Good Morning! Today is Monday, June 9th. Here’s what happened over the weekend in the world of sports.

FRENCH OPEN FINAL

I’ve attempted multiple times to write an intro befitting the incredible tennis match that took place yesterday morning in Paris. I’ve tried to define moments that will be remembered forever, recall matchups that exceed our wildest expectations, and list comparable sporting events. It all felt a little foolish, partly because those are silly ideas, but mostly because none of what I write here will do justice to the 2025 Roland Garros Final between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.

For over five hours yesterday, the best two tennis players in the world battled on the red clay. Even a mediocre TNT broadcast (why would they pair a basketball announcer with a rambling 66-year-old) couldn’t take away from one of the greatest tennis matches in, well, possibly ever. This was the second-longest Grand Slam final in the Open era. It was also the first meeting in a Grand Slam final between Alcaraz and Sinner, the top two players in the world who are just beginning to write the pages of an epic rivalry. Again, nothing I say here will capture the elegance of yesterday’s match. I think what stood out the most, however, was the intensity. For many competitive tennis players, the most difficult thing about the sport is keeping focus and intensity for the entirety of a match. These two gladiators never took a single point off. They brought out the best in each other, and rarely, if ever, failed to make their opponent earn each and every advantage. For over five hours! That’s an insane amount of pressure, high-level shot-making, and flat-out exceptional athletic performance.

You’re probably wondering when I’ll get to the score– it’s time. And don’t worry if missed anything, this match will be replayed on television countless times for the rest of our lives:

• After going down an early break, Sinner won the first set 6-4. Alcaraz was a bit off his game, and the Italian made him pay.

• The second set echoed the first, although the Alcaraz rollercoaster hit a few more highs. When Sinner clinched the second set 7-6 in a tiebreaker, I felt fairly confident that he’d be the one celebrating at the end. It’s pretty hard to come back from two sets to none, especially against the number one player in the world.

• But Carlos wasn’t going down without a fight. He broke Sinner’s serve early in the set and started to engage with the French crowd. A battle was brewing, and this was the first shot fired– Alcaraz won the third set 6-4.

• The fourth set is where this match became an all-timer. Without totally glossing over the eight games that got us there, we arrived at the turning point: Jannik Sinner led 5-3, 40-0 on Carlos Alcaraz’s serve. That’s three championship points, three chances to win it all… Alcaraz saved each one. He then broke Sinner’s serve and stormed to a 7-6 (3) fourth-set win in a tiebreaker. From the brink of defeat, we’re going the distance!

• You felt the momentum switch, because the fifth set began like a coronation. Sinner started to slow down and Alcaraz hit his patented drop shots at the perfect time. Carlos led 5-3 and was ready to close out the match, but this time it was Sinner who tied things up! All square at 6-6, this match would get the ending it deserved…

• A 10-point tiebreaker to decide the championship was over before it started. Suddenly Alcaraz was on fire, hitting his best forehands and working the crowd like the greatest entertainer you’ve ever seen. He led 7-0 before you could blink, and the deficit was too much for his opponent to overcome. With Sinner serving down 2-9, Carlos sent an otherworldly passing-shot sizzled down-the-line… the trophy was his.

So in the end, Carlos Alcaraz won his fifth Grand Slam title and second consecutive trophy at Roland Garros. The best part of all? Alcaraz and Sinner are 22 and 23 years old, respectively. They’ve combined to win each of the last six Grand Slams. And I can confidently say that no one on Earth is close to their current level on a tennis court. That almost guarantees we’ll get to see this matchup again in the future. Will it ever reach the heights of yesterday’s affair? I can’t wait to find out…

Not to be outdone, Saturday saw American and number two seed Coco Gauff upset the number one player in the world Aryna Sabalenka. 6-7, 6-2, 6-4. This is Gauff’s second Grand Slam title and first at Roland Garros. Sabalenka struggled in the windy conditions, hitting a whopping 70 unforced errors. Coco, meanwhile, was poised throughout the contest. Not only did she come back after losing a tough first set, she played the big points incredibly well, using her variety and impressive court coverage to propel herself to victory. "I also felt like this is one I really wanted, because I do think this was one of the tournaments that, when I was younger, that I felt I had the best shot of winning. I just felt like if I went through my career and didn't get at least one of these, I would feel regrets and stuff. Today, playing Aryna, I was just, like, I've just got to go for it and try my best to get through the match. That's what I did,” said Coco afterwards. What an incredible performance by the 21-year-old.

NBA FINALS

Last night’s NBA Finals game was a bit less dramatic. The Oklahoma City Thunder knew they couldn’t let Indiana steal both games on the road to start this series, and let’s just say the Thunder… struck. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dropped 34 points with eight assists and four steals, a masterful performance that gave the home team a huge lead. Unlike a few nights ago they held on to the lead, as Oklahoma City beat Indiana 123-107. The Thunder bench was really impressive, too– Aaron Wiggins scored 18 points and hit five threes, while Alex Caruso added 20. On the other side, Tyrese Haliburton really struggled. The Pacers star guard had just five points before the fourth quarter. He’ll need to be better when this series returns to Indiana this week for games three and four, although that’s no easy task against this swarming Thunder defense.

STANLEY CUP FINALS

Let’s quickly go back to Friday night, where we saw game two of the Stanley Cup somehow rival the incredible action of game one. Before we go any further, watch this Connor McDavid assist that even had his teammates in awe:

How often do you see the guy who made the assist go through the goalscorer’s handshake line first? Unfortunately for McDavid and the Oilers, that goal only counted for one. The Florida Panthers are one of the toughest teams in pro sports, and they fought back to take a 4-3 lead. Despite a miraculous Corey Perry goal to tie the game with 17 seconds and send us to yet another overtime, Florida left Edmonton with a 1-1 series split. Brad Marchand scored a short-handed goal earlier in the game and he made no mistake with this opportunity in the second OT, burying the game-winner. The Panthers beat the Oilers 5-4.

MLB

Well there was also baseball this weekend, but we’ve spilled a lot of ink already this morning. I’ll use this as an opportunity to highlight in-game interviews, an unnecessary and annoying addition to sports (except sometimes during exhibitions):

NOTEWORTHY NEWS

Two successful coaches are out of a job– the Dallas Stars fired Pete DeBoer after his third consecutive defeat in the Western Conference Finals. And after winning their first trophy in multiple decades (but finishing 17th in the Premier League), Tottenham Hotspur have let go Ange Postecoglu. It’s a brutal business.

Speaking of, Craig Kimbrel made just one appearance for the Braves before Atlanta decided to release him. No one is entirely sure why, as Kimbrel pitched a scoreless inning.

Kind of a rough section this morning, sorry, but our final update is Arizona Diamondbacks ace Corbin Burnes has been ruled out for this year and likely most of next after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Wishing the best to Burnes on a speedy recovery.

TODAY’S BIG GAMES (all times Eastern)

STANLEY CUP GAME THREE: Oilers @ Panthers, 8 PM on TNT/Max

"The match is not finished until he wins the last point… I just believed all the time. I never doubted myself, even in those match points down. I thought, just one point at a time. Just one point and then after one point, try to save that game and keep believing. That's what I thought… When the situations are against you, you have to fight, keep fighting. It is a Grand Slam final. It's no time to be tired. It's no time to give up. It's time to keep fighting, try to find your moment, your good place again, and just go for it," –2025 Roland Garros champion Carlos Alcaraz