After months of claim, counter-claim and controversy, the LIV Golf Invitational Series turns its focus to actual golf on Thursday.
The first event of a series previously known as the 'Super Golf League' gets under way at the Centurion Club, near London, next week.
A lucrative breakaway from the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, there will be plenty of interest in how LIV Golf fares – even if it is a largely unpopular venture.
Regardless of its wider reputation, though, the money of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) has still attracted some of the sport's best players.
So, what is the deal with LIV Golf? How does it work? Who will be playing? And why has it caused such uproar?
Stats Perform attempts to answer the myriad questions around this contentious competition.
What is LIV Golf?
A Saudi-backed rival to the PGA Tour has been rumoured for years, taking on various names before finally launching as the LIV Golf Invitational Series.
Greg Norman, a two-time Open champion and LIV Golf's CEO, has described this as the arrival of "free agency" in golf, with leading players skipping PGA Tour events to play in the new series.
That is exactly what the PGA Tour sought to avoid when it vowed to ban any players who joined a rival league, although that promise has not yet come to pass.
"Our mission is to modernise and supercharge the game of professional golf through expanded opportunities for both players and fans alike," reads LIV Golf's website, adding its aim to provide "a cutting-edge entertainment product".
That does not only mean a new series and new events, but also a new format...
How does it work?
Gone is the long-established structure of 72 holes across four days with the field cut after two rounds.
Regular season LIV Golf events will last only 54 holes and three days, with no cuts, meaning – organisers point out – there is no danger of eye-catching names being absent for the end of the tournament.
There are also shotgun starts, "ensuring a faster and more exciting pace of play", and smaller fields with only 48 players.
This may all be unfamiliar, but it is at least straightforward. The other changes are a little more complex.
Players will be pursuing individual glory, as at any other golf tournament, but there are also team prizes on offer, with each field broken up into 12 four-man teams.
At every event, there will be an individual winner – the traditional victor with the lowest 54-hole score – and a triumphant team, whose score will be calculated using their best two scores over the first two rounds and their best three from the third.
The first seven events of the season – four in the United States and one each in England, Thailand and Saudi Arabia – will provide a seasonal individual champion, while the year's most successful team are then identified at a further match-play knock-out tournament.
Who's playing?
With a number of big names publicly opposing the breakaway, Rory McIlroy referred to the then Super Golf League as the "not-so-Super League" back in February.
But LIV Golf claims to have received 170 applications and has been able to recruit some superstar talent – namely Dustin Johnson, whose agent said it was "in his and his family's best interest to pursue it".
"Dustin has never had an issue with the PGA Tour and is grateful for all it has given him," David Winkle added. "But in the end, [he] felt this was too compelling to pass up."
It remains to be seen how regularly Johnson will appear in the series, given the field is set to change for every event. He is on board for the London opener, though, alongside Sergio Garcia.
With the four-man teams – who will have their own logos, colours and names – to be tweaked at each tournament, captains will draft players to join them. Unlike at the Ryder Cup, these captains are also active players.
The opening London draft is set for Tuesday, but Phil Mickelson – the most notable and controversial potential LIV Golf star – will not be involved.
Given his previous interest, Mickelson is surely likely to appear at some stage, but he has not played for several months since his comments in relation to the tournament and its funding prompted an apology.
Why's it so controversial?
Any rebel league that threatened the PGA Tour was unlikely to be globally popular, but Saudi Arabia's influence has contributed significantly to the backlash.
The country's human rights record is of major concern, along with its role in the war in Yemen, so ventures such as these – and the acquisition of Premier League club Newcastle United – by its PIF are widely cited as examples of sportswashing.
Norman has suggested Saudi Arabia is "making a cultural change".
While he described the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018 as "reprehensible", the LIV Golf chief added: "Look, we've all made mistakes, and you just want to learn from those mistakes and how you can correct them going forward."
Norman was speaking last month, by which point Mickelson's own discussion of Khashoggi's death had done a great deal of harm to the league's reputation.
The six-time major champion acknowledged Saudi Arabia's "horrible record on human rights" but added he was willing to commit to LIV Golf as it was "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape how the PGA Tour operates".
Mickelson made those comments in November last year, although they were reported earlier this year just as the series sought to launch.
Norman said the saga "definitely created negative momentum against us" and revealed "everybody got the jitters", causing some players to back out.
Following their Champions League final loss, Liverpool's inevitable need for squad rejuvenation has been accelerated.
Luis Diaz's January transfer provided a fresh element to Liverpool's play under Jurgen Klopp, while Sadio Mane's departure looms.
Meanwhile, a replacement for Mane at Anfield has reportedly emerged.
TOP STORY – LIVERPOOL JOIN RACE FOR RAPHINHA
With Sadio Mane's departure imminent, Liverpool are ramping up their interest in Leeds United winger Raphinha , according to the Mirror.
The Brazil international has long been linked with Barcelona, but their much-publicised financial troubles require them to sell assets first.
Takumi Minamino could be used as part of a package to sign the 25-year-old, who contributed 11 and three assists as Leeds secured Premier League safety.
Leeds manager Jesse Marsch is reportedly a fan of the Japan international, leaving Liverpool with potential leverage over a deal.
ROUND-UP
– Arsenal are willing to offer Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus a weekly wage of £190,000 to secure his transfer, according to the Sun.
– Manchester United are keen to secure the signature of Christian Eriksen on a free transfer with his short-term deal at Brentford expiring, per the Mirror.
– Roma boss Jose Mourinho has emerged as an alternative to Zinedine Zidane in replacing Mauricio Pochettino at Paris Saint-Germain , the Daily Mail reports.
– Chelsea are in the race to sign Ousmane Dembele , who is available on a free transfer this off-season, per Talksport.
Alessandro Florenzi insisted he has faith in Italy's young talent following their 1-1 draw with Germany on Saturday.
The Azzurri opened their Nations League campaign with an improved performance from their UEFA/CONMEBOL Finalissima loss to Argentina, consistently generating opportunities against a ball-dominant Germany.
Among a string of debutants including Torino duo Tommaso Pobega and Samuele Ricci, 18-year-old Wilfried Gnonto marked his first cap for Italy with an assist for Lorenzo Pellegrini.
Wearing the captain's armband and amid Italy's failure to qualify for the World Cup, Florenzi tried to bring perspective to the window post-game.
"There were many young players compared to Wembley," Florenzi told RAI Sport. "Some of them paid a price for the nerves of their debut, others behaved like little veterans.
"We need to start again with Italy fuelled by the hunger of these young guys."
Florenzi and Gianluigi Donnarumma were the only Azzurri players on Saturday to have played over 40 caps, with six debutants overall at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara.
While five of them came off the bench including Gnonto, a start was handed to Sassuolo midfielder Davide Frattesi.
Asked whether he felt added responsibility wearing the captain's armband, the 31-year-old claimed it was necessary for his team to rejuvenate the Italy squad.
"You feel responsibility every time you pull on this shirt," Florenzi said.
"We had to send a signal that we were starting fresh and I think we did that. Everyone gave something more to honour this jersey."
Italy next host Hungary on Tuesday, before Saturday's Euro 2020 final rematch with England.
Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar confirmed Nazem Kadri will be out for the rest of the series as his side moved one win away from the Stanley Cup Finals on Saturday, defatting the Edmonton Oilers 4-2
The Avalanche claimed an all-important 3-0 series lead in the Western Conference playoff after a frenetic third period, with J.T. Compher and Mikko Rantanen scoring in the final exchanges.
It was overshadowed by Evander Kane's hit on Kadri however, with the Avalanche's two-way threat cross-checked from behind, flying head-first into the boards.
Kane was given a five-minute major penalty for the hit but surprisingly was not ejected from the game. The Avalanche defended stoutly to secure the win, but Bednar confirmed post-game they will go without Kadri in securing the series.
"Yeah, he's out. He's out," Bednar said post-game. "He'll be out for the series at least, if not longer.
"I mean, the hit, it's the most dangerous play in hockey - puts him in head first from behind, eight feet from the boards. I'll leave it at that."
Connor McDavid had a clear opportunity to give the Oilers the 3-2 lead with 8:17 remaining and in the power play, shooting from just inside the hash marks in the left circle but a brilliant glove save from Pavel Francouz critically kept the score tied.
The Oilers then hit the post a minute later but racing out of the penalty box, J.T. Compher was able to spring the Avalanche into transition, scoring his fifth goal of the playoffs to give the Avalanche the lead instead.
Mikko Rantanen sealed the victory with under a minute remaining, forcing the loss of Oilers' possession before scoring an empty-net goal.
The Avalanche will have a chance to sweep the series on Tuesday, to face the winner of the series between the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers.
Luis Severino combined with two relievers for a one-hitter to hand the New York Yankees a 3-0 win over the Detroit Tigers on Saturday.
Along with the solitary hit, Severino struck out 10 over 92 pitches, before being pulled after the seventh inning for Michael King and Clay Holmes to close the game out.
Tigers pitcher Beau Brieske struck out seven and gave up three hits in six innings, while Miguel Cabrera claimed his 3,033 career hit, but the damage for the Yankees was done early.
Aaron Judge went deep off Brieske, mashing the rookie on the first pitch in the bottom of the first inning for his 21st home run for the season, before Anthony Rizzo followed suit.
The Pinstripes moved to 38-15 for the season with their fifth consecutive win, extending their lead over the Toronto Blue Jays atop the American League East.
Gore and Cronenworth propel Padres
MacKenzie Gore and Jake Cronenworth were vital for the San Diego Padres as they won their high-profile National League matchup, defeating the Milwaukee Brewers 4-0 on the road.
Gore continued the impressive start to his rookie season, striking out 10 and giving up only three hits over an astounding 108 pitches in six innings.
Cronenworth homered off Aaron Ashby meanwhile, as well as driving in three runs for the important win.
Pivetta continues impressive form for Red Sox
Nick Pivetta pitched for his fifth consecutive win as the Boston Red Sox won their third straight, defeating the Oakland Athletics 8-0.
Pivetta allowed only two hits and struck out seven over 100 pitches in seven innings, before Tanner Houck and Hirokazu Sawamura closed out for the Red Sox.
Alex Verdugo claimed three hits and two RBIs while Trevor Story doubled twice, as Boston moved to within a game from .500.
Luis Severino combined with two relievers for a one-hitter to hand the New York Yankees a 3-0 win over the Detroit Tigers on Saturday.
Along with the solitary hit, Severino struck out 10 over 92 pitches, before being pulled after the seventh inning for Michael King and Clay Holmes to close the game out.
Tigers pitcher Beau Brieske struck out seven and gave up three hits in six innings, while Miguel Cabrera claimed his 3,033rd career hit, but the damage for the Yankees was done early.
Aaron Judge went deep off Brieske, mashing the rookie on the first pitch in the bottom of the first inning for his 21st home run for the season, before Anthony Rizzo followed suit.
The Pinstripes moved to 38-15 for the season with their fifth consecutive win, extending their lead over the Toronto Blue Jays atop the American League East.
Gore and Cronenworth propel Padres
MacKenzie Gore and Jake Cronenworth were vital for the San Diego Padres as they won their high-profile National League match-up, defeating the Milwaukee Brewers 4-0 on the road.
Gore continued the impressive start to his rookie season, striking out 10 and giving up only three hits over an astounding 108 pitches in six innings.
Cronenworth homered off Aaron Ashby meanwhile, as well as driving in three runs for the important win.
Pivetta continues impressive form for Red Sox
Nick Pivetta pitched for his fifth consecutive win as the Boston Red Sox won their third straight, defeating the Oakland Athletics 8-0.
Pivetta allowed only two hits and struck out seven over 100 pitches in seven innings, before Tanner Houck and Hirokazu Sawamura closed out for the Red Sox.
Alex Verdugo claimed three hits and two RBIs while Trevor Story doubled twice, as Boston moved to within a game from .500.
Billy Horschel shot a blistering seven-under 65 on Saturday to secure a five-stroke lead heading into the final round of the Memorial Tournament.
Horschel shot another bogey-free round on Saturday to extend his streak to 44 consecutive holes, with his last coming on the 10th hole in the first round.
One year after Jon Rahm built a six-stroke lead coming into the Sunday at the Memorial, before having to withdraw due to a positive Covid-19 test, Horschel will have a chance to see off the field with a healthy buffer.
After chipping in for birdie on the opening hole, Horschel played incisively from there as the course firmed, zeroing in on the pin and not leaving himself with much work on the greens at Muirfield Village.
The 35-year-old will be going for his seventh tournament win on the PGA Tour, with his last victory coming at the 2021 WGC Match Play, defeating Scottie Scheffler in the final.
World number three Cameron Smith commenced with a one-stroke lead on Saturday but started slowly with bogeys from the bunker on the opening two holes.
He recovered from another bogey to open the back nine to finish on even par for the round, remaining on eight-under for the tournament.
The Australian is tied for second with Aaron Wise, who steadied after a fast start on the front nine to score a three-under 68 on Saturday.
A three-way tie for third between Daniel Berger, Francesco Molinari and Jhonattan Vegas sits a further stroke back.
Meanwhile, defending champion Patrick Cantlay sits on six-under along with another four players.
Minjee Lee is threatening to run away with the U.S. Women's Open, taking a three-stroke lead heading into the final round on Saturday.
Lee fired a four-under 67 to move to 13-under after 54 holes, breaking the U.S. Women's Open 54-hole record of 201 set in 1999 by Juli Inkster by a single stroke.
The world number four started the third round slowly, scoring a bogey on the fifth hole to fall two shots behind Mina Harigae.
Lee responded quickly with a birdie on the sixth, before breaking the round open with four consecutive birdies between nine and 12.
Playing alongside Lee in the final group, Harigae faltered meanwhile, firing consecutive bogeys on the 11th and 12th hole respectively.
The past three third-round U.S. Women's Open leaders at Pine Needle have all gone on to win the tournament, including Lee's fellow Australian Karrie Webb in 2001.
Germany coach Hansi Flick says his side lacked "intensity" and "precision" in their 1-1 Nations League draw with Italy on Saturday.
Die Mannschaft looked the brighter side in the first half, yet the best chance fell to the Azzurri, with Gianluca Scamacca striking the post from distance.
Roberto Mancini's side were much improved after the break, though, and Lorenzo Pellegrini put them ahead in the 70th minute.
However, Germany recovered a point three minutes later courtesy of Joshua Kimmich's neat finish after a scramble in the penalty area.
The result means Flick has not lost any of his first 10 matches in charge of the national team, becoming the third Germany coach to achieve that feat after Sepp Herberger and Josef Derwall.
Despite that, Flick was not impressed with his side's display and has urged his players to improve swiftly.
"We started the game well then lost our way after 15, 20 minutes," he told a media conference.
"Italy played very well, and we made too many mistakes in the build-up. We lacked intensity and defensive solidity.
"These are the areas we need to improve so we can do better on Tuesday. We did not apply what we had practised in training and that's not the first time it has happened.
"Italy were far more cohesive and well-drilled than we expected, so it's positive that we managed to get the equaliser straight away.
"It confirms the Nations League allows you to always face very strong opponents. Our performance was fairly negative in general today, we can and must do more. We lacked intensity and our usual precision."
Italy shocked many by failing to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar later this year, but Flick has seen enough to suggest the Azzurri will not be away from the top table of world football for long.
"Italy is a nation that lives and breathes football," he added. "They are solid defensively. I admire Mancini and the way his Italy played at Euro 2020. We all slowly became Italy fans watching the way they played in that tournament.
"The Azzurri have everything they need to reboot and reconstruct another important era."
Germany are next in action on Tuesday when they welcome England to the Allianz Arena in Munich.
Roberto Mancini says Italy have a "long road ahead" of them despite a much-improved display in a 1-1 Nations League draw with Germany on Saturday.
The Azzurri were beaten 3-0 by Argentina in Wednesday's Finalissima – a meeting between the European champions and Copa America winners – but they delivered a bright performance against Hansi Flick's side in Bologna.
Lorenzo Pellegrini put them ahead in the 70th minute, although Die Mannschaft sealed a point three minutes later when Joshua Kimmich powered home.
Despite an improved showing, Italy have still won just one of their last six games, and Mancini urged players and supporters alike not to get carried away.
"One result changes nothing, we've got a very long road ahead of us," he told RAI Sport. "The lads did really well. It's not easy as Germany are one of the best sides in the world right now.
"We were a little hesitant at the start, then slowly started to play. It's a pity we conceded the equaliser straight after. We were naive because it was not an easy game, especially at the start.
"It was the first time they [the players] played together, they did a great job. They suffered when they had to and attacked when they had to.
"The lads did really well. They played at the same level as what is a great national team at this moment."
Pellegrini's goal was created by substitute Wilfried Gnonto, who became the first player born after January 1, 2003 to play for Italy.
The FC Zurich forward looked at home on the international stage, and he said the past week has been a whirlwind for him.
"It was a strange and exhilarating week," he said. "The coach gave me a chance and I think I made the most of it.
"It's all going so fast. I just try to enjoy the moment and every training session because being here is a privilege."
Speaking about his excellent cross for the goal, the 18-year-old added: "I knew [Thilo] Kehrer was already booked, so when I got the ball I didn't think of anything other than taking him on.
"I was determined to get past him and the ball from that angle is the toughest for a goalkeeper and defender to deal with. If you are a striker, you need to make the difference and I did that tonight."
Andre Iguodala defended the Golden State Warriors and stalwarts Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green ahead of Game 2 of the NBA Finals, claiming their incredible careers should be appreciated "a lot more".
Iguodala, like Curry, Thompson and Green, is playing in his sixth Finals in eight years with the Warriors.
The veteran wing was the NBA Finals MVP in 2015, but his three team-mates have been the chief protagonists of a remarkable Golden State dynasty.
The previous five Finals have yielded three titles, yet the Warriors have work to do to add a fourth with this team after losing 120-108 in Game 1 at home to the Boston Celtics.
This is the first time the Warriors have lost Game 1 at home in the Finals, although the last team to suffer such a defeat were the 2013 Miami Heat, who recovered to win the championship.
Although these circumstances are new, there is little Curry, Thompson and Green have not yet achieved, and they were the subject of praise from Iguodala on Saturday.
"The overall sentiment for those three guys, after we won the first one, was that they were going to continue to be this dominant for this long," he said.
"I think we take it for granted because we're so close to our athletes now, we're so close to them on social media. We start to forget and take for granted.
"We should appreciate them a lot more. It's a really long run to go to the Finals, for this group, six out of eight years. It doesn't happen every day.
"Only the greats, real greats do it – LeBron's the only one around our era that's been able to have the same effect in terms of winning and getting this far.
"We've made it look normal, where people take it for granted and take certain shots at us. In previous generations, throughout sports in general, people understood how tough it really was."
Coach Steve Kerr is backing his key men to bounce back, even if the series opener was particularly painful as the Warriors threw the game away in a fourth quarter in which they were outscored 40-16.
Aided by a 17-0 run, that is the Celtics' biggest point differential in any single quarter of any road playoff game in their history.
"Draymond and Steph have been in the Finals six times now," Kerr said.
"They've seen it all, they've seen everything. They've won championships, they've lost championships. They've had their hearts broken, they've had parades.
"This is all part of it. That's the right mental approach, and it's one that is borne out of experience."
Meanwhile, Thompson suggested the early setback could benefit the Warriors after they "got comfortable".
"It was a harsh reminder but something we all needed to go through, including myself," he said. "It's about how we respond tomorrow, which I am very excited for."
Rafael Nadal versus Casper Ruud has the air of one of sport's great mismatches ahead of the French Open title match.
Nadal's record at Roland Garros is spectacularly intimidating as he bids for a record-extending 14th title on the Paris clay, having won all 13 of his past finals.
In sharp contrast, Ruud has never played a grand slam final. Nor until this week had he played a semi-final at this level, or a quarter-final.
Nadal will be chasing a 22nd title at the majors on Sunday, and Ruud a first; and yet there are factors that offer the underdog hope, not least the fact the favourite is pushing his body into a new fresh hell every time he steps onto court.
Coach Carlos Moya told ATPTour.com that Nadal, hampered by a long-bothersome foot problem, was carrying "a lot of wear and tear".
"But it's the final push," said Moya, anticipating one last gargantuan effort from the man who turned 36 this week.
"So far, Rafa has done an astonishing job of surviving without playing his best tennis."
Ahead of what could be a far tighter final than Saturday's one-sided women's showpiece, Stats Perform assesses the form and the stakes affecting both players.
One last swing at glory for Nadal?
It has long been the case that Nadal has nothing left to prove. Yet it is the Spaniard's instinct to want to push himself to new heights, and his quarter-final win over Novak Djokovic encapsulated that drive.
"All the sacrifices and all the things that I need to go through to try to keep playing really makes sense when you enjoy moments like I'm enjoying in this tournament," Nadal said after booking his place in the final. He was the beneficiary of Alexander Zverev's injury-forced retirement in the semi-finals, and now a first career match against Ruud awaits.
Should Nadal win, at the age of 36 years and two days, he would become the oldest men's singles champion at Roland Garros in history, surpassing his compatriot Andres Gimeno, who was 34 years, 10 months and one day old when he captured the 1972 title.
No other man in history has reached double figures for titles at a single grand slam, with Novak Djokovic's nine Australian Open wins the next most in a major. Across his 13 previous Roland Garros finals, Nadal has dropped only seven sets.
Given his injury problems, it is highly possible this will prove to be Nadal's final French Open. He has an astonishing overall record of 332-34 in sets won and lost at Roland Garros, emerging victorious from 111 of his 114 matches.
If Ruud looks too closely at Nadal's career numbers, they might become dizzying. The veteran has won 62 of his 91 titles on clay, once enjoyed an 81-match winning streak on the surface (2005-07) and has spent a record 871 consecutive weeks inside the ATP top 10, from 2005 to the present day.
He has never won the Australian Open and French Open in the same year, so that is now achievable, given his success at Melbourne Park in January, when he nudged one clear of Djokovic and Roger Federer on the all-time list of most men's singles slam wins.
"We haven't spoken about number 22," said Moya. "Obviously, it's on the horizon, but that would add pressure to Rafa. It's not necessary."
Would it be Ruud to crash the party?
Nadal said Ruud's run has been "not a surprise at all", and there were some experts who fancied the Norwegian to come through the bottom half of the draw before the tournament began, albeit with most making Stefanos Tsitsipas a likelier finalist.
A curiosity is the fact Ruud has trained at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca since 2018, and he has often practised with Nadal. This, though, is their first encounter in competition. The last first-time meeting in a men's French Open final came in 1997 when Gustavo Kuerten beat Sergi Bruguera.
Ruud, 23, would be the youngest men's singles grand slam winner since 20-year-old Juan Martin del Potro beat Roger Federer in the 2009 US Open final. That was a sensation of a result, with the Argentinian ending Federer's five-year reign in New York, and Ruud may find some encouragement from such an upset.
Ruud leads the ATP Tour since the start of the 2020 season in clay-court wins (66), finals (nine) and titles (seven), yet all of his eight career titles have come at ATP 250 level, a relatively low tier of the professional game where the biggest names rarely compete.
He stepped up by reaching the final of the Miami Open, an ATP 1000 tournament, in April, but was beaten to the title by Carlos Alcaraz.
Sunday's challenger from Oslo, whose father and coach Christian Ruud was an ATP top-50 player in his mid-1990s prime, is a former junior world number one.
He has now become Norway's first grand slam finalist and must tackle arguably the most daunting challenge in the men's game.
Nadal said of Ruud on Friday: "I think in the academy we were able to help him a little bit. I like to see a good person achieving his dreams. I'm happy for him, I'm happy for his mom, dad.
"I know them very well. They are a super healthy family and great people. As always, I am super happy when I see these great people having success."
Nadal did not go on to say he would disbar Ruud from his academy should there be a shock outcome on Sunday.
Perhaps the thought of Ruud winning simply never crossed Nadal's mind.
Billie Jean King says it is time for female tennis players to stop being treated like "second-class citizens" and backed Amelie Mauresmo to redress the balance at the French Open.
Mauresmo apologised after this week stating that there had only been one women's match at Roland Garros played in the night session as the men's game is more appealing.
Iga Swiatek, who won her second grand slam title in Paris on Saturday, described the French Open tournament director's comments as "disappointing and surprising".
The legendary King has called for female players to be in the spotlight more and expects that to be the case on Court Philippe-Chatrier next year, when Mauresmo will oversee the clay-court major for a second time after a difficult start to her tenure.
"You've got to put them when it's prime time, and you have got to figure it out and you want to give equal opportunity to both genders," King said during a press conference at Roland Garros.
"Always. You always want to make sure you do the right thing by each person. They should have the same amount of women's matches as they do men's. Real easy.
"Right now we are playing two out of three sets, we will get out of there faster.
"I think the men should change that. If we keep treating us like second-class citizens we will stay second-class citizens. You want to make everyone feel important
"We should have more matches, but I think Amelie will take care of that next year. Knowing her, she's a winner."
World number one Swiatek swept 18-year-old Coco Gauff aside to lift the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen for a second time on Saturday, winning 6-1 6-3 to extend her astonishing run of victories to 35.
Sadio Mane has become Senegal's record goalscorer after his hat-trick secured a 3-1 win over over Benin in their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Saturday.
The Liverpool forward scored twice from the penalty spot and netted another in Dakar to move onto 32 goals in 90 games for his country.
Mane's treble moved him beyond Henri Camara's tally of 31 for the champions of Africa.
The 30-year-old's record-breaking achievement comes amid intense speculation over his future following another outstanding season for Jurgen Klopp's side.
On Friday, the attacker quipped that he would do what the people of his Senegal want him to do, amid reports he could be on his way to Bayern Munich.
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