Alexandra Eala and Janice Tjen have taken different routes to the women's top 40, but both began their journeys from a region that is rarely on the tennis map.
Novak Djokovic arrives at Roland Garros this year facing a familiar opponent, but one that cannot be outmanoeuvred even by the record 24-time Grand Slam champion: time.
With the start of the 2026 World Cup in North America now barely three weeks away, AFP Sport runs the rule over the leading contenders at the first-ever 48-team finals (world ranking in brackets):
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Politics
Arminda de la Cruz has a mechanism for coping with both the endless blackouts in Cuba and the looming threat of a US invasion: reggaeton.
May 20, 2026
RECENT NEWS
Elon Musk wants to take SpaceX public -- and he's asking investors to believe the rocket and AI company is worth almost $1.75 trillion.
May 20, 2026
RECENT NEWS
EU lawmakers and member states reached a deal in the early hours of Wednesday to implement the bloc's nearly year-old trade pact with the United States, with President Donald Trump threatening new tariffs unless it is done by July 4.
May 20, 2026
The Dallas Mavericks are "parting ways" with head coach Jason Kidd in a decision agreed by both parties, the NBA team said Tuesday.
May 19, 2026
The United States on Tuesday began enforcing a law requiring tech platforms to remove sexual deepfakes and other non-consensual intimate imagery, but experts warned of shortcomings and raised online censorship concerns.
May 19, 2026
Sports
Arsenal celebrated their first Premier League title for 22 years on Tuesday after Manchester City were held to a 1-1 draw by Bournemouth, sparking wild scenes of joy around the Emirates Stadium.
May 19, 2026
RECENT NEWS
With record prices for Jackson Pollock, Constantin Brancusi and Mark Rothko, New York's spring auctions are soaring, confirming a trend that began in late 2025: blockbuster sales are back.
Chelsea beat Tottenham 2-1 on Tuesday to leave Roberto De Zerbi's men in danger of relegation from the Premier League with one game left of the season.
Taiwanese author Yang Shuang-zi and translator Lin King won the International Booker Prize on Tuesday for "Taiwan Travelogue", a playful postcolonial novel with a culinary bent.
Google on Tuesday unveiled the design of new smart glasses, returning to a market the tech giant tried -- and failed -- to crack more than a decade ago.
May 19, 2026
Sports
Pep Guardiola said he would speak to Manchester City's hierarchy after a 1-1 draw at Bournemouth ended his team's hopes of winning the Premier League.
May 19, 2026
RECENT NEWS
The EU headed into late-night talks Tuesday seeking a deal towards implementing its nearly year-old trade pact with the United States -- with an impatient President Donald Trump threatening steep new tariffs unless it is done by July 4.
European aviation giant Airbus has asked its teams to cut "non-essential expenses" by 10 percent due to turbulence following the Middle East war, according to a document seen by AFP.
Oil prices eased Tuesday but remained above $100 a barrel while stocks wavered as investors tracked a potential deal between the US and Iran to end a war that has sent energy prices soaring.
France's finance minister acknowledged Tuesday that two days of talks among leading global economies were "sometimes difficult", even as the group agreed a statement committing to multilateral cooperation in combatting growing economic risks.
May 19, 2026
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