Dana Vollmer not retired, returns to practice after childbirth

Dana Vollmer
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Olympic 100m butterfly champion Dana Vollmer, who hasn’t competed since the 2013 World Championships and had a baby boy March 6, said she hasn’t retired and has been back in the water for one and a half months.

“I hated when I saw the rumors that I actually retired,” Vollmer said on Universal Sports at a Pro Swim Series meet in Santa Clara, Calif., on Saturday. “I never did retire. I always wanted to leave it open for myself, and I want to get back into shape. Now it’s one of those things that if I get back in shape, maybe I’ll see what I can go in the pool, but lifestyle-wise, I want to be extremely active with my son and life in general.”

Vollmer, 27, said she has done a few practices with other female swimmers at the University of California.

“I miss it, I miss the thrill and I never thought that I would miss the nerves,” she said. “I want to be back in and feel that thrill.”

Vollmer won the 2012 Olympic 100m butterfly and three Olympic relay golds across two Games. In the 100m fly, Vollmer broke the world record in the 2012 Olympic final.

She last competed at the 2013 World Championships, taking bronze in the 100m fly and gold as part of the medley relay.

Vollmer first competed at the Olympics in 2004, when she was 16, and finished sixth in the 200m freestyle and won gold as part of the U.S. 4x200m free relay team. She failed to qualify for the 2008 Olympics.

Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom, who formerly held the 100m fly world record, has been the world’s fastest woman in the event the last three years.

The top Americans in the 100m fly are Kelsi WorrellKendyl StewartKatie McLaughlin and Claire Donahue. The top two at the 2016 U.S. Olympic trials will earn berths for the Rio Olympics.

Dara Torres picks greatest female swimmer(s) of all time

2023 French Open women’s singles draw, scores

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At the French Open, Iga Swiatek of Poland eyes a third title at Roland Garros and a fourth Grand Slam singles crown overall.

The tournament airs live on NBC Sports, Peacock and Tennis Channel through championship points in Paris.

Swiatek, the No. 1 seed from Poland, can join Serena Williams and Justine Henin as the lone women to win three or more French Opens since 2000.

Turning 22 during the tournament, she can become the youngest woman to win three French Opens since Monica Seles in 1992 and the youngest woman to win four Slams overall since Williams in 2002.

FRENCH OPEN: Broadcast Schedule | Men’s Draw

But Swiatek is not as dominant as in 2022, when she went 16-0 in the spring clay season during an overall 37-match win streak.

She retired from her most recent match with a right thigh injury last week and said it wasn’t serious. Before that, she lost the final of another clay-court tournament to Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus.

Sabalenka, the No. 2 seed, and Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, the No. 4 seed and Wimbledon champion, are the top challengers in Paris.

No. 3 Jessica Pegula and No. 6 Coco Gauff, runner-up to Swiatek last year, are the best hopes to become the first American to win a Grand Slam singles title since Sofia Kenin at the 2020 Australian Open. The 11-major drought is the longest for U.S. women since Seles won the 1996 Australian Open.

MORE: All you need to know for 2023 French Open

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2023 French Open Women’s Singles Draw

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2023 French Open men’s singles draw, scores

French Open Men's Draw
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The French Open men’s singles draw is missing injured 14-time champion Rafael Nadal for the first time since 2004, leaving the Coupe des Mousquetaires ripe for the taking.

The tournament airs live on NBC Sports, Peacock and Tennis Channel through championship points in Paris.

Novak Djokovic is not only bidding for a third crown at Roland Garros, but also to lift a 23rd Grand Slam singles trophy to break his tie with Nadal for the most in men’s history.

FRENCH OPEN: Broadcast Schedule | Women’s Draw

But the No. 1 seed is Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, who won last year’s U.S. Open to become, at 19, the youngest man to win a major since Nadal’s first French Open title in 2005.

Now Alcaraz looks to become the second-youngest man to win at Roland Garros since 1989, after Nadal of course.

Alcaraz missed the Australian Open in January due to a right leg injury, but since went 30-3 with four titles. Notably, he has not faced Djokovic this year. They could meet in the semifinals.

Russian Daniil Medvedev, who lost in the French Open first round in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, is improved on clay. He won the Italian Open, the last top-level clay event before the French Open, and is the No. 2 seed ahead of Djokovic.

No. 9 Taylor Fritz, No. 12 Frances Tiafoe and No. 16 Tommy Paul are the highest-seeded Americans, all looking to become the first U.S. man to make the French Open quarterfinals since Andre Agassi in 2003. Since then, five different American men combined to make the fourth round on eight occasions.

MORE: All you need to know for 2023 French Open

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2023 French Open Men’s Singles Draw

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