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Swiatek banks on Nadal’s former coach to reignite her claycourt season ahead of Stuttgart Open Iga Swiatek is hoping ‌to benefit from new coach Francisco Roig’s experience ​and technical expertise when the world number four ⁠begins her claycourt season at the Stuttgart Open this week after a disappointing start to the year.The Polish six-time Grand Slam champion ‌lost in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open and tournaments in Doha and Indian Wells before a ‌shock second-round defeat by Magda Linette in the Miami ‌Open ⁠last month.That prompted Swiatek to part ways with ⁠her coach, Wim Fissette, and hire Roig, who worked with her idol Rafael Nadal from 2005-22 and more recently with Briton Emma Raducanu.“I’m really ​happy to start with Francis,” ‌Swiatek told a press conference in Stuttgart.“I was basically looking for someone with a good eye, really technical, but also a person who is experienced enough to help ‌me through some different kinds of situations. I feel ​Francisco has lived through everything on tour. It’s going really amazing… I was able to find a ⁠new coach pretty fast, which is a positive thing because when you do that in the middle of the season, ‌it’s nice to have some security in that.”Swiatek, who has won four French Open titles on her favoured clay courts, began preparations for the Grand Slam that begins on May 24 with a training block at Nadal’s academy in Mallorca under the watchful eyes of the Spaniard.“I asked if ‌it would be possible for him to come and maybe be some ​kind of inspiration, also hear some feedback from him,” Swiatek said.“It was a privilege to have ⁠him on court. I honestly didn’t have many expectations because I ⁠know he’s super busy and he has a lot of stuff to do, even though he always ‌has different projects and everything. Now I’ll continue with Francisco. He’ll be the person that takes care of the whole ​process. That’s the plan for now.”Published on Apr 14, 2026 #Swiatek #banks #Nadals #coach #toreignite #claycourt #season #ahead #Stuttgart #Open

Swiatek banks on Nadal’s former coach to reignite her claycourt season ahead of Stuttgart Open

Iga Swiatek is hoping ‌to benefit from new coach Francisco Roig’s experience ​and technical expertise when the world number four ⁠begins her claycourt season at the Stuttgart Open this week after a disappointing start to the year.

The Polish six-time Grand Slam champion ‌lost in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open and tournaments in Doha and Indian Wells before a ‌shock second-round defeat by Magda Linette in the Miami ‌Open ⁠last month.

That prompted Swiatek to part ways with ⁠her coach, Wim Fissette, and hire Roig, who worked with her idol Rafael Nadal from 2005-22 and more recently with Briton Emma Raducanu.

“I’m really ​happy to start with Francis,” ‌Swiatek told a press conference in Stuttgart.

“I was basically looking for someone with a good eye, really technical, but also a person who is experienced enough to help ‌me through some different kinds of situations. I feel ​Francisco has lived through everything on tour. It’s going really amazing… I was able to find a ⁠new coach pretty fast, which is a positive thing because when you do that in the middle of the season, ‌it’s nice to have some security in that.”

Swiatek, who has won four French Open titles on her favoured clay courts, began preparations for the Grand Slam that begins on May 24 with a training block at Nadal’s academy in Mallorca under the watchful eyes of the Spaniard.

“I asked if ‌it would be possible for him to come and maybe be some ​kind of inspiration, also hear some feedback from him,” Swiatek said.

“It was a privilege to have ⁠him on court. I honestly didn’t have many expectations because I ⁠know he’s super busy and he has a lot of stuff to do, even though he always ‌has different projects and everything. Now I’ll continue with Francisco. He’ll be the person that takes care of the whole ​process. That’s the plan for now.”

Published on Apr 14, 2026

#Swiatek #banks #Nadals #coach #toreignite #claycourt #season #ahead #Stuttgart #Open

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Iga Swiatek is hoping ‌to benefit from new coach Francisco Roig’s experience ​and technical expertise when the world number four ⁠begins her claycourt season at the Stuttgart Open this week after a disappointing start to the year.

The Polish six-time Grand Slam champion ‌lost in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open and tournaments in Doha and Indian Wells before a ‌shock second-round defeat by Magda Linette in the Miami ‌Open ⁠last month.

That prompted Swiatek to part ways with ⁠her coach, Wim Fissette, and hire Roig, who worked with her idol Rafael Nadal from 2005-22 and more recently with Briton Emma Raducanu.

“I’m really ​happy to start with Francis,” ‌Swiatek told a press conference in Stuttgart.

“I was basically looking for someone with a good eye, really technical, but also a person who is experienced enough to help ‌me through some different kinds of situations. I feel ​Francisco has lived through everything on tour. It’s going really amazing… I was able to find a ⁠new coach pretty fast, which is a positive thing because when you do that in the middle of the season, ‌it’s nice to have some security in that.”

Swiatek, who has won four French Open titles on her favoured clay courts, began preparations for the Grand Slam that begins on May 24 with a training block at Nadal’s academy in Mallorca under the watchful eyes of the Spaniard.

“I asked if ‌it would be possible for him to come and maybe be some ​kind of inspiration, also hear some feedback from him,” Swiatek said.

“It was a privilege to have ⁠him on court. I honestly didn’t have many expectations because I ⁠know he’s super busy and he has a lot of stuff to do, even though he always ‌has different projects and everything. Now I’ll continue with Francisco. He’ll be the person that takes care of the whole ​process. That’s the plan for now.”

Published on Apr 14, 2026

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Deadspin | Lightning hold off late charge from Red Wings for overtime win <div id=""><section id="0" class=" w-full"><div class="xl:container mx-0 !px-4 py-0 pb-4 !mx-0 !px-0"><img src="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28722824.jpg" srcset="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28722824.jpg" alt="NHL: Detroit Red Wings at Tampa Bay Lightning" class="w-full" fetchpriority="high" loading="eager"/><span class="text-0.8 leading-tight">Apr 13, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; Detroit Red Wings left wing Carter Mazur (34) and Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak (81) battle for the puck in the second period at Benchmark International Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images<!-- --> <!-- --> </span></div></section><section id="section-1"> <p>Nikita Kucherov scored the game-winner 27 seconds into overtime, and the Tampa Bay Lightning started a final two-game homestand with their 50th win, edging the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 on Monday night.</p> </section><section id="section-2"> <p>After goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (27 saves) stuffed Alex DeBrincat just after the puck dropped in overtime, Brayden Point went the other way and executed a give-and-go with Kucherov for his 44th marker as the Lightning won for the fourth time in seven games (4-3-0).</p> </section><section id="section-3"> <p>Trailing the Buffalo Sabres and idle Montreal Canadiens in points, the Lightning (50-25-6, 106 points) sat in third place by two points entering the contest but wasted a 3-1 third-period lead.</p> </section><section id="section-4"> <p>Conor Geekie, Erik Cernak and Jake Guentzel also tallied as the club moved to 26-13-1 on home ice. Kucherov also had an assist.</p> </section><section id="section-5"> <p>DeBrincat netted his 41st goal for the Red Wings, and David Perron and Marco Kasper scored for the Red Wings (41-30-10, 92 points), who saw Patrick Kane register his 1,400th career point on an assist. Goalie Cam Talbot stopped 18 shots as the team fell to 1-3-2 in its past six.</p> </section><br/><section id="section-6"> <p>Defenseman Ben Chiarot started the first goal by flipping a distant shot that Vasilevskiy failed to glove and rebounded nearby to J.T. Compher, who quickly zipped a pass across the ice to Perron for his 13th marker at 5:31 of the first period.</p> </section> <section id="section-7"> <p>At 15:30, Simon Edvinsson found the net for what appeared to be a 2-0 lead, but the Lightning challenged for goaltender interference. After review, the officials ruled that Detroit’s Andrew Copp banged skates with Vasilevskiy in the blue paint and overturned the goal call, negating point No. 1,400 for Kane.</p> </section><section id="section-8"> <p>In just his 14th game this season, Geekie grabbed a pass in the defensive end, raced three-quarters of the ice on a breakaway and put the puck past Talbot, who got a piece but could not keep it out at 17:05. It was Geekie’s first of the season.</p> </section><section id="section-9"> <p>After being outshot 14-8 in the first, Tampa Bay crafted a two-goal lead in the final five minutes of the middle frame when Cernak and Guentzel popped the twine within a 2:10 span to make it 3-1.</p> </section><section id="section-10"> <p>Kasper closed the gap to one with his ninth at 2:56 into the third, and DeBrincat tied it on a pass from Kane, giving him his milestone point and leading to overtime.</p> </section><section id="section-11"> <p>–Field Level Media</p> </section></div> #Deadspin #Lightning #hold #late #charge #Red #Wings #overtime #win

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Deadspin | Belgium hire coach Mark van Bommel to replace Rudi Garcia June 14, 2010; Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA; Netherlands midfielder Mark van Bommel (6) talks with midfielder Wesley Sneijder (10) during Group E play against Denmark in the 2010 World Cup at Soccer City Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Groothuis/Witters Sport via Imagn Images Mark van Bommel was named the new head coach of Belgium’s national team. van Bommel will take over on August 15 and lead the team through the 2028 European Championship, joined by assistant coaches Boudewijn Zenden, Maarten Martens and Reinier Robbemond, per a Belgium statement released Friday. The 49-year-old replaces Rudi Garcia, who departed the role this week at the end of his 18-month contract, having led Belgium to the 2026 World Cup quarterfinals, where they were knocked out by eventual winner Spain. The loss ended an unbeaten run of 18 matches stretching back to a 3-1 loss to Ukraine in March 2025. A former Bayern Munich and Barcelona midfielder, Van Bommel has been out of a head coaching spot since 2023-24, his second season at the helm of Belgian club Royal Antwerp. In his debut campaign, he led the club to its first league title in 66 years. van Bommel also had coaching stints at VfL Wolfsburg (2021) and PSV Eindhoven (2018-19). He also served in assistant coaching positions for Saudia Arabia (2015-17) and Australia (2018). “Belgium has outstanding players and enormous potential. Together with my coaching staff, we want to build a team that is disciplined, ambitious and brave enough to compete with the very best,” Van Bommel said. The Dutch native takes over a Belgium side currently ranked eighth in FIFA’s world rankings. He will be asked to end Belgium’s disappointing run of early exits at the next European Championships, where they have not progressed beyond the quarterfinals since the 1996 expansion. In the two most recent tournaments, the team has lost in the round of 16 and the quarterfinals. “Success is never guaranteed, but hard work, honesty and commitment are,” Van Bommell said.” We will give everything to help this team improve every day and make the Belgian people proud. I am looking forward to meeting the players, the staff and the supporters, and beginning this new chapter together.” –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Belgium #hire #coach #Mark #van #Bommel #replace #Rudi #GarciaJune 14, 2010; Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA; Netherlands midfielder Mark van Bommel (6) talks with midfielder Wesley Sneijder (10) during Group E play against Denmark in the 2010 World Cup at Soccer City Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Groothuis/Witters Sport via Imagn Images

Mark van Bommel was named the new head coach of Belgium’s national team.

van Bommel will take over on August 15 and lead the team through the 2028 European Championship, joined by assistant coaches Boudewijn Zenden, Maarten Martens and Reinier Robbemond, per a Belgium statement released Friday.

The 49-year-old replaces Rudi Garcia, who departed the role this week at the end of his 18-month contract, having led Belgium to the 2026 World Cup quarterfinals, where they were knocked out by eventual winner Spain. The loss ended an unbeaten run of 18 matches stretching back to a 3-1 loss to Ukraine in March 2025.

A former Bayern Munich and Barcelona midfielder, Van Bommel has been out of a head coaching spot since 2023-24, his second season at the helm of Belgian club Royal Antwerp. In his debut campaign, he led the club to its first league title in 66 years.


van Bommel also had coaching stints at VfL Wolfsburg (2021) and PSV Eindhoven (2018-19). He also served in assistant coaching positions for Saudia Arabia (2015-17) and Australia (2018).

“Belgium has outstanding players and enormous potential. Together with my coaching staff, we want to build a team that is disciplined, ambitious and brave enough to compete with the very best,” Van Bommel said.

The Dutch native takes over a Belgium side currently ranked eighth in FIFA’s world rankings. He will be asked to end Belgium’s disappointing run of early exits at the next European Championships, where they have not progressed beyond the quarterfinals since the 1996 expansion. In the two most recent tournaments, the team has lost in the round of 16 and the quarterfinals.

“Success is never guaranteed, but hard work, honesty and commitment are,” Van Bommell said.” We will give everything to help this team improve every day and make the Belgian people proud. I am looking forward to meeting the players, the staff and the supporters, and beginning this new chapter together.”

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Belgium #hire #coach #Mark #van #Bommel #replace #Rudi #Garcia">Deadspin | Belgium hire coach Mark van Bommel to replace Rudi Garcia June 14, 2010; Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA; Netherlands midfielder Mark van Bommel (6) talks with midfielder Wesley Sneijder (10) during Group E play against Denmark in the 2010 World Cup at Soccer City Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Groothuis/Witters Sport via Imagn Images Mark van Bommel was named the new head coach of Belgium’s national team. van Bommel will take over on August 15 and lead the team through the 2028 European Championship, joined by assistant coaches Boudewijn Zenden, Maarten Martens and Reinier Robbemond, per a Belgium statement released Friday. The 49-year-old replaces Rudi Garcia, who departed the role this week at the end of his 18-month contract, having led Belgium to the 2026 World Cup quarterfinals, where they were knocked out by eventual winner Spain. The loss ended an unbeaten run of 18 matches stretching back to a 3-1 loss to Ukraine in March 2025. A former Bayern Munich and Barcelona midfielder, Van Bommel has been out of a head coaching spot since 2023-24, his second season at the helm of Belgian club Royal Antwerp. In his debut campaign, he led the club to its first league title in 66 years. van Bommel also had coaching stints at VfL Wolfsburg (2021) and PSV Eindhoven (2018-19). He also served in assistant coaching positions for Saudia Arabia (2015-17) and Australia (2018). “Belgium has outstanding players and enormous potential. Together with my coaching staff, we want to build a team that is disciplined, ambitious and brave enough to compete with the very best,” Van Bommel said. The Dutch native takes over a Belgium side currently ranked eighth in FIFA’s world rankings. He will be asked to end Belgium’s disappointing run of early exits at the next European Championships, where they have not progressed beyond the quarterfinals since the 1996 expansion. In the two most recent tournaments, the team has lost in the round of 16 and the quarterfinals. “Success is never guaranteed, but hard work, honesty and commitment are,” Van Bommell said.” We will give everything to help this team improve every day and make the Belgian people proud. I am looking forward to meeting the players, the staff and the supporters, and beginning this new chapter together.” –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Belgium #hire #coach #Mark #van #Bommel #replace #Rudi #Garcia

The Carolina Panthers are trying to establish their legitimacy in 2026. NFC South winners by default last season with a paltry 8-9 record, it took layers of tiebreakers to settle the pecking order in the division between Carolina, Tampa, and Atlanta. Sure, the Panthers almost knocked off the Rams in the Wild Card round, but nobody remembers or cares about that now — its all about this season, and that made the start to the Panthers’ campaign critical to establish themselves as a team to watch.

If you needed a cherry on top then Pro Bowl cornerback Jaycee Horn is also hurt, recovering from a foot injury he sustained while running which required stitches. He’s expected to return soon, but it’s just a little extra salt in the wound.

The trench issues are the real story here, and it’s a mess for Carolina. If there was one position on either side of the ball they couldn’t sustain injuries it was EDGE rusher and offensive tackle — now they’re in flux at both positions. The injury to Scourton is a massive bummer for Panthers fans, but it’s more or less a continuation of the pass rush issues they’ve faced for several years now. The absenses at offensive tackle is the real problem. Bryce Young has been without any form of continuity on the line since arriving in Carolina, and this promised to be the first year he’d have some semblance of reliability — that’s gone now, and will put even more pressure on the QB entering his fourth year.

Carolina has just under two weeks before they face the Cardinals in the NFL Hall of Fame game. It’s hardly something to get too worked up over, but there is a reality where the Panthers need to show some fight in that game, at least from the rotational players who are now getting called up, otherwise, we might be sounding the alarm bells about this team in August.

#Panthers #nightmare #opening #training #camp">The Panthers had a nightmare opening to training camp The Carolina Panthers are trying to establish their legitimacy in 2026. NFC South winners by default last season with a paltry 8-9 record, it took layers of tiebreakers to settle the pecking order in the division between Carolina, Tampa, and Atlanta. Sure, the Panthers almost knocked off the Rams in the Wild Card round, but nobody remembers or cares about that now — its all about this season, and that made the start to the Panthers’ campaign critical to establish themselves as a team to watch.They got attention for all the wrong reasons on Thursday. Second-year linebacker Nic Scourton went down early in the first practice on a non-contact injury, which was later revealed to be a torn ACL that will end his season before it began. Largely overlooked in the greater discussion of the NFL, Scourton had a huge rookie campaign for the Panthers that saw him finish with 47 tackles, 5.0 sacks, and 4 QB hits in only eight starts. Doing more than enough to earn playing time, Scourton was expected to take a massive step in his second year across from free agent Jaelan Phillips, whom Carolina spent big money on in free agency to bolster their pass rush.Now that dream is over, but that wasn’t the only bad news out of Charlotte this week. Veteran right tackle Taylor Moton was diagnosed with a blood clot in his lung that will lead to him starting the season on the PUP list, with the tentative plan to have rookie Monroe Freeling take over the spot in his absence. This exacerbates issues along the offensive line, with the Panthers still waiting to see when left tackle Ikem Ekwonu can return to action as he recovers from a ruptured patellar tendon he suffered in the playoffs. It’s expected that Ekwonu will suit up “at some point this season” according to GM Dan Morgan, but there’s no real timeline on that possibility.If you needed a cherry on top then Pro Bowl cornerback Jaycee Horn is also hurt, recovering from a foot injury he sustained while running which required stitches. He’s expected to return soon, but it’s just a little extra salt in the wound.The trench issues are the real story here, and it’s a mess for Carolina. If there was one position on either side of the ball they couldn’t sustain injuries it was EDGE rusher and offensive tackle — now they’re in flux at both positions. The injury to Scourton is a massive bummer for Panthers fans, but it’s more or less a continuation of the pass rush issues they’ve faced for several years now. The absenses at offensive tackle is the real problem. Bryce Young has been without any form of continuity on the line since arriving in Carolina, and this promised to be the first year he’d have some semblance of reliability — that’s gone now, and will put even more pressure on the QB entering his fourth year.Carolina has just under two weeks before they face the Cardinals in the NFL Hall of Fame game. It’s hardly something to get too worked up over, but there is a reality where the Panthers need to show some fight in that game, at least from the rotational players who are now getting called up, otherwise, we might be sounding the alarm bells about this team in August. #Panthers #nightmare #opening #training #camp

If you needed a cherry on top then Pro Bowl cornerback Jaycee Horn is also hurt, recovering from a foot injury he sustained while running which required stitches. He’s expected to return soon, but it’s just a little extra salt in the wound.

The trench issues are the real story here, and it’s a mess for Carolina. If there was one position on either side of the ball they couldn’t sustain injuries it was EDGE rusher and offensive tackle — now they’re in flux at both positions. The injury to Scourton is a massive bummer for Panthers fans, but it’s more or less a continuation of the pass rush issues they’ve faced for several years now. The absenses at offensive tackle is the real problem. Bryce Young has been without any form of continuity on the line since arriving in Carolina, and this promised to be the first year he’d have some semblance of reliability — that’s gone now, and will put even more pressure on the QB entering his fourth year.

Carolina has just under two weeks before they face the Cardinals in the NFL Hall of Fame game. It’s hardly something to get too worked up over, but there is a reality where the Panthers need to show some fight in that game, at least from the rotational players who are now getting called up, otherwise, we might be sounding the alarm bells about this team in August.

#Panthers #nightmare #opening #training #camp">The Panthers had a nightmare opening to training camp

The Carolina Panthers are trying to establish their legitimacy in 2026. NFC South winners by default last season with a paltry 8-9 record, it took layers of tiebreakers to settle the pecking order in the division between Carolina, Tampa, and Atlanta. Sure, the Panthers almost knocked off the Rams in the Wild Card round, but nobody remembers or cares about that now — its all about this season, and that made the start to the Panthers’ campaign critical to establish themselves as a team to watch.

They got attention for all the wrong reasons on Thursday. Second-year linebacker Nic Scourton went down early in the first practice on a non-contact injury, which was later revealed to be a torn ACL that will end his season before it began. Largely overlooked in the greater discussion of the NFL, Scourton had a huge rookie campaign for the Panthers that saw him finish with 47 tackles, 5.0 sacks, and 4 QB hits in only eight starts. Doing more than enough to earn playing time, Scourton was expected to take a massive step in his second year across from free agent Jaelan Phillips, whom Carolina spent big money on in free agency to bolster their pass rush.

Now that dream is over, but that wasn’t the only bad news out of Charlotte this week. Veteran right tackle Taylor Moton was diagnosed with a blood clot in his lung that will lead to him starting the season on the PUP list, with the tentative plan to have rookie Monroe Freeling take over the spot in his absence. This exacerbates issues along the offensive line, with the Panthers still waiting to see when left tackle Ikem Ekwonu can return to action as he recovers from a ruptured patellar tendon he suffered in the playoffs. It’s expected that Ekwonu will suit up “at some point this season” according to GM Dan Morgan, but there’s no real timeline on that possibility.

If you needed a cherry on top then Pro Bowl cornerback Jaycee Horn is also hurt, recovering from a foot injury he sustained while running which required stitches. He’s expected to return soon, but it’s just a little extra salt in the wound.

The trench issues are the real story here, and it’s a mess for Carolina. If there was one position on either side of the ball they couldn’t sustain injuries it was EDGE rusher and offensive tackle — now they’re in flux at both positions. The injury to Scourton is a massive bummer for Panthers fans, but it’s more or less a continuation of the pass rush issues they’ve faced for several years now. The absenses at offensive tackle is the real problem. Bryce Young has been without any form of continuity on the line since arriving in Carolina, and this promised to be the first year he’d have some semblance of reliability — that’s gone now, and will put even more pressure on the QB entering his fourth year.

Carolina has just under two weeks before they face the Cardinals in the NFL Hall of Fame game. It’s hardly something to get too worked up over, but there is a reality where the Panthers need to show some fight in that game, at least from the rotational players who are now getting called up, otherwise, we might be sounding the alarm bells about this team in August.

#Panthers #nightmare #opening #training #camp

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