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Matt Rife’s first lesson with Chris Eubanks: grunts, serves and quick schooling

Matt Rife’s first tennis lesson with Chris Eubanks covered grunting, serving basics and humility. ok

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What happens when a stand-up comedian steps onto a tennis court for the first time? Matt Rife found out in an off-site lesson not far from the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, where Chris Eubanks led a brisk introduction to the game.

“Super lucky today. Matt Rife asked Tennis Channel for the opportunity to get a good tennis coach, so else to bring besides myself?” the 2023 Wimbledon quarterfinalist shared. The session moved from trivia to technique, with Eubanks keeping instruction straightforward and patient.

“The wrist is everything,” picked up Rife. He then conceded more context for his inexperience: “Already incorrect. Tennis Channel asked me if I wanted to embarrass myself. They were like, ‘have you ever played before?’ I said, ‘not a day in my life.’ So then they brought in the best.”

The pair began with simple groundstrokes and a touch of lore. When Rife described the forehand, he said, “Forehand is just open palm,” to which Eubanks replied, “I’ve never heard it put that way but you’re exactly right.” Conversation turned to the sport’s greats and to technique: Debating the sport’s GOAT, Rife tipped Novak Djokovic as his selection—having witnessed the Serbian’s greatness in person at the 2024 Australian Open.

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Eubanks moved into hands-on drills, starting with soft tosses and then working through serve basics. He also addressed a modern habit: “Maybe let the grunt determine the quality of shot,” suggested the player-turned-commentator. Rife embraced the advice and the accompanying release: “I feel like your shots are getting better with it. You’re just letting go of the tension.” The comedian joked about his own effort, saying, “I’m so Spanish.”

Thrown into rally pace by Eubanks’s heavy hitting, Rife admitted the reality of the learning curve: “That was tremendously harder than I thought it was going to be.” As he collected balls, a young spectator’s lack of recognition prompted another quip: “He should have no idea who I am. That’s terrible parenting!” The child’s mother countered, “He has never seen your stuff.”

ATP French Open Grand Slam

Zverev Claims First Grand Slam, Outlasts Cobolli in Five-Set Roland Garros Final

Zverev wins first Grand Slam, beating Flavio Cobolli in five sets to complete tour-level sweep. 2026

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Alexander Zverev secured the first Grand Slam title of his career by outlasting Flavio Cobolli in a dramatic five-set final at Roland Garros, winning 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-1 on Sunday. The victory ended a run of near-misses for Zverev at the majors and gave him the one trophy that had eluded him to this point.

This was the fourth major final of Zverev’s career. He had been runner-up on three previous occasions: at the US Open in 2020, when he lost to Dominic Thiem in five sets; at Roland Garros in 2024, when he fell to Carlos Alcaraz in five sets; and at the Australian Open in 2025, when he was defeated by Jannik Sinner in straight sets. Entering this match he risked becoming only the third man in the Open Era to lose his first four major finals, joining Ivan Lendl and Andy Murray, but the outcome means his name will not go on that list.

Beyond the personal milestone of a first major, the result completes another notable career achievement for Zverev. With the Roland Garros title he has now won tour-level events at every category: ATP 250, ATP 500, ATP Masters 1000, ATP Finals, the Olympics and a Grand Slam. That sweep places him in rare company; he is the fourth man ever to claim tour-level titles at every level, joining Andre Agassi, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.

For context about other greats, Federer was only missing the Olympics from that list, and Nadal was only missing the ATP Finals. Zverev’s triumph at Roland Garros both closes a chapter of major final frustration and adds a defining line to a career that now includes success at every tier of the modern tour.

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ATP French Open Grand Slam

Luis Guto Miguel makes history with Roland Garros junior boys’ crown

Luis Guto Miguel won the junior boys’ singles title at Roland Garros, a first for Brazil. Unseen feat

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Seventeen-year-old Luis Guto Miguel completed a landmark week at Roland Garros, claiming the junior boys’ singles title and becoming the first Brazilian to win a junior singles trophy at the clay-court major. The top seed closed out the final on Court Simonne-Mathieu Saturday, defeating Michael Antonius, 6-3, 6-4.

“I think Brazil are living a good moment again.”

Miguel reflected on the length of the work behind the achievement. “I think it means a lot, for sure. It’s a lot of hard work me and my team have put, not only this week, but many, many years ago,” he told press. “I think everything worked right now, but just really happy. Enjoying the moment, but keep humble, because we have a lot to do yet.”

He credited the crowd for feeding his energy during the event. “I’m the kind of player that (likes) to play with the crowd. In Brazil, especially because we are most(ly) a football country, the crowd is always supporting a lot. I like to play with that, so I just want to thank everyone that cheered for me today.

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“Yeah, it was a big atmosphere. I will never forget this day.”

Miguel said he had drawn inspiration from other recent moments at the tournament. Just over a week earlier, he saw countryman Joao Fonseca rally from two sets down to topple Novak Djokovic, Miguel’s idol, on his way to a first major quarterfinal appearance.

“Brazil have amazing history here in French Open,” he reflected. “What Guga have made, Fonseca made this week, and now I think I did a little bit more for Brazil right now.”

The title on the Paris clay represents a notable milestone for Brazilian junior tennis and caps a week in which Miguel combined seeding, composure and crowd support to secure a straight-sets victory in the final.

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ATP French Open Grand Slam

Zverev meets Cobolli in Roland Garros final as experience meets an enterprising challenger

Zverev faces Cobolli in a Roland Garros final that pairs experience against an inspired Italian. now.

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A tournament that produced surprise and spectacle will finish with a surprisingly conventional matchup: Alexander Zverev, the No. 2 seed and 29-year-old with previous major final experience, against 24-year-old Flavio Cobolli, the 10th seed making his first trip past the quarters at a Slam. Cobolli reached the last match after a walkover when his countryman Matteo Arnaldi was too ill to play their semifinal, a development that tempered some of the shock in an otherwise remarkable run.

The two players have become familiar opponents and friends over recent seasons. “For me, he’s just a nice person,” says Zverev of Cobolli, adding that they first bonded at Laver Cup in 2024. “He has a good heart. He’s extremely funny if you get to know him.” That rapport may ease the nerves that accompany a Grand Slam final.

“When you play a Grand Slam final…it means you reached the best stage in tennis,” he says. “You reached the latest stage in tennis, and it’s nice to share it, for sure.” As rivals, their record in the past 12 months is close: this will be their fifth meeting in the span, and their fourth on clay. Last year Zverev beat Cobolli in straight sets in the third round here. This spring they split two meetings; Cobolli won in Munich by producing what one commentator called a “crazy good level” over two sets, and Zverev returned the favor in Madrid.

On Chatrier, the difference will likely be the best-of-five format and Zverev’s ability to steady matches with his serve and his baseline game. “The only thing I can control is that I play good tennis,” Zverev says. “I mean, I will try to show my level. I will try to do the right things. That’s the only thing that matters to me.”

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Zverev brings more Slam-final experience and the memory of painful late-match collapses, including the 2020 US Open and his previous Roland Garros final two years ago. Since Jannik Sinner lost more than a week ago, Zverev has carried the pressure of being a favorite and has not looked unsettled. Cobolli will need to summon the level he showed in Munich and sustain it through a long final if he is to prevail.

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