Katie Ledecky smashes her first world record since Rio Olympics

By Nick ZaccardiMay 16, 2018, 8:44 PM EDT

You could say Katie Ledecky‘s first race as a professional swimmer was memorable. She destroyed one of her world records by five seconds on Wednesday.

The five-time Olympic champion won a 1500m freestyle at a USA Swimming Pro Series meet in Indianapolis in 15 minutes, 20.48 seconds. It’s her first world record since the Rio Olympics. World records are usually broken in August, when swimmers are tapered for major international meets. Not May.

“I knew I was going to have a good swim,” Ledecky told media in Indianapolis but adding she didn’t expect to go that quick. “I’ve just been training really, really well, doing some things I haven’t done before, just, like, times in practice.

“Was pretty surprised when I saw the 20 [seconds next to 15 minutes on the scoreboard]. I knew as it was going on, it was a great swim. Maybe it was going to be 24, 25, 26, somewhere around there. Something under 15:30, I would say. When I saw the 20, yeah, I was pretty shocked.”

Ledecky reacted to the record by smashing her fist in the water and sticking her tongue out before the runner-up touched the wall 49.4 seconds later. Ledecky ended her longest drought between world records since she broke the first of her 14 marks in 2013.

“It’s a feeling that never gets old,” said Ledecky after her first world record since relocating from the Washington, D.C., area to Stanford. “Each one is unique and special.”

She now owns the eight fastest women’s 1500m freestyle times. The next-fastest swimmer, retired Dane Lotte Friis, has a personal best that is 18.4 seconds slower than Ledecky’s world record.

The women’s 1500m free makes its Olympic debut in Tokyo in 2020. Ledecky is undefeated over the distance in five years of senior competition. Her original target for this season in the 1500m free was to break 15:30 after going 15:31 to win 2017 Worlds by 19 seconds.

“Might have to recalibrate some goals a little bit now,” she said. “That’s one I’ll never forget. … couldn’t have asked for anything more.”

Ledecky is racing this week for the first time since turning professional following the NCAA Championships in March, where she competed as a Stanford sophomore.

NBCSN, Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA and the NBC Sports app will air live coverage of the meet starting Friday.

Ledecky is also entered in the 400m freestyle (Thursday), 100m freestyle (Thursday), 400m individual medley (Friday), 200m freestyle (Friday), 200m individual medley (Saturday) and 800m freestyle (Saturday).

Other individual U.S. Olympic champions in the field are Nathan Adrian, Matt Grevers, Lilly King, Simone Manuel and Allison Schmitt.

Broadcast Schedule
Thursday (7 p.m. ET): USASwimming.org
Friday (7 ET): Olympic Channel, OlympicChannel.com, Olympic Channel app*
Saturday (7 ET): NBCSN, NBCSports.com/live, NBC Sports app
Olympic Channel coverage also streams on NBCSports.com/live and the NBC Sports app for Olympic Channel subscribers.

Swimmers are preparing for the U.S. Championships in July and Pan Pacific Championships in August, the two meets that will determine the 2019 World Championships team.

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🔥🔥 1500m 🌎 RECORD from @katieledecky in 15:20.48! Beating her previous mark by 5 seconds! #TYRProSeries pic.twitter.com/ZkbqPCxQnz

— USA Swimming (@USASwimming) May 16, 2018

Frances Tiafoe, Taylor Fritz exit French Open, leaving no U.S. men

Associated PressJun 3, 2023, 7:35 PM EDT

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Frances Tiafoe kept coming oh so close to extending his French Open match against Alexander Zverev: 12 times Saturday night, the American was two points from forcing things to a fifth set.

Yet the 12th-seeded Tiafoe never got closer than that.

Instead, the 22nd-seeded Zverev finished out his 3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-1, 7-6 (5) victory after more than 3 1/2 hours in Court Philippe Chatrier to reach the fourth round. With Tiafoe’s exit, none of the 16 men from the United States who were in the bracket at the start of the tournament are still in the field.

“I mean, for the majority of the match, I felt like I was in control,” said Tiafoe, a 25-year-old from Maryland who fell to 1-7 against Zverev.

“It’s just tough,” he said about a half-hour after his loss ended, rubbing his face with his hand. “I should be playing the fifth right now.”

Two other American men lost earlier Saturday: No. 9 seed Taylor Fritz and unseeded Marcos Giron.

No. 23 Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina beat Fritz 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5, and Nicolas Jarry of Chile eliminated Giron 6-2, 6-3, 6-7 (7), 6-3.

There are three U.S women remaining: No. 6 Coco Gauff, Sloane Stephens and Bernarda Pera.

FRENCH OPEN DRAWS: Women | Men | Broadcast Schedule

It is the second year in a row that zero men from the United States will participate in the fourth round at Roland Garros. If nothing else, it stands as a symbolic step back for the group after what seemed to be a couple of breakthrough showings at the past two majors.

For Tiafoe, getting to the fourth round is never the goal.

“I want to win the trophy,” he said.

Remember: No American man has won any Grand Slam title since Andy Roddick at the 2003 U.S. Open. The French Open has been the least successful major in that stretch with no U.S. men reaching the quarterfinals since Andre Agassi in 2003.

But Tiafoe beat Rafael Nadal in the fourth round of the U.S. Open along the way to getting to the semifinals there last September, the first time in 16 years the host nation had a representative in the men’s final four at Flushing Meadows.

Then, at the Australian Open this January, Tommy Paul, Sebastian Korda and Ben Shelton became the first trio of Americans in the men’s quarterfinals in Melbourne since 2000. Paul made it a step beyond that, to the semifinals.

After that came this benchmark: 10 Americans were ranked in the ATP’s Top 50, something that last happened in June 1995.

On Saturday, after putting aside a whiffed over-the-shoulder volley — he leaned atop the net for a moment in disbelief — Tiafoe served for the fourth set at 5-3, but couldn’t seal the deal.

In that game, and the next, and later on, too, including at 5-all in the tiebreaker, he would come within two points of owning that set.

Each time, Zverev claimed the very next point. When Tiafoe sent a forehand wide to end it, Zverev let out two big yells. Then the two, who have been pals for about 15 years, met for a warm embrace at the net, and Zverev placed his hand atop Tiafoe’s head.

“He’s one of my best friends on tour,” said Zverev, a German who twice has reached the semifinals on the red clay of Paris, “but on the court, I’m trying to win.”

At the 2022 French Open, Zverev tore ligaments in his right ankle while playing Nadal in the semifinals and had to stop.

“It’s been definitely the hardest year of my life, that’s for sure,” Zverev said. “I love tennis more than anything in the world.”

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2023 French Open women’s singles draw, scores

By OlympicTalkJun 3, 2023, 7:30 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.

Having turned 22 on Wednesday, 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 last pre-French Open match with a right thigh injury 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, is her top remaining challenger in Paris.

No. 3 Jessica Pegula, the highest-seeded American man or woman, was eliminated in the third round. No. 4 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, who has three wins over Swiatek this year, withdrew before her third-round match due to illness.

No. 6 Coco Gauff, runner-up to Swiatek last year, is the best hope 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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