Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska has reached the French Open final in an unprecedented run at Roland Garros, completing a remarkable journey after overcoming severe depression and career-threatening injuries.
The 24-year-old dropped to the red clay in shock after winning her ninth consecutive match in Paris to secure a place in the championship decider.
She becomes the first qualifier in history to reach the women’s singles final at the tournament, and only the second to achieve the feat at any Grand Slam.
Battling back from the brink
Her extraordinary success arrives after a prolonged struggle on the lower-tier ITF circuits and significant off-court battles.
A first-round loss in Wimbledon qualifying in 2019 prompted a hiatus from the sport, as the former Australian Open junior finalist dealt with severe depression.
At her lowest point, the unseeded finalist admitted she associated tennis with immense pressure and prolonged periods of distress.
“I was struggling a lot and I thought that I just need to stay very strong, tough, and just keep practicing, but then I just couldn’t get out of bed anymore,” Chwalinska said.
“I needed to take a break, and I honestly didn’t know if I was going to come back or not.”
A steady return to the elite
The Polish player sought professional psychological support and spent time at her family home, using alternative sports like boxing to help reset her mindset.
She eventually returned to the court with renewed enthusiasm, successfully qualifying for Wimbledon in 2022 to record her first main-draw victory at a major.
However, a subsequent knee injury required surgery later that year, stalling her promising career trajectory once again.
Before arriving in the French capital this fortnight, the history-maker had never defeated a player ranked inside the world’s top 50.
Her extraordinary nine-match winning streak has now redefined her career, proving the immense depth of talent currently residing within the women’s game.
Arsenal are prepared to listen to summer transfer offers for Leandro Trossard as Mikel Arteta looks to reshape his title-winning squad.
The Belgian international is entering the final year of his current contract at Emirates Stadium.
Consequently, the north London club are open to sanctioning an exit to ensure they continue evolving their attacking options.
Several Premier League and European sides are reportedly monitoring the versatile forward’s situation ahead of the upcoming window.
Ruthless decisions to build a dynasty
Despite recently securing their first Premier League title in 22 years, Arsenal are eager to avoid standing still in the transfer market.
Manager Mikel Arteta is targeting long-term domestic dominance and is willing to make difficult decisions regarding established first-team players.
The former Brighton man has achieved cult hero status since his initial £20m arrival in 2023, frequently delivering crucial goals in tight matches.
During his time in the capital, the 31-year-old has registered 36 goals and 34 assists across 174 appearances in all competitions.
Arteta seeking attacking upgrades
Arteta has previously been vocal about his admiration for the player’s technical ability and tactical flexibility across the frontline.
“Trossard, great player. He’s a little magician.”
“He can score on any surface, and he’s a big threat; so composed, so cool, he can play in different positions. It’s just a joy to have him in the team.”
However, the Arsenal hierarchy are now prioritising upgrades on the left wing to match the consistent output provided by Bukayo Saka on the opposite flank.
Fellow attackers Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus could also face uncertain futures as the club seek to increase their overall goalscoring firepower.
Finding a clinical replacement for the departing Belgian will be critical if the Gunners are to establish a lasting Premier League dynasty.
Arsenal have received a significant boost in their pursuit of £80m-rated forward Eli Junior Kroupi after Paris Saint-Germain ended their interest in the teenager.
Mikel Arteta is actively looking to strengthen his squad ahead of their upcoming Premier League title defence.
The Gunners are seeking a response after suffering a heartbreaking penalty shootout defeat to the French champions in the Champions League final in Budapest.
However, the north London club have now been handed an advantage over those same European rivals in the summer transfer market.
Clear path for highly-rated teenager
Initial reports had suggested the former Lorient prospect preferred a return to his homeland to join Luis Enrique’s side.
It has now emerged that the Ligue 1 kingpins will not launch a bid for the talented youngster.
The Parisian board are reportedly content with their current attacking options and are looking at other targets.
This development paves the way for Arsenal to formalise their interest in the highly coveted attacker.
Proven top-flight pedigree
The 19-year-old only arrived in English football last year but has swiftly adapted to the physical demands of the top tier.
He enjoyed a stellar breakthrough campaign, registering 13 goals in 33 league appearances.
Those impressive domestic performances earned the dynamic forward a nomination for the Premier League’s Young Player of the Year award.
Arteta now faces the delicate task of integrating new talent without disrupting the successful blueprint that recently secured domestic glory.
JT Poston shot a superb seven-under-par 65 to take a one-shot lead at the Memorial Tournament in Ohio as world number one and two Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy struggled in windy conditions.
The 31-year-old American made light work of a tricky Muirfield Village layout, finishing four strokes better than anyone else in the field on Friday.
In stark contrast, the game’s two highest-ranked players endured miserable afternoons on the notoriously fast putting surfaces.
McIlroy falters on the greens
The Northern Irishman signed for a two-over-par 74 to leave himself 10 shots adrift of the lead heading into the weekend.
His round was compounded by a disastrous double-bogey at the par-four 13th, where he required five shots to hole out from just 112 yards.
Defending champion battles through
Scheffler sits alongside his European rival at 10 strokes back, keeping his faint hopes of a third successive victory at this event alive with a level-par 72.
The reigning champion recorded three successive bogeys from the eighth hole and remarkably shanked a bunker shot at the fifth.
“Overall it was a tough day, I felt I could have shot 90. I may be a lot of things but I’m not a quitter.”
Scottie Scheffler
Fleetwood slips from the summit
First-round joint leader Tommy Fleetwood dropped to fourth place and five shots off the pace after carding a one-over 73.
“It was pretty brutal, actually. I still think I got a good score out of that today.”
Tommy Fleetwood
The Englishman felt he was unfairly punished with bogeys on the first and sixth holes despite hitting perfectly acceptable approach shots.
US PGA champion Aaron Rai and fellow Englishman Alex Fitzpatrick currently share ninth place on one under par after rounds of 70 and 71 respectively.
They are joined on the leaderboard by Ireland’s Shane Lowry, who mixed five birdies with two double-bogeys in an erratic second-round display.
Sarina Wiegman has demanded an immediate response from her England side after a humbling 4-0 defeat to Spain in Mallorca left automatic qualification for the 2027 World Cup out of their hands.
The result marks the heaviest loss suffered by the national team since the Euro 2009 final against Germany.
Goals from Pati Guijarro, Claudia Pina and an Alexia Putellas double condemned the visitors to a chastening evening.
Automatic qualification hangs in the balance
This heavy defeat means the European champions sit second in Group A3 with just one fixture remaining.
Their path to next year’s tournament in Brazil now relies on an unlikely slip-up from the group leaders.
If the Spanish secure a victory in their upcoming match against Iceland, the runners-up will be forced to navigate a precarious play-off route.
Wiegman reflects on painful night
The manager admitted the manner of the performance was deeply disappointing and fell far short of her tactical expectations.
“Of course it hurts,” Wiegman said in her post-match press conference.
“I hoped for a totally different game. I expected a tight game, a very competitive game. But there was a difference tonight.”
The Dutch coach highlighted structural failures, noting her team were repeatedly bypassed when attempting to press high up the pitch.
“We were really struggling to keep the ball and find longer passes, or play it in behind. They played really well, and we didn’t play so well.”
She added that the frustration in the dressing room is palpable, as the squad are completely unaccustomed to losing by such a wide margin.
Ukraine test presents chance for redemption
Attention must now turn to Tuesday night’s crucial final group game against Ukraine at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
The former Netherlands boss insisted she is entirely focused on delivering a strong performance to end the group stage on a positive note.
“First of all, we’re really focusing on Tuesday. We want to get a good performance in that game, and win – that’s the most important thing.”
Regardless of results elsewhere, the Lionesses must secure three points to maintain any hope of bypassing the dreaded play-off phase.
Republic of Ireland striker Amber Barrett insists her team have nothing to lose when they face group leaders France in Grenoble on Tuesday with an automatic World Cup qualification spot at stake.
The forward recently came off the bench in the 76th minute to score a dramatic late winner against the Netherlands in front of a 12,000-strong crowd in Cork.
That crucial victory means Carla Ward’s side have guaranteed at least a seeded play-off place, officially avoiding a bottom-place finish in their qualification group.
However, an away win against the French would completely bypass those play-offs and secure their passage to back-to-back international tournaments.
Targeting automatic qualification
Speaking to RTE following the momentous win over the Dutch, the match-winner emphasised the squad’s fearless mentality heading into the vital fixture.
“We do not have anything to lose,” Barrett stated.
“When we started the group, what everyone was looking at was not finishing fourth.”
“We avoided that tonight and we have nothing to lose on Tuesday, we are going to give everything we have.”
The Irish squad travel to the continent on a three-match unbeaten run, determined to avenge the 2-1 defeat they suffered against Laurent Bonadei’s team at Tallaght Stadium earlier in March.
‘Tuesday is a cup final’
Despite the safety net of the upcoming October and December play-offs, the attacker revealed that their manager has instilled a relentless winning mindset within the camp.
“Before, if you were 2-2 against the Netherlands, you would probably be rubbing your hands together and saying ‘we will take this’, but Carla [Ward] said from the start of the week, let everyone know we will be going to win the game,” she explained.
“Tuesday is a cup final.”
“Against the Netherlands, we were for it and we were trying to win that game, there was no doubt about it.”
France currently sit comfortably at the top of the group, posing a formidable challenge for the travelling side.
“It is a massive game on Tuesday, we will enjoy tonight but we are not taking for granted the French, they are an unbelievable side,” the striker concluded.
“Recover, get ready and let’s go again.”
UFC president Dana White believes Alex Pereira will surpass Jon Jones as the greatest mixed martial artist of all time if he defeats Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title at the White House on 14 June.
The Brazilian takes on his French opponent at UFC Freedom 250 in a bid to become the promotion’s first-ever three-weight world champion.
A victory would secure the interim heavyweight crown, adding to his previous reigns at middleweight and light-heavyweight.
White has historically championed current heavyweight king Jones as the absolute pinnacle of the sport.
However, the prominent executive admits a historic third divisional title would elevate the former kickboxer to unprecedented heights.
“If he wins the third world title that night, he jumps over Jon Jones and becomes the greatest of all time,” White told Forbes.
Meteoric rise and historic ambitions
The 36-year-old’s ascent through the mixed martial arts ranks has been nothing short of extraordinary since his transition from GLORY Kickboxing in 2021.
He claimed middleweight gold by dethroning long-time rival Israel Adesanya in 2022, before successfully conquering the 205-pound division.
The South American striker recently vacated his light-heavyweight strap specifically to facilitate this ambitious pursuit of heavyweight history.
Standing in his way is top contender Gane, who boasts a formidable professional record of 13 victories and just two defeats.
A potential showdown with Jones
Speculation remains rife regarding a fantasy bout between the two men currently vying for the ultimate legacy.
American legend Jones, who holds the promotion’s all-time record of 16 title fight victories, formally announced his retirement in 2025.
Yet the veteran immediately teased a sensational comeback exclusively for a blockbuster clash against the Brazilian powerhouse.
The victor of the June contest is also slated to unify the division against undisputed heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall.
However, the British fighter remains sidelined following severe eye injuries sustained in his previous title defence.
Furthermore, boxing promoter Eddie Hearn, who manages the English champion, is reportedly seeking to renegotiate his client’s contract before any unification bout materialises.
NBA investigators have interviewed LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard and team owner Steve Ballmer as part of an ongoing probe into alleged salary cap circumvention.
The league is examining claims that the Western Conference franchise used a third-party banking company to compensate their star player outside of standard contractual rules.
Leonard’s uncle and business adviser, Dennis Robertson, has also been questioned by officials regarding the allegations.
Executives from Aspiration, a now-defunct green financial firm at the centre of the inquiry, have also provided information to investigators.
Silver expects swift conclusion
Speaking prior to Game 1 of the NBA Finals, commissioner Adam Silver confirmed the investigation is reaching its final stages.
The league is close to the point now where I think we need to wrap this up.
Silver added that the franchise and the other 29 teams require clarity on the situation moving forward.
Denials and frustration
Both the organisation and their billionaire owner have publicly and vehemently denied the allegations.
They remain adamant that no evidence exists to support claims of financial wrongdoing.
However, sources indicate mounting frustration behind the scenes as team officials struggle to prove a negative against high-profile accusations.
There is reportedly uncertainty within the front office regarding potential punishments for the league’s wealthiest owner.
The Aspiration connection
The controversy stems from reports that Ballmer invested $50m into Aspiration through his personal business ventures in September 2021.
Shortly after, the franchise signed a massive $300m partnership with the company to become a founding partner of their new Intuit Dome arena.
Aspiration subsequently agreed a separate $28m endorsement deal with the two-time Finals MVP six months later.
An unnamed former employee alleged this subsequent sponsorship agreement was explicitly designed to bypass strict league financial regulations.
A source close to the six-time All-Star rejected these claims, stating his camp’s negotiations were standard and entirely independent of team affairs.