Deschamps Extends as France Coach to Next World Cup

Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 - Semi Final - France v Morocco - Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, Qatar - December 14, 2022 France coach Didier Deschamps celebrates after the match as France reach the final REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach
Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 - Semi Final - France v Morocco - Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, Qatar - December 14, 2022 France coach Didier Deschamps celebrates after the match as France reach the final REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach
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Deschamps Extends as France Coach to Next World Cup

Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 - Semi Final - France v Morocco - Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, Qatar - December 14, 2022 France coach Didier Deschamps celebrates after the match as France reach the final REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach
Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 - Semi Final - France v Morocco - Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, Qatar - December 14, 2022 France coach Didier Deschamps celebrates after the match as France reach the final REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach

After leading France to another World Cup final, coach Didier Deschamps is signing up for another shot at the title, prolonging his contract to June 2026.

The French Football Federation announced the contract extension on Saturday, The Associated Press reported.

Deschamps, a World Cup winner as a player, took over as coach of Les Bleus in July 2012 and led France to the World Cup title in 2018, beating Croatia in the final.

Under Deschamps, France then came within a whisker of successfully defending its title at the World Cup in Qatar, losing an epic final to Argentina. Argentina won its third World Cup title by beating France 4-2 in a penalty shootout after a 3-3 draw featuring two goals from the 35-year-old Lionel Messi and a hat trick by his heir apparent, France forward Kylian Mbappé.

Deschamps has close working relationship with FFF president Noël Le Graët.

“In Qatar we almost achieved what we wanted to do, winning the World Cup. There were a lot of positives to take," Deschamps said Saturday.

France's players were despondent after losing such a tense final, but were touched by the reception they received when they arrived home.

“Coming back to France, I realized how much emotion and passion a World Cup can generate,” Deschamps said. “We had a lot of support. You can count on me to keep France at the highest level.”

The FFF said Deschamps' right-hand man, assistant coach Guy Stéphan, is also staying on with Les Bleus, as are goalkeeping coach Franck Raviot and physical trainer Cyril Moine.

In 139 matches under Deschamps, France has won 89, drawn 28 and lost just 22, scoring 279 goals and conceding 119.

France reached the final of the European Championship on home soil in 2016, losing 1-0 to Portugal in extra time.

But Euro 2020 was disappointing as Les Bleus went out to Switzerland on penalties in the round of 16. Germany is hosting Euro 2024.

The United States, Mexico and Canada are hosting the 2026 World Cup.



Swiatek Fights Back to Down McNally and Reach Third Round

Wimbledon - All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain - July 3, 2025 Poland's Iga Swiatek celebrates after winning her second round match against Caty McNally of the US. (Reuters)
Wimbledon - All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain - July 3, 2025 Poland's Iga Swiatek celebrates after winning her second round match against Caty McNally of the US. (Reuters)
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Swiatek Fights Back to Down McNally and Reach Third Round

Wimbledon - All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain - July 3, 2025 Poland's Iga Swiatek celebrates after winning her second round match against Caty McNally of the US. (Reuters)
Wimbledon - All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain - July 3, 2025 Poland's Iga Swiatek celebrates after winning her second round match against Caty McNally of the US. (Reuters)

Iga Swiatek may not love the grass but relishes a battle whatever the surface and showed all that fight and bullish determination as she recovered to beat American Caty McNally 5-7 6-2 6-1 and reach the Wimbledon third round on Thursday.

McNally, the world number 208, looked poised to cause an upset when she clawed her way back from 4-1 down to take the first set against the five-times Grand Slam champion.

At that point Swiatek's mediocre record at the All England Club, where the Pole has never gone past the quarter-finals, seemed to be weighing heavily on her shoulders.

But rather than shy away from the scrap, the former world number one flicked a psychological switch that saw her come out for the second set transformed, upping her aggression and playing with a ferocity McNally simply could not handle.

She broke early in the second set and never looked back, losing only three more games to set up a clash with another American Danielle Collins.

"I started the match well, so I knew that my game was there," said Swiatek. "I knew that at the start of the second set I had to be more accurate. I just tried to improve and I'm happy it worked."

The eighth seed may have her sights set far higher than the third round, but by reaching the last 32 she underlined her consistency on the big stage.

The 23-year-old is the third player this century to reach the third round in 22 consecutive women’s singles Grand Slams after Amelie Mauresmo and Serena Williams.

DIFFICULT SURFACE

Whether such milestones are enough to persuade Swiatek she can excel on a surface that has so far proven difficult to master is yet to be determined.

With four French Open titles to her name, another at the US Open and two semi-final appearances in Australia, her unspectacular Wimbledon record stands out like a sore thumb.

A run to the Bad Homburg final in the grasscourt warm-up event showed her game is not entirely unsuited to the surface, though there was a period in the first set against McNally where she may have wondered if this tournament was simply not for her.

Having broken early and raced into a 4-1 lead, the wheels briefly came off as McNally did everything to push Swiatek out of her comfort zone.

The American pushed right up to the baseline to receive serve, trying to give Swiatek less time to react to the return and for a while it worked.

McNally spurned four break points in the seventh game before finally taking her chance at the fifth attempt before breaking again for a 6-5 lead when Swiatek swiped a backhand long.

When the Pole fired a wild forehand off target to hand McNally the opener, everything seemed to be going the American's way. But that was as good as it got.

DOUBLES PARTNERS

Swiatek knows McNally's game well - the pair were doubles partners in their youth, clinching the junior title at Roland Garros in 2018 - and set about dismantling it in double-quick time.

She broke for a 2-0 lead in the second set and again to level the contest at one set each.

Swiatek then did the same at the start of the third set, breaking to go 2-0 ahead, with a forehand swiped cross-court, while another forehand winner saw her break again to move 4-0 up.

It was then straightforward for the Pole, although she did have to save five break points before wrapping up victory with an ace.

As well as earning her spot in the next round, the match against her old playing partner offered a pleasing trip down memory lane.

"It's pretty funny because I remember these matches pretty well," she said of her junior days.

"We know each other pretty well ... She's one of the people who make you feel like you are not only rivals on tour but that you can also respect each other and like each other."