The leaders of tennis' four grand slam events have commended Naomi Osaka for opening up about her mental health problems and have vowed to put players' wellbeing first.
Osaka pulled out of the French Open on Monday, a day after organisers fined the four-time grand slam winner and threatened her with more severe sanctions for refusing to attend mandatory media conferences.
The world number two said in a statement posted on social media that she has had "long bouts of depression" since winning the US Open in 2018 and never intended for her stance to become a distraction.
Osaka also indicated that she was willing to work closely with tour officials "to discuss ways we can make things better for the players, press and fans."
Amid criticism for the way in which they have handled the matter, those in charge of the French Open, Wimbledon, US Open and Australian Open have now softened their stance.
A joint statement on Tuesday from French tennis federation president Gilles Moretton, All England Club chairman Ian Hewitt, U.S. Tennis Association president Mike McNulty and Tennis Australia president Jayne Hrdlicka read: "On behalf of the Grand Slams, we wish to offer Naomi Osaka our support and assistance in any way possible as she takes time away from the court.
"She is an exceptional athlete and we look forward to her return as soon as she deems appropriate. Mental health is a very challenging issue, which deserves our utmost attention.
"It is both complex and personal, as what affects one individual does not necessarily affect another.
"We commend Naomi for sharing in her own words the pressures and anxieties she is feeling and we empathise with the unique pressures tennis players may face.
"While players' wellbeing has always been a priority to the Grand Slams, our intention, together with the WTA, the ATP and the ITF, is to advance mental health and wellbeing through further actions.
"Together as a community we will continue to improve the player experience at our tournaments, including as it relates to media.
"Change should come through the lens of maintaining a fair playing field, regardless of ranking or status. Sport requires rules and regulations to ensure that no player has an unfair advantage over another.
"We intend to work alongside the players, the tours, the media and the broader tennis community to create meaningful improvements. As Grand Slams, we aim to create the stage for the players to achieve the highest accolades in our sport."
Osaka's shock withdrawal generated an outpouring of support across the tennis world and beyond, with the likes of Serena Williams, Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova backing the 23-year-old's stance.
Gael Monfils also chipped in on Tuesday, the top-ranked French men's player pointing out that it is difficult to judge Osaka's situation from the outside.
"We need Naomi. We need her definitely to be 100 per cent," he said following his win over Albert Ramos-Vinolas.
"We need her back on the court, back on the press conference, and back happy. You know, that's what we need.
"What she's dealing with is tough for me to even judge, because I think she has massive pressure from many things.
"I think she's quite young. She's handling it quite well. Sometimes we want maybe too much from her, and then how she says maybe she can't manage it that well, so sometimes for sure she's going to make some mistakes.
"But I give her always the chance because she's a champion, she's quite young, she has a huge influence. I think she needs to take some time for herself to work on herself, feel better."
Novak Djokovic eased into the second round of the French Open thanks to a straight-sets win over Tennys Sandgren in the final match at Roland Garros on Tuesday.
The top seed – beaten by Rafael Nadal, who is in the same half of the draw, in the Paris final last year – had won his previous 16 first-round contests at the French Open, and there never appeared to be any danger of him failing to extend that record on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
Indeed, this meeting lasted under two hours, with the world number one cruising through 6-2 6-4 6-2 without conceding serve and while hitting 33 winners in the process.
It also brought up his fourth career win over Sandgren, maintaining a 100 per cent record over the world number 66. Pablo Cuevas awaits in round two.
Sandgren was a break down in a hurry as Djokovic breezed through the first set in just 31 minutes.
The 34-year-old – a five-time Roland Garros finalist who claimed his solitary title at the event in 2016 – grew frustrated in the second set as he made nine unforced errors and offered up six break points, yet he saved them all.
It evidently demoralised Sandgren, who had put everything into trying to draw level, and the American swiftly found himself 4-1 and two breaks down in the final set, with Djokovic moving through the gears.
A sloppy shot into the net cost Djokovic his first match-point opportunity at 5-2 up, yet he made no mistake as he served out for the win – Sandgren's overhit cross-court forehand rounding off a one-sided contest.
Data Slam: Super Djokovic serves up a treat
Eighteen-time grand slam champion Djokovic may not have needed to live up to his own lofty standards, but his service game was typically excellent in the evening session. He landed 49 of 73 first serves, helping him to win 86 per cent of his first-serve points (42/49).
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Djokovic – 33/21
Sandgren – 25/27
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Djokovic – 4/2
Sandgren – 5/1
BREAK POINTS WON
Djokovic – 5/11
Sandgren – 0/6
Ashleigh Barty acknowledged it will be a "tough" week for her at the French Open as she plans to play through the pain at Roland Garros.
Barty – champion in Paris back in 2019 – had to take a medical time out during her first-round tie with Bernarda Pera on Tuesday.
The Australian world number one struggled with a hip issue, yet still progressed with a 6-4 3-6 6-2 win.
"It's going to be a little bit tough this week. I think over the weekend we had a bit of a flare-up through my left hip, which obviously just needed a bit of help today, needed some assistance to try and release it off as best I could," the 25-year-old said in her post-match news conference.
"I'm not going to hide behind the fact I'm not quite 100 per cent but I can guarantee that I will go out there with the right attitude every day and be really accepting of that and give it a crack no matter what.
"We're confident in that we can get my body to a point where I'm able to compete. We're here, we're fighting, we're in with a chance, and that's all we can do."
Magda Linette is next up for Barty on Thursday, the Polish player defeating Chloe Paquet in straight sets.
COCO CARRIES ON HER FORM AS SEEDS REACH ROUND TWO
Fresh from her triumph in both the singles and doubles in Parma, and a run to the Internazionali BNL d'Italia semi-finals, Coco Gauff started her campaign with a tough win over qualifier Aleksandra Krunic.
Gauff, the 24th seed, certainly had to do it the hard way, with the 17-year-old clawing back four set points in the opener, but some brilliant first serves – she landed 71 per cent of them – got her through in straight sets.
It brought up Gauff's first win at a grand slam as a seed. She is ranked at 25th in the world, making her the youngest American woman to make it into the top 25 since Serena Williams in 1998.
Wang Qiang will face Gauff in round two in what is a repeat of the Parma final.
Meanwhile, three other big names also made it through. Former world number one and 2017 French Open semi-finalist Karolina Pliskova overcame her close friend Donna Vekic 7-5 6-4, while fellow Czech Karolina Muchova came from behind to beat Andrea Petkovic 1-6 6-3 6-4.
With Petkovic's exit, there are no female players from Germany in the second round at Roland Garros for the first time since 1958.
Fifth seed Elina Svitolina is also through to round two after coming back from a break down in the second set to beat teenager Oceane Babel 6-2 7-5.
"It's a first time for her to play here in the main draw of the grand slam and to face the sixth player in the world it's extremely tough," Svitolina said of her young opponent.
"I think she dealt very well with it and she went for her shots in the second set and made life very difficult for me."
SUAREZ NAVARRO MAKES COMEBACK
Carla Suarez Navarro overcame Hodgkin lymphoma earlier this year, after revealing last September that she had been diagnosed with the rare cancer.
Suarez Navarro won that battle and is now cancer free, but in what she said will be her last appearance at Roland Garros, she slipped to a defeat to 2018 finalist Sloane Stephens.
The Spaniard took the first set 6-3 and forced a tiebreaker in the second, but it was Stephens who edged it before taking that momentum into the decider to claim a 3-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 win.
Rafael Nadal has tipped Alexei Popyrin for greatness after being tested by the youngster in the opening match of his latest French Open title defence.
World number three Nadal saved two set points in the third set on his way to a well-earned 6-3 6-2 7-6 (7-3) victory in Tuesday's contest at Roland Garros.
It means that only three players have taken a set from the Spaniard at the grand slam event since 2016 – Diego Schwartzman, David Goffin and Dominic Thiem.
Nadal's victory over Popyrin was his 31st in a row in Paris since 2015 and keeps him on course for a record-extending 14th triumph in the French capital.
The third seed was impressed by what he saw from his 21-year-old opponent, who showed admirable resistance by saving four break points to force a tie-break in the third set.
"With this serve, with these kinds of shots from the baseline, he has everything to become a top player," Nadal said. "If he wants to do it, of course he is going to have his chances, because he has a lot of very difficult things in his game.
"He has everything to become a great, or at least a fantastic player. Let's see. Let's see what is going on in the next couple of months and years."
Asked about his impressive record of rarely dropping a set, Nadal said: "We are playing best-of-five. The other player needs to win two more sets to beat you.
"I know I'm going to be there fighting for every single point. Of course I don't want to lose the set at all, but that's part of the game.
"I'm happy to win that third set. I don't know how I won it, but I did, and I'm glad."
RUBLEV BEATEN BY BIG-SERVING STRUFF
Nadal's path to another French Open title is a little clearer following seventh seed Andrey Rublev's surprise first-round exit to world number 42 Jan-Lennard Struff.
Rublev had reached the quarter-final stage at his previous three majors and was much fancied to go far in Paris, but he fell 6-3 7-6 (8-6) 4-6 3-6 6-4 to the big-serving Struff.
The German hit 25 aces on his way to beating a top-10 opponent at a grand slam for the first time, setting up a second-round meeting with Facundo Bagnis.
"I was feeling fine," Rublev said after the defeat. "I practiced well. I don't know why I lost. I think we played a good level today. I played a solid two sets, third and fourth, and then the fifth set.
"I think I should have won the second set, but this is tennis. I was serving for the set and I didn't make it, then in the tie-break I was a bit unlucky and he played well."
MONFILS ENDS SLAM DROUGHT
Fan favourite Gael Monfils battled back from a set down to beat Albert Ramos-Vinolas 1-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 6-4 and earn his first grand slam win since the 2020 Australian Open.
Monfils has struggled since tennis resumed last year after the coronavirus-enforced break, with Tuesday's win on home soil just his second this season.
Elsewhere on Tuesday, Australian Open semi-finalist Aslan Karatsev kicked off his French Open campaign with victory over Jenson Brooksby in three sets.
Tenth seed Schwartzman, who reached the last four in Paris last year, saw off Lu Yen-hsun 6-2 6-2 6-3 in his opening match.
Matteo Berrettini was made to work a little harder for his victory against Taro Daniel, the ninth seed advancing through 6-0 6-4 4-6 6-4.
There was an upset later in the day, though, as number 20 seed Felix Auger Aliassime was beaten in four sets by world number 98 Andreas Seppi.
Rafael Nadal started his quest for a 14th French Open title with a straight-sets defeat of Alexei Popyrin on Tuesday.
The defending champion will face Richard Gasquet in the second round after a 6-3 6-2 7-6 (7-3) victory over powerful Australian Popyrin on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
Nadal, eyeing a record 21st grand slam title, saved two set points in the third set as Popyrin gave a demonstration of his promise, but the world number three finished off the job in in two hours and 23 minutes on a glorious day in Paris.
Popyrin held to love in his first service game and matched Nadal in the first set before he ballooned a forehand long and wide to go 5-3 down.
Nadal served out the set in typically composed fashion and maintained his momentum in the second, charging into a 4-0 lead.
The third seed lost only three points behind his first serve in the second set, saving the only break point he faced as Popyrin was unable to live with his power and precision.
Popyrin would not go down without a fight, though, and although Nadal levelled at 2-2 after fending off a break point, he was unable to deny the world number 63 a first break for a 4-2 lead.
The 21-year-old failed to win two set points when he tried to serve it out at 5-4 up as Nadal got himself out of trouble and went on to dominate the tie-break, ending the match with a rasping forehand that his opponent returned well wide.
Data Slam: King of Clay Nadal up to 101-2
Nadal's latest victory in Paris took his record at his favourite grand slam to a staggering 101 victories and two defeats.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Nadal – 28/23
Popyrin – 34/43
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Nadal– 7/5
Popyrin – 8/5
BREAK POINTS WON
Nadal – 4/11
Popyrin – 1/4
Petra Kvitova has withdrawn from the French Open after damaging her ankle in a fall during a press conference on Sunday.
Kvitova was due to face Elena Vesnina in the second round at Roland Garros, having already beaten qualifier Greet Minnen in straight sets.
The 11th seed's participation in the second grand slam of the year is over, though, due to a freak injury suffered as she was carrying out media duties after her opening match.
Kvitova - a two-time Wimbledon champion - is hoping to recover in time for the grass-court season following such an unfortunate setback.
"It is with great disappointment that I announce my withdrawal from Roland Garros," she tweeted on Tuesday.
"During my post-match press conference on Sunday I fell and hurt my ankle. Unfortunately, after an MRI and much discussion with my team, I have made the tough decision that it would be unwise to play on it.
"It's incredibly bad luck, but I will stay strong and do my best to recover for the grass court season."
World number one Ash Barty battled through injury and a stubborn opponent in Bernarda Pera on Tuesday to advance to round two of the French open in three sets.
Barty, who missed out on the chance of defending her title at Roland Garros last year due to coronavirus restrictions, struggled with a back issue but still prevailed 6-4 3-6 6-2.
The top seed had 18 winners to 25 unforced errors as she made it eight wins in Paris, where either Magda Linette or Chloe Paquet await in the next round.
She had little trouble in seeing out the first set, hitting 80 per cent of her first serves, but she became passive from that point on and her opponent took advantage in the second set.
World number 70 Pera earned the only break in the second game and took her second set point to level up the contest.
Barty then had a scare as she called a medical time out at the beginning of the deciding set, but she looked a lot more focused from that point on.
The Australian saved the two break points she faced and broke Pera in the sixth and eighth games to pick up the victory in exactly two hours.
"This court is very close to my heart," Barty said in her on-court interview. "It's so nice to play here in front of fans, you make it enjoyable for players.
"Thank you very much. I just keep fighting. I was able to build more pressure in the third set which was important but Bernarda played an incredible match."
Boris Becker fears Naomi Osaka's career could be "in danger" after she withdrew from the French Open to prioritise improving her mental health.
Osaka had hit the headlines by revealing she would not face the media at Roland Garros because "people have no regard for athletes' mental health" during news conferences.
The four-time grand slam champion was fined for not fulfilling her media duties after beating Maria Tig and warned she could face more severe sanctions.
Osaka on Monday revealed she had pulled out of the second major of the year to take time away from the court, having struggled with "long bouts of depression" since winning the US Open in 2018.
The 23-year-old also spoke of her struggles with social anxiety and Becker is concerned for her tennis future.
Becker, a winner of six grand slam titles in his illustrious career, told Eurosport: "I heard her first response a couple of days ago about this media boycott and that is something to be always taken seriously, especially from such a young woman.
"She couldn't cope with the pressures of facing the media after she loses a match, but that happens frequently and you have to deal with it.
"I always believed the media was part of the job. Without the media, there is no prize money, no contracts, you don't get half the cake. I hated the media and I didn't like talking to journalists, but you had to do it.
"Now she is pulling out of the tournament altogether because she can't cope with it and that raises much bigger questions for me.
"If she can't cope with the media in Paris, she can't cope with the media in Wimbledon or the US Open. So I almost feel like her career is in danger due to mental health issues."
Egan Bernal hopes to complete a Grand Tour clean sweep at the Vuelta a Espana after winning the Giro d'Italia.
The INEOS Grenadiers rider sealed a first Giro title in Milan on Sunday, winning by a margin of a minute and 29 seconds.
Bernal will not go in search of a second Tour de France crown this year, but is eyeing a maiden Vuelta success in a race that will start on August 14.
The Colombian told Semana TV: "Yes, the Vuelta. Right now, I don't want to think about one month training and being away from home, but I like to race, and I like to prepare, to do things well, so I know I will have the motivation to go to the Vuelta and do it well.
"We're looking at the Vuelta. I can't just sit at home and do nothing."
Bernal said he has matured since winning the Tour two years ago.
"I've lived a lot of things, not just in sport but at the personal level as well," he added.
"Things are changing, and I am more mature. I won the Tour at 22, and that's not easy. I obviously had a lot to learn, and I still do. I've changed a lot since I was 22, and the Egan at 22 is very different than the Egan of today.
"I don't think I could have won this Giro if I had faced the same situation at 22. I'm only 24 now, so I am not that old, but a lot of things have happened since then, and it helped me to win this Giro. I was surrounded by good people with a lot of experience."
Memphis Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins insisted only the finest of margins separate his team from the NBA's best after a 120-113 loss to the Utah Jazz in Game 4 of their playoff series.
Donovan Mitchell had 30 points and eight assists to lead the top-seeded Jazz to the brink of the conference semi-finals.
The Jazz survived another spirited effort by the eighth seeds to take a 3-1 series lead and can advance with a win in Game 5 on Wednesday.
But Jenkins believes the Grizzlies are still in with a shot.
"We are right there," Jenkins said. "We are literally going toe-to-toe with the best team in the NBA.
"We are doing a lot of things great. We gotta find ways to do more.
"This season isn't over."
Ja Morant scored 23 points and had 12 assists but made just one of seven three-pointers for Memphis, who were 10 of 35 from distance as a team.
Jenkins acknowledged that, while the Grizzlies fell short in some areas, they were close to perfection.
"You are never going to play a perfect game," he said. "We have to play a perfect game against this team, and we are so close.
"Two games in a row it comes down to the last couple of minutes. I would not say I am frustrated. I am so encouraged.
"All we gotta do is go and win one game on the road. We have won there before.
"Our mentality all season long is to continue to fight, be the most competitive team, the most together team.
"I have the utmost faith in this group that when we go out and get on a plane tomorrow, we will be ready for Game 5."
The Washington Wizards have shown their confidence in Rui Hachimura from the very beginning, and he rewarded them Monday with one of the best games of his career.
Hachimura scored 20 points on eight of 12 shooting from the field and grabbed 13 rebounds to play a key role in the Wizards' 122-114 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 4 of their playoff series.
Though the 23-year-old forward from Japan has started every game he has played for Washington in his two NBA seasons, his performance Monday had his team-mates and head coach Scott Brooks raving.
"He's growing up right in front of our eyes. Sometimes I want these guys to be 27 right now and four seasons of playoff experience, but you get it by going through it," Brooks told reporters.
"He was a big, big part of us on both ends of the floor. He's a multi-defender, he can guard many different types of player, and we need his rebounds. We can't just rely on our point guard getting rebounds.
"He was good on guarding, he was good on making shots. He had a big three and had a big defensive possession not too far from one another."
Hachimura had a pair of key baskets late in the game, capped by a three-pointer off a pass from Bradley Beal that gave Washington a six-point lead over the top-seeded 76ers with 45.8 seconds to play.
"It was a great pass by Brad. ... He trusted me and he passed to me, so I had to shoot with confidence," Hachimura said. "That was a big three for sure, especially at this moment.
"I was just trying to be aggressive on both ends, defensively and offensively. As a team I think we played together tonight, and that's why we got a win."
Getting contributions from players beyond the star back-court of Beal and Russell Westbrook is critical to the Wizards' chances, and Hachimura was the player who stepped up for Washington's first win in the series.
After logging 27 and 26 minutes the previous two games, he played 41 Monday, making himself indispensable on both ends of the court.
"For me, we always just want him to be aggressive and accept his challenges on the defensive end," Beal said. "That's when he has a good game, when he's locked in on defence, he's guarding somebody, he's making it tough on them, he's guarding Ben [Simmons], making it tough on him.
"Then he rebounded the ball really well tonight, too. I think him just being engaged in all facets of the game kind of propelled him on the offensive end and boosted his confidence. Once he seen one [shot] go in, he was making them all night."
The key going forward is for Hachimura to play this way more consistently, but his coach liked what he saw in Game 4.
"We're all trying to figure things out, with Rui and with everybody," Brooks said. "This has been a season of figuring it out on the fly at times, but when Rui gets that gear, that's what we need.
"He's had it, it's been choppy at times through some of his unfortunate injuries and safety protocol. He seems to ramp up and then something unfortunate takes place. But he's in a good place."
There is no margin for error in the top-heavy National League (NL) West, and the Los Angeles Dodgers kept the pace Monday with an impressive 9-4 win over the St Louis Cardinals.
Trevor Bauer surrendered three home runs in a game for the first time since July 13, 2019, but the defending World Series champions got enough timely hitting to prevail.
Chris Taylor led the way with three hits for Los Angeles, including the second of back-to-back home runs along with Gavin Lux to give the Dodgers a 2-0 lead in the second inning.
But the real highlight for Taylor came in the sixth, when he capped a remarkable 14-pitch at-bat against Genesis Cabrera with a three-run double that gave Los Angeles a 6-3 lead.
The Dodgers gained a game on the San Diego Padres with the win and sit two back of the rival San Francisco Giants for the division lead.
Rays finish May on fire
The Tampa Bay Rays may be sad to see May come to an end, as their 3-1 victory against the New York Yankees gave them a 35-20 record to finish the month after a 13-14 start to the season. According to Stats Perform, they are the first MLB team to be under .500 at the beginning of a month and at least 15 games over at the end since the Boston Braves did it in August of 1933.
Making his first start for the Chicago Cubs, Kohl Stewart shut down the powerful Padres line-up for five innings, allowing three hits and one unearned run, as the Cubs rolled to a 7-2 win that moved them past the Cardinals and into first place in the division.
The Houston Astros closed in on the Oakland Athletics in the American League (AL) West with an 11-2 pounding of the Boston Red Sox, the hitters backing a strong outing by Jose Uquidy.
Orioles come up empty again
The Baltimore Orioles took the Minnesota Twins to extra innings but fell once again, 3-2 in the 10th, for their 14th defeat in succession. On the plus side, the Orioles have a long way to go before matching their club-record losing streak of 21 in a row to open the 1988 season.
While the Arizona Diamondbacks managed to break their lengthy losing streak Sunday, a 6-2 defeat to the New York Mets on Monday gave them a 5-24 record in May as the month came to a close.
Two-way heroics for deGrom
Jacob deGrom was his usual dominant self on the mound against the woeful Diamondbacks, allowing two hits and striking out eight in six scoreless innings to lower his ERA to 0.71, but the Mets star also demonstrated his abilities at the plate with a run-scoring single. According to Stats Perform, deGrom is the only pitcher since ERA became an official stat in 1913 to have a sub-1.00 ERA and a batting average of at least .450 over any span of eight starts with a minimum of 10 plate appearances.
Monday's results
Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 New York Yankees
Minnesota Twins 3-2 Baltimore Orioles
Cincinnati Reds 11-1 Philadelphia Phillies
Milwaukee Brewers 3-2 Detroit Tigers
Chicago Cubs 7-2 San Diego Padres
Chicago White Sox 8-6 Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians 3-1 Chicago White Sox
San Francisco Giants 6-1 Los Angeles Angels
Houston Astros 11-2 Boston Red Sox
Seattle Mariners 6-5 Oakland Athletics
Atlanta Braves 5-3 Washington Nationals
Kansas City Royals 7-3 Pittsburgh Pirates
Los Angeles Dodgers 9-4 St Louis Cardinals
New York Mets 6-2 Arizona Diamondbacks
Rays at Yankees
Domingo German will get the ball for the New York Yankees (29-25) as they attempt to end a four-game losing streak against Tyler Glasnow and the seemingly unstoppable Tampa Bay Rays (35-20), who have won 16 of their last 17 games.
Another day brought another worrying incident involving fans at NBA playoff games.
A man ran onto the court with about four minutes remaining in the third quarter of the Washington Wizards' 122-114 win against the Philadelphia 76ers in D.C. on Monday.
The man jumped and attempted to touch the backboard while players from both teams came down court from the opposite end before a security officer at Capital One Arena tackled him as referees stopped play.
Monumental Sports and Entertainment, the company that owns the Wizards and the arena, said the fan would be banned from future events and the organisation would pursue charges against him with D.C. police.
"Monumental Sports & Entertainment has a zero tolerance policy when fans violate our code of conduct at Capital One Arena," the company said.
The incident came a day after a fan in Boston threw a water bottle at Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving, leading the veteran to deplore players being treated as if they are "in a human zoo."
That followed episodes in which Wizards guard Russell Westbrook was showered in popcorn during a defeat away to Philadelphia in Game 2, while a New York Knicks fan spat on Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young in Game 1.
"Fans got to grow up at some point," Nets star Kevin Durant said Sunday. "I know that being in the house for a year and a half with the pandemic got a lot of people on edge, got a lot of people stressed out, but when you come to these games, you have to realise these men are human.
"We are not animals; we are not in the circus. You coming to the game is not all about you as a fan. So, have some respect for the game. Have some respect for the human beings, and have some respect for yourself.
Joel Embiid left Game 4 of the Philadelphia 76ers-Washington Wizards NBA playoff series early due to a right knee injury.
The Philadelphia star landed awkwardly after driving to the basket for a shot attempt with just under five minutes to play in the first quarter Monday.
Embiid remained in the game until 36.5 seconds remained in the period, then walked up the tunnel to the locker room.
He did not return to the court, and the team announced at the start of the second half that he would miss the rest of the game with right knee soreness.
Philadelphia led by as many as 11 before Embiid's injury, but their fortunes began to fade when he went out and the Wizards took their first lead of the game just before half-time.
While Philadelphia has a comfortable 3-0 series edge, they will not want to be without Embiid for an extended period.
Their star made 14 of 18 shots from the field in scoring 36 points in Game 3.
He had eight points and six rebounds before departing Monday.
After fighting through a knee injury to start Sunday's game, Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis is in question for Game 5 against the Phoenix Suns.
Davis injured his groin just before halftime of Game 4 and missed the second half of the Lakers' 100-92 loss that levelled the series at 2-2.
Head coach Frank Vogel told reporters Monday that scans confirmed Davis suffered a strained groin.
Davis as questionable for Tuesday's game in Phoenix, but Vogel said the eight-time All-Star will do everything he can to ensure he is on the court.
"I mean, these guys, they're great competitors," Vogel said.
"They're always going to say, 'I'm ignoring this. I'm going to be in there.' So, we'll just see.
"That's what his mindset is, like any competitor, but we'll see what the groin feels like tomorrow and we'll make a smart decision. But he's in good spirits."
Davis previously hurt his knee in Game 3, though he continued to play, and vowed to reporters that there was "no chance" he would miss the next game.
The severity of his latest injury is unclear, but little-used forward Markieff Morris tweeted the word "opportunity" Monday, indicating he sees a chance for some court time after playing only 12 minutes in the first four games.
Vogel declined to say what his plans might be should Davis not be able to play Tuesday.
On the positive side, Vogel said he was "hopeful" guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will return to the lineup after missing Game 4 with a knee injury.
Naomi Osaka's shock withdrawal from the French Open generated an outpouring of support across the tennis world and beyond.
The four-time grand slam winner pulled out of Roland Garros on Monday, a day after tournament organisers said her continued refusal to attend mandatory press conferences could result in her being thrown out of the event.
Osaka said in a statement posted to social media that she has had bouts of depression since winning the US Open in 2018 and never intended for her stance to become a distraction.
Monday's action in Paris had mostly been completed when the news broke, but Serena Williams shared her thoughts following an evening match.
Williams acknowledged feeling anxious dealing with the press at times early in her career, but said she believed the experience made her stronger.
Top of mind, however, was concern for Osaka.
"The only thing I feel is that I feel for Naomi. I feel like I wish I could give her a hug because I know what it's like," Williams said.
"We have different personalities, and people are different. Not everyone is the same. Everyone is different and everyone handles things differently.
"You just have to let her handle it the way she wants to, in the best way she thinks she can, and that's the only thing I can say. I think she's doing the best that she can."
Osaka's fellow players and others took to social media with encouraging messages for the 23-year-old.
Venus Williams wrote on Instagram: "So proud of you. Take care of yourself and see you back winning soon!"
Young American star Coco Gauff responded to Osaka's tweet by writing "stay strong ... I admire your vulnerability."
A pair of tennis legends also weighed in on Twitter.
"I am so sad about Naomi Osaka. I truly hope she will be ok," Martina Navratilova wrote.
"As athletes we are taught to take care of our body, and perhaps the mental and emotional aspect gets short shrift.
"This is about more than doing or not doing a press conference. Good luck Naomi - we are all pulling for you!"
Billie Jean King added: "It’s incredibly brave that Naomi Osaka has revealed her truth about her struggle with depression. Right now, the important thing is that we give her the space and time she needs. We wish her well."
Mardy Fish, the former ATP player who reached number seven in the world, wrote to Osaka: "Mental health is nothing to criticise. Nothing to joke about. Pls [sic] take your mental health seriously. Without my support system, I truly believe I would not be here today. Here for you."
That public show of support extended beyond tennis, as prominent NFL and NBA players praised Osaka for her courage.
"We are with you," said Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.
NBA star Stephen Curry wrote: "You shouldn't ever have to make a decison like this - but so damn impressive taking the high road when the powers that be don't protect their own. Major respect."
One down, plenty more to go. While the opening round of the NBA playoffs has already produced plenty of drama, the Miami Heat's hopes of a repeat run have been extinguished.
The 2020 finalists fell at the first hurdle this time around, swept aside by a Milwaukee Bucks team now waiting to find out who they will face next. As for the defending champions, the Los Angeles Lakers are finding the going tough against the Phoenix Suns, that series one of three in the Western Conference delicately balanced at 2-2 through four games.
In the East, the picture looks somewhat clearer. Still, as the Denver Nuggets demonstrated last year in the NBA's Florida bubble, no 3-1 series lead is safe in the playoffs.
As the contests keep coming thick and fast, Stats Perform takes a brief pause to review those stepping up in the the playoffs, as well as the players who could do with finding some form again.
RUNNING HOT
Ja Morant
Having helped the Memphis Grizzlies come through the play-in tournament, Morant has continued to dazzle in the series against the Utah Jazz. After 26 points in the opener, the second-year point guard has dropped 47 and 28 in the next two meetings, albeit on neither occasion were his efforts enough to secure his team a victory.
Still, he is averaging 33.7 points per game against Utah, a huge upturn from 19.1 in the regular season. So, just how good has he been? Well, in reaching a century of points through his first three playoff games in the NBA, Morant matched a feat previously only achieved by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain and George Mikan.
Derrick Rose
Rose has claimed the starting point guard spot from Elfrid Payton for the New York Knicks as they go up against the Atlanta Hawks, a series the latter now leads 3-1 after a 113-96 triumph on Saturday.
Elevated off the bench, Rose has managed a combined total of 48 points in back-to-back losses on the road, during which he landed five of his nine attempts from deep. Payton, meanwhile, has scored one point in just 13 minutes of court time during the playoffs and did not get off the bench at all the past two games after averaging 10.1 points per game in the regular season.
Kawhi Leonard
"This is playoff basketball, we've just got to figure it out." Those were Leonard's words as the Los Angeles Clippers faced a 2-0 deficit as they headed to Dallas to continue their battle with the Mavericks.
It is safe to say the two-time NBA Finals MVP has done just that on his travels, helping his team fight back to level the series between the fourth and fifth seeds in the West. Across the past week, Leonard has averaged 35.7 points, aided by sinking 21 of his 23 attempts from the free-throw line, as well as contributing 24 rebounds. Playoff Kawhi means business this year.
GOING COLD
Shake Milton
Having averaged 13.0 points per outing in the regular season, Milton has endured a playoff slump for the Philadelphia 76ers as his minutes have been reduced. So far, the 24-year-old has managed nine points in a series that has seen his team hold control throughout.
Milton has managed to land only two of his 12 shot attempts, including missing all six in Game 2. In the following outing, head coach Doc Rivers opted to use Tyrese Maxey ahead of his team-mate off the bench, a move that may become a regular feature as the 76ers look set to move on to round two.
Enes Kanter
For the Portland Trail Blazers in the regular season, Kanter averaged 11.2 points and 11.0 rebounds per game. In the playoffs, however, it has been a different story for the veteran center.
After playing over 32 minutes across the first two games against the Denver Nuggets, Kanter has now figured in a little over nine in the following two. During his limited opportunities, there have been no points, two rebounds and a solitary blocked shot. Up against Nikola Jokic, the Blazers have opted to go with alternative options when starting center Jusuf Nurkic is taking a seat on the bench.
Montrezl Harrell
Make no mistake, the Lakers are locked in a battle with the Suns. Phoenix were impressive in taking Game 4 on the road on Saturday to draw level, during which the 2019-20 Sixth Man of the Year was finally called into action again by head coach Frank Vogel.
However, Harrell's appearance was fleeting. Having averaged 13.5 points during the regular season when playing just under 23 minutes per outing, he has been a non-factor in the playoffs. After not even making it onto the court in the previous two games, his brief cameo at the weekend saw him fail to muster a shot as LA lost at home. Across the past week, he has not scored a single point.
Serena Williams started her quest to match Margaret Court's grand slam record by seeing off Irina-Camelia Begu in the first round of the French Open.
Williams, who reached the semi-finals in Melbourne earlier this year, has been stuck on 23 slam triumphs – one shy of Court's career haul – since winning the 2017 Australian Open.
But the seventh seed in Paris did just enough in a challenging opening outing on Monday, the first official night match in French Open history, overcoming Begu 7-6 (8-6) 6-2 in one hour and 44 minutes.
Begu proved a worthy match, winning four straight games and at one point holding two set points in the opener, but the world number eight's quality and experience ultimately came to the fore.
Having charged into a 5-3 lead, Williams found herself at 0-30 down when serving for the first set, and an overhit slice followed by another errant, awkward backhand gave Begu the break.
More unforced errors followed from Williams as her hopes of clinching the set with a return break were dashed, before the 39-year-old scooped long on her own serve to give Begu the advantage.
The American regained her composure to hit back, though, and force a tiebreak. Begu had two set points to play with at 6-4 up, but Williams rallied, winning the next four to take a hard-fought lead.
A superb drop shot teed Williams up for a break at the start of the second set, yet she tensed up again in game six.
Williams was applauding Begu for a supreme forehand down the line, but the former world number one was soon frustrated as the Romanian clawed back to deuce three times.
Begu's resolve finally crumbled, however, and Williams was left to serve out a win which sets up a second-round tie with Mihaela Buzarnescu.
DATA SLAM: Error-strewn Williams will have to sharpen up
By 3-3 in the tiebreaker, Williams had made 21 unforced errors, in contrast to just seven from Begu. Williams tightened up after nosing ahead, making just nine more in the remainder of the contest, but she will know such issues cannot continue if there is to be a chance of reigning again in the French capital this year.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Williams – 27/30
Begu – 18/17
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Williams – 5/2
Begu – 2/3
BREAK POINTS WON
Williams – 5/8
Begu – 3/5
Roger Federer is enjoying the "whole rhythm thing" of playing at a grand slam again but admits he has no idea what he is capable of achieving at the French Open.
The Swiss looked sharp in his first-round match on Monday against Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin, posting a 6-2 6-4 6-3 win – coming through his first match at a major since the 2020 Australian Open and subsequent knee surgery.
It was partly his prowess but perhaps also the shortcomings of Istomin's performance that allowed 2009 champion Federer to put on a show on Court Philippe Chatrier, setting up a clash with a familiar foe in Marin Cilic next.
Federer and Cilic will be going head to head for an 11th time – Federer leads the series 9-1 – and for the first time since the 2018 Australian Open final, which went the way of Basle's 20-time grand slam winner in five sets.
It will be their sixth clash in a slam and at the earliest stage they have encountered each other at a major, with those past tussles also including the 2017 Wimbledon final, when an injury-hampered Cilic lost in straight sets.
Federer spoke after beating Istomin of how it is difficult to gauge what he might go on to manage at Roland Garros.
"In a way, I like this situation, that I don't know what's next, how my next match will be. I don't even know who I play, to be honest," Federer said.
"I take it round by round, match by match. I think it's going to help me, with the way I go about it. I'm very happy I won today. It gives me a chance again to test myself on Thursday, I believe. I don't know when I'm playing.
"So see how I feel tomorrow morning. Just all these things going through practice, coming to the site, seeing people, just this whole rhythm thing.
"It's nice to be back in it."
Federer is in Paris without his family due to COVID-19 restrictions and worries it will be the same story at Wimbledon.
But he added: "We signed up for it. I didn't do rehab to then sit at home again. There's a lot to look forward to."
MEDVEDEV WINS AT LAST
Daniil Medvedev's status as the second seed in Paris was the factor that made it possible for Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal to be drawn in the same half of the draw, which is what transpired.
There is an element of farce about Medvedev being seeded above 13-time Roland Garros champion Nadal, because the Russian has gone out in the first round in each of his previous visits to the clay-court slam.
However, on Monday, the world number two made a breakthrough, winning well in a match where he was expected to run into trouble as he earned a 6-3 6-3 7-5 victory over Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik.
"It doesn't feel different than the Australian Open for me coming into this tournament. Now when I'm coming to these big tournaments feeling like this, I know I'm capable of doing big things," Medvedev said.
"If I lose here in Roland Garros it's probably going to be because my opponent will play really good."
NEXTGEN MAKE EARLY IMPACT
David Goffin, the Belgian 13th seed, lost 6-0 7-5 7-6 (7-3) to 19-year-old Italian Lorenzo Musetti, and it was a day when the sight of 39-year-old Federer turning on the style was balanced by the inspiring sight of the next generation showing their potential.
Musetti's fellow Italian Jannik Sinner is also 19 and is the 18th seed, showing on Monday he has the fight to come through tough battles, rallying from two sets to one down to beat experienced French player Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-1 4-6 6-7 (4-7) 7-5 6-4.
It was the first time Sinner had won a deciding set in a best-of-five match.
Sinner, Musetti and Spain's Carlos Alcaraz could all be major factors at Roland Garros in future years.
Alcaraz, who turned 18 in early May, followed up his run through qualifying and to the second round of the Australian Open by doing the same in the French capital.
He dropped only 11 games in winning three best-of-three-set qualifiers last week and was too strong for his 24-year-old compatriot Bernabe Zapata Miralles, snatching a 6-3 2-6 6-1 7-6 (7-4) win for a first senior win at Roland Garros.
"I think the mental game is really, really important in this kind of matches," Alcaraz said. "You have to be focused and calm all the match, like three hours and 10 minutes.
"It's really important and not easy to do. In the match I trusted a lot in my physical side. I could play really, really good game during the whole match."
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