Lewis Hamilton has confirmed he is working on a Formula One movie with Brad Pitt.

It was reported this week that seven-time F1 world champion Hamilton had taken on a producer role in a film starring Hollywood legend Pitt for Apple TV+.

Hamilton says he has relished the opportunity to work on such an alternative project.

He said during a media conference ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix: "It's a really cool project and we are already working on the script. 

"I'm much involved in the script, which is fun, and spending good time with Brad, which is pretty epic… and really from my responsibilities and something that I take on is just making sure the cast and crew in the background is diverse – something I really highlighted at the beginning.

"It's been very difficult, if you look at all the racing movies, you can't necessarily say all the racing movies that have been in the past have been spectacular and that's something we want to change.

"It's really about showing how great this sport really is to people that have never watched it and also making sure that we keep the real heritage and the true racing spirit within the movie and within the script, so that's part of my role."

The Mercedes driver says a cast has not yet been finalised.

Hamilton added: "We're going to need drivers I'm sure at one stage. What I think will be important is - it's not my movie, it's Formula One's, it's for all of us, so there's lots of people within the sport who are being a part of this, helping educate those who are trying to create this movie, so it's going to include lots and lots of people and there's talk already of how we're going to capture the footage and it's going to take us drivers to be involved in that.

"But we're not actors. We don't want it to be crap… which is probably why I'm not going to be a part of it! We need some good actors."

Stephen Curry is confident he will not miss any of the remainder of the NBA Finals despite hurting his foot in the Golden State Warriors' Game 3 defeat to the Boston Celtics.

The Warriors went down 116-100 at TD Gardens to slip to a 2-1 deficit, with Curry scoring a game-high 31 points despite the losing effort.

What was of even bigger concern to the Warriors was the sight of Curry's leg getting caught under the huge frame of Al Horford when jostling for a loose ball deep into the fourth quarter.

Curry was down for a considerable amount of time and when he did manage to get back to his feet he was noticeably limping and did not return for the remaining minutes.

Speaking about the injury after the game, Curry told reporters: "I'll be all right. I got caught. Obviously I'm in some pain, but I'll be all right. I'll see how it feels tomorrow and get ready for Friday.

"That's [a foot strain] what it felt like, and we'll see how it responds. Not much else to say. I don't feel like I'll miss a game. I'll take advantage of these next 48 hours to get ready."

Curry likened the injury to the one he sustained against the Celtics back in March during a similar scenario coming up against Marcus Smart.

The Warriors' talisman, however, does not believe it is as severe as the issue that caused him to miss the final month of the regular season.

"[Horford is] a big body, obviously," Curry added. "I haven't seen the play, so I don't know if it could have been avoided or not. 

"I was in that situation with Marcus back in the Bay, and you just want to get your foot out of there. That's all I was trying to do at that point, knowing the position I was in. 

"Like I said, for what I feel like, it's not as bad. So hopefully it responds well over the next two days."

Head coach Steve Kerr said of Curry: "I didn't say that [there was no concern]. 

"The injury didn't force him out of the game, but I took him out down 14 with two minutes left because we weren't going to catch up.

"We will know more tomorrow."

It was a night to forget for Draymond Green, who contributed just two points and struggled defensively leading him to admit afterwards: "I was s***."

Kerr was somewhat more diplomatic, adding: "He had a tough game, but I trust Draymond as much as I trust anybody. 

"You know, he always bounces back from losses and from tough nights individually. He'll be back on Friday."

A hostile home crowd jeered Green with chants of "f*** you Draymond", with Kerr adding sarcastically: "Classy. Very classy."

Green was asked if his struggles could have anything to do with the post-game recaps he has been supplying on his podcast. 

He replied tersely, saying: "No. I don't see much difference on the podcast than I say to you right here, so nah. What's the X's and O's that I said on the podcast?

"If that's X's and O's, you're reaching for something. It's all good, though, keep going.

"The only thing, you find that they are taking X's and O's away from your podcast? Well, the only thing you said is [Derrick] White, Smart and Horford. Hmm.

"You went for it. Appreciate the podcast promo you just gave me, though. The Draymond Green Show. Next time just mention it that way."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Isco has posted a farewell message to Real Madrid and after nine years at the Santiago Bernabeu and took a subtle dig at Kylian Mbappe.

Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti confirmed last week that Isco would be leaving the club at the end of the season as a free agent.

The 30-year-old midfielder has thanks to the club, and also appeared to mock Mbappe, who turned down a move to the European champions and sign a new contract at Paris Saint-Germain.

Isco posted on Instagram on Monday: "When I was in Malaga and knew I had to leave I made a commitment to join another team, but Real Madrid called and you just can't say no, although there are always exceptions," before adding an emoji of a turtle (Mbappe's nickname) and a laughing face.

He added: "I remember telling my people 'Madrid haven't won the Champions League for years but I sense it's coming,' and then La Decima came and the rest is history.

"Nine years later my time at the club that made my dreams come true ends. Other than achieving these dreams, winning more titles than I could imagine and playing alongside the best players: I HAD A GREAT F****** TIME AND NOBODY CAN TAKE THAT AWAY FROM ME!"

Isco joined Madrid from Malaga in 2013 for a reported fee of €30million, and won five Champions Leagues, three LaLiga titles and a Copa del Rey. 

"I want to thank my team-mates, coaches, coaching staff, physios, kit men, workers at Valdebebas and Santiago Bernabeu for all the work, love and support that everyone needs and that I have never lacked," he added.

"I also want to thank the fans who welcomed me in an incredible way from the first day and who accompany this team in every corner of the world!

"Yesterday I was telling a friend that I didn't understand why they were holding the [Champions League celebration] party if number 15 is on its way hahahaha.

"Goodbye and Hala Madrid."

Naomi Osaka was left "petrified" after reports of an active shooter being present at the fight between Gervonta Davis and Rolando Romero in New York.

Tennis star Osaka was at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, where Davis retained his WBA lightweight title with a sixth-round stoppage of fellow American Romero.

However, reports of an active shooter inside the venue sparked panic. Though this speculation later proved unfounded, ESPN reported that a security supervisor for the venue had said there was a person with a gun in the concourse. 

Osaka detailed her experiences of being in the arena at the time, revealing she had to take cover in a closed-off room.

"I was just in the Barclays Center and suddenly I heard shouting and saw people running, then we were being yelled at that there was an active shooter and we had to huddle in a room and close the doors, I was so f****** petrified man," the former world number one posted on Twitter.

Osaka followed her initial post up 11 minutes later confirming she had exited the Barclays Center.

"I really hope everyone made it out safely, since I'm tweeting this we made it out ok," she added.

The United States is still reeling from a school shooting in Uvalde, Texas earlier this week in which 19 children and two teachers were killed.

In the wake of the tragedy, multiple high-profile sportspeople, including Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr, have called for changes to gun laws in the US.

Miami Heat point guard Kyle Lowry gushed over the performance of teammate Jimmy Butler as they avoided elimination with a 111-103 Game 6 victory over the Boston Celtics, tying the series at 3-3 with Game 7 headed back to Miami.

Butler played arguably the greatest game of his career in the must-win fixture, racking up 47 points on 16-of-29 shooting, including going four-of-eight from long range and 11-of-11 from the free throw line. 

He added nine rebounds, eight assists, four steals and a block, becoming the first player since Michael Jordan in 1988 to have multiple games of at least 40 points and four steals in the same series.

After only producing a combined 14 points and eight assists in the three games he played this series, Lowry was superb, scoring 18 points and dishing 10 assists before fouling out late in the fourth quarter.

Speaking to post-game media, after Butler said he "did decent throughout the game", Lowry made it evident what he thought of his teammate's performance.

"[Butler was] f****** incredible – my bad, don't fine me NBA, that was really my mistake," he said.

"I just think he's such a humble basketball player, and the work he does put in – I witness it. 

"It's incredible to have a guy like him next to me. I've played with some great players, and he's one of the best players I've played with. 

"To do it on this stage – Game 6, win or go home, do or die – I wouldn't want to lace them up with many other people than this guy."

He later touched on his own struggles, and how he overcame them with everything on the line.

"I'm never going to make an excuse – I've played bad before – and I have opportunities to redeem myself," he said.

"I've got great guys in the locker room, great guys in my team, great organisation, great people in my life who just support me.

"Tonight was one of those chances – I think coach would have said it's a 'legacy game' – and I think having a guy like [Butler] next to me helped that."

Butler – as well as imploring the league to fine Lowry for his profanity, in jest – highlighted a phone call he had with Heat legend Dwyane Wade in the lead-up.

"D-Wade never hits me [up] until his voice is really, really needed – and it was," he said.

"I texted him and told him I appreciate him for it, just letting me know to go out there and continue to build on that legacy, and make sure we win… it just feels great to get one on the road.

"I think we just did our job – we've been saying it this entire series. It's not finished yet, we've got Game 7 at the crib, and we need to win."

Justin Langer says he was tired of the "b******t politics" within Cricket Australia while he was head coach of the national team and insisted he would never coach England.

Langer resigned in February on the back of masterminding Australia's maiden T20 World Cup triumph and a 4-0 Ashes thumping of England on home soil.

The former opening batter turned down a short-term contract extension, bringing his reign to an end almost four years after replacing Darren Lehmann.

Ricky Ponting, the late Shane Warne, Matthew Hayden and Mark Waugh were among the Australia greats who hit out at Cricket Australia over their treatment of Langer.

The 51-year-old has spoken out over the issues he had to contend with, taking aim at interim Cricket Australia chairman Richard Freudenstein.

Langer told a Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA event in Perth: "The first thing he [Freudenstein] said to me was, 'It must make you feel so good that all your mates are supporting you in the media.'

"I said, 'Yeah it is, acting chairman, but with all due respect, those mates are also the all-time greats of Australian cricket. They are the fabric of Australian cricket. They are Australian cricket. They also work all around the world in cricket. So yeah, I'm glad my mates are looking after me. Imagine if you had have'.

"Ironically, the last six months of my coaching career were the most enjoyable period of 12 years of coaching. Not only did we win everything, but I had energy, and I had focus, and I was happy – besides the b******t politics."

Langer added: "It's no wonder you get tired. It's no wonder your health suffers; your mental, your physical health. You're trying to please everybody.

"The great lesson I learned was…I cleared my desk, and all of a sudden instead of having everything on my table, I had two things on my desk. One was winning and the second thing was my people.

"If you know people have got your back, you can achieve miracles. If they haven't, it's a very lonely place. Leadership can be very, very lonely. But it's not lonely when you know people have got your back."

Langer was linked with England before Brendon McCullum and Matthew Mott were appointed as Test and white-ball head coaches respectively.

Asked whether he would have taken a job with Australia's fierce rivals, Langer replied while shaking his head: "I've never spoken to English cricket. The thought of coaching England ...mate!"

Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy has pleaded not guilty to nine charges of sexual offences.

The France international appeared at a hearing in Chester Crown Court on Monday to enter pleas for the first time.

Mendy denies seven counts of rape, one count of sexual assault and one count of attempted rape.

The 27-year-old was charged following allegations made by six women, with the alleged offences said to have taken place between October 2018 and August 2021.

Defender Mendy is due to face trial on July 25.

The full-back was remanded in custody last August, but was released on bail in January.

He was suspended by Premier League champions City after initially being charged with four counts of rape and one count of sexual assault nine months ago.

Co-defendant Louis Saha Matturie also appeared Chester Crown Court on Monday, pleading not guilty to eight counts of rape and four counts of sexual assault.

New York Rangers coach Gerard Gallant assured his side can match the Carolina Hurricanes for physicality following a post-game scuffle, as the Rangers took a game back in their playoff series on Sunday.

As the buzzer sounded to end Game 3, a 3-1 win for the Rangers, Hurricanes forward Max Domi gave Rangers defenceman Ryan Lindgren a sudden cross-check.

The benches cleared and following the scuffle between the two teams on the ice, Gallant was also seen yelling at Hurricanes defenceman Tony DeAngelo, whose contract was bought out by the Rangers after a string of behavioural indiscretions.

While Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour declined to comment on the issue post-match - citing that he did not see the shot from Domi - a visibly upset Gallant was more forthright, stating the Rangers are well-equipped to provide receipts.

“I wasn’t happy with the bulls..t at the end of the game that they initiated,” Gallant said. “We didn’t do that when the games were close. They put their guys out, that’s fine. They want to play like that, we've got guys who can match that.”

After two losses on the road, the Rangers bounced back with an important win as the series returned to New York.

Mika Zibanejad had a goal and an assist while Igor Shesterkin stopped 43 shots, for New York's second win in their past 10 against the Canes.

Message-sending is the norm in playoff series but after the post-game scuffle, Gallant made it clear his side will not be pushed around.

“I don’t like it at the end of the game,” he said. “The game’s over. We still got four games with these guys. We got the guy who can handle all their guys if we want to.

"We didn’t do it like that, but Domi took a cheap shot at our defenceman. You've got a long memory. You think about things, like I said, [the shoe] might be on the other foot someday.”

Jimmy Butler has assured he will sustain intensity against the Boston Celtics, following the Miami Heat's 118-107 win in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday.

Butler was at his best for the Heat, finishing with 41 points on 12-of-19 shooting, nine rebounds, five assists, four steals and three blocks.

He also took 18 free-throw attempts and only two three-point attempts in comparison, attacking the basket at almost every opportunity.

Against a Boston team that can be just as physical and aggressive as the Heat, the six-time All-Star said he will thrive on it, but the individual stat line does not matter in relation to wins and losses.

"I like physicality. I want to run into people and see who falls down first, who's going to quit first," Butler said. at the post-game news conference.

"I think that's the style of basketball I like to play and so do they. I was zero-for-two from three tonight, I want to go zero-for-zero next game, because I just want to keep banging into people.

"I think I speak for my teammates, the Miami Heat organisation when I say I know what I'm capable of. I don't do this, score 40 points, I play the way that I play to win, by all means necessary. It just so happens that I scored 40, but if I score 40 and lose I'm gonna be really pissed off.

"I have so much trust in my teammates and I will continue to play that way. I've been a quote unquote scorer at other points in my career, and it didn't work out too well for me, so I'm glad that I have the guys that I have around me and with me."

Down by eight at the start of the second half, the Heat turned it around with a 39-14 third quarter in which they were able to get six steals and force the Celtics to none-of-seven from the perimeter.

Butler's 17 points and three steals as the Heat turned Game 1 around were critical, but he asserted that the team knew they needed to dial up the intensity on the defensive end before coach Erik Spoelstra even addressed them.

"It's crazy because he [Spoelstra] didn't have to say too much," he said. "We already knew what we were doing wrong – turning the ball over, not getting back. We're at home, we've got to play better basketball, as a team. We did that, went on a little run, but this was just a win.

"I've said it all season long, whenever we let our defense dictate our offense, we're a much better team – we get stops, get into the open floor, we whip that ball around to our shooters and that's the style of basketball we call Miami Heat basketball. Gritty, dog-like, worried about getting stops instead of worried about getting buckets."

Arnaud Demare enjoyed another successful day at the Giro d'Italia as he registered his second stage victory of this year's race.

Demare pipped Caleb Ewan in a thrilling sprint finish to stage six on Thursday, just nudging the tip of his wheel ahead of the Lotto Soudal rider as they crossed the finish line in Scalea.

At the end of a relatively flat route, Mark Cavendish made a late push, but was unable to latch onto the front two at the end.

"It was a really calm stage and everybody had fresh legs. Yesterday it was a collective job and today we had everyone as well," said Groupama-FDJ rider Demare.

"At each roundabout we were perfectly placed. Around 500m, Jacopo [Guarnieri] did a great job and I got myself into the wheels. The sprint lasted about 100m and I managed to get there.

"I thought maybe it was me that was second until we saw the photo."

It was a frustrating day for Fernando Gaviria (UAE Team Emirates), meanwhile.

The Colombian had expressed frustration with his bike after stage five, saying "what a s*** bike", and this time he collided with Alberto Dainese and Cees Bol on the home stretch.

Gaviria was deemed to be at fault and relegated, so he has dropped from third to fifth in the points classification, losing 13 points.

There was little change in the general classification standings, with Juan Pedro Lopez keeping hold of the maglia rosa, though his lead was cut by a second.

DEMARE MAKING FRANCE PROUD

That was Demare's seventh stage win at the Giro d'Italia, meaning he has now won more stages in the Grand Tour event than any other French rider.

According to the Giro's official data, across the 13-second sprint, Demare averaged a remarkable 68.4 km/h speed, while maxing out at 1,410 watts of power.

STAGE RESULT  

1. Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ) 5:02:33
2. Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal) same time  
3. Mark Cavendish (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team) same time 
4. Biniam Girmay (Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert) same time
5. Giacomo Nizzolo (Israel-Premier Tech) same time

CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS   

General Classification  

1. Juan Pedro Lopez (Trek-Segafredo) 23:23:36
2. Lennard Kaemna (Bora-Hansgrohe) +0:38
3. Rein Taaramae (Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert) +0:58

Points Classification

1. Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ) 147
2. Biniam Girmay (Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert) 94
3. Mark Cavendish (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team) 78

King of the Mountains  

1. Lennard Kamna (Bora-Hansgrohe) 43
2. Mirco Maestri (EOLO-Kometa Cycling Team) 18  
3. Juan Pedro Lopez (Trek-Segafredo) 18

Jurgen Klopp has apologised for his outburst on Antonio Conte's tactics following the draw between Liverpool and Tottenham on Saturday, suggesting it was a "backhanded" compliment.

Liverpool dropped ground in the Premier League title race as they were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw at Anfield, Luis Diaz's deflected second-half strike salvaging a point for the Reds.

Spurs managed just 35 per cent of possession against the Reds, who outshot their opponents 22 to three – though the visitors registered as many shots on target (three each).

Having defended deep and relied on the counter-attacking prowess of scorer Son Heung-min and Harry Kane, Tottenham became the first team to stop Liverpool from winning at Anfield in the Premier League since Brighton and Hove Albion last October.

Klopp took aim at Spurs' approach after the game, stating he "could not coach" Conte's defensive style as he implored Tottenham to do more with their talented "world-class players".

However, the German manager has since retracted his remarks as he hailed the work that Conte and Atletico Madrid's Diego Simeone do in setting their teams up to defend. 

"No. It's what I think, it's just not what I should say because it's not appropriate," Klopp told reporters when asked if he would contact Conte to apologise. "We didn't lose and it felt like a loss.

"One of you guys asked how they defended and that was the moment it clicked. I mean it when I say I couldn't coach it – it was a backhanded compliment.

"I couldn't. What they do is incredible and so difficult for the opponent – they make it hard to score.

"When you don't score and then Harry Kane gets on the ball, it's not a brain f***, but what can you do in these moments? My main message is I can't coach it.

"Diego Simeone and Atletico Madrid, I can't wait to face them again. That’s what I mean, it's unnecessary I say these kinds of things. It came out before I was thinking."

Liverpool also attempted 46 crosses to Tottenham's 17, but Klopp refuted suggestions his side should not have relied on sending the ball in from the flanks, even if he bemoaned the Reds' build-up play.

"The crosses you can read easily are not right with the way they defend," he added. "They need to go back in the centre, get to the touchline and square it.

"It's just that the main challenge of a game like this is that you are in a creative mood, but every missed pass is a massive problem, it is hard to stay calm.

"If we chip the ball in behind the wing-back that’s great football, but we didn't anticipate it. If we had won 3-1 you wouldn't have asked me about all these crosses and that's the problem, not a perfect game but great things.

"The counter-press was amazing. I don't forget but we keep going. If we win 1-0 and there's no counter-press, we have only a few games left and I have to say 'Boys, what happened?'.

"Nothing is broken, that's how I see it so let's keep going from there. It doesn't always work out and that's the nature of it.

"We had the situations where we could have scored. Virgil [van Dijk's late header], he could have scored and it would have been perfect."

Liverpool will look to cut Manchester City's three-point lead at the Premier League summit when the Reds visit Aston Villa on Tuesday.

Stan Wawrinka said he was "feeling great" after securing his first win in 15 months by downing 14th seed Reilly Opelka at the Internazionali d'Italia.

The three-time grand slam winner made his tour return last month after requiring two surgeries on a left foot injury, but rallied after losing his first set against Opelka to secure a memorable 3-6 7-5 6-2 first-round victory.

Speaking after booking a second-round meeting with Laslo Djere, who beat Borna Coric 6-2 6-7 (3-7) 6-2, Wawrinka said his desire to play at the top level never left him, despite his injury woes.

"I think in general I was feeling good on the court, physically I was feeling great," he said. "For sure, when you don't win a match in more than a year, you start to think about it more than you should and not focus on the right things. 

"In general, I think it was a great match, a great battle. I stayed positive. I started to feel much better with my tennis by the end of the second set, and in the third set. I'm really happy with this victory.

"After two surgeries, at my age I could easily have stopped playing because my career is way better than what I expected when I was young.

"But I still have this fire in me. I still believe that I can play great tennis. I still believe that I make some big results, maybe not now, but in a few months."

Fellow former grand slam champion Dominic Thiem, who also returned from a long injury-enforced absence last month, fared less well, going down in straight sets to Fabio Fognini.

Having lost to Andy Murray at the Madrid Open last time out, 2020 US Open winner Thiem is still chasing his first victory of the year after losing 6-4 7-6 (7-5) to the 34-year-old Italian.

Elsewhere, 13th seed Denis Shapovalov edged an epic three-hour contest against Italy's Lorenzo Sonego 7-6 (7-5) 3-6 6-3, responding after being handed a game penalty for shouting expletives at a partisan crowd in Rome during the second set.

The frustrated Canadian was heard to tell spectators: "Shut the f*** up" when being booed after complaining about a second serve being called out by the umpire, but eventually regained his composure to claim a three-set win.

Shapovalov will face Georgia's world number 25 Nikoloz Basilashvili in the second round after he overcame Daniel Evans 7-6 (7-2) 6-2, while the only other seed to play on Monday, Spain's Pablo Carreno Busta, cruised to a 6-3 6-2 victory over Federico Delbonis.

Marco Verratti declared Paris Saint-Germain are "left feeling p***** off" they have nothing to play for after Champions League disappointment and winning Ligue 1.

PSG cruised to a record-equalling 10th French top-flight title – only Saint-Etienne can boast as many – in April, while no player in Ligue 1 history has won as many championships as Verratti (eight).

However, Mauricio Pochettino's side remain in search of an elusive Champions League crown, having been dumped out at the last-16 stage by a remarkable Karim Benzema-inspired Real Madrid turnaround.

Kylian Mbappe scored in either leg to hand PSG a 2-0 lead, before Benzema delivered a second-half hat-trick at the Santiago Bernabeu to stun the visitors and reopen fresh Champions League wounds.

Meanwhile, since securing the title, PSG have thrown away two-goal leads in consecutive games, allowing Strasbourg and Troyes to share the spoils on both occasions.

Verratti vented his frustrations after the stalemate with Troyes as he acknowledged finding motivation is difficult with the league already in their hands.

"There is a bit of frustration. I think these are matches where you have to have fun, it's about winning and playing well as a team," the Italy international told Amazon Prime Video.

"We are in one of the quietest moments of the season because there is no pressure. We just have to have fun. When you are free in your head, you can enjoy it even more.

"I'm a little frustrated about that. We're coming to the end of the season and we always come out of games feeling p****** off. It's not the thing you dream of at the end of the season, especially when you are already champions.

"I honestly think that we could do much better with the team we have. In difficult times, we could be better. When we are good as a team, we manage to take more pleasure from those matches.

"It was a tough season. Even if we are champions, at the start of the season it was tough, we won a lot of matches late on.

"That means we have great character, because we're still there two minutes from the end to score a goal, but I think we could be better as a team.

"It's true that we changed the team a lot with several rookies. It is not an excuse, but it's the truth. It's difficult to create a big group when you change a lot. You have to take the good things of this season and try to build on it for next season."

Whether Pochettino stays in charge for the next campaign remains to be seen, with reports in France suggesting Zinedine Zidane as a potential target if he is not waiting until after the 2022 World Cup to take DIdier Deschamps' job with France.

Whoever is at the PSG helm, Verratti knows it will take another sizeable effort next year to reset and attempt to banish the Champions League demons.

"We fought hard against Madrid and did 150 minutes very well," he added.

"We won the championship, that's good and I think there's not much missing. Everyone has to give more so at the end we can say: 'OK, we have no regrets, we gave everything, they were stronger'.

"We do have this little regret. We had a dream in the Champions League. If you reach the semi-final then you can find yourself in the final having played two games well. Madrid hit us hard."