Sports
Novak Djokovic Takes His 23rd Grand Slam Title Winning French Open
For years, Tennis star Novak Djokovic made it obvious that being an all-time grand-slam winner was his ambition. His major goal was to win the biggest trophies on the largest platforms in his sport, and today he stands alone — ahead of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and every guy who has ever swung a racket.
If Djokovic could maintain this record for this long, he could easily wait the half-hour or so it took to straighten out his swings in the French Open final. So, after a hesitant start in the dense, humid air and beneath threatening charcoal clouds on Sunday, he imposed himself. Casper Ruud, the opponent at Court Philippe Chatrier, never stood a chance after that.
Novak Djokovic won his 23rd Grand Slam singles title, breaking a tie with Nadal and moving three points ahead of the retiring Federer, with a 7-6 (1), 6-3, 7-5 victory over Ruud that was never in doubt for the majority of the 3 hours, 13 minutes.
Djokovic, 36, of Serbia, adds this championship to the French Open titles he won in 2016 and 2021, making him the only man with at least three from each major. He has ten Australian Open titles, seven Wimbledon titles, and three US Open titles.
Novak Djokovic is once again halfway to completing a calendar-year Grand Slam — winning all four majors in one season — a feat not accomplished since Rod Laver in 1969. Djokovic came near to accomplishing the record in 2021, when he won the Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon and advanced to the U.S. Open title final before losing to Daniil Medvedev.
Djokovic will resume his quest at Wimbledon, which begins on the All England Club’s grass on July 3.
He has now won 11 of the previous 20 Grand Slams, a phenomenal record made even more extraordinary by the fact that he missed two majors during that time due to a lack of COVID-19 vaccination.
Novak Djokovic Kicked out of Australia
Djokovic was deported from Australia before the Australian Open in January 2021, and he was barred from flying to the United States before last year’s U.S. Open due to a rule that has since been repealed.
Getting to 23 not only sets a new record for men, but also ties Djokovic with Serena Williams, who retired last year, for the most in the Open era, which began in 1968. Margaret Court earned several of her 24 Slam trophies during her amateur career.
Djokovic is the oldest singles champion at Roland Garros, which is regarded the most gruelling of the majors due to the lengthy, grinding points necessitated by the red clay, which is slower than grass or hard courts underfoot elsewhere.
Nadal won his 22nd major in Paris a year ago, two days after turning 36. He had arthroscopic surgery on June 2 after being sidelined by a hip issue since January.
Top Spot in the ATP Rankings
As if that weren’t enough, Djokovic’s victory on Sunday means he will reclaim the top spot in the ATP rankings on Monday, replacing Carlos Alcaraz. Djokovic has already spent more weeks at the top than any other player — man or woman — since computerised tennis rankings were introduced a half-century ago.
Djokovic knocked off Alcaraz in the semifinals on Thursday, wearing him down over two thrilling sets until the 20-year-old Spaniard’s body cramped up severely. Alcaraz kept playing, but the final two sets of the four-set match told the story: 6-1, 6-1.
Ruud, a 24-year-old Norwegian, reached his third Slam final in the last five competitions, although he is currently 0-3. He was defeated by Nadal at the French Open a year ago, then by Alcaraz in the US Open last September.
Djokovic, in his 34th major final, got off to a rough start, possibly due to a sense of what was at risk.
Ruud was greeted with a standing ovation and courteous applause. More people stood up when Djokovic entered, followed by thundering cries of his two-syllable moniker, “No-le! “No, no, no!”
That song began again shortly before the game began — and again throughout the afternoon, sometimes to celebrate his best moments, sometimes to encourage him.
The crowd erupted when Djokovic rattled off 12 of the final 13 points, collapsing onto his back with his limbs stretched wide at the finish.
The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics promises to be unlike any other.
In a novelty for the Games, the show will be held on Paris’ famed River Seine rather than in a stadium.
Here is everything you need know about the ceremony…
What to expect from the spectacular opening ceremony.
The eye-catching celebration will take place over a 6km stretch of the Seine. It will start at Austerlitz Bridge and culminate among the gardens, fountains, and palaces in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower at Trocadero.
Almost 100 boats will carry over 10,000 athletes and dignitaries as they cruise past Paris’ prominent monuments such as Notre Dame Cathedral and Pont Neuf.
The boats will transport the parade’s participants as well as the artistic portion of the celebration, which will highlight Paris and France’s history and culture.
The performers’ identities, however, have been kept a mystery.
Thousands of people are still expected to line the river and streets, with millions more watching on television all over the world.
“I’d like to show France in all its diversity,” said Thomas Jolly, the French actor and theatre director appointed as the ceremony’s creative director, a post previously played by Danny Boyle in London 2012.
“Illustrate the richness and plurality shaped by its history, which has been influenced and inspired by the diverse cultures that have passed through it, while itself serving as a source of inspiration.”
The ceremony will also involve the ceremonial opening of the Games, led by French President Emmanuel Macron, as well as the lighting of the Olympic cauldron.
Many of the finer elements have been maintained as a surprise.
What is the date and time of the opening ceremony?
The ceremony will commence at 19:30 local time (18:30 BST) on Friday, July 26.
It is scheduled to take little under four hours, with the last parts taking place as the sun sets over the French city.
Fortunately, the Paris weather forecast for Friday evening is positive.
In what sequence will the nations be introduced?
In accordance with tradition, Greece will be the first nation introduced during the ceremony.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, an NBA star, is one of their flagbearers for the games.
Greece will be followed by the Refugee Olympic Team, with hosts France being the last to be unveiled.
Because of their countries’ involvement in the Ukrainian conflict, Russian and Belarussian athletes participating as individuals will not participate.
How to follow the opening ceremony on BBC.
The opening ceremony will begin live at 17:45 BST on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, and the BBC Sport website and app.
BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds will provide radio coverage beginning at 19:00 BST.
There will also be live text coverage on the BBC Sport website and app, bringing you all the action from Paris.
Source: BBC
Sports
Coco Gauff To Be Female Flag Bearer For US Team At Olympic Opening Ceremony, Joining LeBron James
PARIS — Coco Gauff, a tennis player, will join LeBron James as a flag bearer for the United States Olympic team at Friday’s opening ceremony.
Coco, the reigning US Open winner, is ready to make her Olympic debut at the Paris Games, becoming the first tennis player to carry the American flag. Team USA athletes selected her and James.
“I believe the Olympics are the priority. It’s equal to the Grand Slams. I wouldn’t put it above or below because I’d never played before. “This is my first time,” Gauff explained earlier this year. “I always want to do well and get a medal.”
Coco Gauff | AP News Image
Coco Gauff To Be Female Flag Bearer For US Team At Olympic Opening Ceremony, Joining LeBron James
Coco and James, the 39-year-old NBA’s all-time top scorer, engage in sports outside the traditional Olympic realm and receive media attention year-round rather than every four years.
Coco, 20, joined the American team for the Tokyo Olympics as a youngster three years ago but had to withdraw because she tested positive for COVID-19 just before flying to Japan.
Coco, who now lives in Florida, has won Grand Slam titles in both singles and doubles. She earned her first major triumph in New York in September, defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the singles final of the U.S. Open, and then won her first Grand Slam doubles title at the French Open in June with Czech Republic’s Katerina Siniakova.
The Paris Olympics will be played on the same clay courts at Roland Garros used for the French Open. The bracket draw will take place on Thursday, and play will begin on Saturday.
Coco is seeded second in singles, matching her current WTA ranking behind Poland’s No. 1 Iga Swiatek, and will be one of the medal favorites.
Coco Gauff | AP news Image
Coco Gauff To Be Female Flag Bearer For US Team At Olympic Opening Ceremony, Joining LeBron James
She and her normal doubles partner, Jessica Pegula, are seeded first in the women’s doubles. Gauff may also compete in mixed doubles; however, those pairs have yet to be determined.
“I’m not putting too much pressure on it, because I want to fully enjoy the experience,” Gauff said of her Olympic debut. “Hopefully I can have the experience multiple times in my lifetime, (but) I’ll treat it as a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
SOURCE | AP
When LeBron James was chosen for his first Olympics in 2004, he was unsure what the opening ceremony entailed.
This time, he’ll be a star of the show.
His fellow American Olympians chose James to be the male flagbearer for the United States at the opening ceremony of the Paris Games on Friday night. He is the third basketball player — and the first men’s player — to carry the United States flag at the start of an Olympics, following Dawn Staley in 2004 and Sue Bird in 2021.
“It’s an incredible honor to represent the United States on this global stage, especially in a moment that can bring the whole world together,” James told reporters. “As a kid from Akron, this responsibility means everything to not only me, but to my family, all the kids in my community, my teammates, other Olympians, and so many more people throughout the country with huge dreams. Sports have the capacity to unite us all, and I’m honored to be a part of this historic occasion.”
The 39-year-old James learned of the distinction Monday in London, just hours before the United States men’s team was supposed to play its final pre-Olympics exhibition game against World Cup champion Germany.
“We understand how much of an honor it is to be in that position and I think Bron’s entire career, on and off the court, speaks for itself as him being worthy of that honor,” Curry said on the video announcing his nomination.
“He has represented what it means to be excellent both on and off the court in his commitment to service and to uplifting the community in all ways that he knows how has been a lifelong passion,” Curry pointed out. “And the work speaks for itself.”
LeBron James Selected As Team USA Male Flagbearer For Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony
The female U.S. flagbearer is anticipated to be revealed on Tuesday. In 2020, the International Olympic Committee announced that country delegations would have two flagbearers at the Olympics’ opening ceremony, one male and one female, to encourage gender equality. The United States is set to send around 600 competitors to the Paris Games, with approximately 53% women.
“Being chosen by your teammates to carry the flag is a tremendous honor—and a testament to LeBron’s passion for Team USA and dedication to his sport,” U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee CEO Sarah Hirshland said.
James, a global icon, four-time NBA champion, and the league’s all-time leading scorer about to begin his record-tying 22nd NBA season, is set to compete in the Olympics for the fourth time, having previously won bronze in 2004, gold in Beijing in 2008, and gold again in London in 2012. He participated in the opening ceremony at his previous three Olympics.
This will be an unprecedented Olympic opening ceremony, with thousands of participants sailing along the River Seine at nightfall toward the Eiffel Tower. According to Olympic officials, the route is a 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) one, with some 320,000 spectators expected to watch from the river bank and an estimated 1 billion more watching on televisions around the world.
LeBron James Selected As Team USA Male Flagbearer For Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony
Not all Olympic athletes attend the opening ceremony; many miss it for logistical reasons, such as having to compete the next day. James and the four-time defending gold champion U.S. men shall begin Olympic competition on Sunday, when they face Serbia in Lille, France.
James and the American Olympians will have to wait longer than virtually any other nation for their voyage on the Seine. According to IOC protocol, Greece will lead the march, with NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo serving as one of its two flagbearers. The Refugee Olympic Team and over 200 more national delegations will follow. The United States is slated to be next-to-last in the procession because Los Angeles will host the next Summer Olympics in 2028.
As the host, France will be the last nation to participate in the opening ceremony procession. Its men’s basketball team, which includes reigning NBA rookie of the year Victor Wembanyama, begins Olympic competition on Saturday and is not scheduled to attend the opening ceremony.
SOURCE | AP
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