Jaelin Kauf surges atop U.S. moguls with World Cup breakthrough

By Nick ZaccardiDec 21, 2017, 9:12 AM EST

With Hannah Kearney retired, there’s an opening for a new leader of the U.S. women’s moguls team. Jaelin Kauf may be that skier.

The 21-year-old from Wyoming notched her first World Cup moguls win in Thaiwoo, China, on Thursday, moving halfway to automatic qualification for her first Olympics.

Kauf continued a recent rise. She was FIS Rookie of the Year in moguls in 2015-16, then recorded her first World Cup win (in the non-Olympic event of dual moguls) last season.

She was also the top American at a February World Cup event at the PyeongChang Olympic venue in fifth place, plus took dual moguls bronze at the March world championships.

Kauf’s parents were both pro tour moguls champions. They never competed in the Olympics, but both later took up ski cross. Her mom made an X Games podium in 2002.

Kauf jostled with Morgan Schild and Keaton McCargo for top U.S. female moguls skier last season, but now she’s in the driver’s seat for one of three automatic Olympic berths through two of seven selection events.

A skier must make two podiums among the events to be eligible for automatic selection, and Kauf’s win is the only podium so far.

The U.S. women’s moguls team could end up with four total athletes in PyeongChang.

Troy Murphy took third in the men’s event Thursday to become the first U.S. man to make a podium in Olympic qualifying.

Kearney was part of the last three Olympic teams but retired in March 2015 after amassing two Olympic medals, three world titles and a record-tying 46 World Cup wins.

The PyeongChang favorites start with Australian Britt Cox, who won seven of 11 World Cup moguls and dual moguls events last season, plus the world title.

Cox was the youngest competitor at the 2010 Olympics in any sport at age 15, then finished fifth in Sochi. She won the season-opening World Cup event on Dec. 9 but was 25th on Thursday, her worst result in nearly seven years.

Sochi Olympic champion Justine Dufour-Lapointe of Canada made six World Cup podiums last season and was third at worlds.

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2023 French Open women’s singles draw, scores

By OlympicTalkMay 29, 2023, 8:00 PM EDT

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

2023 French Open men’s singles draw, scores

By OlympicTalkMay 29, 2023, 8:00 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.

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.

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2023 French Open Women’s Singles Draw

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2023 French Open Men’s Singles Draw

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