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Getty ImagesJonathan JurejkoBBC Sport tennis news reporter at Roland Garros4 June 2025Updated 16 minutes agoWhen the French Open draw was made a fortnight ago, it was the potential women’s match that everyone had their eye on.Iga Swiatek – the reigning champion known as the ‘Queen of Clay’ – against world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals.The pair have dominated the WTA Tour over the past three years, leading to an era-defining rivalry that resumes when they meet in the last four at Roland Garros on Thursday.”It is the blockbuster of the entire tournament on the women’s side,” said former world number nine Andrea Petkovic, who will be analysing the match for BBC Radio 5 Live.Poland’s Swiatek, seeded fifth, is bidding for a fourth straight title while Belarusian rival Sabalenka is seeking to snatch the crown for the first time.They have never played each other at the clay-court Grand Slam and it will be the first time they have met competitively since the Cincinnati Open last August.Swiatek, 24, leads their head-to-head record, with eight wins from 12 matches, including five of six meetings on clay.But with questions still lingering over the four-time champion’s game, can 27-year-old Sabalenka end her rival’s formidable record?Mentality, forehand & return – the case for SwiatekComing into Roland Garros, it was clear to see Swiatek’s reign was under threat.The former world number one has dropped to her lowest ranking since 2022, having not reached a tour-level final since claiming last year’s French Open.It was the first time she arrived in Paris without winning a title in the clay-court swing since her maiden major triumph in 2020.After a humbling defeat by Danielle Collins in the Italian Open third round, Swiatek insisted her previous French Open record would count for nothing.But she has improved match by match, and the manner with which she fought back from a set down against Elena Rybakina in the last 16 felt like a renaissance moment.”Before the tournament started I put Iga as third favourite – after Aryna and Coco Gauff,” said Petkovic.”But I changed my opinion after I saw her match against Rybakina. I saw the old mental strength of Iga in the most important moments.”While it feels like Swiatek is still short of her very best level, the frustration she showed earlier in the clay-court swing has rarely been evident.She has regained more trust in her damaging top-spin forehand, taking it more regularly from the centre of the court.”Against the best movers in the world, you won’t hit as many winners on the backhand, no matter how good it is – so you have to go with your forehand,” said Petkovic. “Her forehand is the biggest weapon on the clay courts because it has more spin, more margin and can really jump out of the strike zone of Sabalenka.”Stepping back in her returning position – like she did against Rybakina – may also be a key tactic against another big server.”Swiatek always returns from the same position every single time, no matter who is serving. That works well against players who don’t serve well,” Petkovic added.”But against the Rybakinas – and the Sabalenkas – this is a dangerous thing. “If you don’t see the ball early enough you will be under pressure right away.”Raw power & early control – the case for SabalenkaThree-time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka replaced Swiatek at the top of the rankings last year and has opened a commanding lead over her rivals this season.With 39 wins from 45 matches, her powerful style transcends surfaces and is backed up by an unparalleled consistency.Sabalenka, who has won three WTA titles this year, is the first player to reach the quarter-finals at 10 consecutive Grand Slams since American great Serena Williams between 2014 and 2017.To reach her first French Open final, she will have to find a way to end Swiatek’s 26-match winning streak on the Paris clay.”The most important thing for Aryna – against anybody in the world – is whether she can control the first two to three shots. That’s where she makes the difference,” said Petkovic.”It doesn’t mean she has to win the point in the first two or three shots, but she has to be able to gain control.”If she is able to do that, I think it will be very hard for Iga to win.”Sabalenka, whose also reached the 2023 semi-finals, is becoming more than just a ball crusher as she looks to evolve her game.She is playing with increasing variety and has used the drop-shot effectively in Paris, although the speed of Swiatek may be able to neutralise that option. “I’m going to play with my power, because this is something where I feel the most comfortable,” said Sabalenka.”But when you put the other player on the back foot, it’s really important to mix it up little bit just so they guess every time.”How TikTok has helped bond rivalsTo paraphrase an old saying, Swiatek and Sabalenka appear to have decided it is better to keep your rivals even closer than your friends.The pair practised together in the off-season and shared a court again at Roland Garros before the tournament started.Swiatek played down the significance of the session, which took place as she looked to rediscover her game.”It’s great always to practice with Aryna. She gives a great rhythm and the practice will have quality,” said Swiatek, who has dropped just one set in the tournament so far.”But, honestly, it was two weeks ago. It was the first points that I played after Rome. I think a lot has changed since then.”Getty ImagesSwiatek believes the rivalry is “pushing” both players to greater heights, while Sabalenka says they have also bonded more away from the court.On the face of it, the pair have little in common. Swiatek is the bookish introvert, Sabalenka is the Tiger-monikered extrovert.Doing a TikTok video together at last year’s WTA Finals has helped forge what Sabalenka described as a “better relationship”.But, on Thursday, it will be strictly business.”I love these challenges. I am always excited to face someone strong who can challenge me,” said Sabalenka.”I go out there and I fight, and I’m ready to leave everything I have to get the win.”Related topicsTennis

7 minutes agoRussell Martin is Rangers’ new head coach, with the former Southampton boss signing a three-year contract at the start of a fresh era at Ibrox.A US-based consortium, led by Andrew Cavenagh and including the investment arm of the San Francisco 49ers, completed a takeover of the club last week.Martin emerged as the leading candidate from a recruitment process that also included former Real Madrid assistant Davide Ancelotti and former Rangers manager Steven Gerrard.The former Scotland defender lost his job at St Mary’s in December, after just one win from 16 in the Premier League.He had taken Southampton up to the English top flight via the Championship play-offs in the previous campaign.However, after his side struggled with the step up to the Premier League, Martin attracted criticism for sticking with a possession-based approach before losing his job.Before that, he had spells in charge at MK Dons and Swansea City.Martin’s role is head coach rather than manager, a nod to Rangers’ new set up with former sporting director Kevin Thelwell in post alongside his former Everton colleague, Dan Purdy, as technical director.Rangers finished last season without a trophy and were runners-up to Celtic in the Scottish Premiership for the fourth successive year.Phillippe Clement was sacked in February before former captain Barry Ferguson took over as interim boss until the end of the season, as Rangers finished 17 points off the pace.Martin, who played 29 times for Scotland and 17 times for Rangers during a loan spell in 2018, now has the task of making the club more competitive amid a busy summer.Have your sayWill Martin be a success as Rangers manager?Let us know what you thinkMore to follow.Related topicsScottish PremiershipRangersScottish FootballFootball

Getty ImagesTimothy AbrahamBBC Sport Journalist1 hour agoPlans to hold a European T20 franchise tournament this summer are to be shelved until 2026 because three potential owners are instead focusing on completing deals to buy team stakes in The Hundred.The European T20 Premier League (ETPL), part owned by Bollywood star Abhishek Bachchan, and involving city-based franchises from Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands, was set to start next month.The six-team tournament was slated to take place from 15 July to 3 August but multiple sources have told BBC Sport the event will definitely not happen this year.The project is being led by Cricket Ireland in collaboration with the boards of Scotland and the Netherlands.Dublin, Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Amsterdam and Rotterdam were the designated venues for the ETPL, which promised to “elevate local talent, draw global superstars, and ignite a wave of cricketing enthusiasm across Europe”.Deals for at least three of the six city-based franchises are understood to be very close to being signed off, and it was initially hoped that once they were wrapped up, the remaining three would soon follow.However, three of those potential ETPL franchise owners are also acquiring stakes in The Hundred and are said to have prioritised those deals.In April, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) extended the deadline to complete sales of the Hundred franchises that were agreed earlier this year.The knock-on effect of the delay in those sales is the postponement of the ETPL, with a formal announcement to confirm it has been rescheduled to be made within the next 48 hours.Bollywood actor and film produce Bachchan was announced as part-owner of the ETPL in conjunction with Rules Sport Tech when it was launched in January.Rules Sport Tech are a private Indian company who “promote and create high quality sports initiatives, tournaments and events”.Mumbai-born Bachchan, 49, travelled to Dublin in March to promote the tournament via a series of media interviews and Instagram posts.It is not the first time a European T20 franchise tournament involving the Dutch, Irish and Scottish cricket boards has struggled to get off the ground.In 2019, the Euro T20 Slam – which had different backers – was postponed just over a fortnight before the opening game.That came after team names were announced, a draft held and marquee players including Eoin Morgan were allocated to franchises.The tournament was then postponed several times over subsequent years and never took place.Organisers are buoyant about the ETPL’s prospects, even though no franchises have yet been sold, and are confident it will not be plagued by the same issues as the Euro T20 Slam.Cricket Ireland, Cricket Scotland and the Royal Dutch Cricket Association all declined to comment. Related topicsIrelandNetherlandsFranchise CricketScottish CricketThe HundredCricket

Skip image galleryMirrorTimesGuardianThe i1 of 444 minutes agoAston Villa show Jadon Sancho interest, Newcastle make Burnley’s James Trafford their top target and Liverpool consider Anthony Gordon move.Aston Villa have become the latest club to show an interest in signing England winger Jadon Sancho, 25, from Manchester United following his loan at Chelsea. (Teamtalk)Newcastle United have made Burnley and England goalkeeper James Trafford, 22, their top target this summer. (Times – subscription required)Liverpool are not looking to sell Colombia winger Luis Diaz, 28, and have received no offers, despite reported interest from Barcelona and Saudi side Al-Nassr. (Times – subscription required)But should Diaz leave, Newcastle’s £80m-rated England winger Anthony Gordon, 24, is being seriously considered by Liverpool as a replacement. (Teamtalk)Arne Slot’s Liverpool could also compete with Arsenal to sign Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig, with the 22-year-old Slovenia striker the subject of a £67m bid from the Gunners. (TBR Football)Harvey Elliott is most likely to join a Serie A club if the English midfielder, 22, leaves Liverpool this summer. (Football Insider)Everton would have to match Thierno Barry’s release clause of 40m euros (£33.7m) to sign the French striker from Villarreal. (Teamtalk)Chelsea are unwilling to pay the £25m AC Milan want for their 29-year-old France goalkeeper Mike Maignan. (Standard)Brentford will look to appoint Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna if current manager Thomas Frank leaves to replace Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham. (Football Insider)West Ham have contacted Club Brugge about signing 24-year-old Nigeria midfielder Raphael Onyedika, but face competition from AC Milan. (TBR Football)Manchester City and Barcelona have expressed an interest in Arsenal’s 15-year-old English midfield prospect Max Dowman. (FootballTransfers)Related topicsFootball

Getty ImagesJonathan JurejkoBBC Sport tennis news reporter at Roland GarrosJess AndersonBBC Sport journalist4 June 2025, 17:24 BSTUpdated Just nowFrench Open 2025Dates: 25 May-8 June Venue: Roland GarrosCoverage: Live radio commentaries across 5 Live Sport and BBC Sounds, plus live text commentaries on the BBC Sport website and appNovak Djokovic continued his quest for a standalone record 25th Grand Slam title by swatting aside third seed Alexander Zverev to reach the French Open semi-finals.The 38-year-old sixth seed won 4-6 6-3 6-2 6-4 to set up a meeting with world number one Jannik Sinner on Friday.Djokovic, who has three Roland Garros titles, lost the opening set to 2024 runner-up Zverev after being broken in the first game of the match.But the Serb great did not drop serve again, although he had to survive a 41-shot exchange on break point at 3-2 in the fourth set on his way to sealing a record-extending 51st Grand Slam semi-final.There he will face Sinner, who cruised into the last four with a ruthless straight-set victory over Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik earlier on Thursday.The Italian is still yet to drop a set at Roland Garros after winning 6-1 7-5 6-0 and bringing 62nd-ranked Bublik’s remarkable run to an end.Sinner is hunting a first major title on the Paris clay having previously only gone as far as the semis, losing a five-set thriller to Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz last year.Djokovic or Sinner will meet the winner of defending champion Alcaraz and Italian eighth seed Lorenzo Musetti, who also play on Friday.Djokovic shows Grand Slam desire remains strongWhile age is clearly catching up on Djokovic, his insatiable appetite for Grand Slam success shows no signs of slowing down.A patchy season by his lofty standards has led to questions about his stamina and motivation, while the departure of rival-turned-coach Andy Murray from his team also indicated things were not functioning as he hoped.But when the major tournaments come around, Djokovic is always still primed to challenge in the latter stages.In Melbourne, he defied the odds to beat Alcaraz and reach the semi-finals, although the physical exertions in getting there led to a hamstring tear which meant he had to retire injured against Zverev in the last-four encounter.Nevertheless, it showed he still had the desire and capability to beat the younger generation.Zverev, 28, was once part of the next generation expected to replace Djokovic, Murray, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.This defeat was another illustration of how he is often unable to problem-solve against Djokovic, who won four of his eight break points.Often accused of being too passive, he was rooted deep behind the baseline for much of the contest and paid the price as Djokovic took control with his craftmanship.With belief or focus rarely wavering, the Serb started dictating the patterns of play and used the drop shot effectively to unsettle Zverev.The German was aiming to reach the semi-finals for the fourth consecutive year and when the three-time Grand Slam runner-up finally thought his chance of a comeback had arrived midway through the fourth set, he was denied in arguably the point of the tournament.Djokovic showed all his elasticity and endurance to deny his opponent the opportunity to turn the match around.It enabled him to serve out victory after three hours and 17 minutes as Zverev could not return another deft drop shot.Sinner marches on in commanding fashionGetty ImagesThe manner in which Sinner continues to tear his way through the draw – in only his second tournament back from a three-month ban for failing two doping tests – is an ominous sign for his rivals.The 23-year-old world number one has been the dominant player on the ATP Tour over the past 18 months and, after reaching the Rome final last month, has simply carried on from where he left off.Victory over Bublik extended Sinner’s winning run at the majors to 19 matches after triumphs at last year’s US Open and the Australian Open in January.The Italian, who won the first of his three majors in Melbourne last year, needed only one hour and 51 minutes to dismantle the unorthodox Bublik.After what he described as a “disgraceful” period in his career, Bublik’s surprise run at the French Open – in which he became the first Kazakh to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final – has seen him return to the top 50 in the rankings.Refreshed from a recent trip to Las Vegas which proved to be a turning point in his form, Bublik has enjoyed his best run at Roland Garros and said his fourth-round win over British number one Jack Draper was the “best moment of my life”.But a match against the world number one proved a bridge too far.”We have faced each other a few times so I know him quite well, but with him [Bublik] you never know what’s happening,” said Sinner.”He deserves to be in the quarter-finals, he beat very tough players. I tried to stay focused on my side and play as solidly as possible because he can have ups and downs so I tried to stay consistent.”Related topicsTennis

Getty ImagesEmlyn BegleyBBC Sport journalist2 hours agoThere aren’t many things Cristiano Ronaldo hasn’t done but beating Germany was one of them – until now.When Ronaldo popped up with the winner in the Nations League semi-final in Munich, it extended his record goalscoring total – and ended a long wait.It was the 40-year-old’s 137th international goal in 220 caps, and his 937th strike in all football.All three of those totals are men’s records.But until now Ronaldo had never experienced a worse record at international level against any other team.He played Germany five times, losing all five – with Portugal last beating them at Euro 2000. But that is now five from six.That means England take the record of the country Ronaldo has played the most times without beating – three (all draws). Although the biggest caveat in the world is needed here. Portugal won two of the three ‘draws’ on penalties – the Euro 2004 and 2006 World Cup quarter-finals.After Germany, the nation Ronaldo has suffered defeat against most is France – with four losses.But his Portugal side most famously beat France in the Euro 2016 final, and there have been three draws (although that includes a penalty shootout defeat).Ronaldo’s goalscoring record against Germany was also poor with just one goal in those five meetings, a total of 450 minutes. That is now two in 540 minutes (so one every 270 minutes).Funnily enough it was against German clubs where he excelled the most in the Champions League, with 28 goals in 26 games.Since turning 30, Ronaldo has scored 85 goals for Portugal.By way of comparison only five other players have ever scored more than 85 goals.So that means in the second half of his international career he has scored more than legends like Ferenc Puskas, Pele, Diego Maradona and Gerd Muller – or current players like Neymar and Harry Kane – have in their entire international careers.”It’s difficult to put into words. He takes each day as an opportunity to get better,” said Portugal boss Roberto Martinez.”As a human, when you have success, you wake up and you have less hunger. But not Cristiano.”While his international teammate, Bernardo Silva, added: “It’s his ambition to keep going.”It’s never easy – to still be hungry to go every day.”He’s been doing this for more than 20 years. It’s tough, but he’s here with us and we’re happy he scored again.”Where next for Ronaldo?After Sunday’s Nations League final against either France or Spain – who meet on Thursday in Stuttgart (20:00 BST) it is not entirely clear where Ronaldo’s club future lies.Ronaldo has been playing for Saudi club Al-Nassr for the past two and a half years but his contract expires this summer.After their final game of the season, he wrote on social media: “This chapter is over. The story? Still being written. Grateful to all.”That led many to presume Ronaldo was leaving Al-Nassr.Fifa president Gianni Infantino had said “there are discussions” over Ronaldo playing at the Club World Cup this summer.Al-Nassr had failed to qualify – but he would be able to join another team in it, even if just on a short-term deal.Brazilian side Botafogo were the most strongly linked.But now multiple media outlets report that Ronaldo is likely to sign a new contract with Al-Nassr, tying him to the club until he is 42.Can Ronaldo reach 1,000 goals?Ronaldo needs 63 more goals to become the first player to reach 1,000 ever.Brazil legends Pele and Romario both claimed to have scored more than 1,000 goals but they included many unofficial matches, including friendlies – so neither are recognised figures.Ronaldo scored 35 goals for Al-Nassr last season – so would reach the landmark in less than two years if he keeps up that goalscoring rate.Related topicsFootballPortugal