Novak Djokovic suffered an early exit from the Rome tournament, losing in the second round to qualifier Luka Prizmic. The Serbian tennis star was returning to competition after recovering from a shoulder injury. Following his defeat, Djokovic acknowledged that he has not yet returned to his required competitive form, indicating his recovery process is still ongoing.
FC Lučenec secured their seventh consecutive Slovak futsal championship after defeating Futsal Team Levice 9-4 in the third game of the playoff finals on Friday. The decisive home victory allowed Lučenec to sweep the championship series 3-0, extending their remarkable dynasty in Slovak futsal. The comprehensive win demonstrated Lučenec's continued dominance in the sport, as they maintained their stranglehold on the national title for another year.
Slovakia's national ice hockey team suffered a 3-0 defeat to Denmark in a preparation match. The Slovaks had two power-play opportunities early in the game and managed to get several shots on Danish goalkeeper Sögaard, but failed to create clear scoring chances during those advantages.
Defenseman Erik Černák will not strengthen Slovakia's national hockey team at the upcoming World Championship in Switzerland. Černák's NHL season ended after his Tampa Bay Lightning were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Montreal Canadiens, losing the series 4-3. The elimination means Černák will not be available to join the Slovak national team for the international tournament.
HC Slovan Bratislava has released several players from their roster, including forward Kiviaho who joined the team in October 2024. Kiviaho had signed with the Bratislava-based ice hockey club after playing for Swedish team Malmö Redhawks, agreeing to a contract through the 2025/26 season with an additional option. The departures also include players Elson, Nijhoff, and Jendek, marking significant roster changes for the Slovak hockey team mid-season.
Three NHL superstars have been named finalists for the Hart Trophy, awarded annually to the league's most valuable player. Tampa Bay Lightning's Nikita Kucherov, Colorado Avalanche's Nathan MacKinnon, and Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid are competing for hockey's most prestigious individual award. The Hart Trophy recognizes the player judged most valuable to his team during the regular season, as voted by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association.
Real Madrid has imposed fines of 500,000 euros on midfielders Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde following a heated confrontation that escalated from the training ground to the team's dressing room. According to Spanish media reports, the incident began when Valverde refused to shake Tchouameni's hand on Thursday and subsequently fouled the French midfielder during training. The conflict intensified in the dressing room where both players continued their heated exchange of words, prompting the Spanish football giant to take disciplinary action against both internationals.
Slovak cyclist Lukáš Kubiš completed his first-ever Grand Tour stage, finishing 68th in the opening stage while competing for the Unibet Rose Rockets team. Kubiš raced wearing the Slovak national champion's jersey. The stage was won by Magnier, who also claimed the overall leader's pink jersey.
Real Madrid forwards Kylian Mbappe and Aurelien Tchouameni rejoined full team training two days before the Spanish giants travel to Barcelona for El Clasico. Mbappe, who leads La Liga in scoring this season, had been sidelined for the past two weeks but club management confirmed he is now fit and participated in a complete training session with the squad. The return of both French internationals provides a significant boost for Real Madrid ahead of their crucial match against Barcelona, one of the most anticipated fixtures in world football.
Real Madrid's captain was hospitalized following a physical altercation with a teammate, according to Spanish journalist Fernando Tavero who covers the club for Diario AS. Tavero described the current situation at the Spanish football giant as "easily explainable but hard to understand" and said he cannot recall anything comparable happening in Real Madrid's history. The incident highlights unprecedented turmoil within one of the world's most successful football clubs, though specific details about the nature of the fight or the players involved were not disclosed.
Slovakia's women's floorball team secured a 4-3 victory over Denmark at the World Junior Championship. The win gives Slovakia three points in the tournament standings, matching second-place Switzerland. With this result, Slovakia is guaranteed to finish no lower than third place in their group.
Ukrainian tennis player Dayana Yastremska has alleged that the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) threatened to exclude her from the professional tennis circuit. The 25-year-old has been publicly vocal about demanding the exclusion of Russian and Belarusian players from ATP and WTA tournaments. Her claims come amid ongoing tensions in professional tennis over the participation of players from countries involved in the conflict with Ukraine, with various tournaments and organizations taking different stances on whether to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.
Czech motorcyclist Holán died following a crash during qualifying for the North West 200 superbike races in Northern Ireland. The fatal accident occurred as riders prepared for one of the world's most prestigious motorcycle road racing events, which takes place annually on public roads along Northern Ireland's coast.
Slovak marksmen secured a bronze medal in the three-position small-bore rifle event at an international shooting competition. The achievement represents a notable success for Slovakia's shooting sports program in this technically demanding discipline, which requires competitors to demonstrate accuracy from prone, standing, and kneeling positions.
Crystal Palace has reached a European cup final in their first-ever appearance in continental competition. The English Premier League club achieved this milestone alongside Spanish side Rayo Vallecano, who have also advanced to their respective final in what marks a debut European campaign for both teams. Crystal Palace's progression represents a significant achievement for the London-based club, which has never previously qualified for European competition despite decades in English football's top divisions.
Cristiano Ronaldo reached a milestone by scoring his 100th goal in the Saudi Arabian league. The Portuguese forward's latest strike marked his 26th league goal this season and brought his career total to 971 goals across all competitions. Ronaldo joined Saudi club Al-Nassr in early 2023 after leaving Manchester United, becoming one of the highest-profile players to move to the Saudi Pro League as the kingdom seeks to establish itself as a major football destination.
Aston Villa defeated Nottingham Forest to advance in cup competition, moving closer to ending a trophy drought that stretches back to 1996 when the club last won the domestic League Cup. The English Premier League club has not achieved success in European competition since 1982, when they won the European Cup. German club Freiburg also advanced to their respective final in separate tournament action.
The Charlotte Hornets have extended the contract of their head coach Lee following a significantly improved season. Under Lee's guidance, the Hornets achieved 25 more victories this season compared to the previous campaign, which was Lee's first year coaching the franchise. The contract extension reflects the organization's satisfaction with the dramatic turnaround in team performance during Lee's tenure.
Francesco Totti, the legendary Italian footballer, will take part in an exhibition match during the final day of the European Championship. The Roma icon spent 25 seasons playing for AS Roma and ranks as the second-highest goalscorer in Serie A history with 250 goals. Known as a beloved figure in Rome, Totti's participation will add star power to the championship's concluding festivities.
Buffalo Sabres management has prohibited their team captain from undergoing surgery during the team's current playoff campaign. The Sabres, who appeared destined for a record-extending 15th consecutive season without playoffs just months ago, have transformed into one of the most dominant teams in the postseason with seven games played and five victories. The team swept through the first round against Boston, losing in regulation time only once, and has started their second-round series against Montreal at home with continued strong performance.