Rio Olympics, Michael Phelps top 2016 list of Google search trends

By Julia GrassieDec 14, 2016, 12:06 PM EST

The Rio Olympics were the top global sporting event on Google’s list of 2016’s top trending search terms. Across the world, the Olympics were second only to the U.S. election in the global news category, and Michael Phelps and Simone Biles were the third and fifth, respectively, highest trending people.

Google’s yearly list of trending terms are not the most searched of 2016, but the terms that had the highest spike in search volume in 2016 as compared to 2015.

In the U.S., the Olympics were ahead of the election to be the No. 1 trending search term in news. Of the top 10 trending athletes, 7 were Rio Olympians: Phelps, Ryan Lochte, Biles, Usain Bolt, Kevin Durant, Gabby Douglas and Katie Ledecky.

The top 10 trending Olympic moments were a mix of planned pagentry, viral surprises and an oiled-up taekwondo athlete:

1. Olympics Opening Ceremony
2. Olympics Closing Ceremony
3. Tonga Flag Bearer
4. Olympic Bike Crash
5. Olympic Refugee Team
6. Olympics Green Pool
7. Olympic Torch Lighting
8. Triplets in Olympics
9. US Disqualified 4×100
10. Olympics Cupping

In Olympics host country Brazil, the Rio Games were the No. 2 trending topic of the year–behind Pokemon Go. Brazil’s list of trending sportspeople was dominated by its gymnastics team, with Arthur Nory taking the top spot. 23-year-old Nory made his Olympic debut in Rio and won a bronze medal on the floor exercise.

The other Olympic athletes on Brazil’s list of trending sportspeople were Phelps, Bolt, Jade Barbosa, Lochte, Arthur Zanetti, Flavia Saraiva, Diego Hypolito and Rafaela Silva.

Nory, Jarbosa, Zanetti, Saraiva and Hypolito are gymnasts, while Silva is a judo athlete who won an Olympic gold medal in Rio in the women’s -57kg division.

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Quanta honra hein @google 😍 _o povo deu muita "Googlada" esse ano procurando por mim. Fui eleito o esportista mais buscado no Google Brasil esse ano …. Menino Ney 🤔, NeyRy, NORY NONO 😜🇧🇷 Saiu a lista do top 10 da Google e vocês podem conferir no link ai (https://www.google.com/trends/yis/2016/BR) e mais tarde sai meu video descobrindo quem são os 10 esportistas mais buscado…. Eu realmente não estava fazendo ideia e achava que era o Neymar mesmo! ⚽ #gymnast #Ginasta #ginasticaartistica #CBG #FAB #NonoProcurado #NonoGooglado #NonoNaBusca #falembemoufalemmalmasfalemdemy #JogaLáNoGooglePraBuscaArthuNory 😂 #2016

A post shared by Arthur Nory (@arthurnory) on Dec 14, 2016 at 5:11am PST

Iga Swiatek sweeps into French Open final, where she faces a surprise

By OlympicTalkJun 9, 2023, 5:30 PM EDT

Iga Swiatek marched into the French Open final without dropping a set in six matches. All that stands between her and a third Roland Garros title is an unseeded foe.

Swiatek plays 43rd-ranked Czech Karolina Muchova in the women’s singles final, live Saturday at 9 a.m. ET on NBC, NBCSports.com/live, the NBC Sports app and Peacock.

Swiatek, the top-ranked Pole, swept 14th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil 6-2, 7-6 (7) in Thursday’s semifinal in her toughest test all tournament. Haddad Maia squandered three break points at 4-all in the second set.

Swiatek dropped just 23 games thus far, matching her total en route to her first French Open final in 2020 (which she won for her first WTA Tour title of any kind). After her semifinal, she signed a courtside camera with the hashtag #stepbystep.

“For sure I feel like I’m a better player,” than in 2020, she said. “Mentally, tactically, physically, just having the experience, everything. So, yeah, my whole life basically.”

Swiatek can become the third woman since 2000 to win three French Opens after Serena Williams and Justine Henin and, at 22, the youngest woman to win four total majors since Williams in 2002.

FRENCH OPEN DRAWS: Women | Men | Broadcast Schedule

Muchova upset No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus to reach her first major final.

Muchova, a 26-year-old into the second week of the French Open for the first time, became the first player to take a set off the powerful Belarusian all tournament, then rallied from down 5-2 in the third set to prevail 7-6 (5), 6-7 (5), 7-5.

Sabalenka, who overcame previous erratic serving to win the Australian Open in January, had back-to-back double faults in her last service game.

“Lost my rhythm,” she said. “I wasn’t there.”

Muchova broke up what many expected would be a Sabalenka-Swiatek final, which would have been the first No. 1 vs. No. 2 match at the French Open since Williams beat Maria Sharapova in the 2013 final.

Muchova is unseeded, but was considered dangerous going into the tournament.

In 2021, she beat then-No. 1 Ash Barty to make the Australian Open semifinals, then reached a career-high ranking of 19. She dropped out of the top 200 last year while struggling through injuries.

“Some doctors told me maybe you’ll not do sport anymore,” Muchova said. “It’s up and downs in life all the time. Now I’m enjoying that I’m on the upper part now.”

Muchova has won all five of her matches against players ranked in the top three. She also beat Swiatek in their lone head-to-head, but that was back in 2019 when both players were unaccomplished young pros. They have since practiced together many times.

“I really like her game, honestly,” Swiatek said. “I really respect her, and she’s I feel like a player who can do anything. She has great touch. She can also speed up the game. She plays with that kind of freedom in her movements. And she has a great technique. So I watched her matches, and I feel like I know her game pretty well.”

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2023 French Open men’s singles draw

By OlympicTalkJun 9, 2023, 5:30 PM EDT

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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. He can also become the first man to win all four majors at least three times and, at 36, the oldest French Open men’s or women’s singles champion.

FRENCH OPEN: Broadcast Schedule | Women’s Draw

Djokovic took out No. 1 seed Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals, advancing to a final against 2022 French Open runner-up Casper Ruud of Norway.

Russian Daniil Medvedev, the No. 2 seed, was upset in the first round by 172nd-ranked Brazilian qualifier Thiago Seyboth Wild. It marked the first time a men’s top-two seed lost in the first round of any major since 2003 Wimbledon (Ivo Karlovic d. Lleyton Hewitt).

All of the American men lost before the fourth round. The last U.S. man to make the French Open quarterfinals was Andre Agassi in 2003.

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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