One of the most in-demand fights in boxing is a light-heavyweight showdown between unified world champion Dmitry Bivol and pound-for-pound star David Benavidez, and now two-time welterweight champion Shawn Porter has shared his thoughts on that proposed clash.

When Benavidez stepped up and challenged for the unified cruiserweight world titles last month, many questioned whether his punch power would translate into the 200lb division, but ‘The Mexican Monster’ soon proved that it did, halting Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez inside six rounds.

Since then, all of the talk has been whether Benavidez could make a return to the light-heavyweight scene and take on Bivol, but suggestions of a catchweight bout have led to concerns as to whether the 29-year-old could indeed step back down to 175lbs.

Speaking on his own podcast, Porter declared that Bivol has the style to hand ‘The Mexican Monster’ a first career defeat, believing that the way to overcome the three-division world champion is to slow him down.

“Bivol was Bivol [against Michael Eifert]. Does Bivol beat David Benavidez? I think that, [even] if sparring went good for David back then, there is still so much to take into consideration, so many things to consider.

“I think that is the style that it takes to beat a Benavidez, or to compete with him, it takes you being fast but also having an amount of power and pop that Benavidez has to be respectful of and be more calculated with.

“If you slow down Benavidez, that gives you more opportunity to beat him.”

Despite the wishes of ‘The Mexican Monster’ to face Bivol, there appears to be stumbling blocks to making the fight, as the WBO have ordered Bivol to defend his world titles against Liverpool’s Callum Smith, whilst a trilogy bout against Artur Beterbiev is also being discussed.

The Atlanta Falcons and wide receiver Drake London agreed to a four-year contract extension Tuesday, per NFL Media. London’s deal is worth $141 million and includes $100 million guaranteed, his agent told ESPN — making him the third-highest-paid receiver in the NFL on a per-year basis and giving him the largest average annual salary in Falcons history. Incentives can make the contract worth as much as $150 million.

London is on an exciting trajectory heading into his fifth year as a pro. He upped his yardage output in Years 2 and 3 and appeared on track for another strong season in 2025 before hip and knee injuries held him out of five games. He is a perennial 1,000-yard threat who should once again flirt with the 10-touchdown threshold this season.

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As he enters his prime years, London has a chance to cement himself as one of the NFL’s truly elite receivers, and the Falcons are going to pay him in accordance with that stature.

NFL’s highest-paid wide receivers

Contract data via Over The Cap

While the Atlanta quarterback situation remains a question mark with Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa set to battle for the starting job, the Falcons will have no shortage of weapons at their disposal. And if one of them latches on as the long-term answer under center, he and London will be a prolific tandem for years to come.

The Falcons are probably not done investing in their future this offseason, either. Superstar running back Bijan Robinson is due for an extension of his own, and there is a significant chance he becomes the highest-paid running back in league history when he inks that deal.

Tight end Kyle Pitts also awaits a possible long-term deal. The Falcons placed the franchise tag on the former No. 4 overall pick earlier this offseason, and coming off a career year, he is a candidate to earn an extension before the July 15 deadline. If Atlanta doesn’t give him that contract, he will play the 2026 season on a fully-guaranteed $16 million salary and face questions about his future with the franchise.

With the trio of London, Robinson and Pitts potentially locked in as faces of the franchise, Atlanta will continue to boast some of the NFL’s most prolific offensive skill position talent.

World Cup squads are official, and that means it’s time to take some data from what will be a record-breaking World Cup in many ways. It will be the biggest World Cup in history with 48 teams taking part in the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, but it will also feature the oldest manager ever, the most 40-year-olds ever, a young player brushing shoulders with Pele, and so much more.

So let’s get to it: some of the numbers to know around the World Cup squads: 

Countries by representation

While this takes into account all the leagues in a country, more than 16% of players at the 2026 World Cup play their club soccer in England somewhere in the pyramid. That’s almost double the number of the second-placed nation, which is Germany. Saudi Arabia is next out of the big five European leagues, closely followed by the United States, where Major League Soccer and the United Soccer League make up their numbers.

Here’s how it looks by league:

Clubs by representation

You can see quickly why England leads the way in World Cup representation when drilling down to clubs. Manchester City are sending the most players to the World Cup, but even Crystal Palace have representation here. The Saudi Pro League also shows up with Al-Hilal sending 12 players to the World Cup. Just to note, Los Angeles FC have the most World Cup representatives of any MLS squad with four.

Most trips to the World Cup in history

Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Guilerrmo Ochoa are all gearing up for their record sixth trip to the World Cup. Messi holds the record for matches played at the World Cup with 26, and that won’t be one Ronaldo will be able to break during this tournament if Messi features in every group stage match, due to being at 22 appearances himself. Luka Modric, Yuto Nagatomo and Manuel Neuer are all on World Cup squads for the fifth time in their storied careers. 

Oldest players at the World Cup

Never has there been a World Cup with more than one 40-year-old playing, and with Uruguay‘s Fernando Muslera celebrating his 40th birthday the day after their opening match facing Saudi Arabia on June 15, eight players 40 or older could take the pitch. If Craig Gordon appears for Scotland, he’ll become the second-oldest player to ever play at the World Cup behind Egypt‘s Essam El Hadary, who was 45, while Ronaldo would become the second-oldest outfield player to feature when he takes the pitch for Portugal.

Youngest players at the World Cup

Mexico’s Gilberto Mora leads the way as the youngest player at the World Cup, and he’ll be a critical piece of El Tri. Mora will be only the fifth 17-year-old to appear in a World Cup match, and while he won’t be the youngest, as Norman Whiteside was 17 years and 41 days old when he debuted for Northern Ireland in 1982, this is a distinction that he’ll share with Samuel Eto’o and Pele. Talk about a good company to keep. Bosnia and Herzegovina are the only squad with multiple players making the top 10 for youngest at this tournament, something that 40-year-old captain Eden Dzeko views as an honor of being able to pass the torch to the next generation of Bosnian soccer during this tournament. 

Youngest teams by average squad age

In 2022, the United States was one of the youngest squads at the World Cup, and while that has risen in 2026 due to the core getting older, Mauricio Pochettino has still called in one of the youngest squads of the entire World Cup with an average age of 26.88. Ivory Coast leads the way as budding star Yan Diomande will feature heavily in the squad, but let’s take a look at the top 10 teams by average squad age.

1. Ivory Coast – 25.82
2. Ecuador – 26.05
3. Morocco – 26.37
4. Bosnia & Herzegovina – 26.40
5. Tunisia – 26.62
6. Spain – 26.72
7. Norway – 26.78
8. South Africa – 26.78
9. Algeria – 26.83
10. United States – 26.88

A record 44 players sent to the World Cup for MLS

While Major League Soccer didn’t exist in 1994 when the World Cup was in the United States last, the domestic top flight will be sending 44 players to the World Cup in 2026. That’s an eight-player increase from 2022 in Qatar, and these aren’t players just making up numbers, with the captains of Argentina, South Korea, the United States, and Colombia playing their league soccer in MLS.

Could a USMNT record be broken?

With Tim Ream‘s call-up to the United States, the captain of the Red, White and Blue has become the second oldest player ever named to a United States roster, trailing only Frank Moniz (38 years, 162 days). But if Ream takes the pitch against Paraguay on June 12 when he’ll be 38 years, 250 days old, he’ll become the oldest player to feature for the USMNT at a World Cup. He’d pass Fernando Clavijo, who was 37 years, 162 days old during the 1994 World Cup when he took the pitch facing Brazil.

Oldest coach to ever manage at the World Cup

At 78, Dick Advocaat will become the oldest manager to ever lead a squad in the World Cup, and he’ll also become the first to do so with three different countries, with Curacao now joining the Netherlands, which he managed during the 1994 World Cup in the United States and South Korea during the 2006 World Cup in Germany, as teams that he has managed in the tournament. Advocaat will break a record held by Otto Rehhagel, who was 71 years, 317 days old when he managed Greece against Argentina in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Youngest coach at the World Cup

In a record that may never be broken, Juan Jose Tramutola is the youngest manager to ever lead a nation to the World Cup at 27 years, 267 days old. He was Argentina’s co-manager during the inaugural tournament in 1930. During 2026, Germany’s Julian Nagelsmann will be the youngest manager among the 48 teams at 38-years-old.

Coaches by country

The influence of Argentine soccer runs deep, as six nations will be led by an Argentine head coach. Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay, and the United States all share that distinction, with the United States being the only non-South American nation with an Argentine head coach. They’re followed by France, Spain, Germany, and Italy to round out the top five nationalities represented. Also of note, Graham Potter is the only English coach at the World Cup, but he will be managing Sweden while a German, Thomas Tuchel, oversees the Three Lions. That’s similar to Jesse Marsch being the only American to manage at the World Cup, but he’ll be coaching Canada.

Charlotte Edwards says there was never any doubt around Heather Knight’s place in England’s World Cup side as the former captain returned to form in a series-clinching win in the third T20 against India.

Knight, 35, made a magnificent unbeaten 70 as England emphatically chased 181 to win the series 2-1, after she had endured a lean start to the summer.

In the five preceding T20s against New Zealand and India, Knight’s strike-rate had been the main cause for concern as she made scores of 19 (17), 25 (23), 18 (22), 21 (24) and 18 (14).

But under pressure in the series decider, Knight, who became England women’s most-capped cricketer last month, was at her fluent best with 10 fours in a 42-ball knock.

“It’s been quite interesting listening to some of the press this week,” head coach Edwards told BBC Sport.

“I think the more that people have been writing her off, the more I just knew she was going to put in a performance like this.

“I spoke to her after her record game [at Chelmsford] about her character and how that is one of her biggest attributes, and we saw that in abundance tonight.

“It was really lovely for her to have that performance going into the World Cup, but there were no doubts in our dressing room about Heather.”

Knight added 137 for the fourth wicket in a flawless stand with Alice Capsey, who made 81 off 43. The pair toyed with India’s wilting bowlers throughout, with Knight reverse-sweeping and scoring cannily behind square while Capsey struck beautifully straight down the ground.

It is easy to forget Capsey is still only 21 years old, having burst on to the English cricket scene as a teenager, and it was a knock that has surely cemented her place in Edwards’ starting XI for the World Cup opener against Sri Lanka on 12 June.

Edwards said it was the best she had seen Capsey play, and praised her work ethic over the winter.

“To play the way she did from that position [38-3], I couldn’t be prouder,” Edwards added.

“We spoke to her at the start of the winter about the areas we wanted her to work on and she has worked so, so hard. Now she’s bearing the fruits of that and there’s nothing more satisfying than to win a game of cricket for England in that manner.”

Alexander Zverev stayed on course for a maiden Grand Slam title by sweeping past Rafael Jodar to reach the French Open semi-finals on Tuesday, while Czech youngster Jakub Mensik ended Joao Fonseca’s impressive run in Paris.

Zverev, the highest-ranked player left in the men’s draw, ended Spanish teenager Jodar’s impressive Roland Garros debut with a 7-6 (7/3), 6-1, 6-3 victory.

The 29-year-old Zverev is the clear favourite for a maiden Grand Slam title. He has finished runner-up on three occasions, including at the 2024 French Open.

“I want to win the matches that are ahead of me, that is my goal, that is my aim,” said Zverev, who has dropped only one set en route to the last four.

It is the fifth time in six years he has reached this stage in Paris.

“I’m happy to be in the semi-finals, for now,” he added.

For Jodar, the grind of back-to-back five-setters appeared to take its toll as he struggled to cope after squandering a 5-2 lead in the opening set under the roof on Court Philippe Chatrier.

Read moreSabalenka beats Osaka, Berrettini reaches quarter-finals at French Open

The 19-year-old Jodar was featuring in only his second major. He was ranked 707th in the world at this time last year.

Zverev will next play Mensik after the 20-year-old upstaged Brazilian sensation Fonseca in the night match.

Mensik beat the 19-year-old Fonseca 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) to extend his best run at a Grand Slam.

“It was one of my best performances so far,” said Mensik, who needed seven match points to see off the stubborn Fonseca.

“I knew it was going to be a tough one.”

It was the youngest Roland Garros men’s quarter-final since a 20-year-old Rafael Nadal beat Novak Djokovic in 2006. Djokovic was 19 at the time.

Fonseca offered a glimpse of his vast potential with wins over Djokovic and Casper Ruud, but ran out of steam against an opponent who could rival him for the sport’s biggest prizes in years to come.

“Coming from a little injury and not having any expectation for this tournament and doing a great run… it’s a positive week,” said Fonseca, who had been troubled by a wrist issue before Roland Garros.

“This tournament gives me more conviction and more confidence to keep going.”

Read moreSwiatek out of French Open as Kostyuk, Svitolina book all-Ukrainian quarter-final

‘Flashbacks’

Marta Kostyuk and Mirra Andreeva will meet on Thursday for a place in the women’s final.

The in-form Kostyuk held her nerve to withstand a comeback from compatriot Elina Svitolina in the first all-Ukrainian women’s quarter-final at a Grand Slam in the Open era, prevailing 6-3, 2-6, 6-2.

The 23-year-old Kostyuk extended her unbeaten run on clay this season to 17 matches to reach her first Grand Slam semi-final.

“I’m very happy I found a way. It was very difficult in the first two sets,” said Kostyuk, who dedicated her victory to the people of Ukraine.

The country was hit by hundreds of Russian drones and dozens of missiles early on Tuesday, killing at least 23 people.

“We had another difficult night in Ukraine, especially in Kyiv where so many people died, so I want to give this match to Ukraine,” said Kostyuk.

Svitolina, 31, fell at the quarter-final stage at Roland Garros for the sixth time. It is the only major where she has not reached the last four.

Read moreDefending ⁠champion Coco Gauff eliminated from French Open after 3rd-round loss

Kostyuk has been an outspoken supporter of Ukraine during the ongoing war with Russia. Her next opponent is Russian teenager Andreeva, whom she beat in the Madrid Open final last month.

“I usually never care who is on the other side of the net. I’m there to play tennis and do my job, and that’s it,” said Kostyuk.

Andreeva breezed into her second French Open semi-final with a 6-0, 6-3 rout of Romania’s Sorana Cirstea, who plans to retire at the end of the season.

The eighth seed needed less than an hour to dispatch the 36-year-old Cirstea, appearing in the last eight in Paris for the first time since 2009.

“I’m super happy that I’m going to be playing in semis again,” said Andreeva.

“I felt like it was one of my best matches so far this tournament.”

Andreeva atoned for the disappointment of her 2025 quarter-final loss to French outsider Lois Boisson, as rain and strong winds arrived in Paris after last week’s heatwave.

“I was just trying to have flashbacks only about the weather and only about the court with the closed roof, not about how I played. I’m happy that I could turn it around,” she said.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

Former two-weight world champion and top trainer Buddy McGirt has suggested that one man, between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, is likely to enter their showdown with one clear advantage.

The two pound-for-pound legends are reportedly set to square off in Las Vegas, colliding in a professional rematch that is now slated for September 26.

Originally, it was proposed that they would lock horns at the Sphere, Las Vegas, on September 19, only for handlers of the Netflix event to go with a different date and venue.

But despite the uncertainty, it does appear that both fighters have agreed to collide in a fully-sanctioned bout, with Mayweather graciously putting his 50-0 record on the line.

The 49-year-old has not fought professionally since his 10th-round finish over Conor McGregor in 2017, which arrived just over two years after he unanimously outpointed ‘Pac Man’

Conversely, Pacquiao has been involved in eight professional contests since their first encounter, most recently boxing to a 12-round draw against then-WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios last July.

Because of this greater activity in recent years, McGirt has told ESNEWS that he favours the 47-year-old Filipino, even if neither fighter can realistically claim to be the poster boy of activity.

“I’m [going to] go with Pacquiao for the simple fact that Floyd hasn’t fought – like [in] a fight-fight – for how long?

“These exhibition fights, you can’t really count them. Then again, I’m gonna go with Pacquiao but I wouldn’t be surprised if Floyd pulls it off.”

While Pacquiao has fought more recently than Mayweather, his draw with Barrios ended a near four-year layoff that followed his unanimous decision defeat to Yordenis Ugas.

Formula 1 is headed to Monaco this weekend for its crown jewel race, the Monaco Grand Prix, and while the season has been dominated by Mercedes.

However, this race might present a golden opportunity for their closest competitors: Ferrari.

The Silver Arrows have won every race — Grand Prix or Sprint — with the lone exception of the Sprint race in Miami, which was won by McLaren’s Lando Norris.

The Monaco Grand Prix uses one of the series’ tightest, twistiest, and slowest circuits, which means some cars will be better suited for it than others. (Photo by Glenn Dunbar/LAT Images)

That has put a significant gap in the standings between them and Ferrari; however, Monaco presents an opportunity for the Scuderia to break up Mercedes and championship leader Kimi Antonelli’s run of dominance.

That’s because Ferrari’s car and power unit are expected to be well suited for the notoriously tight and twisty Monaco circuit.

All season long, Ferrari’s strength has been under acceleration. This has been most clear on race starts. Go back and look at just about any start this season and the Ferraris look like they’ve been shot out of a cannon while the Mercedes and others often look pretty sluggish.

With as many slow corners as Monaco — with some like the hotel hairpin and La Rascasse being among the slowest on the entire calendar — getting through them and accelerating out of them is a big deal. You can’t rely on straight-line speed like you can on other circuits, and Ferrari, they’ll be cool with that as it’s not their biggest strength.

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A circuit with plenty of slow corners should play right into Ferrari’s hands. (Photo by Guido De Bortoli/LAT Images)

Finding time in these slow corners on Saturday in qualifying could mean a start from pole, and in Monaco, that really gives you an edge on a circuit where overtaking is nearly impossible.

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Even reigning champ Lando Norris expects to see the Prancing Horses start up front.

“Honestly, I think that Ferrari will be on pole next weekend in Monaco,” Norris said, per Motorsport. “Their low-speed performance is far better than everyone else.”

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Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc will be hunting for his second win at Monaco, which happens to be his home race. (Photo by Bradley Collyer/PA Images via Getty Image)

Now, a million things could go wrong, even if either Ferrari driver, Charles Leclerc or Lewis Hamilton, starts up front. Weather could be a factor; they could clip a wall; they could run into a technical issue.

But the key to winning at Monaco these days is starting with the best track position possible, and Ferrari is looking at its best chance to do that so far this season.

The Minnesota Vikings somewhat shockingly released linebacker Kobe King last season — a weird ordeal for a rookie drafted in April 2025. It didn’t take long for King to land on his feet with the New York Jets, but seven months later, that relationship has ended, as well.

The Jets said goodbye to King on Monday, so it’s back to the drawing board for the young defender.

Minnesota’s Late-Round Miss Moves to Free Agency

King Out in NYJ

The Jets claimed King off waivers in late October, and it’s sayonara in June. NBC Sports‘ Josh Alper wrote Monday, “The Jets signed Younghoe Koo last week in a move that gave them three kickers on their 90-man roster. That number is set to drop down to two on Monday. Brian Costello of the New York Post reports that the Jets will waive Lenny Krieg, which will leave Koo and Cade York as their two kickers.”

“Krieg began playing football in Germany and joined the NFL’s International Player Pathway program in 2025. He spent last season on the Falcons’ practice squad and signed with the Jets in January. Costello also reports that the Jets will waive linebacker Kobe King. That move will come with an injury designation.”

King will now bide his time and eye a roster spot with some team this summer.

King’s Production So Far

King played 3 defensive snaps in Minnesota before former general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah dropped him like a bad habit. Landing with the Jets, King did not see any action on defense, but he became a special teams contributor, getting in on the action in 9 games for 142 special teams snaps.

All told, King banked 10 tackles as a rookie and ended up playing in 14 games last year between the Vikings and Jets.

NFL Draft Buzz noted on King before the 2025 NFL Draft: “Possesses elite run-stopping instincts with a natural feel for blocking schemes – consistently beats offensive linemen to their spot and disrupts rushing lanes before they develop. Downhill thumper who brings serious thunder to his tackles — watch the Michigan game where he consistently stopped runners dead in their tracks through sheer force.”

“Shows outstanding stack-and-shed ability against guards and fullbacks, using powerful hands to maintain separation while tracking the ball carrier. Natural defensive quarterback who orchestrates pre-snap adjustments with veteran savvy – routinely puts teammates in position to make plays.”

The NYJ LB Room without Him

What will New York do without King? Oh, it should get by just fine. Here’s the ILB setup in June for Aaron Glenn’s team:

• Jamien Sherwood
• Demario Davis
• Marcelino McCrary-Ball
• Kiko Mauigoa
• Mykal Walker
• Jaden Keller
• Kingsley Jonathan
• Chase Wilson
• Paschal Ekeji

Sherwood and Davis are consistent and productive; after those two, the depth becomes skimpy, so Glenn must cultivate McCrary-Ball and Mauigoa in the event Sherwood or Davis succumb to injuries.

The Ringer‘s Diante Lee called the Jets the NFL’s worst team this offseason, noting, “This franchise can accumulate all the draft picks it wants, bring in a seasoned offensive play caller (Frank Reich), and use its almost $80 million in cap space to bring in the kind of dependable veterans it needs to kick-start a rebuild. But these are the Jets we’re talking about.”

“They find themselves in the league’s cellar because of their deep-seated incompetence, not luck or circumstance. The vibes on this team have stunk from the start of the offseason, when Aaron Glenn set out to replace basically his entire coaching staff, and it’s hard to see morale improving anytime soon.”

A Wasted Pick by MIN

King is unlikely to be a memorable player for Vikings fans years from now.

Most 6th- and 7th-Round draft picks quickly fade, and King’s potential release in October 2025 didn’t derail Minnesota’s season. Nevertheless, in retrospect, the pick feels like a missed opportunity.

When the Vikings selected King in April 2025, several more intriguing prospects were still available. Players like Brashard Smith, Kyle Monangai, Tez Johnson, and Jacory Croskey-Merritt were all drafted after King, and any of them could have offered the Vikings a more exciting developmental prospect.

While King being a Vikings bust isn’t catastrophic — late-round picks often don’t pan out — the Vikings effectively squandered that particular selection.

Meanwhile, the Vikings now have Nolan Teasley in the house as their new general manager. Perhaps the wasted draft picks will diminish. That’s the goal.

Before too long, one NFL general manager will likely realize that he needs a special teams commodity for training camp and give King a call. That’s usually how it works.

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Scottie Thompson and Barangay Ginebra head into their PBA Commissioner’s Cup title showdown with TNT on Wednesday carrying lessons from their previous defeats at the hands of the same foe and hardened by a tough semifinal series against Rain or Shine.

And Thompson hopes that the 7:30 p.m. encounter at Smart Araneta Coliseum would be the stepping stone for the Gin Kings to finally get over the line and end a three-year championship drought that seemed like ages for a team used to success.

“We will use that as motivation,” Thompson said, as Ginebra eyes its first title since the 2022-2023 Commissioner’s Cup when it prevailed over the guest team Bay Area Dragons before 54,000 fans at Philippine Arena.

Championships have eluded the crowd favorites since, with their next three Finals trips ending in defeats, all against TNT.

Last year’s Commissioner’s Cup almost made Ginebra lucky on the third time, but TNT managed to sneak one again over its rival with a Game 7 thriller that went into overtime.

“Of course, we learned a lot of lessons from that, particularly on how we play defense against TNT,” the all-around swingman continued.

“Our defense has to be consistent from start to finish, and I think that would be the key for us to have a better chance of winning the championship.”

Hard series

Ginebra entered the Finals having weathered the stubborn challenge of Rain or Shine, taking the semifinal series in six games.

Almost all games saw the Gin Kings having to go through an Elasto Painters group that started strong and refused to go away whenever they trailed by big margins, apart from the physicality they played through.

“I think it’s going to prepare us coming into this championship, because we all know how hard that series was against Rain or Shine, especially since our defense was really challenged,” said Thompson.

“We believe that we will be able to get a lot of inputs from that series that we could bring going into our matchup against TNT,” he added.

Thompson will be one of the keys for Ginebra in the series, which could likely be more about how Justin Brownlee can succeed in his bid to become the PBA’s winningest import with a shot at title No. 7 and if RJ Abarrientos can cap off a sensational conference with a splendid showing in the Finals.

But expect TNT to have something to say about those quests. INQ

Mensik and Fonseca, aged 20 and 19 respectively, are tipped to be among the players who could challenge Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz at the very top of men’s tennis over the next few years – and their last-eight tie demonstrated why.

Both men were playing in their first major quarter-final and while Mensik confessed to feeling some early nerves in his post-match interview, his dominant serve proved critical as he moved into a two-set lead without facing a break point.

Fonseca had twice come back from two sets down to win matches at this year’s French Open, most notably in the third round against 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic.

There were flashes of brilliance from the Brazilian throughout, but another mammoth comeback proved beyond him on this occasion under the roof on Court Philippe Chatrier.

The third set went on for close to 80 minutes, with Fonseca twice moving a break of serve ahead before being dragged back to parity by Mensik.

Serving at 6-5 down, Fonseca saved six match points in a marathon 12th game of the set before forcing a tie-break – which Mensik controlled to complete a 6-4 6-3 7-6 (7-3) victory.

“At the end of the match, there were some incredible shots,” said Mensik, a former Masters 1000 champion in Miami.

“I’m super happy that I’m the one that came back. I was a break down a couple of times but I managed to stay focused, stay in the match and keep fighting until the end.”

Mensik is the first Czech player to reach a Grand Slam men’s singles semi-final since Tomas Berdych at Wimbledon in 2017 and he is projected to move back into the world’s top 20.