Ons Jabeur eased past Camila Osorio in straight sets to progress to the next round of the Nottingham Open.
The three-time grand slam champion returned to the East Midlands for the first team since 2014, and got her grass court season off to a winning start with a 6-2 6-3 win over the Colombian.
It was the perfect start for the world number 10, who earned a break point in the opening game before going on to win the first set, but the Tunisian was made to work to secure her triumph.
Osorio matched Jabeur early on, but the top seed at the tournament showcased her class to come through the encounter, building on her quarter-final run at the French Open as her preparations for Wimbledon continue.
Jabeur will face Linda Fruhvirtova in the next round of the competition.
Data Debrief: Top seed Jabeur through to next round
The world number 10 was at her clinical best, winning 84 per cent of her first serve points.
Jabeur's win saw her unbeaten record continue against Osorio, having last prevailed at Roland-Garros in May.
Emma Raducanu made a successful return from injury at the Nottingham Open with a straight-sets victory over Ena Shibahara.
The 21-year-old opted to miss Roland Garros and focus on her grass season, with the decision paying off as she earned a 6-1, 6-4 win on Tuesday.
Raducanu cruised through the first set and looked set to race through the second as well when she took a commanding 5-1 lead.
Shibahara upped her level and got a double break as errors crept into the Briton's game to force a nervy ending to the set, but Raducanu held out to get her first win on grass since Wimbledon in 2022.
She will now face Daria Snigur in the next round.
Data Debrief: Raducanu all smiles on injury return
Raducanu has been out of action since exiting the Madrid Open in April, but she impressed in her opener in Nottingham.
Despite the nervy end to the game when Shibahara showed some fight, Raducanu was in full control, winning seven games in a row, while also converting six of her eight break points.
Despite the fact that West Coast Fever suffered a tough round nine loss to Adelaide Thunderbirds, Jamaica’s Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard remains atop the Nissan Net Points tally, with her compatriots Romelda Aiken-George, Shamera Sterling-Humphrey and Latanya Wilson also in pole across other categories.
With 959.5 Net Points to her credit, Fowler-Nembhard is well over 100 points ahead of Sunshine Coast Lightning’s Liz Watson (809.5 points), with Sterling-Humphrey (780 points) in third.
Fowler-Nembhard also has a strangle hold on the goals and attempts leaderboards, with 494 goals and 514 attempts. She has Australian goal shooters Donnell Wallam (378 goals and 440 attempts), Sophie Garbin (363 goals and 413 attempts), and Cara Koenen (340 goals and 376 attempts) keeping close company. Aiken-George is fifth on both standings with 306 goals and 353 attempts.
However, Aiken-George continues to lead the offensive rebounds ladder with 43, ahead of Garbin (37), Koenen (33), Wallam (30), and Fowler-Nembhard (25).
A massive week from Wilson ensured the Sunshine Girl retains pole position on the intercepts ladder, as her tally of 33 now pushed her five ahead of teammate Sterling-Humphrey (28).
Still, Sterling-Humphrey has a firm grip on the deflections leaderboard (62) and defensive rebounds (22), both marginally ahead of Ash Ervin, who has 53 deflections and 18 defensive rebounds. Wilson (49) is third on the deflections ladder.
Meanwhile, despite another Swifts loss, Helen Housby’s willingness to shoot from range has not stopped. She is still leading the Suncorp Super Shots (53) and attempts (81) categories, while Liz Watson has continued her midcourt dominance, with 232 goal assists to her name to go with her 236 centre pass receives.
Naomi Osaka put her French Open disappointment behind her to advance to the next round of the Libema Open after beating Elise Mertens in straight sets.
The 26-year-old had match point against eventual winner Iga Swiatek in the second round at Roland-Garros but failed to capitalise. However, that defeat was put to the back of her mind, winning 6-2 6-4 in the Netherlands.
Mertens matched Osaka in the opening exchanges, but the Japanese would rally to take control and win the next three games to secure an early advantage.
She showed signs of frustration in the second set as the Belgian threatened to take the encounter to a deciding set, but Osaka remained composed to see out the victory.
Osaka will now face either Bernarda Pera or Suzan Lamens in the next round.
Data Debrief: Osaka wins maiden grass encounter against Mertens
Osaka's victory saw her win 28 of her 31 first-serve points, accumulating to a 90 per cent success rate.
The Japanese claimed her fifth victory over Mertens since their first meeting in Wuhan in 2019, but her triumph was the first encounter between the pair on a grass court.
Roger Federer insisted his decorated tennis career was "about having grit" as he dismissed the theory that his style of play was "effortless".
Federer is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, with his tally of 20 grand slam men's singles titles only bettered by Novak Djokovic (24) and Rafael Nadal (22).
The Swiss, who also won a record eight times at Wimbledon before retiring from the sport in 2022, was one of the most popular sportsmen of his generation with his classy brand of tennis earning him adulation around the globe.
But Federer rejected claims his ability was "pure talent alone" while delivering a graduation speech at Dartmouth College, where he received a Doctor of Humane Letters degree from the New Hampshire institution.
"People would say my play was effortless. Most of the time, they meant it as a compliment," he said during the ceremony. "But it used to frustrate me when they would say: 'He barely broke a sweat', or: 'Is he even trying?'.
"The truth is, I had to work very hard to make it look easy. I didn't get where I got on pure talent alone. I got there by trying to outwork my opponents. Most of the time, it's not about having a gift. It's about having grit."
Federer shared the lessons he felt served him well during his glittering career, including the way he dealt with adversity during matches.
"When you lose every second point, on average, you learn not to dwell on every shot," he continued. "When you're playing a point, it is the most important thing in the world.
"But when it's behind you, it's behind you. This mindset is really crucial, because it frees you to fully commit to the next point and the next one after that with intensity, clarity and focus.
"You want to become a master at overcoming hard moments. That to me is the sign of a champion."
Jessica Pegula eased past Aliaksandra Sasnovich in straight sets on her return from injury at the Libema Open on Tuesday.
The American pulled out of the French Open due to back and neck injuries that have kept her out since April but made her return with a 6-2, 6-2 win in just 58 minutes.
Sasnovich matched Pegula in the opening four games, with both players trading points, but the world number five soon gained her foothold to cruise through the rest of the first set.
Pegula remained in control in the second, despite Sasnovich's late attempt at a comeback, but the Belarusian could not do enough to stop the top seed from advancing.
Pegula will now face Aleksandra Krunic or Jessika Ponchet in the next round.
Data Debrief: Pegula puts injury worries behind her
Pegula last played in America's Billie Jean King Cup victory in April, but she showed no signs of rustiness on her return to the court.
She showed no signs of rustiness though, hitting nine winners and just six unforced errors on her way to sealing her victory.
Carlos Rodon joined Seth Lugo as the American League's lone nine-game winners this season by out-pitching his counterpart in the New York Yankees' 4-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Monday.
Rodon held the Royals to one run and five hits over seven sharp innings to move to 9-2 and win a duel with Lugo (9-2), who was tagged for four runs in seven innings to receive his first loss since April 21.
Jose Trevino went 2 for 3 with a two-run single to pace a Yankees' lineup bolstered by the return of Juan Soto. The star outfielder missed the entirety of New York's three-game weekend series with the Los Angeles Dodgers while plagued by a sore left forearm.
Soto singled in his first at-bat and scored the Yankees' first run when Alex Verdugo followed Gleyber Torres' single with a base hit to center. Torres then advanced home on a sacrifice bunt put down by DJ LeMahieu to give New York a 2-0 lead in the opening inning.
That was all Rodon would need, as the left-hander had a shutout going until allowing three hits in the seventh inning, including Freddy Fermin's single that knocked in Salvador Perez.
The Royals were trailing 4-0 at that point after the Yankees scored twice more in the fourth. LeMahieu singled and Lugo hit Trent Grisham with a pitch before each advanced on a bunt in front of Trevino's single that brought home both runners.
Kansas City got within 4-2 when Bobby WItt Jr.'s two-out double in the eighth scored Dairon Blanco, who had reached base on a single before stealing second.
Michael Tonkin struck out two during a scoreless ninth, however, to earn his first save of the season and close out the opener of this four-game series.
The win was the Yankees' 10th in their last 12 games, while the scuffling Royals have dropped two straight and are 5-9 since May 26.
Orioles complete first four-game road sweep of Rays
Gunnar Henderson went 3 for 5 with a lead-off home run that sparked the Baltimore Orioles to a 5-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays for their first-ever four-game series sweep at Tropicana Field.
Ryan O'Hearn also had three hits while driving in three runs to support another strong outing from Baltimore's Corbin Burnes (7-2), who notched his ninth consecutive quality start after allowing just two unearned runs and striking out six in seven innings.
James McCann added two hits, including a solo home run, to help hand the Rays a 13th loss in their last 17 home games.
Ryan Pepiot (4-3) struck out nine in six innings for Tampa Bay, though his night began ominously when Henderson sent the game's first pitch well over the center field wall for his 21st homer of the season, which was measured at 430 feet.
The Rays regrouped to take the lead an inning later when Jose Caballero reached on a error and Alex Jackson followed with a two-run homer, his first time going deep in a major league game since August 2021.
McCann's homer in the third tied the game at 2-2, and the Orioles scored twice more off Pepiot in the fifth to forge ahead.
Singles by McCann and Henderson put two aboard for O'Hearn, who laced a double to right to plate both runners for a 4-2 Baltimore lead.
Henderson doubled in the seventh and scored on O'Hearn's single to extend the margin, and Craig Kimbrel held the Rays scoreless in the ninth to record his 15th save and finish off the series sweep.
Tatis extends hitting streak in Padres' win over A's
Fernando Tatis Jr. homered to extend his career-high hitting streak to 16 games and help the San Diego Padres to a 6-1 win over the struggling Oakland Athletics in the opener of a three-game series.
The Padres also got a solo homer from Jake Cronenworth and six strong innings from Dylan Cease to earn their third win in four games and hand the A's a ninth loss in their last 12.
Cease (6-5) scattered eight hits and struck out eight while permitting just one run, a solo homer from Tyler Soderstrom in the second inning that gave Oakland a 1-0 lead.
Cronenworth's blast off Joey Estes in the third pulled San Diego even before the Padres went ahead an inning later. Jackson Merrill doubled for his second of three hits on the night and scored on Ha-Seong Kim's single.
Tatis put San Diego up 3-1 in the fifth with his 13th homer of the season, and the Padres broke open the game with three runs against Oakland's bullpen in the seventh.
After the Padres loaded the bases with one out on a walk, hit batter and Manny Machado's single, A's reliever Michel Otanez walked Donovan Solano to force in a run. Merrill followed with a single to extend the lead to 5-1 before Kim drove in the final run with a sacrifice fly.
Estes (2-2) worked five innings and allowed three runs on eight hits.
Evan Rodrigues had two of three Florida Panthers goals in the third period as the Eastern Conference champions took a 2-0 lead on the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final with Monday's 4-1 win.
Niko Mikkola also scored and Aaron Ekblad had a game-sealing empty-net goal in the final minutes as the Panthers moved two wins away from the franchise's first Stanley Cup title.
They did so by keeping Connor McDavid and Edmonton's high-powered offence in check for a second straight meeting. After being dealt a 3-0 loss in Saturday's opener of the best-of-seven series, the Oilers managed just seven shots on goal over the first two periods of Game 2 and 19 for the night.
Florida did sustain a key injury in Game 2, however, as captain and top-line centre Aleksandar Barkov did not return after taking an elbow to the head from Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl midway through the third period.
Mattias Ekholm recorded the lone goal for the Oilers, who will attempt to reverse momentum on home ice when the series shifts to Edmonton for Thursday's Game 3.
Despite Florida owning a 22-7 shot advantage through the first two periods, the teams were locked in a 1-1 tie until Rodrigues stole an attempted clearing pass from Edmonton's Evan Bouchard in the Oilers' end and whistled a shot past goaltender Stuart Skinner 3:11 into the third.
Rodrigues struck again on the power play created by Draisaitl's roughing penalty on Barkov with 9:28 remaining, as he redirected a pass from Anton Lundell into the Edmonton net for a 3-1 Florida lead with 7:34 left.
Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch pulled Skinner for an extra attacker with under seven minutes to go, and the move gave Edmonton essentially a two-man advantage when Florida defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson received a delay of game penalty for shooting the puck into the stands with less than five minutes remaining.
The Panthers killed off the infraction, however, then ended any hopes of an Edmonton comeback when Ekblad scored into the vacant net with 2:28 left to play.
Florida had the game's first prime scoring opportunity when Oilers forward Warren Foegele received a five-minute major penalty and an ejection for a knee-to-knee hit on the Panthers' Eetu Luostarinen midway through the first period.
The Panthers couldn't capitalise, however, and the sides were soon 4-on-4 when Ekman-Larsson was called for tripping during the extended power play.
Just 19 seconds after Ekman-Larsson was sent off, Ekholm's shot on a 2-on-1 rush evaded Florida netminder Sergei Bobrovsky to put Edmonton up 1-0 with 8:43 remaining in the opening period.
Florida drew even midway through the second period when Mikkola fired a drop pass from Lundell past Skinner.
Bobrovsky finished with 18 saves, while Skinner stopped 25 of 28 shots.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have extended the contract of long-serving head coach Mike Tomlin to run through the 2027 season, the team announced on Monday.
Tomlin, who is set to enter his 18th season in charge of the Steelers, had seen his future become a subject of debate during an up-and-down 2023 campaign.
Pittsburgh appeared as though they might miss the playoffs when a three-game losing streak saw them slump to 7-7 by mid-December, but they bounced back with three straight victories to finish 10-7 and make the wild-card round.
They were then eliminated by the Buffalo Bills after benching 2022 first-round quarterback Kenny Pickett in favour of Mason Rudolph.
Nevertheless, Tomlin maintained his record of having never endured a losing season with Pittsburgh, who he led to glory at Super Bowl XLIII to cap the 2008 season, also losing to the Green Bay Packers at Super Bowl XLV two years later.
Tomlin's worst seasons with the Steelers came in 2012, 2013 and 2019, all of which saw them finish with an even 8-8 record.
Confirming Tomlin's three-year extension, franchise president Art Rooney II said: "Mike Tomlin's leadership and commitment to the Steelers have been pivotal to our success during his first 17 years as head coach.
"Extending his contract for three more years reflects our confidence in his ability to guide the team back to winning playoff games and championships, while continuing our tradition of success."
Tomlin told the team's website: "I am appreciative for this contract extension and thankful for Art Rooney II for his support during my first 17 years in Pittsburgh.
"We are continuing to work diligently to get back to where we belong – sustained playoff success with the ultimate goal of winning the franchise's seventh Lombardi Trophy.
"I am very excited to get the 2024 season under way and provide our fans with a memorable year."
The Steelers have undergone a major rebuild this offseason, revamping their QB room by bringing in Russell Wilson from the Denver Broncos and Justin Fields from the Chicago Bears, with Pickett being traded to the Philadelphia Eagles.
The arrival of former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen in free agency also bolstered the team's defense, which ranked sixth in the league for fewest points allowed per game (18.5) in 2023.
England coach Steve Borthwick has named six uncapped players in his squad for their summer internationals against Japan and New Zealand.
England face Japan in Tokyo on June 21 in their first outing since the Six Nations, then take on the All Blacks on July 6 and July 13.
Harlequins prop Fin Baxter and centre Luke Northmore, Sale pair Joe Carpenter and Tom Roebuck, Bristol's Gabriel Oghre and Northampton's Ollie Sleightholme are all included.
Having named a 36-man squad, England will train at Twickenham on Tuesday before flying out to Japan to prepare for their opening Test.
"The Summer Series presents a valuable opportunity for the continued development of this squad and is a demanding challenge to conclude the season," Borthwick said.
"The National Stadium in Tokyo is an incredible venue for Test match rugby, and we will need to be at our very best against a Japanese team who will want to play fast.
"New Zealand's home record is well documented, and we face a team who came within one point of winning a World Cup.
"The players know that they will need to be mentally strong and tactically smart if we are to get the result we want."
Full England squad: Fin Baxter, Dan Cole, Alex Coles, Chandler Cunningham-South, Ben Curry, Tom Curry, Theo Dan, Alex Dombrandt, Ben Earl, Charlie Ewels, Jamie George (c), Joe Heyes, Maro Itoje, Joe Marler, George Martin, Gabriel Oghre, Bevan Rodd, Ethan Roots, Will Stuart, Sam Underhill, Joe Carpenter, Fraser Dingwall, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Tommy Freeman, George Furbank, Ollie Lawrence, Alex Mitchell, Luke Northmore, Harry Randall, Tom Roebuck, Henry Slade, Ollie Sleightholme, Fin Smith, Marcus Smith, Ben Spencer, Freddie Steward.
Dan Hurley has reportedly decided not to take the Los Angeles Lakers' head coaching job.
Hurley, who has won back-to-back collegiate national championships at UConn, turned down a six-year, $70million contract to coach the Lakers, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
The deal would've made him one of the NBA's highest-paid coaches.
UConn is now reportedly planning to make him the highest-paid collegiate coach.
Hurley reportedly was the Lakers' top choice for their head coaching vacancy following the firing of Darvin Ham after the team was eliminated from the play-offs in the first round.
The position of being head coach of the Lakers is one of the most high-profile basketball jobs on the planet - and includes coaching one of the greatest players in the sport's history in LeBron James - but Hurley will stay at UConn, where he has gone 68-11 over the past two seasons with a pair of championships.
By staying at UConn, Hurley will now try to achieve something that's only been done once before and that's win three straight men's national titles. UCLA is the only men's program to accomplish that feat, winning seven in a row from 1967-73.
Hurley has led the Huskies to a 141-58 record in his six seasons at UConn. He signed a $32.1million, six-year deal a year ago after leading the program to the 2023 national title.
With Hurley no longer in the fold, TV analyst and former player JJ Redick, as well as New Orleans Pelicans assistant James Borrego are reportedly the top candidates for the Lakers.
Sergio Perez has apologised following a second successive retirement at the Canada Grand Prix which left him 87 points behind Red Bull team-mate, Max Vertsappen.
The 34-year-old remained fifth overall in the world championship and a point behind Ferrari's Carlos Sainz, who was one of five drivers that failed to finish the race.
In difficult conditions in Montreal, the Mexican started 16th but hopes of climbing up the pecking order soon faded after damaging his car's front wing on the opening lap when he made contact with Alpine's Pierre Gasly.
He then crashed into the barriers late in the day after losing control on a damp kerb at turn six, hobbling back to the pits with a broken rear wing.
"I'm very sorry for my team, I let them down today. But we will come back no doubt. There’s a very long way to go," Perez said on social media.
His final incident cost him a three-place grid penalty for the next race in Barcelona, with the stewards punishing him for a breach of the safety rules that require a driver to stop if the car is unsafe.
"The incident was on me, I touched the wet part into turn six and I couldn’t stop the car, I couldn’t touch the brakes," Perez said on Sunday.
"It has been a very tough couple of weekends, we will regroup, keep our heads down and learn from the weekend. We identified a couple of issues after qualifying and they meant we would have qualified a lot higher.
"Hopefully we can be back to our form in Spain and get back to the level we were at earlier in the season. I am confident in that, there are good tracks coming for us."
Perez recently signed a new two-year deal with Red Bull, ending speculation that the world champions will sign free agent Sainz ahead of the new season.
Sergio Perez has apologised following a second successive retirement at the Canada Grand Prix which left him 87 points behind Red Bull team-mate, Max Vertsappen.
The 34-year-old remained fifth overall in the world championship and a point behind Ferrari's Carlos Sainz, who was one of five drivers that failed to finish the race.
In difficult conditions in Montreal, the Mexican started 16th but hopes of climbing up the pecking order soon faded after damaging his car's front wing on the opening lap when he made contact with Alpine's Pierre Gasly.
He then crashed into the barriers late in the day after losing control on a damp kerb at turn six, hobbling back to the pits with a broken rear wing.
"I'm very sorry for my team, I let them down today. But we will come back no doubt. There’s a very long way to go," Perez said on social media.
His final incident cost him a three-place grid penalty for the next race in Barcelona, with the stewards punishing him for a breach of the safety rules that require a driver to stop if the car is unsafe.
"The incident was on me, I touched the wet part into turn six and I couldn’t stop the car, I couldn’t touch the brakes," Perez said on Sunday.
"It has been a very tough couple of weekends, we will regroup, keep our heads down and learn from the weekend. We identified a couple of issues after qualifying and they meant we would have qualified a lot higher.
"Hopefully we can be back to our form in Spain and get back to the level we were at earlier in the season. I am confident in that, there are good tracks coming for us."
Perez recently signed a new two-year deal with Red Bull, ending speculation that the world champions will sign free agent Sainz ahead of the new season.
Emma Raducanu insists she needs to "cherish" her health and fitness, ahead of making her return from injury at the Nottingham Open.
The former US Open champion has not played since her defeat by Maria Lourdes Carla in the opening round of the Madrid Open in April.
Raducanu opted to miss the French Open to focus on preparing for the grass-court season, which she launches against Ena Shibahara in Nottingham on Tuesday.
This time last year, the world number 209 had undergone wrist and ankle surgery that, at one point, confined her to a mobility scooter.
However, fast-forward 12 months, and Raducanu is embracing feeling "really strong", and the 21-year-old is thrilled with the strides she has made.
"Body-wise, physical-wise, I feel really healthy. I feel really strong," she said. "I've done amazing work with my trainer over the last few months, since surgery.
"I'm in a really fit place. I think my wrists are actually in a better position than they ever were.
"So, there's zero doubt or apprehension whether I'm hitting the ball or designing my schedule. It's more about being proactive and not wanting to put yourself in any unnecessary situations.
"I think it's very easy for me to lose sight of where I was exactly a year ago. You get so caught up in your own world that you want more and more and more.
"But, a year ago, I was on a scooter scooting around, and I didn't know - there was an element of doubt. To be healthy and to be here, I need to cherish it."
Jannik Sinner is relishing "a new chapter" in his first week as the world number one, but knows he will now have a target on his back.
The reigning Australian Open champion and French Open semi-finalist is the first Italian player - and 29th overall - to top the ATP rankings since they were introduced in 1973.
Sinner has enjoyed a brilliant start to the season, claiming his first grand slam in Melbourne while also enjoying ATP Masters success at the Miami Open in March.
And after ending Novak Djokovic's 39-week reign at the summit of the ATP rankings, the 22-year-old has his sights set on winning more silverware as he looks to preserve his status as the world's best player.
"We go hunting now and see what we can catch," he told BBC World Service. "We want to have these good feelings of lifting trophies over and over again, so for us, it's just part of the process.
"I'm obviously very happy about being number one, but everyone wants to beat me now. Now, a new chapter is starting. Let's see how [long] I can stay there."
Italy are certainly in good shape as far as tennis is concerned. Sinner was part of the side that delivered their first Davis Cup triumph since 1976 last year, and is one of five Italians currently ranked inside the men's top 50.
Meanwhile, fellow Italian Jasmine Paolini was runner-up to Iga Swiatek in the women's singles at the French Open - climbing to a career high seventh in the WTA rankings as a result - as well as the women's doubles alongside compatriot Sara Errani.
"It's something that Italy deserves," Sinner added. "The tennis in Italy is going in the right direction and I think our goal is always to let this sport grow as much as we can. We can be the idols or the inspiration for young people."
Carlos Alcaraz revealed he plans to commemorate his French Open triumph with a tattoo of the Eiffel Tower on his left ankle.
The Spaniard claimed his first title at Roland-Garros - and third grand slam - after beating Alexander Zverev in a thrilling five-set final on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
The 21-year-old became the youngest player to win his first three majors on different surfaces - and the first to do so in his first three major finals.
It was a special win for the world number two, who grew up playing on clay courts in his native Spain and would rush from home school to watch the tournament on television.
Alcaraz also visited Roland-Garros as a 12-year-old in 2015, from which photos reappeared on social media after he became the eighth Spaniard to lift the Coupe des Mousquetaires nine years later.
"It will be on the left ankle, the Eiffel Tower and today's date," he said of his proposed tattoo to permanently remind him of his victory. "I have to find time, but I will do it for sure.
"I have dreamed of being in this position since I started playing tennis, and I was five or six years old.
"Winning a Grand Slam is always special, but here at Roland-Garros, knowing all the Spanish players who have won here, to put my name on that list is unbelievable."
Jaylen Brown saluted Jrue Holiday's "killer-like mentality" as the latter starred in the Boston Celtics' victory over the Dallas Mavericks.
Holiday top-scored with 26 points and 11 rebounds for the Celtics, who moved 2-0 ahead in the NBA Finals series with a 105-98 win in Game 2 at TD Garden.
The 33-year-old, who was also 11 from 14 in the field, is eyeing his second NBA title, having triumphed with the Milwaukee Bucks three years ago.
And Brown believes that experience and know-how will be crucial as Boston move within two wins of their record-breaking 18th championship.
"He's brought championship pedigree to our team," he said. "So, nothing Jrue says we question. Jrue, he comes in, and he just is who he is.
"He's got that demeanour, that killer-like mentality, and we respect it. He's a great team-mate, and it's just an honour to play next to him."
"He was unbelievable," Al Horford added. "His effort defensively, and everything he brings on that end. And then, on offense, making reads, making the game easy, making the right decisions.
"He's so poised, and you can tell that he has been in these types of moments. Just very composed and just out there getting the job done."
The Celtics' ninth straight win of this postseason took them halfway towards their first NBA title in 16 years, but Holiday knows there is still a long way to go yet.
"We know being up 2-0 means nothing," he said. "[The] job's not done. We have to do whatever it takes. I'm here to win. I feel like they brought me here to win, and I'll do my best to do that."
Luka Doncic claimed he cost the Dallas Mavericks the game after they went 2-0 down to the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals, despite recording a triple-double.
Doncic finished with 32 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists on Sunday, yet the Mavericks lost 105-98.
Yet Doncic, who recovered from a series of niggles to play in Game 2, was not impressed with his performance.
"I think my turnovers and my missed free throws cost us the game," he said.
"So, I've got to do way better in those two categories.
"But at the end of the day, we've got to make shots to win the game."
Doncic is only the fourth player, after LeBron James, Charles Barkley and Jerry West, to have a 30-point triple-double in a Finals loss.
And teammate Kyrie Irving aimed to provide Doncic with some solace.
"He's not alone, and we are going to tell him that," Irving said.
"He's spilling into his emotions, feels like he could play better, just like me. I would take the brunt of the responsibility. The first two games weren't the best for me.
"A lot of shots were hitting the back rim. That could p*** you off as a competitor, but it's all part of the game of basketball. And you have to accept the ups and downs of this. That's, I would say, the toughest challenge when you're in a series. You want to play extremely well, especially when you're playing in the Finals.
"Obviously, I'm going against Jrue Holiday and Jaylen Brown a few times, but I feel like I have the upper edge on certain possessions where I've just got to convert."
Mavs coach Jason Kidd suggested Doncic was being too hard on himself.
"He was great," Kidd said.
"No matter what he says, that's just who he is. He's a leader. It's not all on him. It's a team.
"We win as a team, and we lose as a team. So, he put us in a position. He was really good tonight. Unfortunately, we just couldn't get over the hump. I thought our defense was really, really good. We've just got to take care of the ball."
Alexander Zverev suggested there could be changes to his team as he looks to match Carlos Alcaraz.
The German lost a five-set thriller at Roland-Garros 6-3 2-6 5-7 6-1 6-2 as Alcaraz became the youngest player to win grand slam titles on all three surfaces.
Zverev had taken a 2-1 lead after winning the third set, but the Spaniard was able to battle back and claim his third major triumph.
Speaking after the encounter, Zverev admitted he was second best, as he highlighted the difference in intensity when playing against Alcaraz, admitting he would look at himself and his team to see where they can improve in the future.
"We're both physically strong, but he's a beast. He's an animal, for sure," said Zverev.
"The intensity he plays tennis at is different to other people. You know, he can do so many different things, right? I think he changed his tactic a lot in the fifth set, started to play a lot higher, a lot deeper for me to not create as much power. Especially with the shadows on the court, it was slower again.
"But he's a fantastic player, and physically he's fantastic. So, you know, I have to look at myself and I have to look at the team that I have and see, you know, what I can do to become at the same level."
However, Zverev also reflected that sometimes, there is not much that can be done against such a quality player, and he does not feel he threw away the title in the same way he did at the US Open against Dominic Thiem in 2020.
"He played better than me the fourth and fifth sets. It's how it is," Zverev added.
"I felt like this grand slam final I did everything I could. At the US Open I kind of gave it away myself. It's a bit different.
"I lost focus, and on my serve I didn't get the power from my legs anymore, which is weird. Because normally I do not get tired.
"I don't cramp, I don't get tired normally. But again, against Carlos it's a different intensity, so maybe that was the case a bit. Maybe I have to look at my preparation. Maybe I have to look at how I do things on a physical base as well.
"Of course, look, I felt from the tennis level I was playing decent and he was playing decent for three sets. Then I dropped a lot."
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
