Jamaican superstar goal shooter Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard was at her usual dominant best to help her West Coast Fever secure a hard-fought victory (71-68) against the Sunshine Coast Lightning in a back-and-forth tussle in Suncorp Super Netball action at UniSC Arena on Saturday.
Despite the Lightning winning time in possession, the Fever's exceptional shooting accuracy (97%) and success with Super Shots (5/9) propelled them to victory in front of an enthusiastic away crowd.
Fowler-Nembhard stood out as the player of the match, amassing an impressive 119.5 Nissan Net Points and shooting at an astounding 98% (53/54) during regular match time.
Shanice Beckford was also instrumental in the win with 13 goal assists and 17 feeds.
The Fever have now reclaimed their position at the top of the table and will take on the Adelaide Thunderbirds next on Saturday June 8.
Elsewhere, goal defence Jodi-Ann Ward's 33.5 Nissan Net Points were not enough to prevent her GIANTS Netball outfit from being defeated 74-60 by the Melbourne Vixens at John Cain Arena.
The Vixens shot accurately, 62/67 for 90% to be exact, while also having the edge in time of possession, intercepts and turnovers.
Goal shooter Sophie Garbin was the star of the day for the Vixens with 119.5 Nissan Net Points after producing 48 goals from 51 attempts.
The Vixens, who handed the Fever their first loss last week, are second in the table with just one loss in eight games, same as the Fever.
Aaron Judge completed a torrid month with his major league-leading 19th and 20th home runs and Marcus Stroman pitched into the eighth inning as the New York Yankees defeated the San Francisco Giants 6-2 on Friday.
Judge singled in the first inning, then erased New York’s 1-0 deficit with a three-run homer in the third off starter Jordan Hicks and led off the sixth with a solo shot to make it 4-1.
Judge, who grew up about 100 miles away in Linden, California, was heavily recruited by the Giants in free agency in December 2022, but decided to remain with the Yankees and signed a nine-year, $360million contract.
He finished May with a .371 average, 14 home runs, 12 doubles and 27 RBIs in 28 games.
Judge’s 26 extra-base hits are the most by any Yankees player in a month since Joe DiMaggio had 31 in July 1937, and this is just the eighth time since the end of World War II that any player in the majors had that many extra-base hits in any month.
The Yankees have won 14 of 18 and are just the fourth team ever to reach 40 wins before June 1.
Stroman allowed two runs and six hits over 7 1/3 innings. New York tied a franchise record set in 1981 with their 18th straight start with a pitcher going at least five innings and allowing three runs or fewer.
Yelich’s big night powers Brewers
Christian Yelich had five of the Brewers’ 23 hits and drove in five runs in Milwaukee’s 12-5 rout of the lowly Chicago White Sox.
Yelich, who had a career-high six hits on Aug. 29, 2018, had a two-run single in the fourth, a two-run double in the seventh and an RBI single in the eighth. He had a career-high six hits at Cincinnati on August 29, 2018.
Brice Turang, William Contreras and Sal Frelick each had three hits for the NL Central-leading Brewers, who have won four of five.
Paul DeJong homered for the White Sox, who lost their ninth straight to fall to a major league-worst 15-43.
Bibee sharp in Guardians’ win
Tanner Bibee took a shutout into the seventh and Davis Fry hit a three-run homer as the Cleveland Guardians won their eighth straight at home, 7-1 over the Washington Nationals.
Bibee gave up one run and three hits in 6 1/3 innings with seven strikeouts and one walk. He has a 1.82 ERA in his last five starts.
Cleveland broke open the game with a four-run seventh. Josh Naylor knocked in a run with a force out grounder and Fry followed with his eighth home run, a blast to left-center field off Robert Garcia.
Fry is batting .455 (15 for 33) with five homers, 15 RBIs and 13 runs in his last 11 games.
Guardians leadoff hitter Steven Kwan had three hits, two runs and a walk in his return after being activated from the injured list before the game. He raised his batting average to .365 in 33 games.
Adversity often serves as the catalyst for greatness, and Latanya Wilson’s path to being a formidable force for Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) League franchise Adelaide Thunderbirds and, by extension, Jamaica, is a testament to that.
Wilson’s journey has been one of perseverance, talent, and an unyielding drive for success as being told she wasn’t good enough, coupled with tragic losses along the way, shaped her ascent in netball to the point where she is now a force to be reckoned with.
The rangy wing defence, who possesses the ability to both hunt and find the loose balls, recently celebrated her 50th game milestone in the SSN, and as she reflected on the path to achieving the feat, Wilson is even more determined to add another chapter to that legacy.
“Reaching 50 games in the SSN is truly surreal. It feels like a huge accomplishment, especially considering what the journey was like and the dedication and hard work it took to get here. To say it was rough would be an understatement, you know, the setbacks and obstacles that I faced along the way, but I was always focused on the bigger picture,” Wilson told SportsMax.TV from her base in Australia.
“I am grateful for everyone who supported me in overcoming those challenges to make it this far, and I'm excited to see what the future holds because I still have so much more to give, and so it is just about pushing even harder from here to accomplish even more,” she added.
Latanya Wilson produced a Player of the Match performance on her 50th outing.
Having worked her way through the ranks of Jamaica’s netball teams, Wilson’s career initially took flight when she was drafted by Cardiff Dragons in England’s Vitality Netball Superleague in 2020, which is where she first paraded her prowess to create turnover balls, as well as her impressive vision and take off speed.
However, it wasn’t until she arrived in Australia a year later that Wilson really honed her craft as a defensive powerhouse. The 23-year-old’s agility, keen sense of positioning, and ability to read the game have made her an indispensable asset to the Thunderbirds team.
“The growth has been immense because Australian netball is incredibly fast-paced and strategic. Moving here forced me to refine my skills, improve my decision-making under pressure, and develop a deeper understanding of the game. The competition is fierce, and playing alongside and against some of the best players in the world has pushed me to become a more well-rounded and confident athlete,” Wilson shared.
Despite her consistency and resilience, the Mico University alumna attributed her success to the support of her coaches and teammates, her Sunshine Girls compatriots Shamera Sterling-Humphrey and Romelda Aiken-George in particular.
Latanya Wilson (left) share a light moment with compatriot Shamera Sterling-Humphrey.
“My success is a combination of factors. My unwavering passion for the sport keeps me motivated to train hard and push my limits, and that along with having dedicated coaches who believe in my potential and provide constant guidance has been instrumental. Additionally, the unwavering support system of family, friends, and teammates fuels my drive to succeed,” Wilson noted.
“Playing alongside Shamera and Romelda is truly an honour. They're not just exceptional players, but also big sisters to me who share their knowledge and experience. Also, having other familiar faces like Shanice [Beckford] and others in the league fosters a sense of camaraderie and competition,” she reasoned.
Besides her 50th game milestone, Wilson also boasts another significant achievement of assisting Thunderbirds to the title last year. But for every remarkable feat, the soft-spoken player pointed out that there were lessons that she had to learn.
“Winning the SSN championship with my team was a dream come true, and the feeling of celebrating with my teammates is unforgettable. There have also been personal achievements, like being named in the team of the year twice in a row, but there have been low moments as well. Being away from my loved ones and missing out on family celebrations are among them, but it taught me resilience and the importance of mental strength. Both the highs and lows have made me a stronger and more resilient player and so I relish each when they come,” Wilson revealed.
Wilson and her Adelaide Thunderbirds teammates.
Looking ahead, Wilson remains grounded and motivated by the support of her family, fans, and teammates. For her, the road ahead is filled with promise and challenges, but she is undeterred and is unflinching in her desire to help the Thunderbirds secure another SSN crown.
With seven games gone in the season so far, Thunderbirds sit third on five wins and two losses and Wilson is eyeing more improvements heading into round eight.
“There's always room for improvement, but overall, I'm happy with how the team is gelling. We're building momentum, learning from each game, and finding our rhythm. It’s still early days, but every team is strong, and the competition is fierce. We are focusing on each game one at a time and hopefully that will land us in the finals,” the bubbly personality stated.
“Personally, my ultimate goal is to continue contributing to my team's success and also to maintain my high standard when I’m representing my country at the international level. I'm constantly striving to improve my skills, develop new strategies, and become a beast on court, as I hope to inspire young athletes and show them that hard work and dedication can lead to achieving their dreams,” she ended.
Aryna Sabalenka recovered from a slow start to eventually advance to the French Open last 16 a commanding 7-5 6-1 victory over best friend Paula Badosa.
The second seed trailed 4-2 and was a break down in the opening set, but went on to win 11 of the next 13 games to seal a fourth-round clash with either Madison Keys or Emma Navarro.
Sabalenka has dropped just seven games in her opening two matches at Roland-Garros.
Although, it looked like she may lose the opening set when a fortuitous net shot gave Badosa a second break and a 4-2 lead on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
However, she dug deep from 5-3 adrift, winning the last four games to draw first blood.
The reigning Australian Open champion broke her opponent a further two times on the way to a commanding 4-0 advantage in the second.
Badosa did well to save three match points from 0-40 in game six, but the Spaniard could not rescue a fourth as her opponent continued her surge into the second week.
Data Debrief: Sabalenka completes top four in last 16
Following on from her victories when they met in Miami and Stuttgart earlier this season, Sabalenka became the first player to beat Badosa three times at WTA events in a calendar year.
Joining Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina, this marks the first time since 2013 that the top four seeds are through to the last 16 in the women's singles at Roland-Garros.
Elena Rybakina is through to the second week at the French Open, following another straight-sets victory over Elise Mertens.
The fourth seed wrapped up a 6-4 6-2 win in 67 minutes on Court Philippe-Chatrier, to book a last-16 clash with either Elina Svitolina or Ana Bogdan.
Rybakina was forced to withdraw injured on the eve of her third-round showdown with Sara Sorribes Tormo at Roland-Garros 12 months ago.
A tight opening set ensued with four successive games from 2-2 going against the serve, but a crucial break to love in the 10th saw the former Wimbledon champion draw first blood.
She then broke to 15 in game four of the second set to take control of the match, before another in the eighth saw her into the fourth round in Paris for a second time.
Rybakina is joined in the last 16 by home favourite Varvara Gracheva, who continued her groundbreaking run with a straight-sets win over Irina-Camelia Begu.
The Moscow-born 23-year-old, who obtained French nationality last June, is into round four for the first time at a major.
Extending her stay into the second week, having stunned sixth seed Maria Sakkari in the opening round, Gracheva was serenaded with Les Marseillais by the crowd following her victory on Court Suzanne-Lenglen.
Data Debrief: Rybakina matches Swiatek and Jabeur
Rybakina becomes only the third player to reach the fourth round at multiple majors on clay and grass since the start of the 2020 season.
The 2022 Wimbledon champion joins an exclusive group of players to achieve the feat, along with Iga Swiatek and Ons Jabeur.
Andy Murray revealed he may play alongside brother Jamie in the men's doubles at Wimbledon, with the pair to make a decision "in the next few days".
Murray and Dan Evans fell at the first hurdle of the men's doubles at the French Open on Friday, as the British duo were defeated 7-6 (8-6) and 7-6 (7-3) by Thiago Seyboth Wild and Sebastian Baez.
It was expected to be the three-time grand slam singles champion's final appearance at Roland-Garros, after he revealed in February that he does not "plan on playing much past this summer".
Murray, who was beaten by Stan Wawrinka in the opening round of the men's singles, now turns his attention to the grass-court season, which "may" include a familiar partnership at Wimbledon with brother Jamie - a two-time mixed doubles champion at SW19.
The brothers have also played together at two Olympics - in 2008 and 2016 - while their prolific partnership helped inspire Great Britain to Davis Cup glory in 2015.
"My brother doesn't have a partner for Wimbledon currently," said the 37-year-old, who last played in the men's doubles at SW19 five years ago alongside Pierre-Hugues Herbert.
"We have spoken a little bit about it. So I may do that, but not 100 per cent sure yet. [We will decide] ahead of time. Obviously, Jamie could also get a good partner, as well. We'll see what happens, but we'll probably decide in the next few days."
Murray also reflected on his and Evans' first-round exit at Roland-Garros, where he felt his progress was hampered by an ongoing back problem.
"It's been frustrating for everyone," he added. "I felt like we had a good chance to do well, and we agreed if we were going to play, we would play to try and win the tournament.
"I have been struggling a little bit with my back the last couple of weeks, so I probably needed a few lighter days anyway."
The Sacramento Kings and head coach Mike Brown have agreed to a contract extension through 2026-27.
According to multiple reports, the deal is worth $30 million with Brown’s base salary to be $8.5 million annually. He will have the opportunity to earn $10 million per year with bonuses.
In his first year with the Kings a season ago, Brown led the team to a 48-34 record and its first playoff appearance in 16 years. He was named 2022-23 NBA Coach of the Year.
Sacramento went 46-36 this past season and beat Golden State in its first game before losing a play-in game for the eighth seed to New Orleans.
Brown and Rick Adelman are the only Kings coaches to lead the team to a winning record in any season since the franchise moved to Sacramento in 1985.
Brown has a 441-226 record as head coach with Cleveland, the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento.
Aaron Judge completed a torrid month with his major league-leading 19th and 20th home runs and Marcus Stroman pitched into the eighth inning as the New York Yankees defeated the San Francisco Giants, 6-2 on Friday night.
Judge singled in the first inning, then erased New York’s 1-0 deficit with a three-run homer in the third off starter Jordan Hicks and led off the sixth with a solo shot to make it 4-1.
Judge, who grew up about 100 miles away in Linden, California, was heavily recruited by the Giants in free agency in December 2022, but decided to remain with the Yankees and signed a nine-year, $360 million contract.
He finished May with a .371 average, 14 home runs, 12 doubles and 27 RBIs in 28 games. Judge’s 26 extra-base hits are the most by any Yankees player in a month since Joe DiMaggio had 31 in July 1937, and this is just the eighth time since the end of World War II that any player in the majors had that many extra-base hits in any month.
The Yankees have won 14 of 18 and are just the fourth team ever to reach 40 wins before June 1.
Stroman allowed two runs and six hits over 7 1/3 innings. New York tied a franchise record set in 1981 with its 18th straight start with a pitcher going at least five innings and allowing three runs or fewer.
Yelich’s big night powers Brewers
Christian Yelich had five of the Brewers’ 23 hits and drove in five runs in Milwaukee’s 12-5 rout of the lowly Chicago White Sox.
Yelich, who had a career-high six hits on Aug. 29, 2018, had a two-run single in the fourth, a two-run double in the seventh and an RBI single in the eighth. He had a career-high six hits at Cincinnati on Aug. 29, 2018.
Brice Turang, William Contreras and Sal Frelick each had three hits for the NL Central-leading Brewers, who have won four of five.
Paul DeJong homered for the White Sox, who lost their ninth straight to fall to a major league-worst 15-43.
Bibee sharp in Guardians’ win
Tanner Bibee took a shutout into the seventh and Davis Fry hit a three-run homer as the Cleveland Guardians won their eighth straight at home, 7-1 over the Washington Nationals.
Bibee gave up one run and three hits in 6 1/3 innings with seven strikeouts and one walk. He has a 1.82 ERA in his last five starts.
Cleveland broke open the game with a four-run seventh. Josh Naylor knocked in a run with a force out grounder and Fry followed with his eighth home run, a blast to left-center field off Robert Garcia.
Fry is batting .455 (15 for 33) with five homers, 15 RBIs and 13 runs in his last 11 games.
Guardians leadoff hitter Steven Kwan had three hits, two runs and a walk in his return after being activated from the injured list before the game. He raised his batting average to .365 in 33 games.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored twice on the power play and Stuart Skinner took a shutout late into the third period as the Edmonton Oilers defeated the top-seeded Dallas Stars, 3-1 to take a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference final on Friday night.
Philip Broberg had the other goal and Evan Bouchard had a pair of assists for the Oilers, who can advance to their first Stanley Cup Final since 2005-06 with a win at home in Game 6 on Sunday night.
Skinner was perfect until Wyatt Johnson’s goal with 5:51 remaining. He held the Stars scoreless the rest of the way to finish with 19 saves in his second straight win after losses in Games 2 and 3.
There hadn’t been a power-play goal by either team in this series until Nugent-Hopkins scored on a rebound 18 seconds after a penalty in the first period. He struck again just 16 seconds after the Stars took a penalty early in the second period for a 2-0 advantage.
Dallas was limited to six shots on goal halfway through the game and dropped to 4-6 at home this postseason. The Stars are 0 for 11 on the power play in this series.
Carlos Alcaraz dug deep to overcome a spirited performance from Sebastian Korda in the third round of the French Open, claiming a 6-4 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 win.
Korda failed to build on an early break as Alcaraz took the opener on Court Philippe-Chatrier, but he appeared to have the Spaniard on the ropes when he forced a second-set tie-break.
However, the two-time grand slam champion clinched the tie-break with a huge forehand winner and seemed to grow in stature from there, moving well and displaying too much power for his American opponent.
Alcaraz put Korda under pressure from the off in the third set and did not give up a single break point on his own serve, converting the first of two match points with a neat serve and volley.
He will face either Ben Shelton or Felix Auger-Aliassime next, with Stefanos Tsitsipas potentially lurking in the quarter-finals.
Data Debrief: Alcaraz just too good
As was the case against Jesper de Jong in round two, Alcaraz looked to be under serious pressure on Friday, only to step things up and pull away from his opponent.
He has now won 14 of his 17 singles matches at the French Open, with his win ratio of 82.4 per cent the third highest among active male players, after Rafael Nadal (96.6 per cent) and Novak Djokovic (85.3 per cent).
Iga Swiatek marked her 23rd birthday with a straight-sets victory over Marie Bouzkova at the French Open on Friday, maintaining her charge for a third successive Roland-Garros title.
Swiatek was pushed all the way by Naomi Osaka in her second-round match on Wednesday, but she enjoyed a far more serene outing on Court Philippe-Chatrier in the third round.
The world number one raced to a 6-4 6-2 win as Bouzkova struggled to match her heavy-hitting, and she could even afford to surrender one of her two breaks at the tail end of the opener.
Swiatek broke immediately at the start of the second set, setting the tone for a powerful finish to the match, her victory fittingly sealed with a thumping forehand up the line.
She will face Anastasia Potapova next up after the Russian overcame Wang Xinyu in three sets on Friday.
Data Debrief: Perfect celebration for Swiatek
Since the WTA rankings were first published in 1975, only two world number ones have won a match at Roland Garros on their birthday, Justine Henin in 2007 and Swiatek on Friday.
She is also the only player this century to reach the fourth round of the women's draw on each of her first six French Open appearances.
Jannik Sinner maintained his excellent form and cruised into the fourth round of the French Open with a dominant win over Pavel Kotov on Friday.
The Australian Open champion won his third successive match without dropping a set at Roland Garros, triumphing 6-4 6-4 6-4 in just under two and a half hours on court.
Sinner – who is eyeing Novak Djokovic's place at the top of the ATP rankings – was on top from the off and forced 13 break points, moving well and forcing the issue with a series of powerful ground strokes.
Early breaks did the trick in sets one and two, and it was smooth sailing once he secured another break five games into the third, teeing up a fourth-round meeting with either Corentin Moutet or Sebastian Ofner.
Data Debrief: Sinner marches on
Sinner has now won his first 10 grand slam matches of 2024, and a deep run looks extremely likely just one year after he suffered a second-round exit in the French capital.
Since the turn of the century, he is just the third man to start a calendar year with 10 straight major wins before turning 23 years old, after Rafael Nadal and Djokovic.
Andrey Rublev makes a s exit in the French Open third round after a straight-sets defeat to Matteo Arnaldi on Thursday.
The world number 35 held his nerve to win 7-6 (8-6), 6-2, 6-4, as the sixth seed gradually lost his composure.
Arnaldi rallied in the first set tie-break, scoring three consecutive points to seal it, breaking Rublev’s spirit as his frustration mounted, resulting in several racquet smashes on his way to also losing the second.
While Rublev improved in the third set, Arnaldi fought all the way to ensure his place in the fourth round, where he will face either Stefanos Tsitsipas or Zhang Zhizhen.
Data Debrief: Arnaldi rises to the occasion
Arnaldi has claimed his maiden Grand Slam match win over an ATP top-10. He is the 5th Italian in the past decade to defeat an ATP top-10 opponent at Roland Garros after Cecchinato, Sinner, Fognini and Sonego.
Rublev was aiming for a landmark win, but fell short, meaning he will have to wait for his 225th ATP match victory since the start of 2020.
Coco Gauff booked her place in the French Open fourth round after seeing off Dayana Yastremska in straight sets at Roland-Garros.
The third seed is still yet to drop a set in her opening three matches, as she battled past her Ukrainian opponent 32 6-2 6-4 in 94 minutes on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
Gauff's return game proved crucial against the 30th seed, who reached the Australian Open semi-finals as a qualifier back in January.
Indeed, the 2022 finalist won five of Yastremska's nine service games - taking her tally to 15-25 for the tournament - including two during a dominant opening set.
Another three followed in the second to put her on the brink of victory at 5-2 up, though she failed to convert match point as her opponent clung on to break back.
However, it proved a false dawn for the world number 30 - appearing in round three at Roland-Garros for the first time - as Gauff saved break points on her next service game to eventually hold and progress.
Her reward is a showdown with Elisabetta Cocciaretto, who will make her maiden fourth-round appearance at a major after defeating 17th seed Liudmila Samsonova 7-6 (7-4) 6-2.
Data Debrief: Gauff matches Capriati at Roland-Garros
Gauff is only the second American in the Open Era to reach the last 16 at the French Open in four successive years before turning 21, after Jennifer Capriati (1990 to 1993).
That was also her 18th match win at Roland-Garros. Since 2000, only Iga Swiatek (21) and Ana Ivanovic (19) have registered more before the age of 21.
Her fourth-round opponent has made history, with 23-year-old Cocciaretto the youngest Italian to reach the fourth round here since Francesca Schiavone in 2001.
Luka Doncic was in "magic mode" after his starring role helped the Dallas Mavericks to their first NBA Finals since 2011, coach Jason Kidd said.
The Mavs and the Boston Celtics will battle it out for this season's NBA championship after Dallas wrapped up a 4-1 Western Conference finals series victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
A 124-103 win did the trick at Target Center on Thursday, with Doncic and Kyrie Irving leading the way for the Mavs with 36 points apiece.
Doncic was quick out of the blocks, scoring 20 of his points during the first half on the way to notching up his highest-scoring contributions of the postseason, with his performances earning the Western Conference finals MVP award.
"It was Luka magic mode," Kidd said. "He set the tone, and then he made it easier for everyone else. Everybody else stepped up."
"You're just watching a special performance take place," Irving added. "When Luka starts off a game like that, we're a tough team to beat."
Indeed, they are. The Mavs are 7-2 on the road during the playoffs - winning the last five - matching the franchise record for such victories during a single postseason, set in their title-winning campaign of 2010-11.
A EuroBasket champion with Slovenia and EuroLeague winner during his final season with Real Madrid, Doncic is now gearing up for his first crack at an NBA title, with the Finals series commencing on June 6.
And he insists his team-mates cannot afford to rest on their laurels.
"It was a very hard road, very hard," Doncic said. "But we're not done. We have four more [victories to achieve]."
Luka Doncic was in "magic mode" after his starring role helped the Dallas Mavericks to their first NBA finals since 2011, coach Jason Kidd said.
The Mavs and the Boston Celtics will contest this season's NBA championship after wrapping up a 4-1 Western Conference series victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
A 124-103 win did the trick at Target Center, where Donic and Kyrie Irving led the way for Dallas with 36 points apiece.
Doncic was quick out of the blocks, scoring 20 of his points during the first half on the way to notching up his highest-scoring contributions of the postseason, with his performances earning the Western Conference finals MVP award.
"It was Luka magic mode," Kidd said. "He set the tone, and then he made it easier for everyone else. Everybody else stepped up."
"You're just watching a special performance take place," Irving added. "When Luka starts off a game like that, we're a tough team to beat."
Indeed, they are. The Mavs are 7-2 on the road during the playoffs - winning the last five - matching the franchise record for such victories during a single postseason, set in their title-winning campaign of 2010-11.
A EuroBasket champion with Slovenia and EuroLeague winner during his final season with Real Madrid, Doncic is now gearing up for his first crack at an NBA title, with the Finals series commencing on June 6.
And he insists his team-mates cannot afford to rest on their laurels.
"It was a very hard road, very hard," Doncic said "But we're not done. We have four more [victories to achieve]."
Novak Djokovic hailed Rafael Nadal as his greatest-ever rival after coasting into round three of the French Open on Thursday.
The world number one had little trouble in overcoming Roberto Carballes Baena 6-3 6-1 6-2 in a little over two hours on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
Speaking at a news conference after his victory, Djokovic was asked about his long-term foe Nadal, who has possibly played his final tournament at Roland Garros.
Nadal, dubbed the 'King of Clay', was unseeded for the tournament due to a long injury lay-off and was beaten by Alexander Zverev in the first round.
But Nadal's legacy will be forever entrenched in Paris having won the tournament 14 times, including beating Djokovic in three finals in one of tennis' best match-ups.
"He has been the greatest rival that I ever had," said Djokovic, who leads their head-to-head record 30-29.
"Matches against him on clay have frustrated me so much in my career, but they also made me a better player, made me understand what it takes to try to surpass him; try to win at least once or twice at Roland Garros.
"It's the highest mountain to climb for me to win Roland Garros, particularly because of Nadal, because I always have to win against him in order to get to the title. We had some really fantastic matches here."
Alongside Nadal and the great Roger Federer, Djokovic formed men's tennis' big three.
With Federer retired and Nadal in the swansong of his career, Djokovic - now 37 - concedes it is increasingly difficult to find the motivation to keep continuing at such a high level.
"It is becoming a little bit more challenging for me to push myself every single tournament to be really at the top," added Djokovic, who will face Lorenzo Musetti in round three in Paris.
"I did struggle with motivation on a constant basis to always have that motivation I've had for more than 20 years of professional tennis.
"I know the moment is going to arrive sooner or later when I'm just going to, you know, have off weeks, where I'm struggling to push myself or deliver what needs to be delivered.
"My commitment to practice hasn't gone down. I'm focused pretty much solely on Grand Slams and Olympics this year, and playing for my country."
Jack Flaherty took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and the Detroit Tigers hit three home runs in a 5-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Thursday night.
Flaherty held the Red Sox without a hit until Rob Refsnyder singled to left with one out in the seventh. The right-hander was replaced one out later after throwing 104 pitches. He walked one and struck out nine for the third straight start.
Alex Faedo pitched one inning and Tyler Holton got the final four outs to complete the two-hitter.
The game remained scoreless until Akil Baddoo homered with one out in the fifth off Nick Pivetta. Mark Canha had an RBI single in the sixth and the Tigers scored three more runs in the eighth on Riley Greene’s two-run homer and Gio Urshela’s solo shot.
Detroit (28-28) has won five of six to get back to .500, while Boston (28-29) lost for the fifth time in seven games to drop under the break-even mark.
After walking the leadoff batter, Pivetta tied Roger Clemens for the Red Sox record with eight consecutive strikeouts. His bid for nine straight was snapped on a groundball to second that led off the fourth inning.
Pivetta allowed two runs and three hits over 5 1/3 innings with two walks and nine strikeouts.
Brewers keep Counsell, Cubs reeling
Gary Sanchez’s two-run home run snapped an eighth-inning tie and the Milwaukee Brewers took three of four games from former manager Craig Counsell and the Chicago Cubs with a 6-4 victory.
The NL Central-leading Brewers have won five of seven games to drop the struggling Cubs into third place in the division.
Chicago (28-29) got home runs from Cody Bellinger, Seiya Suzuki and Christopher Morel but the Cubs lost their seventh in eight games to drop below .500 for the first time since the end of March.
Counsell, the winningest manager in Brewers history who left to take over the Cubs, was booed every time he left the dugout this series.
Sanchez’s shot off Tyson Miller put Milwaukee back in front for good after Morel’s home run – his team-leading 10th - in the top of the eighth forged a 4-4 tie.
Jeffers leads Twins past Royals
Ryan Jeffers hit a pair of home runs and Carlos Correa had a bases-clearing triple as the Minnesota Twins rallied from a four-run deficit for a 7-6 win over the Kansas City Royals.
Jeffers’ first homer of the game was a two-run shot in the fourth inning and cut Minnesota’s deficit to 4-2. He went deep again in the fifth to make it 4-3 and the Twins scored four times in the sixth on Correa’s three-run triple and Max Kepler’s RBI single.
The Twins won three of four in the series and are an American League-best 24-12 since a 7-13 start.
Vinnie Pasquantino and MJ Melendez homered for the Royals, who have dropped four of five following eight consecutive wins.
Luka Dončić scored 20 of his 36 points in the first quarter and Kyrie Irving also scored 36 as the Dallas Mavericks booked a trip to the NBA Finals with a 124-103 rout of the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night.
Dallas was never threatened in Game 5 as it built a 29-point halftime lead on 61 percent shooting and led by as many as 36 points in the third quarter.
The Mavericks will have a full week to rest before the NBA Finals begin in Boston on June 6 for the franchise’s first appearance since winning the title in 2011. The Celtics have been off since finishing a sweep of Indiana on Monday.
Irving improved to 15-1 in his career in closeout games in the playoffs.
Anthony Edwards scored 28 points and Karl-Anthony Towns had 28 with 12 rebounds for the Wolves, who were unable to build on Tuesday’s Game 4 win in Dallas.
Doncic hit his first four shots and drained a 32-footer later in the first quarter. The Mavs closed on a 17-1 spurt, a run they pushed to 28-5 over a nine-minute stretch.
It was Doncic’s second 20-point quarter in his postseason career, following a 21-point fourth quarter in the Western Conference finals loss to Golden State in 2022.
Dallas got backup center Dereck Lively II back from a sprained neck that sidelined him the previous game. He had nine points and eight rebounds and Daniel Gafford added 11 points and nine boards.
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