
Jannik Sinner suffers ‘Roger Federer curse' as French Open final fan repeats fateful gesture six years on
JANNIK SINNER had two hands on the French Open crown - or at least nine fingers...
But fans reckon he was then hit by the same curse that struck Roger Federer in the Wimbledon final six years ago.
5
5
Nothing less than "the cursed finger".
Sinner was leading Carlos Alcaraz 2-1 in sets and 5-3 in the fourth, before earning three match points at love-40 on the Spaniard's serve.
And it was then that some Sinner fans gleefully raised a finger in anticipation of the World No1 clinching his first Roland Garros title.
That's just what happened to Federer when he had two match points on his own serve against big rival Novak Djokovic at SW19 back in 2019.
Both times fingers went up. Both times fortunes went down for the man on top.
Djokovic clinched a five-set epic, then Alcaraz did just that too on Sunday - winning in the longest-ever French Open final.
And fans couldn't resist making creepy comparisons.
One wrote: "If it's not a cursed finger again" - followed by crying-with-laughter emojis.
5
Others taunted Sinner fans - as their hero went on to lose 4-6 6-7 6-4 7-6 7-6 in five hours and 29 minutes.
The 23-year-old might also have thought the spirits were against him for another reason.
Novak Djokovic digs out French Open rival for 'spying' on him and seeing Champions League trophy
He sportingly gave up a point in the fourth point after telling the chair umpire an Alcaraz shot had wrongly been called out.
But replays showed line judges had been right to call it long.
Three-time Slam winner Sinner admitted afterwards it was tough to speak after losing from such a strong position.
The rueful runner-up said: "It's easier to play than talk now.
"I'm still happy with this trophy - I won't sleep very well tonight but it is OK."
Meanwhile, Alcaraz praised his beaten rival - perhaps knowing the pair are way ahead of the world's rest in the men's game.
He told Sinner: "The level you have is amazing.
"It is a privilege to share a court with you in every tournament and in making history."
5
5
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Guardian
21 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Jordan Henderson showed the attitude his England teammates were lacking
The tendency is always to gloom. How could it not be? Nobody could have sat through England's 1-0 win over Andorra on Saturday and not felt a profound sense of frustration. Six million years of human evolution has culminated in this? When the England manager shrugs and says he can't blame the fans for booing, you know it was bad. Thomas Tuchel was a short-term appointment. He's not in the post for pathways or development or creating a culture. He's here to win the World Cup next summer. In the boozy, drowsy somnolence of the RCDE Stadium, that felt a preposterous ambition. Look at England's rivals. Argentina are playing mesmerising football and top the Conmebol standing by 10 points. Spain were brilliant European champions having incorporated two young and devastating wide forwards into their passing carousel. France are pumping out teenagers of extraordinary technical quality by the bucketload to elevate the dour structures of Didier Deschamps. Portugal beat Germany in their Nations League semi-final last week, but both looked high-level sides. Even Brazil have finally accepted reality and turned to a foreign coach in Carlo Ancelotti. Everybody else knows what they're doing and there's witless old England struggling to make runs in behind against Andorra. Except … England's position actually improved on Saturday. Albania and Serbia drew, which gives England breathing space. Argentina are beginning to detect in the distance the rumbling of perhaps the hardest question of all: should Lionel Messi still start games? Portugal have been failing to answer their version of that question since the last World Cup, and the fact Cristiano Ronaldo got their winner against Germany last week has only made it harder. Ancelotti began with a 0-0 draw against Ecuador. And nobody could have watched Spain beat France 5-4 on Thursday and thought: 'There are two defences that could win the World Cup.' It's the June international break: everybody's knackered and anything goes. At which point, before descending into a fug of futility, it's perhaps worth looking at what Tuchel has been trying to do and what he has achieved. Results are the great betrayers. England may have reached the final of the Euros in Germany but they played far worse than they had in any of the previous three tournaments. Gareth Southgate's legacy to Tuchel was not as healthy as it may have appeared. After the years of careful planning and gradual progression, Southgate made radical changes for Euro 2024, leaving out a number of stalwarts and selecting young attacking talent he ultimately didn't quite seem to know what to do with. The spirit in the squad was damaged in the process, and that is something that needs to be restored. That's one of the reasons Tuchel arranged a week-long camp in Spain before Saturday's game, and why he took the players to the Barcelona grand prix last weekend. But it's not just about ensuring the players get on with each other, trying to create something akin to a club atmosphere with the national team. It's also about ensuring they approach games with the right attitude, and that was something Tuchel clearly felt was lacking on Saturday. Perhaps it's going too far to suggest England didn't sufficiently respect their opponents, but Tuchel's comments about 'attitude' and 'body language', about his side lacking 'the seriousness and the urgency that is needed in a World Cup qualifier' hinted in that direction. And that perhaps explains one of his decisions that has drawn the most criticism: the selection of Jordan Henderson. Saturday was Henderson's first start since the 2-0 win over Malta in November 2023. He was not in the squad at the Euros, his international career – as well as his reputation as an LBGTQ+ ally – seemingly scuppered by his transfer to Saudi Arabia. That move was quickly aborted, and a year at Ajax has not gone well, notable largely for a late-season collapse that cost them the league title as well as some spiky exchanges with Dutch journalists. The assumption was that Henderson, who will turn 35 later this month, was navigating the fag end of his days as a player, a disappointing coda to an excellent career that would rapidly fade in the collective memory as his achievements with Liverpool were celebrated. And then Tuchel brought him back. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion The details of Henderson's performance against Andorra are largely irrelevant. Some players thrive against minnows, some struggle in a game very different from the high-level fixtures with which they are more familiar. How you play against Andorra is not going to determine whether you have a part in a potential World Cup-winning side. But one recovery run to stymie an Andorra counter after Dan Burn had lost possession caught the eye; Henderson, at least, was switched on. And it was after he was substituted after 63 minutes that England slipped into the individualism that so annoyed Tuchel. Henderson is a professional, the NCO maintaining discipline and morale, ensuring the plan is followed and standards maintained. He has captained a team that won the league and the Champions League. During the Covid lockdown, he emerged as a de facto spokesperson for the players. He has the respect of his peers. And that is no small thing. Whether that's enough to earn Henderson a place in the 11 or even the squad for the US next summer is debatable, but it's understandable why Tuchel would want him involved in some capacity. There's a lot to be said for getting the egos pointing in the same direction.


BBC News
27 minutes ago
- BBC News
Padel: 'I want to play the sport but I can't afford it'
A shorter racket, a smaller court and an undearm tennis is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, thanks to its basic skill level and social rise of the racquet sport - usually played in doubles on an enclosed court where balls can be played off the walls - has been helped by influencers and celebrity players such as demand grows, the number of venues isn't keeping up, but the cost of playing is. Research by Ray Algar, an expert on the economics of sport and exercise, shows that the average off-peak court hire in the UK is about £30, but peak time prices can reach £80 at some venues. 'I sometimes take a month off' Rosie Hepworth got into padel about a year ago after seeing the sport on social media, but has found it's become too expensive. "I can't afford to play regularly," she tells BBC Newsbeat. "It definitely slows down how much I can improve."The trainee accountant only gets on the courts every few weeks and says her budget means she spends an average of £30 a month on padel, but has spent up to £70 before."If I have other financial commitments, then I might take a month off," she Rosie's friends could no longer afford the high cost, she started playing in a league with strangers as a third or fourth says these open matches work out cheaper, and increase the number of available games."In central London, it's hard to find a court that is free," she says. "They are so booked up that you have to book at least a week in advance."According to the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), there are currently around 800 padel courts in Britain, but over 400,000 cycles up to 50 minutes away from her home to courts that are almost half the price and quieter at peak times. "I find it frustrating to have to travel so far for affordable courts," the 24-year-old says. "But it's just about worth it because it's become a hobby I really enjoy." Master's student Barnaby Stephenson took up the sport about two years ago and helped the University of Edinburgh's first padel 24-year-old says the city has fewer courts than others and getting to and from practices means a two-hour round-trip, which he describes as a "struggle".Barnaby's club had provided free balls and rackets to new members and charged just £2 per session, but the society had to stop offering social memberships due to "unprecedented demand".Barnaby wants to see more grassroots investment in state schools and public parks to make the sport more accessible."There needs to be more pressure and focus on developing padel in every community, rather than concentrating on middle-class areas," he says. Where are the courts? The BBC asked all of the local councils in the UK if they had put money into providing padel the 330 that responded, only three said that they the LTA has spent more than £6m on the sport, this only accounts for 10% of all padel courts of the rest are independently owned, driving up booking costs and increasing the number of private members' also tracked where courts were located across Britain using data from The Padel Directory, and found that most were in the wealthiest areas, with the highest numbers in the south of other countries it's a very different picture. "We're one of the last nations in Europe to catch this padel wave," says Tom Murray, the LTA's head of the organisation that looks after padel in the UK, the LTA has launched a new five-year strategy that aims to work with local authorities to build more hopes to increase accessibility as other countries have done."In Spain it started as that premium elitist sport, but now it's far from it - it's second to football in terms of participation."Madrid will host this year's Euro Padel Cup in July - with a record 40 nations taking an event Team GB players Catherine Rose and Nikhil Mohindra are training for. British number two Catherine began playing three years ago and recalls "driving around the country" to find was a different story for Nikhil, who says he was lucky enough to have a friend nearby he could practise with."I don't know how I would've played otherwise," the 22-year-old want to boost participation. Catherine says there are fewer female players in the UK, and Nikhil thinks efforts could be made to improve says he's seen how diverse the sport can be during his visits to India as a padel ambassador. "When I go there, I see courts being used 24 hours a day by everyone," he says."Anyone from any background can play - it's about opening up more courts in ethnic minority areas." Tanaya Lai, who began playing tennis at four years old, says she's used to being "surrounded by white people".It's something she's noticed since joining the University of Plymouth's padel team, but doesn't see it as a barrier."I am happy to be an Asian woman in sport," she says."Asian women need to know that they aren't excluded from these spaces and they can join if they want to."However, the 22-year-old does think that there are other obstacles. "It's viewed as a posh, more upper-class sport because of how expensive courts are," she says. "There need to be more public and cheaper courts."Like Rosie and Barnaby, Tanaya cannot afford to play padel as regularly as she would like and feels it has hindered her progress."I only really play league matches because it is expensive to just book a court and play for an hour or two," she explains. "Otherwise I'd be able to play more." Additional reporting by Lauren Woodhead Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.


The Independent
27 minutes ago
- The Independent
Emma Raducanu reveals impact of stalker ordeal: ‘I'm wary when I go out'
British number two Emma Raducanu admitted she was 'wary' when going out following her ordeal with a stalker at the Dubai Championships earlier this year. The 22-year-old hid behind the umpire's chair in tears after receiving repeated unwanted attention from a 'fixated' man before and during a second-round match against Karolina Muchova in February. At the time, Raducanu said she 'couldn't see the ball through tears' and could 'barely breathe', while she revealed now that the situation was exacerbated by her being unsettled without a full-time coach. While Raducanu still minds her surroundings, the 2021 US Open champion wants to move on as she approaches the grass-court season with coaches Mark Petchey and Nick Cavaday in tow. 'It was difficult,' she told BBC Sport. 'It was emphasised by the fact I didn't necessarily feel certain or comfortable in my own set-up and team so it just added to the anxious feeling. 'I'm obviously wary when I go out. I try not to be careless about it because you only realise how much of a problem it is when you're in that situation and I don't necessarily want to be in that situation again. 'Off the court right now, I feel good, I feel pretty settled. I feel like I have good people around me and anything that was negative, I kind of brush it off as much as I can.' Raducanu, who suffered a second-round exit to Iga Swiatek at the French Open, is managing a back issue in the build-up to Wimbledon, having been hindered by persistent spasm issues for much of 2025. She will feature in the inaugural women's Queen's Club Championships this week, where she will take on Spanish qualifier Cristina Bucsa in the first round.