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PARIS: Czech teenager Jakub Mensik and Aryna Sabalenka emerged victorious at the Miami Open last weekend, but their attentions will now turn to the European clay-court swing with all eyes on Roland Garros.

Novak Djokovic will be bidding to finally clinch his 100th title before the French Open starts on May 25, after a narrow miss in Miami.

Iga Swiatek is hoping a return to her favorite surface can bring an up-tick in form, while several youngsters are looking to back up impressive starts to the year.

Here, AFP Sport takes a look at three talking points ahead of the European clay-court season:

The men’s buildup to the French Open starts this weekend at the Monte Carlo Masters, where Djokovic is aiming to lift the title for the first time since 2015.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion has not won a tournament since the Paris Olympics and questions about his future were raised after successive shock defeats by Matteo Berrettini and Botic van de Zandschulp, following an injury-enforced retirement from his Australian Open semifinal against Alexander Zverev.

But Djokovic, who turns 38 in May, returned to form in Miami by cruising into the final without dropping a set, before being edged out by Mensik.

“Miami really brought me a lot of joy and really good sensations on and off the court,” said the former world No. 1.

Djokovic, who has won three French Opens, could set an outright record of 25 Grand Slam titles in Paris this year.

Swiatek has endured a difficult spell, punctuated by a doping ban, and has not reached a final since sealing her fourth Roland Garros crown last year.

The Pole has still been consistently reaching the latter stages of events, but has lost the aura she had when world number one.

Sabalenka has established herself at the top of the rankings, but Swiatek remains the “Queen of Clay.”

The 23-year-old won a history-making hat trick of Italian, Madrid and French Open titles last season so will have plenty of ranking points to defend in the coming months.

“I don’t want to think about this too long,” she said after a surprise quarterfinal loss to Filipino wildcard Alexandra Eala in Miami.

“It’s nice to learn from losses but there are other things ahead and I am happy we are going to play on clay.”

Mensik, Eala, Mirra Andreeva and Joao Fonseca have all shown why they are among the most highly rated young players in the sport this year and will be expecting to continue to challenge the best.

Mensik rose into the world’s top 25 with his victory over Djokovic, while 17-year-old Andreeva has established herself in the women’s top 10 off the back of WTA 1,000 triumphs in Dubai and Indian Wells.

Eala, a former US Open junior champion, defied her status as a wildcard by reaching the Miami semifinals, while 18-year-old Brazilian Fonseca has already won an ATP title and is closing on the top 50.

Fonseca, Mensik and Eala are set for their debuts at Roland Garros, while Andreeva has already made her mark on the Paris clay, having reached the semifinals in 2024.

American Learner Tien and Australia’s Maya Joint, 19 and 18 respectively, have also broken into the top 100 this year.

LONDON: American football team the San Francisco 49ers have secured marketing, fan-engagement and commercial rights in the UAE.

They join two other NFL teams with activation rights in the UAE: the Los Angeles Rams and Washington Commanders.

It is the 49ers’s third international expansion under the NFL’s Global Markets Program. The franchise said on Monday that the move follows more than three years of significant growth in the UK and Mexico, during which their fanbase grew by more than 50 percent in both markets, and a combined total of more than 34,000 fans, known as the “Faithful,” attended events in the two countries.

Globally, the team has more than 50 fan chapters and ranks as a top-five NFL club in eight countries in terms of numbers of supporters.

The expansion was said to align with broader international efforts by the NFL, particularly in the run-up to the debut of flag football at the Olympics in 2028.

“Expanding into the UAE is a major milestone for the NFL and we look forward to growing the Faithful fanbase in this market, following our recent success in Mexico and the UK,” said Brent Schoeb, the 49ers chief revenue and marketing officer.

“We’re excited to team up with our world-class commercial partners, local community leaders and the NFL in this next international expansion.”

The 49ers plan to invest in Arabic-language digital and social media platforms, fan events and youth-focused initiatives as part of the expansion. They said they will introduce in-person and virtual experiences, including watch parties, e-sports competitions and flag football clinics, to give fans a chance to engage with the team in new ways. Collaborations with local influencers, community leaders, and 49ers players and alumni will also help to strengthen connections with the audience in the UAE, they added.

The 49ers Foundation, the team’s philanthropic arm, which uses football to educate and empower young people and is the largest organization of its kind in the NFL, will play a key role in the expansion, the team said, mirroring similar efforts in the UK and Mexico.

Since 2021, the 49ers said they have hosted more than 50 community events outside of the US that have helped to provide young people with valuable educational benefits, career opportunities and sports training.

Through its youth programs in the UAE, the foundation intends to promote STEAM subjects (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics), and encourage the development of leadership skills and healthy lifestyles on and off the field.