Category Sports News

French Open 2025

Location: Roland Garros, May 25 – June

The most troubled situation in Alexander Bublik’s life occurred after his most successful career.

In a 2020 interview, the 27-year-old stated that he hated tennis “with all my heart” and has always had a complicated relationship with it.

His coach suggested a new strategy after losing eight of his first ten matches in 2025 and falling further down the rankings.

It was least bit unconventional. However, it has been a success to make the switch to less exercise and visit Las Vegas.

Bublik will look to make his first Grand Slam semi-final on Wednesday as he looks to extend Jannik Sinner’s incredible, unanticipated run to the French Open.

Just two weeks after he declared his end, he has already upset top-10 players Jack Draper and Alex de Minaur.

“A trip to Vegas was suggested by my coach.” He said, “We’re just going to be out of tennis, [out] of the conversation if you continue to play this,” Bublik said.

“I said, OK, if it goes well, it goes well,” I replied. If not, tennis, I appreciate it.

After falling to the ground in joyous disbelief following his fourth-round victory over Draper, Bublik stood with hands on his hips and covered his face in red clay. Bublik applauded the crowd’s approbation.

He declared to the audience, “Sometimes in life, there’s only one chance,” with tears on their faces. That was the feeling I couldn’t let go of.

It’s the best time of my life to be standing here.

Bublik, who is currently ranked 62nd, will make a comeback to the top 50 after only three months of relegation from the global ranking.

It feels repulsive to me to tell my coach, “I want to quit tennis because I can’t be 80 in the world.” I detested it, Bublik told TNT Sports.

I was unable to cry. I’ll always cry if I have room.

Bublik’s trip to Vegas was never intended to be a training camp, even after making a first-round exit at Indian Wells in March.

In reference to the 2009 comedy film, he claimed it was “like a Hangover thing Vegas.”

Bublik, who has received criticism for his on-court behavior and racquet smashing, claimed that “my fall was not related to my lack of attitude and practising.”

“I just sat there waiting for the results,” I said. I reached the point of thinking, “OK, why are you sacrificing so much?” What is the purpose?

“In Vegas, it was a good three days. I let it out completely.

Five hours prior to his first match, Bublik flew from Vegas to Phoenix, Arizona, for a Challenger event.

He advanced to the final, only Joao Fonseca’s gifted junior reject him. He won the title in Turin two months later.

Bublik, who has a two-year-old son, has always made it abundantly clear that tennis is not everything.

“Tennis is 50% of my life,” I say. Being a father and being a friend are two things that are important to me, he said.

“I won’t compromise my health,” I said. I won’t endure my injuries.

I’m not going to take the Slam if you tell me I’ll win it but I won’t be able to walk by 40.

Since 1999, Bublik has won two victories over top-10 opponents at Roland Garros, making him the lowest-ranked man in that category.

His 41% win rate before this French Open was his lowest across all surfaces, making it the lowest total of his four ATP Tour titles and 11 finals.

Bublik is, however, crucially enjoying his time on the court, which makes him even more dangerous.

You can see me enjoying a good time on the street in Paris in the evening before a game, Bublik continued.

” I’m social. If I don’t feel [it], I can skip the practice. It seems pretty typical, in my opinion.

“This crazyness that social media has caused us to be the best versions of ourselves,” he said.

Jadon Sancho chose one of Europe’s best clubs for the summer of 2020.

The England winger turned 20 when Borussia Dortmund recorded 17 goals and 16 assists in the Bundesliga, making him one of the most exciting young talents in the game.

He chose Manchester United, but they had to wait until the following year before agreeing to the deal after misunderstanding Dortmund’s deadline to do so as a bargaining chip.

However, United eventually acquired their man for £73 million in July 2021, with Sancho calling it “a dream come true” and anticipating that the former Manchester City academy player would dominate in the Premier League.

Sancho’s career is at a crossroads after four years and two loan deals with Chelsea, who are willing to pay United £5 million to end his commitment.

Under manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the side’s struggles did not help that Sancho’s United career did not begin to turn out to be the best of starts.

Sancho ended his first season with just five goals and three assists in all competitions after being fired in November 2021 as a result of the interim boss Ralf Ragnick’s failure to improve.

When Erik ten Hag was appointed in the summer of 2022, he hoped things would improve for both Sancho and the Old Trafford club. However, the player had a recurring problem that hindered his self-aggrandizement.

Sancho’s timekeeping was a problem prior to his time in Germany, but his performances on the field made Dortmund more willing to give him some leeway.

When Sancho’s form began to decline at United after it became clear he would miss out on being selected for the World Cup in Qatar, the same was not true for England.

Expectations for Sancho had already significantly decreased as he was returning to England for his third season.

Although Marcus Rashford had initially locked him into the left-wing position, he was no longer a guaranteed starter, despite his preference being that of playing on the right.

Ten Hag was then questioned about his absence after the loss to Arsenal in September 2023 when the London-born forward was substituted.

The Dutchman blatantly stated, “We didn’t select him because of his performance in training.” At Manchester United, you must consistently reach a level.

In a now-deleted social media post, Sancho almost immediately responded to the argument.

He stated, “I will not allow people to say things that are completely false.” This week’s training, I did a very good job of myself.

I won’t go into detail about the other causes of this problem, in my opinion. I’ve used as a scapegoat for a long time, which is unfair.

Sancho was forced to leave United for good in January 2024 as a result of his unwavering refusal to make amends to Ten Hag.

The winger had the opportunity to rediscover his best form and rehabilitate his reputation in a familiar setting when he made a second-half return to Dortmund.

He described being back in the Dortmund dressing room as “feeling like coming home.”

Sancho certainly looked more at ease as he helped the Bundesliga side reach the Champions League final, where they were defeated by Real Madrid, without ever achieving the levels of his first spell.

Although his 21 games of scoring and adding three assists may not seem like the most impressive stat, it was no surprise that it took him a while to recover from his lack of activity.

Jurgen Klinsmann, a former striker for Tottenham and Germany, claimed he struggled to find his rhythm and recover, but that his final game of the season was “looking good and looking sharp.”

Sancho left Old Trafford on loan on August 31 because Ten Hag was still in charge that summer, which limited his chances of staying.

The Blues agreed to pay a fee of around £25 million for Sancho if they placed them higher than 14th in the Premier League or have to waive a £5 million clause to exit the deal as part of it.

Chelsea only paid half of the player’s reported £300,000-a-week wages, which were not paid for on-loan.

Chelsea defeated Real Betis to win the Uefa Conference League, and Sancho did just that in the final.

Overall, though, he had a mixed campaign, scoring five goals and adding 10 assists in 42 games.

Sancho is currently on his way back to United, meaning the Stamford Bridge side chose to avoid signing him for £5 million instead of the £25 million fee, which is thought to be the main justification.

Numerous players “did not feel supported and felt unable to raise concerns” at the club, according to a report from the Football Association looking into the circumstances surrounding the death of former Sheffield United player Maddy Cusack.

The report was put together by the FA in early 2024, shortly after the midfielder’s passing in September 2023, at the age of 27.

The report that had been shared with the family and others was “provisional,” according to a hearing on Tuesday at Chesterfield Coroners’ Court, and would not be finalized until the inquest was concluded.

However, Dean Armstrong KC, who represents the Cusack family, quoted excerpts from it, including the claim that “most]players] particularly did not feel supported and unable to lodge complaints against their manager and others.

He also read the report’s section, which stated that “the investigation has highlighted the resourcing issues that are particularly prevalent in the women’s game and the potential welfare and safeguarding issues that may arise.”

Cusack, who was born in Nottingham and spent time at Birmingham and Leicester City before making 100 appearances for Sheffield United, started her career at Aston Villa.

Ex-Blades’ manager Jonathan Morgan, who was on video, accused Cusack’s family of “manipulating information” and creating a “narrative” in the 18 months since her death.

There was “no one who could dispute the credibility of those individuals,” he claimed, and the family’s witnesses were “very one-sided.”

Following submissions regarding the scope of the inquest and witnesses, coroner Sophie Cartwright will issue a written judgment.

In the years leading up to the footballer’s death, the Cusack family’s attorneys claimed there was a “climate of concern and fear” at Sheffield United.

One witness claimed Morgan once called a player “cancerous.”

They have requested that a jury be present for her inquest.

A jury’s investigation of the “position of young vulnerable people, obviously in this case particularly and predominantly females, who are susceptible and the degree to which they are susceptible to the influence that those in senior positions hold over them in professional or significant sporting contexts” was referred to as “clear public interest” by Mr. Armstrong KC.

In terms of resources and also in terms of how people are treated, he continued, “There was then and there is still a significant difference between the men’s game and the women’s game.”

There is a significant public interest in examining how women play their roles in the community and what support services are provided to vulnerable women like Maddy.

Norwich City have appointed Bristol City boss Liam Manning as their new head coach on a four-year contract.

Manning had been in charge at Ashton Gate since November 2023 and led the Robins to this season’s play-offs, only to lose 6-0 on aggregate to Sheffield United.

He replaces Johannes Hoff Thorup, who was sacked by Norwich on 22 April with the team 14th in the Championship following a run of six defeats in eight games.

First-team coach Jack Wilshere, the former Arsenal and England midfielder, was put in interim charge for the final two games of the season, but he also left after learning he would not be considered for the permanent post.

“I’m privileged and honoured to have the opportunity to work for this fantastic football club. It’s a wonderful club with a big history and tradition,” said Manning.

“It’s clear, there has already been a lot of valuable groundwork laid in recent seasons – it’s now important we build further on that and move the club forward.”

Manning’s contract at Bristol City ran until the end of next season and the Canaries have paid an undisclosed sum to meet a release clause in order to bring him in.

The 39-year-old was born in Norwich and played for the club’s academy before joining Ipswich Town – but he never made a senior appearance for them and spent most of his career in non-league football.

His first coaching job was at West Ham and he then took charge of Belgian club Lommel in 2020 before returning to England as MK Dons head coach the following year.

He guided them to the League One play-offs in 2022 and subsequently had an eight-month spell at Oxford United, who were second in the third tier when he accepted an offer to move on to Bristol City.

Despite Bristol City having the smallest squad in the Championship this past season, Manning guided them to their first play-off finish in 17 years, largely built on a strong foundation of home form and squad togetherness.

Only promoted Burnley and Leeds, and play-off finalists Sheffield United bettered their record at home of 13 wins, seven draws and three defeats.

Last November, Mark Attanasio, whose Norfolk FB Holdings group are now the majority shareholders at Carrow Road, set a target of a return to the top flight in “three to five years” and Manning’s task now will be to try and achieve that ahead of schedule.

“This is an exciting appointment, and we are so happy to get it over the line and have him on board,” said sporting director Ben Knapper.

“It quickly became clear that Liam’s ambitions match our own and we are all committed to driving this club forward towards our targets.

“Liam knows the league, has consistently demonstrated an ability to outperform resources and his approach aligns with our footballing ideas and strategy.

“He is an exceptionally bright coach who will push himself, and everyone around him, to develop and improve. We are so excited to have him as a key part of our club.”

Former Wolves boss Gary O’Neil and ex-Liverpool assistant Pep Lijnders were also spoken to and considered for the head coach role.

By Chris Goreham, BBC Radio Norfolk’s Norwich City commentator

Norwich City’s extensive search for a new head coach has led to the club’s first ever Norwich-born boss.

Liam Manning’s formative years as a Carrow Road season-ticket holder are a nice extra but it’s not why he’s been appointed.

Canaries sporting director Ben Knapper has expressed frustration that they fell so far short of the play-offs last season. “When I look at the teams that did make it, it confirms that kind of belief,” he said.

Envious eyes were being cast in the direction of Ashton Gate where Liam Manning’s well coached team was outperforming the sum of its parts.