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Christopher Nkunku Extends Contract at Leipzig to 2026

France's Christopher Nkunku controls the ball during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Croatia and France at the Poljud stadium, in Split, Croatia, Monday, June 6, 2022. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
France's Christopher Nkunku controls the ball during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Croatia and France at the Poljud stadium, in Split, Croatia, Monday, June 6, 2022. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
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Christopher Nkunku Extends Contract at Leipzig to 2026

France's Christopher Nkunku controls the ball during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Croatia and France at the Poljud stadium, in Split, Croatia, Monday, June 6, 2022. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
France's Christopher Nkunku controls the ball during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Croatia and France at the Poljud stadium, in Split, Croatia, Monday, June 6, 2022. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

France forward Christopher Nkunku extended his contract with Leipzig through 2026 on Thursday after a breakout season that attracted the attention of some of Europe's biggest clubs.

Leipzig technical director Christopher Vivell called Nkunku “one of the best players in the world” after the extension of his contract, which had two more years to go, The Associated Press said.

The 24-year-old Nkunku won the German Cup with Leipzig last season and scored 20 league goals as he was named Bundesliga player of the season. He also made his debut for France in March and has played all of his country's six games since then.

“RB Leipzig have made a name for themselves on the international stage in recent years and have shown time and again that we can compete for titles," Nkunku said in a statement. "We want to build on that going forward and go one step further.”

Nkunku's performances for Leipzig and France had led to speculation he could move to the Premier League or return to Paris Saint-Germain, where he came through the academy and played until his 2019 move to Leipzig.

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Swiatek: Losing at French Open Lifted the Pressure for Wimbledon

Tennis - Wimbledon - All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain - July 10, 2025 Poland's Iga Swiatek celebrates after winning her semi final match against Switzerland's Belinda Bencic REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq
Tennis - Wimbledon - All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain - July 10, 2025 Poland's Iga Swiatek celebrates after winning her semi final match against Switzerland's Belinda Bencic REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq
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Swiatek: Losing at French Open Lifted the Pressure for Wimbledon

Tennis - Wimbledon - All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain - July 10, 2025 Poland's Iga Swiatek celebrates after winning her semi final match against Switzerland's Belinda Bencic REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq
Tennis - Wimbledon - All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain - July 10, 2025 Poland's Iga Swiatek celebrates after winning her semi final match against Switzerland's Belinda Bencic REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq

There are few benefits to losing in the semi-finals of a Grand Slam but when Iga Swiatek had her fingers prised off the French Open trophy, it had one unexpected benefit -- it lifted the pressure off her shoulders heading into Wimbledon.

Swiatek crushed Switzerland's Belinda Bencic 6-2 6-0 to reach the Wimbledon final on Thursday after years of trying and failing to make a major impact at the grasscourt Grand Slam.

She has made no secret of her preference for clay courts and her four French Open titles were clear evidence that Paris's red dirt was more to her liking than Wimbledon's lawns, Reuters reported.

Yet her defeat to Aryna Sabalenka in the French Open semi-finals in early June ended her chances of a fourth straight title in Paris and ensured few were tipping her for a career-best run at Wimbledon.

"I think I'm not going to have seasons where the pressure is not going to be kind of forced on me from the expectations from the outside anymore," she said after setting up a Saturday showdown against American Amanda Anisimova.

"Every year I guess it's kind of the same but I feel sometimes I can handle it better or ignore it. Sometimes a bit worse.

"I don't know. Like, honestly, I think it's easier if you haven't won Roland Garros and also if you had more time to practice.

"If I win Roland Garros and then I come here and everybody ask me already about... They put, like, super high expectations."

Five-times Grand Slam winner Swiatek was in a league of her own on a scorching Centre Court on Thursday, blitzing past Tokyo Olympic champion Bencic in the blink of an eye.

She has dropped only one set in her run to the final and suddenly looks at home on grass, a surface she has previously struggled to master.

"Every point is different and every match I need to adjust my game but for sure I feel like I improved my movement," she said, summing up what had changed for her on the surface. "I’m serving really well and I feel really confident, so I’m just going for it and it’s working so I will keep doing that."