Poland's Swiatek, who has dropped to fifth in the world rankings, has so far failed to win a title this year despite a few deep runs in tournaments, including the Australian Open semi-finals.
Alexander Zverev will be third seed for the French Open but the 28-year-old German's prospects of winning his first Grand Slam title in Paris are not looking especially bright.
'Beautiful draw': Retiring Gasquet meets Sinner in French Open swansong
Max Verstappen celebrated Red Bull's 400th Formula One race with a fourth win in a row at Imola on Sunday.
Sabalenka looked bemused when an out call went against her to give Belgian Mertens the first service break and a 4-3 lead in the opening set of their quarter-final, and a check by umpire Miriam Bley confirmed the call.
As the spotlight shines on Carlos Alcaraz's title defence and Novak Djokovic's pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam, a determined group of challengers is quietly preparing to shake up the draw.
Defending champions Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz powered into the second round of the French Open on Monday.
Italian news agency ANSA said the flight was diverted following a request from American Airlines for security checks related to a "suspected bomb threat".
Ferrari appointed Zhou Guanyu as a Formula One reserve driver on Wednesday after the Chinese lost his race seat with Swiss-based Sauber.
Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal all took to social media to congratulate the Italian.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Friday said that she has separated from her journalist partner Andrea Giambruno.
IMAGES from Day 1 of 2025 Wimbledon Championships played at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, on Monday.
Italy face the shocking possibility of failing to reach the World Cup for a third consecutive time.
Sacked Italy manager Luciano Spalletti bowed out with a victory after his side laboured to an uninspired 2-0 home win over Moldova in their World Cup qualification match on Monday.
UN chief Antonio Guterres, US President Donald Trump, his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney were among scores of world leaders who offered condolences to the people of India in wake of the tragic plane crash in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
Lando Norris put Formula One champions McLaren on pole position for the Monaco Grand Prix in track-record time on Saturday, with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc alongside on the front row for his home race.
A day after Yann Sommer's brilliant goalkeeping display helped Inter Milan reach the Champions League final at the expense of Barcelona, it was Gianluigi Donnarumma's turn to shine as Paris St Germain booked their ticket for the showdown in Munich.
Jannik Sinner accepts that his rangy physique is probably never going to attract that much attention.
Briton Jack Draper has given his backing to world number one Jannik Sinner over the doping controversy which saw the Italian accept a three-month ban and said he does not deserve any of the hate he gets.
Lewis Hamilton smashed the Shanghai circuit lap record on his way to a stunning first sprint race pole for Ferrari in China on Friday.
The Mumbai-born film-maker is currently working on two films set in her city, which will form a trilogy along with All We Imagine As Light.
Vijayveer Sidhu won India's fourth gold medal at the ISSF World Cup after he emerged victorious in the men's 25m rapid-fire pistol event in Buenos Aires.
Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the Madrid Open on Thursday after the second seed said he was struggling with hamstring and groin injuries.
Novak Djokovic won 12 of the last 14 games of his match against Lorenzo Musetti to crush the Italian 6-2, 6-2 and move into the quarter-finals of the Miami Open in his best performance since the Australian Open.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti dismissed suggestions on Tuesday that he is under mounting pressure at the club as they sit second in the LaLiga standings and were knocked out of the Champions League last week.
Images from the the Champions League semi-final second leg between Inter Milan and Barcelona at San Siro, Milan, Italy, on Tuesday.
'It was tough, but I know that she's involved somehow tonight. Maybe she's cheering me on from up there.'
Finland's Harri Heliovaara and Briton Henry Patten fought back from a set down to win the Australian Open men's doubles title on Sunday.
Images from Friday's Premier League matches between Chelsea and Manchester United, Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur.
IMAGES from the French Open played at Roland Garros, in Paris, France, on Sunday.
Novak Djokovic may have played at the Madrid Open for the last time after crashing out
Celebrities are already cooling off in style.
India has reached out to Denmark and other non-permanent members of the UN Security Council to apprise them of the Pahalgam terror attack and its cross-border linkages. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has spoken to his counterparts from several nations, conveying India's resolve to bring the perpetrators to justice. The outreach comes as India mulls options for responding to the attack, with Prime Minister Modi assuring the harshest response for the "perpetrators and conspirators." India has also received condolences and condemnations from world leaders, including US President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Images from the Champions League semi-final second leg between Paris St Germain and Arsenal, at Parc des Princes, Paris, France, on Wednesday.
Lando Norris lucked in to win a rain-hit and crash-strewn Miami Grand Prix sprint race in a McLaren one-two on Saturday.
The Serbian 24-times Grand Slam champion trailed Korda 5-2 in the second set but broke the American as he served at 5-3 and his precise and powerful serving carried him to the finish.
Three-time champion Novak Djokovic battled past Frenchman Corentin Moutet in a match that lasted more than three hours on Thursday.
Over the years, with some amount of experimenting, I have learnt exactly what freezes well and what does not.
IMAGES from the French Open at Roland Garros, in Paris, France, on Wednesday.
McLaren's Oscar Piastri celebrated his 50th Formula One race with a pole-to-flag win in Bahrain on Sunday that sent him second overall.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances