Carlos Alcaraz was philosophical after his French Open elimination at the hands of Alexander Zverev, adamant he has no need to blow it out of proportion.

Despite being seeded three places below Zverev, the 19-year-old Spaniard went into their quarter-final as many people's favourite.

But after a slow start that Zverev punished, Alcaraz's second grand slam quarter-final proved a learning curve.

Zverev ultimately won 6-4 6-4 4-6 7-6 (9-7) to clinch his maiden top-10 scalp at a grand slam, though the German acknowledged he managed to end the contest just as Alcaraz was starting to take charge.

As such, the sixth seed felt there were plenty of reasons to feel positive about his tournament.

"I would say I finished the match playing better," he said. "I leave the court, leave the tournament with the head very high. I fight until the last ball. I fought until the last second of the match, and I'm proud of it.

"I have to take the lesson today. It was a tough match and close match I think. I could say I didn't start well, and in this level, quarter-final of a grand slam, you are playing against the best players in the world, so you have to start the match better than I did today.

"I have to improve to the next grand slam or next matches. But I would say I'm not far away to reach a semi-final or be able to win a grand slam.

"I would say I have the level, I have the confidence to win a grand slam or pass through to the semi-final next time.

"I mean, this match is not going to be tough for me or I'm going to say I'm disappointed for this match. I'm just going to try to take the positive things of the match, and of course the bad things that I did, to improve to the next matches or next tournaments or next grand slams.

"I could say I was close to a good match, close to a fifth set, and in the fifth set everything could happen.

"This was my second quarter-final in a grand slam, and I think I fight until the last ball and hope to the next grand slam, next quarter-final that I play in a grand slam, [hope to] do it better and to my chances to pass to the semi-finals."

Eden Hazard has backed Real Madrid colleague Karim Benzema to win the Ballon d'Or, while he suggested fellow team-mate Thibaut Courtois should finish in the top five.

Benzema has enjoyed a remarkable season, inspiring Madrid to Champions League success and the Spanish title with four games to spare.

The France international scored 15 times in the Champions League, including a joint-record 10 in the knockout stages to be named as the competition's Player of the Season.

The Madrid talisman ended the season with 44 goals and 15 assists across all competitions. Only Kylian Mbappe (60) can better Benzema's 59 goal involvements among players from Europe's top five leagues.

Meanwhile, Courtois was the star of the show against Liverpool as he made nine saves, a record for a Champions League final since Opta began collecting data in 2003-04.

Courtois has led the way among goalkeepers in the competition this season, making the most saves (59) and boasting the highest save percentage of those to produce five stops or more (80.6).

That led to suggestions the Belgium international may be an unlikely contender for the Ballon d'Or, but Red Devils team-mate Hazard believes Benzema should win the coveted individual award.

"I've known [Courtois] for ten years now and he's been doing this for ten years," Hazard told reporters at a Nations League news conference on Tuesday.

"That was already the case at Chelsea and now at Real. Courtois, [Kevin] De Bruyne, [Sadio] Mane, Vinicius [Junior], they all had a good season. 

"But still I think Benzema deserves to win it. Courtois should be in the top five. But when you see how Benzema played in the quarter and semi-finals, that was really impressive."

Benzema will hope to carry his scintillating club form into the next season with Madrid, and also with France at the World Cup in Qatar.

The 34-year-old will partner with Mbappe at the tournament in November, and the Paris Saint-Germain star was almost Benzema's club team-mate before he snubbed Los Blancos earlier in the month.

Mbappe opted to stay in the French capital and sign a three-year extension with PSG, leaving Hazard to rue the impact he could have had at the Santiago Bernabeu as he aims to recover his own form for the upcoming campaign.

"The seats are already expensive at Real, but with Kylian Mbappe they would be even more expensive," Hazard added.

"Now I have to show the coach that I'm ready, that I can play. But since my surgery I do feel better. My approach will not change. All my success is also due to how I approached it."

Eden Hazard hopes to prove he is "not done yet" but remained non-committal on his future past the World Cup with Belgium.

The Real Madrid winger has endured another frustrating season, despite Los Blancos wrapping up a 35th LaLiga title with ease and 14th European Cup with Champions League victory over Liverpool on Saturday.

Hazard started just seven games in LaLiga this season for his 18 appearances, totalling 713 minutes of action, and recorded just one assist without finding the net.

That has been the disappointing trend for the 31-year-old, who has managed just 48 outings in the league for Madrid since leaving Chelsea for a reported fee of €100million in 2019.

Hazard remains a well-liked member of the Madrid dressing room, regularly seen surrounded by team-mates at the various celebrations this campaign, but he is striving to improve next season.

His next task sees him lead Belgium into their Nations League campaign, starting against the Netherlands on Friday, and Hazard is hoping to prove a point with his country, who will aim for World Cup glory in Qatar.

"I was disappointed at the European Championship. I had done everything I could to stay fit, but then I missed out against Portugal," he told reporters on Tuesday.

"Now we have even bigger players and young people who will show themselves. We have to go to Qatar with the hope of winning. I want to be able to play without any problems and get back to my old level. 

"But I don't know yet if I will continue after Qatar. It depends on so many things. My family, but also my body for example. I also have to be able to handle it physically.

"I don't know if I'm going to play all the games. You should not forget that I have played very little football in recent months.

"But I want to use these matches to find my feeling and the rhythm again. Ideally, I'll do good preparation to play everything next season and be strong for the World Cup."

While he remains unsure on his future past the World Cup with Belgium, Hazard insists he will give his all to succeed with Madrid before his contract expires in 2024.

"My career was already beautiful," he continued. "Playing at the most beautiful club in the world is great, although the past three years have not been great. 

"For me personally it was bad, but I have come across great players and people. My contract has two more years left and everything points to it getting better. 

"There are no more physical problems and I want to show that I am not done yet. I never thought of leaving. I didn't want to leave. I know I can show something when I get to my level. 

"I just have to play again to be the old, the real Eden Hazard. For me, the new season started three weeks ago. 

"I knew it would be difficult to play this season, but the most important thing for me is to prepare well and be ready for next season."

Alexander Zverev said he was "s******* my pants" as he attempted to stave off a fightback from Carlos Alcaraz in his French Open quarter-final win on Tuesday.

Zverev claimed an impressive 6-4 6-4 4-6 7-6 (9-7) win over the 19-year-old Spaniard to set up a semi-final with either Novak Djokovic or Rafael Nadal.

The German initially appeared dominant as his controlled and composed display saw him take a two-set lead, and although Alcaraz did improve in the third, Zverev even had the opportunity to serve out the match for a straight-sets win.

He failed to grasp that chance and Alcaraz looked likely to level the match as he began to exert greater control in rallies – his dropshots proving especially threatening.

But Zverev clung on even as the crowd vociferously backed his opponent in the fourth-set tie-break, eventually seizing his opportunity when he felt Alcaraz was potentially taking charge of the match.

Asked about his emotions in a fourth set that was something of a rollercoaster, he said: "[I was] s******* my pants as well."

The rather crude joke received a flat response from a Court Philippe-Chatrier crowd that never particularly got behind Zverev.

However, he soon waxed lyrical about his popular opponent, who was the first top-10 scalp of Zverev's career at a grand slam.

"At the end of the day, I knew I had to play my absolute best tennis from the start, and I'm happy I did that," Zverev continued.

"He kept on coming back, he's an incredible player. I told him at the net that he's going to win this tournament a lot of times, not only once.

"So I hope I can win it before he starts beating us all and we'll have no chance at all."

Zverev suggested his dip after the second set was contributed to by the changing conditions, having thrived in the sun and then seen his level drop when in the shade.

But he could not hide his joy at avoiding a fifth set.

"For me, when it's shady and slower it's not perfect for me," he said. "I didn't get broken once when it was sunny, the ball was a lot faster, I had to adjust my strings as well.

"The match was turning his way, so at the end of the day I'm extremely happy I won the tie-break and I didn't have to play a five-set match, didn't have to be disappointed after the five-set match again like I was last year.

"I'm still in the tournament – usually I'm a very good talker, but right now I can't talk. I'm speechless."

Alexander Zverev beat a top-10 player at a grand slam for the first time in his career as he defeated one of the pre-French Open favourites Carlos Alcaraz to reach the semi-finals.

Despite being seeded higher, Zverev seemingly came into the match as the underdog but ultimately produced a cool performance to win 6-4 6-4 4-6 7-6 (9-7) and awaits either Novak Djokovic or Rafael Nadal.

Alcaraz's sloppiness helped contribute to a fairly dominant first couple of sets for Zverev, but the gifted Spaniard fought back impressively to take the third and the tide appeared to be turning in the teenager's favour.

Zverev was no longer controlling rallies and increasingly found Alcaraz's blend of power and finesse tricky to cope with, but showed admirable grit to cling on and silence his opponent's vocal support.

The 25-year-old improved after a nervy start, capitalising on poor serving to claim the first break, with the near-flawless Zverev dropping just two more points on serve as he closed the first set in composed fashion.

The erratic Alcaraz was showing only flashes of his ability, while Zverev appeared unflappable as he saved a break point at 2-1 down in the second set before snatching a break of his own – the Spaniard regretting an attempt to serve and volley as he quickly found himself two sets down.

Going on the offensive was a necessity for Alcaraz in the third set and his spirit kept him alive when saving another break point with an immaculate drop shot – one of many – and an ace at 4-4.

He then finally broke Zverev for the first time, another brilliant drop shot doing the business, and he soon had the set.

By this point, Alcaraz appeared to be exerting greater control in the rallies playing up to the crowd more, but Zverev ended their fourth-set deadlock with a break that allowed him to serve for the match – not that he could capitalise.

Alcaraz hit back instantly and emphatically with a tie-break beckoning. His energy seemed to suggest the match was heading only one way, but Zverev held off a set point and finally put the match to bed with a reflex shot at the net.  

Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid has undergone surgery to repair two finger injuries but is expected to be ready for training camp.

Embiid suffered a problem with his right thumb in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series with the Toronto Raptors.

The 28-year-old played through the issue in Game 4, registering 21 points, eight rebounds and three assists in the 110-102 defeat in Toronto.

He managed to make it through the next two games as the 76ers edged out the Raptors, averaging 26.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 blocks per game.

However, a right orbital fracture and concussion in Game 6 against Toronto kept him out of the first two games of the Eastern Conference semi-finals against Miami Heat.

Embiid returned with a face mask as Philadelphia fell to a series defeat against the Heat, despite the center finishing as the league scoring champion with 30.6 points, 11.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists.

An issue with Embiid's left index finger, though, was not previously disclosed and he has sought to fix both hand problems with procedures in the offseason.

Embiid will hope to guide the 76ers further in the playoffs next season, after Philadelphia failed to make it past the second round for the fourth time in five years.

New Zealand paceman Tim Southee says England "won't die wondering" under his former team-mate Brendon McCullum.

McCullum was this month appointed as England Test head coach on a four-year deal.

It will be the ex-Black Caps captain's first international coaching role and he has been charged with the task of turning around the fortunes of a side in poor form.

England are bottom of the World Test Championship and have not won any of their past five series, a dismal run that resulted in Joe Root stepping down as captain and Ben Stokes replacing him.

New Zealand will attempt to make it a painful start to McCullum's tenure in the first Test at Lord's, which starts on Thursday, but Black Caps quick Southee thinks the 40-year-old can make a big impact.

He said: "It's exciting, obviously a great challenge for Brendon. I know him pretty well. Everything he does, he gives it a 100 per cent, so this will be no different.

"He's excited about the next wee while and what lays ahead of him. I'm sure he'll be doing everything he can to bring the best out of this England Test side. He's a great man-manager and he loves to try to get the best out of people.

"I'm sure he'll be doing that here as well. The way he played his cricket was exciting and fearless, and that's the way he is a person and I'm sure that's the way he is as a coach as well.

"It will be an exciting brand of cricket, I'm sure. They [England] won't die wondering I'd imagine if the way he goes about things is anything to go by."

New Zealand won the World Test Championship in England last year, but drew their past two series against Bangladesh and South Africa.

They have had changes of their own with Ross Taylor and BJ Watling retiring, but Southee is optimistic they can show their class in London.

He said: "It's very important, dropping a couple of Test matches in our home summer puts a little bit extra on this series. But our focus is the first five days here at Lord's, then we shift on to the second Test and the third. As a group, we try to play what's in front of us, attack it one Test at a time.

"We've been lucky that we've had a pretty consistent group of guys for a long period of time. Those two guys, BJ and Ross, have been massive parts of the side for such a long time, they're obviously big holes to fill.

"But we've got guys who have been playing some pretty good cricket and waiting in the wings for a while. Tom Blundell's had glimpses, played the last year and made some pretty handy contributions and the likes of Devon Conway and Will Young have impressed in their short international careers so far."

Jessica Pegula promised to come out fighting with her "A-game" as she aims for a "great story" by defeating the in-form Iga Swiatek at the French Open.

World number one Swiatek survived a first-set scare against Zheng Qinwen in the fourth round at Roland Garros to secure a 6-7 (5-7) 6-0 6-2 win on Monday.

That extended Swiatek's winning run to 32 matches, which means only Serena Williams (34) and Venus Williams (35) have recorded longer streaks on the WTA Tour this century.

Swiatek would match the longest winning run of the 2000s – set by Venus Williams in 2000 (35) – should she go on to lift the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen for a second time on Saturday, but first has to find a way past Pegula on Wednesday.

Pegula has only dropped two sets in Paris after reaching the quarter-finals with a 4-6 6-2 6-3 triumph over Romania’s Irina-Camelia Begu.

The world number 11 was the 16th scalp of Swiatek's incredible winning run when she lost to the Pole in Miami, and the American knows she must be at her best to contend with the top seed - who turned 21 on Tuesday.

"I know I'm going to have to play really, really well," Pegula said.

"I'm going to have to play aggressive against her, I'm going to have to go for my shots, because she is better when the point extends.

"I'm going to try and shorten the points as much as I can but at the same time try and be patient and not go for too much and miss my shots.

"But it's definitely going to be really tough. Hopefully I can bring my A-game because I need it."

Pegula and Swiatek share a 1-1 head-to-head record and is determined to be the one to end her dominance. 

"I practised with her here as well before the tournament started and she's a super nice girl," Pegula revealed.

"We practised a few times. So I definitely know [her game] but obviously in the moment, it's hard to pinpoint exactly what you should do. 

"She's just been so solid in every aspect. I think it's one of those things where at least I've played her so I think I do have that familiar sense, going against her, but yeah maybe a little different on clay.

"I think it goes both ways. I think sometimes it's like, 'Oh, I wish I didn't play her in the quarter-finals. I wish I played one of the other people, and didn't meet her so early, but then at the same time, it's a great chance to have a great win and a great story."

Wales boss Rob Page praised the Real Madrid fans for their "class" after greeting Gareth Bale with a standing ovation at their Champions League title celebrations.

Bale has endured a turbulent spell in the Spanish capital, despite scoring in three Champions League finals for Madrid and winning the competition with Los Blancos on five occasions.

The most recent of those came on Saturday in a 1-0 win over Liverpool, with Bale an unused substitute as Madrid lifted a 14th European Cup, which is more than double any other side.

The Wales international has been much maligned by Madrid fans during his time in Spain, as supporters and the Spanish media have questioned his commitment to the club.

However, Bale's appearance at the Santiago Bernabeu celebrations on Sunday was met with rapturous applause, signalling a fitting end as the 32-year-old prepares to move on when his contract expires in June.

Page expressed his gratitude to Madrid fans for that support after Bale linked up with Wales, who have the Nations League and a crucial World Cup qualifying play-off match to contend with in the next week.

"I thought they showed class and rightly so for what he's achieved for that football club," Page told reporters on Tuesday.

"You look back to what he's done, scoring winners in Champions League finals and in the manner in which he's done it.

"What an achievement for him personally to be a part of that group of people, that team that's achieved that, is phenomenal.

"Not many players can say they've done that, so credit to him. He deserves all the plaudits, absolutely. He's in good spirits as he always is.

"He was adamant he was meeting the players in Portugal to fly to Poland with them, which speaks volumes.

"He wanted to be with the squad as soon as possible. He's as humble as ever, he's met up with the group and he's been first class right away."

Wales face Poland in the Nations League on Wednesday before facing either Scotland or Ukraine for a place in the World Cup in Qatar.

Page suggested he will name a rotated side for the clash in Wroclaw, where Bale, Aaron Ramsey and Brennan Johnson will likely be rested, as Wales eye a first World Cup appearance since 1958.

"It's risk and reward," Page said on selection. "The biggest game we've got is on Sunday and that's no disrespect to Poland whatsoever.

"We're going to show them complete respect, but we'd be mad to jeopardise our top, top players."

Scotland boss Steve Clarke is "desperate" to reach the Qatar 2022 World Cup as his side prepare for an emotionally charged encounter with Ukraine.

The two sides meet in a UEFA qualifying semi-final playoff at Hampden Park this week, with the winner set to face Wales for a spot at the end-of-year tournament.

The match will mark Ukraine's first competitive fixture since the nation was invaded by Russia in February, with neutrals likely to be cheering Oleksandr Petrakov's visitors on in Glasgow.

Speaking ahead of the clash, Clarke says the emotional tenor of the game will be led by their opponents, but insists his side will only be focused on their own on-field goals.

"We always said we would be guided by the Ukrainians as to how they felt," he stated.

"They made a decision to get their football players out of the country and into a training camp to prepare for the game because they want to play, they want to try and give their nation a boost by qualifying for Qatar.

"The game goes ahead but still with the horrific outside influence, for us we focus on the game on football.

"Nothing but good thoughts and good wishes for them, except during the game.

"They want to go to Qatar to represent their country but I'm desperate to go to Qatar with Scotland.

"My staff are desperate to go and most importantly our players are desperate to take their country to a World Cup final so that's what we focus on."

Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos has explained why he grew frustrated by a reporter's questions following Saturday's Champions League final.

Kroos added a fourth Champions League trophy to his collection of silverware after helping Madrid to a 1-0 win over Liverpool in Paris.

The 32-year-old played the entire match for Carlo Ancelotti's side, making three tackles, winning three fouls and completing a team-high 77 passes out of 83 attempted (92.8).

No Madrid player had more touches (92) or completed more passes in Liverpool's half (34), while Kroos was also one of only five players to create a chance for the Spanish giants.

Madrid delivered a fine counter-attacking display, soaking up Liverpool's pressure, though Los Blancos did rely heavily on goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who made nine saves, including outstanding stops from Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.

That tally of saves is the most in a Champions League final since Opta began collecting date in the 2003-04 season, with Liverpool having 24 shots in total.

In a post-match interview with a German reporter, Kroos was asked if he had been surprised by how much Madrid had suffered.

The former Bayern Munich midfielder quickly grew frustrated and, when the line of questioning continued, refused to carry on with the interview, walking away from the reporter, stating: "Ninety minutes and you only come up with s***** questions."

Speaking on the podcast he co-hosts with his brother Felix - 'Einfach mal Luppen' - Kroos explained his frustration.

"At the time I was just p***** off. I was p***** off at him," Kroos said, as reported by AS.

"Of course we had [suffered]. They have to go through two or three phases of pressure, I also told him that when he asked the question.

"But that's normal. What do you expect? That we dominate Liverpool for 90 minutes? They are a world-class team. We had to beat them and that's what we did.

"I wouldn't have said we put them up against the wall from the first minute to the 90th minute.

"I'm the first to say that it was a close game and Liverpool probably had a few more chances. But we won the game, like in the last few months.

"But instead I hear that we won unfairly. I don't give a s*** in a final, you have to win it."

Real Madrid's Dani Carvajal expressed his concern that Los Blancos' Champions League final could be "tainted" by the "chaos" of the crowd problems at the Stade de France.

The showpiece on Saturday, which Madrid won 1-0 to claim their 14th European Cup, was twice delayed before kick-off due to crowd congestion, with UEFA initially citing "security reasons".

Liverpool fans complained of heavy-handed policing outside the stadium, suggesting tear gas or pepper spray had been used on supporters. A number of British-based journalists reported first-hand accounts of witnessing poor organisation and inappropriate behaviour outside the stadium by French authorities.

The Premier League club subsequently requested a formal investigation, while UEFA blamed the delays on fans trying to use "fake tickets" to gain entry.

UEFA has since commissioned an independent inquiry into the events in Paris, with Liverpool chairman Tom Werner demanding an apology and assurances the French authorities will cooperate with the investigation.

Carvajal's family were present at the final and the Spain international detailed the unsavoury scenes outside the ground as he called for change.

"There was quite a bit of chaos," Carvajal said on Tuesday at a pre-match press conference with Spain ahead of their Nations League game with Portugal.

"Our closest relatives – my parents, my wife and my son – had to be left practically at the door of the stadium because security getting in couldn't be guaranteed.

"It's a shame that because of something external the final could be a bit tainted.

"It must be noted and corrected for the next events that take place at that stadium. It needs to improve, because there were people that suffered a lot.

"It should have been a dream day, whether you win or lose, and there were people who couldn't enjoy it."

Luke Wood and David Payne are the new faces in England's first ODI squad ahead of June's three-match tour of the Netherlands.

Lancashire seamer Wood and Gloucestershire paceman Payne have been included in a 14-man party by white-ball coach Matthew Mott.

England have not played an ODI series since facing Pakistan in July 2021.

While Payne was previously called up for last year's series, this is Wood's first inclusion in the national set-up, with both seeking a maiden cap.

Captain Eoin Morgan returns after missing out last year due to a COVID-19 outbreak that forced a complete last-gasp squad overhaul.

Apart from Payne, Brydon Carse, Dawid Malan and Phil Salt are the only players from that second-string selection to make the cut this time, as a host of familiar faces come back into the mix.

Among them are Liam Livingstone and Jos Buttler, who both enjoyed successful campaigns in the Indian Premier League.

Livingstone scored 437 runs across 14 appearances for Punjab Kings, while Buttler's superb form propelled Rajasthan Royals to Sunday's final, though they lost to Gujarat Titans.

"We have tremendous depth with a blend of youth and experience," Mott stated. "We want to continue to play in an expressive style and let our players showcase their skills and firepower.

"Luke Wood deserves his call-up. He has been consistent for Lancashire over the past 12 months and we have been monitoring his progression.

"If given a chance to play, I'm sure he will make most of his opportunity. This is a historic occasion for the sport and the first time England men have played the Netherlands in an ODI series.

"We can't wait to head over to Amsterdam and put on a show for the thousands of fans travelling to support the team."

The series against the Netherlands starts at Amstelveen on 17 June, with the next two games to follow at the same venue on June 19 and 22.

England squad in full: Eoin Morgan, Moeen Ali, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, David Payne, Adil Rashid, Jason Roy, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, David Willey, Luke Wood.