These days, tennis fans can expect to see the Big Two, Italy’s Jannik Sinner and Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, in the finals of pretty much every Grand Slam. The two of them have combined to win each of the last nine Grand Slams and 11 of the past 14.
You can imagine the shock, then, when Sinner appeared to struggle with the heat and lost in the second round today at Roland Garros. Alcaraz is already missing the tournament because of injury. Now, the field is wide open. We’ll break it all down below.
Plus, we catch up on the Stanley Cup playoffs and introduce you to the “Milwaukee Messi,” who is today’s World Cup spotlight. For more coverage, as always, visit the NBC News website.
In the second round of the French Open, Sinner seemed in complete control for the first half of his match against Juan Manuel Cerundolo, who is ranked No. 56 in the world. Sinner won the first two sets handily and took a commanding 5-1 lead in the third, when something seemed to shift.
After losing a few games in a row, Sinner was trying to serve for the match, up 5-4 in the third, when he walked over and sat on an advertising board on the side of the court in between points. After a few moments, Sinner rose, did a few stretches, spoke to a tournament official and went to receive medical attention.
When play resumed, Sinner completely collapsed. He lost the third set 7-5, and then the fourth and fifth sets, 6-1, 6-1.
Throughout the match, Sinner had appeared to struggle in the heat, as the temperature rose as high as 90 degrees Fahrenheit. During breaks, he went so far as to apply bags of ice to his neck.
Afterward, Sinner explained he didn’t feel well when he woke up in the morning, and that he started to feel “very dizzy” and “very low of energy” during the match.
“Then I just kind of hit the wall, and that’s it,” Sinner said.
Cerundolo acknowledged that he had been “a little bit lucky” that Sinner played that way. “He was deserving to win in this match. But then I don’t know what happened,” Cerundolo said, according to The Associated Press. “I feel sorry for him and hope he recovers.”
Sinner had been an overwhelming favorite to win the match and was expected to win the whole tournament, especially with Alcaraz out. This was the biggest upset in recent tennis memory.
Now, the French Open field is wide open. No other player has won a Grand Slam, except for Novak Djokovic. This might be his last, best chance to break his tie with Margaret Court for most Grand Slam singles titles of all time. Djokovic tied Court with 24 when he won the 2023 U.S. Open. He hasn’t won a Grand Slam since.
Hockey is one game away from an all-Sun Belt finals.
Las Vegas already clinched its place in the Stanley Cup Final, the franchise’s third appearance in its nine years of existence. Now they’re awaiting their counterpart from the East — and Carolina could join them soon after taking a 3-1 series lead over Montreal last night.
A Canadian team hasn’t won the NHL’s championship since 1993, and that dream is on life support for Montreal after a 4-0 loss at home in which it never had a chance, mustering fewer than half of Carolina’s shots. It was Montreal’s third consecutive series losing a Game 4 in these playoffs, and marked the team’s first three-game losing streak since late November.
Carolina has the best goaltender in the series in Frederik Andersen, who now has five career playoff shutouts. But this isn’t over yet. In these playoffs, Montreal has been better on the road (7-3) than at home (2-6).
Leading up to the 2026 World Cup, we’re counting down 26 players to watch. Today’s entry is Bosnia-Herzegovina’s Esmir Bajraktarević.
One of the best young American talents will take the field at the World Cup — for Bosnia-Herzegovina. Meet Esmir Bajraktarević, the 21-year-old nicknamed the “Milwaukee Messi.”
Born in Appleton, Wisconsin, to parents born in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bajraktarević was quickly spotted by talent evaluators for his goal-scoring wizardry and drive to improve. Both qualities helped him rise through the U.S. system while playing for development teams of MLS side New England and the U.S. national team.
With his pathway to playing for the U.S. senior national team this summer unclear, however, Bajraktarević elected to represent his parents’ home country during this World Cup cycle, and he has since become a national hero back in Bosnia.
During the last round of World Cup qualifying in March, Bajraktarević fired a penalty kick low and to the right to beat Italy and clinch Bosnia’s first World Cup appearance in 12 years. It was the second consecutive qualifying game that Bosnia won after equalizing with a late goal before winning on penalty kicks.
Led by 40-year-old Edin Džeko, who scored six goals in nine qualifying matches, Bosnia is a tough out. Perhaps it’s prudent, then, not to count out this team’s chances to make the knockout stage when it faces a group that includes Canada, Switzerland and Qatar.
If Bajraktarević, who now plays for champions PSV in the top Dutch domestic league, thrives in the World Cup, it could spark questions of how the U.S. could not keep him in its developmental pipeline.
Yesterday’s entry was England’s Jude Bellingham. Read about him here.
Our Doha Madani takes you inside how Houston is planning an out-of-this-world experience for World Cup fans this summer.
NBC Sports previews tonight’s big Game 6 in the Western Conference finals between Oklahoma City and San Antonio.
New Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray spoke to reporters about his offseason competition with the incumbent J.J. McCarthy.
For basketball fans, we’ve reached a depressing point in the calendar. There are no longer NBA games every single night. The Eastern Conference finals are done, and the Western Conference isn’t far behind. The Oklahoma City Thunder lead the San Antonio Spurs, 3-2, and can clinch an NBA Finals berth with a win tonight in Game 6.
Will the NBA’s MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander close the series out? Or will Victor Wembanyama rise to the occasion and force a do-or-die Game 7? Cancel your plans tonight and turn on Peacock.
All times are Eastern:
That’s it for now! We’ll be back tomorrow.
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