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Eighth-ranked Mirra Andreeva ended the run of 114th-ranked Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska in 6-3, 6-2 win in final.
Published On 6 Jun 20266 Jun 2026
Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva was already a tennis phenom at age 15.
At 19, she’s a Grand Slam champion.
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The eighth-ranked Andreeva ended the run of 114th-ranked Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska by 6-3, 6-2 in the French Open final on Saturday.
Andreeva became the youngest player to win the women’s singles title since Monica Seles, who was 18 when she landed her third straight French Open in 1992.
“You’re so young and talented. It’s so annoying,” Chwalinska told Andreeva during the awards ceremony.
When Andreeva executed a backhand cross-court winner on her first match point, she threw her racket into the air and dropped on her knees to the clay to celebrate.
During the trophy presentation, Andreeva took the unusual step of thanking herself “for believing in myself, always giving my 100 percent, even when it’s tough, trying every day to be better as a person and as a player, believing that I can do this, fighting so many demons inside of me.
“Only I know how tough it was for me,” Andreeva added. “How nervous I was throughout these two weeks.”
Chwalinska was attempting to become the first qualifier to capture the Roland Garros title.
Andreeva was born Siberia, moved to Sochi, and eventually France, to develop her tennis career.
She drew a loud applause from the crowd on Court Philippe-Chatrier when she spoke a few words of French during the trophy presentation.
“Thanks for your support today and over these past two marvellous weeks here in Paris,” Andreeva said. “It was very important for me.”
Alexander Zverev plays Flavio Cobolli in the men’s final on Sunday to conclude the wildest Grand Slam in recent memory.
Andreeva has been considered a Grand Slam contender since she burst onto the scene as a 15-year-old at the 2023 Madrid Open, where she became the third youngest player to win a main draw match at a WTA 1000 tournament and made the quarterfinals.
Lately, Andreeva has had to contend with playing under neutral status and without her country’s flag due to the war with Ukraine.
When she beat Marta Kostyuk in the semifinals, Kostyuk refused to shake her hand, as has been the custom for Ukrainian players facing Russians ever since the war started in 2022.
Andreeva has gone a step further than her coach, Conchita Martinez, who lost the 2000 French Open final to Mary Pierce.
Pierce presented the winner’s trophy to Andreeva.
The final was played under mostly sunny skies, but wind was a factor in the first Grand Slam final for both players.
Chwalinska double-faulted on the opening point of the match, but she was the first player to hold serve in the fifth game for a 3-2 lead.
But then Andreeva won nine straight games to take control as she found a way to hit through the wind and answer Chwalinska’s array of spins and drop shots.
Andreeva produced 25 winners to Chwalinska’s 10 and also had fewer unforced errors: 26 to 29.
There was a strong Polish presence in the crowd.
When Chwalinska was introduced, fans held aloft red-and-white Polish flags and chanted her name: “Ma-ja, Ma-ja.”
Andreeva had little support from the crowd, although there was a shout of “Davai Mirra!” (“Go Mirra”) in Russian late in the match. In men’s doubles, top-seeded Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos retained their title with a 6-4, 6-2 win against Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten.
Africa’s performance at World Cups peaked at Qatar 2022 when Morocco became the first side from the continent to reach the semifinal stage.
Even their quarterfinal appearance was noteworthy – the Atlas Lions were only the fourth African nation to get there.
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Although Cameroon, Senegal and Ghana are the three other African teams to reach the quarterfinals, North Africa has dominated the continent’s success overall at the World Cup and at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Egypt are the record seven-time winners of AFCON, while three of the top five African qualifiers for World Cup finals are Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria.
Al Jazeera breaks down the chances of the sub-Saharan nations looking to outshine their neighbours from the north at the tournament which kicks off on June 11:
SENEGAL
World Cup Appearances: Four – 2002, 2018, 2022 and 2026 Best finish: Quarterfinals Overall record: P12 W5 D3 L4 F16 A17 FIFA ranking: 14 Prediction: Eliminated at quarterfinal stage
Senegal head to World Cup 2026 with a burning sense of injustice firing their campaign. The Lions of Teranga were stripped of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), which decided the mid-game walk-off by the Senegalese players and staff voided January’s final – which was later awarded to Morocco, along with the trophy, as a 3-0 win.
In 2002, Senegal upset the odds and reached the quarter-finals in their World Cup debut at the tournament co-hosted by Japan and South Korea.
More than two decades later, expectations are running high – perhaps carrying the greatest expectation on all African teams, including Morocco.
The depth of the 26-man squad is seen as their greatest strength over continental neighbours, but their star power is also envied by rivals.
Sadio Mane remains the country’s greatest export. Although midfield kingpin Pape Gueye, goalkeeper Edouard Mendy and captain Kalidou Koulibaly would grace almost any side at the tournament.
All three are French-born and another shot at the two-time winners of the competition is in their sights.
A 1-0 win against then defending champions France at the 2002 edition announced Senegal as a rising footballing powerhouse. Their first Group I encounter this time around is against Didier Deschamps side in New York on June 16.
“It’s always a pleasure to play against France. It’s a country we know well,” said Senegal coach Pape Bouna Thiaw, who moved to France aged 17.
“If I lose even a second of my belief that I can win the World Cup with Senegal, I will step down,” he added.
Senegal’s group is completed by Iraq and Norway.
Sadio Mane remains the star name for Senegal [Bob Donnan/Reuters]
GHANA
World Cup Appearances: Five – 2006, 2010, 2014, 2022 and 2026 Best finish: Quarterfinals Overall record: P15 W5 D3 L7 F18 A23 FIFA ranking: 74 Prediction: Eliminated at quarterfinal stage
Ghana have only missed one World Cup since their 2006 debut.
Four years after their global bow they became the third African side to reach the quarterfinal stage at Germany 2010.
Their run-up to this tournament has not been smooth, with a late change of coach as veteran Portuguese Carlos Queiroz replaced Otto Addo following a run of poor results.
The German-born former Ghana international led his nation at Qatar 2022, but the failure to qualify for the last AFCON and comprehensive losses in their four high-profile games in November and March saw him fired in early April.
It will be a fifth successive World Cup for the 73-year-old Queiroz, whose past African experience has been with South Africa and Egypt, and who managed Real Madrid, and was Alex Ferguson’s right-hand man at Manchester United.
Group L, against Panama, England and Croatia, appears to be the ‘group of death’ in the opening stage of the competition, but with Manchester City’s Antoine Semenyo leading a strong attack, Ghana will fully expect to progress.
“I think that this country has a huge, enormous potential. This is a country of footballers,” Queiroz said.
The Black Stars will, however, be without the injured Tottenham forward Mohammed Kudus, who has become the team’s talisman and key factor in their last two successful qualifying campaigns.
Ghana have only missed one World Cup since their 2006 debut [Paul Childs/Reuters]
IVORY COAST
World Cup Appearances: Four – 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2026 Best finish: Group Stage Overall record: P9 W3 D1 L5 F13 A14 FIFA ranking: 34 Prediction: Eliminated at quarterfinal stage
The Ivory Coast return to the global stage after a 12-year absence – one that was hard-felt following the retirement of some of their greatest players in Yaya Toure and Didier Drogba.
It has been a long rebuild for the Ivorians, but they have won two AFCON titles since their last World Cup appearance.
Their youthful attack led by teenager attacker Yan Diomande, alongside Simon Adingra and Amad Diallo of Manchester United, will be key to their chances.
When hosting AFCON two years ago, Ivory Coast were nearly eliminated in the group stage, but they promoted Emerse Fae from assistant manager for their final game of the opening phase and went on to win the title.
“I believe Ivory Coast has the potential to achieve something exceptional – why not aim for the final?” Fae said ahead of the tournament, that will begin with matches against Curacao, Ecuador and former world champions Germany.
Manchester United’s Amad Diallo has become one of Ivory Coast’s stars [Jason Cairnduff/Reuters]
CAPE VERDE
World Cup Appearances: One – 2026 Best finish: NA Overall record: NA FIFA ranking: 69 Prediction: Eliminated at group stage
One of the debutants, Cape Verde – with a population of about 600,000 – is the third smallest nation to qualify in the tournament’s long history.
They only debuted at AFCON in 2013, but did go on to reach the quarterfinals – a feat repeated in 2023.
The task before them now – which will be led by their diaspora of players in the main – is daunting, with Uruguay, Saudi Arabia and European champions Spain, lying in wait in the group stage.
“We’ve always been aware of our talent but we haven’t always believed that it could take us much further than we had achieved up to that point,” said manager Bubista, named African Coach of the Year in 2025.
“Therefore, it took courage to face any opponent. The first step in our success was truly believing in our potential. In other words, we changed the players’ mindset.”
Cape Verde’s Benchimol celebrates scoring in a pre-World Cup friendly against Serbia [Rodrigo Antunes/Reuters]
SOUTH AFRICA
World Cup Appearances: Four – 1998, 2002, 2010 and 2026 Best finish: Group stage Overall record: P9 W2 D4 L3 F11 A16 FIFA ranking: 60 Prediction: Eliminated at round of 32 stage
After a burgeoning beginning to their return to the international fold, with qualification for the 1998 World Cup, South Africa’s fortunes have taken a downtown in the last 16 years.
A first appearance in the finals since 2010 feels long overdue for a nation hoping to reap the rewards of strong domestic growth as they head to North America.
South African club Mamelodi Sundowns are the newly crowned African Champions League winners and eight of their players are in Bafana Bafana’s squad. There are also eight players from Orlando Pirates – the domestic league champions, who pipped Sundowns to the title by a point.
“We can say that we have players of the best teams of the season. Those guys have much experience at a high level,” South Africa’s Belgian-born coach Hugo Broos said of his 26-man selection.
“I’m certainly happy that Sundowns won the Champions League, because I was afraid that if they should lose, I would get players who would be very disappointed. So now they all have that boost of confidence, and that helps a lot.”
South Africa are in the other so-called ‘group of death’ as they take on Czech Republic, South Korea and co-hosts Mexico, who they face in the opening game of the tournament
South Africa’s squad includes eight players who won this season’s African Champions League [Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters]
DR CONGO
World Cup Appearances: Two – 1974 and 2026 Best finish: Group stage Overall record: P3 W0 D0 L3 F0 A14 FIFA ranking: 46 Prediction: Eliminated at quarterfinal stage
DRC’s only previous appearance was when it was still known as Zaire, competing at the 1974 finals in West Germany – the first African side from south of the Sahara to go to the World Cup.
As reigning continental champions, their 9-0 thumping by Yugoslavia did little to raise the flag for Africa at the time.
Much has changed since then for the continent and in its second-largest country. The Congolese players will arrive in North America with a FIFA ranking that outstrips three of the other five sub-Saharan qualifiers.
It did take two playoffs to reach this edition – the African legs saw the Congolese eliminate Cameroon and Nigeria, before edging Jamaica in extra time in their intercontinental playoff
Most of the squad are European-born, either in Belgium, France or Switzerland, plus the London-born Aaron Wan-Bissaka, previously called up by England but who missed out on a cap through injury.
“We are extremely proud because a whole generation hasn’t been able to see its national team in the World Cup but now they will see them there,” said their French coach, Sebastien Desabre.
Democratic Republic of Congo return to the World Cup after 52 years [Nicolas Economou/Reuters]
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Mirra Andreeva, a 19-year-old Russian tennis pro, won her first Grand Slam title on Saturday, defeating Maja Chwalinska to win the French Open.
Andreeva won in two sets, 6-3, 6-2, over the 114th-ranked Polish qualifier. Andreeva became the youngest player to win the women’s singles title since Monica Seles, who was 18 when she won her third straight French Open in 1992.
She also became the first Russian woman to win a Grand Slam since Maria Sharapova won the 2014 French Open and became the first teenager to win a Grand Slam title since Coco Gauff did so at the 2023 U.S. Open, when she was 19.
Russia’s Mirra Andreeva holds the trophy after winning the final tennis match against Poland’s Maja Chwalinska at the French Open in Paris on June 6, 2026.(Thibault Camus/AP)
Andreeva also became the first male or female tennis player born in 2005 to reach and win a Grand Slam title.
When Andreeva executed a backhand cross-court winner on her first match point, the Russian dropped to her knees on the clay to celebrate.
“You’re so young and talented. It’s so annoying,” Chwalinska told Andreeva during the awards ceremony.
Russia’s Mirra Andreeva celebrates after winning the final women’s tennis match against Poland’s Maja Chwalinska at the French Open in Paris on June 6, 2026.(Christophe Ena/AP Photo)
Andreeva thanked herself for fighting “so many demons” during her title run at the awards ceremony.
“For believing in myself, always giving my 100%, even when it’s tough, trying every day to be better as a person and as a player, believing that I can do this, fighting so many demons inside of me,” Andreeva said.
“Only I know how tough it was for me,” Andreeva added. “How nervous I was throughout these two weeks.”
Russia’s Mirra Andreeva holds the trophy after winning the final tennis match against Poland’s Maja Chwalinska at the French Open in Paris on June 6, 2026.(Thibault Camus/AP)
The match was tied 3-3 in the first set, but Andreeva then won 20 of the next 21 points to win the set and take control of the match.
Chwalinska was attempting to become the first qualifier to capture the Roland Garros title.
SoFi Stadium workers have voted to authorize a strike just a week before hosting the United States Men’s National Soccer Team for the World Cup.
The UNITE HERE Local 11 union has been negotiating with Legends Global amid a stalled deal, and a large concern remains U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s role at the stadium during World Cup games.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said this week the U.S. Department of Homeland Security told him federal authorities would be at the matches to assist with security but not civil immigration enforcement.
SOFI stadium workers protest outside the FIFA World Cup 26 Los Angeles office calling for ICE to be banned from the World Cup on May 1, 2026. Eight World Cup matches are planned for SOFI stadium during the summer tournament.(Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)
“Any of that is subject to change, but I have trust that they’re giving me the appropriate information because if that starts occurring, we’re going to have a whole new host of problems,” he added.
“What good is the World Cup for Los Angeles when workers don’t earn enough to pay the rent and must choose between showing up and being kidnapped by ICE?” said Kurt Petersen, co-president of UNITE HERE Local 11. “If we’re forced to strike, those $100,000 FIFA suites will have nothing but bottled water and Doritos.”
A press release on Friday, according to The Athletic, said negotiations are expected to continue Monday.
“Workers must have the right to walk off the job if federal immigration enforcement enters the stadium and creates a reasonable fear for their safety — no worker should have to choose between their job and their freedom,” the release said.
The union also wants “pay that reflects the true cost of living in Los Angeles, including premium pay for World Cup and other mega-events, and payment to a housing fund to build housing for hospitality workers.”
Protesters hold “Kick ICE Out” signs on an inflatable rat outside SoFi Stadium during a demonstration against ICE at the FIFA World Cup 26 Los Angeles Office on May 1, 2026. Eight World Cup matches are scheduled at SoFi Stadium this summer.(Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)
Legends Global, which handles hospitality at SoFi, said the company has a long-standing relationship with the union and is committed to reaching an agreement through contract negotiations.
“We look forward to delivering an outstanding hospitality experience for fans at the FIFA World Cup matches at SoFi Stadium,” the company said in a statement Wednesday.
The union issued a complaint to the California attorney general, stating that workers could be at risk of being targeted by ICE due to FIFA’s accreditation process.
Community groups in other World Cup host cities such as Atlanta and Miami also have called for a halt to U.S. immigration enforcement during the matches, fearing arrests near stadiums and watch parties could dampen the festivities.
SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles is one of 16 stadiums selected to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including 11 in the U.S.(Getty Images)
I know we’ve got the NBA Finals and Stanley Cup going on right now. I get it. The Knicks are a pretty big deal at the moment, and rightfully so.
But I’m here to open everyone’s eyes to the biggest story in America that nobody is talking about.
The Troy Trojans, and catcher Jabe Boroff.
Drop everything you’re doing and start paying attention to what’s going on out in Alabama, because it’s more electric than anything you’re going to see on the court or the ice.
Troy celebrates their 10-2 win over Florida during the 2026 NCAA Baseball Championship Gainesville Regional at Condron Family Ballpark in Gainesville, Fla., on Monday, June 1, 2026.(Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun)
Boroff, dubbed “Jabe Ruth” by his teammates, has the Trojans on the brink of their first-ever trip to Omaha. That’s right. In a world dominated by NIL and the transfer portal, the TROY TROJANS are one win away from the College World Series.
A week that began with Nick Saban sounding the alarm on the state of college athletics ended with a team that barely made the NCAA tournament hosting a Super Regional for the first time, shattering attendance records, and going viral for all the right reasons.
Troy pummeled Little Rock, 12-2, Friday in Game 1 of the Super Regional. Boroff hit two home runs, including an eighth-inning grand slam into the patriotic bounce house in left field.
And if it wasn’t a reminder of what college sports should look like, I don’t know what is:
Troy proves college sports can still be saved
I’ve been banging the table for college baseball for years now. I’ve BEGGED the world to show it more respect. ESPN has the TV deal, and barely shows a game until May. I’ve long said it’s a wasted opportunity.
And the first 10 days of this tournament have only added fuel to that fire.
We’ve had major upsets, which you don’t get anymore in football or basketball. We’ve had iconic moments, like all of Morgantown singing “Country Roads” earlier this week when the Mountaineers walked it off in the regional championship.
Most importantly, we’ve had teams like Troy not only win meaningful games, but HOST meaningful games. The Trojans squeaked into the tournament, upset the Florida Gators (twice), and now they’re one win away from Omaha.
Troy catcher Jabe Boroff celebrates a home run during the 2026 NCAA Baseball Championship Gainesville Regional game at Condron Family Ballpark in Gainesville, Fla., on June 1, 2026. Troy won the winner-take-all game against Florida 10-2.(Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun)
Which brings me to Boroff, who has morphed into “Jabe Ruth” over the past few weeks thanks to an absolutely electric tournament.
The junior catcher was hitting .114 with one home run on May 9. Less than a month later, he’s hitting .270 with 11 home runs. That’s a real stat. Read it again.
He’s hit six bombs in this tournament alone, with a whopping 18 RBIs in six games. In the program’s first Super Regional Friday, he hit two homers and plated half the team’s runs.
Do you understand how impressive that is? Again, it’s why college baseball is the best. It’s everything we loved about college sports before things started to spiral a few years ago.
We loved the upsets and the “moments.” We loved the lesser-known players who came from a community college (Boroff spent the first two years at Enterprise State) and simply got a shot. We loved the atmosphere and the feeling that this was “our school” too.
West Virginia fans celebrate the Mountaineers defeating Kentucky for a spot in the NCAA Tournament Super Regional(West Virginia Athletics)
College baseball has proven over the first week of this tournament that it’s all still possible. It still exists. We saw it in West Virginia on Monday, and at a place called Riddle-Pace Field on Friday.
Nobody had heard of that place until this week. Nobody had heard of “Jabe Ruth” until this week. Did anyone here even know Troy had a baseball team until this week? Probably not.
We do now, and that’s why college baseball is the best.
The San Antonio Spurs’ alien-like phenom scored just seven points in the first 24 minutes of Game 2 of the NBA Finals, and despite making up ground in the second half, it was not enough as the New York Knicks took a 2-0 series lead.
The referees sure seemed tilted toward San Antonio throughout the night, and one moment in the second quarter helped the public’s case.
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama looks on during the second half of game two of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, on June 5, 2026.(Scott Wachter/Imagn Images)
With San Antonio up 37-32, Dylan Harper drove toward the hoop but missed a contested shot, and the ball was up for grabs. With Wembanyama, listed at 7-foot-4, on the floor, it should surprise nobody if he ever got an offensive rebound.
However, he was boxed out by Knicks guard Jose Alvarado, whose minutes come sparingly.
Alvarado might have gotten away with some hard contact when initiating the box out, but Wembanyama may have just gotten away with a flagrant foul after wrapping both of his arms near Alvarado’s neck and tossing him like a rag doll. Wembanyama then asked for a whistle on Alvarado but never got one.
Wembanyama was also ejected for the first time for a flagrant foul in the Western Conference Finals.
New York Knicks guard Jose Alvarado dribbles the ball against the San Antonio Spurs during the first half of game two of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, on June 5, 2026.(Scott Wachter/Imagn Images)
Wembanyama scored 22 points in the second half, turning it up in the fourth quarter, but it was all for naught after a costly turnover. After a rebound with less than 15 seconds left, Wembanyama threw a pass to a teammate who was not looking, and it hit his back. Jalen Brunson was able to pick up the ball, draw a foul and knock down a free throw.
The Frenchman had the ball in his hands for the potential game-winning basket but missed, giving the Knicks an exhilarating 105-104 victory.
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama reacts during the first half of game two of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, on June 5, 2026.(Scott Wachter/Imagn Images)
No team has ever won an NBA Finals after losing both of the first two games at home, although it is a small sample size – only the 1993 Phoenix Suns and 1995 Orlando Magic did the same.
This will be the final of three consecutive years that the Belmont Stakes will run at the mecca of horse racing: the Saratoga Race Course.
Traditionally held at Belmont Park, the third jewel of horse racing’s Triple Crown has been held in Saratoga during Belmont’s renovations and will return to its original home next year.
As you probably already know, we won’t get a Triple Crown winner. Golden Tempo, the winner of the 2026 Kentucky Derby and third-betting choice in the Belmont Stakes, didn’t run in the Preakness Stakes. Also, Napoleon Solo, the winner of the Preakness, is skipping the Belmont.
Regardless, because it’s Saratoga and one of the five biggest horse racing days of the year, I’m going to the window for five Grade 1 stakes races on Belmont Stakes Day 2026. Here is my Pick 5 and best bets for Races 9-13.
Race 9: $10 to Across the Board on #1 Governor Sam ($30 total bet). $10 to Across the Board on #9 Twenty Black Six ($30 total bet).
Race 10: $10 to Win on #5 Solitude Dude and $5 Exacta Box on 5,6 ($10 total bet).
Race 11: $20 to Win on #7 Journalism.
Race 12:
Race 13: $25 to Win on #7 Commandment. $4 Trifecta Box on 4,7,9 ($24 total bet).
All the graded stakes races running at Saratoga Race Course on Belmont Stakes Day, Saturday, June 6, 2026.(@TheNYRA via X)
Jaipur Stakes, 4:13 p.m. ET post time (Race 9)
#1 Governor Sam (12-1 morning-line odds)
I’m taking a shot with #1 Governor Sam (12-1) because I like his morning-line odds, given this is a sprint, and he has fast “early speed” and runs out of the No. 1 post. Meaning he should be able to get inside quickly, and maybe he can hold on in this one-turn race.
Also, Governor Sam has two wins and a second in three career starts in Saratoga, and four wins, one second and one third in seven races at 5.5 furlongs, which is today’s distance. Lastly, he’s gone off as the betting favorite in 10 of his 14 career races, including three times against graded company.
#8 Twenty Six Black (12-1)
The Horacio De Paz trainee is appealing for similar reasons. He has two wins, three seconds and one third in seven career races at The Spa, and two wins, three seconds and one third in six outings at 5.5 furlongs.
Furthermore, Twenty Six Black ran two 100-Beyer speed figure races in Saratoga last year, which would be fast enough to win the Jaipur.
Woody Stephens Stakes, 4:52 p.m. ET post time (Race 10)
#5 Solitude Dude (6-1)
His 97 Beyer speed figure is tied for the fourth-fastest race in this field with the second-betting choice #7 Englishman (3-1), behind the betting favorite, #6 Crude Velocity (9-5), who ran two 100 Beyers.
Hence, Solitude Dude shouldn’t be double the price as Englishman. Before this race, Solitude Dude’s longest price was $3.60 at the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth, where he finished third by 2.25 lengths behind two contenders in the Belmont Stakes.
But the Fountain of Youth was a two-turn race, and the Woody Stephens is a sprint. Solitude Dude is 4-0 in his four sprints and 2-0 at seven furlongs. Lastly, he has back-to-back blazing-fast workouts in Saratoga heading into the Woody Stephens.
Metropolitan Handicap, 5:32 p.m. ET post time (Race 11)
#7 Journalism (5-2)
While Journalism’s third at the Grade 2 Oaklawn in his 2026 debut was disappointing, there’s no shame in losing to White Abarrio and Sovereignty. The former was the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic champion, and the latter won the 2025 Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes and Travers Stakes.
Sovereignty, ridden by Junior Alvarado, leads Journalism with Umberto Rispoli down the front stretch to win the 2025 Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course.(Gregory Fisher/Imagn Images)
Journalism has run a Beyer of 101+ in five races in a row and eight of his last nine, all against graded company. He was the betting favorite for all three Triple Crown races last year. Journalism has the fastest “late speed” in this field, and his neighbor, #6 Knightsbridge, has the fastest “early speed”.
Essentially, my handicap is that Journalism can draft Knightsbridge around the course and outkick the rest of the field on the closing stretch.
Manhattan Stakes, 6:11 p.m. ET post time (Race 12)
#5 Deterministic (7-2)
His jockey, Kendrick Carmouche, is popular and profitable in Saratoga during the summer meets, and Deterministic has won four straight races since Carmouche started riding him last year.
Those races included the Grade 1 Fort Marcy this year and last, and the 2025 Grade 1 Four Star Dave and the 2025 Manhattan, both at Saratoga. So, Deterministic is a horse for the course coming in with excellent form.
Belmont Stakes, 7:04 p.m. ET post time (Race 13)
#7 Commandment (6-1)
I’m a little sketched out that Commandment is getting another jockey change for a fourth straight race. Otherwise, I love his 6-1 morning-line odds for several reasons.
First, Commandment went off at roughly the same price in the 2026 Kentucky Derby, which had a deeper field. Second, he was the betting favorite in the first four of his six career races and the second-betting favorite in the other.
Commandment runs during a morning workout before the 158th running of the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course in New York.(Al Bello/Getty Images)
Third, the Brad Cox trainee had a four-race winning streak entering the Derby, including the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth and Grade 1 Florida Derby, where he beat the second-betting choice for the Belmont, #3 Chief Wallabe (3-1).
Fourth, Commandment’s 101 Beyer speed figure in the Fountain of Youth is the fastest in this field and his 100 Beyer in the Florida Derby is tied for second. So, at his best, Commandment is the fastest horse in this race and is tied for the fourth-best price in a nine-horse field.
#4 Renegade (2-1)
If I weren’t philosophically opposed to betting this short of a favorite at Saratoga, the “Graveyard of Champions,” then I’d take Renegade here.
I’ve heard many horse handicappers who are way sharper than me say that Renegade ran the best race at the Kentucky Derby but got the “worst trip”.
After all, he ran out of the No. 1 post at the Derby and there have only been eight horses to win from the No. 1 post since 1930, and the last horse was Ferdinand 40 years ago. But Renegade is the rightful favorite in the Belmont, and has hit the board in all six starts: Two wins, three seconds and one third.
His jockey, Irad Ortiz Jr., is one of the winningest jockeys every year during Saratoga’s summer meet. However, because of his price, I’m only using Renegade in my trifecta and Pick 5.
#9 Golden Tempo (9-2)
Lining up on the outside and having the slowest “early pace” in this field will allow Golden Tempo to run his race. Remember, he came from out of nowhere to win the Derby and Golden Tempo could get a similar trip in the Belmont.
Or at least that’s my working theory. He is tied for the fastest “late speed” in this race with Renegade, the first-betting choice, and can sneak into the trifecta at the wire.
In mid-May, Elder Guerra was showering inside the Delaney Hall immigration detention facility when he slipped and fell.
Guerra, a Guatemalan immigrant, has been locked up in the New Jersey jail for nearly five months. He was arrested by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials in Newark in January while helping a friend move his snowed-in car. Officers had approached and asked a few questions, according to a relative who spoke with the Guardian.
Guerra has been in the US for eight years and is now fighting his deportation case while inside the detention center, where some of those detained have been on a hunger and labor strike to protest conditions, and which has been the scene of fierce protests for the last two weeks.
Guerra’s fall was a bad one. He slammed the back of his skull against the floor and was knocked unconscious, and began having a seizure, according to the relative who received accounts from other detainees.
Others detained in the unit were reportedly alarmed and pleaded with guards to call an ambulance. After much begging by other detainees, Guerra was taken to a hospital. He was transferred back into Delaney Hall that same week and placed in a medical isolation cell.
“It’s been almost three weeks and he’s getting worse,” Guerra’s relative told the Guardian, requesting anonymity for fear of retaliation by ICE. “His head hurts. When he looks at the light, it bothers him, he gets fatigued. When he looks at a television screen, he feels dizzy. When he stands up and wants to walk, he gets dizzy.”
“He needs medical attention. He’s not in an adequate place to recover,” the relative said, adding that Guerra is beginning to lose his hearing in his left ear.
Guerra is one of two men held inside medical isolation cells inside Delaney, according to New Jersey congressional representative LaMonica McIver. A third man detained in that unit, who uses a wheelchair, was released on Thursday afternoon.
The Delaney Hall facility, run by the private prison company GEO Group, opened last year and has faced repeated accusations of substandard medical care, inedible food and neglectful guards. Multiple oversight visits by members of congress have found conditions at the facility to match claims by detainees, according to the lawmakers’ accounts.
Delaney Hall, where detainees are engaged in a hunger and labor strike. Photograph: Julius Constantine Motal/The Guardian
Amid the hunger and labor strike inside and demonstrations outside, government officials – first ICE officers and then New Jersey state police and Newark police – have responded by pepper spraying, tasing, beating, deploying tear gas and arresting dozens of protesters.
Families of immigrants detained inside Delaney Hall have had to navigate on-again, off-again visitation permission and chaos to visit their loves ones. Some told the Guardian how upset, angry and worried they are about their relatives, hoping they will be released soon to continue their immigration cases.
Guerra’s relative has visited him since his fall and spoke about it through tears.
“He kept telling me, ‘Help me. I need to leave here,’” the relative said. “But I told him, ‘I can’t do anything, because it’s not in my hands.’ I’m trying to pay for an attorney for them to do something.”
He recalled touching his loved one’s neck and feeling the heat from a fever he was experiencing.
Now, back on the outside, Guerra’s relative is having trouble focusing on anything other than fretting about his detained family member.
“After the accident, what makes me saddest is what’s happening to the Hispanic community in this country,” he added. “They’re treating us like animals, like we’re not worth anything. We’re not criminals, we’re workers, we’re struggling to get out ahead.”
Last Tuesday, under blazing early June sunshine and surrounded by state police barricades, protesters and reporters, Christopher Castro and his mother arrived at Delaney Hall for their first visit in weeks. They had driven nearly three hours from their home town on Long Island to the east of New York City for a 30-minute visit with Christopher’s father.
“My dad told me that a lot of people inside are pushing their lawyers to get them out,” Castro said after the visit. Their loved one inside was not participating in the strike for fear of retaliation. “It’s been crazy. I hope they all get released and we can work on this [immigration case] on the outside.”
Relatives came and went during the afternoon. One mother and daughter cried as they walked to their car after visiting a relative. Another woman and a young boy with neatly slicked hair and a polo shirt watched while they waited their own turn to enter the large, grim-looking, barbed-wired facility, the boy holding the woman’s hand in silence.
On Tuesday night, detained immigrants inside Delaney Hall released a fourth public letter since the strike began, dated 31 May, repeating their claims about conditions inside.
“The conditions in this prison are not fit for human beings over such a long period of time: medical neglect, water unfit for consumption, food that is past its expiration date and in poor condition, bathrooms that are unusable, and ventilation systems that have never been maintained and because of this, we are constantly sick,” the latest letter reads. “We demand freedom, a fair trial, and for our rights to be respected.”
The first three letters released by striking detainees also listed a series of demands: a meeting with New Jersey’s governor, Mikie Sherrill, who has come under fire from protesters; the release of sick and elderly detainees; for immigration cases to proceed more quickly; and for immigration officials to stop pressuring them to sign documents agreeing to be deported.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) did not respond to detailed requests for comment.
Protesters retreat after federal agents sprayed them with a chemical agent. Photograph: Julius Constantine Motal/The Guardian
Meanwhile, amid national attention on Delaney Hall, DHS officials have repeatedly claimed that people they arrest are “criminals” and the “worst of the worst”. But a recent data review of ICE’s own data by Austin Kocher, an assistant research professor at Syracuse University and an immigration data and policy expert, found that claims by DHS are wildly overstated.
According to the latest data from mid-March, 88% of immigrants detained in Delaney Hall at the time had no criminal conviction and just over 70% had no criminal history whatsoever. And the majority of those with criminal convictions were charged with low-level offenses, Kocher reports.
Despite most alleged immigration violations involving civil not criminal law, the second Trump administration has detained record numbers of people, deporting many, including people whose US papers were no longer accepted.
The largest private prison operator in the US, GEO Group, operatesDelaney Hall and currently has a one-billion dollar contract to run it for 15 years.
“The food is not that good, the bathrooms are dirty,” said Maria Santos, whose husband is detained inside. Santos was also allowed to visit him on Tuesday afternoon.
The hunger and labor strike began on 22 May. Santos’s husband, she told the Guardian, has not participated in the strike out of fear of retaliation by GEO Group guards and ICE officials. “We don’t know if they can take it [out] against them or something,” she said.
The striking detainees have already accused DHS and GEO Group officials of retaliation.
“Since the strike began, we have been subjected to reprisals, discrimination, mockery, mistreatment, and threats, mainly from ‘GEO’ [Group] staff,” the latest letter reads. “They constantly threaten to deport us, transfer us to punishment units, and move us from one detention center to another; they take photos of us in the dormitories without our consent and tell us that we have no rights here.”
“GEO strongly refutes these allegations,” a company spokesperson said, in response to a request for comment. “The support services GEO provides include around-the-clock access to medical care, in-person and virtual legal and family visitation, general and legal library access, translation services, dietician-approved meals, religious and specialty diets, recreational amenities, and opportunities to practice their religious beliefs.”
GEO Group referred all questions about Guerra’s case to the DHS.
Gabriela Soto, whose husband Martin was detained in Delaney and participated in the strike has helped organize protests outside the facility.
“Once I started going to the visits and started seeing these people tell their stories, it made me so angry that they don’t have a voice,” Soto told the Guardian, the anger in her voice palpable. “What really boiled me over was the fact that they got served worms for food. It got me so pissed that I needed to do something. We needed their voices to be heard, which is why the protest started in the first place.”
Martin Soto was arrested by ICE in early February when getting diapers for their child.
“The conditions in there are horrible. The food stinks. It is expired, it is chunky. They just got served worms, crawling on their plates. You don’t even give an animal worms,” Soto added.
The DHS has repeatedly denied allegations about conditions related to Delaney Hall and denied that there are any “sub-prime” conditions to be found there – as they have denied similar allegations about other ICE detention facilities.
On 24 May, lawmakers and Sherrill arrived at the facility for an oversight visit. When Soto and others attempted to prevent Martin Soto’s transfer, ICE officers pepper-sprayed the protesters, including US senator Andy Kim. Martin Soto was transferred to another ICE detention center, but the ordeal drew more protesters to Delaney Hall.
Federal agents stand guard at Delaney Hall. Photograph: Julius Constantine Motal/The Guardian
Meanwhile, Guerra’s relative has not visited him since the strike began, nor since family visitation was reintroduced last Sunday. Facility officials and police on Tuesday were asking relatives to provide their full names for visitation, making Guerra’s relative nervous the information would be shared with ICE.
“What he told me made me very sad,” the relative said when describing the earlier visit after Guerra’s fall. “Because they [detainees inside Delaney Hall] can’t do anything – it’s like they’re kidnapped there. We, their family members, we want to do something but we can’t, it’s not in our hands.”
“What is happening is inhumane, it makes me feel sorry to see so many people there,” he added. “They [officials] should have mercy, they’re human beings.”
Carol Alt was quietly battling debilitating health issues that left her so drained and weak that the model was convinced she was “on the verge of death.”
Alt, one of the most recognizable faces of the 1980s, made her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit debut in 1981 and landed the cover just a year later. She was featured in the outlet six times between 1981 and 1989. Despite gracing the pages of numerous magazines, including Vogue, the star was dealing with a range of physical challenges.
“I had issues my whole life,” Alt told fellow Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model and friend Kim Alexis, host of the “Unexpired” podcast. “I had allergies as a kid. I would rupture my stomach coughing. Everything made me cough.”
Carol Alt was interviewed by fellow Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model Kim Alexis for the “Unexpired” podcast.(Arnold Jerocki/WireImage,)
“… I had been praying,” she later recalled. “I said, ‘I don’t feel good.’ I was doing a job. I didn’t look good. I literally escaped from the job, and it had my name on it. … Everybody looked better than me. Everybody was feeling better than me, projecting better than me. And I went back to L.A. really depressed, and I just started praying. I was like, ‘Something’s happening. Let me know what it is. Whatever it is, whatever you need me to do, tell me.'”
Carol Alt attends the premiere screening of “Paper Empire” on Feb. 25, 2025, in London.(Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images for MIP London)
At the height of her modeling career, Alt was running on empty. She often subsisted on poor nutrition and restrictive eating habits. The constant exhaustion she felt didn’t fade; it only intensified over time.
She also struggled with frequent headaches and sinus problems that left her feeling fatigued. Getting by on little sleep during her constant travels, she fueled herself with coffee, sugar and processed foods, leaving her with digestive issues.
It was her friend Steve Cantor who suggested Alt consult Dr. Timothy Brantley, whom she described as a major proponent of the raw food diet.
WATCH: SI SWIMSUIT MODEL CAROL ALT SAYS CHRISTIE BRINKLEY INSPIRED HER BOLD LOOK
The raw food diet focuses on foods that are uncooked and unprocessed, or heated only to relatively low temperatures. Proponents argue that cooking can destroy certain nutrients and natural enzymes found in food. Supporters say the diet can boost energy, improve digestion and promote overall wellness.
Health experts generally note that nutrition needs vary from person to person and that no single eating plan works for everyone.
American model and actress Carol Alt in New York City, circa 1988.(B Bennett/Bruce Bennett Studios/Getty Images Studios/Getty Images)
“I’m rolling my eyes,” Alt told Alexis. “I pretended to take down his number, and then I hung up. … A little voice inside of me said, ‘Hey, you’ve tried everything. You’ve been asking for help, and now you throw this away.’ Fortunately, it was a really easy number to remember. So I called.”
Kim Alexis and Carol Alt attend the “About Face: Supermodels Then and Now” premiere at The Paley Center for Media in New York City on July 17, 2012.(Jamie McCarthy/WireImage)
When Alt told Brantley about her diet, he laughed, she said.
“I was allergic to Irish, whatever they put in the Irish rye or barley, whatever it was,” Alt said. “I was allergic to it. So I went to Scotch. But people have to remember that we were traveling all the time. We never knew what time zone we were in.
Carol Alt at Club USA in New York City, circa 1993.(Steve Eichner/WireImage)
“I would wake up in the morning on my days off, and I would have a Scotch coffee and whipped cream,” Alt said. “And when I was working, believe it or not, I would have pizza bread and cappuccino. That would be my breakfast. That was Italy. In France, I’d have a cappuccino and a coffee. And the doctor was like, ‘It’s the same thing, the sugar and caffeine.'”
Carol Alt appears in a scene from the 1994 television series “Thunder in Paradise.”(Buena Vista Television/Everett Collection)
“… I really had to dig myself out of a very big hole because, first of all, I was addicted to coffee,” she shared. “Second of all, I wanted my Scotch in the morning. I loved my whipped cream. I really had to get myself back on track again and completely swing from this way to that way. Timothy took me through it. When I started with Timothy, I couldn’t even go without something to eat every couple of hours.”
In 1996, at age 35, Alt completely changed her approach to eating. She’s never looked back. Alt said the changes didn’t happen overnight, but she eventually noticed significant improvements in her energy levels and overall health. The model said she no longer felt constantly exhausted and began feeling stronger and more capable of keeping up with the demands of her career.
Carol Alt walks the runway wearing a white one-piece swimsuit during the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Show at Miami Swim Week at the W Hotel Miami Beach on July 7, 2023.(John Parra/Getty Images)
Brantley encouraged Alt to eliminate heavily processed foods and focus on raw fruits, vegetables and other minimally processed ingredients.
“There was no question,” she told Alexis. “For me, there was no turning back. And believe me, I’ve sat at dinners with renal doctors who were taking me through the coals because I was some stupid model. But hey, you know what? I rebuilt my body. I was on the verge of death, and I’m back. So you can’t knock me off my pedestal. I’m going to be an orator on this. I’m going to be screaming this from the mountaintops.”
Carol Alt poses for a portrait in the 1980s.(Everett Collection)
“… I remember my father dying, saying to me, ‘You know, Carol Ann, I should have known something was wrong when I didn’t want to go to work,'” she reflected. “And here I was hiding. I’m like, ‘There’s something wrong. Whatever it is, [God], you’ve given me a little bit of celebrity. I know I could use it for good. Please let me know.'”
Over the years, Alt has written several books on how natural, unprocessed foods can be used to improve overall health, energy levels and aging.
Carol Alt made her SI Swimsuit debut in 1981.(Charles Eshelman/FilmMagic)
“… I think it was more just trying to get people to understand that processed food has so many chemicals, so many preservatives, has so many hidden fats, cooked oils and really bad things. You could have things that were the same, tasted just as good and were just as gratifying that were healthy.”
Carol Alt attends THE Miami Swim Week 2023 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Show at the W Hotel in Miami Beach on July 7, 2023.(Manny Hernandez/Wireimage)
When asked how she hopes to be remembered, Alt didn’t hesitate, saying, “That I was an inspiration and helped people to live better lives, to eat better and to live better.”
“When you eat better, you feel better,” she said. “When you feel better, you’re nicer to people. That’s really what it’s about for me. … I really want people to be happy, and it’s so hard to be happy these days. It really is unless you’re at peace with yourself. I find a lot of people just aren’t. … We’re not all perfect. We’re not all able to do what other people do, but look at your attributes and be happy and joyous in that. Bring that forth to the world because the universe will conspire to find use for you.”
Carol Alt became one of the most recognizable supermodels of the 1980s, earning the nickname “The Face” and appearing on more than 500 magazine covers during her career.(Ivan Apfel/Getty Images)
In 2023, Alt told Fox News Digital she would have done some things differently as a model.
WATCH: ’80S SUPERMODEL CAROL ALT ON AGING, HOW NOT TO BREAK DOWN LIKE ‘AN OLD CAR’
“I wish when I was 18, 19 years old and somebody said to me, ‘You should eat your vegetables raw,'” she said at the time.
“I suffered through my modeling career because I was always tired, I was always malnourished. I was always trying to keep my weight down. I didn’t eat, and when I ate, I ate garbage because I really did not know what to eat,” she continued.
Carol Alt is seen here in Santa Margherita di Pula, Italy, on July 24, 2020.(Daniele Venturelli/Getty Images)
“I didn’t know what to eat in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening, how much, and what would keep my energy going, and there were so many times I suffered,” Alt noted.
Model Carol Alt attends the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 50th Anniversary Party at Swimsuit Beach House in New York City on Feb. 18, 2014.(Gilbert Carrasquillo/FilmMagic)
Alt said that if she had changed how she ate earlier, her modeling career would have been “immensely” different.
“I just had no energy left to be cool and groovy,” she said.
Stephanie Nolasco covers entertainment at Foxnews.com.
