Sports Psychology

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.

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.

Former England cricket star Andrew Flintoff has described his return to the sport as a coach as the “one thing that saved me” following the devastating 2022 crash during filming for BBC’s Top Gear. In a deeply emotional new Disney+ documentary released this week, the 47-year-old opens up for the first time about the physical and psychological toll of the incident, including months of isolation, intrusive memories, and the impact on his sense of self.