Pigeons, hats and naps: the best photos from French Open 2025
A pigeon swoops on the umpire's chair. Photograph: Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images
Emma Navarro serves to Jessica Bouzas Maneiro. Photograph: Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images
Court Simonne-Mathieu is reflected in a spectator's sunglasses as he watches the first round match between Taylor Fritz and Daniel Altmaier. Photograph: Lindsey Wasson/AP
France's Arthur Rinderknech joins in with the fans' Mexican wave during his first round match against Jannik Sinner. Photograph: Lindsey Wasson/AP
A view of the exterior of Court Philippe-Chatrier. Photograph:A student of École polytechnique, a science and engineering school in France, wearing the school's uniform, stands in an alley of the Roland Garros complex. Photograph: Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images
Spectators sporting the same hat look on as Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard returns the ball to Damir Dzumhur. Photograph: Lindsey Wasson/AP
Damir Dzumhur eyes the ball as he plays against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. Photograph: Alain Jocard/AFP/Getty Images
Aryna Sabalenka serves to Jil Teichmann. Photograph: Yoan Valat/EPA
Carlos Alcaraz performs a tweener against Fabian Marozsan. Photograph: Julien de Rosa/AFP/Getty Images
A spectator takes a nap next to the court. Photograph: Lindsey Wasson/AP
Fans fight for the shirt of Arthur Fils after he won his second round match against Jaume Munar. Photograph: Denis Balibouse/Reuters
The ball smashes into the strings of Quentin Halys's racket as he serves to Holger Rune. Photograph: Lindsey Wasson/AP
The shadows of spectators and Hamad Medjedovic (right) are seen during his match against Daniel Altmaier. Photograph: Julien de Rosa/AFP/Getty Images
Sofia Kenin serves to Madison Keys. Photograph: Yoan Valat/EPA
Jack Draper signs autographs for fans after winning his third round match against João Fonseca. Photograph: Denis Balibouse/Reuters
Daria Kasatkina in action during her fourth round match against Mirra Andreeva. Photograph: Lisi Niesner/Reuters
Jannik Sinner plays a forehand return to Alexander Bublik during their quarter-final. Photograph: Julien de Rosa/AFP/Getty Images
A fan reacts as they watch the men's singles quarter-final between Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev on a large screen on the first day of the Roland Garros fan zone at Place de la Concorde. Photograph: Xavier Galiana/AFP/Getty Images
Spectators are reflected in glass as Aryna Sabalenka plays a return to Iga Swiatek during their semi-final. Photograph: Julien de Rosa/AFP/Getty Images
A spectator takes a picture, using a smartphone, of Aryna Sabalenka in action against Coco Gauff in the women's final. Photograph: Yoan Valat/EPA
A supporter of Coco Gauff cheers her on. Photograph: Mohammed Badra/EPA
Coco Gauff with the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen as she celebrates with ballkids after her victory over Aryna Sabalenka. Photograph:Jannik Sinner fans cheer on their man during the men's final against Carlos Alcaraz. The Italian took the first two sets. Photograph: Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters
However, Carlos Alcaraz fought back to win a remarkable five-setter and claim his fifth grand slam title. Photograph: Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP/Getty Images
Carlos Alcaraz poses for a photo with the Coupe des Mousquetaires following his epic victory.
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BBC News
13 minutes ago
- BBC News
Family, memories and childhood - getting to know Wayne Rooney
The Football Interview is a new series in which the biggest names in sport and entertainment join host Kelly Somers for bold and in-depth conversations about the nation's favourite sport. We'll explore mindset and motivation, and talk about defining moments, career highs and personal reflections. The Football Interview brings you the person behind the will drop on Saturdays across BBC iPlayer, BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website. They will also run on BBC One on a Saturday after Match of the Day. Wayne Rooney will always be regarded as one of England's best scored 53 goals in 120 appearances for his country and won the Premier League five times with Manchester United, as well as lifting the Champions League, Europa League, FA Cup and League Cup during a glittering will be one of the pundits on the BBC's Match of the Day throughout the season, giving his views on all the latest Premier League that, he sat down with Kelly Somers in the first of a weekly BBC feature called The Football Interview to discuss his career, his life away from football and his family. Watch the full Football Interview with Rooney on BBC iPlayer Kelly Somers: What does football mean to you? Wayne Rooney: As a young boy, it's all I ever wanted to do - to play football, at school, in the house, on the streets. The emotion of the game, of trying to win, the excitement. It was a massive adrenaline rush. Then I was fortunate enough to go on and play professionally and have a good, long career. Now I'm living in a different way as a parent, with my children involved in football. It's something that will always be with me. KS: Can you remember your first team? WR: Yes, it was the Copplehouse Colts - an under-nines team. I think I was about seven. I scored a lot of goals and used to keep the games on the fridge in the house. My mum would do it with me. We would write the game down, what the score was and if I scored. We did that every season. When you're young, there are a lot of goals scored. It was really special. KS: Was there one moment - maybe a turning point - that enabled you to go on and do what you do? WR: Yes, I always remember when I was about 14 - I was doing things you shouldn't be doing. Colin Harvey was the under-19s manager at the time. He saw me crossing the road with a bag of cider, which of course was wrong. He pulled me in and said: 'If you keep doing this, you are going to throw everything - your talent, your ability - away. You need to focus yourself because you have the ability to go on and play for not just Everton - but England.'From then was when I thought, 'I need to stop doing it'. I stopped going out with my mates quite a lot and purely focused on football. I think that conversation with Colin Harvey was definitely the turning point. KS: Is there one person who has had the biggest impact on your career? WR: I couldn't say one. My mum and dad equally. I see it now when I'm taking my kids to football. My mum didn't drive and my dad worked, so I used to have to take three buses with my mum at my mum and dad had huge roles to play and, as a kid, you probably don't appreciate it. You take it for granted - the stress, the work they put in. I have two brothers and they had to do it for them as well. It's only when you have kids you see it and understand the sacrifices they had to have four boys and they are all in different places, so me and Coleen are often in different places. The kids always want me to be there, so I have to mix up what I go and watch. It's non-stop really, every day of the week. KS: You played in some huge matches. If there was one match you could go back and relive and you can change the outcome - which would it be? WR: If I had to choose one, I'd say the Arsenal FA Cup final in 2005. The performance, how we played against a very good Arsenal team... and then we lost on penalties. I would say that is the one I would change, because it was one we probably deserved to the Croatia game, which I didn't play in, for England. We needed to draw or win the game to qualify for Euro 2008. That was horrible - being there behind the players on the bench, sitting there and watching them. Then seeing what happened with Steve McClaren on the touchline. Rain was pouring down - losing the game and not going to Euro 2008... that was one time I felt embarrassed about being a player. KS: When you finished playing, did you always know you wanted to try management. Did you know you wanted to try the media? What was that decision like? WR: With management, it was something I always wanted to go into. I saw it as a challenge. I always want in life to be challenged and take things head on, but also understood that there's a chance it might go wrong as well. But I don't mind taking that risk and challenge. Some former players might wait for the perfect opportunity. The Derby County one... I was playing there and Phillip Cocu got sacked. We went into administration. It was a really tough start to management but I felt we did a really good DC United, when we went there, I felt we did a good job even though it doesn't get portrayed that way. They had finished bottom the three seasons before we went there and we got them to within a point of the play-offs. The Birmingham one, everything was wrong - the timing of it, the fans didn't really give me an opportunity, we lost games. It felt right at the time but looking back at it, it wasn' at Plymouth, we were doing OK for what we had and then the decision was made. After that I thought, 'I don't know why I am putting myself in these positions'. I looked into doing punditry, did bits and enjoyed it and felt the time was right. So here I am! KS: What type of pundit is Wayne Rooney going to be? WR: I think I'm quite fair and honest really - that is the only way to be. I say this as a player, a manager, and now as a pundit - it's the same values. The fans aren't stupid. If you expect me to sit there and try and sugar-coat things which fans can see, I don't think I should be doing are some pundits out there who try and go over the top as well. All I can do is try and be fair with what I'm seeing and give my honest opinion. I am sure some players or managers might get annoyed with that but you have to be honest. Wayne Rooney the player probably wouldn't like Wayne Rooney the pundit, and I get used to think 'why would pundits say that?' but when you finish playing you realise why pundits say things. I've been criticised by many pundits as a player and I was never one to phone them up and complain - it actually drove me a bit more to think, 'next time you are speaking, you are saying good things'. I want to see Man Utd do well, of course I do, but I'm very good mates with Jonny Evans and I criticised him last season. If you're speaking truthfully on what you feel then it makes it very difficult for a player to come to you and question why you're saying things. KS: How do you switch off and relax? WR: I always try to have some time just to sit there and if watching a TV series I just chill with a glass of wine and just switch off from important just to switch your mind off from everything really. I used to do this as a player and leave anything football-wise at the gate. I would come in and wouldn't even talk about football. KS: It must be hard to switch off from football with your boys - Kai is in Manchester United's academy and seems to be doing well WR: Yes, he's doing really well. I was at my cousin's wedding at the weekend. They were doing the speeches and I had my phone and was watching Kai playing in Croatia. I jumped up - he scored in the last minute - but he was offside!He loves it. He wants to be a football player, that's the most important thing. He wants to do it and he is working hard to try to do it. KS: Describe what he is like WR: He plays as a striker, plays off the right. He's strong, not the tallest, but he will be taller than me. He understands the game fantastically and he thinks about it. He comes home, cooks for himself, he speaks fluent Spanish, so he is doing everything he can to try to live his the last few months it has been the first time I've been able to go on a consistent basis. KS: Do you coach him from the sidelines? WR: No. I think it's important he listens to his coaches. I can give my thoughts afterwards, which a lot of the time is the same as the coaches. There are a lot of other parents that are doing the shouting on the touchline so I stay quiet! I have a conversation with him on the way home and ask him what happened, what he could do better, how he feels about the game and that way suits him. KS: What is your favourite film? WR: It was The Shawshank Redemption but I think over the last few years I'm going to have to say The Wolf of Wall Street.I also love Sister Act - I love musicals! KS: Before what important game did you watch Sister Act? WR: It was before the Champions League final! It was just the longest afternoon. I always tried to watch a movie before an evening game. KS: Tell me something about you that will surprise me WR: The one thing I can think of is I cry at everything on TV - X-Factor when people go through, I start crying. As a player I was quite aggressive, but I'm actually quite soft really. KS: What do people get wrong about you the most? WR: It's no secret that I didn't even take GCSEs but I think people assume because of that that I'm not educated, which is really wrong.I made a conscious effort when I was at Everton and Manchester United to educate myself in a lot of different things, such as black history and religion. The reason I did that was because I wanted to hold conversations with my team-mates who are from different was something I did to help me with my team-mates and help understand how they have been brought up. That's probably something people don't understand about me. KS: What are you most proud of? WR: With family, that's the main thing. That's why you do things. Being a bit older and seeing my kids grow into teenagers, I'm helping them grow up in life. That's what I'm proud of - that's what I do everything for. KS: If you could only achieve or do one thing in the rest of your life what would it be? WR: Maybe become the next James Bond!
The Guardian
20 minutes ago
- The Guardian
‘I am tough' – Emma Raducanu on legacy of US Open win, stalking ordeal and why therapy won't help her
For four arduous years, so much of Emma Raducanu's life has played out in public. Every decision relating to her career has been dissected and debated. The most banal details surrounding her personal life have been transfigured into headline news. In order to find herself on and off the tennis court, Raducanu has had to learn how to tune out the noise, which at times can be deafening. Only one month ago at Wimbledon, the discourse surrounding the 22-year-old reached diabolical lows. Even though her on-court performances were strong, it was impossible to escape the speculation surrounding her personal life. In the bowels of Center Court at the Cincinnati Open, I offer my own blunt perspective: I have never cringed as much as I did while watching people trying to pry into her romantic relationships at the All England Club. 'Yeah, and Cam's questions, too,' Raducanu responds, laughing. 'That was terrible. Terrible.' She was referring to her compatriot Cameron Norrie's post-match press conference, when a reporter asked him whether he was dating Raducanu. Norrie, who was being supported in his player box that day by his long-term partner, was as baffled as he was bemused. For Raducanu, though, such brazen intrusiveness from strangers has simply become part of her everyday life. 'I know, I know,' she says, smiling. 'I guess it comes with the territory, people being so curious. I think they're more curious about this news than any tennis results and tennis news. But I just keep to myself, my private life to one side. It's always funny when people try to find something out, but I try not to read into it so much.' That curiosity is not isolated to the internet and tabloids. When Raducanu is out in London, paparazzi will find her, even when she is doing nothing more than stepping on to a 345 bus somewhere in Wandsworth. 'It's really freaky, because you don't know they're there. And then you'll see a photo of yourself the next day, and you'll be like: 'There's no way they were there,'' she says. Considering her well-documented encounters with stalkers – one was arrested and handed a five-year restraining order after stealing items from her front door in 2021 and another fixated person followed her across four different countries earlier this year – Raducanu has genuine concerns regarding her safety: 'After the Dubai incident, that was probably the worst [public attention] I've had,' she says. 'I remember straight afterwards, I found it very difficult going out. I definitely had a bit of a leftover lag effect. But I've been a lot more astute, a lot more, I'd say, safe and I have someone with me. I don't really go out on my own as much. No solo walks. Just always having someone watching my back.' Everything leads back to those three fateful weeks at the US Open in the summer of 2021, where Raducanu became the first qualifier to win a grand slam title in the open era. The spoils of victory were significant but Raducanu's rapid success yielded considerable challenges. Along with the difficult results and constant criticism, her body constantly betrayed her. In 2023, after struggling physically for a long time, she underwent surgeries on both wrists and her left ankle. While she tried to prove herself on the court, Raducanu says, people within her team would tell her she was not tough. 'I was obviously, like: 'Oh, no, I am tough enough,'' she says. 'It wasn't good to hear, because I always prided myself on being a hard worker and being tough. And I believe I am. I actually think it was more the people around me that were incorrect, and it led me to having three surgeries and double wrist surgery. I was overtraining and just covering it up, not saying I was in pain, even when I was. So it was really tough to hear. But as I've grown with experience, I kind of realised my body a bit more and trusted myself a bit more.' Mentally, things were even more challenging. As she failed to follow up her breakthrough victory with similar results, there were times when her mind twisted her US Open triumph into a negative memory, the source of her struggles. It was not until this year that she understood how to focus on her improvement and daily work, however gradual, rather than comparing every result with the 2021 US Open. Still, it remains a work in progress. 'It's [comparisons to the US Open] something that never fully leaves you,' Raducanu says. 'I think it's been four years now, I don't think it's fully gone away. Maybe in a few years, maybe when I'm older, more mature, but it's hard to put that aside completely. It's always in the back of your mind, but it's more just being aware of those thoughts and then not letting it crash your day or ruin the work that you're doing, and bringing it back to what I'm doing now, and the process.' Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion Considering her many difficulties, an obvious question is whether sports psychology or therapy have been a part of her life over the past few years. 'I've tried. I've tried,' she says. 'I've obviously been recommended to do it a lot, with what I went through. It was something that not many people, well actually, no one has gone through, which is probably the reason I did two sessions and I stopped. I was like: 'Look, these guys, they don't relate.' And, to be honest, no other athlete has done what I've done, so I don't know why I'm taking advice from them. So I was like: 'OK, well, the only person who can help me is myself.'' For a long time the four defining cities of Raducanu's life were listed in her biographies across her social media platforms. Her parents, Ion and Renee, originally come from Bucharest, Romania, and Shenyang, China, respectively while she was born in Toronto, Canada, and grew up in London, England. Her mother's solo immigration from China to Canada has been an inspirational tale throughout her life. 'I would say it's funny when people ask where you're from,' she says. 'Obviously, I feel British. I've grown up there, But there are certain things, the way I think, I don't think I am completely. So you have a little question about your identity. But I try not to read too much into it and try to just take the best from all the different worlds that I've been exposed to and grown up in.' Regardless of the subject at hand, Raducanu frequently notes the support and significance of her parents. She describes her upbringing as rigid and strict, but their tough love has made her the person she is today. 'I was always brought up with really high standards, high expectations of myself, not much sympathy,' says Raducanu. 'So when I was younger, that was tough, and even now. But I think it really shaped me to be the player I am, the person I am; pretty down to earth. They never got impressed by anything glitzy or high or anything.' Both Raducanu's parents worked in finance and they passed on their numerical, logical mindsets. Over the past few years, however, part of her evolution as an adult has been understanding herself as a person. Her injury layoff in 2023, which initially seemed like a catastrophe, turned out to be essential for her personal development. Raducanu spent her time away from tennis travelling, including a long trip to China, trying different hobbies and gradually learning more about herself. She learned that she is also creative, which has significantly influenced her playing style on the court. 'I kind of discovered the more artistic side – the piano, the painting, the reading, the philosophy, all of those things,' she says. 'I really think it opened my eyes to another world. Now I'm kind of seeing how I can find an area where those two intersect, and have the creative side but also have the quantitative side.' With age and experience, Raducanu also has a greater understanding of her preferences when making general decisions. While discussing her decision making, Raducanu's mind shifts to another source of criticism: her coaching history. 'I'm a lot more clear on what I do and don't like,' she says. 'The experiences that I've had with different coaches … People love to say I've had so many different coaches but if I went into the details of a lot of them, people would not be saying the same thing. I just don't do that, because I don't want to 'out' these people. So I keep it to myself.' Is it ever tempting? 'When you see things like: 'Oh, Emma on her ninth coach', I'm like: 'Guys, come on.' Certain ones don't count. If you've had a trial, you don't have to carry on after the trial. A few have been trials, a few have been other situations. I just try and take the high road,' she says. Then she laughs. 'And try to do what the royal family would do.' After years of rolling with the punches and gradually coming to understand herself, Raducanu seems to finally be in a positive place again. She speaks effusively about the great enjoyment she has found in her consistent daily work and she has thrown herself into becoming the best player she can be each day. Raducanu's results are reflective of that shift and her ranking is on the rise. Her time in Cincinnati, her first week with her new coach, Francisco Roig, ended with a colossal three-hour battle with Aryna Sabalenka, the world No 1, where she narrowly lost 7-6 (5) in the final set. Over the next few days, she will return to New York for the US Open more self-assured than she has been since she won the title. Our second conversation ends with a final question on Raducanu's ambitions for the next few years beyond her results. After a beat, she shrugs. The hope, she says, is that the passion and joy she now feels each day about her daily work will endure. 'I want to continue for the next few years to just keep enjoying because I would rather not do anything else or be anywhere else,' she says. 'I see my friends, like, somewhere in the south of France, and they're chilling on a boat or whatever, and I'm just like: 'OK, well, it looks amazing,' but when I'm putting in double session practices with the people around laughing, that fills me up so much more. So I'm really happy to have gotten to this place and [I want] to just continue that.'
The Guardian
44 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Warmth and passion: Chappers ushers in new era for Match of the Day
He's spent years sitting on the bench, playing second fiddle to one of England's best ever strikers. But now that Gary Lineker has hung up his boots and bid farewell to Match of the Day after 26 years, Mark Chapman can finally have his moment. While more casual fans won't be aware of what the veteran broadcaster – affectionately known as 'Chappers' – will bring as the new focal point, to the diehards he's long been a known quantity. Widely respected for his relaxed manner and astute questioning, Chapman, 51, has hosted Match of the Day 2 on Sunday nights since 2013 (while occasionally covering for Lineker) and also presents a number of sports programmes across BBC Radio 5 Live. But before establishing himself as one of the top broadcasters in the country, he began his career more than five decades ago, as a continuity announcer on BBC television in 1996. He then became the cricket correspondent for BBC North East radio, before joining BBC Radio 1 as a Newsbeat sports reader on the Sara Cox and Scott Mills shows – where he developed the nickname 'Chappers'. He later joined BBC Radio 5 Live to host 5 Live Sport on Mondays. Alongside his run on Match of the Day 2, he was also BBC Sport's chief rugby league presenter, fronting its coverage of the Rugby League World Cup and RFL Challenge Cup matches. Chapman is one of Match of the Day's three new hosts, alongside Kelly Cates and Gabby Logan. While Cates will present a UEFA Super Cup highlights show on Wednesday and Logan will present the newly rebranded Match of the Day on Sunday, the three will rotate across the shows throughout the season. He's always been passionate about the game, declaring early in his career that he spent his time off 'playing football and watching football'. When asked to describe himself in three words, he opted for 'stroppy, moody and temperamental'. Appearing on the Scott Mills Breakfast show on Friday alongside the other two hosts, Chapman joked with Mills about their time working together. 'He never took off his coat,' Mills reminisced, 'he was there for a good time, not a long time.' Mills also highlighted one of his BBC diary entries from the early noughties, when the pair went to Magaluf with Jo Whiley. 'We went to dinner with DJ Sammy in Palma except for Chappers, who decided to shun a swanky celebrity dinner in order to do research on the Magaluf bar scene. Apparently, when you walk down the street, there are people who physically drag you into bars and force you to drink two pints for two euros with a free shot. Poor Chappers never stood a chance,' the entry read. Others have also said it is Chapman's warmth, humour and experience that make him a joy to work with. 'He's somebody that knows the game very well, is deeply passionate about it and is very good at providing a space where all the different pundits and people involved feel comfortable,' said Nedum Onuoha, who worked with Chapman on Planet Premier League. 'He tries to get the best out of you. He is very good at being able to create a show that's enjoyable, and I think that goes a long way in punditry.' Onuoha said Chapman was 'really funny and dry with certain things'. He said the presenter always remembered 'that it is a game' and wanted people to have fun. 'He knows that laughing brings people together, as opposed to arguing about things that honestly don't really matter. His personality is a great one, he's fun to be around and that can really make a difference, especially for new people entering the industry.' Chapman lived with his wife, Sara, in Hale, Greater Manchester until her death from cancer in 2020. The couple had three children together. One of the things that will undoubtedly be welcomed by BBC bosses is Chapman's approach to social media. He hasn't posted on X since January 2021, which sets him apart from his predecessor, who quit the BBC after an antisemitism row and never shied away from expressing his views on topics from the war in the Middle East to the UK government's immigration policy. Asked about the principal duties of a pundit in an interview with the Guardian in 2018, Chapman said: 'To inform, entertain and give an opinion. They don't always have to do highbrow analysis or be controversial – there's a balance to be found.' Match of the Day's new rotating line up, featuring two women, is a far cry from the days of Jimmy Hill and Des Lynam at the helm. But while leaning in to the change, Chapman and his co-hosts have worked to avoid comparisons to their predecessors. 'It helps that we're all really different from Gary [Lineker], in that he does it with a profile of his own as an England legend,' Cates has said. 'It's a very different career path. An ex-player taking over would be more of a direct comparison.'
