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The Independent
2 hours ago
- General
- The Independent
French Open: Tennis players wonder if nasal strips aren't just for snoring anymore
If more tennis players find themselves breathing easier, it might just be thanks to Carlos Alcaraz. The four-time Grand Slam champion, whose bid for a second consecutive French Open title was scheduled to continue with a third-round match Friday night, has often worn a nasal strip in matches since last season — although not during his first two contests at Roland-Garros this week — and the sport's other athletes took note. After all, if Alcaraz finds something useful on the court, their thinking goes, maybe it makes sense to give the adhesive bands a shot. 'I saw Carlos playing in it,' said 18-year-old Mirra Andreeva, a semifinalist in Paris last year and the No. 6 women's seed this time. 'I'd be pretty interested to try and see if there is really a difference. If he plays matches in it, then probably there is.' At the 2024 season-ending ATP Finals last November, Alcaraz said: 'It is something that I'm going to wear more often. I could recover better between points.' Once associated with Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice and soccer stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar, the bands, which essentially look like a Band-Aid worn across the bridge of the nose, are popping up on tennis courts — sometimes out of necessity, sometimes out of curiosity. They are designed to open the nostrils slightly, making it easier to breathe through the nose. Originally marketed to reduce snoring, they're being embraced to enhance air intake during physical exertion. The idea is simple: Better breathing could mean better oxygen intake. In practice, the science is less convincing. In 2021, Brazilian academic Ricardo Dinardi reviewed more than 600 studies on nasal strips and found they didn't make a real difference in how much air athletes took in, their heart rate or how strenuous exercise felt. 'The effect on athletic performance is mostly placebo,' Dinardi said. 'But in elite sports, even perceived benefits can count.' Three-time major finalist Casper Ruud, who wore the strips in matches earlier this year, knows the evidence is shaky. But he still liked using them — both on the court and while sleeping. Like Alcaraz, Ruud did not wear one in Paris before his second-round exit. But he has been testing a prototype of a different version. 'I tried out a device that's very early in development. It will be a bit more comfortable to wear, because it's inside the nose and it looks like I have this bullring under,' said Ruud, who was the runner-up at Roland-Garros to Rafael Nadal in 2022 and Novak Djokovic in 2023. 'It will return, don't worry.' For other players, like Nicolás Jarry, the strips are more than a trend — they're a necessity. After nasal surgery in 2020, the Chilean still needed help to draw air into his nose, so he puts them on for every practice and every match he plays. 'Without it, I cannot breathe. My nostrils shut when I try,' he said, inhaling to demonstrate for a reporter. 'Others don't have that issue and still use them.' Jarry definitely has noticed a recent spike in interest among players. He said that even though he's worn the strips for years, including at this French Open, other competitors on tour never asked about them — until Alcaraz started wearing one last year, sometimes in black, sometimes in pink. 'Others have asked me, and many are trying it," said Jarry, who sported a beige-colored strip in Paris. "But before him? Nothing.' There are those, like 2024 US Open runner-up Jessica Pegula, who are tempted to try. 'I have a horrible deviated septum. I can't really breathe out of one side of my nose," said Pegula, who will play 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova in the third round Saturday. 'Maybe I should start wearing one.' She admits, though, that the aesthetic aspect might be a deal-breaker. 'I don't know," Pegula said with a smile, 'if I have the confidence to rock one.' AP Tennis Writer Howard Fendrich contributed. ___
Washington Post
3 hours ago
- Health
- Washington Post
French Open: Novak Djokovic takes a medical timeout for a toe blister in a victory over Moutet
PARIS — Novak Djokovic dealt with a blister on his big left toe that required a medical timeout in the third set, then was one point from being forced to a fourth, before closing out a 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (1) victory over Corentin Moutet at the French Open on Thursday.
Times of Oman
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Times of Oman
French Open: Djokovic moves into third round with win over Moutet
Paris: Serbian tennis icon Novak Djokovic marched into the third round of the ongoing French Open, defeating Corentin Moutet in his second round game in the French capital on Thursday. As per ATP's official website, Djokovic, who is chasing his 25th Grand Slam title, eliminated Moutet from the competition with a 6-3, 6-2, 7-6(1) win. Moutet entertained the crowd with some fighting tennis, some unbelievably deft drop shots which made Djokovic struggle at times. However, the class and big game experience of the Serbian maestro was too much. During his match that lasted just over three hours, Djokovic displayed the top form that landed him his 100th ATP Tour-level title recently after he beat Hubert Hurkacz for the Geneva Open title. This string of wins comes after opening round losses in Monte Carlo and Madrid in April. The world number six in the ATP Rankings has been in top form at Paris, having eased past Mackenzie McDonald in the opener. Speaking after the game, Djokovic was quoted as saying by the ATP website, "Mentally I had to stay concentrated and prepared for a match like that. Corentin is a player who has great speed, it was a great battle, especially the third set. I saved a set point... At that moment, anything is possible. I found a shot to stay in the set, a good service. I think in general I played well, I managed to stay calm on court, which was not easy at times." Earlier, world number one Jannik Sinner shut the curtain down on Richard Gasquet's career as he soared to a convincing win to qualify for the third round. In his 22nd appearance at the clay-court major in Paris, the 38-year-old Gasquet's last dance concluded with a 6-3, 6-0, 6-4 defeat in a fixture that lasted for one hour and 58 minutes. On the other hand, the number one-ranked tennis star extended his Grand Slam winning streak to 16, making him the first man born in 1990 or later to accomplish the feat. (ANI)
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mashpee vs Amesbury girls tennis
Teenager Jakub Mensik recounts incredible Miami triumph One of the best tennis stories of 2025 saw teenager Jakub Menšík deny boyhood idol Novak Djokovic of his 100th career title, stunning the 24-time grand slam singles champion in the Miami Open final in March. The 19-year-old exhibited an impressively confident display of power and guile in what was by far the biggest moment of his young career. In claiming his first career ATP title, Menšík became the second-youngest winner of the Miami Open after Carlos Alcaraz in 2022. But incredibly, Menšík very nearly didn't play at all in Miami. Ahead of his first-round match against Jack Draper, Menšík was suffering with knee pain and went to the tournament referee's office with the intention of withdrawing from the Miami Open. Instead, Menšík received treatment from the physiotherapist and took some pain killers, relieving his knee pain enough to take the court. He's been looking back on his breakthrough and ahead to the French Open with Don Riddell. 3:32 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing
NDTV
6 hours ago
- Sport
- NDTV
French Open: Novak Djokovic Moves Into Third Round With Victory Over Corentin Moutet
Serbian tennis icon Novak Djokovic marched into the third round of the ongoing French Open, defeating Corentin Moutet in his second round game in the French capital on Thursday. As per ATP's official website, Djokovic, who is chasing his 25th Grand Slam title, eliminated Moutet from the competition with a 6-3, 6-2, 7-6(1) win. Moutet entertained the crowd with some fighting tennis, some unbelievably deft drop shots which made Djokovic struggle at times. However, the class and big game experience of the Serbian maestro was too much. During his match that lasted just over three hours, Djokovic displayed the top form that landed him his 100th ATP Tour-level title recently after he beat Hubert Hurkacz for the Geneva Open title. This string of wins comes after opening round losses in Monte Carlo and Madrid in April. The world number six in the ATP Rankings has been in top form at Paris, having eased past Mackenzie McDonald in the opener. Speaking after the game, Djokovic was quoted as saying by the ATP website, "Mentally I had to stay concentrated and prepared for a match like that. Corentin is a player who has great speed, it was a great battle, especially the third set. I saved a set point... At that moment, anything is possible. I found a shot to stay in the set, a good service. I think in general I played well, I managed to stay calm on court, which was not easy at times." Earlier, world number one Jannik Sinner shut the curtain down on Richard Gasquet's career as he soared to a convincing win to qualify for the third round. In his 22nd appearance at the clay-court major in Paris, the 38-year-old Gasquet's last dance concluded with a 6-3, 6-0, 6-4 defeat in a fixture that lasted for one hour and 58 minutes. On the other hand, the number one-ranked tennis star extended his Grand Slam winning streak to 16, making him the first man born in 1990 or later to accomplish the feat. Listen to the latest songs, only on
