
Rafael Nadal says he is content in retirement and hasn't picked up a racket in 6 months
Rafa Nadal reaches for his son Rafael Junior during a farewell ceremony at center court Philippe-Chatrier, at the Roland-Garros stadium, in Paris, Sunday May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
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National Post
7 hours ago
- National Post
J.K. Rowling, Piers Morgan slam ‘woke brigade,' call for cancellation of controversial boxer
J.K. Rowling is leading the charge, calling for Olympic boxer Imane Khelif to be stripped of a gold medal after a leaked report revealed the controversial champion has 'male' chromosomes. Article content The medical test on Khelif from the 2023 World Championships comes less than two days after World Boxing ruled the boxer would need to undergo sex screening to be eligible for any future appearances in female events. Article content Article content Article content Last year, the 26-year-old represented Algeria and won gold at the Paris Olympic Games. Article content Rowling, who has long criticized biological males competing in women's sports, took to X to call the news 'a win for women because they won't be battered to death in the ring by men.' Article content She responded to a post by someone who suggested the testing was a violation against Khelif. Article content 'If you had any idea what physical tests women go through routinely in their lives you'd know a cheek swab is no bigger deal than flossing your teeth,' the Harry Potter creator wrote. 'Any more moronic questions, wing them over.' Article content It's a win for women because they won't be battered to death in the ring by men. If you had any idea what physical tests women go through routinely in their lives you'd know a cheek swab is no bigger deal than flossing your teeth. Any more moronic questions, wing them over. — J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 2, 2025 Article content Article content Former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines, who competed against trans athlete Lia Thomas, agreed. Article content 'A cheek swab is far from invasive — certainly less invasive than having your brain prodded through your nose like they did with COVID tests, and definitely less invasive than being punched in the face by a man.' she wrote on X. Article content The women's sports advocate added in another post: 'To all the people that insisted Imane Khelif was a woman because his passport said so, you were wrong. We were right. Sincerely, People with functioning eyes and a shred of honesty.' Article content To all the people that insisted Imane Khelif was a woman because his passport said so, You were wrong. We were right. Sincerely, People with functioning eyes and a shred of honesty — Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) June 1, 2025


National Post
9 hours ago
- National Post
Lorenzo Musetti kicks ball that hits French Open line judge, cited for unsportsmanlike conduct
Lorenzo Musetti was warned for unsportsmanlike conduct for kicking a tennis ball that inadvertently hit a linesperson during his French Open quarterfinal against Frances Tiafoe on Tuesday. Article content Unlike most top-level tennis tournaments, which rely on electronic line-calling, there are still humans on court at Roland-Garros to make rulings on whether shots land in or out. Article content The eighth-seeded Musetti, who won a bronze medal for Italy at the Paris Olympics and was a semifinalist at Wimbledon last year, had just dropped a game to trail Tiafoe 5-3 in the second set of their match at Court Philippe-Chatrier. Article content As Musetti was given balls so he could serve in the next game, he took a left-footed swipe at one and it flew into a female line judge making calls behind his baseline. Article content The chair umpire immediately announced to the crowd that Musetti was being given a warning for a code violation. There is no penalty for an initial warning of that sort. Article content Soon, Tiafoe claimed that set. Musetti had taken the opener in the best-of-five-set match with a semifinal berth at stake. Neither of them has been to the final four at Roland-Garros. Article content


CBC
10 hours ago
- CBC
Titleholder Swiatek to face top-ranked Sabalenka in French Open women's semifinals
Four-time champion Iga Swiatek's 26th successive win at Roland-Garros on Tuesday set up a semifinal clash against top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka in what will be their first French Open meeting. Swiatek defeated Elina Svitolina 6-1, 7-5 to extend her impressive run. The consecutive wins record on the Parisian red clay is Chris Evert's 29. Sabalenka ousted Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen in straight sets to reach the Paris semifinals for the second time. She will face Swiatek on Thursday. Having been searching for her best form in recent months, Swiatek, who struggled in the previous round, was in total control in the opening set. She was made to work harder by her 13th-seeded Ukrainian rival in the second set, dropping her serve in the fourth game after hitting two straight unforced errors into the net. But Swiatek broke back immediately and took advantage of Svitolina's poor service game to break again with a thunderous forehand return and move up 6-5. Swiatek sealed the win with a final ace. Swiatek has won five of the six matches she's played on clay against Sabalenka, including a thrilling three-setter in Spain last year. "The Madrid final against her is one of the best and most exciting finals that I have played," said Swiatek, who has not won a title or reached a final since her victory at Roland-Garros last year. "It is always a challenge against Aryna. She really has a game for every surface." Sabalenka is trying to reach her sixth Grand Slam final, and first at Roland-Garros. "We've had a lot of great battles in the past," Sabalenka said. "I'm super excited to go out there and to fight and to do everything I need to get the win." Sabalenka shone on big points Sabalenka overcame a shaky start and windy conditions to prevail against Zheng 7-6 (3), 6-3 and extend her record against the Chinese star to 7-1. The score did not fully reflect the closeness of the quarterfinal, though, with so little separating the rivals. But Sabalenka demonstrated why she was No. 1, making the difference on big points, while Zheng struggled with her serve in tense moments. Sabalenka had lost her most recent match against Zheng last month in Rome, having previously dominated their first six encounters. She said that loss was a good thing in the middle of an already exhausting season. "I was actually glad I lost that match, because I needed a little break before Roland-Garros," Sabalenka said. "Today, I was just more fresh. I was ready to battle; I was ready to leave everything I had on court to get this win." Sabalenka, a three-time major champion, has yet to drop a set in Paris. Zheng started strong on Court Philippe-Chatrier, breaking early and dominating with aggressive play. However, two double faults in the eighth game allowed Sabalenka to break back and shift the momentum. A misjudged call by Zheng in the 12th game nearly cost her, but she fought off a set point to force a tiebreaker. Sabalenka remained more consistent and secured the set after Zheng hit long on a drop shot. Zheng saved a break point with an overhead shot in the fifth game of the second set, but Sabalenka's powerful backhand return pinned her down on the next one, allowing the top-ranked player to move ahead 3--2. Zheng did not go down without a fight, though, and broke back immediately, only to drop her two last service games. The loss ended a run of 10 consecutive match wins for Zheng at Roland-Garros, dating to last summer's Olympic Games.