s line-up compared to the first leg and Los Blancos, a distant second in La Liga, looked a different proposition to the tentative team from the Bernabeu leg.
They were helped initially by 40-year-old Neuer, who is considering retiring at the end of the season.
A madcap first-half was a joy to watch for neutrals and Neuer denied Mbappe early in a calmer second period, which saw Jamal Musiala enter the fray on the hour. It was his back-heel that allowed Diaz the space to fire home via a slight deflection from just outside the box.
Olise, again immense, added the cherry on top of the cake and there was even time for Güler to be sent off later in injury time.
Arsenal through
Arsenal will meet Atletico Madrid in the semifinals after a nervous 0-0 home draw with Sporting sealed a 1-0 aggregate victory.
The Gunners have seen their hopes of a quadruple fall apart in recent weeks after losing the League Cup final to Manchester City and then being dumped out of the FA Cup by second-tier Southampton.
They still top the Premier League but visit City on Sunday knowing a defeat will leave the title out of their hands.
Both sides hit the post through Geny Catamo and Leandro Trossard, but it was Kai Havertz’s late goal in last week’s first leg in Lisbon that made the difference.
The 2006 runners-up reached their second straight Champions League semi-final, having lost to PSG last term.
Midfielder Declan Rice told TNT Sports: “I’m delighted. I’m so, so happy. We now want to go one step forward than last season and get to the final.”
Atletico Madrid survived a fierce Barcelona fightback and defending champion Paris Saint-Germain eliminated Liverpool on Tuesday to reach the Champions League semifinals.
Barca headed to Atletico 2-0 down from the quarterfinal first leg, yet early goals from Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres gave them hope of a memorable comeback against their Spanish rivals.
But Ademola Lookman’s finish later in the first half handed the hosts a 3-2 aggregate lead and a red card for Eric Garcia after a professional foul on 79 minutes effectively ended Barcelona’s dream.
“We’re absolutely delighted. Barcelona are such a top-class side. We put in a brilliant performance over there and the team managed to bounce back today,” said Atletico captain Koke, whose side eliminated the Catalans in a Champions League quarterfinal for the third time.
Atleti have never won Europe’s top club prize but the 1974, 2014 and 2016 runners-up are back in the semifinals for the first time since 2017 after edging the five-time champions.
Diego Simeone’s side next face Arsenal or Sporting, who play their second leg Wednesday.
Ousmane Dembele scored twice as PSG won 2-0 in rainy north-west England and 4-0 on aggregate to seal a meeting with Bayern Munich or record winners Real Madrid in late April and early May.
“It’s the little things that make the difference in a match. We managed to stay strong and defended well,” PSG skipper Marquinhos, who made a last-ditch tackle to deny Virgil van Dijk, told Canal+.
PSG won their first Champions League title last term after ditching the idea of collecting world stars and instead building a young team.
The plan has continued to pay dividends this season and a 2-0 win at the Parc des Princes last week set them up perfectly to deal with Tuesday’s Anfield second-leg cauldron, where they also progressed last season in the last 16.
Liverpool’s luck was summed up by Hugo Ekitike going off with a serious-looking injury as Mo Salah came off the bench. Fellow injury-prone big signing Alexander Isak was hooked at the break.
The hosts were awarded a penalty for a foul on Alexis Mac Allister in the second half, but it was overturned on video review as replays suggested the Argentina man had only slipped.
World player of the year Dembele scored from the edge of the area soon afterwards and added another on the counter in stoppage time.
Liverpool, fifth domestically, have this term been a shadow of the side that romped to the Premier League crown last season.
“We lost, but we have to build from that and realize how good we can be,” Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konaté told Prime Video.
Spanish league leaders Barcelona were stunned at the Nou Camp by Atleti in last week’s first leg and went to Madrid with their youngest team in a Champions League knock-out clash.
The average age was 24 years and 347 days and the youngest, 18-year-old Yamal, had a good chance early on before netting after just four minutes to silence an otherwise bouncing Metropolitano.
The home defense was all at sea as Torres played in the Spain star, who had blocked ex-Barcelona defender Clement Lenglet’s backpass.
It was 2-0 some 20 minutes later when Dani Olmo assisted Torres for a superb finish. Fermin Lopez then spurned a top chance for 3-0.
It was costly as Lookman converted Marcos Llorente’s whipped cross to put the hosts ahead again in the tie after a breathless half an hour.
Opportunities came and went at both ends in the second half, with Lookman firing wide and Torres having a goal ruled out for offside.
Hansi Flick’s team kept pushing, with Robert Lewandowski and Marcus Rashford brought on, but they could not find the goal to force extra time after Garcia’s red following a protracted review.
“We’re disappointed. We had plenty of chances. We had the chance to make it 3-0, but in the end we conceded that key goal,” the German boss said. “We weren’t very lucky. That’s just how it went.”
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