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IOL News
7 days ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Novak Djokovic 'got a good feeling' after dominating in French Open opener
Novak Djokovic made a good start to his 2025 French Open quest. Image: Jean Catuffe / DPPI via AFP Novak Djokovic made a clinical start to his latest pursuit of a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title at the French Open on Tuesday, while women's contenders Coco Gauff and Mirra Andreeva successfully got their campaigns under way at a windy Roland Garros. The 38-year-old Djokovic had little trouble in seeing off 98th-ranked American Mackenzie McDonald 6-3, 6-3, 6-3, three days after becoming only the third man to win 100 ATP titles with his victory in Geneva. "Well, the emotions were really nice," said Djokovic, seeded sixth and playing in Paris for the first time since winning Olympic gold last August. "But, you know, it was quite challenging conditions I think at the beginning of the match with the wind and rain and everything that was happening." The three-time French Open champion lost his opening matches in both Monte Carlo and Madrid earlier in the clay-court season, but was dominant against McDonald, despite failing to serve out the second set in the eighth game. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. 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Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ "I think it was good move to go to Geneva, to be honest, because I was also struggling a little bit with confidence level, doubting my game a bit," said Djokovic. "So it was good that I got four matches under my belt, won a title. Coming into Roland Garros, it feels different than I had comparing to the feeling I had three weeks ago. Let's see how far I can go here, but I have a good feeling for now." The Serb, who withdrew injured before the quarter-finals in 2024, will next meet 73rd-ranked Frenchman Corentin Moutet. Djokovic is on the same half of the draw as world number one Jannik Sinner and last year's runner-up Alexander Zverev, who saw off American teenager Learner Tien 6-3, 6-3, 6-4. World number three Zverev is hoping to go a step further than 12 months ago when he lost the final to Carlos Alcaraz, his third defeat in as many Grand Slam finals. Zverev, who has reached at least the semi-finals in each of the last four French Opens, will next face Dutchman Jesper de Jong. Former US Open champion and five-time Grand Slam runner-up Daniil Medvedev was dumped out in the first round for the sixth time in Paris, losing a dramatic clash with Cameron Norrie 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 1-6, 7-5. Grigor Dimitrov retired injured for a fourth consecutive Grand Slam tournament, calling it quits due to a leg injury when leading American Ethan Quinn by two sets to one. British fifth seed Jack Draper won his first match at the French Open, rallying past Italy's 68th-ranked Mattia Bellucci 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 to reach the second round on his third attempt. Ninth seed Alex de Minaur, a quarter-finalist at each of the past four majors, started well with an accomplished 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (8/6) win over Serbia's Laslo Djere. Miami champion Jakub Mensik came through an entertaining match against Frenchman Alexandre Muller, 7-5, 6-7 (5/7), 7-5, 6-3 victory. Gauff, Andreeva impress In the women's draw, 2022 runner-up Gauff brushed aside Australia's Olivia Gadecki 6-2, 6-2. Gauff, the 2023 US Open winner, has not won a tournament since last year's WTA Finals but reached the finals at both Madrid and Rome this month. The 21-year-old American has reached the quarter-finals or better in each of her past four visits to Roland Garros. "I knew it wasn't going to be a clean match with how windy it was," said the second seed, who initially forgot her racquets which had to be collected by a ball boy. "Honestly, it was two different matches depending on which side of the court you were on." Rising Russian star Andreeva is eyeing her maiden Grand Slam crown after WTA 1000 titles in Dubai and Indian Wells and recovered well after falling 3-0 down to Spaniard Cristina Bucsa in the first set.
IOL News
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Rafael Nadal's legacy forever etched into Roland Garros' red clay
Spains Rafael Nadal acknowledges the crowd at Roland-Garros during a special tribute ahead of the start of the 2025 French Open. Image: Jean Catuffe / DPPI via AFP Rafael Nadal was given a rousing reception as the 'King of Clay' stepped onto Court Philippe Chatrier for the final time on Sunday in an "unforgettable" ceremony to celebrate his career at the French Open. The 38-year-old, who retired from tennis last November, was serenaded by the Roland Garros crowd, with spectators wearing different coloured t-shirts to create the message "14 RG, Rafa". Nadal dominated the French Open after winning on debut as a teenager in 2005, lifting the trophy a record-breaking 14 times. The Spaniard finished with a remarkable 112-4 win-loss record at the clay-court Grand Slam. He last won the title in 2022 and played his final match on the Paris clay last year when he was defeated by Alexander Zverev in the first round. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ "I don't know how to start... I've been playing on this court for 20 years. I suffered, I won, I lost. I have lived many emotions here on this court," an emotional Nadal told the crowd after watching a video of his career highlights at Roland Garros. Nadal's family and friends watched from the player's box, along with many of his former coaching staff, including his uncle Toni. "It has been unforgettable, plenty of emotions for a guy like me that doesn't love these kind of things because I'm still a little bit shy for all this stuff," Nadal told reporters. "I don't like a lot to be the centre of attention for these things. It was enough when I was playing tennis. But I enjoyed it, honestly. I suffered a little bit with the emotions, but I enjoyed a lot." Old rivals pay tribute Nadal's long-time rivals Novak Djokovic, fresh from winning his 100th ATP title on Saturday, Roger Federer and Andy Murray all joined him on the main Chatrier court. The trio walked out after Nadal's speech to greet their fellow former world number one, to a deafening roar from the fans. "To have my three biggest rivals there on the court with me meant a lot," Nadal said of the other members of the 'Big Four'. "At the same time, it's a great message for the world, I think, that best rivals, the toughest rivals probably in the history of our sport are able to be good colleagues, to respect each other. "You don't need to hate the opponent to try to beat him with all your force. And that's the message that I think we showed people, we showed the new generations, and in some way that's our legacy." Nadal hung up his racquet following the 2024 Davis Cup Finals in Malaga, initially denying him an opportunity to wave goodbye to his adoring fans in Paris. His tally of 14 victories at a single Grand Slam appears unlikely to be beaten, with Margaret Court's 11 Australian Open titles second on the all-time list. Nadal was presented with a special trophy commemorating his French Open record, with a mark of his footprint carved into the clay. "I didn't know anything about the ceremony," Nadal said. "Only thing that I knew before going there was going to be video when I go on, then gonna be my speech, and then gonna be a couple of surprises. "Then when I see that, I thought it was going to be just for this year. Knowing that's going to be forever there, it's a present that I can't describe in words." The 22-time Grand Slam champion received a send-off after his final match at the Davis Cup, but French tennis federation chief Gilles Moretton said earlier this year that "the tribute was not, in my opinion, what it should have been". He said he had gone to visit Nadal at his home in December along with Roland Garros tournament director Amelie Mauresmo to discuss plans for Sunday's ceremony. AFP
IOL News
24-05-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
SA star Lloyd Harris 3. 0 shows resilience with win over Marin Cilic to reach French Open main draw
South Africa's top-ranked men's tennis player Lloyd Harris will take a major step in his comeback from injury when he steps out on court to face Andre Rublev in Sunday's first round of the French Open in Paris. Image: Paul Crock/AFP South Africa's top-ranked player, Lloyd Harris, served up proof that he is over his recent injury woes when he dispatched former world No 3 Marin Cilic 6-3 4-6 6-3 in the French Open qualifiers on Friday to move into the main draw. Former US Open quarter-finalist Harris broke early in the first set and again in the final game to take a 1-0 lead. He broke Cilic's serve again early in the second set before the Serb, who has also struggled with injury, broke back. Both players then struggled to hold their serve. Cilic, the 2014 US Open champion, landed a telling break to take a 4-3 lead in the seventh game. The rest of the set went on serve. Both players found their service rhythm in the opening games of the third set. But the cracks started to show in Cilic's game as the South African grew in confidence. He got the only break of the set in the seventh game and had to dig deep in his next two service games to hold serve and book a coveted spot in the main draw. The 28-year-old had seen off Finland's higher-ranked Otto Virtanen in his second match of the qualifying tournament, after a fairly routine victory over Switzerland's Marc-Andrea Hasler in his opener. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Harris will face Russian 17th seed Andrey Rublev in Sunday's first round at Roland Garros. Few will give him a chance against the consistent Russian player, but Harris is used to overcoming obstacles. The resilient South African spoke earlier this week about the physical challenges he's faced over recent years. South Africa's Lloyd Harris reached the main draw of the French Open after Friday's victory over Marin Cilic in the qualifiers. Image: Alexandre Martins/DPPI via AFP Harris was tipped as a potential future star after a meteoric rise took him to No 31 in the world. He was a regular feature at Grand Slams, reaching the quarter-final at the US Open in 2021. However, wrist surgery in 2022 and back surgery late last year derailed his progress. Since returning to competitive tennis in February, he has struggled to rediscover his top form. 'It's been tough, but for me it's all about being healthy. Every match I get being injury free is a mega win for me,' Harris told ahead of the clash with Cilic. 'What's kept me positive is having a good team around – family, friends, girlfriend – everyone has been saying how much they believe in me. 'Even when you doubt it, you hear it from them and say 'okay, maybe I can make another big push'. But it's all got to come from within, 'I thought last year I was getting the 2.0 of Lloyd Harris, but I had to go do another surgery, that was pretty harsh.
IOL News
25-04-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Manchester United's Diogo Dalot could miss rest of season, says Ruben Amorim
Out for the season Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has revealed that defender Diogo Dalot might play again this season due to injury. Photo: Jean Catuffe/DPPI via AFP Image: Jean Catuffe/DPPI via AFP Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has revealed Portugal defender Diogo Dalot could miss the rest of the season after suffering a calf injury. Dalot only appeared as a substitute in last Sunday's 1-0 loss against Wolves as Amorim tried to keep him fresh for the final games of the season. But the versatile full-back has sustained a muscle problem that threatens to bring his campaign to an abrupt end. "Diogo Dalot is out. He has something in his muscle, in his calf. He's out for these next games," Amorim told reporters ahead of Sunday's Premier League trip to Bournemouth. Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel. Dalot has made 51 appearances for United this season in all competitions, missing just one match through suspension. Asked if the 26-year-old could miss the rest of the season, Amorim added: "There is that possibility, but I don't know. We'll check week by week because he works really hard, he can recover quite well. "He had a sequence of games that he played all the time. We tried to manage but some of the players have to play a lot of minutes." Dalot's absence is a blow for United in with a crucial Europa League semi-final first leg trip to Athletic Bilbao looming on Thursday. United limp into the weekend languishing in 14th place in the Premier League. Amorim, who replaced the sacked Erik ten Hag in November, could preside over their worst league finish since they were relegated from the top-flight in 1973-74. 'Things can change' United are already assured of their worst points total in the Premier League era, which started in 1992. A major overhaul of United's underachieving squad is likely even if they win the Europa League. Quizzed on whether he knows the players he would like to sell in the close-season, Amorim said: "Yeah, I could say that. "Of course this is a conversation for the end of the week, but I have an idea that is clear because we have to do things early. But things can change until the end of the season." Wolves forward Matheus Cunha is among United's targets but Amorim was unwilling to talk about the Brazil international. "I will not say nothing about Matheus because if I say one time I will have to say for any situation whether that it's yes or no, so I will not comment about that," he said. "We are focused on this season. Even the way we are going to prepare the next season could change in these games, so it's hard to predict what is going to happen in the future." United need to lift the Europa League to secure European action next term, with Champions League qualification on offer to the tournament winner. But Amorim insisted United remain an attractive club for top players regardless of their European status. "It's Manchester United. What I feel is that there's a lot of players that want to play for our club," he said. "I know that if you look at our club in the moment it looks like sometimes with all the problems with the staff, people going, changing coach, the results, it looks a little bit of a problem in the moment. "But we have a clear idea and that is the easiest part to explain for a player. And then every player wants to play for Manchester United." AFP Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel.
