DANY BAY

Novak Djokovicbegins his tilt at an outright record 25th grand slam title on Sunday 24 May, playing in the first night session of this year’sFrench Open.

The Serb - who turned 39 on Friday - opens against huge-serving home favourite Giovanni Mpetschi Perricard on Court Philippe-Chatrier, from 7.15pm BST (8.15pm local time).

Former Olympic gold medallistBelinda Bencicopens play on Philippe-Chatrier against Austria’s Sinja Kraus, while men’s second seed Alexander Zverev also plays in the day session on the show court.

ElsewhereEmma Raducanubegins her campaign against clay-court specialist Solana Sierra of Argentina on Court 13 later this afternoon, while Madrid championMarta Kostyukand wunderkindJoao Fonsecaare also in action on a busy first day at Roland-Garros.

Is the French Open on TV?

The tournament will be shown live onTNT Sportsin the UK as well as online on HBO Max.

In the US, it will be shown live on TNT Sports, Max, truTV and CNN.

French Open day one order of play

all times BST

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Court Philippe-Chatrier - 11am

• Sinja Kraus (AUT) vs [11] Belinda Bencic (SUI)

• Benjamin Bonzi (FRA) vs [2] Alexander Zverev (GER)

• [8] Mirra Andreeva (RUS) vs Fiona Ferro (FRA)

Court Philippe-Chatrier - from 7.15pm

• Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (FRA) vs [3] Novak Djokovic (SRB)

Court Suzanne-Lenglen - 10am

• [13] Karen Khachanov (RUS) vs Arthur Gea (FRA)

• [26] Hailey Baptiste (USA) vs Barbora Krejcikova (CZE)

• [7] Taylor Fritz (USA) vs Nishesh Basavareddy (USA)

• Ksenia Efremova (FRA) vs [18] Sorana Cirstea (ROU)

Court Simonne-Mathieu - 10am

• [15] Marta Kostyuk (UKR) vs Oksana Selekhmeteva (RUS)

• Katie Volynets (USA) vs Clara Burel (FRA)

• Titouan Droguet (FRA) vs [26] Jakub Mensik (CZE)

• [28] Joao Fonseca (BRA) vs Luka Pavlovic (FRA)

Court 14 - 10am

• [21] Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ESP) vs Damir Dzumhur (BIH)

• Fran Jones (GBR) vs Beatriz Haddad Maia (BRA)

• Sofia Kenin (USA) vs Peyton Stearns (USA)

• Lorenzo Sonego (ITA) vs Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA)

Outside courts - from 10am

• Ajla Tomljanovia (AUS) vs Caty McNally (USA)

• Pablo Llamas Ruiz (ESP) vs Thiago Agustín Tirante (ARG)

• Emma Raducanu (GBR) vs Solana Sierra (ARG)

• Magdalena Frech (POL) vs Elena-Gabriela Ruse (ROU)

• Hamad Medjedovic (SRB) vs Yannick Hanfmann (GER)

• Alexander Blockx (BEL) vs Coleman Wong (HKG)

• Hugo Dellien (BOL) vs Valentin Royer (FRA)

• Sara Sorribes Tormo (ESP) vs Tamara Korpatsch (GER)

French Open schedule

The tournament main draw gets underway on Sunday 24 May. Finals weekend is across Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 June.

• 18-23 May — Qualifiers

• 24–26 May — 1st Round

• 27–28 May — 2nd Round

• 29–30 May — 3rd Round

• 31 May – 1 June — Round of 16

• 2–3 June — Quarterfinals

• 4 June — Women’s Semifinals

• 5 June — Men’s Semifinals

• 6 June — Women’s Singles Final & Men’s Doubles Final

• 7 June — Men’s Singles Final & Women’s Doubles Final

Washingtonhead coach Dan Quinn had some fun with the "Sports Junkies" on Friday.

Quinn took questions from three of the Junkies, answering only "yes" or "no" questions until they could figure out who he actually is. Jason Bishop facilitated the fun time while Eric Bickel, John-Paul Flaim and John 'Cakes' Auville attempted to guess the identity of their mystery guest.

Bickel didn't waste any time, abruptly asking, "Can we sign Stefon Diggs?" The other three Junkies broke into laughter, finding it funny that Bickel didn't want Quinn to be able to ease into the interview with any icebreaker. Bickel then took it a step further, "Can we have (Brandon) Aiyuk and Diggs?"

Quinn responded, "We're working hard and doing well with the guys we got. Adam (Peters) and his crew are always digging in and working. But we really like the crew that we are working with right now. They're absolutely busting their ass."

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When rookie WR Antonio Williams became the focal point of the conversation, Quinn reported he saw "right off the bat, this guy has feel. He already has awareness, like a big-time receiver. He's got great hands, great movement. So, he's off to a hell of a start."

Auville and Bishop both voiced to Quinn that they already have a man crush on LB Sonny Styles, picked No. 7 overall by theCommanders. "What an ideal fit for the style we want to play," exclaimed Quinn. "We (Peters and Quinnn) were thrilled when he (Styles) was there at that spot. It was a super-easy decision for Adam in that one. When that trade was made just before us (Chiefs moved up to No. 6 trading with theBrowns), those are the moments you hold your breath. When we had the chance to select him, we were pumped!"

What does Quinn think of Styles after the draft and rookie minicamp? "Being around him the last couple of weeks has only reinforced what he can bring to our club, which is really cool."

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire:Washington Commanders: Dan Quinn no-sells tough question free-agent WR

In the wake ofKyle Busch’s tragic death,Steve O’Donnellkeeps looking at one text.

Buschmessaged theNASCARCEO on May 19,just two days before he passed away, with an idea for a rule change.

“He said, ‘Hey, man. What do you think about an over-40 rule to be able to compete in all the Truck Series races next year?’” O’Donnell said, relaying the interaction during a press conference on May 22.

He continued: “I said, ‘We put that rule in place because you were winning so much.’”

Busch is the winningest NASCAR driver ever across the top three national circuits. He ranks ninth all-time with 63 Cup Series victories, and no one owns more than his 102 O’Reilly Series or 69 Truck Series wins.

In 2009, Busch captured a Nationwide Series title while also racing full-time at the Cup level. He later claimed two Cup championships in 2015 and 2019.

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His dominance on the second- and third-tier circuits partly caused a restriction nicknamed the “Kyle Busch Rule.”

In the 2010s, NASCAR began limiting the number of O’Reilly and Truck starts that experienced full-time Cup drivers could make. Currently, Cup Series racers with more than three years of experience are capped at 10 O’Reilly races and eight Truck events per season. They’re not eligible for the playoffs.

Busch's text to O’Donnell suggested ditching that directive for drivers over the age of 40. Busch turned 41 on May 2.

The topic was brought up in an internal NASCAR meeting on May 20, O’Donnell said.

“We said, ‘Damn, that’s actually good. We need Kyle in the Truck Series,’” O’Donnell said. “It was two-fold. He knew he could help the series but I think one day had a dream to race against his son (11-year-old Brexton) in a national series event.

“That was Kyle — always thinking about the sport and going forward.”

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal:Kyle Busch texted NASCAR CEO with Truck Series idea days before death

The 2027 summer scouting report series rolls on, as we stay in the secondary and feature Syracuse cornerback Chris Peal. Peal originally committed to Georgia, where he would play two seasons sparingly, before transferring to play for the Orange last season.

What does his summer scouting report look like? Let's talk about it.

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• Height: 6'1"

• Weight: 200 lbs

• Recruiting rank: Four-star recruit, no. 25 cornerback nationally

• Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina

• Games watched: Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, Boston College

Chris Peal might be one of the strongest zone defenders in the 2027 NFL Draft. His natural feel for his assignment, paired with great instincts to collapse on his man, is second to none. Peal is as reliable a tackler as you will find, as seen by his seven tackles against Georgia Tech. Ideal frame for the position with stellar top-end speed. You will rarely see Peal get beaten on the deep ball. Rangy cornerback who jams well in press coverage, but uses his length to disrupt passes.

59 targets in one season? Not bad. Zero interceptions across 59 targets, not ideal. While Peal jams well, he tends to play off a bit too much, allowing his defender to run wild after the catch. Got picked on quite a bit against Notre Dame. Only one season of tape leaves questions about his evaluation as a top cornerback prospect in the class. This season will be huge for Peal if he wants to elevate his stock to being near the top of the group.

This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire:2027 Summer Scouting Report on Syracuse CB Chris Peal

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Coach Mike Brown correctly pulled Hart in Game 1 for Landry Shamet. But having Hart on the court causes so much confusion for theCavaliersas they try to crossmatch, leaving an unbalanced floor and the energetic Hart in position to take full advantage with open shots and setting up teammates. When Hart wasn't finding teammates, it was Brunson finding Hart for one of his playoff-high 14 assists."It's just who Josh is. He's a gamer. He knew what he had to do in terms of adjustments he needed to make in order to be effective," Brown said. "He was great, he was decisive. We have to play fast, so we're not going against a set defense all the time."

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype:"It's just who Josh is. He's a gamer. He knew what he …

TheBig Tenholds the cards, and it’s showing theSECits hand.

The numbers are 12 or 24.

"We've had zero conversation about 16 (playoff teams)," Big Ten commissioner Tony Petittisaid at the conference’s spring meetings in California.

That’s the line in the sand.

If the SEC wants to expand theCollege Football Playoff, then the number is 24, a number set by Petitti.

Or, the playoff can stay at 12 teams, a format the Big Ten has dominated in its brief existence.

Petitti’s hardball stance amounts to a move ripped from the Greg Sankey playbook.

Big Ten steals SEC's power-move playbook

You’ll remembera few years ago, Sankey held the best cards in playoff expansion talks. The SEC's commissioner wasn’t afraid to use them.

When other conference commissioners supported an eight-team playoff that included six automatic bids for conference champions, Sankey erected a firewall.

Sankey laid out three options:

1. Status quo of a four-team playoff, which the SEC dominated.

2. An eight-team playoff with no automatic bids and only at-large selections.

3. A 12-team playoff that’d include a mix of automatic and at-large bids.

The eight-team playoff, with six AQs, died on the vine because the SEC vehemently opposed it.

After some squabbling, Option 3 emerged as the winner.

Now, the shoe has switched feet, and the Big Ten is setting the terms for the playoff’s size.

The SEC must choose between a format the Big Ten rules (12) or an expansion model the Big Ten suggested (24), instead of the format SEC headquarters prefers (16, including 11 at-large bids).

So much for theSEC-B1G buddy groupthe conferences announced two years ago, in a pledge to team up to solve problems together.

Petitti, a former MLB Network executive, took the reins of the Big Ten in 2023. He swiftly learned college athletics is a get-mine business and no place for friendship bracelets.

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A 24-team College Football Playoff? No thanks

I’m opposed to a 24-team bracket. It would turn an already long playoff into a five-round affair and bulldoze the playoff’s exclusivity, by opening access to 8-4 teams.

Most importantly, it would devalue the greatest regular season in all of sports.

Petitti likes to point to MLB’s playoff expansion — it went from eight to 10 to ultimately 12 teams — as a model for the CFP.

He’s comparing apples to oranges. It’s absurd to compare a sport with a 162-game regular season and a full complement of games each day to a sport with a 12-game regular season that turns each fall Saturday into appointment viewing.

College basketballserves as a better comparisonfor what Petitti attempts to do to college football.

In a rare act of teamwork,Sankey and Petitti helped muscle through March Madness expansion to 76 teams.College basketball’s regular season is low-stakes filler. At 76 teams, a power-conference team might need only to finish barely above .500 to earn tournament selection. The college basketball diehards watch throughout a monthslong regular season, but most folks wander in when March arrives, as the postseason nears.

Hey, that works for college basketball, which is a tournament sport. College football is distinctly not a tournament sport. It’s always been more of a rivalry-Saturday kind of a sport, where every outcome matters.

Will SEC cave to Big Ten demands?

Although I object Petitti’s vision for the playoff, I understand why he’s not motivated to meet in the middle at 16. He’s paid to represent the Big Ten, and a 16-team bracket would be a greater benefit to the SEC, based on recent history.

Plus, a mega-sized playoff like the 24-teamer the Big Ten supports would allow Fox, its media rights partner, a chance at getting a piece of the playoff pie.

ESPN, the SEC’s media partner and CFP rights holder, prefers a playoff of no more than 16.

With Petitti’s line in the sand drawn, next week’s SEC spring meetings will test Sankey’s power and mettle. They’ll also offer a peek at what size playoff the conference’s presidents and chancellors prefer. Those campus administrators are the quiet but powerful brokers in these negotiations, more so than coaches or athletic directors.

Consider the SEC a company where Sankey functions as CEO serving at the pleasure of the presidents and chancellors, who operate as the company’s board of directors.

Georgia president Jere Morehead, an influential voice among the SEC's presidents and chancellors,told The Athletica 24-team playoff would be "a mistake." Morehead added he thinks the SEC's university brass will follow Sankey's guidance.

Can Sankey persuade the SEC’s presidents and chancellors to stay at 12 teams, if 16 isn’t possible? At 12 teams,the SEC doesn't face a playoff access problem. It received more bids to the 12-team bracket in two years than any other conference. Playoff performance has become the SEC’s issue, a problem that’s not inherently solved by expansion.

A 24-team playoff likely would end conference championship games. If Sankey could convince university administrators the SEC championship game is a sacred cash cow worth saving, that might extend the life of the 12-team playoff.

Don’t expect a solution at the SEC meetings, but they’ll be a bellwether of the conference’s latest playoff mood.

The Big Ten discarded the 16-team option. The SEC has six months to decide which card to choose from the Big Ten's hand: 12 or 24.

Blake Toppmeyeris the USA TODAY Network's senior national college football columnist. Email him atBToppmeyer@gannett.comand follow him on X@btoppmeyer.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:SEC's College Football Playoff plans for 16 teams boxed out by Big Ten

Arsenal'sPremier League winwas the team’s first in 22 years — and it alsomarked the latest trophyfor American billionaire Stan Kroenke's international stable of sports teams.

Through his Denver-based Kroenke Sports & Entertainment holding company, the 78-year-old real estate mogul owns pro football, basketball, hockey, soccer and lacrosse franchises that have each racked up at least one championship since he bought them.

Arsenal's success came after Kroenke became a minority owner of the team in 2007, and steadily increased his share beforebuying outrival co-owner and Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov in a 2018 deal that ended a standoff between the tycoons and valued the team at about $2.3 billion.

The team’s victory led independent sports business writer Joe Pompliano to declare on X that as a sports investor, Kroenke "is on a generational run right now."

But the years leading up to Arsenal becoming champions of the Premier League were marked by intense anger from the Gunners’ fans toward Kroneke, including a protest outside the team’s Emirates Stadium in 2019 over complaints that he was treating Arsenal as an“investment vehicle.”

In 2021, an even larger rallyof more than 1,000 football fans gathered for a “Kroenke out” demonstration sparked by the owner’s role in failed efforts to create a European Super League.

Kroenke is the world's 114th richest person, with a personal fortune estimated at $22.2 billion, nearly triple his 2021 net worth of $8.2 billion, according toForbes.

Last year, he became America's largest landowner with the purchase of 937,000 acres of ranchland in New Mexico, bringing his total portfolio to an estimated 2.7 million acres, according to theLandReportwebsite. His Kroenke Vineyards also produce wines from two sprawling estates in California's Santa Barbara region.

Kroenke's wife, Ann Walton Kroenke, is also a billionaire in her own right as daughter of the late Walmart co-founder James "Bud" Walton, with a personal net worth of $15 billion, according toForbes.

On Wednesday night, another of Kroenke’s teams — the Colorado Avalanche, which won hockey’s Stanley Cup in 2001 and 2022 — is set to face off against the Las Vegas Golden Knights in Game 1 of the NHL Central Division conference finals.

Kroenke bought the Avalanche in 2000 as part of a reported $450 million package deal for the Denver Nuggets and Denver's Pepsi Center, since renamed the Ball Arena.

Three years later, the Nuggets won the NBA championship.

Kroenke's Colorado Rapids soccer team also won the 2010 Major League Soccer Cup and his Colorado Mammoth won the National Lacrosse League championship in 2006 and 2022.

Although Kroenke maintains a generally low profile that'sled to the nickname"Silent Stan," the Missouri native is widely reviled in St. Louis, where he helped relocate the Los Angeles Rams football team in 1995.

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The move came after Kroenke became a 40 percent co-owner of the Rams with socialite Georgia Frontiere, who inherited control of the team following the 1979 drowning of her sixth husband, former Baltimore Colts owner Carroll Rosenbloom.

The St. Louis Rams won the 2000 Super Bowl and Kroenke bought Frontiere's 60 percent majority share for $750 million following her 2008 death.

But Kroenke — who in 1993 had tried to bring a new expansion team to St. Louis, which lost the Cardinals to Arizona six years earlier —moved the Rams backto LA in 2016 after clashing with St. Louis officials over his demand for more than $700 million in upgrades to the city's Edward Jones Dome, since renamed The Dome at America's Center.

St. Louis fans were furious, with online headlines calling him “The Most Hated Man in Missouri” and saying, “F*** You, Stan Kroenke, and the Toupee You Rode in Under.” St. Louis native Andy Cohen giving him a double middle-finger salute on his Bravo! cable TV talk show.

It appears those feelings have yet to subside. YouTube’s STL Sport Central posting a 7-minutevideoin 2021 titled “Stan Kroenke is a Liar" that included a clip of him pledging, “We're here to work hard and be very successful in St. Louis,” as well as an unidentified man in a Veterans of Foreign Wars cap being asked what he’d say to Kroenke if given the chance.

“Bye. And don't let the door hit you in the butt,” he answered.

Last year,ESPNreported that many fans attending home-field games of the United Football League’s St. Louis Battlehawks wore T-shirts and waved homemade signs referencing the Rams owner.

“It's a community experience with a shared interest in spring football and a shared hatred of Stan Kroenke," said John Lewis.

During a 2016 interview for Southern California Public Radio'sTake Twoprogram, Kroenke defended his decision to move the Rams out of St. Louis, saying “there's the emotional argument and then there's rational. And rationally, unless you argue that you should make a massive donation just to support with, it doesn't make any sense.”

When asked if he regretted it, he replied: “Well, sure, but it’s emotional.”

Kroenke later built the $5.5 billion SoFi Stadium complex in Inglewood, California, on land that included 60 acres he quietly bought in a deal that became public in early 2014, during discussions over his proposed improvements to the St. Louis stadium.

In 2022, the Rams won the Super Bowl at SoFi, narrowly defeating the Cincinnati Bengals, 23-20, in a come-from-behind victory late in the fourth quarter.

American former soccer player Tim Howard said Wednesday onSiriusXMthat Kroenke, his son and team co-owner Josh and manager Mikel Arteta all deserved credit for Arsenal coming out on top of the Premier League.

"I give the Kroenke family a lot of credit because it's in vogue to get rid of managers when you think you know better," he said.

"And the idea is to hire a really good manager and get the heck out of the way. And (Manchester) City have done that, Liverpool have done that and Arsenal have done that — and the others haven't."