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‘No Cam Access’: French Open Promises Player Privacy After Gauff’s AO26 Backlash Ask, and you shall receive. After a wave of criticism earlier this season, French Open organisers have made one thing crystal clear: players will get their private space The Incident That Sparked It All The debate exploded at the Australian Open earlier this year. Coco Gauff, frustrated after her quarterfinal loss to Elina Svitolina, tried to find a quiet corner near Rod Laver Arena to vent — only to later realise the moment had been broadcast worldwide. “I tried to go somewhere I thought there wasn’t a camera,” Gauff said. “It feels like the only private place at this tournament is the locker room.” The clip went viral, and the backlash was immediate. Players Speak Out Gauff wasn’t alone. Top stars including Novak Djokovic, Iga Swiatek and Jessica Pegula all voiced concerns over the lack of privacy and constant surveillance players face during tournaments. The message was simple: athletes need space to be human. Roland Garros Responds Amelie Mauresmo, tournament director at Roland Garros, didn’t hesitate to act upon the request. “Players need a private area, something which will not change… No cam access.” That means designated, camera-free zones where players can decompress without worrying about lenses or live feeds. No Electronic Line-Calls, Bigger Prize Pool Interestingly, the French Open is still holding its ground elsewhere. Unlike other majors like Wimbledon and the Australian Open, Roland Garros will continue without electronic line-calling, sticking to traditional officiating methods. Privacy isn’t the only upgrade. French Open prize money has also been increased by about 10 per cent for an overall pot of 61.7 million euros ($101.5 million) — a bump-up of 5.3 million euros ($8.7 million) from 2025. The men’s and women’s singles champions will each receive 2.8 million euros ($4.6 million) and the runners-up 1.4 million euros ($2.3 million), while semifinalists will get 750,000 euros ($1.2 million) and first-round losers 87,000 euros ($143,000).

Barcelona v Almeria Where: Camp Nou, SpainWhen: 9pm (19:00 GMT) The shock announcement of Gerard Piqué’s retirement from football on Thursday means that this will be the final appearance of the Barca great at the club’s iconic Catalan home. It will be his 616th appearance across all competitions, the club’s fifth-highest tally. But Saturday is not all about Piqué. Barcelona are trailing Real Madrid by only one point at the top of La Liga, and sense their chance to return to the top. Newly promoted Almeria may not provide much of a challenge as Barcelona continue their charge, and defender Piqué will be hoping for a clean sheet in his final home game. Los Angeles FC v Philadelphia Union Where: Banc of California Stadium, CaliforniaWhen: 4pm (20:00 GMT) The final of the 2022 Major League Soccer Cup (MLS) may well turn out to be the best MLS match-up in years. Philadelphia is a city riding high in the sports world: Two of its teams are in major title contention, with the Phillies currently surging towards glory in baseball’s World Series. Los Angeles, meanwhile, find themselves under the guidance of the mercurial Steve Cherundolo, who has been widely tipped to become the next head coach of the US men’s national football team. Los Angeles FC (LAFC) scored six goals in their two playoff games, and remain unbeaten at home against Eastern Conference sides. The last three games between these two sides have ended in draws. But if Philadelphia do get on the scoreboard, watch out for another – the Union have scored twice in five minutes no fewer than 13 times this season. Atalanta v Napoli Where: Gewiss Stadium, BergamoWhen: 7pm (17:00 GMT) Napoli, sitting on the top of Itay’s Serie A with a comfortable five-point lead, travel to second-place Atalanta. Both sides are in form, losing only once this season. Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti is looking for his first Italian title, and could take a big step towards that goal with a win on Saturday. But Atalanta’s defence – statistically only second in Serie A to Juventus this season – will not make that an easy task. Galatasaray v Besiktas Where: Nef Stadyumu, IstanbulWhen: 7pm (17:00 GMT) Galatasaray would make it four unbeaten games at home if they can pull off a victory against local rivals Besiktas, who sit one place above them in Turkey’s Super Lig. A win for Besiktas, meanwhile, would put four points between the two teams – but they will need to overcome a Galatasaray defence which has conceded only nine goals in the league this season. Besiktas, who have found the net 25 times in their 12 league matches so far this season, are also buoyed by the recent return of Senol Gunes as head coach. That said, keep an eye out for Galatasaray’s Kazimcan Karatas returning from injury. This will not be an easy game for either team. Manchester City v Fulham Where: Etihad Stadium, ManchesterWhen: 3pm (15:00 GMT) Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola has said Premier League top goalscorer Erling Haaland – who has netted 22 goals across all competitions already this season – could return to action against Fulham after being rested for City’s Champions League clash with Sevilla this week. But Kalvin Phillips and Kyle Walker are still not fit to make the match-day squad, as City sit two points behind leaders Arsenal. Newly promoted Fulham have had a flying start to the season, sitting in seventh place in the Premier League, but head coach Marco Silva will need to ensure Fulham do not waste any opportunities they may be lucky enough to get against a City side on a 14-game win streak at home.

Practical’ Venkatesh waits for his chance to win games for RCB BENGALURU: Venkatesh Iyer is a very practical person. It’s very easy to come to that conclusion. He himself says it but it’s also reflected in his approach to life and career. In 2024, he was an IPL champion with Kolkata Knight Riders. He could do no wrong. In 2025, after the franchise signed him back for `23.75 cr, he couldn’t produce the same numbers. KKR released him. Just the life of an IPL player. Royal Challengers Bengaluru signed him for `7 cr. For a few players, it can be hard to process this reality. When you ask the 31-year-old how he processed it, his answer was laced with humour but he holds no grudges. “There will be days when you think if ‘I had a good year last season, my bank account would go up by another `24 cr’ (smiles),” he says. “That’s the obvious thought, right? But you are signing up for it. Patidar stakes claim for a place in India T20 squad BENGALURU: THERE has been a growing clamour for Shreyas Iyer to be called up to the T20I squad. Not without reason. Shreyas has not only been dazzling but his overall package — leadership qualities on and off the park and how he has marshalled a youthful side filled with uncapped Indians — has won him a lot of admirers. So much so that he may be a leading contender to be India’s next captain in the shortest format. The Mumbaikar is in position A1 to make the XI and it won’t be any surprise if he finds his name in the upcoming T20I assignments to Zimbabwe, Ireland and England. That he was included in Grade B in the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s latest contracts list tells you how highly the current regime rates him even if he has featured in only six games across formats in the last year. As part of the same queue to make the XI is Rajat Patidar. Like Shreyas, he’s also a middle-order hitter who gets going from the first ball. Like Shreyas, he also captains an IPL franchise. And their teams are currently first and second in the standings and look odds on to face each other in the first qualifier later in the season. This isn’t just recency bias even if delivering Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s first ever IPL title in 2025 is a handy line to have in your resume while waiting outside the selectors’ door.