Category Sports News

French Open 2025

Dates: 25 May-8 June Venue: Roland Garros

Top seed Jannik Sinner cruised into the French Open semi-finals with a ruthless straight-set victory over Alexander Bublik, bringing the Kazakh’s remarkable run in Paris to an end.

The Italian was in imperious form and is still yet to drop a set at Roland Garros as he won 6-1 7-5 6-0.

Sinner is hunting a first major title on the Paris clay having previously only gone as far as the last four, losing a five-set thriller to Carlos Alcaraz last year.

“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.”

Victory 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.

He will meet either sixth seed Novak Djokovic or German third seed Alexander Zverev in the last four.

After a drizzly morning with the roof on on Court Philippe-Chatrier, the sun was back out and the roof off when three-time Grand Slam champion Sinner took to the court and he needed only one hour and 51 minutes to dismantle 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 the best run of his career at Roland Garros and said his win over British number one Jack Draper in round four was the “best moment of my life”.

His unorthodox approach to professional tennis – he has frequently discussed his complicated and frequently unhappy relationship with the sport – has allowed him to approach the French Open with freedom and enjoyment.

But a match against world number one Sinner for a place in the last four proved a bridge too far for the charismatic Bublik.

Sinner dominated the opening set, completely overpowering his opponent, and Bublik smiled with relief when he managed to hold at 5-0 to prevent a first-set bagel.

A tightly contested second set followed, with Bublik able to find some of the shots that stunned Draper last time out.

But while it was an improvement on set one, he failed to conjure a break point and a double fault at 5-5 to concede a break of serve was a sickening blow as Sinner’s pinpoint serve sealed the second set.

Normal service resumed for Sinner in the third set as he ruthlessly picked apart Bublik’s game, chasing down the drop shots that had proved so successful against Draper two days ago and returning his powerful forehand with ease.

Rory McIlroy claims that professional golfers have “well within our rights” to avoid the media because he admitted to being “annoyed” by a report about his equipment at the US PGA Championship last month.

The Masters champion claimed that his decision to avoid reporters after each of his four rounds at the second major was a result of fatigue, poor play, desire to see his daughter, and reports that his driver had failed a legality test.

After winning at Quail Hollow, Scottie Scheffler revealed that McIlroy’s name, rather than the American, had been reported by the media during the Northern Irishman’s second round, despite the fact that the USGA had also determined that his driver had also been flagged non-conforming in pre-tournament tests.

For the first time since that incident at this week’s Canadian Open, McIlroy said, “It was supposed to stay confidential.”

The media were the ones who leaked it, according to the statement. There are many people I’m trying to protect, including Scottie, I don’t want to mention his name, the USGA, the PGA of America, and myself, so I didn’t want to go up there and say something that I regretted either.

Non-conforming drivers are “not an unusual occurrence,” according to PGA of America’s chief championships officer Kerry Haigh at Quail Hollow.

Haigh said the results are kept secret to “protect players,” adding that “to publicly identify players whose clubs did not conform can cause that player to be unnecessarily be questioned.”

That’s not my information to share with Scottie’s stuff, I’d say. Five-time major winner McIlroy continued, “I knew that that had happened, but I’m not going to share that.”

According to McIlroy, players and the media have a “two-way relationship,” McIlroy said, adding that players will continue to decline requests to speak as long as it is optional.

“From a responsibility standpoint, I understand, but if we all wanted to, we could all go on [our phones] and use social media to discuss our round and carry out our own thing,” the 36-year-old said.

There is a bigger dynamic at play here, and we fully understand that’s not ideal for you guys. I frequently interact with the media, and I believe there should be a mutual understanding of this.

We are aware of the advantages you and your platform offer us.

After skipping the Charles Schwab Challenge and Memorial Tournament, McIlroy makes his way back to TPC Toronto this week to prepare for the US Open next week.

He won the career Grand Slam at the US PGA at Quail Hollow, where he has won four times, after realizing his lifelong ambition by winning the tournament in April. He placed joint seventh at the Truist Championship.

He wants to reclaim his best form from the opening half of the season with an Open Championship at Royal Portrush in July and an away Ryder Cup in September.

The second-ranked person said, “I don’t know if I’m chasing anything.”

“I’ve had a few weeks off, and going to the range for three or four hours every day is a little harder than it used to be,” I’d say.

You have a goal in your life that you have worked for, and it happens. Sometimes it’s challenging to get back on track and get moving again.

“The past two weeks have been helpful for me as a reset,” according to the statement. “They have helped me figure out where I’m at in my own head, what I want to do, and where I want to play.” I had a good first half of the season, and I want to do the same for the second half.

Crystal Palace co-owner John Textor would be willing to sell his shares to his fellow owners in a cut-price deal to allow the club to play in this season’s Europa League, according to sources close to Eagle Football.

Uefa’s rules forbid individuals from being involved with more than one club in the same competition to avoid conflicts of interest.

Eagle Football, the multi-club group owned by Textor, owns a majority stake in Ligue 1 side Lyon, who have also qualified for next season’s competition.

Textor was hoping to show Uefa officials he did not have a controlling interest in the club.

The meeting ended without a decision, but it is understood from sources with knowledge of the situation that a final ruling from European football’s governing body should come in the next week or so.

Palace qualified for the Europa League by beating Manchester City to win the FA Cup. Lyon finished sixth in the French top flight to initially gain a spot in the Uefa Conference League, but were given a Europa League place after Paris St-Germain – already qualified for the Champions League – won the Coupe de France.

Through Eagle Football, Textor owns around 45% of Palace and 90% of Lyon.

Eagle Football also has controlling interests in Brazilian club Botafogo and Belgian side RWD Molenbeek.

Palace are not part of Eagle Football’s multi-club organisation and have not signed a player from any of those clubs, although Jake O’Brien, now at Everton, did move to Lyon from their academy.

Textor initially invested £90m into Crystal Palace in 2021 and that initial investment helped to complete the academy and bring the age of the squad down.

With the club’s increase in stature, a development of talent such as Eberechi Eze along with their FA Cup success, it is understood the American would be looking for a lot more return on his original investment.

Textor has tried to purchase a controlling stake in Palace in the past as it is thought he would prefer to have overall control of the club.

However, he has more recently tried to buy Everton and also sought a buyer for his Palace shares.

In an interview with the BBC last year he said he does not run Palace – chairman and co-owner Parish does – although he can share his views.

He also conceded the pair disagree on their views over multi-club ownership.

It is understood Textor believes in respect of the football department, and he is not entitled to a vote on footballing decisions.

He did, though, play a part in bringing in current manager Oliver Glasner last year.

That lack of overall control has meant Textor’s position has now moved from wanting to buy Palace to telling the partners he would make his shares available – and sell at under 25% of their market value if it meant the difference between Palace playing in Europe or not.

Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis recently diluted his control at the club by placing his shares in a blind trust, when it looked like both Forest and Olympiakos – another club the Greek businessman owned – may both qualify for the Champions League.

But sources close to Eagle Football believe putting those Palace shares in a ‘blind trust’ is not an option as Textor and Eagle Football do not have decisive influence over the Selhurst Park outfit.