French Open

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz opens Wimbledon with straight-set win

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz had goosebumps walking onto Centre Court before his opening match at Wimbledon on Monday, a 7-6 (3), 7-5, 6-2 win over qualifier Mark Lajal. Lajal proved to be something of a speedbump for Alcaraz, who acknowledged that his 269th-ranked Estonian opponent surprised me a little bit" on Day 1 at the All England Club. Alcaraz, who won his third major championship at the French Open three weeks ago, defeated Novak Djokovic in last year's final on the grass at Wimbledon but said he was still nervous before Monday's match. When I walk into the court, I got goosebumps. I remembered last year. It was a great feeling," the 21-year-old Spaniard said in his on-court interview. But I try not to think about it. It's a new year totally different tournament. I have to be focused on my game just to play at the same level as last year if I want to repeat the same (success) as last year." Earlier, Aryna Sabalenka and Victoria Azarenka both pulled out of the tournam

French Open 2024: Alcaraz defeats Zverev to win his third Grand Slam title

Carlos Alcaraz came back to defeat Alexander Zverev 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 on Sunday and win the French Open for his third Grand Slam title. Alcaraz is a 21-year-old from Spain who grew up watching countryman Rafael Nadal win trophy after trophy at Roland Garros a record 14 in all and now has eclipsed Nadal to become the youngest man to collect major championships on three surfaces. Nadal was about 1 years older when he did it. Sunday's victory in which he trailed two sets to one, just as he had in the semi-finals against Jannik Sinner on Friday allowed Alcaraz to add the clay-court championship at Roland Garros to his triumphs on hard courts at the US Open in 2022 and on the grass at Wimbledon in 2023. Alcaraz is now 3-0 in Grand Slam finals. Zverev dropped to 0-2 in major title matches. The 27-year-old from Germany was the runner-up at the 2020 US Open after blowing a two-set lead against Dominic Thiem.

French Open men's final: Alcaraz seeks a third Grand Slam, Zverev a first

When Carlos Alcaraz was a kid growing up in Spain which, considering he's only 21, was not all that long ago he used to run home from school and flip on the TV to check out the French Open. Long before he was preparing to play in Sunday's final in Paris against Alexander Zverev, Alcaraz watched a lot of matches involving Rafael Nadal, of course, as his countryman was accumulating a record 14 titles at Roland Garros. I wanted to put my name on that list of the Spanish players who won this tournament. Not only Rafa, said Alcaraz, who then rattled off champions such as Juan Carlos Ferrero (who happens to be his coach), Carlos Moya and Albert Costa, calling them legends from our sport that won this tournament. He just might join them. Alcaraz has triumphed on the US Open's hard courts in 2022 and Wimbledon's grass courts in 2023, and now, he is one victory away from holding a trophy on the red clay of Court Philippe Chatrier in southwest Paris. He would be the youngest man to own a .

French Open 2024: Iga Swiatek wins third consecutive women's singles title

Iga Swiatek won her third consecutive French Open championship and fourth in five years by defeating Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-1 in the final on Saturday. The top-seeded Swiatek trailed 2-1 early in Court Philippe Chatrier before taking the next 10 games to claim the opening set and go up 5-0 in the second. She stretched her winning streak at Roland Garros to 21 matches and her career record at the place is now 35-2. The 23-year-old from Poland is the first woman with three trophies in a row in Paris since Justine Henin from 2005 to 2007. Swiatek also won the French Open in 2020 and the U.S. Open in 2022 and is now 5-0 in major finals. The 12th-seeded Paolini, a 28-year-old from Italy, was appearing in a Slam final for the first time. She had never been past the second round at one of the four most important tennis tournaments until getting to the fourth round at the Australian Open in January. Paolini will play in the French Open women's doubles final on Sunday with partner Sara Err

Knee surgery went well, wants to return to action soon: Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic said the surgery on his right knee went well after he was injured during the French Open and added Thursday that he hopes to return to competition as soon as possible. Djokovic had an operation in Paris on Wednesday, two days after he hurt the knee early in the second set of a five-set victory against Francisco Cerundolo in the fourth round. The 37-year-old from Serbia withdrew from the clay-court Grand Slam tournament where he was the defending champion on Tuesday, so he was unable to play in the quarterfinals. In the past day, I had to make some tough decisions after sustaining a meniscus tear during my last match. I'm still processing it all but I am happy to update you that the surgery went well. I am so appreciative of the team of doctors who have been by my side, Djokovic wrote on social media on Thursday, when he posted a photo showing him with crutches and the Eiffel Tower in the distance. I'm going to do my best to be healthy and fit to return to the court

French Open 2024: Sabalenka and Medvedev advance amid rain disruptions

Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka stayed out of the rain and moved into the third round of the French Open on Thursday. The second-seeded Sabalenka beat Japanese qualifier Moyuka Uchijima 6-2 6-2 on Court Philippe Chatrier as showers again affected play at Roland Garros. The inclement weather, which is expected to last for much of the day, halted play on all courts not equipped with a roof for the third consecutive day. "It's going to be a bit tricky today. So we're keeping our fingers crossed," tournament director Amlie Mauresmo said. Sabalenka, who reached the French Open semifinals last year, will next face Paula Badosa, a close friend and her doubles partner for this year's clay-court Grand Slam tournament. "It's always tough to play your friend," Sabalenka said. "But we know how to separate court and life." No. 4 Elena Rybakina, the Wimbledon champion in 2022, advanced by beating Arantxa Rus 6-3 6-4. Fifth-seeded Daniil Medvedev also reached the third round after hi

Iga Swiatek saves match point, comes back to beat Osaka at French Open

Iga Swiatek played like the current No. 1 and the two-time defending champion at the French Open. No surprise there. That Naomi Osaka looked like the former No. 1 that she is and on clay, no less amounted to an announcement that she is still quite capable of elite tennis. Surging down the stretch as Osaka faded, Swiatek saved a match point and grabbed the last five games to sneak her way to a 7-6 (1), 1-6, 7-5 victory in the second round of the French Open on Wednesday night in a thrill-a-minute contest befitting two women who both own four Grand Slam titles. "For sure, this match was really intense. Much more intense for the second round than I ever expected. For sure, I'll be more ready next time," Swiatek said. "Naomi played amazing tennis. I'm happy that she's back and she's playing well." For Swiatek, this extended her Roland Garros winning streak to 16 matches as she pursues a third consecutive trophy at the clay-court major. For Osaka, who cried when she left the court aft

French Open introduces head-cams for chair umpires to improve TV experience

From interactions with players to making the correct call at the French Open, TV viewers can now see exactly what the chair umpire is looking at. For the first time, chair umpires at the main Court Philippe Chatrier are wearing small head-cams. Organizers hope the camera footage will provide viewers with an immersive experience. The device "brings viewers even closer to the action, enabling them to discover the umpires' duties, as well as their interactions with players," the French tennis federation said Wednesday. The head-cam footage is part of the international broadcast feed, available to official tournament broadcasters. It's among new features introduced by the French Open this year, including a second retractable roof for the 10,000-seat Court Suzanne Lenglen. The 15,000-seat Philippe Chatrier Court has had a retractable roof since 2020.

Alcaraz qualifies to French Open's third round despite troubled forehand

Carlos Alcaraz's forehand was giving him a hard time at the French Open. So was the 176th-ranked qualifier across the net. After ceding the third set and trailing by a break in the fourth, Alcaraz needed to get in gear and he did, taking the last five games to beat Jesper de Jong 6-3, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 Wednesday in the second round. Heavy rain from early in the day caused the postponement of 23 singles matches, so Alcaraz was lucky to get the chance to compete, and advance, under the retractable roof at Court Philippe Chatrier. Still, he could not quite shake de Jong, a 23-year-old from the Netherlands with a flashy game who was participating in just his second Grand Slam main draw. Alcaraz, a former No. 1 who is seeded No. 3, has won two major championships and is still just 21. But Alcaraz has been dealing with a bothersome right arm that limited his preparation for Roland Garros and, he said, made him afraid to hit his big forehand with full force. He has been wearing a white sleeve

French Open 2024: Djokovic begins 25th Grand Slam bid with first-round win

Ignore the straight-set score: Novak Djokovic was not quite at his impervious best in the first round of the French Open, and his 6-4, 7-6 (3), 6-4 win over Pierre-Hugues Herbert was not enough to alter the defending champion's low expectations at this tournament. I don't want to get too excited, Djokovic said. I thought it was a good performance for me. Solid. Of course, I could have done better, I think, on return games, but also credit to him for serving very well, for changing things up. It's been a rougher-than-usual season so far for Djokovic, and while there were some signs of breaking out of his 2024 funk during the course of the contest at Court Philippe Chatrier, he still has room for improvement as he attempts to become the first player in tennis history to claim 25 Grand Slam singles trophies. There's no doubt he cares about such things. Grand Slams are the ones that are basically getting me up from the bed every day. Knowing that I have to hit the practice courts, I ...

French Open: Sabalenka marches into next round, defeats Erika Andreeva

Although Sabalenka is currently 20-5 all-time in Grand Slam opening rounds, she is almost impervious to an opening upset now

Full list of Nadal's Grand Slam titles; records achievements at French Open

Nadal has appeared in 14 finals at the French Open and won each one of them, thereby having a 100 per cent record at the Roland Garros

French Open 2024: Sumit Nagal breaks Khaachanov, but eventually crashes out

It was a Grand Slam debut for the 26-year-old Nagal who became the first Indian after Prajnesh Gunneswaran in 2019 to play in the French Open Men's Singles

French Open: Nadal knocked out in 1st round; Zverev win in straight sets

Nadal admits this would be his last dance at the Roland Garros. 37-year-old Nadal might end his superb outing at French Open with a defeat in the first round, hoping to return during Paris Olympics

French Open 2024: 39-year-old Stan Wawrinka beats 37-year-old Andy Murray

After Stan Wawrinka ended Andy Murray's stay at the French Open yet again and this time, it was perhaps Murray's last singles appearance at Roland Garros the two long-time opponents, both in their late 30s, met at the net for a handshake, an embrace and a lengthy chat. Wawrinka, whose trademark one-handed backhand helped him put together a 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 victory in the first-round contest Sunday night, then joined fans in applauding for Murray as he headed toward the locker room. It was emotional, for sure. We're getting closer to the end, said Wawrinka, who has won 10 of their 23 meetings since the first in 2005. We have a lot of respect for each other. Wawrinka, at 39, is just the third man of at least that age to win a match at the clay-court Grand Slam tournament since 1980. Murray just turned 37, and this contest had the second-oldest combined age for two men in Paris since 2000. Obviously disappointed. ... He gave me very few opportunities, said Murray, who was broken early

French Open 2024: Unseeded Nadal gets to 4th seed Zverev in first round

Rafael Nadal is in the French Open field, after all, and Thursday's draw set up the 14-time champion for a challenging first-round matchup against No. 4 seed Alexander Zverev. That's going to be hard, but he is a warrior," tournament director Amlie Mauresmo said. "Anything is possible with Rafa. This is expected to be Nadal's last appearance at Roland Garros, and he had been coy about whether he would compete this time after two seasons of off-and-on action because of injuries, including a surgically repaired hip that forced him to miss his favorite tournament a year ago. After a loss at the Italian Open this month, Nadal said he needed to think about whether to play in Paris. But the Spaniard, who turns 38 on June 3, has been practicing on the red clay at Roland Garros this week and his name was officially in the bracket. The French Open begins on Sunday. The Nadal-Zverev winner could be on a path toward a potential semifinal meeting against No. 1 seed and defending champion Nova

Nadal's last French Open? It should be similar to Serena's last US Open

If this is, as expected, Rafael Nadal's final French Open, it will be one that everyone the 37-year-old Spaniard included surely will remember vividly. No matter how healthy the guy everyone calls "Rafa" might be. No matter how long his stay in the bracket lasts. No matter whether he somehow adds another championship at Roland Garros to the record 14 he owns. Narrator: Not even Nadal truly believes that is possible. Indeed, as of Wednesday morning, he had not announced definitely whether he would be in the field, although he showed up on-site to practice. "I am not negative," he explained. "I am just realistic." Think back just a couple of years ago to Serena Williams' farewell at the US Open. That's the sort of atmosphere and adoration likely to be on display whenever Nadal swings a racket or simply strolls around the compact-for-a-Grand-Slam-grounds in the southwest section of Paris where the clay-court tournament begins Sunday. "I cannot predict what kind of emotions I am goi

French Open runner-up Dominic Thiem loses in qualifying final match

Two-time runner-up Dominic Thiem lost in the second round of qualifying on Wednesday in his final match at the French Open. Thiem was beaten 6-2 7-5 by Otto Virtanen on Court Suzanne Lenglen and won't make an 11th and final appearance in the main draw of the clay-court Grand Slam. Thiem, who reached the final at Roland Garros in 2018 and 2019, announced earlier this month that he will retire at the end of the year after struggling to return to top form following a wrist injury. After his loss, Thiem received a standing ovation during a farewell ceremony, amid chants of "Thank you Domi, Thank you Domi." Thiem, a former US Open winner, has dropped to the 131st spot in the rankings and did not receive a wild card at the French Open. He did not hold a grudge. "I slowly built up a great, great relationship with the tournament, relationship with all of you guys, with all fans," Thiem said. "I've really enjoyed every single year of it." The 30-year-old Austrian won his only Grand Slam

Nadal shows he's not ready for retirement in comeback win at Italian Open

For a brief stretch on Thursday, Rafael Nadal looked every bit of a weary 37-year-old player nearing retirement. Struggling to produce pace off both sides with his groundstrokes, committing an uncharacteristically high number of unforced errors and unable to stay in rallies, Nadal dropped the first set of his first-round match at the Italian Open against Belgian qualifier Zizou Bergs. Then the fist-pumping, virtually-unbeatable-on-clay, 22-time Grand Slam champion version of Nadal emerged and the Spaniard rallied for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory before an adoring crowd in what will likely be his final tournament at the Foro Italico. Nadal was playing only his 10th match this year after missing nearly all of 2023 with a hip injury that required surgery. He's hoping to be competitive one last time at the French Open, where he is the record 14-time champion. That was not my best match. I was practicing better than how I played today, without a doubt. But I found a way to win," Nadal said.

Rafael Nadal pulls out of Monte Carlo Masters, delays prep for French Open

Rafael Nadal pulled out of the Monte Carlo Masters on Thursday because of a lingering injury, delaying the start of his clay-court tournament preparation ahead of the French Open and extending his absence that began in January. The 37-year-old Nadal had hip surgery last summer and has played only three competitive matches in Brisbane before skipping the Australian Open this year. Nadal has won the Monte Carlo Masters 11 times but announced on his social media accounts that he won't be ready to play when the tournament starts next week. My body simply won't allow me, the 22-time Grand Slam champion said in a statement. The Spaniard didn't mention the French Open he's won the clay-court major a record 14 times in his statement. The Roland Garros tournament begins May 25. In early March, Nadal played an exhibition match against Carlos Alcaraz in Las Vegas but days later pulled out of the Indian Wells tournament. You have no idea how hard this is for me to not be able to play the