Novak Djokovic drops major retirement suggestion after French Open defeat
Novak Djokovic said his French Open semi-final defeat to World No 1 Jannik Sinner could have been his final match at Roland Garros as he sparked suggestions that he is nearing retirement.
The 38-year-old was denied in his bid to a win a record-breaking 25th grand slam singles title as Sinner held on to win in straight-sets.
Djokovic took his time leaving the court, waving to the crowd, and said he felt 'gratitude' for the support he received during the loss.
The Serbian said he wants to play this season's Wimbledon and US Open but could not guarantee that he would continue playing into the 2026 season.
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BBC News
34 minutes ago
- BBC News
Ronaldo rejects offers to play at Club World Cup
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo says he will not play at this month's Club World Cup after turning down offers from participating teams. The 40-year-old is out of contract with Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr at the end of May, Fifa president Gianni Infantino raised the prospect of Ronaldo joining a team involved at the Club World Cup after Al-Nassr's failure to qualify. "I will not be at the Club World Cup," said Ronaldo. "Some teams reached out to me. Some made sense and others did not, but you can't try and do everything. You can't catch every ball." Ronaldo posted on social media that "the chapter is over" following Al-Nassr's final league game of the season in May, leading to speculation he was set for a sources have told BBC Sport that the club are confident of extending Ronaldo's deal. Speaking before Portugal's Nations League final against Spain on Sunday (20:00 BST), Ronaldo said a decision on his future was "almost final". The striker joined Al-Nassr in 2023 after the termination of his deal with Manchester has scored 99 goals in 111 appearances for the club, including 35 times in 41 matches last term. Ronaldo scored the winner in a 2-1 victory against Germany on Wednesday to book Portugal's spot in the Nations League final.
BreakingNews.ie
40 minutes ago
- BreakingNews.ie
A Tottenham Hotspur legend forever – Son Heung-min hails sacked Ange Postecoglou
Son Heung-min hailed Ange Postecoglou as a 'Tottenham Hotspur legend' as the club's supporters' trust expressed 'concern' with another change in manager. Postecoglou ended Spurs' 17-year wait for silverware with Europa League success over Manchester United in Bilbao on May 21, but it failed to earn the Australian a third season. Advertisement A club statement on Friday announcing Postecoglou's departure highlighted a woeful Premier League campaign where Tottenham finished 17th, which is their lowest top-flight finish since relegation in 1977. Captain Son was one of several Spurs players to pay tribute to Postecoglou, writing on Instagram: 'Gaffer. You've changed the trajectory of this club. Following a review of performances and after significant reflection, the Club can announce that Ange Postecoglou has been relieved of his duties. — Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) June 6, 2025 'You believed in yourself, and us, since day one and never wavered for a second. Even when others did. 'You knew what we were capable of all along. You did it your way. And your way brought this club the best night it's had in decades. We will have those memories for life. Advertisement 'You trusted me with the captaincy. One of the highest honours of my career. It's been an incredible privilege to learn from your leadership up close, I am a better player and a better person because of you. 'Ange Postecoglou, you are a Tottenham Hotspur legend forever. Thank you, mate.' Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario was Postecoglou's first signing and said: 'You are not only a top manager, you are an incredible person to work for, a real leader, a mentor, and someone I'll always look up to. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Son HeungMin(손흥민)🇰🇷 (@hm_son7) 'What we achieved together will stay in the history books. Wishing you nothing but success as I know you will go on to achieve more and more. Thank you, Boss.' Advertisement Dutch defender Micky van de Ven added: 'Gaffer, thank you for everything! Believed in me from the first day I arrived at the club. 'Many ups and downs in the last two years but you kept believing in us and kept pushing us. Big part of the success from the club this year, and forever grateful that u made me part of it. All the best.' Striker Dominic Solanke signed for Spurs last summer in a £65million deal. He said: 'Thank you for bringing me to this wonderful club, thank you for bringing us a wonderful trophy. Advertisement '(I) won't ever forget the convo we had before I signed and we achieved a dream! All the best in your next adventure.' Right-back Pedro Porro insisted the 59-year-old would 'always be celebrated', writing: 'Thank you for everything, boss. 'I'll always be grateful for the way you led us, defended us, and kept us going through all the highs and lows. Above everything, you gave us one of the greatest moments in the club's history and for that, you'll always be celebrated.' Forward Richarlison added: 'Everyone who loves the Spurs will remember that Big Ange always bags trophies in his second season.' Advertisement On behalf of our members and Spurs fans everywhere we would like to thank Ange Postecoglou for his passion and commitment during his two years at Spurs. The vast majority of fans will love Ange forever because of the incredible moments he gave us in the Europa League,… — THST (@THSTOfficial) June 6, 2025 The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust thanked Postecoglou for an 'amazing night' in Bilbao but acknowledged league results were a 'long way short' of expectation. 'Our concern now is that it appears we will have yet another change of direction and that this is something that is becoming a habit since we said goodbye to Mauricio Pochettino in 2019,' a THST statement read. Sport Ange Postecoglou proud of bringing 'glory' back to... Read More 'We can only hope that the right decision has been made and that the new manager is fully supported by the board and everyone at the club to build on the cup success that Ange has lain. 'He will need the finances to build a strong squad that can challenge simultaneously on many fronts. We wish whoever is appointed well. Spurs fans have had a taste of glory and we don't want to wait another 17 years for more.' Brentford boss Thomas Frank is reported to be the leading contender to take over, with Crystal Palace's Oliver Glasner, Fulham manager Marco Silva, Burnley head coach Scott Parker and Andoni Iraola of Bournemouth also linked with the post.
The Independent
43 minutes ago
- The Independent
Why Thomas Frank is exactly the right manager for Tottenham
It is the kind of story that has got around the Premier League, and explains why so many wealthy clubs have considered Thomas Frank. Earlier this season, the Brentford coach was having a chat with Fabian Hurzeler, and enthusing about Brighton's style of play. 'I'd love to play like this,' Frank said, before smiling. 'I'd need another £100m, though.' If that sounds self-indulgent, and like a manager who can only play a certain way if he is given sufficient money, it isn't. It is really testament to the job he has done without money. After Brentford got promoted in 2020-21, they had by far the lowest wage bill in the Premier League for the next two seasons. Figures of £68m and £99m should have sent them straight back down, in a way we've seen with so many other promoted clubs. Frank instead established Brentford in the Premier League, making them a fixture. It's hardly as if other clubs are queuing up for their players, either, in the way they are with Bournemouth. He has made them so much better than the sum of their parts, and it is why Tottenham Hotspur are actively pursuing him. Analysis by Swiss Ramble shows that Brentford have been top of the league in terms of performance relative to wages for every single season they have been in the Premier League. That shows the scale of Frank's overperformance. It could be said this is merely a case of a manager perfectly fitting one club, as can happen. Except, Frank hasn't always had the same approach, or even the same kind of team. Brentford have gone through multiple different incarnations under the Dane, as a team and a club. Premier League sporting directors see Frank as one of the most successfully adaptive coaches in the game. Some even feel the 51-year-old is not given anywhere near enough credit for that, a quality that become even more valuable in a football world that is moving away from dogmatic ideology. Frank's teams played in drastically different ways when Brentford were in the Championship, when they went up and then when they stayed up. When he needs to play percentage football, he'll play percentage football. When he needs to break with pace, he'll break with pace. When he needs possession, he can do possession. There were even occasions in the past season when Brentford resembled Jack Charlton's Ireland for the way they constantly made defenders turn. That has fostered a view that he is 'unfairly pigeon-holed'. It is also why clubs like Tottenham have no concerns when they ask Frank how he would play at a higher level. Instead, just like those at Brighton, they are enthused by his response. He is persuasive. That is displayed in perhaps the most impressive aspect of this manager search. As recently as April, Frank was liked but not near the top of Spurs' list. Now, he's close to the job itself, having leapt ahead of so many other candidates. It is testament to a genuine charisma. That feeds into one of the most pertinent questions about Frank, which isn't how he'll play, which shouldn't be too much of a concern. It's how he'll manage a higher-paid dressing room. This does matter, especially given the greater intensity that surrounds the better-supported clubs. The noise can take over, as Ange Postecoglou found. That can make it worse in a dressing room. As one insider from elite Premier League squads says: 'The reality is that high-level players can be pricks.' The window of acceptance for coaches is narrow and getting narrower. It's why coaches without track records at big clubs have to win straight away. Postecoglou essentially got two years at Spurs out of his successful first 10 games. While the decision to sack a Europa League winner seems emotionally harsh, the reality is that the nature of that cup run was too far removed from what you actually need for the Premier League. There was a logic to Spurs' decision. Put bluntly, Posteclou's side weren't playing Premier League-level opposition for most of it, and still compromised everything. It wasn't really a recipe for medium-term success, other than from the potential emotional fillip that could have created a momentum. Frank knows how fragile it can be to rely on such intangibles, having been at a club as scientific as Brentford. The substance to his own personality stands out all the more. The Dane is described as a 'good human', something that isn't exactly said with great frequency in football. It might even be more valuable in a sport that has moved far away from the school of hard knocks, or even Jose Mourinho's 'confrontational leadership'. A social media generation are now more likely to respond better to encouragement rather than excoriation. As a former teacher, Frank is highly attuned to the balance required there. It also makes him a far more rounded figure than most managers. That has another effect. In an era where tactics have become ever more detailed and sophisticated, many modern coaches almost need to be obsessives, and quite intense. They can be utterly tunnel-visioned. That doesn't always make for the most illuminating media appearances when they are thrown wider state-of-the-game or state-of-the-union questions in the way that Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson used to be. Frank has no such problem with that. He is engaging to listen to, which is what his players warm to, too. That intelligence has almost made him the voice of the Premier League, and perhaps even the moral voice. Brentford might have just suffered a frustrating defeat to elite opposition, but Frank is still willing to expound on everything from the Club World Cup to financial disparity. That means much more than the relative superficiality of how he speaks to the media. It makes him a figurehead, something that Spurs have arguably never had greater need for. It's not just about that, though. Frank deserves his opportunity, and has proven he is capable of seizing such moments.
