Alexander Zverev moved to the verge of a long-awaited first Grand Slam title as the second seed saw off Jakub Mensik in four sets (7-5, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3) to reach his second French Open final on Friday.

The German will face 10th seed Flavio Cobolli, who qualified without playing after fellow Italian Matteo Arnaldi pulled out of the tournament due to illness.

Zverev has endured several near misses at major tournaments, with three previous final defeats, including against Carlos Alcaraz at Roland Garros two years ago.

“This is a Grand Slam, it’s best of five, things are going to happen, opponents are going to play better. I managed it,” said Zverev.

Read moreZverev reaches French Open semi-finals as Mensik ends Fonseca run

“I hope to play another great match on Sunday.”

But he will be a strong favourite against either Cobolli or world number 104 Arnaldi to finally get over the line and lift a Slam trophy.

The world number three was playing in his 11th Grand Slam semi-final and his experience showed against Czech youngster Mensik.

The 20-year-old, in the last four of a major for the first time, tired as the match went on as his previous exertions in Paris, including two five-set matches, took their toll.

Zverev has dealt well with the pressure of being the tournament favourite since the early exits of Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic, in the second and third rounds respectively.

Read moreSinner eliminated from French Open under scorching temperatures

He will face one last test of his mental strength on Court Philippe Chatrier in two days’ time, but should at least be fresh physically after reaching the final having only lost two sets in six matches.

“Pure emptiness, there’s absolutely nothing in my head,” insisted a smiling Zverev in his on-court interview.

“We’re athletes, very few of us have anything in our heads. Sometimes it’s easier to be stupid and not to think too much.”

The 29-year-old has been within one set of victory in two of his previous Slam finals, when facing Alcaraz in Paris in 2024 and when he blew a two-set lead against Dominic Thiem at the 2020 US Open.

Zverev is also aiming to end a 14-month title drought dating back to a clay-court event in Munich in April last year.

Mensik briefly threatens comeback

Zverev took a closely-fought first set courtesy of a break in the 11th game, having earlier saved three break points to deny Mensik a 5-3 lead.

The 26th seed could not keep pace at all in the second set, as Zverev broke twice and only dropped four points on his own serve.

Read moreA rich man’s game? How Roland Garros host France turned its back on clay

Mensik called for a medical time-out just three games into the third set, appearing to struggle with a neck injury.

But he dragged himself back into the contest seemingly out of nowhere, breaking to take a 4-2 lead in the third set as his use of the drop shot started to make a greater impact.

That shot wrapped up a hold to love and the set – only the second Zverev had lost in the tournament.

Mensik could not keep up his momentum, though, falling 2-0 behind in the fourth set as consecutive backhand unforced errors gifted Zverev a break.

The three-time Grand Slam runner-up powered into the final from there, despite drawing the ire of some spectators for disputing two line calls and also receiving a warning for a time violation.

Zverev wrapped up victory on his first match point as Mensik netted a backhand.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP) 

A few days ago, an NFL trade caught essentially everybody’s attention. The LA Rams, already a juggernaut, added edge rusher Myles Garrett. All of the sudden, the NFC became considerably more dangerous, making the path toward the Super Bowl more difficult.

As the conference reels from the impact of Garrett’s arrival, the Minnesota Vikings need to digest an individualized warning.

Boasting a player as magnificent as Justin Jefferson can be a blessing and a curse. The “blessing” portion of things is easy to see: a weekly advantage since #18 usually demands a minimum of two receivers to slow down. But then there’s the “curse:” needing to allow that elite player to achieve massive success. Failing to do so will very likely mean seeing that unique talent push for a divorce in the same way that Garrett did down in Cleveland.

NFL Trade Offers a Vikings Warning Regarding Justin Jefferson

In a lot of ways, Mr. Jefferson finds himself in an odd spot.

Envisioning him playing for another team feels close to impossible since it feels as though he has been part of the team forever. Already, the man has been in the NFL for six seasons and is fast approaching his seventh. But then the reality is that he is still only 26, meaning he could still be in the middle of his career.

The other side of these realities — being around forever but still having lots of football ahead — is that he hasn’t yet experienced meaningful success. Jefferson has gone to the playoffs a pair of times, losing both times. In each instance, Jefferson struggled to produce, mostly due to his teammates losing the line of scrimmage so consistently.

Justin Jefferson is a great talent who hasn’t yet found a way to block, pass, and catch all within the same play. So far, he has been constrained by the normal human limitation of simply being a historically-great receiver.

At some point, Jefferson’s patience may run out. Money can only go so far.

Putting him in a different environment would mean that Jefferson’s star would shine much more brightly, as hard as that is to imagine. A superstar, Jefferson is famous due to personal excellence rather than team excellence. Very few players reach his heights; these highs, though, have been found in receiving yards and All Pro teams rather than Super Bowl rings and championship parades.

Myles Garrett eventually decided he had had enough. And, in fairness, that’s completely fair. Who wants to play for the Browns? The Defensive Player of the Year wants a Lombardi, a completely reasonable desire.

Now, the obvious counterpoint: the Vikings are far ahead of the Browns. In fact, there’s no comparison between these two franchises. For all of the stumbling and bumbling, at least the Vikings generate respect before arriving at heartbreak. Something to be said for that, folks.

Moving off of Justin Jefferson will only happen with the effort from the man himself to move on. Indeed, Jefferson’s future trade — if that ever did occur — would almost certainly need to be at the behest of the receiver demanding a swap.

Seeing Jefferson ask for a one-way ticket out of town would mean snagging a considerable haul (the Browns got Jared Verse alongside three valuable draft picks) but it’s hard to replace a talent who is so sensational. After all, there’s a reason why teams aren’t keen to move on from these guys: top-ten NFL talents are very hard to find.

Already, the online football chatter contains Jefferson trade ideas. At this stage, those ideas are essentially hogwash. Sure, teams can call, but Nolan Teasley can just hang up the phone.

However, not putting Jefferson in a position to experience meaningful success can lead to a strange transfiguration whereby the ludicrous becomes plausible. Myles Garrett proves as much.

Justin Jefferson will turn 27 on June 16th. He has won Offensive Player of the Year, been to the Pro Bowl four times, and is a four-time All Pro.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

It has been a difficult stretch for the NASCAR community, and now it is mourning another loss, as legendary driver and broadcaster Ned Jarrett has passed away.

He was 93.

Jarrett, a NASCAR Hall of Famer, died of natural causes at his home in Newton, North Carolina. A celebrated driver and broadcaster, he was named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998.

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He raced in the Cup Series from 1953 to 1966, first taking up racing while working on his family’s farm and sawmill when Hickory Speedway opened.

“I played a little basketball and baseball in high school (and) thought I had some athletic ability,” he said, according to NASCAR. “When they opened the speedway, I ran the first race they ever run there. I was hooked.”

Jarrett is still No. 1 on the all-time wins list for Ford drivers. He won 43 races behind the wheel of a car with a Blue Oval on the front, and his position on that list seems safe for quite some time.

Ned Jarrett straps on his helmet as he prepares for a practice session at Darlington Raceway. (Photo by ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

The highest active driver on the list is Team Penske’s Joey Logano, who has 35 of his 37 career wins with Ford.

Jarrett is also remembered for his career in broadcasting that began after he retired from driving. He began as a pit reporter on radio for Motor Racing Network (MRN), then moved into TV with CBS and ESPN.

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CHARLOTTE, NC – JANUARY 29: NASCAR Hall of Famers Dale Jarrett (left) and dad Ned Jarrett pose for a portrait session during the NASCAR Hall of Fame induction ceremony. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/NASCAR via Getty Images)

There’s likely no moment of his broadcasting career as memorable as the 1993 Daytona 500 in which he called a late-race battle between his son, NASCAR great Dale Jarrett, and Dale Earnhardt Sr. that ended with his son taking the win.

“You know who I’m pulling for, it’s Dale Jarrett. Bring her to the inside, Dale, don’t let him get down there,” Jarrett said during the broadcast. “He’s gonna make it! Dale Jarrett’s gonna win the Daytona 500! Alright!”

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Jarrett’s sons — the aforementioned Dale and brother, Glenn — both followed in their old man’s footsteps by going into broadcasting after their racing careers were over.

Martha, his wife of 67 years, died in 2023.

Seven NFL stadiums are installing grass fields to comply with FIFA regulations for this summer’s World Cup, and Fox Sports’ Stu Holden believes there could be a ripple effect.

Half the league’s stadiums use turf, despite NFLPA Executive Director Lloyd Howell saying that 92% of the league’s players prefer grass.

Despite NFL players begging for grass and being told no, the stadiums had no choice but to, as NFLPA head J.C. Tretter once said, “roll out the green carpet of grass.”

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Workers install the pitch at New York New Jersey Stadium ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on May 7, 2026. (Charly Triballeau/AFP)

In a media availability on Friday, Tretter said the grass fields will be “a huge conversation” after the tournament, namely in the NFL.

“The fields will play so well that you’re gonna have the NFL players continuing to make more noise about why they don’t have grass in their stadiums and there’s turf, because it can be done,” Holden told reporters on Zoom. “And FIFA has the most stringent, detailed, you know, strict process on what these fields have to play like, because they understand that the grass and the playing surface are the most important part of the game being good.

“If you don’t have a good grass field, that makes it hard to see a good product on the field.”

The NFLPA has released several polls and studies showing that grass has been safer than turf, and Holden can apparently see why that is the case.

Workers install the pitch at New York New Jersey Stadium, temporarily renamed from MetLife Stadium, ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on May 7, 2026. (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)

STEELERS CAPTAIN CALLS HOME FIELD ‘S—‘ AS PLAYERS COMPLAIN TO NFLPA ABOUT PLAYING SURFACE

“There’s nothing that can replicate what real grass fields, the watering the right way, that for a player is a dream, and something that we all just, you know, turf will never be able to replicate that from a grass perspective.”

It was announced late last year that each NFL team will be provided with “a library of approved and accredited NFL fields” before the 2026 season begins. Any new field will immediately have to meet those standards, and all teams will have two years to achieve them. Both grass and synthetic turf fields will be subject to the new standards.

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 8: A general view of the NFL logo painted on the field prior to the NFL Super Bowl LX football game between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks at Levi’s Stadium on February 8, 2026 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)

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The NFL has no plans to require natural grass fields. The league’s chief medical officer, Dr. Allen Sills, said there are no “statistically significant differences” in lower-extremity injuries or concussions that can be attributed to the type of playing surface or a specific surface**, despite** widespread preferences by players for grass fields and complaints about surfaces such as the one at MetLife Stadium, where the New York Giants and Jets play.

Fox News’ Chantz Martin contributed to this report.

Nepal’s Kushal Bhurtel (PTI Photo/Shashank Parade)

Nepal batter Kushal Bhurtel continued his extraordinary run of form at the Asian Games men’s cricket qualifiers, matching a rare world record with back-to-back T20I centuries just days after hammering six sixes in a single over.The explosive opener produced another breathtaking innings on Thursday as Nepal thrashed Malaysia by 167 runs to strengthen their push for a place in the tournament final.After Malaysia elected to field first, Bhurtel and wicketkeeper-batter Aasif Sheikh launched a ferocious assault at the top of the order. The pair added 134 runs for the opening wicket and raced to three figures before the completion of the seventh over. Nepal’s scoring rate barely slowed thereafter, with the side reaching a staggering 230 for 2 by the end of the 16th over.Aasif provided the early fireworks, smashing 68 from only 24 deliveries before Virandeep Singh eventually ended his innings. However, the spotlight soon belonged entirely to Bhurtel.The left-hander raced to his half-century in just 25 balls and required only another 19 deliveries to convert it into a hundred. He eventually walked back after a sensational knock of 126 from 54 balls, peppered with 14 boundaries and eight sixes.Powered by Bhurtel’s brilliance, Nepal piled up 275 runs before completing a dominant victory. Malaysia never threatened the target and were bowled out for just 108.The century carried added significance for Bhurtel. Having already struck a hundred against China in Nepal’s opening group fixture, he became only the 10th male cricketer in T20I history to register centuries in successive innings.The achievement places him alongside an exclusive group featuring players such as Rilee Rossouw, Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma and Phil Salt.Bhurtel’s remarkable streak began in the tournament opener against China, where he produced one of the most destructive overs seen in international cricket. After reaching his fifty inside eight overs, he targeted left-arm spinner Chen Zhou Yue in the following over and launched all six deliveries for six, with most of the blows sailing straight back over the bowler’s head.Despite the heavy defeat, Malaysia had already secured qualification for the 2026 Asian Games after defeating China earlier in the competition. They will now face Hong Kong, the winners of Group B, in the semi-finals. Nepal, meanwhile, will take on Oman as they continue their quest for gold.For now, though, the tournament belongs to Bhurtel. In the space of four days, he has smashed six sixes in an over, scored consecutive T20I centuries and etched his name into the record books with one of the most explosive batting displays seen in associate cricket.

Britain’s Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid have won their seventh successive French Open wheelchair doubles title.

The top seeds claimed a 6-2 6-3 victory over Spain’s Martin de la Puente and France’s Stephane Houdet to win their 24th Grand Slam title together.

“This was one of the toughest tournaments we faced when we first started playing doubles with each other and it took us a fair few years to get our hands on this trophy,” Hewett said during the trophy presentation.

“To win seven in a row is some achievement and I just want to say it’s an absolute pleasure to be your doubles partner.”

With the crowd cheering against them, in favour of home hope Houdet, Hewett and Reid produced a clinical performance – hitting 29 winners to their opponents’ 14 and winning 55% of points on the French-Spanish duo’s first serve.

“Big thanks to Alfie, we’ve been a team for a long time now but we are finding new ways to play and new ways to enjoy it,” Reid said.

“It’s a big year in wheelchair tennis. It’s 50 years of the sport and when we see interviews of the people, the guys who created this sport, everyone says they are amazed by where we are now and how far the sport has come.”

Hewett added: “Tennis wins – 50 years of wheelchair tennis, to be on a court like this, having this sort of atmosphere, it’s an absolute pleasure and long may it continue.”

Alex Eala in action during the WTA 125 Birmingham Open. –BIRMINGHAM OPEN PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–Alex Eala ousted Mananchaya Sawangkaew of Thailand, 6-3, 6-2, to secure a spot in the semifinals of the Birmingham Open on Saturday.

Eala overcame a tough challenge from Sawangkaew but found her stride in both sets to arrange a semifinal duel with Switzerland’s Rebeka Masarova.

After Sawangkaew took a 2-1 lead in the second set, Eala strung together five straight games to seal the match in one hour and 21 minutes.

It was a similar story in the first set as the tournament’s top seed broke away from a 1-1 deadlock by winning four straight games for a commanding 5-1 advantage.

“I’ll take the experience that I got from this match,” said Eala, who moved within two wins of her second WTA 125 title after capturing the Guadalajara crown last year.

The Filipino tennis star said she took pride in facing a fellow Southeast Asian on the court.

Eala scored a repeat victory over Sawangkaew, whom she defeated in the women’s tennis singles final of the 2025 Southeast Asian Games.

Eala and Masarova, ranked 132 in the WTA,  will square off for a place in the final later Saturday.

Floyd Mayweather is hailed as a great of both the modern era and in the history of boxing, but four-division world champion and eternal fan-favourite Roberto Duran thinks that ‘TBE’ does not warrant such appreciation, nor his fabled 50-0 professional record.

Mayweather is one of few pound-for-pound talents to hang up the gloves without a loss to his name, praised as one of the most skilled defensive fighters of all time, with his supreme boxing mind outfoxing a host of other elite operators over the course of his career.

However, in the eyes of the aggressive, hard-hitting and fan-friendly Duran, that style doesn’t wash. In an interview with One On One Boxing, ‘Hands of Stone’ labelled Mayweather as ‘weak’, declaring that he would have been able to give the Michigander his first taste of defeat.  

“Mayweather, for me, is a boxer that is weak. He doesn’t like being hit to the body and as soon as he gets hit there, he turns into Road Runner and I have much more experience than him, [so, I would beat him].”

Continuing, Duran went on to state that he believes Mayweather has truly been beaten on three occasions during his career; insinuating that José Luis Castillo, Oscar De La Hoya and Marcos Maidana should each have been awarded a victory in their controversial bouts with the American.

“He fought a Mexican, the Mexican beat him, but they gave it to Mayweather. Then he fought another, he lost but he got the decision. I believe that he has lost three fights, but they have gifted him those wins.” 

Mayweather may still lose his beloved unbeaten record, which is expected to be on the line in a professional rematch with Manny Pacquiao this September, when he ends a nine-year run of inactivity.