Alcaraz's confidence soaring before French Open title defense while Swiatek struggling - Sports
PARIS (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz will open his defense of the French Open title against veteran Kei Nishikori and said he's “excited” to be back in Paris on the back of an excellent clay-court season.
Alcaraz has been the dominant player in the weeks leading to Roland-Garros and is the clear-cut favorite after claiming trophies in Barcelona and Rome. Nishikori is a former top-five player who has been struggling on the dirt in recent years.
Alcaraz holds a 15-1 record on clay this season. Having moved back to No. 2 in the rankings, he can't play top-ranked Jannik Sinner before the final in Paris because they are on opposite sides of the draw.
“It's been a great clay season so far,” Alcaraz said after Thursday's draw in Paris. “I'm excited. The confidence is really high right now.”
Together, Alcaraz or Sinner have won the last five Grand Slam titles.
Back from his three-month doping suspension, Sinner pushed Alcaraz when they met in the Rome final this month, yet lost in straight sets. Sinner opens against local hope Arthur Rinderknech.
Alcaraz beat Sinner over five sets in the French Open semifinals last year. Alcaraz then successfully defended his Wimbledon title for his fourth Grand Slam trophy. Sinner has won only one of his 19 career titles on clay, in Umag, Croatia, in 2022 — when he beat Alcaraz in the final.
Novak Djokovic, who finally won a match on clay this year at the Geneva Open on Wednesday, will face Mackenzie McDonald of the United States in the first round. The 24-time Grand Slam singles champion won the Paris Olympics gold medal last August at Roland-Garros but has struggled on clay since then.
Sinner could run into No. 5 seed Jack Draper in the quarterfinals, with other possible matchups featuring Alexander Zverev (3) vs. Djokovic (6), Taylor Fritz (4) vs. Lorenzo Musetti (8), and Alcaraz vs. Casper Ruud (7).
In the women's draw, four-time champion Iga Swiatek is still searching for her best form.
She has dropped outside the top four and has not won a title or reached a final since her victory at Roland-Garros last year. Seeded No. 5 in Paris, Swiatek will open her campaign against Rebecca Sramkova, ranked No. 41. She could meet former U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu in the second round.
“I'm proud of my achievements here,” Swiatek said. “I'm working hard to be ready. For sure this season had more ups and downs than the years before. But I know my game is here.”
No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka faces Kamilla Rakhimova while No. 2 Coco Gauff will take on Olivia Gadecki. An interesting matchup will pit No. 10 Paula Badosa against four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka.
The possible women's quarterfinals are Sabalenka against No. 8 Qinwen Zheng, last-year's runner-up Jasmine Paolini against Swiatek, Jessica Pegula (3) vs. Mirra Andreeva (6), and Gauff against Madison Keys (7)
The French Open starts on Sunday and concludes on June 8.
___
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
Photo: The Canadian Press
PARIS (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz will open his defense of the French Open title against veteran Kei Nishikori and said he's “excited” to be back in Paris on the back of an excellent clay-court season.
Alcaraz has been the dominant player in the weeks leading to Roland-Garros and is the clear-cut favorite after claiming trophies in Barcelona and Rome. Nishikori is a former top-five player who has been struggling on the dirt in recent years.
Alcaraz holds a 15-1 record on clay this season. Having moved back to No. 2 in the rankings, he can't play top-ranked Jannik Sinner before the final in Paris because they are on opposite sides of the draw.
“It's been a great clay season so far,” Alcaraz said after Thursday's draw in Paris. “I'm excited. The confidence is really high right now.”
Together, Alcaraz or Sinner have won the last five Grand Slam titles.
Back from his three-month doping suspension, Sinner pushed Alcaraz when they met in the Rome final this month, yet lost in straight sets. Sinner opens against local hope Arthur Rinderknech.
Alcaraz beat Sinner over five sets in the French Open semifinals last year. Alcaraz then successfully defended his Wimbledon title for his fourth Grand Slam trophy. Sinner has won only one of his 19 career titles on clay, in Umag, Croatia, in 2022 — when he beat Alcaraz in the final.
Novak Djokovic, who finally won a match on clay this year at the Geneva Open on Wednesday, will face Mackenzie McDonald of the United States in the first round. The 24-time Grand Slam singles champion won the Paris Olympics gold medal last August at Roland-Garros but has struggled on clay since then.
Sinner could run into No. 5 seed Jack Draper in the quarterfinals, with other possible matchups featuring Alexander Zverev (3) vs. Djokovic (6), Taylor Fritz (4) vs. Lorenzo Musetti (8), and Alcaraz vs. Casper Ruud (7).
In the women's draw, four-time champion Iga Swiatek is still searching for her best form.
She has dropped outside the top four and has not won a title or reached a final since her victory at Roland-Garros last year. Seeded No. 5 in Paris, Swiatek will open her campaign against Rebecca Sramkova, ranked No. 41. She could meet former U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu in the second round.
“I'm proud of my achievements here,” Swiatek said. “I'm working hard to be ready. For sure this season had more ups and downs than the years before. But I know my game is here.”
No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka faces Kamilla Rakhimova while No. 2 Coco Gauff will take on Olivia Gadecki. An interesting matchup will pit No. 10 Paula Badosa against four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka.
The possible women's quarterfinals are Sabalenka against No. 8 Qinwen Zheng, last-year's runner-up Jasmine Paolini against Swiatek, Jessica Pegula (3) vs. Mirra Andreeva (6), and Gauff against Madison Keys (7)
The French Open starts on Sunday and concludes on June 8.
___
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
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PARIS (AP) — A look at some of the top men at the French Open, which starts at Roland-Garros on Sunday, with money-line odds via BetMGM Sportsbook:
Jannik Sinner
Seeding: 1
Career-Best Ranking: 1
Country: Italy
Age: 23
2025 Record: 12-1
2025 Titles: 1
Career Titles: 19
Grand Slam Titles: 3 — Australian Open (2: 2024, 2025), U.S. Open (1: 2024)
Last 5 French Opens: 2024-Lost in Semifinals, 2023-2nd Round, 2022-4th, 2021-4th, 2020-QF
Aces: Returned at the Italian Open from a three-month doping ban he agreed to after the World Anti-Doping Agency appealed his exoneration in the case. ... Reached the Rome final but 26-match winning streak dating to last season ended with loss to Carlos Alcaraz. ... Won his second consecutive Australian Open in January. ... Lost to Alcaraz in five sets in last year's semifinals in Paris.
He Said It: “I’m 23 years old, and I am not perfect. I know that I have things still to improve. I have certain areas where I can get better. That’s why we work.”
Read All About It: Jannik Sinner's playing style draws comparisons to Novak Djokovic
Odds Are: +190
Carlos Alcaraz
Seeding: 2
Career-Best Ranking: 1
Country: Spain
Age: 22
2025 Record: 30-5
2025 Titles: 3
Career Titles: 19
Grand Slam Titles: 4 — French Open (1: 2024), Wimbledon (2: 2023, 2024), U.S. Open (1: 2022)
Last 5 French Opens: 2024-Won Championship, 2023-SF, 2022-QF, 2021-3rd, 2020-Did Not Play
Aces: His title at Roland-Garros a year ago made him, at 21, the youngest man in tennis history to win at least one major championship on three surfaces. ... 4-0 in Grand Slam finals. ... Got an Olympic silver medal after losing the final to Novak Djokovic in Paris. ... Missed the Madrid Open with problems in both legs but then won the Italian Open, beating Sinner for the title. ... Tweaked his service motion in the offseason to try to get more precision and a consistent rhythm.
He Said It: When you feel like you can’t miss, you can do whatever you should do, everything is going to be in — that’s the most satisfaction … that I feel on court. You hit great shots, running forehand, drop shots, volley, serve and volley. Everything that you want to do, you feel like it’s going to be right.
Read All About It: Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have a real rivalry atop men's tennis
Odds Are: +105
Alexander Zverev
Seeding: 3
Career-Best Ranking: 2
Country: Germany
Age: 28
2025 Record: 24-9 (Entering the German Open)
2025 Titles: 1
Career Titles: 24
Grand Slam Titles: Zero — Best: Runner-Up, French Open (2024), Australian Open (2025), U.S. Open (2020)
Last 5 French Opens: 2024-Runner-Up, 2023-SF, 2022-SF, 2021-SF, 2020-4th
Aces: Now 0-3 in major finals, losing to Dominic Thiem at the U.S. Open — after leading 2-0 in sets — to Alcaraz at the French Open — after leading 2-1 in sets — and to Sinner at the Australian Open. ... Had a chance to move up to No. 1 while Sinner was serving his suspension, but Zverev kept losing early in tournaments, going 6-6 in one stretch.
He Said It: “I don’t want to end my career as the best player of all time to never win a Grand Slam, that’s for sure. I’ll keep doing everything I can to lift one of those trophies.”
Read All About It: Zverev falls to 0-3 in Slam finals with loss to Sinner in Melbourne
Odds Are: +1600
Jack Draper
Seeding: 5
Career-Best Ranking: 5
Country: Britain
Age: 23
2025 Record: 22-6
2025 Titles: 1
Career Titles: 3
Grand Slam Titles: Zero — Best: Semifinals, U.S. Open (2024)
Last 5 French Opens: 2024-1st, 2023-1st, 2022-DNP, 2021-DNP, 2020-DNP
Aces: Enjoying a real breakthrough season, including a Masters 1000 title at Indian Wells and a run to a Masters 1000 final on red clay at Madrid, along with a rise into the top 10. ... Only the second left-hander — Rafael Nadal is the other, of course — to reach the top five since 2000. ... Fitness issues from early in his career seem to be behind him. ... Never won a French Open match.
He Said It: “I feel like I’ve been sort of building towards this. And so I feel like I've been improving a long time.”
Read All About It: Jack Draper beats Holger Rune in the Indian Wells final
Odds Are: +3300
Novak Djokovic
Seeding: 6
Career-Best Ranking: 1
Country: Serbia
Age: 38
2025 Record: 12-7 (entering Geneva Open)
2025 Titles: Zero
Career Titles: 99
Grand Slam Titles: 24 — French Open (3: 2016, 2021, 2023), Australian Open (10: 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023), Wimbledon (7: 2011, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022), U.S. Open (4: 2011, 2015, 2018, 2023)
Last 5 French Opens: 2024-QF, 2023-Q, 2022-QF, 2021-W, 2020-RU
Aces: Recently split from coach Andy Murray. ... After stopping at the Australian Open with a hamstring injury, resumes his bid to become the first player with 25 Grand Slam singles trophies. ... 2024 was his first season without at least one Slam trophy since 2017. ... Won an Olympic gold medal for Serbia last year in Paris. ... Pulled out of the French Open midway through the event after tearing his right knee's meniscus. ... Ended a three-match losing streak this week.
He Said It: “It’s not like I’m worrying approaching every Grand Slam now whether I’m going to get injured or not, but statistics are against me, in a way, in the last couple of years.”
Read All About It: Djokovic strives to get another major championship after his latest injury
Odds Are: +1200
Casper Ruud
Seeding: 7
Career-Best Ranking: 2
Country: Norway
Age: 26
2025 Record: 24-7 (entering Geneva Open)
2025 Titles: 1
Career Titles: 13
Grand Slam Titles: Zero — Best: Runner-Up, French Open (2: 2022, 2023), U.S. Open (1: 2022)
Last 5 French Opens: 2024-SF, 2023-RU, 2022-RU, 2021-3rd, 2020-3rd
Aces: Earned his first Masters 1000 title on Madrid’s clay for his biggest trophy. He had been 0-6 in title matches at Grand Slam tournaments, Masters and the ATP Finals. ... Made it to at least the semifinals in Paris each of the past three years, including runner-up finishes against Nadal and Djokovic.
He Said It: “In many ways, my career has gone better than maybe I thought was possible sometimes.”
Read All About It: Casper Ruud had Slam chances against Carlos Alcaraz in the 2022 U.S. Open final
Odds Are: +2800
___
Howard Fendrich has been the AP’s tennis writer since 2002. Find his stories here: https://apnews.com/author/howard-fendrich
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 — A look at some of the top men at the French Open, which starts at Roland-Garros on Sunday, with money-line odds via BetMGM Sportsbook:
Jannik Sinner
Seeding: 1
Career-Best Ranking: 1
Country: Italy
Age: 23
2025 Record: 12-1
2025 Titles: 1
Career Titles: 19
Grand Slam Titles: 3 — Australian Open (2: 2024, 2025), U.S. Open (1: 2024)
Last 5 French Opens: 2024-Lost in Semifinals, 2023-2nd Round, 2022-4th, 2021-4th, 2020-QF
Aces: Returned at the Italian Open from a three-month doping ban he agreed to after the World Anti-Doping Agency appealed his exoneration in the case. ... Reached the Rome final but 26-match winning streak dating to last season ended with loss to Carlos Alcaraz. ... Won his second consecutive Australian Open in January. ... Lost to Alcaraz in five sets in last year's semifinals in Paris.
He Said It: “I’m 23 years old, and I am not perfect. I know that I have things still to improve. I have certain areas where I can get better. That’s why we work.”
Read All About It: Jannik Sinner's playing style draws comparisons to Novak Djokovic
Odds Are: +190
Carlos Alcaraz
Seeding: 2
Career-Best Ranking: 1
Country: Spain
Age: 22
2025 Record: 30-5
2025 Titles: 3
Career Titles: 19
Grand Slam Titles: 4 — French Open (1: 2024), Wimbledon (2: 2023, 2024), U.S. Open (1: 2022)
Last 5 French Opens: 2024-Won Championship, 2023-SF, 2022-QF, 2021-3rd, 2020-Did Not Play
Aces: His title at Roland-Garros a year ago made him, at 21, the youngest man in tennis history to win at least one major championship on three surfaces. ... 4-0 in Grand Slam finals. ... Got an Olympic silver medal after losing the final to Novak Djokovic in Paris. ... Missed the Madrid Open with problems in both legs but then won the Italian Open, beating Sinner for the title. ... Tweaked his service motion in the offseason to try to get more precision and a consistent rhythm.
He Said It: When you feel like you can’t miss, you can do whatever you should do, everything is going to be in — that’s the most satisfaction … that I feel on court. You hit great shots, running forehand, drop shots, volley, serve and volley. Everything that you want to do, you feel like it’s going to be right.
Read All About It: Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have a real rivalry atop men's tennis
Odds Are: +105
Alexander Zverev
Seeding: 3
Career-Best Ranking: 2
Country: Germany
Age: 28
2025 Record: 24-9 (Entering the German Open)
2025 Titles: 1
Career Titles: 24
Grand Slam Titles: Zero — Best: Runner-Up, French Open (2024), Australian Open (2025), U.S. Open (2020)
Last 5 French Opens: 2024-Runner-Up, 2023-SF, 2022-SF, 2021-SF, 2020-4th
Aces: Now 0-3 in major finals, losing to Dominic Thiem at the U.S. Open — after leading 2-0 in sets — to Alcaraz at the French Open — after leading 2-1 in sets — and to Sinner at the Australian Open. ... Had a chance to move up to No. 1 while Sinner was serving his suspension, but Zverev kept losing early in tournaments, going 6-6 in one stretch.
He Said It: “I don’t want to end my career as the best player of all time to never win a Grand Slam, that’s for sure. I’ll keep doing everything I can to lift one of those trophies.”
Read All About It: Zverev falls to 0-3 in Slam finals with loss to Sinner in Melbourne
Odds Are: +1600
Jack Draper
Seeding: 5
Career-Best Ranking: 5
Country: Britain
Age: 23
2025 Record: 22-6
2025 Titles: 1
Career Titles: 3
Grand Slam Titles: Zero — Best: Semifinals, U.S. Open (2024)
Last 5 French Opens: 2024-1st, 2023-1st, 2022-DNP, 2021-DNP, 2020-DNP
Aces: Enjoying a real breakthrough season, including a Masters 1000 title at Indian Wells and a run to a Masters 1000 final on red clay at Madrid, along with a rise into the top 10. ... Only the second left-hander — Rafael Nadal is the other, of course — to reach the top five since 2000. ... Fitness issues from early in his career seem to be behind him. ... Never won a French Open match.
He Said It: “I feel like I’ve been sort of building towards this. And so I feel like I've been improving a long time.”
Read All About It: Jack Draper beats Holger Rune in the Indian Wells final
Odds Are: +3300
Novak Djokovic
Seeding: 6
Career-Best Ranking: 1
Country: Serbia
Age: 38
2025 Record: 12-7 (entering Geneva Open)
2025 Titles: Zero
Career Titles: 99
Grand Slam Titles: 24 — French Open (3: 2016, 2021, 2023), Australian Open (10: 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023), Wimbledon (7: 2011, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022), U.S. Open (4: 2011, 2015, 2018, 2023)
Last 5 French Opens: 2024-QF, 2023-Q, 2022-QF, 2021-W, 2020-RU
Aces: Recently split from coach Andy Murray. ... After stopping at the Australian Open with a hamstring injury, resumes his bid to become the first player with 25 Grand Slam singles trophies. ... 2024 was his first season without at least one Slam trophy since 2017. ... Won an Olympic gold medal for Serbia last year in Paris. ... Pulled out of the French Open midway through the event after tearing his right knee's meniscus. ... Ended a three-match losing streak this week.
He Said It: “It’s not like I’m worrying approaching every Grand Slam now whether I’m going to get injured or not, but statistics are against me, in a way, in the last couple of years.”
Read All About It: Djokovic strives to get another major championship after his latest injury
Odds Are: +1200
Casper Ruud
Seeding: 7
Career-Best Ranking: 2
Country: Norway
Age: 26
2025 Record: 24-7 (entering Geneva Open)
2025 Titles: 1
Career Titles: 13
Grand Slam Titles: Zero — Best: Runner-Up, French Open (2: 2022, 2023), U.S. Open (1: 2022)
Last 5 French Opens: 2024-SF, 2023-RU, 2022-RU, 2021-3rd, 2020-3rd
Aces: Earned his first Masters 1000 title on Madrid’s clay for his biggest trophy. He had been 0-6 in title matches at Grand Slam tournaments, Masters and the ATP Finals. ... Made it to at least the semifinals in Paris each of the past three years, including runner-up finishes against Nadal and Djokovic.
He Said It: “In many ways, my career has gone better than maybe I thought was possible sometimes.”
Read All About It: Casper Ruud had Slam chances against Carlos Alcaraz in the 2022 U.S. Open final
Odds Are: +2800
___
Howard Fendrich has been the AP’s tennis writer since 2002. Find his stories here: https://apnews.com/author/howard-fendrich %23genevaopen) |
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NEW YORK (AP) — New York Yankees reliever Fernando Cruz was placed on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation Thursday, five days after the right-hander felt pain in an outing against…
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 — New York Yankees reliever Fernando Cruz was placed on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation Thursday, five days after the right-hander felt pain in an outing against… %23nfl){kind=logo} |
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Twitter (X), Inc. was an American social media company based in San Francisco, California, which operated and was named for its flagship social media network prior to its rebrand as X. In addition to Twitter, the company previously operated the Vine short video app and Periscope livestreaming service
Twitter (X) is one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 619 million monthly active users worldwide. One of the most exciting features of Twitter (X) is the ability to see what topics are trending in real-time. Twitter trends are a fascinating way to stay up to date on what people are talking about on the platform, and they can also be a valuable tool for businesses and individuals to stay relevant and informed. In this article, we will discuss Twitter (X) trends, how they work, and how you can use them to your advantage.
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Twitter (X) Worldwide trends are a list of topics that are currently being talked about on the platform and also world. The topics on this list change in real-time and are based on the volume of tweets using a particular hashtag or keyword. Twitter (X) Worldwide trends can be localized to a Worldwide country or region or can be global, depending on the topic's popularity.
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