Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva reached her first Grand Slam final with a dominant victory over Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk at the French Open.

A beaten semi-finalist in 2024, Andreeva was hugely impressive throughout her 6-1 6-3 victory and will await compatriot Diana Shnaider, the 25th seed, or Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska in Saturday’s final.

The 19-year-old is the fourth-youngest woman to reach the Roland Garros showpiece in the past 30 years, after Martina Hingis, Kim Clijsters and Coco Gauff.

Should she prevail, Andreeva would become the third-youngest first-time Grand Slam champion this century, after Maria Sharova and Emma Raducanu.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine provided an unavoidable backdrop to the contest, with Kostyuk regularly denouncing the war since it began in February 2022 – and being highly critical of athletes from Russia who have failed to do so.

In keeping with the stance taken by Ukrainian players over the past four years, Kostyuk did not pose for a pre-match photo with Andreeva, and the players did not shake hands afterwards.

SAN ANTONIO — There wasn’t a sense of panic from the New York Knicks when Jalen Brunson limped gingerly to the locker room late in the first quarter of Wednesday night’s Game 1 of the NBA Finals after the Spurs‘ Harrison Barnes landed on his right knee.

Nor was there panic when San Antonio, looking fresher and more explosive, built a 14-point third-quarter lead. Perhs it’s because the Knicks have been on this magic carpet ride for weeks, having won every postseason game since Game 3 of the first round in Atlanta, a loss that seemingly woke them up and created a playoff monster that has dominated ever since.

Brunson worked himself into Game 1 following a rough start, scoring 13 of his game-high 30 points in the fourth quarter to help the Knicks steal home-court advantage with a 105-95 victory at Frost Bank Center.

It was the Knicks’ 12th straight playoff win, and it had a familiar formula: fall behind, get within striking distance and then clear the way for Brunson to close.

“Jalen, he was the MVP in the second half. He was huge for us,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “He did what MVP candidates are supposed to do. He carried us home. We put the ball in his hands, and he got it done for us down the stretch.”

Brown has routinely been calling Brunson an MVP candidate, railing against this season’s voting, which didn’t see him garner even a fifth-place vote. Eight players received votes, including the back-to-back winner, Oklahoma City‘s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, whom the Spurs eliminated in the Western Conference finals.

For San Antonio, guarding Brunson in the fourth quarter proved to be an impossible task, especially since the Knicks don’t seem the least bit uncomfortable on the Finals stage.

“I don’t want to say calmness, but I think we know what we have to do,” Brunson said. “I think we are a pretty together group. Be able to trust each other and still have each other’s back and know that we just have to keep chipping away, chipping away. It’s just a credit to the mentality that we have as a team.”

First, it was Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns, who became assertive on offense as Brunson struggled in the first three quarters. Keeping Spurs star Victor Wembanyama, the unanimous Defensive Player of the Year, occupied is a high objective for the Knicks, and Wembanyama hasn’t seen anyone as diverse as Towns on offense.

“For me, when I go out there, I try to be aggressive in playmaking,” Towns said. “Early in the game, just you never know what actually the defense is going to give you. You don’t know what is going to unfold, but I just wanted to be aggressive, especially early in the game.”

Towns scored 10 of his 18 points in the third, and the Knicks actually pulled even by the end of the quarter. OG Anunoby kept New York afloat with a torrid start to the fourth quarter, when the Spurs athleticism and speed was threatening to overtake the Knicks.

That left just enough time for Brunson to find his matchups and work his magic. The Knicks attacked the basket when Wembanyama sat for stretches and had him perhs overthinking at times.

Brunson and the Knicks have been through plenty of stressful nights. In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals against Cleveland, they trailed by 22 in the fourth quarter before roaring back, sending the game into overtime and essentially ending any idea of a threat in the series.

There were the multiple 20-point comebacks against the Boston Celtics in last year’s second-round series, as the Knicks took a surprising 2-0 road advantage before winning the series in six.

Brunson didn’t solely engineer every comeback, but he has often been in the center of it. Game 1 of the NBA Finals was no exception.

“I think most importantly, knowing we’re on the road, and knowing my teammates have my back, I think that’s the biggest thing in an environment like this,” Brunson said. “The trust they have in me and the trust I have in them, it’s got us to this point. I mean, I’m very thankful for them every single night we go out there together.”

It took 31 shots for Brunson to score 30 points, but the lack of efficiency will get lost in the moment created by Brunson and these Knicks.

“He’s a gamer, man,” Brown said. “In the biggest moments, he shows up, and that’s what MVPs are supposed to do. We put the ball in his hands and said we are going to live and die with him. And he got it done for us, and that’s hpened time after time after time. He got to his spots and he made plays.”

The Knicks can head into Game 2 with confidence, knowing they stole the opener after shooting just 41% from the field and 31% from 3-point range. Most important, they held the Spurs to just 2-for-19 shooting from 3-point range after halftime, making the New York comeback possible.

“It’s a position we obviously don’t want to be in, but it’s always a next-play mentality,” Brunson said. “We continue to find a way and just kind of keep chipping away. We knew one play was not going to bring us all the way back, but we just kept chipping away.”

Berrettini’s only previous retirement from a Grand Slam match was at the 2023 US Open.

He also made an early exit from the 2021 ATP Tour Finals because of an abdominal injury, while last season he had to pull out midway through matches in Madrid and Rome in the run-up to the French Open.

But the former world number six, who had missed the previous four French Opens because of injury problems, is determined to take the positives from reaching a seventh Grand Slam quarter-final in his first outing at Roland Garros since 2021.

Now ranked 105th, he added: “I have to take the good stuff that I did in this tournament, because a few weeks ago or a few days ago, it would have been crazy to think about me in the quarter-finals, and so I’ll try to go back home with a smile on my face.

“It’s going to be tough but that’s how I like to proach these two weeks, and of course I’m dispointed, I’m sad, but I’m also proud of the way I fought through this tournament.”

Speaking on court after his win, Arnaldi said: “You never wish for someone to end the tournament like this.

“He did an amazing tournament. I am sorry for him and I hope he recovers because soon it is the grass and he is going to be very tough to play.”

Arnaldi, ranked 104th in the world, is the lowest-ranked male player to reach a French Open singles semi-final since Filip Dewulf did so in 1997 when ranked 122nd.

He will play another Italian, 10th seed Flavio Cobolli, on Friday for a place in Sunday’s final.

Eintracht Frankfurt full back Nathaniel Brown is of interest to Bayern Munich and Arsenal, while Liverpool are monitoring West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes. Join us for the latest transfer news and rumors from around the globe.

Transfers home page | Men’s winter grades | Women’s grades

TRENDING RUMORS

– Bayern Munich and Arsenal are keeping tabs on Eintracht Frankfurt full back Nathaniel Brown, as per The Athletic. Brown, 22, is part of Julian Nagelsmann’s Germany squad for the World Cup and is expected to attract significant interest during the transfer window — especially if he impresses at the tournament. Bayern are keen to strengthen their options at full back, while Arsenal view him as a versatile addition to their Premier League-winning squad.

– Liverpool are monitoring West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes ahead of a potential summer swoop, TEAMtalk has revealed. The 21-year-old Portugal international is also attracting interest from Manchester United, who want to bolster their midfield further after agreeing a £35 million deal to sign Brazil international Éderson from Atalanta. The Hammers are expected to consider offers for Fernandes following their relegation to the Championship, but reportedly want around £80 million.

– Manchester United have scouted Juventus defender Pierre Kalulu amid his reluctance to sign a new contract at the Serie A club, says Corriere dello Sport. Kalulu, 25, moved to Juve in 2025 after five years at AC Milan, and has impressed United with his leadership and ability to play right back or center back. Tottenham have also been linked with the France international, while Juve would reportedly listen to offers of around €45 million.

– Chelsea are considering a move for Juventus full back Andrea Cambiaso as they prepare for the possibility of Marc Cucurella leaving Stamford Bridge, says Gazzetta dello Sport. Cambiaso, 26, has attracted interest from the Premier League before, with Manchester City previously linked, however, Juventus could now be open to letting him go following their failure to qualify for the Champions League. Chelsea view the Italy international as a potential replacement should Cucurella depart, while the Serie A club are reportedly seeking a fee of around €50 million.

– Junior Kroupi‘s preferred destination is Paris Saint-Germain if he leaves AFC Bournemouth this summer, Footmercato reports. Bournemouth value Kroupi’s transfer around the €100 million mark after the teenager’s stunning debut Premier League campaign, in which he scored 13 goals. PSG face strong competition in the race for his signature, however, as several European giants, including Arsenal, are watching him as well.

ESPN SOURCES

– Manchester United have agreed a deal with Atalanta for midfielder Éderson. Atalanta have accepted an initial £35m ($47m) fee with another £4m in potential performance-related add-ons for the 26-year-old. Read

– Liverpool have reached an agreement to point Andoni Iraola as their new head coach. Iraola is expected to be officially confirmed as Liverpool boss by the end of the week following positive discussions with sporting director Richard Hughes, who also pointed Iraola at AFC Bournemouth in 2023. Read

– Negotiations between Real Madrid and France defender Ibrahima Konaté have progressed in the last 48 hours and are nearing a full agreement. Konaté, who just turned 27, left Liverpool as a free agent and looks now likely to join the Spanish giants this summer. Read

– England defender Niamh Charles is likely to leave Chelsea this summer, with the left back moving closer to a departure after the Blues signed former Arsenal left back Katie McCabe. Read

– Sheffield United are in talks with Manchester City about the permanent signing of midfielder Kalvin Phillips, who made three pearances on loan at Bramall Lane in the second half of last season. Read

OTHER RUMORS

– Aston Villa are determined to keep forward Morgan Rogers despite growing interest from Arsenal. (Telegrh)

– Elche forward Álvaro Rodríguez is on the radar of several Premier League sides heading into the summer transfer Bayern Munich are pushing to close a deal for PSV’s Morocco midfielder Ismael Saibari before the World Cup starts. Personal terms have already been agreed between the player and club. (Fabrizio Romano)

– Real Madrid aren’t considering bringing Victor Muñoz back to the club this summer. Madrid have a three-year option to bring back the winger, who’s been called up by Spain for the World Cup, but they aren’t planning on exercising it yet. (AS)

– Internazionale are accelerating efforts to sign Cagliari right back Marco Palestra, with Denzel Dumfries on the verge of joining Real Madrid. But several Premier League clubs are also monitoring the €50 million-rated Italian. (Fabrizio Romano)

– Aston Villa, Atlético Madrid and Borussia Dortmund are interested in Club Brugge’s Germany U21 striker Nicolò Tresoldi following his prolific campaign in Belgium. (Athletic)

– Ajax have opened talks to sign Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos, who is a priority for the Dutch giants. (Matteo Moretto)

– Juventus are weighing up a summer move for Bournemouth attacker Justin Kluivert, who is viewed as a potential alternative to Real Madrid’s Brahim Diaz. (Gazzetta dello Sport)

– Brighton & Hove Albion have struck a verbal agreement with AIK youngster Zadok Yohanna. (Sky Germany)

– Werder Bremen midfielder Jens Stage has informed the club of his desire to join Hoffenheim this summer. (Sky Germany)

– Juventus met with Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez’s representatives last week ahead of making a transfer bid. (Nicolo Schira)

When describing his past experiences of spying in Germany and Italy, where he worked as assistant manager to Patrick Vieira at Genoa, Eckert said: “I don’t want to say this to excuse anything we have done, I just want to give you context of the football world I grew up in.”

Indeed, the Southampton scandal is not the first spying case in which teams Eckert has worked for have been accused, though the level of his involvement in those previous incidents is unclear.

In 2015 the German newsper Kicker reported that Cologne – where Eckert was working as a youth coach – had sent an analyst to spy on Hamburg during a warm-weather training camp in Dubai.

And at the 2014 World Cup, suspicion fell on Germany when France manager Didier Deschamps said he had to stop a private training session because a drone was flying overhead. Eckert worked as an analyst for the team.

“We don’t want any intrusion into our privacy but it’s hard to fight this these days,” Deschamps said.

The reason it is hard to ascertain to what extent spying has been a part of Eckert’s development is he has conducted no media interviews since the scandal broke.

He fell foul of the EFL’s rule outlawing watching opponents train within 72 hours of a match. Had the staff member gone days earlier, as Eckert had originally asked, they would have esced sanction on a technicality.

“The whole thing was stupid and ill-conceived,” says Steve Grant, co-host of the Total Saints podcast.

“But it is a very British thing to clutch our pearls at the concept of fair play [regarding spying] while being hpy for our centre-forward to dive in the penalty area.”

Eckert’s claim that he was unaware of the EFL’s rules has also come in for criticism, given he previously spent a year and a half working as assistant manager at Barnsley in League One.

“There is definitely a cultural difference between Germany and England,” Hatchard adds.

“But for somebody who is so detail-oriented in his coaching, I am staggered that Eckert didn’t take the time to think, ‘right, I know this hpens more often in Germany, but can I really do it here?’

“Once you’re the main guy it’s pretty unforgivable to not think about the gravity of what he was doing, how it would be perceived, and what the consequences may be.”