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Casper Ruud spoke about his chances of winning Roland Garros following Rafael Nadal’s retirement. The Spanish legend won an astonishing 14 titles at the French Open – the most by any player at a single Grand Slam – and holds a near-perfect 112–4 record (97%) at the tournament.
Nadal won his 14th Roland Garros title in 2022 (also the last major of his career), defeating Ruud in the final with a dominant 6–3, 6–3, 6–0 scoreline. That was the Norwegian’s first major final out of the three he’s reached so far, although he’s still chasing his maiden Grand Slam title.
Ruud has 12 career titles, 11 of them on clay, including his biggest win last year at the ATP 500 Barcelona Open – where he is now the defending champion. This week, he has already scored wins over Daniel Elahi Galán and Hamad Medjedovic to reach the quarterfinals.
In an interview with Marca, the former world No. 2 shared his thoughts on possibly lifting the Roland Garros trophy. With two finals and one semifinal in the past three editions (17–3 record since 2022), Ruud is considered one of the favourites this year. But does Nadal’s absence make his path easier?
"Yes and no. I don’t know what it feels like to win Roland Garros, but I’ve played two finals and I know it’s going to be tough whether Rafa is there or not," said the Norwegian. "Obviously, statistically speaking, it should be easier to win in Paris without Rafa, because he won it 14 times. We all lost to him at some point. Alcaraz won it last year and could win it again. Zverev and Tsitsipas have been finalists, Sinner will be back... There are many who can win, and I hope to be one of them."
Ruud will face Holger Rune in the Barcelona Open quarterfinals on Saturday as he looks to defend his title and stay inside the top 10. However, Ruud himself admits he’s not obsessed with rankings: "It’s better not to think about it too much. I know rankings go up and down.
"I’ve been in the top 10 for most of the last three years. I know if I don’t win in Barcelona, I’ll drop out of the top 10. But I still have chances in Madrid or Rome. I’m not stressed about the ranking — if I fall out of the top 10, my life won’t change."
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Mirra Andreeva suffers major blow ahead of U.S. Open
Russia’s Mirra Andreeva has suffered a major blow ahead of the Cincinnati Open. The 18-year-old recently featured at the Canadian Open, where she was knocked out after losing in the round of 32 to McCartney Kessler in straight sets with a score of 7-6, 6-4. In that contest, Andreeva suffered an ankle injury, which has now pushed her out of the upcoming Cincinnati Open. The WTA 1000 event is set to begin on Aug. 7, where some of the best players will participate to lift the title. It is not clear whether Andreeva will be able to gain full fitness for the fourth and final Grand Slam of the year, the U.S. Open, which will start from Aug. 24. The recent development comes as a severe blow in Andreeva’s hopes of having a good preparation for the US Open, especially after having a decent time during the same competition last year where she cemented a spot in the quarterfinal, only to lost to six-time Grand Slam winner Poland’s Iga Swiatek with a score of 4-6, 6-3, 7-5. On her way to the last eight, Andreeva defeated fifth-seed and two-time Grand Slam runner-up Jasmine Paolini in the round of 16 with a score of 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. Andreeva’s record at the US Open does not make for great reading as well, which means that even if she recovers in time, she will have a hard time improving her record while playing at the Flashing Meadows. It is the only Grand Slam where Andreeva has never got past the second round. Her best appearance came in the 2023 and 2024 editions, where on both occasions, she was knocked out after losing in the round of 64. Big setback That defeat ended Andreeva’s run of three consecutive quarterfinal appearances this season, in which she lost all three. At the French Open, Andreeva lost to France’s Lois Boisson in straight sets with a score of 7-6, 6-3. Then in Homburg, Andreeva came second-best in the last-eight contest to Linda Noskova in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 6-3. Her most recent defeat in the quarterfinals came at Wimbledon, where Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic came out on top in straight sets with a score of 7-6, 7-6. Even though the outing against Bencic did not go as planned, it was still Andreeva’s best performance while playing at Wimbledon. Talking after the defeat, Andreeva stated that she was keen to work on being more aggressive on the court and making fewer mistakes. “A little bit more focused, less mistakes and more aggressive,” she said in July while explaining her future goals. “Today is a hard day, but I can take a lot of positives from these two weeks, for sure. We’re going to move on and improve. The next practice I have, I’m going to try to focus on practicing on being aggressive, trying to step into the court when I play points, maybe play even more volleys, keep improving my serve and my returns. "There are plenty of things that Conchita has in mind. We are going to talk about it. We’re going to share our thoughts, and we’re going to go from there. When I’m on the court and something is not working and doesn’t go my way, I get frustrated because I want everything to be perfect. But we all know that perfection doesn’t exist, especially on the tennis court. I used to struggle a lot with this, not kind of forgiving myself for making a mistake or just putting the wrong shot in the court. Now I feel like it’s getting better. I feel like it can maybe bother me for, I don’t know, one, two points.”
Blue Jays demolish MLB records with eye-popping Coors Field performance
DENVER — There's nothing like coming to Coors Field to fix what ails you. Just ask the Toronto Blue Jays. Losers of six of eight games before arriving in Denver, the Blue Jays posted an MLB-record 63 hits in a three-game series while easily sweeping a road series from the Colorado Rockies. By totaling 25 hits on Monday night, 14 on Tuesday and 24 in Wednesday's matinee, the Blue Jays set a new MLB standard for offensive prowess. Toronto passed the MLB record of 62 hits in a three-game series, set by the Boston Red Sox in a June 7-9, 1950 matchup against the St. Louis Browns. As part of the hit parade, Toronto smashed 13 home runs, the most ever surrendered by the Rockies in a three-game set. Included in that barrage were three hits by Bo Bichette, including a three-run shot on Wednesday afternoon that got the Blue Jays rolling in the third inning. Kyle Freeland, Wednesday's starter for Colorado, allowed seven hits in his 4.2 innings of work. That was the fewest amount of hits given up by a Rockies starter against Toronto, as Rockies starter Tanner Gordon allowed 11 in 2.2 frames on Monday, while Anthony Molina surrendered nine in 5.0 innings on Tuesday. "We need to pitch with confidence as starting pitchers. We need to command the baseball better in general," said Rockies interim manager Warren Schaeffer as his team slipped to 30-84 on the season. "We have to put hitters away when we have that opportunity." That was something Colorado couldn't do against the Blue Jays on Wednesday, as their first six runs of a 20-1 blowout win came with two outs in the frame. Wednesday's offensive explosion helped Toronto outscore the Rockies, 45-6, in the series. That run differential was the second-most in MLB's modern era and the most runs scored by an MLB team in a three-game series since the 2019 Chicago Cubs scored 47 runs against the Pittsburgh Pirates from Sept. 13-15, 2019. In all, the 45 runs, 63 hits and 13 home runs allowed in the series were each the most allowed by Colorado pitchers in a three-game set in franchise history. How bad did it get for Colorado at the end of the series? Down 12-1 entering the ninth inning on Wednesday, the Rockies put catcher Austin Nola on the mound for his first-ever pitching appearance. He was nothing like his younger brother, Philadelphia Phillies ace Aaron Nola, as he promptly gave up four consecutive doubles, including RBI shots from Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., as part of eight hits and eight runs posted by the Blue Jays against him. "It hurts when you get beat that bad for three games," Nola said. "We can compete with anybody. I know we can. We're all Major League players, so it definitely hurts. We're going to have to flush this one and get back out there on Friday in Arizona and have a new competitive attitude." All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
Sophie Cunningham, Sparks HC react to third incident of object tossed onto court
Over the past couple of years, the WNBA has seen a major uptick in ratings and overall fan engagement. Unfortunately, that has also come with negative attention. It may have reached a new low, as there have now been three separate incidents in which a fan has thrown a sex toy on the court. This time, it nearly hit Indiana Fever veteran Sophie Cunningham during a matchup with the Los Angeles Sparks on Tuesday. Cunningham had already joked about it on social media, and given her outspoken nature and reputation as a bit of an instigator, she didn't shy away from it: She also laughed it up on her Instagram story: Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts, however, didn't think it was a laughing matter. Following the game, she put the fans on blast for their "stupid" behavior. "It's ridiculous. It's dumb. It's stupid," Roberts said, per Yahoo Sports. "It's also dangerous, and you know, player safety is No. 1, respecting the game, all those things. I think it's really stupid." There's no place for any of this in sports, much less in women's sports. The league needs to crack down on this and take the necessary measures to prevent it from happening ever again. The WNBA is finally thriving after years of surviving, and while the fans will eventually grow to respect the product, not all publicity is good publicity.
NFL Hall of Famer reveals why he chose to join Deion Sanders' Colorado coaching staff
Yankees Pitchers Inching Toward Their Last Weeks in Pinstripes
Fate in the Bronx right now is thinning, as August settles in. The New York Yankees are on a slide, and the slumping is contagious throughout the roster. Yankees pitchers have been scary in a not-so-good way. Some of these pitchers are playing their way to unemployment. The Yankees are now six and a half games behind the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East. Having once led the division by a healthy margin, they are now on the outside looking in. This is due to a combination of inability to score runs and make plays. In addition, quality in the pitching depth has not been present. Certain pitchers acquired as valuable pieces are not pulling their weight and do not appear likely to return in 2026. Yankees Pitchers Who Could Be Gone After This Season Brian Cashman and his office already said goodbye to one of their big-dollar pitchers, Marcus Stroman. Shortly after acquiring relief pitcher Jake Bird at the trade deadline, the Yankees instantly regretted their decision. Bird, one of Colorado’s relief pitchers, was demoted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre due to an ugly first impression. There are a few more arms that the club would like to part with, but will have to wait for the offseason to make it official. Devin Williams Could Be Out of New York in 2026 Closer Devin Williams was acquired to be the Yankees’ established late-game door-shutter. The right-hander held high hopes as one of the league’s top closers. The 2025 season has brought him nothing but struggle and grief in the Big Apple. Williams has 43 innings of work this season for the Yankees. He currently holds a 5.44 ERA, allowing 26 runs on 33 hits. He currently ranks 18th of 30 MLB closers in saves. Williams has 17 saves, three blown saves, and a .208 batting average against. Although these numbers are not terrible, the Yankees reliever does not have what it takes to shut the door in the Bronx. He’s proven his reliability is thin and inconsistent. The remainder of the season is important for Williams, as he needs redemption. He’s set to be a free agent at the end of this season. Jonathan Loáisiga May Be in His Last Months in Pinstripes Jonathan Loáisiga was shut down due to injury, underwent surgery, and returned. The Yankees provided him an opportunity, in hopes that he’s able to come back stronger and elite. He was reactivated on March 16th. The right-hander has not had much to offer this season, with short stints totalling 29 2/3 innings. He holds a 4.25 ERA with a 2.1 HR/9 and a 1.483 WHIP. Loaisiga was in sight as a key part of the Yankees’ bullpen blueprint this season. On August 3rd, the right-hander re-entered the injured list on a 15-day sideline due to back tightness. Loaisiga has a club option of $5 million that the Yankees likely will not pick up. Luke Weaver May Be One of a Few Relief Pitchers to Go Luke Weaver was the trusted arm in the 2024 postseason and World Series. After Clay Holmes was re-purposed in the bullpen and departed the Bronx, Weaver could follow the same fate. Weaver has good stuff on the mound. However, multiple teams have figured him out. He was the set-up man after Williams was assigned to the closer role. After struggling, Weaver was placed back in the closer role while Williams joined the other relief pitchers. The right-handed started off elite in 2025 and slowly declined. He has an ERA over five since returning from injury on June 20th. His current overall ERA is 2.89 in 43 2/3 innings pitched with eight saves, 15 games finished, a 2-3 record, and 16 runs allowed on 25 hits. Weaver is currently on a club option and is set to be a free agent in 2026. The Yankees will likely re-think this option as one of their relief pitchers for next season.
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