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Iga Swiatek snubbed by French Open after Emma Raducanu win as Pole out of comfort zone

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Iga Swiatek dropped just three games to Emma Raducanu when they met in the second round.

Iga Swiatek has been relegated away from her favourite court at the French Open. The Pole is the Queen of Court Philippe-Chatrier, winning four titles here – the last three in a row – and thrives on the main stage in Paris. But organisers have sent her to the second stadium, Court Suzanne-Lenglen, for the first time in two years at this tournament.

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The No. 5 seed made a statement when she thrashed Emma Raducanu 6-1 6-2 on Wednesday, and the Brit later explained how tricky it was to play Swiatek on Chatrier. But Swiatek’s next opponent, Jaqueline Cristian, won’t have to deal with that in round three.

Four-time champion Swiatek got top billing on Chatrier for all seven of her matches on her way to the title in 2024. But she will return to Lenglen to face the world No. 60 on Friday afternoon.

Swiatek’s last appearance on the second court here was a short-lived one. She led Lesia Tsurenko 5-1 in the first set of their fourth-round match in 2023 when the Ukrainian retired.

Before that, the Pole had an outing on Lenglen for the second round in 2022, beating Alison Riske 6-0 6-2.

Swiatek has made it no secret that she loves playing in the 15,000-strong stadium at Roland Garros in the daytime – not in the night session, however – and Raducanu felt the full wrath of the former No. 1 on the main showcourt.

Ahead of Raducanu’s second-round meeting with Swiatek, she complained that lower-ranked players didn’t get opportunities to practice on Chatrier and came into those big matches feeling underprepared.

And she felt the weight of the occasion when they met on Wednesday. “It was the first time playing a match on that court,” the Brit said.

“And it’s also different when it’s filled and it’s got everything around. You do feel like it is a big court. And it’s different and it’s new for me. It’s a surrounding that she’s obviously very comfortable with and she’s played in it a lot of times.

“I think that did emphasise me feeling a bit uncomfortable. But it’s a good experience for if I ever play on that court again.”

However, when she faces Cristian for the first time, Swiatek will be the one adjusting to a court on which she is less comfortable.

The world No. 5 came into the French Open less prepared than in recent years. She hasn’t reached a final at any tournament since claiming the crown here 12 months ago, and she suffered a shock third-round exit in Rome earlier this month.

After demolishing Raducanu, Swiatek claimed that she still couldn’t get too comfortable despite taking extra confidence from being back at her favourite tournament.

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Paige Spiranac’s surprising NFL fandom confession triggers heated debate over loyalty, authenticity, and fan culture

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The 2026 NFL Draft starts Thursday night in Pittsburgh, and the spotlight isn’t only on prospects and front offices. Golf influencer Paige Spiranac has again found herself pulled into NFL conversation, this time for her open support of multiple teams.

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With the Steelers hosting the first round, her long-standing connection to Pittsburgh has resurfaced. But it’s not just about hometown ties. Her broader fandom, which stretches beyond one franchise, continues to draw mixed reactions at a time when fan loyalty is often treated as non-negotiable.

Paige Spiranac roots for 2 NFL teams: Who are they?

Paige Spiranac has never hidden where her loyalties lie, even if they don’t fit the usual mold. She has consistently pointed to her roots while leaving space for other allegiances.

“Both my parents are from Pittsburgh so I’ve been a Steelers ..fan since the day I was born. I also love the Bills. It’s a complicated relationship…Who’s your team?” she previously asked her followers. It’s a candid admission, one that reflects personal history more than calculated fandom.

Still, the reaction has been sharp. NFL culture tends to rew ..

 

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Quiet moments on the course can say a lot about what’s coming next.

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Sometimes the most important work happens when nobody is really watching.
Lexi Thompson was out on the 18th green, working through her putting during a practice round ahead of the Chevron Championship in Houston.

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It’s a simple scene, but it shows the kind of quiet preparation that goes into these big tournaments—getting the feel of the greens, adjusting to conditions, and building trust in every stroke.

These are the small details that can shape how a player starts when the pressure kicks in.

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Predicting what will happen to Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson if LIV Golf collapses

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It looks like LIV Golf is over.

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The Saudi Public Investment Fund has reportedly decided that this league simply isn’t worth the hole it’s burning in their pocket, and they’re pulling funds at the end of 2026.

That gives them less than a year to seek new investment. While CEO Scott O’Neil seems confident, it’s going to be extremely difficult to secure funding for a league that is operating at such eye-watering losses.

So this probably pulls the curtain closed on one of the most turbulent, frustrating, confusing, and ridiculous eras in golfing history. Hopefully, we can all return to some reality after the year is over.

But there is still so much uncertainty surrounding golf’s future thanks to this. Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed saw the signs early and jumped ship, but they did that with some leverage. So what on earth is going to happen to the rest of these players who didn’t take the olive branch when it was offered to them?

Feelings will be hurt, and careers will be ended. Let’s take a look.

Jon Rahm rejoins the PGA Tour

Koepka returned to the PGA Tour under the returning member program, which saw him pay $5 million to charity, accept that he’ll receive no FedEx Cup bonus money, and agree he cannot be a sponsor exemption for the 2026 signature events.

 

That same deal was offered to Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau. They didn’t accept it, but a similar offer will likely be handed out to them again.

 

If LIV Golf folds, Rahm will not hold the same leverage as Koepka did, but he is a bigger star at this stage of his career. Make no mistake, the PGA Tour will want him back immediately.

But Rahm does risk leaving himself without any options at all. Reed didn’t come straight back to the PGA Tour, so he’s spending a year on the DP World Tour first. You’d imagine Rahm would consider doing the same, but it might not be so easy for him.

Rahm is in a feud with the DP World Tour, as the only one of eight players to reject a deal which would have seen him retain his full-time membership. If Rahm agreed to play in six DP World Tour events this year, then he could have played on both LIV Golf and the tour. He did not agree.

For now, his membership is at risk. So, will it be possible for him to spend a season on the DP World Tour like Reed? Maybe not. That makes it all the more likely that Rahm will be back on the PGA Tour the moment LIV folds.

Bryson DeChambeau does YouTube full-time

With DeChambeau, I don’t think it’s as much of a done deal that he returns to the PGA Tour. Not immediately anyway.

He’s been negotiating his contract with LIV, which expires at the end of this season. During these negotiations, he’s made it very clear that he is completely willing to step away from full-time competition and be a full-time YouTuber.

DeChambeau’s channel has over two million subscribers, so he could feasibly do that with all of the money he’s making there.

He was annoyed to see LIV move to a four-day format, so he could commit himself fully to being the content king. It would be a wild thing to do, but it’s also exactly the kind of move you could see the two-time major winner making.

He could qualify for The Open Championship and the US Open, and earn enough points there to play The Masters and the PGA Championship. It’s possible.

He does seem to live for competition, so maybe YouTube won’t quite scratch the itch, but it is on the table for DeChambeau. At least for a year until his suspension expires. Out of Rahm and DeChambeau, the American is absolutely the least likely to take a deal.

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