American Star Pegula Pulls Out of French Open

Jessica Pegula will miss the French Open but 'will definitely be back for a full grass season'. Rich Storry / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
Jessica Pegula will miss the French Open but 'will definitely be back for a full grass season'. Rich Storry / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
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American Star Pegula Pulls Out of French Open

Jessica Pegula will miss the French Open but 'will definitely be back for a full grass season'. Rich Storry / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
Jessica Pegula will miss the French Open but 'will definitely be back for a full grass season'. Rich Storry / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP

World number five Jessica Pegula announced her withdrawal from the French Open on Thursday, saying she had not yet sufficiently recovered from an injury.
"Unfortunately pulling out of @rolandgarros this year," the American posted on Instagram.
"I'm just about back to practicing normal (haven't had any issues for weeks) but played it super safe with recovery & return to play.
"If I had another 5-7 days I would have been there 100%."
Pegula, 30, has not played an official match since the Billie Jean King Cup in mid-April, said AFP.
She then withdrew from the Madrid Open after "hurting herself", without giving any further details on the nature of her injury.
She also missed the Rome Open, the last big clay-court tournament prior to Roland Garros.
Pegula, however, is confident she will soon return to competition.
"I will definitely be back for a full grass season and the rest of the summer and grinding out the rest of the year," she posted.
Last year, Pegula, 30, was eliminated in the third round of the French Open by Belgium's Elise Mertens.
Her best result at Roland Garros is a quarter-final appearance in 2022 when she lost to eventual winner Iga Swiatek.
The draw for the French Open, which begins at the weekend, takes place later on Thursday.



Real Target Jeddah Super Cup Final Success in Clasico to Atone for Barca Mauling

 Real Madrid's Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti attends a press conference in Jeddah on January 11, 2025, on the eve of their Spanish Super Cup final football match against Barcelona. (AFP)
Real Madrid's Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti attends a press conference in Jeddah on January 11, 2025, on the eve of their Spanish Super Cup final football match against Barcelona. (AFP)
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Real Target Jeddah Super Cup Final Success in Clasico to Atone for Barca Mauling

 Real Madrid's Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti attends a press conference in Jeddah on January 11, 2025, on the eve of their Spanish Super Cup final football match against Barcelona. (AFP)
Real Madrid's Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti attends a press conference in Jeddah on January 11, 2025, on the eve of their Spanish Super Cup final football match against Barcelona. (AFP)

Real Madrid's humiliating 4-0 home loss to Barcelona in October still haunts the club as the rivals prepare for their second Clasico of the season in the Spanish Super Cup final on Sunday.

LaLiga leaders Real recovered from that setback and are on a five-match winning streak ahead of defending the Super Cup in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, but coach Carlo Ancelotti is cautious.

"We have to think about what happened in the first game because they beat us (in LaLiga)," Ancelotti told reporters on Saturday as he looked forward to Real's second cup final in a month, having won the Intercontinental Cup in December.

"We've made a pretty clear assessment, so we'll have to repeat the good things we did and avoid the mistakes. A Clasico is always a Clasico, but a final puts a bit more pressure on you."

Ancelotti has all the players who travelled available for the final including England midfielder Jude Bellingham, who experienced some muscle issues during the semi-final where he scored the first goal in a 3-0 win over Mallorca.

"He's fine, he's recovered well," the Italian said of Bellingham who is Real's third-highest scorer and joint-top with assists in their current LaLiga campaign.

The coach said the Super Cup was an important title, and statistically Real had a good season every time they won it.

"When we haven't won it, it hasn't gone well. It's a competition that gives you a lot more motivation," said Ancelotti, whose last two Champions League trophies with Real have coincided with Super Cup wins.

"Barcelona are a historic rival and the matches are always very competitive. It's difficult for us and for them. The result of the match cannot be predicted," he added.