SEVEN DIFFERENT CHAMPIONS IN THE LAST SEVEN WOMEN’S SINGLES GRAND SLAMS

 

NOVAK DJOKOVIC | CAREER GRAND SLAM MATCH WINS

 

GRAND SLAM FINAL HISTORY | DOUBLE BAGELS

A Rare and Ruthless Feat: Steffi Graf and Iga Swiatek Stand Alone in Grand Slam History!🙌🏻🔥

In one of the most dominant displays ever witnessed on tennis' biggest stage, Iga Swiatek joins legend Steffi Graf as the only two players to deliver a double bagel (6-0, 6-0) in a Grand Slam final, Steffi Graf at the 1988 French Open and Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon 2025. A mark of absolute supremacy🎾🤌🏻🤯💯

-FirstSports

'I LOST TO NOVAK DJOKOVIC ' - ALEXANDER ZVEREV ISSUES BLUNT RESPONSE TO BORIS BECKER'S CRITICISM AFTER FRENCH OPEN EXIT

Alexander Zverev recently responded to Boris Becker's criticism of his performance in the French Open quarterfinals. The German lost to Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals at Roland Garros. The Serb delivered an exceptional performance and claimed a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 victory

Following his loss at the French Open, Zverev received sharp criticism from former tennis star Becker. The six-time Grand Slam winner said Zverev should stop training under his father, as he needs a change of environment to improve his performance.

"You get the impression that he plays in the same rut against the top players and hopes that the result will be good. The father and brother did a great job, but it wasn't good enough for the last step," said Becker (as quoted by Blue News).

Zverev responded bluntly, stating that he lost to Novak Djokovic, one of the best players, and not to 250th-ranked Hans Peter. He also spoke about his relationship with Becker, stating:

"I still see myself as a candidate to compete against the two guys up there. I lost to Djokovic, not to Hans Peter, who is ranked 250 in the world.I also had a lot of contact with Boris before he made that statement. I still have massive respect for him. I will always listen to what he has to say, but I don't always have to agree," said Alexander Zverev in the press conference ahead of Stuttgart Open.

Zverev is preparing to compete at the Stuttgart Open, which is slated to commence on Wednesday, June 11.

Alexander Zverev opened up about his loss at the French Open

In the post-match press conference, Alexander Zverev made his feelings known about the French Open, stating the reason behind his loss. The German revealed that the weather affected his performance as it was too cold. He said (as quoted by GB News):

"It was very, very cold. So my serve speed was not very high.Again, as I said, I think when the sun completely went down, it was difficult for me to get through the court a little bit. It was difficult for me to find, you know, kind of ways to be dominant in the rally, because my serve was neutralised very well by him."

"Then also, I felt like my groundstrokes, every time I tried to be aggressive, I was not really doing much. It was difficult for me to find a solution, I think, in the cold conditions," Zverev added.

Alexander Zverev commenced his 2025 season by competing at the Australian Open, where he reached the final but fell short of claiming the title after losing to Jannik Sinner 6-3, 7-6(7), 6-3. The German has claimed only one title this season so far, after he bested Ben Shelton in the BMW Open by Bitpanda.

- Nancy Singh

CHRIS EVERT 'WAS LIKE WOW' AFTER HEARING ARYNA SABALENKA'S CONTROVERSIAL COMMENTS

Aryna Sabalenka with Chris Evert inset

Chris Evert admits she was surprised by Aryna Sabalenka’s post-match comments following her French Open final defeat to Coco Gauff.

Sabalenka was quick out of the blocks in the women’s showpiece match at Roland Garros as she went a double break up in the first set, but her American opponent pulled it back and took it to a tie-breaker before the world No 1 eventually claimed the set.

The conditions started playing havoc with the wind having a big impact and Gauff upped her game even further as she started to dominate.

The world No 2 eventually claimed a 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 6-4 victory to secure her second Grand Slam title following her success at the 2023 US Open where she also beat the Belarusian.

Sabalenka was very emotional during the post-match presentation interview as she described it as her “worst final”.

Later in the press conference, she again lamented her performance, saying: “It was really honestly the worst tennis I’ve played in the last, I don’t know, in the last I don’t know how many months.

“Conditions were terrible, and she simply was better in these conditions than me. I think it was the worst final I ever played.”

Sabalenka ended Iga Swiatek’s title defence in the semi-final with a three-set win and she also stated that the Pole “would have won the final”.

She added: “I don’t know, I think Iga – if Iga would win me another day, I think she would go out today and she would get the win.

“Yeah, it just hurts. Honestly hurts. I’ve been playing really well, and then in the last match, go out there and perform like I did, that’s hurt.”

Former world No 1 Evert was unimpressed by the three-time Grand Slam winner’s comments as she felt Sabalenka should have come up with a gameplan to counter the conditions.

“When you heard Aryna say it was the worst [final], I was like wow! You have to adjust,” the 18-time Grand Slam winner is quoted as saying by The Tennis Gazette.

“It’s the same on both sides. You have to make that adjustment. If you are number one in the world or number two in the world, you should know how to play on windy days by now.

“It was swirling. Well, you know what, then you really have to get ready and prepared for the shot quicker and you have to be aware of that and make the court smaller and not go for the lines all the time if it’s that windy.

“It was the same for both of them and I think Coco really adapted to it much better.”

- Shahida Jacobs

EALA VS. ARANGO | WTA FRENCH OPEN 2025

 

RAFAEL NADAL AT ROLAND-GARROS

 

BOXER IMANE KHELIF DOMINANT AGAIN, INTO GOLD MEDAL BOUT

Imane Khelif beat Janjaem Suwannapheng of Thailand 5:0 in the semifinals to advance to the gold-medal bout and clinch at least a silver medal. Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

PARIS -- Boxer Imane Khelif of Algeria advanced to the gold medal bout in the women's welterweight division at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday night, moving one win away from what she calls the best response to the worldwide scrutiny she has faced over misconceptions about her gender.

With one more victory, Khelif would win Algeria's second boxing gold medal and its first in women's boxing.

Khelif defeated Janjaem Suwannapheng of Thailand 5-0 in the semifinals at Roland Garros, where the crowd roared and chanted her name throughout her three-round fight. Khelif has won three consecutive bouts in Paris, and she will win either a gold or a silver medal when she completes the tournament on Friday against Yang Liu of China.

Khelif has thrived inside the ring in Paris amid criticism and stigmatization outside of it. The trouble has stemmed from the Olympic-banished International Boxing Association's decision to disqualify her and fellow Paris medalist Lin Yu-ting of Chinese Taipei from the world championships last year for allegedly failing an eligibility test.

The controversy has become one of the biggest stories of the Paris Olympics, but it isn't causing any negative effects on her performances in the ring.

"I don't care about that," Khelif said through an interpreter. "I wish to be ready and show a good standard, show my talent, because I want to entertain everyone."

Khelif had already clinched Algeria's first medal in women's boxing before she stepped into the ring to rousing roars at Court Philippe Chatrier. She controlled her bout with Suwannapheng, who took a standing eight count late in the third after absorbing a series of punches.

"I had heard about the news regarding her, but I wasn't following it closely," Suwannapheng said. "She is a woman, but she is very strong."

Khelif has won every round on every judge's card in her two fights that have gone the distance in Paris. She has made the most important tournament run of her international career amid criticism and stigmatization stemming from the Olympic-banished International Boxing Association's decision to disqualify her and fellow Paris medalist Lin Yu-ting of Chinese Taipei from the world championships last year for allegedly failing an eligibility test.

"I am very happy," Khelif said. "I've worked eight years for these Olympics, and I'm very proud of this moment. I would like to thank the support from people back home."

The ending of Khelif's first bout in Paris propelled her into the center of a worldwide divide over gender identity and safety regulations in sports. Her first opponent, Angela Carini of Italy, tearfully quit after just 46 seconds, saying she was in too much pain from Khelif's punches.

Carini's abandonment of the fight led to comments from the likes of former U.S. President Donald Trump, "Harry Potter" writer J.K. Rowling and others falsely claiming Khelif was a man or transgender.

In an interview with SNTV, a sports video partner of The Associated Press, Khelif said the wave of hateful scrutiny she is facing "harms human dignity" and called for an end to bullying athletes.

Khelif also said she felt the "best response" to the uproar around her would be to win a gold medal -- and now she's one win away from claiming it.

After sharing a hug with Suwannapheng, Khelif celebrated in the ring by running joyously in place while pumping her fists as the crowd roared for her again. The celebration was more joyous than her cathartic finish to her quarterfinal victory over Hungary's Anna Luca Hamori, when she slammed her palm on the canvas as she teared up.

Khelif received her post-fight medical check and was headed out of the Roland Garros arena when she was mobbed by fans near the exit. They hugged Khelif, demanded selfies and waved Algerian flags while she made her way backstage.

Khelif received cheers that echoed through the famed tennis arena from the moment she entered to face Suwannapheng. Roland Garros welcomed a prominent turnout from Algerian fans voicing their national pride in a boxer whose negative spotlight has been taken quite personally in her country.

Both fighters came out aggressively, trading punches from distance. Khelif was more accurate while winning the first round on all five cards, and she repeated the performance in the second.

The fight got more physical in the third, with Suwannapheng pushing forward to make a comeback. The bout was stopped for a standing eight count late in the third when Suwannapheng absorbed a few head punches in succession, although Suwannapheng appeared to shrug as if it wasn't necessary -- as is often the case in Olympic boxing, where referees can stop a bout for relatively minor reasons.

"I tried to use my speed, but my opponent was just too strong," Suwannapheng said.

Khelif, 25, is on the best run of her amateur career at the Olympics. She has performed solidly at the international level and even won some regional tournaments, but Khelif has never been a dominant fighter on the world stage until her two strong performances -- and 46 seconds of easy work against a third -- to reach the final in Paris.

The IOC and its president, Thomas Bach, have repeatedly defended the Olympic eligibility of Khelif and Lin while condemning the IBA as incompetent and biased.

Khelif and Lin were disqualified by the IBA in the middle of last year's world championships over what it claimed were failed eligibility tests for the women's competition. The IBA has been banished from the Olympics since before the Tokyo Games.

Lin also has clinched a medal and advanced to the Olympic semifinals. She fights Esra Yildiz Kahraman of Turkey in the first bout Wednesday night at Roland Garros.

Algeria's Olympic team has reacted forcefully to the criticism and negative attention around Khelif, and the fan turnout in Roland Garros reflected the seriousness with which the accusations have been received in her home country and in its French diaspora.

Chinese Taipei has reacted with equal condemnation of the IBA's claims and the worldwide swirl of scrutiny. Sports officials on Tuesday said they are considering legal action against the IBA after sending a letter protesting "the International Boxing Association's continued publication of false information, obscuring the facts, and attempting to interfere with the normal conduct of the event regardless of the rights and interests of athletes."

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

- ESPN News Services

SWIATEK VS. PAOLINI | FINALS HIGHLIGHTS | ROLAND GARROS 2024

CARLOS ALCARAZ VS. ALEXANDER ZVEREIAV| ROLAND GARROS FINAL 2024

 

COCO GAUFF WINS HER FIRST GRAND SLAM DOUBLES TITLE AT THE FRENCH OPEN

AP Photo 

 PARIS (AP) — Coco Gauff won her first Grand Slam doubles title by teaming with Katerina Siniakova for the French Open trophy on Sunday.

Gauff, a 20-year-old American who won the U.S. Open singles title last year, and Siniakova, who is from the Czech Republic, defeated Italians Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani 7-6 (5), 6-3 on Court Philippe Chatrier.

It was Gauff's third women's doubles final after losing championship matches at Roland Garros in 2022 and the U.S. Open in 2021.

AP Photo 

Gauff and Siniakova both kissed the Coupe Simonne Mathieu — the winners' trophy.

“Third time’s a charm. Thank you, Katerina, for playing with me. We decided two days before the tournament to play together,” Gauff said. "Thank you to the fans. I know 11:30 Sunday morning is early for most people. It’s early for me.”

Paolini was also the runner-up in the singles final at Roland Garros to four-time champion Iga Swiatek on Saturday. Swiatek beat Gauff in the singles semifinal.

AP Photo 

“The last two weeks were very nice, very emotional,” Paolini said. “I have a lot of memories. I can’t wait to be back.”

Siniakova owns a career Slam in women's doubles alongside partner Barbora Krejcikova and has won eight majors — including the French Open in 2018 and 2021.

AP Photo 

Errani also owns a career Slam in doubles alongside her former partner Roberta Vinci. The Italian pair won the French Open title in 2012 — the year Errani lost the singles final.

“It’s really special to be in this court again. I don’t know how many more years I have to play. But it’s always special to play these kinds of matches,” the 37-year-old Errani said. “It will be special to play the Olympics here in this place. So I’ll see you in one month.”

AP Photo 

Paolini was playing in her first final in women's doubles.

Errani’s serve was broken twice in the first set, and Paolini stayed on the baseline to compensate in the 11th game. The tactic worked as Errani held serve.

Gauff and Siniakova took the first set when Errani’s volley at the net went long and raced to a 4-1 lead in the second set, with Paolini 0-30 down on her serve.

The Italians fought back to 4-3 with a service game to follow, but Errani’s serve was broken again and their momentum was lost. ___

- JEROME PUGMIRE

IGA SWIATEK LIFTS THE FRENCH OPEN FOR THE 4TH TIME | ROLAND GARROS 2024

 

SINNER VS. ALCARAZ | SEMI-FINAL | FRENCH OPEN 2024

 

JOHN MCENROE BLAMES ROLAND-GARROS FOR PLAYING NOVAK DJOKOVIC IN TOUGH-NIGHT CONDITIONS

 

MEDIEVAL VS. DE MINAUR | ROUND 4 HIGHLIGHTS | ROLAND-GARROS 2024

 

ROLAND-GARROS 2024 | SINNER VS. DIMITROV | HIGHLIGHTS

ALCARAZ VS. TSITSIPAS | HIGHLIGHTS | ROLAND GARROS 2024

 

DJOKOVIC ROCKS FRENCH OPEN WITH WITHDRAWAL, SINNER ASSURED OF TOP RANKING

USA TODAY Sports 

 Novak Djokovic's French Open title defence ended with a whimper following the top seed's withdrawal due to a right knee problem while Jannik Sinner celebrated his imminent takeover as world number one with a crushing win over Grigor Dimitrov on Tuesday.

There was no drama on the women's side as holder Iga Swiatek continued her quest for a fourth Roland Garros trophy by hitting top gear during a 6-0 6-2 victory over 2019 runner-up Marketa Vondrousova to also reach the semi-finals.

American third seed Coco Gauff earlier fought back to beat fan-favourite Ons Jabeur 4-6 6-2 6-3 and will take on Swiatek in a tantalising rematch of their 2022 final, which the Pole won.

Roland Garros was rocked towards the end of Sinner's routine win as organisers announced that Djokovic had withdrawn from his 2023 final rematch with seventh seed Casper Ruud in the last-eight on Wednesday.

It meant that Sinner, who ended Djokovic's quest for an 11th Australian Open title en route to his first Grand Slam trophy in January, will also take his top ranking next Monday and become the first Italian to do so.

USA TODAY Sports 

Djokovic needed a superhuman effort and five sets to subdue Argentine Francisco Cerundolo on Monday after being dragged the distance for a second straight contest and the Serb aggravated the injury he had been carrying by slipping on court.

The French Open said MRI results revealed that Djokovic, who played on with pain-killers, had suffered a torn medial meniscus that prompted him to take the decision.

It was the latest in a series of unfortunate events for the 37-year-old, who won three out of the four majors last year but has looked off the pace this season, with defeats and an injury threatening his bid for Wimbledon and Paris Olympics glory.

Even as Djokovic arrived at Roland Garros to clean out his locker, Sinner was easing to a 6-2 6-4 7-6(3) win over Dimitrov and the 22-year-old said he had achieved a lifelong dream, even if it was not the way he expected to.

"What can I say? First of all it's every player's dream to be number one. On the other hand, seeing Novak retiring here is, for everyone, disappointing. I wish him a quick recovery," Sinner said.

The Australian Open champion could face a potentially tricky test against two-times Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz or former Roland Garros runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas who face off later.

- Sridhar 

NOVAK DJOKOVIC WINS IN 5 SETS AT FRENCH OPEN, UNSURE OF KNEE

Novak Djokovic won his 370th career match in a Grand Slam event, breaking a record that he shared with Roger Federer. With his five-set victory over Francisco Cerundolo, Djokovic also reached his 59th quarterfinals in a Grand Slam event, also a record. Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

 PARIS -- Novak Djokovic was not sure whether he would be able to play in the French Open quarterfinals after injuring his right knee Monday and needing anti-inflammatory pills to be able to finish his thrilling five-set victory against No. 23 Francisco Cerundolo.

Djokovic, down a set and a break in the match, rallied to win 6-1, 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 at Roland Garros for his record 370th win in a Grand Slam match.

"I was," Djokovic said, "maybe three or four points away from losing this match."

Djokovic said he has been bothered by the knee for a couple of weeks, but it got worse after he tweaked it early in the second set Monday. He took a medical timeout, then was visited a few other times by a trainer and a doctor, who gave him the medicine that Djokovic said eventually helped him feel better and move without restrictions.

After the match, Djokovic said there was a moment where he wondered whether he should continue. He said early scans on the knee are positive, but he still has concerns and will have more scans Tuesday.

He is supposed to meet No. 7 seed Casper Ruud in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. Ruud, who eliminated No. 12 Taylor Fritz in four sets Monday, lost to Djokovic in the French Open final last year and to Rafael Nadal in the 2022 title match.

"I don't know until [Tuesday] if I can step out and play," Djokovic said of the quarterfinals. "I hope so. ... Let's see what happens."

This was the second consecutive five-set comeback victory that lasted about 4½ hours for Djokovic, who is ranked No. 1. In the third round, he also fell behind in sets 2-1 but made his way past No. 30 Lorenzo Musetti, 22, from Italy, finishing Sunday after 3 a.m. -- the latest finish in French Open history.

With Monday's victory, Djokovic broke a tie with Roger Federer for the most match wins at major tournaments -- and also for the most Slam quarterfinals for a man by reaching the 59th of his career.

The first signs of trouble for Djokovic came in the second set, when he began flexing his right leg. He took a medical timeout and laid down on a towel placed on the sideline, where a trainer massaged that knee then had Djokovic flip onto his belly to work on his hamstring.

Djokovic winced as his right leg was manipulated, a scene repeated at subsequent changeovers.

The No. 1-ranked Djokovic ultimately triumphed in ways that have become familiar through his years of dominance and 24 major trophies, both turning around a contest after trailing and emerging when the tension is greatest.

He is now 40-11 in fifth sets over his career.

"How did I find the way to win again? I don't know," Djokovic told the crowd at Court Philippe Chatrier. "The only explanation I have is you. Thank you."

Against Cerundolo, 25, from Argentina, who was trying to reach his first Grand Slam quarterfinal, Djokovic, 37, again used all of his skills, experience and ability to adjust on the fly. He came through, in part, by playing more aggressively and putting extra speed on his groundstrokes, while dealing with whatever was going on with his knee.

Djokovic trailed 4-2 in the fourth set but surged from there.

At 4-3 in the fourth, he smacked a winner to earn a break point -- evoking roars from the stands -- and converted when Cerundolo netted a shot.

Djokovic shook his racket overhead, and a chant of his two-syllable nickname rang out, "No-le! No-le!"

At 2-1 in the fifth set, Djokovic's feet gave way as he chased a ball to his right, and he rolled on the ground, caking his white shorts, his red shirt and parts of his arms and legs with the rust-colored clay. As he walked to the sideline to grab a bottle of water to help clean off, he gave a piece of his mind to anyone who would listen, renewing an earlier complaint about wanting the court to be swept to improve traction.

That request was rejected as the sweeping schedule is pre-agreed to.

"Well done, supervisor and everybody," Djokovic said, his voice drenched in sarcasm. "Not slippery at all."

Yet he was just fine at 3-all in that set, when he stretched and slid, doing the splits, while somehow getting his racket on the ball for a drop volley to win a point. His chest on the ground, Djokovic stuck out both arms, mimicking an airplane, and smiled.

After the match, Djokovic said he believed there was "little to no clay" on the court and that the knee injury happened because he slipped "too many times."

During play, Djokovic stumbled occasionally. And limped a bit. After some lengthier points, he leaned on his racket or bent at the waist and rested with his hands on his knees or crouched.

He said he received a "maximum dose" of meds from his trainer to deal with the knee discomfort and it helped him once it kicked in near the end of the fourth set.

"[That's] when things started to really improve for me," Djokovic said. "I started to feel less limitations in my movement. Basically the whole fifth set was almost without any pain, which is great, you know."

When he missed a backhand that allowed Cerundolo to convert a break point for the first time in 13 tries, Djokovic handed over the second set. Soon, Djokovic was staring at a hole of two sets to one. And not long after that, he was down 4-2 in the fourth.

Ruud, the two-time French Open runner-up, ousted Fritz 7-6 (6), 3-6, 6-4, 6-2. The other men's matchup scheduled for Wednesday will be No. 11 Alex de Minaur against No. 4 Alexander Zverev, who was a 4-6, 6-1, 5-7, 7-6 (2), 6-2 winner against No. 13 Holger Rune in a match that ended at 1:40 a.m. on Tuesday.

On Monday, de Minaur defeated No. 5 Daniil Medvedev 4-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-3 to become the first Australian man in the French Open quarterfinals since Lleyton Hewitt in 2004.

ESPN's Tom Hamilton and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

- ESPN News Services

TSITSIPAS VS. ARLNALDI | ROUND 4 | HIGHLIGHTS | FRENCH OPEN 2024