Sports

Ninth seed Alex de Minaur’s bid for a fifth consecutive Grand Slam quarter-final came to an abrupt end on Thursday as Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik rallied from two sets down to defeat the Australian in a roller-coaster five-set thriller at Roland Garros. In the aftermath of his 2-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 loss, de Minaur candidly blamed the relentless demands of the tour schedule for his uncharacteristic collapse.

On Wednesday night at Lang Park, Payne Haas delivered a defining State of Origin performance, claiming his first man of the match award in a contest Queensland had long hoped would be theirs. Despite battling a quad injury and managing fewer than a quarter of the usual training load, the 24-year-old prop from Brisbane’s Broncos transformed the Blues’ forward pack into an impenetrable wall—his 18 runs for 154 metres, five tackle busts, three offloads and an error-free 30 tackles merely quantifying a night in which he seemed capable of shouldering an entire team.

Naomi Osaka’s much-anticipated return to the French Open ended in disappointment on Monday, as the four-time Grand Slam champion bowed out in the first round with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 loss to tenth seed Paula Badosa. What followed was an unfiltered display of raw emotion that left fans and fellow players concerned for Osaka’s well-being.

In a startling double blow for American tennis, two of the United States’ highest-seeded players at the 2025 French Open—No. 4 seed Taylor Fritz and No. 9 seed Emma Navarro—were both dispatched in the opening round on Monday. The upsets underscored the unpredictable nature of Roland-Garros and raised questions about the depth of American clay-court prowess.

Tommy Paul arrived at the French Open with familiar concerns of any Grand Slam contender—preparing for formidable opponents, adjusting to clay conditions, and managing the mental load of competing on tennis’s grandest stage. Yet this year, Paul faced an unexpected off-court drama that rivaled the intensity of his first-round matchup: the sudden repossession of his beloved Ford F-150. The American No. 12 seed pulled off a four-set victory over Danish qualifier Elmer Møller on Sunday, but he may have celebrated just as much when he regained his truck. In a tale that spanned continents and bank transfers, Paul’s week combined the tension of high-stakes tennis with the absurdity of a “midnight repo” episode worthy of reality TV.

Bernard “Bernie” Tomic, once one of tennis’s most promising young talents, saw his bid to return to the Grand Slam main draw end abruptly this week. On a rain-swept Wednesday at Roland Garros, the 32-year-old Australian, currently ranked No. 231 in the world, fell 6-3, 6-4 to 21-year-old American Ethan Quinn in the second round of men’s singles qualifying.

In a deeply emotional announcement on Friday, Caroline García, two-time French Open doubles champion and former world No. 4 in singles, confirmed she will retire from professional tennis following the 2025 Roland-Garros tournament. At 30 years old, García leaves the sport after dedicating more than a quarter-century of her life to the game, having turned professional at just 15. Her decision comes after years of managing recurring injuries and following a candid warning from coach Patrick Mouratoglou—best known for his work with Serena Williams—about the dangers of overextending her body. García’s final appearance at Roland-Garros, the site of her greatest triumphs, promises to be a fitting end to a career defined by courage, power and resilience.

After narrowly missing out on Grand Slam glory twice at Roland Garros and slipping to No. 15 in the world last month, Norwegian tennis star Casper Ruud recognized he was running on empty. Between 15 and 22 years old, Ruud had battled homesickness and on-court frustration—throwing rackets, tears and fits of anger that he chalked up to youthful volatility. But this spring, amid a grueling clay-court season, the 26-year-old became painfully aware he was suffering something far more serious: professional burnout.