Olympics

Messi is gearing up for Argentina's Copa America title defence, which begins against Canada on June 20, while they will also face Chile and Peru in Group A.

The final takes place on July 14, with the Olympic tournament beginning in Paris 10 days later. 

With three overage players allowed per team in the primarily under-23 event, leading to speculation that Messi could feature for La Albiceleste.

However, the 36-year-old, who was a gold medallist in Beijing 16 years ago, revealed he would not be partcipating following a discussion with Argentina under-23s coach - and former team-mate - Javier Mascherano.

"I talked to Mascherano and the truth is we both understood the situation," Messi told ESPN.

"It's hard [to think about the Olympics right now] because we're in Copa America. It would be two, three straight months of not being with the club, and more than anything, I'm not at an age to be in everything.

"I have to choose carefully, and it would be too much to play two straight tournaments. I've been very lucky to play in the Olympics, and win it together with [Mascherano].

"It was a wonderful experience on a football level. Olympics, under-20s, memories I'll never forget."

Miller-Uibo, who has tried in vain to have the 400 and 200 metres spread out at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, will likely be running just the half-lap event and not defending her title.

She went a long way on Friday to show she was getting faster, clocking 10.98 to smash her personal best twice after first easing to 11.03 in the heats.

The time puts Miller-Uibo in rarified air, the tall Bahamian now just one of four women to ever run sub-11 over 100 metres, sub-22 over 200, and sub-49 over 400.

Miller-Uibo got the better of 17-year-old United States athlete Tamari Davis, who clocked 11.15 seconds, and Jamaica’s Natalliah White, 11.19.

Farah, who won gold in the 10,000m and 5,000m races at both the 2012 and 2016 Games, needed to beat a time of 27 minutes 28 seconds to qualify.

Despite winning the 10,000m race on day one of the British Championships, Farah clocked a time of 27:47:04 – a stadium record at Manchester Regional Arena but not enough for Olympic qualification.

Farah had been struggling with an ankle injury that hindered his attempts in an Olympic trial in Birmingham earlier this month, though it had reportedly cleared up ahead of the Manchester event.

"I have had a wonderful career," he said when asked if it could mark the end of his track career.

"It is a tough one – if I can't compete with the best, I am not going there to just finish a final. It wasn't good enough tonight.

"It was quite windy. I tried to push and push. I knew I was on my own.

"It was amazing to have a crowd once more. That's all you can do as a human being: you give it your all.

"I've been lucky enough to have had the long career I've had. I'm very grateful but that's all I had today."

Farah has been concentrating on road racing for the past three years, though had hoped to return to the track for the Olympics.

Since she became the first Jamaican woman to win an Olympic 100m title when she crossed the line first at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, Fraser-Pryce has established a number of firsts that have augmented her incredible legacy of dominance on women’s sprinting. She would eventually win back-to-back 100m gold medals and at the Tokyo Olympics became the first woman in history to win 100m medals in four consecutive Olympic Games when she finished second to compatriot Elaine Thompson-Herah.

She was also the first to simultaneously hold Olympic and World 100m titles; she has done it twice (2008/2009 and 2012/2013) and she also became the first female sprinter to win the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay at a World Championships (Moscow 2013).

And this past summer, she became the first running athlete – male of female – to win five world titles in a single event, the oldest woman ever to win a world 100m title and capped it off running a record seven times below 10.7 in the 100m including the world-leading 10.62 in Monaco in August.

However, with all that under her belt she never believed herself to be in the conversation on who is Greatest of All Time.

“As an athlete, especially as a young athlete growing up I never had that belief in myself,” she said. “The mindset has been the greatest asset that I have had throughout my years and I always think I am very good at what I do because that is why I continue to show up knowing that I know that I can do it.”

However, her accomplishments during this past season has opened her up to the reality of the true strength of her legacy.

“To be able to accomplish the things that I did is only because of the grace of God because I have worked really, really hard and I think this time around I was more contented than ever knowing that I belong, having fun and a sense of being at peace and to be even considered one of the greatest is truly remarkable,” she said speaking to Sportsmax.TV at the conclusion of her Pocket Rocket Foundation’s ninth annual scholarship awards at the Jamaica Pegasus.

“So I am glad to even be able to me mentioned in the conversation. For me, I am just happy to be mentioned.”

Fraser-Pryce, who turns 36 in December will be going after a sixth World 100m title in Budapest in 2023 and what would be a record third Olympic 100m gold medal at the Paris Olympics in 2024.

Morgan, who has scored 123 goals in 224 appearances for her country, has appeared at every Olympics for Team USA since Beijing 2008 and won gold at London 2012.

The two-time World Cup winner has not scored in her past eight games for San Diego Wave after recently recovering from an ankle injury.

"Today, I'm disappointed about not having the opportunity to represent my country on the Olympic stage," posted Morgan on social media. "This will always be a tournament that is close to my heart and I take immense pride an time I put on the crest.

"In less than a month I look forward to supporting this team and cheering them on alongside the rest of our country."

Former Chelsea boss Emma Hayes will take charge of her first tournament as the USA manager, and has opted for Trinity Rodman, Jaedyn Shaw, Sophia Smith and Mallory Swanson as her main forward options.

"It was a tough decision, especially considering Alex's history and record with this team, but I felt I wanted to go in another direction and selected other players," Hayes said. 

Women's football in Paris begins on 25 July, with the gold-medal match taking place on August 10. 

The United States, who won bronze at Tokyo 2020, are drawn in Group B where they will face Zambia, Germany and Australia.

Soufiane Rahimi had given the Atlas Lions the lead with a penalty in the first half before Fermin Lopez restored parity in the second.

Fermin started brightly for Spain, testing Munir Mohamedi with a long-range strike before dragging an effort just wide of the far post after darting in behind.

Shortly after, Spain found themselves behind – Pablo Barrios caught Amir Richardson on the back of the calf with a high tackle in the box and Rahimi made no mistake from the spot to fire Morocco in front.

La Roja dominated the second half as they pushed for an equaliser, and Fermin clawed them level after jinking away from his marker to nestle his low shot into the bottom-right corner after 66 minutes.

Richardson almost restored Morocco's lead moments later, but his first-time effort swerved away from goal and wide of the near post, much to his frustration.

Substitute Sanchez then finished the comeback for Spain from a tight angle, with his shot bouncing in off the inside of the far post.

Abde Ezzalzouli and Richardson gave Arnau Tenas a late scare in goal with two powerful efforts, but luckily for the keeper, they could not find the target. 

Data Debrief: Fermin shines bright

Even in the first half when Spain struggled to make an impact, it felt like Fermin could prove to be the difference for La Roja, and he did just that.

At 21 years and 86 days, he is the youngest player to both score and assist in a men's Olympic tournament knockout round match since Neymar against Honduras in 2012 (20y 181d).

Santiago Sanchez will be hoping he can provide the spark once more in the showpiece game on Friday.

Achraf Hakimi scored a stunner, with Soufiane Rahimi, Ilias Akhomach and El Mehdi Maouhoub also netting in an emphatic victory as the USA failed to mount a threat.

Nathan Harriel upended Rahimi in the box just before the half-hour mark and the forward made no mistake from 12 yards, stroking the ball just out of Patrick Schulte's reach into the bottom-left corner.

The USA should have equalised in the 59th minute but Walter Zimmermann's nod-down was skewed well wide by Miles Robinson from close range.

Just four minutes later, Morocco doubled their lead – Akhomach darted in behind to rifle Abde Ezzalzouli's drilled cross in at the near post.

Hakimi will take most of the plaudits though, with the Paris Saint-Germain star winning an aerial duel before carrying the ball from the halfway line to the edge of the box and picking out the bottom corner with pinpoint accuracy.

Harriel's sorry day continued as he was penalised harshly for a handball after a VAR check in the 90th minute, and Maouhoub emphatically fired in Morocco's fourth. 

Data Debrief: Atlas Lions roar

Tarik Sektioui could not have asked for a better performance from Morocco, as they outplayed the USA at the Parc des Princes.

They created 2.53 expected goals from their 15 shots, hitting the target with eight of those, and converted all three of their big chances.

One thing is for sure, they will feel very confident going into the final four where they will face either Japan or Spain. 

Argentina looked to have salvaged a 2-2 draw from 2-0 down in Saint-Etienne, with Soufiane Rahimi netting twice before Giuliano Simeone pulled one back for La Albiceleste.

Medina appeared to have equalised when he nodded home following a goalmouth scramble 16 minutes into second-half stoppage time, but crowd trouble then broke out with cups, bottles and pyrotechnics being thrown at Argentina's players by spectators.

The referee took the teams off the pitch, and amid confusion over whether the final whistle had sounded, it was reported another three minutes would be played in an empty stadium.

It was subsequently announced Argentina's potential leveller had been ruled out after a VAR review showed Bruno Amione was offside in the build-up.

Another three minutes of stoppage time were then played out around two hours after the players had been taken off, with Morocco holding on to win 2-1.

While Morocco now sit top of Group B with three points, Javier Mascherano's side – who were among the pre-tournament favourites – remain on zero. 

Having finished seventh in the final at Rio 2016, Muir took silver at the last edition of the games in Tokyo, finishing behind Kenya's Faith Kipyegon with a time of 3:54.50.

The 31-year-old Scot has been tipped to go one better this year after running a British record of 3:53:79 at the Diamond League meeting in the French capital on July 7.

Speaking exclusively to Stat Perform, Muir outlined her hope that the 2024 Games will mark the culmination of her progress over the last few years. 

"The record I broke was the record that I ran in the Tokyo Olympics, winning silver," she said, reflecting on her record time. 

"So to break my British record that I ran winning silver, and to do it in the city that the next Olympics is going to be held in… it was just a 'this is meant to be' moment. 

"It was really special, and to run the fastest I've ever ran just ahead of the Olympics was perfect and such a big confidence boost.

"I'm just going to go into the Games in the best shape I've ever been in."

Muir's silver medal in Tokyo came in front of no public spectators, with crowds in the Japanese capital limited to fellow athletes as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

She is excited about the chance to share her experience with others this time around, saying: "It was such a shame that nobody could watch the biggest events in Tokyo. 

"It's just so nice that people can come and spectate now, not just athletics but lots of different sports. 

"With it being so close to home it'll be really easy for people to travel out there, it's not a big time difference, so it'll be so much easier for people to watch. I'm just really excited that they can soak up that atmosphere."

Team GB managed five athletics medals in Tokyo (two silver, three bronze), having taken seven in 2016 and six on home soil at London 2016.

With the likes of Matt Hudson-Smith and Keeley Hodgkinson also tipped to be in medal contention, Muir has high hopes regarding Team GB's overall prospects.

"I think it's a fantastic team we've got out in Paris, so I'm just really excited to see how everybody gets on," she added.

"To see Matt get his European record, Keeley get her British record, I got my British record a couple of weeks before that… it's a really, really exciting place to be. 

"I think we're so strong across so many different events as well, which is so exciting, and the depth of that within some events, especially in endurance running, it's really exciting to see."

Muir, who came second in the 1,500m in Tokyo three years ago, will again compete this year in the hopes of sealing a first gold medal in Paris. 

Three-time grand slam winner Murray has confirmed he will retire from tennis after the Games, having previously won gold on two occasions.

The Scot's first Games appearance was in Beijing in 2008, losing in straight sets to Lu Yen-hsun in the first round.

Four years later, Murray triumphed on home soil by beating Roger Federer at London 2012, beating the Swiss in straight sets in the final.

The Briton became the first male tennis player to win two Olympic singles titles when he beat Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro at Rio 2016.

Murray withdrew from the singles event at the most recent grand slam at Wimbledon, competing in the doubles alongside brother Jamie but going out in the first round.

Dan Evans will partner Murray in the doubles in Paris, with Muir praising the Scot's influence both on and off the court across his 19-year professional career. 

"I think it's just he's been at the top for so long, and it's just been so nice to see him progress through everything," Muir told Stats Perform. 

"He's had so many hard times and he's come back and he's fought so hard and he's been so patient and such a big sportsmanship person at the same time.

"I think he's just hugely inspirational, not just in the sport of tennis but through Scottish sports and also lots of other sports on the team as well.

"Just to see someone fight for so long and do so well, it's been so nice to see.

"So it'll be such a shame that we won't see more of him to come, but it's just so nice to be able to finish it with the Olympics - he's hugely inspirational person both on and off the court."

Fellow 1,500m hopeful Jake Wightman, who finished 10th at the Tokyo games, echoed Muir's words on Murray's glittering career. 

"I think probably him winning Wimbledon for the first time is like a iconic moment within my sporting history, just because I'd watched Wimbledon most years and never seen a Brit perform anywhere near that level," Wightman told Stats Perform. 

"You'd obviously had Tim Henman going to a certain point, but it had been an era of just watching [Rafael] Nadal and Federer for a long time battling it out.

"So to see somebody in Britain, a British athlete, being able to go and do that was, I think, something that we may not see for a long time."

The British duo saved match points again to emerge victorious in a gripping tie-break, prevailing 6-3 6-7 (10-8) 11-9 at Roland-Garros. 

Murray and Evans flew out the blocks in the opening exchanges, racing into a three-game lead early on before seeing out the first set in comfortable fashion. 

But their Belgian opponents fought back strongly in the second set and looked in a strong position to level the match, only for Evans' individual close-net brilliance to level the set.

For the second match in a row, Murray’s career hinged on a first-to-10-point match tie-break, with the British duo showing their powers of recovery once more after saving two match points. 

After missing two match points in the second-set tie-break, the Team GB duo would make no mistake this time around as Evans completed another miracle escape with a volley at the net that left Murray in tears shortly after. 

They will take on either American third seeds Tommy Paul and Taylor Fritz or Dutch duo Robin Haase and Jean-Julien Rojer in the next round. 

Data Debrief: Murray's farewell tour continues 

In yet another enthralling match involving Murray and Evans, the pairs resilience once again shone through at Roland-Garros to keep the Scot's hopes of a third gold medal alive. 

The pair saved all three of the break points they faced, but were also equally impressive on serve as they won 57 of their 79 first serve points. 

The two-time gold medallist looked set to be playing his final game, but Team GB prevailed 2-6 7-6 (7-5) 11-9 on Court Suzanne Lenglen.

Nishikori and Daniels, who were both eliminated from the men's singles competition earlier in the day, were keen to make amends and broke the British pair twice in the last four games of the opening set to draw first blood.

Murray and Evans responded well and replied to two breaks in the second set to force a tie-break, in which they held their nerve to level.

In the final set decider, the curtain looked sure to come down on Murray's glittering career, but the Brits survived five match points to level the tie-break at 9-9 before remarkably booking their place in the next round.

Data Debrief: From the jaws of defeat

Nishikori and Daniels could not have asked for a better first set as they brushed their opponents aside, making just four unforced errors to Team GB's 10.

However, Murray and Evans' resilience kicked in, and they saved two break points in the second set. In the decider, they won the last seven points to storm through, leaving their opponents shocked.

In an already memorable tournament for Murray, he has just played a match that will live long in the memory.

Murray and Dan Evans saved two match points to defeat the Belgium duo Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen 6-3 6-7 (10-8) 11-9 and reach the quarter-finals.

It was another great escape for the pair, who saved five match points in the previous round, and their heroics left Murray in tears as he slumped back in his chair.

Afterwards, he said: "It's unbelievably emotional. I mean you're obviously unbelievably happy and then for whatever reason, I don't know why it happens, it's like happy tears.

"I don't know why that's the case but I was really emotional at the end of the match.

"Obviously, I was extremely happy, excited that we managed to get through."

The three-time grand slam champion and one-time Olympic gold medallist is still hopeful of going further in the competition, having fallen out at the quarter-final stage of Tokyo 2021 alongside Joe Salisbury.

Murray said: "The way the scoring system is, and the way the teams play now, the margins are just so fine that anything can happen really.

"But we've definitely got a chance of getting through to the semis."

Evans, who is set to lose more than 110 ranking spots for not defending his Washington Open title in order to team up with Murray in Paris, is pleased with the improved level of performances as the tournament has progressed.

He said: "What happened again was incredible.

"We're getting really close to doing something pretty special. 

"People see that, how good we've been in tight moments, and we're getting better and better."

Murray and Evans will be back on court on Thursday and are now just one match away from the chance of a medal for Team GB.

Murray, a three-time major champion and two-time Olympic gold medallist, retired from tennis after his doubles campaign at the Paris Games came to an end on Thursday.

The 37-year-old and his partner Dan Evans lost to American duo Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul in straight sets.

When reviewing his career after the hip surgery in 2019, Murray spoke of his pride in achieving victories against some of the brightest talent that the sport has to offer in the years that followed.

He also looked back fondly on the 46th and final title of his career, which came in Antwerp against great rival and fellow three-time slam champion Stanislas Wawrinka.

"Winning the trophy in Antwerp was great and although the results certainly weren't consistent I did have wins against quite a lot of players who are up at the top of the game – [Carlos] Alcaraz, [Jannik] Sinner, [Stefanos] Tsitsipas, [Hubert] Hurkacz," Murray told BBC Sport.

And Murray doubts whether a similar comeback will be seen again.

"To do that with a metal hip, I don't know if that will happen again or not," he added.

"I was the first to try to do it and although it didn't go perfectly I was able to have what many players would consider a pretty successful four or five years."

Though Murray acknowledges the challenges he faced playing with a resurfaced hip, he remains content with how he was able to compete well into his thirties. 

"It wasn’t the same as it was before but that's what I’m most proud of – I was able to come back and play at the highest level with a pretty significant physical limitation," he said.

And with three grand slams already down in 2024, the Paris Olympics provides that extra shot in the arm as players across the board gun for gold.

The big names are descending on Roland-Garros for a second time this season, with the famous venue of the French Open playing host to the Olympic tennis tournament.

Iga Swiatek and Rafael Nadal, two dominant forces on the Parisian clay, will be in action, while Andy Murray, a two-time Olympic gold medallist, is making his final appearance before retirement.

Novak Djokovic is also set to feature, while Carlos Alcaraz and Coco Gauff will play at their first Olympics, though Jannik Sinner, the men's world number one, has had to withdraw due to illness.

Here, we outline the main storylines ahead of the tournament starting on Saturday.

Murray's last hurrah

This will be it for Murray. The three-time grand slam champion, and former world number one, is finally bowing out.

The 37-year-old, who won gold in the men's singles at London 2012 and Rio 2016, as well as claiming silver in the mixed doubles at the first of those Games, confirmed his impending retirement on Tuesday.

Murray is the only man with multiple singles gold medals since tennis returned to the Olympic program in 1988. He will become the first British athlete to appear in four singles draws at the Games, too.

He is one of just eight players in the Open Era to have won 200 or more matches at majors, while only Nadal, Djokovic and Roger Federer have won more ATP 1000 matches than Murray since the format's introduction in 1990.

The Scot will bow out as the British player with the most singles titles on the ATP Tour in the Open Era (46).

The Dream Team

There are so many stars for fans in Paris to take in, but arguably the main attraction will be the doubles dream team of Nadal and his heir apparent Alcaraz, who are pairing up to represent Spain.

This team counts the record champion at Roland-Garros (14) in Nadal, and the reigning champion in Alcaraz.

While four-time major champion Alcaraz is featuring at his first Olympics, Nadal is a veteran campaigner at the Games, having scooped gold in the singles at Beijing 2008 and in the doubles in Rio eight years ago.

Nadal is one of two players to secure an Olympic gold in both the men's singles and doubles since tennis returned to the Olympics in 1988, alongside Nicolas Massu (both at Athens 2004).

Like Murray, Nadal is set to bow out in the coming months, and what better way to go than winning gold with the player who could well go on to match his feats?

Nadal's great rival Djokovic, meanwhile, will surely also be playing at his final Games.

Djokovic will become the player with the joint-most appearances in men's singles at the Olympics (five, equalling Yen Hsun Lu) since the sport returned to the Games 36 years ago.

The Serbian is the player with the most matches played (19) and joint-most matches won (13, level with Federer) at the Olympics since 1988.

Swiatek's Roland-Garros return

Women's world number one Swiatek loves Roland-Garros just as much as Nadal does.

Four of the 23-year-old's five grand slam titles have come at the venue, including her success earlier this year. In fact, Swiatek has won four of the past five French Open titles.

Swiatek lost in the second round in Tokyo, but given her dominance in Paris in recent years, she has to be considered the favourite in the women's draw.

Indeed, only Margaret Court (95.2%) has a higher winning percentage at Roland-Garros than Swiatek (94.6%) in the Open Era.

That being said, the incumbent world number one has won gold at the Olympics only twice: Steffi Graf in 1988 and Justine Henin in 2004.

Aryna Sabalenka rivalled Swiatek throughout this season's clay-court swing. The Belarusian, who will be competing under a neutral banner, lost in the second round in Tokyo three years ago. 

Gauff flying the flag

There was heartbreak for Gauff three years ago, as she missed out on what would have been her maiden Games after testing positive for COVID-19.

All being well, that won't be an issue this time around, and the 20-year-old will have the honour of bearing the United States flag at Friday's opening ceremony. She will be the first tennis player to fly the flag for Team USA.

Gauff, the world number two, has reached the quarters, the final, the quarters again and the semi-finals in her last four appearances at the French Open - will she finally break her Roland-Garros duck?

If she does, then Gauff will join Graf (1988), Jennifer Capriati (1992), Lindsay Davenport (1996) and Venus Williams (2000) as the women to win Olympic gold before turning 21.

Former world number one Naomi Osaka, who lit the torch in Tokyo, should not be discounted either.

She is looking to become the second Japanese player to secure an Olympic medal since tennis' return to the Games, after Kei Nishikori's bronze in Rio.

The two-time gold medallist had twice come from the jaws of defeat at the tournament, but there was to be no miracle this time as they were beaten 6-2 6-4 in the quarter-finals.

Murray and Evans endured a nightmare start to proceedings, conceding a double break to their American opponents which proved to be decisive in deciding the opening set.

Despite a better start in the second, Paul and Fritz would again stamp their authority on the encounter, racing into a 5-2 lead and to within a game of victory. 

But as shown in the previous rounds, Murray and Evans showcased grit and determination to claw themselves to within a game of levelling the contest after saving one match point in the eighth game. 

However, Fritz's strong serving would come to the fore as it had done throughout the contest on Court Suzanne Lenglen, making no mistake to wrap up the victory. 

Paul and Fritz will face Matthew Ebden and John Peers for a place in the final, potentially setting up an all-American clash with Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram. 

Data Debrief: Murray's farewell ends in disappointment

There was to be no comeback from Murray and Evans this time around, as tennis says goodbye to one of its greatest ever players. 

But the encounter belonged to the Americans, whose performances on serve proved to be the difference at Roland-Garros. 

Fritz and Paul would win 63% of their 40 first serve points, winning seven service games compared to the Brits' four. 

The Italian was pushed all the way, but held strong to prevail 7-5 7-5 in just over two hours at Roland-Garros.

Zverev knew he was in for a tough day from the start, losing his serve in the opening game, and though he managed to claw back to draw 5-5, Musetti got another vital break to take the first set.

The pair matched each other throughout the second, but Musetti eventually found his edge with a three-game winning run when it mattered and wrapped up the match by serving to love.

He will face either former world number one Novak Djokovic or Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas in the next round.

Data Debrief: Musetti comes out on top

It was just the second-ever meeting between Musetti and Zverev, with the first coming to an early end when he had to retire through injury in Madrid in 2022.

He put that right today though, and becomes just the third Italian player to reach the men's singles semi-finals at the Olympics in history after Uberto De Morpurgo (Paris 1924) and Paolo Cane (Los Angeles 1984).

Thompson-Herah's career has faced a downward spiral since her departure in October 2021, and despite public opinion suggesting a reunion could revive her floundering fortunes, Francis emphatically stated that she would not be welcomed back. To be clear, despite her current struggles, Thompson-Herah has never publicly expressed any interest in returning to MVP.

Thompson-Herah's extraordinary accomplishments at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, where she secured the sprint double with record-breaking performances, solidified her status as one of the greatest sprinters in history. However, her decision to leave MVP Track Club shortly after her Olympic triumphs left many questioning her motives and the impact it would have on her career.

Explaining her departure back then, Thompson-Herah highlighted her desire for personal growth and the need to take charge of her own destiny. She expressed gratitude for the support she received in her earlier years but emphasized the importance of making choices that aligned with her best interests. "What I want for myself, to better myself, was not provided. So, I have to find ways to get it done," she said, reflecting on her decision to move on.

Coach Stephen Francis, a renowned figure in the track and field world, responded to inquiries from Sportsmax.TV about Thompson-Herah's potential return to MVP Track Club. His answer left no room for ambiguity. "No. The way she left and the comments that she made and the fact that she has yet to accredit any member of the MVP staff who paid her a lot of attention and went through a lot of sacrifice to get her healthy enough to run and to do what she did in 2021," Francis stated, clearly outlining his reasons for refusing her return.

Francis continued, expressing his disappointment that Thompson-Herah failed to acknowledge the efforts of the MVP staff, instead attributing her success solely to her husband and other factors. "She didn't say anything about that from MVP. No, that never sits well with us. Even if she had said, ‘Thanks, to MVP. You know, I'm really grateful, we would have been fine. But right now I would take back any of my former athletes but not her, No," he emphasized.

The public had hoped that a reunion between Thompson-Herah and MVP Track Club would reignite the spark that had propelled her to Olympic glory. However, Francis's unwavering stance has shattered those hopes. With Thompson-Herah's career floundering in recent years, the absence of her former coach's guidance and support poses significant challenges for her future endeavors, especially in light of her recent signing with Puma.

Thompson-Herah now faces an uphill battle as she seeks to reclaim her position at the top of the sprinting world. Without the familiar structure of MVP Track Club and the guidance of Coach Francis, she will need to dig deep to find the motivation and resources necessary to revive her career.

 At 34, Fraser-Pryce will be one of the oldest women lined up to face the starter's gun, should the event eventually be staged in Tokyo later this year.  The 32^nd Olympiad was initially slated to be staged last summer but was postponed due to the impact of the global coronavirus pandemic.

The postponement of the quadrennial event has meant another year of training and preparation for some legendary athletes facing another race, the one against time.  The situation will not be an entirely new one for nine-time World champion and two-time Olympic champion Fraser-Pryce.  In 2019, at the age of 32, she became the oldest female sprinter to win a 100m world title.  In that event, by comparison, silver medalist, Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith was nine years her junior.  Showing herself to be very much at the top of her game in 2020, however, despite the havoc the global pandemic wrought on the international schedule, Fraser-Pryce is clearly in the mood to defy the odds yet again.

“Yes, I’m 33, but if I can come back from having my son and be able to stand on the podium, my age is not going to stop me.  I’m still going to work hard.  I’m still going to be committed and I’m grateful for the years of experience I’ve had,” Fraser-Pryce told the BBC.

"I'm probably older than most of the women in the race but so what? I'm just focusing on getting the job done and being happy."

Two of the game's greats will lock horns for the 60th time - and what is expected to be the final time - in round two at Roland-Garros, following Nadal's victory over Marton Fucsovics.

The Spaniard battled past his Hungarian opponent in three sets to keep his final campaign alive on the French clay, where he won a record-breaking 14 French Open titles.

He secured the most recent of those in 2022 following a victory over Djokovic in the quarter-finals - and what was the pair's most recent encounter.

But Nadal knows he will be the underdog this time around.

"Of course, it's beautiful to play against one of the two biggest rivals that I had in my career, especially on this court," he said.

"But our situations are completely different. He's been very competitive. I have not been very competitive for the last two years, so in that case, I think probably he is the clear favourite.

"I'm going to try to bring my best to the court and then let's see how far I can go, and how many problems I can create [for] him.

"It's always beautiful to play on this court, without a doubt. Representing your country is always super special."