Deadspin | Patriots captains offer little insight on Mike Vrabel’s speech to team Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry (85) against the Seattle Seahawks during Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images New England Patriots captains Hunter Henry and Robert Spillane are pleased with the energy Mike Vrabel has brought to the team this week, but didn’t offer opinions about the coach’s highly-discussed off-the-field issues. Vrabel skipped Saturday’s third and final day of the NFL draft for a counseling session and returned to the team Monday as the Patriots continue their voluntary offseason workouts. Vrabel addressed the team on April 21 and Tuesday marked the first time since the speech that players were available to the media. Henry and Spillane both said Vrabel spoke about the situation involving former Athletic reporter Dianna Russini. The two were photographed together last month at an adults-only resort in Sedona, Ariz., holding hands, hugging and sharing a hot tub. Both are married to other people. “I thought he did a great job,” Henry said of Vrabel’s talk to the team. “It’s been the same Vrabes, bringing a lot of energy in the room. Obviously, he addressed it and that’s kind of all I’ll say about it.” Henry, a tight end, is entering his sixth season with the Patriots and 10th overall. Spillane, a linebacker, has long revered Vrabel, dating back to when he was an undrafted free agent in 2018 and competing for a spot on the Tennessee Titans’ roster with Vrabel as coach. Now entering his ninth NFL season, Spillane said he hasn’t noticed anything out of the ordinary. “Coach coaches football. He keeps the main thing, the main thing,” Spillane said. “I know he’s dealing with personal issues, but when we’re in the building, we speak football. … I love Coach and I’m going to be here to support him as he would be there to support me through anything. I’m just a player and trying to do that the best I can.” Though the controversial situation has played out publicly, both players said returning to the Super Bowl is a bigger talking point in the locker room. New England lost to the Seattle Seahawks 29-13 in Super Bowl LX in February. “Obviously I know you guys want to hear about everything that’s going on,” said Henry, who had a career-high 768 yards to go with 60 receptions and seven touchdown catches in 2025. “To be honest with you, I’m focused on what we got going on right now in this building, with this team. “Had a long season last year, quick turnaround into the offseason, we’re in a new building. And every year is a new year. We’re trying to build this team, we’re trying to come together, so I’m just focused on the guys in this locker room, and trying to build it from the ground up again. We have a long journey ahead of us; we have to start somewhere, so we’re starting right now.” Spillane expressed that expectations will be higher and that the Patriots will have a target on their backs. “It’s going to be a brand-new team,” said Spillane, who had 97 tackles and two interceptions last season in his first campaign with the Patriots. “It’s a chance for us to come together, to get to know our teammates, to learn and connect with each other, and really grow with our craft. And that’s what we’re really focused on.” Vrabel was named NFL Coach of the Year last season in his first campaign with the Patriots. He took a team that went 4-13 in 2024 and guided them to a 14-3 record. New England beat the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game to reach the Super Bowl. Vrabel and Russini were spotted together prior to the NFL league meetings that began March 29 in Phoenix. Sedona is approximately two hours north of Phoenix. When the situation first came to light publicly, Vrabel said, “those photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable.” The Athletic and Russini parted ways days later. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Patriots #captains #offer #insight #Mike #Vrabels #speech #team

Hailey Baptiste ended Aryna Sabalenka’s title defence in Madrid on Tuesday and halted the world number one’s 15-match winning streak with a 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (8/6) quarterfinal victory to deliver the biggest shock of the tournament so far.

The American saved five match points at 4-5 in the decider and a sixth in the tiebreak before she handed Sabalenka just her second defeat of the year, and her first since the Australian Open final three months ago.

Sabalenka is a three-time champion in Madrid and reached the final in the Spanish capital in each of the last three editions of the event but was unable to shake off the 30th-seeded Baptiste, who peppered her with huge serves and ultra-aggressive groundstrokes to reach a maiden WTA 1000 semifinal.

Baptiste came up with huge serves in several crucial moments – finishing the duel with a total of 12 aces and 10 double faults – and even saved a match point with a bold serve-and-volley approach on her way to a memorable two-hour 30-minute triumph.

Next up for the 24-year-old Baptiste is ninth-seeded Mirra Andreeva, who gave herself an early birthday gift by defeating Canadian Leylah Fernandez 7-6(7/1), 6-3 to reach her first Madrid semifinal.

The Russian teenager, who turns 19 on Wednesday, was a recent champion in Linz and improved her clay-court record to 11-1 this season.

Earlier in the day, Jannik Sinner suggested the Madrid Open organisers should reconsider their tournament scheduling to avoid late-night finishes like the one Rafael Jodar experienced in the third round on Sunday.

In a rare 11:00 am start on Tuesday, Sinner moved past British 19th seed Cameron Norrie 6-2, 7-5 to reach the quarterfinals.

He explained he was put on first on Manolo Santana Stadium so that Jodar, his potential next opponent, would be scheduled in the afternoon to give the Spaniard time to recover from his three-set win over Joao Fonseca that ended at 1:00 am on Monday morning.

Unusual early start

“It’s quite unusual for me,” Sinner told Tennis TV about his early kick-off.

“There was a question if it would be me or Jodar to play at 4. But I think it’s right he plays at 4, because he finished very, very late.

“But at the same time, I feel like we need to make some adjustments to the scheduling of the day. Two matches (starting) from 8pm is very late.

“Even though you have one day in between. But still it’s very, very late.

“You finish at 1:30am, and you need to eat, you need to have treatment, so it’s very late. But we try to adapt ourselves, our bodies, our minds, so from my side it was a good performance today.”

Sinner, who is bidding to reach the semifinals for the first time in the Spanish capital, will next face 19-year-old Jodar in what will be a highly-anticipated last-eight showdown.

Jodar’s dream run on home soil continued with a convincing 7-5, 6-0 thumping of world number 66 Vit Kopriva.

Casper Ruud fought back from the brink to keep his title defence alive with a 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/3) victory over former finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas.

In a high-quality three-hour contest, Tsitsipas led 5-3 in the decider, holding two match points, and served for the victory at 5-4, but Ruud, who was 0/11 in break points up until then, found a way to take down the Greek’s serve and went on to clinch the tie-break.

Ruud will square off with 21-year-old Belgian Alexander Blockx for a semifinal spot.

Last week’s Barcelona champion Arthur Fils advanced to the quarterfinals at the Caja Magica with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Argentine 25th seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry.

The Frenchman will take on Jiri Lehecka, who beat sixth-seeded Italian Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 6-3, for a place in the last four.

Published on Apr 29, 2026

#Madrid #Open #Baptiste #stuns #World #Sabalenka #knocks #quarterfinal">

Madrid Open: Baptiste stuns World No. 1 Sabalenka, knocks her out in quarterfinal Hailey Baptiste ended Aryna Sabalenka’s title defence in Madrid on Tuesday and halted the world number one’s 15-match winning streak with a 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (8/6) quarterfinal victory to deliver the biggest shock of the tournament so far.The American saved five match points at 4-5 in the decider and a sixth in the tiebreak before she handed Sabalenka just her second defeat of the year, and her first since the Australian Open final three months ago.Sabalenka is a three-time champion in Madrid and reached the final in the Spanish capital in each of the last three editions of the event but was unable to shake off the 30th-seeded Baptiste, who peppered her with huge serves and ultra-aggressive groundstrokes to reach a maiden WTA 1000 semifinal.Baptiste came up with huge serves in several crucial moments – finishing the duel with a total of 12 aces and 10 double faults – and even saved a match point with a bold serve-and-volley approach on her way to a memorable two-hour 30-minute triumph.Next up for the 24-year-old Baptiste is ninth-seeded Mirra Andreeva, who gave herself an early birthday gift by defeating Canadian Leylah Fernandez 7-6(7/1), 6-3 to reach her first Madrid semifinal.The Russian teenager, who turns 19 on Wednesday, was a recent champion in Linz and improved her clay-court record to 11-1 this season.Earlier in the day, Jannik Sinner suggested the Madrid Open organisers should reconsider their tournament scheduling to avoid late-night finishes like the one Rafael Jodar experienced in the third round on Sunday.In a rare 11:00 am start on Tuesday, Sinner moved past British 19th seed Cameron Norrie 6-2, 7-5 to reach the quarterfinals.He explained he was put on first on Manolo Santana Stadium so that Jodar, his potential next opponent, would be scheduled in the afternoon to give the Spaniard time to recover from his three-set win over Joao Fonseca that ended at 1:00 am on Monday morning.Unusual early start“It’s quite unusual for me,” Sinner told Tennis TV about his early kick-off.“There was a question if it would be me or Jodar to play at 4. But I think it’s right he plays at 4, because he finished very, very late.“But at the same time, I feel like we need to make some adjustments to the scheduling of the day. Two matches (starting) from 8pm is very late.“Even though you have one day in between. But still it’s very, very late.“You finish at 1:30am, and you need to eat, you need to have treatment, so it’s very late. But we try to adapt ourselves, our bodies, our minds, so from my side it was a good performance today.”Sinner, who is bidding to reach the semifinals for the first time in the Spanish capital, will next face 19-year-old Jodar in what will be a highly-anticipated last-eight showdown.Jodar’s dream run on home soil continued with a convincing 7-5, 6-0 thumping of world number 66 Vit Kopriva.Casper Ruud fought back from the brink to keep his title defence alive with a 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/3) victory over former finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas.In a high-quality three-hour contest, Tsitsipas led 5-3 in the decider, holding two match points, and served for the victory at 5-4, but Ruud, who was 0/11 in break points up until then, found a way to take down the Greek’s serve and went on to clinch the tie-break.Ruud will square off with 21-year-old Belgian Alexander Blockx for a semifinal spot.Last week’s Barcelona champion Arthur Fils advanced to the quarterfinals at the Caja Magica with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Argentine 25th seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry.The Frenchman will take on Jiri Lehecka, who beat sixth-seeded Italian Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 6-3, for a place in the last four.Published on Apr 29, 2026 #Madrid #Open #Baptiste #stuns #World #Sabalenka #knocks #quarterfinal

mwasimuddin125 0

Hailey Baptiste ended Aryna Sabalenka’s title defence in Madrid on Tuesday and halted the world number one’s 15-match winning streak with a 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (8/6) quarterfinal victory to deliver the biggest shock of the tournament so far.
The American saved five match points at 4-5 in the decider and a sixth in the tiebreak before she handed Sabalenka just her second defeat of the year, and her first since the Australian Open final three months ago.
Sabalenka is a three-time champion in Madrid and reached the final in the Spanish capital in each of the last three editions of the event but was unable to shake off the 30th-seeded Baptiste, who peppered her with huge serves and ultra-aggressive groundstrokes to reach a maiden WTA 1000 semifinal.
Baptiste came up with huge serves in several crucial moments – finishing the duel with a total of 12 aces and 10 double faults – and even saved a match point with a bold serve-and-volley approach on her way to a memorable two-hour 30-minute triumph.
Next up for the 24-year-old Baptiste is ninth-seeded Mirra Andreeva, who gave herself an early birthday gift by defeating Canadian Leylah Fernandez 7-6(7/1), 6-3 to reach her first Madrid semifinal.
The Russian teenager, who turns 19 on Wednesday, was a recent champion in Linz and improved her clay-court record to 11-1 this season.
Earlier in the day, Jannik Sinner suggested the Madrid Open organisers should reconsider their tournament scheduling to avoid late-night finishes like the one Rafael Jodar experienced in the third round on Sunday.
In a rare 11:00 am start on Tuesday, Sinner moved past British 19th seed Cameron Norrie 6-2, 7-5 to reach the quarterfinals.
He explained he was put on first on Manolo Santana Stadium so that Jodar, his potential next opponent, would be scheduled in the afternoon to give the Spaniard time to recover from his three-set win over Joao Fonseca that ended at 1:00 am on Monday morning.
Unusual early start
“It’s quite unusual for me,” Sinner told Tennis TV about his early kick-off.
“There was a question if it would be me or Jodar to play at 4. But I think it’s right he plays at 4, because he finished very, very late.
“But at the same time, I feel like we need to make some adjustments to the scheduling of the day. Two matches (starting) from 8pm is very late.
“Even though you have one day in between. But still it’s very, very late.
“You finish at 1:30am, and you need to eat, you need to have treatment, so it’s very late. But we try to adapt ourselves, our bodies, our minds, so from my side it was a good performance today.”
Sinner, who is bidding to reach the semifinals for the first time in the Spanish capital, will next face 19-year-old Jodar in what will be a highly-anticipated last-eight showdown.
Jodar’s dream run on home soil continued with a convincing 7-5, 6-0 thumping of world number 66 Vit Kopriva.
Casper Ruud fought back from the brink to keep his title defence alive with a 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/3) victory over former finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas.
In a high-quality three-hour contest, Tsitsipas led 5-3 in the decider, holding two match points, and served for the victory at 5-4, but Ruud, who was 0/11 in break points up until then, found a way to take down the Greek’s serve and went on to clinch the tie-break.
Ruud will square off with 21-year-old Belgian Alexander Blockx for a semifinal spot.
Last week’s Barcelona champion Arthur Fils advanced to the quarterfinals at the Caja Magica with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Argentine 25th seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
The Frenchman will take on Jiri Lehecka, who beat sixth-seeded Italian Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 6-3, for a place in the last four.
Published on Apr 29, 2026

#Madrid #Open #Baptiste #stuns #World #Sabalenka #knocks #quarterfinal">Madrid Open: Baptiste stuns World No. 1 Sabalenka, knocks her out in quarterfinal