Djokovic and Nadal Bid to Derail Alcaraz Hype at French Open

File Photo: Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, February 11, 2021 Spain's Rafael Nadal acknowledges a fan during his second round match against Michael Mmoh of the US REUTERS/Loren Elliott
File Photo: Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, February 11, 2021 Spain's Rafael Nadal acknowledges a fan during his second round match against Michael Mmoh of the US REUTERS/Loren Elliott
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Djokovic and Nadal Bid to Derail Alcaraz Hype at French Open

File Photo: Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, February 11, 2021 Spain's Rafael Nadal acknowledges a fan during his second round match against Michael Mmoh of the US REUTERS/Loren Elliott
File Photo: Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, February 11, 2021 Spain's Rafael Nadal acknowledges a fan during his second round match against Michael Mmoh of the US REUTERS/Loren Elliott

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, with 41 Grand Slam titles between them, will attempt to derail the growing hype surrounding teenage sensation Carlos Alcaraz at the French Open from Sunday.

All three have been placed in the top-half of the draw, meaning only one will make the Roland Garros final, AFP said.

Defending champion Djokovic is seeded to face 13-time winner Nadal in the quarter-finals. Alcaraz is a potential semi-final opponent.

"I feel I am always in contention to fight for any Grand Slam trophy," said Djokovic who arrives in Paris fired up by his inability to defend his Australian Open title in January when he was deported over his vaccination status.

"Reliving the memories from last year is something that obviously gives me goose bumps and motivation to try to replicate that."

Djokovic, who turns 35 on Sunday, captured a second French Open title in 2021.

He did it the hard way, coming from two sets down to beat Lorenzo Musetti in the last-16, winning an epic four-set semi-final against Nadal before needing to overturn another two-set deficit to see off Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final.

Djokovic has played only five tournaments in 2022 but arrives in Paris buoyed by a sixth Italian Open title, becoming just the fifth man to win 1,000 career matches in the process.

It was his 38th Masters triumph, two more than Nadal at the top of the all-time list.

- Nadal 'feels better' -
Djokovic starts his French Open against 94th-ranked Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan.

Nadal has played down concerns over the chronic foot issue that resurfaced in Rome last week.

On Wednesday, he practiced in front of thousands of fans at Roland Garros without any obvious discomfort.

"There is nothing to recover," Nadal told reporters Friday. "What happened in Rome is something that happened very often in my practices."

"I was suffering after that for a couple of days, but I feel better. That's why I'm here."

Nadal began the year with a 20-match winning run, capturing a second Australian Open title to claim a record 21st Grand Slam and move ahead of Djokovic and Roger Federer.

The 35-year-old's record at the French Open stands at a staggering 105 wins and just three losses since his 2005 title-winning debut.

Djokovic has been responsible for two of those defeats. One of those came in the bruising semi-final 12 months ago, the most recent clash of the pair's epic 58-match rivalry.

"I just watched Rafa practice and it's funny because all of a sudden his forehand is just 20 miles an hour faster. He moves lighter on his feet," said world number three Alexander Zverevn on Friday.

"There is something about this court that makes him play 30% better, just being on this court."

Nadal takes on Australia's Jordan Thompson in the first round.

Alcaraz, just 19, has rocketed to six in the world on the back of four titles -- three on clay -- in 2022.

- 'Special' Alcaraz -
He won a second Masters title in Madrid, sweeping Nadal, Djokovic and Zverev on the way.

"He definitely is special," admitted Djokovic of Alcaraz who also claimed the prestigious Miami Masters earlier in the year.

Alcaraz was ranked 97 this time last year.

He was only two when Nadal won the first of his 13 French Opens in 2005 but he made his mark at the 2021 tournament where he came through qualifying to reach the third round.

Alcaraz, who has 28 wins and just three defeats this year, opens his campaign on Sunday against Argentine lucky loser Juan Ignacio Londero, ranked at 141 but who made the last 16 in 2019.

Russian world number two Daniil Medvedev, who gave up a two-sets lead to lose to Nadal in the Australian Open final, only returned to action in Geneva this week after undergoing a hernia operation.

The US Open champion has 13 titles to his name but has yet to master the draining demands of clay.

At Roland Garros, he was winless in his first four visits before managing to stop the rot with a quarter-final run in 2021.

Greek world number four Tsitsipas has enjoyed a solid clay season.

He defended his Monte Carlo title before making the last-eight in Barcelona, semi-finals in Madrid and final in Rome.



Neymar Says He May Retire by End of 2026

Santos' forward Neymar #10 looks on during the Campeonato Paulista football match between Santos and Botafogo de Ribeirao Preto at the Urbano Caldeira Stadium in Santos, Sao Paulo state, Brazil on February 5, 2025. (AFP)
Santos' forward Neymar #10 looks on during the Campeonato Paulista football match between Santos and Botafogo de Ribeirao Preto at the Urbano Caldeira Stadium in Santos, Sao Paulo state, Brazil on February 5, 2025. (AFP)
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Neymar Says He May Retire by End of 2026

Santos' forward Neymar #10 looks on during the Campeonato Paulista football match between Santos and Botafogo de Ribeirao Preto at the Urbano Caldeira Stadium in Santos, Sao Paulo state, Brazil on February 5, 2025. (AFP)
Santos' forward Neymar #10 looks on during the Campeonato Paulista football match between Santos and Botafogo de Ribeirao Preto at the Urbano Caldeira Stadium in Santos, Sao Paulo state, Brazil on February 5, 2025. (AFP)

Brazil striker Neymar, ‌who extended his contract with his childhood club Santos last month, said that he may retire by the end of the year.

The 34-year-old forward returned to his boyhood club Santos in January 2025 and played a key role in their survival in the Brazilian top flight, scoring five times in their last ‌five matches.

But Neymar, ‌who has struggled with ‌injuries ⁠in recent seasons, ⁠remains doubtful for participation at the World Cup this year.

"I don't know what will happen from now on, I don't know about next year," he told Brazilian online channel Caze on Friday.

"It ⁠may be that when December comes, ‌I'll want to ‌retire. I'm living year to year now."

"This ‌year is a very important year, not ‌only for Santos, but also for the Brazilian national team, as it's a World Cup year, and for me too," Neymar said.

Neymar, ‌who recently underwent successful knee surgery, has scored 79 goals ⁠for ⁠Brazil, the highest by any player, but he has not featured for the national side since October 2023.

Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti has made it clear over the past year that he will only include players who are fully fit for the World Cup, scheduled to take place from June 11 to July 19 in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.


Arteta Dismisses ‘Bottlers’ Talk Amid Title Wobble

Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta applauds the fans following the English Premier League football match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Arsenal at the Molineux stadium in Wolverhampton, central England on February 18, 2026. (AFP)
Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta applauds the fans following the English Premier League football match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Arsenal at the Molineux stadium in Wolverhampton, central England on February 18, 2026. (AFP)
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Arteta Dismisses ‘Bottlers’ Talk Amid Title Wobble

Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta applauds the fans following the English Premier League football match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Arsenal at the Molineux stadium in Wolverhampton, central England on February 18, 2026. (AFP)
Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta applauds the fans following the English Premier League football match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Arsenal at the Molineux stadium in Wolverhampton, central England on February 18, 2026. (AFP)

Arsenal manager Mikel ‌Arteta rejected the term 'bottlers' ahead of Sunday's Premier League visit to Tottenham Hotspur, as the title race heats up after their lead was cut short by successive Premier League draws at Brentford and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Arsenal have won just two of their last seven league games, with second-placed Manchester City now five points behind with a game in hand.

Under ‌Arteta, the ‌North London club has finished as ‌the ⁠runners-up in their ⁠last three campaigns.

"It’s not part of my vocabulary and I don’t see it like this because I don’t think anybody wants to do that as an intention," Arteta told reporters on Friday, when asked about ⁠the term being used regarding their ‌latest wobble in ‌the title race.

"That’s individual opinion, perspective. You have to ‌respect that. That’s what I said after ‌in the press conference. You lose two points against Wolves in the manner that the game played out, you have to take it on ‌the chin. It's part of our role."

"What I’m very interested in ⁠is ⁠the next one, what we are made of, what we love about this and how we write our own destiny from here."

Arsenal have also reached the League Cup final and the round of 16 in the Champions League and the FA Cup.

Meanwhile, Tottenham, who are 16th in the Premier League, will enter into Sunday's game under newly appointed manager Igor Tudor, who replaced Thomas Frank last week.


IOC Boss Coventry Hails Milano Cortina Games a Success

 20 February 2026, Italy, Milan: President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Kirsty Coventry holds a press conference. (dpa)
20 February 2026, Italy, Milan: President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Kirsty Coventry holds a press conference. (dpa)
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IOC Boss Coventry Hails Milano Cortina Games a Success

 20 February 2026, Italy, Milan: President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Kirsty Coventry holds a press conference. (dpa)
20 February 2026, Italy, Milan: President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Kirsty Coventry holds a press conference. (dpa)

The Milano Cortina Olympics exceeded expectations despite a shaky build-up, IOC President Kirsty Coventry said on Friday, hailing the first spread-out Winter Games a success.

"These Games are truly ... successful in a new way of doing things, in a sustainable way of doing things, in a way that I think many people thought maybe we couldn't do, or couldn't be done well, and it's been done extremely well, and it's surpassed everyone's expectations," Coventry told a press conference.

It was the International Olympic Committee chief's clearest endorsement yet of a format that split events across several Alpine clusters rather than concentrating them in one host city.

Her assessment came after two weeks in which organizers sought to prove that a geographically dispersed Games could still deliver a consistent athlete experience.

The smooth delivery ‌comes after years ‌of logistical and political challenges, including construction delays at Milan’s Santagiulia Arena ‌and ⁠controversy over building ⁠a new sliding center in Cortina against IOC advice.

Organizers have also faced isolated disruptions during the Games, such as suspected sabotage on rail lines and protests in Milan over housing and environmental issues.

Transport concerns across the dispersed venues have been mitigated by limited cross-regional travel among spectators, though some competitors had to walk to the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium in heavy snowfall that stopped traffic.

Central to the success of the Games, Coventry argued, was the effort to standardize conditions across multiple athlete villages despite the distances separating venues from Cortina d’Ampezzo to ⁠Livigno and Bormio.

Italian athletes’ performances also helped ticket sales, which amounted to ‌about 1.4 million.

"And the athletes are extremely happy. And they're happy ‌because the experiences that the MiCo (Milano Cortina) team and my team delivered to them have been the same," she ‌said.

Mixed relay silver medalist Tommaso Giacomel did, however, lament the fact there was no Olympic village near ‌the Antholz-Anterselva Biathlon Arena and that competitors were dotted around different hotels near the venue instead of in one place.

TWO OPENING CEREMONIES

Two opening ceremonies were held - the main one at Milan’s San Siro stadium and a more low-key parade on Cortina d’Ampezzo's Corso Italia, where athletes and spectators were within touching distance.

Feedback from competitors suggested the more intimate ‌settings had in some cases enhanced the Olympic atmosphere, Coventry said, taking the Cortina opening ceremony as an example.

The Zimbabwean, presiding over her first Games ⁠as IOC chief after elections in ⁠2025, framed Milano Cortina as proof of concept for future hosts grappling with rising costs and climate constraints, while acknowledging adjustments would follow.

"It allows us to really look at ourselves and look at the things that we have in place and how we're then going to make certain adjustments for the future," she said.

Beyond logistics, Coventry pointed to the broader impact of the Games, highlighting gender balance - with women making up 47% of competitors - and global engagement as marks of progress.

"But it's been an incredible experience and we're all very proud to have gender equity playing a big role in the delivery of the Games," she said, describing a "tremendous Games" in which athletes have "come together and shared in their passion".

With the closing ceremony in Verona approaching, Coventry said the focus would soon shift to a formal evaluation process, but insisted the headline conclusion was already clear.

"So we look forward to doing that and to learning from all the incredible experiences that I think all of the stakeholders have had across these Games, across these past two weeks," she said.