Archive June 7, 2025

French Open 2025

Dates: 25 May-8 June Venue: Roland Garros

Aryna Sabalenka said it “hurt to show such terrible tennis” in what she described as “the worst final I ever played” in her French Open loss to Coco Gauff.

World number one Sabalenka, bidding for a fourth major singles title, put in a frustrated and error-strewn performance in a 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 6-4 loss to the American.

Sabalenka committed 70 unforced errors – the highest in any women’s singles main-draw match at this year’s Roland Garros.

The Belarusian has lost successive Grand Slam finals, having been beaten in three sets by Madison Keys in the Australian Open showpiece in January.

Known for bringing humour to her speeches – Sabalenka jokingly threatened to fire her team after her US Open final loss in 2023 – the 27-year-old became tearful in Paris as she apologised to them for her performance.

“It was honestly the worst tennis I’ve played in I don’t know how many months,” Sabalenka said.

“Conditions were terrible, and she simply was better in these conditions than me.

“I think I was overemotional and I didn’t really handle myself well.

Sabalenka also lost to Gauff in the New York final two years ago, despite taking the first set 6-2.

In Paris, she led 4-1 40-0 in the first set but struggled to maintain that intensity on a windy Court Philippe Chatrier.

A renowned big hitter and strong server, Sabalenka struggled for rhythm in the face of Gauff’s supreme athleticism, and could not keep her frustration in check.

“I cannot go out there every time against her in the finals of the Grand Slam and play such terrible tennis,” Sabalenka added.

“It felt like a joke, honestly, like somebody from above was just there laughing saying, ‘let’s see if you can handle this’.

Sabalenka has reached seven finals this year, winning three titles, and leads the WTA Tour with 40 wins in 47 matches.

However, the two major losses will sting. In Paris, she made serene progress through the draw before beating three-time defending champion Iga Swiatek in a momentum-swinging semi-final.

She overcame Gauff in Madrid in the build-up to Roland Garros, but the American has now won both of their Grand Slam finals.

Sabalenka will still be a favourite at Wimbledon, where her powerful game should translate well to the grass courts, but she will first take a break.

“I already have a flight booked to Mykonos,” the 27-year-old said.

“I just need a couple of days to completely forget about this crazy world [and] being like the tourist.”

Former British number one Greg Rusedski, who analysed the match for BBC Radio 5 Live, said Sabalenka is “already up there” as a Wimbledon contender.

“She will reflect on being more calm in those big moments, not wasting energy on court and dealing with these things,” he said.

“The grass courts are much higher bouncing now, which suits her game.

Hull KR have not fared well in their pursuit of silverware in the past couple of years, let alone since 1980 when they most recently won the Challenge Cup.

After losing to Leigh in golden-point extra time in the 2023 Challenge Cup final, they were edged out by Wigan, one of the greatest sides the modern game has ever seen, in last season’s Super League Grand Final.

But that near-half century drought ended on Saturday, when Mikey Lewis sailed his kick through the posts to help the Robins edge past Warrington with late drama at Wembley.

And what makes their recent success even more remarkable is they dropped out of Super League less than a decade ago.

It is worth giving some perspective as to Hull KR’s position when Willie Peters was announced as their head coach in early 2023.

The Australian arrived off the back of a campaign which had seen former boss Tony Smith leave midway through the previous season and Danny McGuire take the helm on a temporary basis.

There was little to suggest KR were on the precipice of Super League stardom.

Yet, in his maiden season, he guided them to the Challenge Cup final, albeit a losing one.

The Robins licked their wounds and stormed their way to last season’s Super League Grand Final.

They even went toe-to-toe with Wigan for the League Leaders’ Shield in the lead up – something that might have seemed impossible when KR lost their Super League status in 2016.

Less than a decade later, they are Challenge Cup winners and now look in pole position to tee up an impressive league and cup double.

“It’s a weird feeling. It’s a crazy feeling, it’s unbelievable,” Peters told BBC Sport of his side’s Challenge Cup triumph.

All great sides, no matter the sport, need a clutch player.

For Hull KR, half-back Lewis fits that mould.

The reigning Man of Steel dazzled in 2024, roaring his side to victory with some stellar performances across the season, leading to him winning the top individual award.

And the 23-year-old has been through it all with his side over the past two years. And falling short proved to be extra motivation.

“The heartbreak two or three years ago, it really sums it up,” Lewis told BBC Sport.

“These are finals I want to play for the rest of my career at this club, I love it, and hopefully we can go again.”

It speaks volumes that Lewis was able to compose himself for his cup-winning conversion.

With the Ashes series coming up at the end of the season, his ability to stay calm in a big-game situation will surely mean he will be England boss Shaun Wane’s starting half-back come October.

“I thought I just had to go through my process and trust it and that’s what I did,” Lewis added.

Whereas Hull KR have put in some stunning performances on their way to victory this season, it is fair to say the Challenge Cup final might not have set the world alight for the neutral.

It was edgy and attritional for much of the 80 minutes with neither side wanting to give anything away.

Despite was the quality of the game, captain Elliot Minchella was just happy for his side to get over the line.

“I’m lost for words. I thought we’d blown it, to be honest,” he told BBC Sport.

“That’s what we pride ourselves on, never giving in. It was the ugliest performance all year but it doesn’t matter, does it?”

If Hull KR are to undo Wigan’s domestic dominance it is likely to come by grinding out wins and putting the work in again from early next week as the season continues.

But for Peters, he sees the bigger picture and understands just how seismic a win it was for more than just his squad.

“I was a little more vocal than usual. When Mikey was going to kick the goal, players like that, they come up with special plays. That was a moment for him, a moment he’ll have forever. I felt calm then,” he added.

“This is for so many people who aren’t here today. People who are not with us, people have worked hard to get us to this.

Gallagher Premiership play-off semi-final, Mattioli Woods Welford Road, Leicester

Leicester (13) 21

Tries: Radwan 2, Perese Pens: Pollard 2

Sale (3) 16

Leicester Tigers reached the Premiership final for the second time in four seasons as they edged Sale Sharks 21-16 in a pulsating play-off semi-final.

Handre Pollard and George Ford traded penalties before Adam Radwan’s double – including a sensational diving finish – put the dominant hosts 13-3 up at the break.

Pollard quickly matched Ford’s second penalty, but a Rob du Preez score from a slick move and another three points from Ford brought the Sharks level to tee up a grand finale.

Izaia Perese’s scorching run to the line with his first touch restored the Tigers’ lead with 13 minutes remaining and Michael Cheika’s men survived intense late pressure to preserve their unbeaten home play-off record.

Leicester will now chase a record-extending 12th league title at Twickenham next Saturday when they take on six-time champions Bath in the final.

In a high-energy, intensely physical start, played out in a raucous atmosphere, Pollard’s pinpoint penalty from the left touchline put the hosts ahead after Sharks infringed at the line-out.

Amid a fierce battle for supremacy up front, former Tigers fly-half Ford levelled following a hard-won scrum penalty, but that was as good as it got for Sale before half-time.

Radwan struck with virtually his first touch of the ball when Jack van Poortvliet’s switch of play and long pass gave the winger space to run into down the right flank before his dart back inside to the line took out three defenders.

However, the former Newcastle wing’s second finish was sensational.

Ollie Hassell-Collins and Ollie Chessum were both stopped just short before Radwan at full-stretch somehow gathered Pollard’s overhit crossfield kick in mid-air as he dived for the line.

The Tigers smothered the Sharks and wrestled control of the set-piece, but a huge defensive effort from Sale at least denied Leicester another try in first-half stoppage-time and limited the damage.

Arron Reed’s explosive burst and Raffi Quirke’s line break shortly after the restart signalled intent and Sale’s threat, the latter earning Ford a simple penalty for 13-6.

Yet having been on the ropes for so long, the Sharks hit back with virtually their first visit to the Leicester line when a spell of pressure ended with Ford feeding du Preez’s run under the posts.

The crowd were on their feet to welcome long-time servants Cole and Youngs on to home turf one last time, but the momentum and energy seemed to be all with the visitors who levelled through Ford’s third penalty with 15 minutes left.

Yet it was another Tigers replacement, Perese, who stole the show almost instantly, hitting the line at full tilt just inside the Sale half and scorching away on a diagonal run to the left corner.

Chessum went close to sealing the match after Freddie Steward’s try-saving tackle on Du Preez and Emeka Ilione had made a crucial turnover in front of his own posts.

And in a frantic finale, the Tigers had to summon up one last huge defensive push in front of their own line to withstand a late, late Sale surge and ensure it would be them who made it to Twickenham next weekend.

Leicester: Steward, Radwan, Kata, Woodward, Hassell-Collins, Pollard, Van Poortvliet; Smith, Montoya, Hayes, Henderson, Chessum, Liebenberg, Reffell, Cracknell.

Replacements: Clare, Cronin, Cole, Rogerson, Ilione, Youngs, Volavola, Perese.

Sale: Carpenter, Roebuck, Robert du Preez, Ma’asi-White, Reed, Ford, Quirke; Rodd, Cowan-Dickie, Opoku-Fordjour, Van Rhyn, Hill, Tom Curry, Ben Curry, Jean-Luc du Preez.