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Champions League or Bust for Atletico After Copa del Rey Agony

Atletico Madrid's head coach Diego Pablo Simeone (C) and his players react at the end of the Spanish Cope del Rey final match between Real Sociedad and Atletico de Madrid, in Seville, Spain, 18 April 2026. (EPA)
Atletico Madrid's head coach Diego Pablo Simeone (C) and his players react at the end of the Spanish Cope del Rey final match between Real Sociedad and Atletico de Madrid, in Seville, Spain, 18 April 2026. (EPA)
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Champions League or Bust for Atletico After Copa del Rey Agony

Atletico Madrid's head coach Diego Pablo Simeone (C) and his players react at the end of the Spanish Cope del Rey final match between Real Sociedad and Atletico de Madrid, in Seville, Spain, 18 April 2026. (EPA)
Atletico Madrid's head coach Diego Pablo Simeone (C) and his players react at the end of the Spanish Cope del Rey final match between Real Sociedad and Atletico de Madrid, in Seville, Spain, 18 April 2026. (EPA)

Diego Simeone tried to convey hope but his body language spoke for itself.

The Argentine coach left Seville crumpled, wounded, by his team's Copa del Rey final defeat on Saturday by Real Sociedad, decided by the cruelty of penalties.

Simeone led Atletico to the Spanish cup back in 2013, an eternity ago, and winning it again would have been the perfect springboard to send the club flying into the Champions League semi-finals clash with Arsenal.

Atletico have never won that trophy and they had real belief they could do it this year, belief which was badly dented this weekend.

The last time they won silverware of any kind was La Liga in 2021, with Luis Suarez leading the charge in attack.

Winning the Copa would have ensured French star Antoine Griezmann could depart with a trophy under his arm, and end the club's drought.

During the Simeone era, the club have started to escape the nickname they had -- El Pupas, the jinxed one -- given to them after they lost the 1974 European Cup final against Bayern.

Simeone said his team could pick themselves back up from the defeat, 4-3 in the shoot-out after the gripping 2-2 draw, with Alexander Sorloth and Julian Alvarez missing from the spot for the Rojiblancos.

"The way we competed makes me calm," said the coach, but it will take effort to get his players in the right place mentally to take on Arsenal, with the first leg in the Spanish capital on April 29.

"I'm not thinking about Arsenal, what happens today hurts me a lot. We needed to win and we couldn't win," said Simeone.

"The fans don't need messages (from me), what they need is to win."

Over 30,000 Atletico fans travelled down to Seville and left downhearted.

Simeone had pledged the team were "ready" to win the Champions League after they eliminated Barcelona earlier in the week but they failed the litmus test against La Real.

"We still have the Champions League, we have a beautiful tie ahead of us," said Atletico midfielder Marcos Llorente, trying to raise spirits.

"We have to thank everyone, above all those who came to Seville, we're really hurting for them. We have to lift our heads up."

- 'Now the good part' -

Llorente said the team could not wallow in defeat.

"When you lose, you have another competition coming quickly," he continued.

"There's no time to think about things. This is really tough for us, but we have to get up -- now comes the good part."

In the immediate aftermath of the shoot-out, decided by two saves by Real Sociedad stopper Unai Marrero and Pablo Marin's winning spot kick, Koke wiped away tears before issuing a similar message.

The veteran midfielder is one of the wisest heads at Atletico and he told his team-mates to focus on what lies ahead.

"We tried everything, we left our souls out there and it wasn't to be," said the 34-year-old.

"That's life... it hurts, and we have to continue."

Atletico are a club that have bounced back from many blows to keep on moving forwards, including defeats by rivals Real Madrid in the 2014 and 2016 Champions League finals.

The Copa final loss stings but pales in contrast to those bitter blows.

At least with Real Madrid eliminated, if Atletico can recover to find a way past Arsenal, that cannot happen a third time.

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Sports

Djokovic Trying to Hold Back Time at French Open

Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates victory over Spain’s Pedro Martinez during their men's singles match on day two of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 19, 2026. (AFP)
Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates victory over Spain’s Pedro Martinez during their men's singles match on day two of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 19, 2026. (AFP)
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Djokovic Trying to Hold Back Time at French Open

Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates victory over Spain’s Pedro Martinez during their men's singles match on day two of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 19, 2026. (AFP)
Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates victory over Spain’s Pedro Martinez during their men's singles match on day two of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 19, 2026. (AFP)

Novak Djokovic arrives at Roland Garros this year facing a familiar opponent, but one that cannot be outmaneuvered even by the record 24-time Grand Slam champion: time.

The Serbian, who turns 39 this week, is no longer the immovable presence he once was, his famed durability now increasingly a concern in a sport shaped by younger, physically explosive rivals.

The question is not simply whether he can win another French Open, but how he continues to adjust his game and mindset to defy the natural erosion that comes with advancing years.

While his scheduling is more selective and his approach more pragmatic, Djokovic conceded he would have liked more time on clay before coming to Paris.

He has played in just three tournaments in 2026, and lost his only match on clay to Croatian qualifier Dino Prizmic at this month's Italian Open.

Djokovic pulled out of tournaments in Miami, Monte Carlo and Madrid while dealing with a shoulder injury with strapping visible during his brief stay in Rome.

"It's not an ideal preparation, to be honest," said Djokovic, who will be seeded third at Roland Garros.

"I don't recall the last time I had in the last couple of years a preparation where I didn't have any kind of physical issues or health issues coming into the tournament. There's always something. Kind of a new reality that I have to deal with."

It is a candid admission from a player who has built his career on meticulous planning and physical resilience, but who is confronting the realities of an ageing body.

"It is frustrating," he said. "At the same time, it's my decision to still perform in that kind of state and conditions."

Djokovic's record at Roland Garros underlines why he cannot be discounted. The absence of defending two-time champion Carlos Alcaraz is another factor in his favor.

A three-time French Open champion and one of the few players to consistently trouble Rafael Nadal on the surface, Djokovic has reached the quarter-finals or better at each edition since a third-round loss in 2009.

- 'I see what I'm missing' -

But the physical demands of clay are unforgiving, and Djokovic is acutely aware of the marginal losses that come with age.

"I see what I'm missing," he said. "Late half a step. I'm not definitely where I want to be for the highest level and to compete at the highest level and to be able to get far."

Recent seasons have also shown the growing challenge of sustaining peak performance over the two-week grind of a Grand Slam. Matches that once tilted towards him now demand sustained excellence from first point to last.

His preparation, as he openly acknowledges, has limits. "I train hard. I train as much as the body allows me to," he said. "Then how it turns out on the court, that's really unpredictable."

However, Djokovic is one of just two men to beat red-hot title favorite Jannik Sinner this season, having ended his Australian Open reign.

Djokovic delivered what he called one of his best performances in a decade to outlast the Italian in five sets in the semi-finals in January, fired up by those who had written him off.

"I never stopped doubting. I never stopped believing in myself," said the former world number one at the time.

"There's a lot of people that doubt me. I see there is a lot of experts all of a sudden that wanted to retire me or have retired me many times the last couple of years.

"I want to thank them all because they gave me strength. They gave me motivation to prove them wrong."

Djokovic would go on to lose to Alcaraz in the final -- and has not added to his Grand Slam haul since the 2023 US Open -- but it would be foolish to dismiss him again, as he has proved many times over.

Sports

Eala and Tjen Bring a Southeast Asian ‘Sense of Pride’ to Roland Garros

Philippines' Alexandra Eala serves a ball to Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina, during their match at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Sunday, May 10, 2026. (AP)
Philippines' Alexandra Eala serves a ball to Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina, during their match at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Sunday, May 10, 2026. (AP)
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Eala and Tjen Bring a Southeast Asian ‘Sense of Pride’ to Roland Garros

Philippines' Alexandra Eala serves a ball to Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina, during their match at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Sunday, May 10, 2026. (AP)
Philippines' Alexandra Eala serves a ball to Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina, during their match at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Sunday, May 10, 2026. (AP)

Alexandra Eala and Janice Tjen have taken different routes to the women's top 40, but both began their journeys from a region that is rarely on the tennis map.

In January, Eala, who turns 21 the day before Roland Garros starts, became the first player from the Philippines to break into the top 50.

Tjen turned 24 earlier in May. When she entered the top 40 in February, she became the highest-ranked Indonesian woman since Yayuk Basuki, who reached the top 20 in 1997 and 1998.

While their far-flung countries are more than 1,500 kilometers apart, they share a maritime border. The impact of the sometime doubles partners, not only on the court but in the stands, has brought them the nickname "SEASters".

The huge Filipino expat population flock to see their first tennis star everywhere she plays.

"The start of the season is when I seriously noticed that people were really coming, they were buying tickets, they were taking time out of their day. It was like, wow," world number 38 Eala told the Served website.

She added she had been a "little bit in denial" about her popularity.

"After I broke that barrier of not accepting, thinking, 'I don't think I'm really famous', every week they just kept coming, so I was, 'Okay, you have to accept it, absorb it, it's here, it's a really good position'."

Her opponents notice.

"I love that she has such an incredible fan base. I've seen the atmosphere. It's amazing," American Amanda Anisimova said in Dubai.

Yet, Eala is cautious.

"I want to give back all the support they give me, but my first obligation is to myself," she told the Punto de Break website.

"I try to find the healthiest way to deal with all of this, because I feel like many things could go wrong... It's all about balance."

Representing a nation of 288 million, 41st-ranked Tjen is also proving a draw.

"I don't think too much about it," she told the Times of India ahead of a Billie Jean King Cup match in Delhi in April.

"I know that as long as I keep working hard and giving my best, I always have Indonesia behind me. That's something I'm proud of."

Two Thai women, Lanlana Tararudee and Mananchaya Sawangkaew are also hovering around the top 100.

"I'm super, super proud to be part of this group. And these are girls that I grew up with," said Eala.

"I think Southeast Asia has its own little charm. We have certain humor that's very similar, maybe cultural things that we share. There's definitely that shared sense of pride for my region."

Eala left home aged 12 to join the Rafael Nadal Academy in Mallorca. She won the US Open junior singles in 2022.

- 'Tennis demands a lot' -

After breaking into the top 50 last season, she became the first person to hit with Nadal since his retirement over a year earlier.

"It was crazy," Eala told The National. "It was my first time ever hitting with him and I was so nervous and it was definitely physically demanding for me.

"Just to say that you hit with Rafa, it's insane."

She has Nadal's willingness to go to the limits.

After beating Magdalena Frech in a tough three-setter at the Italian Open earlier this month, she said on Tennis Channel: "I told myself that I wasn't tired enough."

Eala is a lefty, like Nadal, but has not yet displayed the 14-time Roland Garros champion's love for clay.

"I'm starting to build that relationship," she said in Rome. "This is my first season where I've really done these high-level tournaments."

Tjen developed later on tennis scholarships at US universities, spending one year at Oregon and three at Pepperdine by the beach in Malibu. She has hardly any experience on clay and played her first tour-level matches on the surface in April.

"So I'm just taking things one at a time," she told the Roland Garros website.

She also admitted she had previously held doubts about pursuing a tennis career.

"Tennis demands a lot of you," she told the Times of India.

"You basically have to travel every week of your life and that's a very tough demand for me. I don't like travelling as much and considering that I wouldn't be able to enjoy it and being away from home for that long I decided to quit, but I had a lot of good people around me and they kept convincing me to give it a try."

Sports

How Are the World Cup Favorites Shaping Up?

Bayern Munich's English forward #09 Harry Kane raises celebrates and raises the Bundesliga trophy after winning the German first division Bundesliga football match between FC Bayern Munich and FC Cologne in Munich, southern Germany, on May 16, 2026. (AFP)
Bayern Munich's English forward #09 Harry Kane raises celebrates and raises the Bundesliga trophy after winning the German first division Bundesliga football match between FC Bayern Munich and FC Cologne in Munich, southern Germany, on May 16, 2026. (AFP)
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How Are the World Cup Favorites Shaping Up?

Bayern Munich's English forward #09 Harry Kane raises celebrates and raises the Bundesliga trophy after winning the German first division Bundesliga football match between FC Bayern Munich and FC Cologne in Munich, southern Germany, on May 16, 2026. (AFP)
Bayern Munich's English forward #09 Harry Kane raises celebrates and raises the Bundesliga trophy after winning the German first division Bundesliga football match between FC Bayern Munich and FC Cologne in Munich, southern Germany, on May 16, 2026. (AFP)

With the start of the 2026 World Cup in North America now barely three weeks away, AFP Sport runs the rule over the leading contenders at the first-ever 48-team finals (world ranking in brackets):

France (1)

Les Bleus have won the World Cup twice and lost two finals on penalties in the last seven editions. This will be their last tournament before long-serving coach Didier Deschamps steps down. "It's a strange feeling," admitted Deschamps, in charge since 2012.

France beat Brazil 2-1 in March and then defeated Colombia 3-1 with an entirely different starting line-up, with those games both played in the US. Unbeaten in nine matches since last June, France have a fearsome attack featuring reigning Ballon d'Or Ousmane Dembele, Kylian Mbappe, Michael Olise and Rayan Cherki. They will take some stopping.

Spain (2)

The European champions have not lost since winning Euro 2024. Luis de la Fuente's team are a perfectly-oiled machine in which the standout player is teenage superstar Lamine Yamal. But the 18-year-old Barcelona winger is currently out with a hamstring injury, and reports suggest he might miss their first two group games.

His Barcelona teammate Fermin Lopez is set to miss out entirely with a foot fracture. Arsenal's Mikel Merino, scorer of eight goals for Spain in 10 games in 2025, has not played since January due to injury. But La Roja still boast fearsome quality -- think 2024 Ballon d'Or winner Rodri, or Pedri.

Argentina (3)

Lionel Scaloni's Argentina are dreaming of retaining the title they won in 2022. That tournament marked Lionel Messi's crowning glory, and it is hard to see how he can hit the same heights again given he turns 39 next month.

Nevertheless, Messi is very much at home in the US now and has 12 goals in 13 MLS games for Inter Miami this year.

Argentina also won the 2024 Copa America in the US and comfortably topped South American qualifying. Beyond Messi they boast a wealth of attacking talent, including Lautaro Martinez, Julian Alvarez, and Nico Paz, the Tenerife-born attacking midfielder with Como.

England (4)

After several near misses under Gareth Southgate, with agonizing defeats in the finals of the last two Euros and exits from the 2018 World Cup in the semi-finals and the 2022 quarters, England now hope German Thomas Tuchel can deliver a first title since 1966.

England cruised through qualifying and have formidable depth but there are some doubts. They drew with Uruguay and lost to Japan in March friendlies, while big names like Jude Bellingham and Cole Palmer have not had straightforward campaigns. However, they will hope Harry Kane continues the remarkable form he has shown with Bayern Munich, for whom he has 58 goals this season.

Portugal (5)

Portugal, who have never gone beyond the semi-finals, are serious candidates -- provided they are not held back by the possibly overbearing presence of Cristiano Ronaldo.

At 41, this will be his sixth World Cup, but the quality of their midfield -- Vitinha, Joao Neves, Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes -- could be the key.

UEFA Nations League winners last year, Portugal stumbled a little in qualifying, losing in Ireland as Ronaldo was sent off. Ronaldo did not play in their last game, a 2-0 friendly win over the US in Atlanta.

Brazil (6)

Brazil's progress under new coach Carlo Ancelotti will be fascinating to watch. That the Selecao felt it necessary to turn to an Italian says much about Brazil's ongoing footballing identity crisis, and their current lack of depth has been exposed by Ancelotti's decision to name Neymar in his squad.

Now 34 and playing for Santos, Neymar has not been capped since 2023, and Vinicius Junior is Brazil's attacking leader now.

Since winning their fifth title in 2002, Brazil have only reached the semi-finals once, when they were humiliated 7-1 by Germany as hosts in 2014. They finished fifth in South American qualifying, losing six of 18 games.

"The World Cup won't be won by a perfect team - because a perfect team doesn't exist," insists Ancelotti. "It will be won by the most resilient team."

Germany (10)

Julian Nagelsmann's side sit behind the Netherlands, Morocco and Belgium in the rankings and it seems a stretch to suggest Germany could win a first World Cup since 2014.

They suffered group-stage exits in 2018 and 2022, and lost in the Euro 2024 quarter-finals as hosts. However, the class of Joshua Kimmich, Florian Wirtz and Kai Havertz ensure Germany should be taken seriously.