The cab drivers of Rome are furious after comments from the team principal of Mercedes’ F1 team Toto Wolff about Max Verstappen’s reckless driving at the Spanish Grand Prix.

When asked about Verstappen’s crash with Mercedes driver George Russell, Wolff said: “This is road rage, like the taxi drivers in Rome or Naples.”

Wolff clearly picked the wrong group to use in his simile. The president of Rome’s largest taxi organisation, Loreno Bittarelli, told an Italian newspaper: “Maybe it would be better if Wolff focused on [the performance] of his own team.”

Another cab driver said: “I would like to see Formula One drivers manoeuvring around construction sites, scooters and golf carts the way we do. Rome is now a jungle, not a Formula One track.”

100 
The number of matches Novak Djokovic has won at the French Open. The only other player to have won at least 100 matches at the tournament is Rafael Nadal (112). Djokovic will go for his 101st win tomorrow when he plays third seed Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals at 4:15am (AEST). The winner of that match will play either world number one Jannik Sinner or unseeded Alexander Bublik, who play tonight at 9:20pm.

"I have given my youth, my prime. I gave it everything I have — I never thought this day would come. I was overcome with emotion as soon as the last ball was bowled."
Indian cricket legend and Royal Challengers Bengaluru player Virat Kohli after his side beat the Punjab Kings by six runs in the final of the Indian Premier League, the country’s domestic T20 competition. It’s the first time Kohli has won the title after 18 years with the side. Australian test cricketer Josh Hazlewood was on the winning team with Kohli. Hazlewood and Josh Inglis (who played for the Kings) will now join their national side in England for the World Test Championship Final against South Africa, which begins on 11 June.

In the NBA, the highest achievement for a player is either winning a team championship or being named MVP. But what about the referees? For them, the equivalent honour is receiving the white jacket, bestowed upon the individuals selected to adjudicate the NBA Finals.

🏟️ A motion of no-confidence against Tasmanian Liberal state premier Jeremy Rockliff could impact the future of the Tasmania Devils, the AFL team intended to enter the league in 2028. Labor Opposition Leader Dean Winter put forward the motion, which has received the support of the Greens and will be voted on today. A new Government could elect to  scrap the proposed $945 million stadium development at Macquarie Point in Hobart. One mandatory condition of the team entering the league is that Tasmania must build a new stadium. The Opposition, Greens, and independents have expressed concern regarding the stadium’s cost. 

🏒 The North American ice hockey season is drawing to a close, with the Stanley Cup Final series between the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers beginning  tomorrow. It marks the second consecutive year the two teams have faced each other in the Stanley Cup Final. The Panthers are the defending champions after winning last year’s best-of-seven series 4-3. Game 1 is scheduled for 10:00am. 

🏀 The New York Knicks have fired coach Tom Thibodeau, three days after losing in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Indiana Pacers. Knicks president Leon Rose said: “Our organisation is singularly focused on winning a championship for our fans. This pursuit led us to the difficult decision to inform Tom Thibodeau that we’ve decided to move in another direction.” Thibodeau was the coach of the Knicks for five years. The decision to let him go comes as a shock, given that the franchise just played back-to-back seasons with 50+ wins for the first time since 1995.

Getting enough protein at breakfast can help stabilise blood sugar, improve focus, and keep you full for longer - thanks to the way protein supports appetite and energy-regulating hormones. It also gives your body the amino acids it needs to repair and build muscle after training.

But if you’re not up for cooking steak and eggs at 7am… Dairy Farmers’ new Protein Smoothies offer 30g of natural dairy protein with no added sugar. Just grab, sip, and go.

You can get them in nostalgic flavours like Chocolate, Banana Honey, and Mixed Berry. Choccy milk for brekkie? Yes please.

^{Transparency: This is a sponsored section of the newsletter. It's the best way we can keep this newsletter free for you}

World Aquatics, the global governing body for swimming, has distanced itself from the controversial Enhanced Games. 

After a meeting of its board yesterday, the organisation announced a new bylaw banning anyone who endorses or participates in the Enhanced Games from being associated with World Aquatics in any way. 

World Aquatics’ decision comes after the organisers of the Enhanced Games announced last month that the event will go ahead in Las Vegas in May 2026. 

The Enhanced Games is a sporting competition where the athletes participating are permitted to use performance-enhancing drugs, which would usually be prohibited by anti-doping bodies. 

The event is set to include swimming, athletics, and weightlifting. 

The statement read: “Individuals who support, endorse, or participate in sporting events that embrace the use of scientific advancements or other practices that may include prohibited substances and/or prohibited methods will not be eligible to hold positions with World Aquatics or to participate in any World Aquatics competitions, events, or other activities.”

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The world’s top women’s tennis player, Aryna Sabalenka, is the latest player to criticise the French Open for its scheduling of women’s matches. 

Sabalenka played her quarter-final against China’s Qinwen Zheng at 11am on Tuesday in a mostly empty stadium. After winning the match in straight sets, Sabalenka was asked about the scheduling of women’s matches at the tournament. 

She said: "There was a lot of… great battles, a lot of great matches which would be cool to see as night sessions. Just more people in the stands watching these incredible battles. And just to show ourselves to more people. I definitely agree that we deserve to be put on a bigger stage. Like better timing, more people watching."

It follows comments from, former world number two Ons Jabeur earlier in the week. In a post to social media, Jabeur criticised attitudes towards women’s sports, saying: "Honouring one side of the sport shouldn't mean ignoring the other."

Night sessions have been a part of the French Open since 2021 and only ever feature one singles match. Since the introduction of night sessions at the tournament, only four women's singles matches have occupied the slot. At this year’s tournament, no women’s matches will be played under lights. The women’s singles final will be played at 2pm on Saturday. 

When asked about the lopsided scheduling last week, French Open tournament director Amélie Mauresmo said: "The message has never been the girls are not worthy of playing at night. It's never been this."

Mauresmo said that it wasn’t about the level of tennis but the time it takes because women’s matches are shorter (women play best of three sets while the men play best of five). She said: "Two sets can go really fast when you have three sets minimum.”

The number of sets women play has itself been the source of debate for years, with some professional tournaments experimenting with the format in the past. 

In the first women’s semi-final, Sabalenka is set to play defending champion Iga Świątek who defeated 13th seed Elina Svitolina in straight sets in the quarter-finals. 

The other semi-final will be played between the winners of tonight’s matches. At 7:00pm, Australian Open champion and seventh seed Madison Keys will play fellow American and second seed Coco Gauff. At 8:10pm, 18-year-old sixth seed Mirra Andreeva will play against French wildcard Lois Boisson. 

The two men through to the first men’s semi-final are eighth seeded Italian Lorenzo Musetti and defending champion Carloz Alcaraz. Musetti will play in his second grand slam semi-final (the other was Wimbledon 2024) after beating American Frances Tiafoe in four sets. Meanwhile, Alcaraz dominated American Tommy Paul in straight sets. Musetti and Alcaraz are set to face off on Friday morning.