A frustrated McIlroy smashes a US Open tee marker but makes it to the weekend anyway
OAKMONT, Pa. — First Rory McIlroy flung an iron down the 12th fairway. Then he used driver to demolish a tee marker on 17. He might not win the sportsmanship award at the U.S. Open, but he will get to play on the weekend.
McIlroy overcame two rounds of disappointment by draining a 5-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole Friday to finish at 6-over par and guarantee himself a tee time at Oakmont this weekend.
Other than the approach shot he hit on 18 to save the week, or the 20-foot birdie he made on 15 after teeing off into the first cut, very little of his first 36 holes was pretty.
McIlroy's weekend was still in limbo when he walked to the tee on the drivable par-4 17th hole, then blocked the shot into a greenside bunker. He used his left arm to smash the club down and shatter the nearby tee marker. He made par there.
A few hours earlier on the par-5 12th — another decent birdie chance — McIlroy catapulted his iron down the fairway after pulling his second shot into the left rough. He made par there, too.
The birdie at the end capped a round of 2-over 72. It did not mask the issues McIlroy has been facing since his driver was deemed non-conforming before the PGA Championship, sending him on a mad search for a reliable replacement.
In two rounds this week, McIlroy has hit 15 of 28 fairways, a stat that doesn't include all drivers but is indicative of where his tee game has gone since he won the Masters two months ago to complete the career Grand Slam.
At Oakmont, with its ankle-high rough, two missed fairways over McIlroy's first three holes led to a pair of double-bogeys and forced him to play catch-up for the rest of the round — not to climb into contention, but simply to make the weekend.
Next comes the search for motivation — something McIlroy conceded has been hard to find since his landmark victory at Augusta National. On the line this week is his string of six straight top-10 finishes at the U.S. Open, including a pair of runner-ups the last two years. He will start the third round nine shots off the lead.
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French Open 2025: Carlos Alcaraz pulls off a Houdini act to stun Jannik Sinner in an epic Roland Garros final
With Carlos Alcaraz an undefeated 4-0 in Grand Slam finals and Jannik Sinner 3-0, the boxing catchphrase — 'Somebody's 0 has to go' — applied to the young heavyweight titans of tennis before their eagerly anticipated clash. That was just one of the dynamic elements that would make their spectacular 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2) duel the greatest ever at Roland Garros. Staged at a Grand Slam event — where old reputations hang in the balance and new legends are born — the encounter was a battle between contrasting playing styles and personalities — the go-for-broke and entertaining shot-making of the charismatic Spaniard versus the relentless power of the poker-faced Italian. Although Alcaraz had won their last four matches and led their rivalry 7-4, Sinner had captured the previous two Majors, ranked No. 1 for 50 straight weeks, and hadn't dropped a set on the terre battue in six matches, including a semifinal win over Novak Djokovic, the sport's GOAT. Two more elements made the French Open final so riveting that we'll remember it and savour it for years. From the fluctuating, 12-minute opening game in which Sinner escaped three break points to the deciding set match tie-break when Alcaraz blasted his 70th winner — a dazzling forehand passing shot on the dead run — on championship point, the calibre of play was consistently high, sometimes brilliant, and occasionally sublime. As Alcaraz said, 'Today, there were a few moments of the match where, I mean, the level was insane.' Finally, this epic showdown treated the 15,000 Court Philippe-Chatrier spectators and a billion TV viewers to a terrific comeback as the nerveless Alcaraz fended off three championship points in the fourth set and then a taut, unpredictable denouement. The 124th edition of Roland Garros began with a poignant ceremony honouring Rafael Nadal before 10,000 cheering fans, many wearing orange T-shirts with 'Merci' emblazoned on them. Complementing the eye-catching 10-foot, stainless steel statue of the King of Clay were Nadal's footprint and the iconic '14' etched on the red clay of Court Chatrier. Players talented enough to compete on the marquee court can now find inspiration from Rafa's 14 French Open singles titles, a record that will surely never be broken. Alcaraz, who, as a boy, idolised the Spanish legend, said, 'Rafa has destroyed all the records here.' With two RG titles and five overall at age 22, might this brilliant, dedicated athlete who excels on all surfaces someday challenge Nadal's 22 Grand Slam titles? After all, in the short term anyway, Alcaraz will likely have only one superstar rival to contend with, not two as the legendary Big Three had. Further, the gap between the new Big Two and the field keeps growing as Alcaraz and Sinner keep improving. In a nutshell, Alcaraz has become more consistent, and Sinner more versatile. They've divvied up the last six Grand Slam titles since Djokovic, now 38, claimed his 24th and last one at the 2023 US Open. And during these 15 days in Paris, no opponent — seeded or unseeded — seriously threatened either superstar. A dejected Sinner after his loss in the final. | Photo Credit: AP Sinner trounced five opponents on his way to the semifinals. His draw was weakened by the upset losses of No. 5 Jack Draper, No. 9 Alex de Minaur, and No. 19 Jakub Mensik, and the injury withdrawal of No. 14 Arthur Fils, who suffered a stress fracture in his back during his gruelling five-set win over Jaume Munar. In the biggest shockers, No. 62 Alexander Bublik ousted Australian speedster De Minaur 2-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 and heavy-hitting Englishman Draper 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 to become the lowest-ranked man to notch two top-10 wins at a Major since Andrei Medvedev at the 1999 Australian Open. He also made history as the first Kazakhstani man to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal. Bublik, one of the tour's most colourful and extroverted characters, has a 'You won't break me' tattoo and a penchant for entertaining trick shots like half-volley tweeners and underarm serves. Recalling a slump that dropped him to No. 85, Bublik said, 'I wanted to quit. When you have no options, that's how it works. I won Turin, and I was back in the top 50.' At the same time, this career underachiever, now 27 with a wife and three-year-old son, admits, 'If you tell me, Sascha, I'm going to win a Slam, but I can't walk at 40, I won't take it. I prioritise my health.' Musetti no match for Alcaraz The 38-year-old Djokovic also prioritised his health and even wrote a book about it ( Serve to Win: the 14-day Gluten-Free Plan for Physical and Mental Excellence), yet captured a record 24 Grand Slam titles. The ageless wonder breezed to the quarterfinals where he faced No. 3 seed Alexander Zverev. The 6'6' German owns the dubious distinction of being 'the best player never to win a Major title', and his strangely listless performance showed why. After Djokovic prevailed 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 to make his 13th French Open semifinal and record 51st at Major events, TNT Sports analyst John McEnroe said, 'It's another amazing display. Zverev isn't in the same league. It's remarkable that he [Djokovic] still wants it this badly.' Seeds fared better in the bottom half of the draw, where seven of them advanced to the quarterfinals. The sole outsider was No. 66 Daniel Altmaier, who upset fourth-seeded Taylor Fritz 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 before 15th-seeded Frances Tiafoe stopped him 6-3, 6-4, 7-6. Tiafoe, whose parents emigrated from Sierra Leone to the US in 1996, became the first American to reach the Roland Garros quarters since Agassi in 1995. Fellow countryman and 12th seed Tommy Paul soon joined Tiafoe after Paul had eliminated No. 24 Karen Khachanov and No. 25 Alexei Popyrin. It was a commendable showing for American men who had an abysmal 1-158 record against top 10 players at the French Open since 2008. That stunning stat increased when Paul, hampered by an abdominal injury and groin pain, took a 6-0, 6-1, 6-4 licking from Alcaraz. 'If this were a boxing match, the referee would stop the fight,' quipped McEnroe. Tiafoe, who enjoyed his best-ever results on European clay this spring and hadn't lost a set in four matches in Paris, could have used Paul's fighting spirit against No. 8 Lorenzo Musetti. After Tiafoe lost the pivotal third set, he played half-heartedly in the fourth set against Musetti, a dogged competitor, and succumbed 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2. During the match, Musetti sparked a controversy when in frustration he kicked a ball thrown by a ballboy and it struck a lineswoman in the chest. It apparently inflicted no damage because she had no reaction, and the 23-year-old Italian got off with a warning. Afterwards, the contrite Musetti said, 'Yeah, honestly it was a really unlucky coincidence. Yeah, I was honestly scared, because I really didn't want to harm anybody, of course. So I immediately went to the line umpire, and I of course said, 'Sorry, I apologise to everyone.'' Italy's Lorenzo Musetti was the surprise package this year after reaching the semifinals. | Photo Credit: REUTERS A displeased Tiafoe expected a more severe punishment and complained, 'He did that and nothing happened... Obviously, it's not consistent.' Some agreed, citing Djokovic's ejection from the 2020 US Open after he inadvertently hit a ball that similarly struck but did not hurt a lineswoman. But Sam Querrey, a former top 20 player, expressing the view of others, argued, 'Every scenario should be judged case by case.' Alcaraz, prone to occasional lapses in concentration and consistency, dropped sets in four-set victories over Fabian Marozsan, Damir Dzumhur, and 13th seed Ben Shelton before crushing Paul. The Spanish magician has produced plenty of astounding shots in his young career, but a winner against Shelton was too amazing to be true. Lunging for a backhand volley out of his reach for Shelton's passing shot, Alcaraz threw his racket, which contacted the ball and propelled it just over the net for a fluke winner. Alcaraz honourably informed the umpire what happened — which violated the rules — and she awarded the point to Shelton, giving the American a break point. He also called a serve 'in' that the linesperson had erroneously called otherwise, again resulting in a changed call favouring his opponent. These gestures earned Alcaraz the tournament sportsmanship award in my book. In the semifinals, Alcaraz faced Musetti, whom he had decisively defeated in their last five matches. The immensely talented but relatively light-hitting Italian earned a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics on these courts and racked up a career-best 19-3 record on the European clay court circuit, reaching the final at Monte Carlo and semis at Madrid and Rome. 'Alcaraz has such an MPH advantage in every stroke,' all-time great and Tennis Channel analyst Martina Navratilova said. 'On clay, a [backhand] one-hander has so much trouble against Alcaraz's power.' As the inspired Italian easily held serve for 5-4, Jim Courier, the former No. 1 and TNT Sports analyst, said, 'Musetti can thump backhands and find angles with it. He has the best one-handed backhand now.' Looking rattled, Alcaraz erred on three forehands — his signature weapon — and dropped the first set 6-4. The momentum switched in the second set tie-break when Alcaraz pummelled and broke down Musetti's vulnerable backhand to take it 7-3. After the Spanish maestro held serve at love to go ahead 1-0 in the third set and whacked a forehand winner to start the next game, TNT guest analyst Andre Agassi said, 'Vamos Man is finding the range. He's hitting the ball harder and earlier.' Indeed, he was, and like a battered boxer, Musetti couldn't take much more punishment. Suffering from a painful hamstring injury, he lost 23 of the last 30 points and threw in the towel. The final score: 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-0, 2-0 retired. The other and more intriguing semifinal featured the best player in history against the best player now. Could Djokovic defy Father Time one more time against Sinner, a player with a strikingly similar game but 15 years younger? Sinner shows no rust Despite playing only his third tournament of the year due to a three-month drug suspension, Sinner had shown no signs of rust, except perhaps in shot selection during his 7-6 (5), 6-1 loss to Alcaraz in the Rome final three weeks earlier. The Sinner-Djokovic rivalry was deadlocked at 4-4, but the Italian had, tellingly, won their last three matches. From the get-go, Sinner bludgeoned the ball so hard that Djokovic gave precious ground. His average hit point during groundstroke rallies of one foot behind the baseline during his six previous matches increased to 4.5 feet. During the Serb's storied career, he'd been the great adapter and the best at turning defence into offence. But overpowered and out-steadied, Djokovic dropped the opening set 6-4. When Sinner, boldly returning second serves from two feet inside the baseline, broke serve to lead 4-3 in the second set, Djokovic looked dejected. 'Djokovic is playing about as well as he can, and he's starting to see the handwriting on the wall,' said McEnroe, a TNT analyst. Chants of 'Nole! Nole!' revitalised the gallant but ageing Serb. And he finally broke serve for 5-5, ending Sinner's amazing 45 straight holds against the greatest serve returner in tennis history. The breathtaking shot-making that both protagonists made look routine got even better in the critical 11th game, which ended with Sinner's dynamic swinging forehand volley winner. That service break put Sinner ahead 6-5. During the changeover, Djokovic took a three-minute medical time-out, and the physio treated his left thigh. After Sinner held serve to wrap up the second set 7-5, Patrick McEnroe said, 'Now we'll see what Djokovic has left. We know he has the heart. We know he has the will. But does he have the legs?' Djokovic had rebounded from two sets down eight times before, but in the twilight of his 21-year career, this would prove his most daunting challenge. Never the crowd favourite when he faced Roger Federer anywhere and Nadal here, Djokovic became the sentimental favourite, as ageing champions often do. With Sinner serving at 4-5, Djokovic created three set points. The crowd roared after each of them. But Sinner calmly staved them all off. When Djokovic held serve for 6-5 with a 98-mph forehand winner and an ace, the crowd did the wave as a tribute to both competitors. Djokovic hinted he may have played his last French Open this year. | Photo Credit: Getty Images In the tie-break, two backhand errors and a shanked smash into the net gave Sinner a 3-0 lead. This time, chants of 'Nole! Nole!' reverberating around the stadium could not lift the tiring Djokovic. Sinner seized the tie-break 7-3 and won the high-quality, 3-hour and 16-minute match 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (3). Djokovic smiled, acknowledged the prolonged applause with a tap to the heart, and thanked the crowd. The three-time French Open champion and four-time runner-up then knelt down and kissed the red clay. Was it a good-bye kiss? He said he didn't know. Summit proportions If there had been any lingering doubts about their total domination, the new Big Two emphatically dispelled them on June 8. This Grand Slam final would be their first against each other and the first between two men born in the 2000s. And it proved to be historic. DraftKings made Alcaraz a slight — 105 betting favourite with Sinner at -120. Those not fortunate to have a ticket could buy one from a scalper for a mere USD 2,200. When Sinner saved his sixth break point in the opening set with a 105-mph forehand winner, an awed John McEnroe said, 'Hitting forehands in triple digits was unheard of not long ago.' Alcaraz countered with a rocket forehand winner to get another break point, which he converted. This was video game tennis on clay, as both players overpowered the sport's slowest surface and often their opponent in rapid-fire exchanges that pushed their racket skills, court speed, and athleticism to almost superhuman limits. The Spaniard lost his concentration in the 10th game, making four unforced errors, to give away the set, 6-4. It was too soon for Alcaraz fans to panic as their hero had lost the first set in four of his last five matches, yet went on to win them all. But they had to worry when Sinner, like a speeding freight train, raced ahead 3-0 in the second set. Alcaraz — desperate for a service break and ignited by chants of 'Carlos! Carlos!' — attacked furiously and forced three Sinner errors to break for 5-4 Sinner. Three more service holds made it 6-all and tiebreak time. Both had excelled in tiebreaks this season with Sinner 6-1 and Alcaraz 9-3. The Italian took this one 7-4 with a blazing cross-court forehand that overpowered Alcaraz's vaunted forehand. Alcaraz was 0-8 after losing the first two sets at a Major. On the other hand, he was a brilliant 12-1 in five-set matches, losing only to Matteo Berrettini at the 2022 Australian Open, while Sinner was 1-5 in his previous six five-setters. Alcaraz vented his frustration at his player box after losing his serve to start the third set. But the tide turned quickly as he broke Sinner's serve three times, the last at love. Alcaraz clinched the 6-4 set with an unreturnable forehand volley into the open court. Time after time, both unleashed haymakers. They had already hammered seven forehands each over 100 mph! Serving at 4-5 in the fourth set, Alcaraz self-destructed with backhand and forehand errors and a double fault. Suddenly, he was down Triple Championship Point! After 5 hours and 29 minutes—the second longest in time for a Grand Slam final—Sinner had won one more point, 193 to 192. But Alcaraz had performed better on the big points, most notably the three championship points. | Photo Credit: Reuters He escaped the first with a strong, deep forehand cross-court that forced a Sinner forehand error. He saved the second when Sinner recklessly overhit a backhand service return past the baseline. And he got lucky on the third when Sinner underhit a mid-court forehand that he should have belted and netted the next forehand. At 40-all, Alcaraz hit an ace and a forehand winner on the dead run to hold serve. Disaster averted! Riding that momentum and increasingly louder cries of 'Carlos! Carlos!' the Spaniard broke for 5-all. 'This is going to be a tall order for Sinner now, even though he's ahead,' said McEnroe. That order became even taller when Alcaraz took the fourth-set tiebreak 7-3 on a forehand approach winner. McEnroe called the great escape 'definitely a Houdini act.' Alcaraz served for the match at 5-4 in the fifth. This time it was Sinner who escaped from the jaws of defeat. He sprinted forward and scraped up a superb Alcaraz drop shot to conjure an even better drop shot that landed inches from the net. That made the score 15-40. The Italian converted the critical break point with a powerful backhand service return that forced a forehand error. Fittingly, two games later, a 10-point Match Tiebreak would decide this epic match. Nobody is better than Alcaraz when he plays his A+ game. Going into lockdown mode and striking the ball better than ever, Alcaraz streaked to a 7-0 lead. The most spectacular and unusual shot came when Sinner struck a solid backhand approach down the line. Anticipating it and displaying the extreme athleticism of a football wide receiver and a baseball shortstop, Alcaraz leapt laterally through no-man's-land, intercepted it, and created a jaw-dropping forehand cross-court volley winner. 'He does the seemingly impossible on the court,' John said. The charismatic Spaniard clinched the match tiebreak 10-2 with yet another super shot — an unforgettable forehand winner à la Nadal — to finish one of the greatest comebacks in tennis history. 'This match had everything,' raved Tracy Austin. 'I can't think of a better Roland Garros final,' said John. 'These guys bring out the best in each other. It's phenomenal,' enthused Navratilova on the riveting rivalry. 'I don't know how you watch that match and don't know tennis is the toughest sport in the world,' declared Querrey. After 5 hours and 29 minutes — the second longest in time for a Grand Slam final — Sinner had won one more point, 193 to 192. But Alcaraz had performed better on the big points, most notably the three championship points. Ultimately, the difference was belief. 'I just believe all the time,' Alcaraz said. 'I never have doubts about myself, even in those match points down. I thought just one point at a time.' During the trophy ceremony, the disconsolate but gracious Sinner said, 'I don't think I will sleep very well tonight.' More upbeat in the media conference later, Sinner said, 'I'm happy to be part of this. Would be even more happy if I would have the big trophy. But you can't change it now. Of course, happy to deliver this kind of level. Happy about the tournament. But obviously this one hurts.' 'Sinner will be back, and I firmly believe he'll win this,' predicted John. Of course he will. That's what champions do. GAUFF OUTDUELS SABALENKA TO WIN FIRST FRENCH OPEN Although Gauff's 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4 victory over Sabalenka never matched the men's final in sustained excellence, it certainly did in closeness, unpredictability and excitement. | Photo Credit: Getty Images When Coco Gauff realised she had forgotten to bring her racquets to her first-round match, she quipped, 'The most important thing is to play with a racquet.' Tiafoe, a good friend, teased her about the mishap. 'She was full out shaking her whole bag like it was an empty cookie jar on [Court Philippe] Chatrier. I was like, 'What are you doing?' ... I've never seen someone [ranked No. 2] in the world have zero things in her bag. That was incredible,' said eventual quarterfinalist Tiafoe. 'That kind of thing is so big because it just makes everyone [realise] we're all human. People make mistakes, whether it's the team or her or whatever. That was a funny moment, especially [because] she tries to be Mrs. Mature.' Indeed, Gauff possesses an uncommon maturity. On the court she is an impeccable sportswoman. Off the court she is an eloquent advocate for social justice. The Dream Final, which pitted No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka against No. 2 Gauff, proved once again that tennis entails far more than technique and tactics. TNT Sports and Tennis Channel experts analysed mainly the Xs and Os. 'Sabalenka is playing much better percentage tennis, while still going for her shots,' said all-time great Navratilova. 'Aryna suffocates you [with power] on the court. She's scary,' said 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens. Sabalenka was the DraftKings betting favourite at -225. But Gauff, the 21-year-old American at +175, had her supporters. 'Aryna doesn't like extended rallies that Gauff is capable of doing,' noted former No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki. 'Clay may be Coco's best surface because of her speed and high-bouncing forehand,' said Austin. The most astute prediction came from three-time Major winner Lindsay Davenport. 'It will come down to the intangibles — who handles the emotions better and who handles the conditions better with the roof open,' she said. As it turned out, those intangibles were closely connected because 27-year-old Sabalenka, the most emotional champion since Serena Williams, was often frustrated and flustered by winds gusting over 30 mph. Aryna Sabalenka, who had beaten the defending champion Iga Swiatek, was the favourite to win the final. | Photo Credit: AP Two finals featuring both the men's and women's No. 1 and No. 2 marked the first time this had happened at any Grand Slam event since the 2013 US Open when Nadal beat Djokovic and Serena Williams defeated Victoria Azarenka. At the French Open, you would have to go back to 1984 for that felicitous and historic scenario. Then Ivan Lendl rallied from a two-set deficit to overcome John in a classic, while Navratilova overpowered arch-rival Chris Evert to become the second woman in the Open Era to simultaneously hold all four Major singles titles. Although Coco Gauff's 6-7, 6-2, 6-4 victory over Aryna Sabalenka never matched the men's final in sustained excellence, it certainly did in closeness, unpredictability and excitement. Whether that was due to the windy conditions, nerves in their first Roland-Garros final, or their even rivalry — 1-1 on clay and 5-5 overall — wild fluctuations turned this duel into an intriguing test of will as much as skill. The first set alone saw eight service breaks. Sabalenka, who had won 19 of her last 20 Grand Slam matches, including her stunning 7-6(1), 4-6, 6-0 semifinal victory over four-time French champion Iga Swiatek, seemed like that same irresistible force when she broke Gauff's serve with a forehand volley winner for 2-1 and a vicious forehand serve return winner for 4-1. When the 5'11' Belarusian power hitter raced to a 40-love lead in the next game, she looked like the same player who steamrolled Swiatek in the final set two days earlier. The same player about whom Tennis Channel analyst Prakash Amritraj said, 'When she plays her best, another player can't beat her.' Unless the other player is Gauff. The resilient American reeled off five straight points to secure her first service break. Two games later, Gauff broke again on her fifth break point with a backhand passing shot that the rattled Sabalenka misjudged and let go by. During the huge momentum swing, Sabalenka swept 16 of the first 23 points, while Gauff grabbed 14 of the next 20. Gauff's fighting spirit With Sabalenka serving for the set at 5-4, Gauff escaped two set points and then broke serve on her fifth break point. 'That's the fighting spirit we've known so well from Gauff,' said Davenport. The topsy-turvy set had two more service breaks. Sabalenka raised her arms in exultation after a forehand volley winner put her briefly ahead 6-5. In the next game on break point, Gauff countered with the shot of the match. The Florida Flash sprinted to a Sabalenka overhead and drilled a sensational backhand down-the-line passing shot winner. No lead was safe. In the tie-break, Gauff raced to a 4-1 advantage highlighted by two backhand winners. Sabalenka responded, showing off her power and finesse to seize the last four points with winners. An 84-mph backhand service return made it 4-5, a ferocious down-the-line backhand 5-5, a cross-court forehand volley 6-5, and a feathery forehand drop volley 7-5. But Gauff had seen this movie before. Even starred in it. She had lost the opening set in the 2023 US Open final against Sabalenka and pulled the match out in three thrilling sets for her first Grand Slam crown. Gauff knew that if she could once again find the right balance between high-percentage offence and point-prolonging defence, she could induce many more errors from Sabalenka. As Stephens colourfully put it before the final, 'Coco needs to run for her life, Aryna needs to keep her head.' Gauff's shot variety and foot speed broke down Sabalenka's power-ball game and poise. | Photo Credit: AFP The momentum shifted again. Gauff's improved Western forehand delivered a cross-court winner for a service break and 1-0 lead. When she held serve at love for 2-0, Sabalenka started fuming and vented to her camp. Were the ghosts of heart-breaking three-set losses at Majors — such as that US Open final and the Australian Open final in January to Madison Keys — haunting her now? Gauff's shot variety and foot speed were breaking down Sabalenka's power-ball game and poise. Sabalenka managed a service break but still trailed 4-2 in the second set. Then Gauff poured it on, taking eight straight points, the last on a put-away overhead, to wrap up the 6-2 set. 'Sabalenka has been all over the place,' said Davenport. 'Let's see if she can dominate play and look like the No. 1.' If history were any guide, Sabalenka had reason to worry. Before the final, she was a mediocre 17-17 in three-set matches at Majors compared to Gauff's splendid 17-6, In fact, Gauff was 10-2 since the start of 2023. Benefitting from in-match coaching, Gauff moved forward from four feet behind the baseline in the first set to two feet inside it thereafter to win eight of the next 11 games. The positional pressure worked. The Belarusian blinked first in the deciding set, double faulting to lose her serve and fall behind 2-1. Yelling in Russian at her camp seemed to help as she broke back for 3-all. But a boomerang break — at love! — put Gauff ahead for good at 4-3. Minutes later, the discombobulated Sabalenka made three unforced errors to wind up Gauff's 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4 triumph. Gauff fell onto her back, hopped up to shake hands with Sabalenka, and shed tears of joy, relief and satisfaction on her chair. During the trophy presentation, Sabalenka, with tears flowing, tried to compose herself as she praised Gauff, thanked her team, and apologised, 'I'm sorry for this terrible final.' 'Coco stayed so calm and positive through so many twists and turns,' summed up Davenport. In sharp contrast, noted Stephens, 'Aryna did not control any emotions, and that lost her the match. It wasn't about tennis. She battled herself and Coco.' Despite the disappointing final, Sabalenka had much to be proud of during her best Roland-Garros performance. The Belarusian Basher powered through a draw much tougher than Gauff's with convincing wins over resurgent No. 16 Amanda Anisimova 7-5, 6-3, who had beaten Sabalenka in five of their previous seven matches, No. 8 and Olympic gold medallist Zheng Qinwen 7-6(3), 6-3, and the Queen of Clay, Swiatek. No stone unturned Swiatek led Sabalenka in their rivalry, 8-4 and 5-1 on clay. But those stats were misleading because the 23-year-old Pole hadn't won a tournament since taking her fourth Roland-Garros title a year ago, and her ranking dropped to No. 5. Swiatek changed coaches, hiring highly regarded Wim Fisette, but still played a predictable one-dimensional baseline game built around her superb forehand and foot speed. Conversely, Sabalenka left no stone unturned to add to her intimidating power game. 'She's incorporated drop shots, slices, she comes to the net more, she has more variety,' noted seven-time French Open champion Chris Evert. 'She also has a better attitude when she's in trouble,' said Mary Joe Fernandez, a TNT analyst. Sabalenka, who had broken Swiatek's serve just 10 times in their 12 previous matches, easily broke the Pole three straight times with a barrage of winners to surge ahead 4-1. Swiatek fought back with three service breaks to force a tie-break only to have Sabalenka crush her 7-1. Sabalenka overwhelmed Iga Swiatek 6-0 in the final set of their semifinal clash. | Photo Credit: Getty Images Flattening out her forehand from an average of 3,073 rpm in the first set to 2,360 in the second set and returning Sabalenka's big serves aggressively, Swiatek captured the second set 6-4. First-strike tennis paid off handsomely. Alas, Swiatek couldn't slug it out anymore against a natural slugger during the deciding set. In the most dominating set of the year between elite players, Sabalenka overwhelmed and dethroned Swiatek 6-0, winning 24 of 30 points. 'To win the set 6-0 against Iga on clay is something out of my mind,' admitted Sabalenka, who ended Swiatek's 26-match winning streak at Roland-Garros and became the first player to defeat her twice on clay. Stephens assessed the impressive triumph in more personal terms. 'Sabalenka is a very vengeful person. She's going for blood, as she said against Zheng.' Keys, the surprise Australian Open champion, gave Gauff her toughest challenge before the final. Despite 41 unforced errors versus just 15 winners, Gauff prevailed 6-7 (6), 6-4, 6-1 by 'winning ugly', something her former coach Brad Gilbert used to take pride in. Her relentless determination and running game — a vacuum cleaner defence — induced many of Keys' 60 unforced errors. 'It's just I have always had that in me, and not just in tennis but in everything. I'm a very competitive person,' explained Gauff. 'My philosophy is if I can just leave it all out there, then the loss will hurt a lot less than regrets of maybe not giving it your all.' Led by Gauff, Keys, and Frances Tiafoe in singles, for the first time in tennis history, an African American made the quarterfinals (or better) in all five of the professional events — men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, women's doubles and mixed doubles — at a single Grand Slam tournament. If you hadn't heard of Lois Boisson before the French Open, you weren't the only one. A wild card ranked a lowly No. 361, Boisson made her Tour-level debut at Rouen in May and her Grand Slam debut in Paris. The 22-year-old Frenchwoman made the most of it by streaking all the way to the semifinals. Her fairytale fortnight started in the first round when she upset 24th-seeded Belgian veteran Elise Mertens 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. Parlaying a devastating topspin forehand, blazing speed, deft volleys, and exceptional touch shots to offset a weak backhand, she then shocked a nervous No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 and 18-year-old sensation and No. 6 Mirra Andreeva 7-6 (6), 6-3. The Russian became so frustrated at 3-all from the raucous hometown fans that she whacked a ball into the crowd, which rained her with a chorus of boos. Lois Boisson. | Photo Credit: AFP Boisson, a hidden talent with a style reminiscent of Samantha Stosur, the former US Open winner and French Open runner-up, was sidelined for nine months with a torn ACL. She returned to competition in April. Fearless in the big moments, the muscular, 5'9' Boisson became just the third woman — after teen phenoms Jennifer Capriati and Monica Seles — to make the semifinals in her debut Major. 'I think every kid who plays tennis has the dream to win a Slam,' said Boisson. 'More for French players to win Roland-Garros, for sure. So, yeah, it's a dream. For sure, I will go for the dream, because my dream is to win it, not to be in the semifinal.' Gauff ended her Cinderella story with an emphatic 6-1, 6-2 victory over the 500-1 pre-tournament long shot. Like a savvy veteran, she attacked Boisson's vulnerable backhand — an erratic two-hander and a soft slice one-hander — and blocked out the stentorian crowd. Gauff copied a trick Djokovic used when he played crowd favourites. 'Actually, when you guys were chanting her name, I was saying to myself my name, just to psych myself out.' As Gauff has done ever since she burst on the scene as a precocious 15-year-old upsetting Venus Williams at Wimbledon to make the round of 16 in her Grand Slam main draw debut, she set more 'youngest records' at Roland-Garros. Gauff became the youngest to win Major women's titles on multiple surfaces since Maria Sharapova at Wimbledon in 2004 and the US Open in 2006 as well as the youngest American to win the singles title at Roland-Garros since Serena Williams in 2002. Evert, a teen queen who won 18 singles Majors during her 19-year career, believes 'Mrs Maturity', as Tiafoe calls her, 'will win 10, 12, 14 Majors. She's so much more mature than a 21-year-old. She's more like 25, 26.'
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First Post
5 hours ago
- First Post
Djokovic says he was the 'unwanted child' for fans as he challenged Federer, Nadal: 'I was never as loved'
Novak Djokovic has spoken about his rivalry with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for the first time in this much detail. He also added that he is closer to Nadal than Federer. read more Tennis superstar Novak Djokovic has said that he was 'never loved' by fans as much as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal and often felt like an 'unwanted child.' The sensational claims by the 24-time Grand Slam winner were made during a podcast on Neuspjeh prvaka YouTube channel. Djokovic is the most successful men's tennis player of all time, winning two more Grand Slam titles than Rafael Nadal and four more than Roger Federer. However, he has never been the most loved tennis player among the fans. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Djokovic speaks on rivalry with Federer, Nadal The 38-year-old has now claimed that fans didn't like the fact that he challenged Federer and Nadal for Grand Slam titles and that made him the 'third guy.' 'I acted and still felt like an unwanted child. I asked myself why that was. It hurt me. Then I thought the fans would accept me if I acted differently. But that wasn't the case either,' Djokovic said. 'I was never as loved as Federer and Nadal because I wasn't supposed to be there. I was the little guy, the third guy who came along and said, 'I'm going to be number one.' Many people didn't like that,' added Djokovic. Djokovic, however, also added that he has huge respect for Federer and Nadal and found it much easier to communicate with the Spaniard. 'Just because someone is my biggest rival doesn't mean I wish them harm, hate them, or want to do anything else on the court to defeat them. We fought for the win, and the better player won,' he said. 'I've always respected both him and Federer; I've never said a single bad word about them and never will. I looked up to them and still do. But I've always gotten along better with Nadal.' While Federer and Nadal are retired from tennis, Djokovic is not ready to stop yet and is hoping to play in the 2028 LA Olympics. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
The Hindu
6 hours ago
- The Hindu
2025 U.S. Open Golf Championship: DeChambeau misses cut; Rory McIlroy survives
The two players who went head-to-head in the final round of the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 had starkly different finishes on Friday at Oakmont Country Club. Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy recovered from an ugly start to his second round and beat the cut line by one stroke at 6 over par by sinking a short birdie putt at No. 18. Bryson DeChambeau, though, won't see the weekend at this U.S. Open after posting a 7-over-par 77 to go 10 over through his two rounds. DeChambeau beat McIlroy by a single stroke at Pinehurst when the latter bogeyed three of the final four holes. The LIV golfer's luck ran out Friday on his second nine, the front nine. A 13-foot birdie putt at No. 2 got him to 5 over for the championship, within eight shots of the lead. However, after a bogey at No. 3, DeChambeau had to punch out of Oakmont's thick rough at the fifth fairway and then skied his third shot into a bunker behind the green. He made double bogey there, followed by consecutive bogeys at Nos. 6 and 7. McIlroy struggled with Oakmont's sand early on. At the first hole, he barely got his ball out of a bunker he found off the tee, and his third shot missed the green in the back left corner. That double bogey was duplicated at No. 3 when he landed in another bunker and his second shot traveled an official 14 feet, 2 inches into the rough. He steadied out with a string of pars and a 32 1/2-foot birdie putt at the ninth hole. One bogey and one birdie later, with the cut line in question, McIlroy landed his approach at No. 18 past the pin and put just enough backspin on it to help it catch a slope and trickle down within 5 feet. At the time, the birdie was crucial because it was uncertain whether 6 or 7 over par would be the cut line. With 13 players left to finish one or two holes Saturday following a suspension for dangerous weather, the cut is expected at 7 over. Neither DeChambeau nor McIlroy was available to reporters after his round. They weren't the only star players to let Oakmont get the best of them on Friday. Scottie Scheffler is 4 over after a five-bogey, four-birdie round of 71. 'It's challenging out there,' Scheffler said. 'I was not getting the ball in the correct spots and paying the price for it. Felt like me getting away with 1 over today wasn't all that bad. It could have been a lot worse.' Four of the top 10 players in the Official World Golf Ranking -- Sweden's Ludvig Aberg (8 over), DeChambeau, Austria's Sepp Straka (11 over) and Justin Thomas (12 over) -- missed the cut. A fifth, Hideki Matsuyama of Japan, made it on the expected number at 7 over. Others who won't advance include Wyndham Clark, Patrick Cantlay, Phil Mickelson and Australian Cameron Smith at 8 over; Tommy Fleetwood of England at 9 over; Dustin Johnson at 10 over; Englishman Justin Rose at 14 over; and Ireland's Shane Lowry at 17 over.
