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Back on the clay court Sunday where his legend was cemented, Rafael Nadal was saluted at Roland Garros by a capacity crowd and three fellow greats of the game.
A 14-time French Open winner from Spain, Nadal was given a farewell ceremony in Paris in one more must-see event on center court where he won his first title in 2005 and his 14th and final one in 2022.
There to join him for the festivities were Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. The quartet has combined for 69 grand slam titles and 18 French Open titles.
"I have had incredible rivals - like Andy, Novak and of course Roger - and many others who pushed me to my physical and mental limits," Nadal told the crowd, and his former rivals, while fighting back his emotions. "Truly nothing would be as thrilling without these long-lasting rivalries that have driven all of us to improve every single day.
"Roland Garros is unique. Not only because it is a fundamental part of history but for all the people who work tirelessly, with a smile, to make this tournament what it is, unique."
Nadal won three French Open titles while defeating Federer in the championship match and finished his career at the tournament with a staggering 112-4 record.
What has changed for Nadal most of all in retirement is that when he sees his rivals now, there is a sense of appreciation for the road they have traveled instead of the competitive energy that enveloped their previous interactions.
"Now it is all about being happy about everything that we achieved," Nadal said. "In the end we all achieved our dreams. We became tennis players and played in the most important stages. I think we built amazing rivalries and in a good way. I think we showed the world we could fight as hard as possible but in a good way. Good colleagues, who respect each other.
"You gave me some hard times on courts but I really enjoyed it a lot, pushing myself to the limit every day to compete with all of you. At the end, tennis is just a game but we understand that at the end, it is only a game. So all of you here means everything. It is a great message to the world that we can be good friends even if we had the best rivalries."
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Darren Cahill Opens Up About Jannik Sinner’s Relentless Desire to 'Show Up in Big Tournaments'
Jannik Sinner has now spent 14 consecutive months at the top of the men’s rankings and holds over 3,000 points lead above World No.2 Carlos Alcaraz. The Italian star has also been the most consistent player on tour and always plays his best tennis in big tournaments, particularly in Grand Slam events. The 23-year-old has won four of the past seven Grand Slams on tour. He has also been to all three major tournament finals played this season. He reached the Australian Open final and claimed the title after beating Alexander Zverev. After serving a three-month suspension, he returned to tour and reached the Roland Garros final. Even though it was just his third tournament since returning from suspension, the 23-year-old still produced outstanding tennis but couldn’t win the title as he fell to Alcaraz in five sets. However, he got his revenge at the Wimbledon Championships, beating the Spaniard to win his first grass-court Grand Slam. Nonetheless, Sinner’s transformation on the court cannot be written without Darren Cahill, whom he appointed as his coach in 2022. Since their partnership began, Sinner has claimed four Grand Slams and four Masters 1000 titles, which are classified as big titles. This season, the World No.1 has been to the final of all the big tournaments he has competed in. In an interview with ATP, Cahill revealed that he’s proud of how far he and Sinner’s coaching team have developed the 23-year-old. He added that the current good results on the court are a reflection of two years’ work together in practice: That’s why we are so proud as coaches, because all that work you’ve been doing for the past three years eventually shows up in a big match, at a big tournament, for him to be able to get through and win that match. So it’s not just four or five days when you can make those big changes. It’s the combination of a year or two of just pushing him day to day and making sure we continue to work on those things. At the ongoing Cincinnati Open, Sinner booked his place in the fourth round after a hard-fought 6-2, 7-6(6) win over Gabriel Diallo. The defending champion is now aiming to win the tournament, which will be his first since lifting the Wimbledon Championships last month. Also, he’s ten wins away from hitting 300 tour-level match victories in his career. Darren Cahill says Jannik Sinner has become a “competition animal” Jannik Sinner has lost only three matches this season, two of which came against Carlos Alcaraz during the clay-court season. The other loss was against Alexander Bublik in the third round of the Terra Wortmann Open. He’s currently unbeaten in nine consecutive matches and holds a 23-match winning streak on hard courts. He’s by far the most consistent player in the men’s circuit for the past two seasons. During the aforementioned interview, Darren Cahill said Sinner has become a competitive animal on the court: Then his questions came, one after the other…It’s typical of him. He wants to compete. He’s a competition animal. We’re seeing an incredible level of tennis at the moment, with Carlos [Alcaraz] and Jannik. If you look at their body of work over the past couple of years, they’ve separated themselves from the field. Now it’s up to the field to chase. Sinner will face Adrian Mannarino in the fourth round of the Cincinnati Open. The Frenchman stunned Tommy Paul in the third round on Monday (August 11), coming from a set down to beat the 13th seed. However, Sinner leads the Frenchman 3-0 in their head-to-head record and they last met in 2023.
Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger Makes Direct Statement About Mason Rudolph's Spot On QB Depth Chart
The Pittsburgh Steelers have quite an interesting quarterback room for the 2025 season. Of course, all the focus is truly on Aaron Rodgers and what he can bring to the team at this stage in his career. Behind him, the Steelers have Mason Rudolph serving as the primary backup. Skylar Thompson and Will Howard are competing for the third spot on the depth chart, but unfortunately for Howard, an injury has slowed his progress. Thompson took advantage of the opportunity, performing well in the first preseason game and possibly reclaiming the QB3 role. Before his injury, Howard had previously moved ahead of Thompson in the competition. Former teammate of Rudolph, Ben Roethlisberger, recently shared his honest thoughts about the veteran quarterback’s performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Roethlisberger, who spent years with Rudolph during his time in Pittsburgh, had a unique perspective on how his former understudy handled the game. While Roethlisberger acknowledged there were some areas where Rudolph could improve, he also praised his composure, decision-making, and ability to move the offense when needed. Roethlisberger discussed Rudolph’s performance on his Footbahlin podcast, noting that the veteran looked confident and in control despite limited opportunities. "You know I thought Mason [Rudolph] played really well," Roethlisberger said on his podcast. "I thought he did exactly what you would hope to see from your backup quarterback. He went out there I think, he solidified himself… as the two." He pointed out that Rudolph’s familiarity with the Steelers’ system allows him to step in without disrupting the flow of the offense. With Rodgers leading the way, Rudolph providing a steady backup presence, and the QB3 competition between Thompson and Howard continuing, the Steelers’ quarterback depth will be a storyline worth following as the 2025 season approaches. "Let’s see how he does this week and the next week," Roethlisberger said. "I thought he played really well. I thought he was efficient with the ball. He threw the ball down the field. As a team, you like seeing that because that gives you confidence going into the season that if something were to happen one game for Aaron… you have a guy that you feel confident who could go in there. Same thing when we had Charlie Batch, you had Bruce Gradkowski, you had Byron Leftwich, you had Dennis Dixon and Josh Dobbs. Any of those guys. You just feel confident he can go in and just get it done for you." Roethlisberger had high praise for Rudolph, and hearing him mention him alongside names like Charlie Batch shows he has faith in Rudolph’s ability to be a reliable backup in Pittsburgh. There is a strong argument that Rudolph is one of the most dependable backup quarterbacks in the NFL, which is a significant asset for the Steelers in the 2025 season. Steelers' Mason Rudolph Has Great Preseason Game Versus Jaguars Rudolph only attempted 10 passes on Saturday night against the Jaguars, but completed 90 percent of them. He threw for 84 yards and one touchdown. While preseason football can be difficult to evaluate, he performed well in roughly a quarter and some change of action. His efficiency and composure reinforced the notion that the Steelers have one of the league’s most steady and trustworthy backup quarterbacks heading into the regular season. Roethlisberger is confident Rudolph has now locked up his spot as QB2 for the 2025 season. Steelers fans are now super eager to get updates on when Howard will be back from his injury. Howard and Thompson will fight for the QB3 spot. What grade would you give Rudolph for his preseason outing against the Jaguars?
Lady Gaga's Heartbreak Over Ozzy Osbourne's Death Revealed After Lavish Gift To Sharon
Lady Gaga is reportedly "heartbroken" about the loss of Ozzy Osbourne, a big name in music who she said was one of her first big influences. The 76-year-old musician fought Parkinson's disease and other health problems for a long time. According to Radar Online, Gaga marked the loss by sending Sharon Osbourne, 72, a luxury bouquet of flowers worth several hundred dollars, the insider said. Gaga also honored the Prince of Darkness during her Mayhem Ball tour stop in San Francisco with a performance of "Crazy Train." Before leaving the stage, she told the crowd, "I'll miss you, Ozzy." The tribute carried extra weight for Gaga, who had shared her admiration for him years before her own rise to stardom. "She used to strip to Black Sabbath at her early shows," the source said, adding that she once told Ozzy the story and he "found it hilarious." A Public Tribute Hours After His Death Gaga's onstage tribute came July 22, hours after Ozzy's family confirmed his death in the UK. Fans at the Chase Center watched her and her dancers headbang offstage to "Crazy Train" while wearing shirts bearing his name. "I got goosebumps," one fan commented on a TikTok video from the show. Another wrote on Instagram, "Everyone is celebrating Ozzy's death the way he would have wanted... eventually turning up the volume and rocking out to Ozzy." Her grief follows years of mutual respect between her and the Osbourne family, despite a public clash with Sharon in 2013. The feud began after Sharon's daughter Kelly criticized Gaga's weight on E!'s "Fashion Police," prompting Gaga to write an open letter calling for more compassion. Sharon accused Gaga of hypocrisy for not telling her fans to stop sending threats to Kelly. From Feud to Reconciliation Tensions got calmer when Gaga later went on "The X Factor UK," where she hugged Sharon and gave Kelly a cake for her birthday. This public reconciliation made way for a nicer time between them in years to come. Gaga knew Ozzy in a personal and professional way. She met him and Sharon on a red carpet in 2014, at the MusiCares Person of the Year eventk. There, they hugged, took photos, and chatted. Ozzy reportedly left a big mark on Gaga's work. The "Poker Face" hitmaker would say the heavy metal icon was a big push behind her style, mixing her pop look with a love for hard rock and metal. His death hit her hard, the source shared. "She's been a huge fan of Ozzy and the Osbournes for years," the insider said. "This was personal for her."
Najee Harris may have role reduced after fireworks accident
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