In Friday’s intro, I posed several questions going into a big weekend of sporting fixtures. Here are the answers:

The winners of the French Open were Coco Gauff and Carlos Alcaraz. Gauff became the 10th American to win the French Open, and Spain’s Alcaraz claimed his fifth Grand Slam victory. At 22 years, 1 month, and 3 days old, Alcaraz was the exact same age as Rafael Nadal when he won his fifth title. 

Lachlan Galvin did debut for the Bulldogs, coming onto the field with 25 minutes remaining and scoring a try.

The NSW Swifts did not extend their eight-game unbeaten run in Super Netball, losing 79-68 to the West Coast Fever.

Yes, there is an Australian team in the Super Rugby Pacific semi-finals. The Brumbies beat the Hurricanes 35-28 and will take on the Chiefs this Saturday. 

And no, Orla’s lead in TDA’s office footy tipping comp did not shrink. She now leads by seven!

Today’s question: Are the Socceroos going to the World Cup in 2026? I’ll have the answer for you tomorrow.

59,878
The number of spectators at the King's Birthday NRL fixture between the Bulldogs and the Eels at Accor Stadium in Sydney. Monday’s crowd marks the second-largest regular-season attendance in the league's history. The Bulldogs won the match 30-12, and the side’s newest recruit, Lachlan Galvin, scored a try on debut for the club.

"Winning for Portugal is always special. I have many titles with clubs, but nothing is better than winning for Portugal…It's tears. It's duty done and a lot of joy."
Football star Cristiano Ronaldo speaking to Sport TV after Portugal beat Spain in a penalty shootout to claim the 2025 Nations League title. The 40-year-old extended his international goal-scoring record with an equaliser to level the score at 2-2. That deadlock could not be broken in regular or extra time, and the match went to penalties, which Portugal won 5-3.

Maroons veteran Daly Cherry-Evans has been excluded from Queensland’s State of Origin side for Game 2, making him the first Maroons captain to be axed during a series since Trevor Gillmeister in 1996. Cameron Munster will captain the team instead, while Tom Dearden has been named to replace Cherry-Evans. New South Wales won all three matches during the 1996 series. It follows Queensland’s 18-6 loss to the Blues in Game One. 

🏉 Collingwood is six points clear at the top of the AFL ladder after narrowly beating Melbourne 72-71 on Monday at the MCG. The Pies led by as much as 20 points before being reeled in by Melbourne. Josh Daicos was awarded the Neale Daniher trophy for best on ground during the annual King’s Birthday clash. Melbourne is now 14th in the league after five wins and eight losses. 

🏀 The NBA Finals series is tied at one game apiece after the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Indiana Pacers 123-107 in Game 2 yesterday. The Thunder’s Shai-Gilgeous Alexander was once again excellent, scoring 34 points in front of a home crowd. Both teams will now head to Indiana for Games 3 and 4, with Game 3 set to take place on Thursday morning (AEST).  

⚽ The Socceroos are in action tomorrow morning against Saudi Arabia as they look to cement their place at the 2026 World Cup. It’s the tenth and final match of this round of World Cup Qualification for the Aussies. If the Socceroos (currently second in their group behind Japan) win or draw, then they will be heading to a sixth successive World Cup. For Saudi Arabia to steal the Aussies’ qualification spot, they will need to win by a five-goal margin. 

🛶 Jess Fox is back to her winning ways on the global stage, after claiming gold at the first World Cup event of the paddle season in La Seu, Spain. After missing out on the women’s kayak final, the Olympic champion powered to victory in the women’s canoe event by a margin of four seconds. Fellow Aussie Lucien Delfour also won his first international medal since 2019, taking out bronze in the men’s kayak. The international paddle season will see athletes compete at five World Cup events before Australia hosts the World Championships in September.

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The Australian Swimming Trials began in Adelaide yesterday. The country’s top swimmers are competing to qualify for the World Aquatic Championships next month in Singapore. Here are the top stories so far…

Olympic backstroke champion Kaylee McKeown survived a disqualification scare on Monday to secure her place in Australia’s World Championships squad. McKewon was disqualified for leaving the blocks early in the heats of the women’s 50m backstroke. However, she successfully argued that movement on the pool deck had distracted her as the race was starting. 

McKeown then went on to win the final, pipping Mollie O'Callaghan by 0.06 seconds.

Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus is taking a year away from the pool while other star swimmers Cate Campbell and Emma McKeon have retired. Bronte Campbell is also not competing, as she continues weighing up her future in the sport. The absence of some big names in Adelaide this week has opened the door for some new faces to make their mark on the world stage. Swimming Australia Head Coach Rohan Taylor said: “We'll get some new blood onto the team and that'll be their first international experience.”

Cam McEvoy and Kyle Chalmers are two swimmers who could put the swimming world on notice this week, having both recorded impressive times at the national championships earlier this year in their respective events, the 50m and 100m freestyle. 

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Since Australian football manager Ange Postecoglou was let go by Tottenham on Friday, reports have surfaced suggesting that the club is targeting Thomas Frank to fill the vacancy. Frank is currently the manager at Premier League club Brentford. 

Postecoglou spent two seasons with Spurs. In his first season at the club, the team finished fifth in the English Premier League. In his second season, the side had a historically poor EPL season, losing 22 matches and finishing 17th. 

However, optimism for Postecoglou’s future with the club bloomed after he led the Spurs to a Europa League title just over two weeks ago. Tottenham beat Manchester United 1-0 in the final. It marked the club’s first trophy since 2008 and first Europa League title since 1984. 

Ultimately, it wasn’t enough to convince Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy to keep Postecoglou around. The club cited its worst-ever EPL season when announcing news of the Aussie’s departure. Postecoglou is the fifth manager to be sacked by Tottenham in the past six years.

Postecoglou made a statement following his release, which read: “When I reflect on my time as Manager of Tottenham Hotspur my overriding emotion is one of pride. The opportunity to lead one of England’s historic football clubs and bring back the glory it deserves will live with me for a lifetime.” 

Frank, Postecoglou’s rumoured replacement, is a Danish coach who has been in charge at Brentford since 2018.

In 2021, Brentford were promoted from the Championship, England’s second-tier domestic league, to the Premier League. This season, Brentford finished 10th in the Premier League. 

Frank’s results with Brentford have been especially impressive, coming up against teams in the Premier League with larger budgets. According to reports, 

It’s unclear what is next for Postecoglou, but most pundits believe he will stay in Europe at one of the five big domestic leagues (England, Spain, Italy, France, Germany). Another potential option for the Aussie is to take charge of a national team ahead of the 2026 World Cup, although it may be too late for that.