Move over, Atlanta -- Texas has entered the top three!

With Memorial Day in the rearview mirror, we're officially more than two months into the season, meaning teams have had time to play enough games to give credence to what we're seeing in the MLB standings.

Yes, that means the Rangers and Orioles are for real -- and not to mention the Rays, whose hot start, thought by some to be the result of an easy early schedule, has proven to be no fluke. Can these teams keep up this level of success? And will other preseason contenders be able to turn their struggles around?

Our expert panel has combined to rank every team in baseball based on a combination of what we've seen so far and what we already knew going into the 162-game marathon that is a full baseball season. We also asked ESPN MLB experts David Schoenfield, Bradford Doolittle, Jesse Rogers, Alden Gonzalez and Joon Lee to weigh in with an observation for all 30 teams.

Week 8 | Preseason rankings

1. Tampa Bay Rays

Record: 40-18

Previous ranking: 1

It's hard to understate the continued impact of Wander Franco in this Rays' lineup. The superstar shortstop is far and away the best position player in baseball this year, posting a 3.5 bWAR, nearly a half win above the second-place position players, Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien and Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette. Franco already has 20 stolen bases this season and with seven homers in 55 games, a 20-20 season seems easily possible -- perhaps a 30-30 season is even within grasp. -- Lee

2. Los Angeles Dodgers

Record: 34-23

Previous ranking: 2

Freddie Freeman accumulated six hits in his last two games against the Nationals and is currently riding a 20-game hitting streak. The Dodgers' first baseman is enjoying an MVP-caliber season thus far, slashing .346/.420/.588 while leading the National League in OPS. The Dodgers lost a lot of talent via free agency this offseason, but they boast the best record in the NL largely because their best players -- Mookie Betts, Will Smith and especially Freeman -- are performing up to expectations. Max Muncy and J.D. Martinez have also provided plenty of production, giving their lineup more length than what might have been anticipated heading into the year. -- Gonzalez

3. Texas Rangers

Record: 35-20

Previous ranking: 4

Texas is on a roll, thanks, in part, to third baseman Josh Jung. He's finally making fans forget about what the team lost when Adrian Beltre retired. Jung had a .917 OPS month of May, including a big final week where he hit .450 with four extra base hits. He's in the top 15% of all hitters in average exit velocity while also in the bottom 15% in strikeout percentage. He's been particularly good against fastballs, hitting .317 on the season off of them. The Rangers withstood a hard charge from the Astros last month but held firmly at the top of the division as the calendar turned to June. -- Rogers

4. Atlanta Braves

Record: 33-23

Previous ranking: 3

Great to see Michael Soroka -- note that he's no longer "Mike" -- make his first major league start since 2020, though he allowed four runs in six innings while picking up the loss against the A's on Monday. "Today was a big one," he said, "a day like today and the people that believed in me. I always said I was going to be back here for the people that believed in me, not the ones that said I couldn't."

Soroka was 13-4 with a 2.68 ERA as a rookie in 2019 but then tore his Achilles in his third start of 2020 and tore it again while rehabbing in 2021. Still just 25, Soroka still has the 92-mph sinker he used as his primary pitch as a rookie, although he equally mixed in his other three pitches (four-seamer, slider, changeup) against Oakland. He had a 4.33 ERA in eight starts at Triple-A before his recall. -- Schoenfield

5. New York Yankees

Record: 34-24

Previous ranking: 7

The Yankees lost three straight games -- two against the Orioles and one against the Padres -- in the last week but then turned around and pulled out wins in their last four games against the Padres and Mariners. One potential point of concern for New York: Gerrit Cole has struggled in his last five appearances, posting a 5.67 ERA with just one quality start. The Yankees also placed Harrison Bader on the injured list with a right hamstring strain, making this the second time this year he's landed on the bench with health issues. -- Lee

6. Baltimore Orioles

Record: 35-21

Previous ranking: 5

The Orioles put together a strong road trip against American League East rivals, the Blue Jays and Yankees, with a 5-1 record. The biggest variable for Baltimore's success this season will be the strength of the rotation. At the center of that is veteran pitcher Kyle Gibson, who put together a strong week, allowing three runs in 12⅔ innings across two starts. The 35-year old is putting together a solid season for Baltimore, posting a 3.89 ERA in 12 starts with 1.4 bWAR. -- Lee

7. Houston Astros

Record: 32-23

Previous ranking: 6

Remember when the Astros were 17-18 and seemed to be falling off the pace in the AL West? It actually wasn't that long ago, and while you figured Houston would get going at some point, the Astros' current 15-5 tear reminded everyone that they are, indeed, the champs.

While the Astros ramp up towards a summer-long battle with in-state rival Texas in the AL West, they also figure to have high-ranking entrants in the major award races. Yordan Alvarez looks poised to again put up MVP-like numbers, Framber Valdez is one of a cluster of early AL Cy Young favorites and rookie righty Hunter Brown is well positioned in the AL Rookie of the Year derby. The Rangers (Semien, Nathan Eovaldi, Jung) also have strong contenders in each of those races, which makes all of this that much more fun. -- Doolittle

8. Arizona Diamondbacks

Record: 33-23

Previous ranking: 9

A lot is going right for the D-backs, who came off Memorial Day weekend with a 31-23 record and a plus-13 run-differential that put them only 1½ games behind the Dodgers within a highly competitive NL West. But their top pitching prospect needs to get right. Brandon Pfaadt, 24, posted an 8.37 ERA through his first five major league starts, allowing eight home runs in a stretch of 23⅔ innings. The D-backs optioned Pfaadt back to the minor leagues on Saturday. They're hopeful this was just a rough start to what will blossom into a great career, but they need him to get on track pretty quickly. They're still looking for starting-pitching depth beyond Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly. -- Gonzalez

9. Toronto Blue Jays

Record: 29-27

Previous ranking: 8

A huge potential positive for the Blue Jays is that Jose Berrios again looks like the pitcher they traded for at the 2021 deadline. Over the course of his last five starts, Berrios has a 2.30 ERA in 31⅓ innings, a stark departure from the 4.56 ERA he's posted in 55 starts for Toronto. While the Blue Jays currently sit behind the Rays, Orioles and Yankees in the division race and 3.5 games out of the final wild-card spot, a rejuvenated Berrios would go a long way for their playoff hopes. -- Lee

10. Seattle Mariners

Record: 29-27

Previous ranking: 15

Mariners fans have been waiting all season for Julio Rodriguez to get going and he finally did, earning AL Player of the Week honors after hitting .467/.484/.800 with two home runs and four doubles in seven games against the A's and Pirates, raising his average from .204 to .242. He then followed that up with two hits and a home run against the Yankees on Monday. His overall numbers remain well below last season as he still needs to improve his swing decisions. His chase rate is still around 35% -- slightly higher than it was his rookie season. You want to see a young player improving in that area, not stagnating or getting worse. Until that happens, he's going to continue to go through these hot and cold streaks. But the hot streaks sure are fun. -- Schoenfield

11. Boston Red Sox

Record: 28-27

Previous ranking: 10

The Red Sox took two of three games against the Diamondbacks, but the offense has been struggling a bit over the last week or so. While Boston's offense ranks fourth in baseball in runs scored, its run differential is just +9, and the pitching staff has allowed the sixth-most runs in the major leagues. Someone to watch will be lefty James Paxton, who is pitching for the first time since the 2021 season and has allowed eight runs in 14 innings pitched across three starts so far this season. -- Lee

12. Minnesota Twins

Record: 29-27

Previous ranking: 11

The Twins mostly treaded water during the month of May, holding on to the AL Central lead while continuing a pattern of winning their share of blowouts but losing more than their share of close games. So while they still have many of the markers of a team that is good enough to win in the low- to mid-90s, their actual record remains perilously close to .500.

Royce Lewis is back after his long recovery from a torn ACL. In his first game back, Lewis clubbed a three-run homer and added an RBI single. Meanwhile, unsung outfielder Matt Wallner suddenly became one of baseball's hottest hitters by getting hits in six straight at-bats on May 27 and 28. It'll be awhile before we can buy into Wallner's numbers, but Lewis has long been a top prospect whose lift off has too often been slowed by injuries. He figures to get a long look at third base for a club that needs offensive impact. -- Doolittle

13. New York Mets

Record: 29-27

Previous ranking: 12

Kodai Senga's first season with the Mets has been a little inconsistent, but he had his best outing so far with seven scoreless, one-hit innings against the Phillies on Tuesday. It was his first start going more than six innings, and he recorded nine K's with no walks (which has been a problem), inducing a season-high 22 swings and misses. He's already simplified his repertoire, basically ditching the sweeper that he was throwing 20% of the time early on and sticking with three pitches: four-seamer, forkball and cutter. Next up: Perhaps his first start on four days of rest on Sunday against Toronto. -- Schoenfield

14. Milwaukee Brewers

Record: 29-26

Previous ranking: 13

Milwaukee is barely hanging on to first place in the NL Central but that's mostly because the division is so weak. After winning a series against the Astros last week, the Brewers got hammered at home by the Giants, scoring a total of two runs in the first three games of the series before avoiding a sweep by winning the finale on Sunday.

Catcher William Contreras was the only player to hit a home run (he had two) over the course of five games last week, while the rest of the infield contributed to the poor offensive showing. It didn't help that shortstop Willy Adames was placed on the seven-day concussion IL after getting hit by a foul ball on Friday. At least Milwaukee continues to be the best team in a bad division. There's some solace in that. -- Rogers

15. Los Angeles Angels

Record: 30-27

Previous ranking: 14

The Angels began their most recent home stand by winning five of six against the Twins and Red Sox. Then they got swept by the Marlins over the weekend and won two of three to the White Sox in Chicago. In the process, they might have found another playmaker for their bullpen. Ben Joyce, a third-round pick in the 2022 draft, made his major league debut on Monday and turned in a scoreless inning. He threw 12 pitches, and 11 of them were clocked at 100-plus mph, including one that reached 102.2. In Joyce, Sam Bachman, Chase Silseth and Reid Detmers, the Angels are currently rostering four pitchers who were drafted since 2020. All except Detmers are being used out of the bullpen. -- Gonzalez

16. San Francisco Giants

Record: 28-28

Previous ranking: 20

The Giants have gone 17-12 this month and have been red-hot of late, winning 11 of their last 16 games despite navigating a pretty tough portion of their schedule. Their bullpen in particular has been lights out during that stretch, allowing only eight earned runs in 72⅓ innings while striking out 92 batters. The Giants' back-end combo of Camilo Doval and Tyler Rogers have combined for a 2.05 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP for the season. -- Gonzalez

17. San Diego Padres

Record: 25-30

Previous ranking: 16

One of the hallmarks of Manny Machado's career has been his availability, but the Padres' star third baseman has missed the last two-plus weeks with a fracture in his left hand. During that time, the Padres -- who were already struggling mightily beforehand -- have gone 5-8 while combining for a .688 OPS that ranks 24th in the major leagues. Machado is expected back during the Padres' upcoming homestand, which will undoubtedly be a major lift for a high-profile offense that has fallen well short of expectations. But Machado needs to turn it around himself. He was slashing only .231/.282/.372 before landing on the IL for the first time in nearly nine years. -- Gonzalez

18. Philadelphia Phillies

Record: 25-30

Previous ranking: 18

Tuesday's 2-0 loss to the Mets dropped the Phillies to 10-15 in May with a minus-36 run differential. In other words, it's been an ugly month. The Phillies ranked in the bottom five in the majors in OPS and ERA in May. They did manage to split four games over the weekend with the Braves, including Zack Wheeler's gem on Saturday: 8 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 12 SO, 22 swings and misses. Via the game score method, it was the fifth-best start for the Phillies over the past three seasons. Craig Kimbrel also recorded his 400th (and 401st) career save, just the eighth pitcher to reach that mark. His Hall of Fame case remains a little unsure, however. He had that dominant run from 2011 to 2018 but has been up and down since and barely has 700 career innings. -- Schoenfield

19. St. Louis Cardinals

Record: 25-32

Previous ranking: 17

St. Louis is treading water after a nice run that got them back in the NL Central race. An offense that kept them afloat most of the season dried up last week, as the Cardinals scored just 15 runs over the course of seven games. Their .524 OPS was second worst in baseball over that timeframe. Nolan Gorman followed up his player of the week honors by hitting just .095, while no Cardinal drove in more than two runs for the entire seven days. The good news is that Miles Mikolas has seemingly turned his season around. He won both his starts last week while giving up just eight hits in 15 innings -- a huge accomplishment for a pitcher that led the league in hits given up until recently. -- Rogers

20. Miami Marlins

Record: 29-27

Previous ranking: 23

Luis Arraez continues to rake, hitting .376 through Tuesday. Obviously, .400 is off the books, but let's put .376 in perspective -- assuming he can stay there over the final four months. The last player to hit .370 was Ichiro Suzuki, who hit .372 the year he set the all-time record with 262 hits. The last player to hit higher than .376 was Larry Walker in 1999 at .379. The last player to hit higher than that, who didn't play at Coors Field, was Tony Gwynn at .394 in the shortened 1994 season.

But the hitting climate in 1994 is much different than 2023: The NL hit .267 that year, compared to .250 so far in 2023. If we use the neutralized batting tool at Baseball Reference and put Arraez, Ichiro and Gwynn all in a 2023-era neutral park, we get .380 for Arraez, .370 for Ichiro and ... .397 for Gwynn. OK, Tony Gwynn was pretty good. -- Schoenfield

21. Pittsburgh Pirates

Record: 28-27

Previous ranking: 19

The slide many predicted for the Pirates arrived in May, as they went 12-19 on the month. Pitching has become a concern, with Pittsburgh plagued by injuries and ineffectiveness. The team's staff compiled a 6.18 ERA last week, ahead of only Colorado in all of baseball. Mitch Keller finally gave up some runs as the Mariners got to him for six last Friday. Rich Hill also got hit hard, giving up six on nine hits in six innings. On offense, second-year player Jack Suwinski caught fire, hitting four home runs while producing a whopping 1.056 slugging percentage in the week ending on Wednesday. -- Rogers

22. Cleveland Guardians

Record: 25-30

Previous ranking: 21

May marked the Guardians' second-straight losing month. This past week did not feature many signs that the flailing offense is finding itself, but Cleveland does have some good pitching news as the new month dawns. Aaron Civale is slated to pitch against Minnesota on Friday after missing several weeks with an oblique injury. Meanwhile, Triston McKenzie (shoulder) is on a rehab assignment in the minors and may not be far away from a return to the big-league rotation. Besides the injuries, the Guardians' rotation has dealt with subpar campaigns from Cal Quantrill and Zach Plesac. Rookies have helped plug the holes and now it looks like the youngsters will be getting some veteran assistance. -- Doolittle

23. Chicago Cubs

Record: 24-31

Previous ranking: 22

A volatile homestand was salvaged with a series win over the Rays, but that came after getting swept by the Reds. Cincinnati pounded Cubs pitching by scoring 25 runs in three games, but then came the turnaround -- Marcus Stroman and Kyle Hendricks held Tampa Bay to a single run over two games. Hendricks is starting to look like his vintage self after just his first two starts in 11 months. His changeup and sinker are moving away from lefties as they always have. His return could be a big boost to a team that has probably played better than their record shows. A 10-game, West Coast road trip will be critical in keeping their march back to .500 alive. -- Rogers

24. Detroit Tigers

Record: 26-28

Previous ranking: 24

The Tigers have been one of baseball's more pleasant surprises thus far, posting a winning May while hovering near the top of the division in the AL Central, though that may be damning Detroit with faint praise. Either way, now things are really about to get tough. The Tigers are entering a fairly difficult stretch of their 2023 schedule, and they'll have to navigate it without arguably their best position player (Riley Greene) and pitcher (Eduardo Rodriguez).

Greene suffered a stress fracture in his left fibula and went on the IL (he's out indefinitely) just as he was riding the wave of a hot streak. Meanwhile, the resurgent E-Rod, who has been one of the AL's top hurlers over the last couple of months, will be out for an extended period with "a ruptured pulley in his left index finger." Raise your hand if you were heretofore unaware that "pulleys" were part of the human anatomy. -- Doolittle

25. Cincinnati Reds

Record: 26-29

Previous ranking: 26

Are the Reds coming together or just having a nice run? The former question is a legit one because it's not aging veterans that helped them to a weekend road sweep of the Cubs -- it was their farm system finally producing. Cincinnati compiled the second highest OPS in baseball last week thanks to players like Jonathan India, Jose Barrero and Spencer Steer. The latter player hit .409 with a 1.144 OPS last week, giving him some rookie of the year buzz. In fact, that OPS was the highest among all NL rookies over the past seven days. For the season, he's one of three qualified rookies with an OPS over .800. Cincinnati is making noise in a mediocre NL Central. -- Rogers

26. Chicago White Sox

Record: 23-35

Previous ranking: 25

The White Sox are coming off a week of mixed news to close out what was largely a solid rebound month for the club. The good news was really good, with Eloy Jimenez returning from the IL and Liam Hendriks making an inspirational return after missing the first part of the season in treatment for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. On the field however, the White Sox suffered a dip, losing four of five just when things seemed to be lining up for them. All in all though, Chicago followed its horrific 7-20 April with a winning month, keeping hopes alive that it can salvage the season. However, it has to happen over the next few weeks because if it doesn't, the White Sox will have some hard thinking to do in advance of the trade deadline. -- Doolittle

27. Washington Nationals

Record: 24-32

Previous ranking: 27

Let's check in on some of the Nationals top prospects, with Kiley McDaniel's preseason ranking in parenthesis.

• James Wood (No. 13): He hit .293/.392/.580 with eight home runs at High-A and just got promoted to Double-A at age 20. The K's are a little high, but he's one of the top prospects in the game.

• Robert Hassell III (No. 57): He broke his hamate bone in the Arizona Fall League and has struggled with just one home run in 143 at-bats. He's drawing walks (32 in 38 games) and has hit .267 in 23 games at Double-A, but may no longer be on a fast track to the majors.

• Cade Cavalli (No. 69): He underwent Tommy John surgery in spring training.

• Jarlin Susana (No. 85): He's being handled very slowly in A-ball with 23 innings in seven starts. He has 30 K's -- but 19 walks.

• Brady House (just missed): He's hitting .304/.385/.518 as he repeats Single-A after playing just 45 games last season but has moved to third base and could get promoted to High-A.

-- Schoenfield

28. Colorado Rockies

Record: 24-33

Previous ranking: 28

The Rockies have dropped eight of their last 13 games, and Kris Bryant, their high-priced free-agent signing from two offseasons ago, hasn't been helping them turn their season around. Bryant is mired in a 4-for-35 skid and has been slugging just .256 over his last 20 games. He continues to fight his mechanics in the batter's box. "I'm kind of on the train track, and then I'm kind of off the train track," he told MLB.com recently. "And sometimes, you can't even see the train tracks." -- Gonzalez

29. Kansas City Royals

Record: 17-39

Previous ranking: 29

The Royals perhaps made some progress during May, posting a run differential not far below break even after putting up one in April that was reminiscent of the pre-Walter Matthau "Bad News Bears." Make no mistake though, Kansas City looks very much like a team likely to off-load veteran talent at the deadline and the weeks leading up to it.

Aroldis Chapman has already become a hot name on the whisper mill, but for the Royals' front office, the question becomes: Who else? Zack Greinke has been good and could help a contender but his one-year deal has full no-trade protection, per Cot's Contracts, and he seems intent to fulfill his plan to finish up his Hall of Fame career where it began. Salvador Perez has been very good, but he has 10-and-5 rights, and it seems exceedingly unlikely that neither he nor the team will be pushing for a trade. So, who else? It's a good question. -- Doolittle

30. Oakland Athletics

Record: 12-46

Previous ranking: 30

Oakland snapped an 11-game losing streak by winning two games against the Braves, but the team already made MLB history by becoming the team with the most losses before June 1. In the latest chapter of the proposed move to Las Vegas, the team is receiving pushback on public funding for the new stadium. In a vote of public opinion on Tuesday morning, the bill received a 78% opposition. Local lawmakers have also pointed out that while the A's hope to receive public funding, the NHL's Golden Knights did not ask for any taxpayer money when they launched as an expansion franchise in Vegas. -- Lee

Fourth seed Casper Ruud moved into the French Open third round with a four-set victory over Italy's Giulio Zeppieri.

Ruud is chasing a first Grand Slam title after losing in the finals at the US Open and Roland Garros last year.

But eighth seed Jannik Sinner is out after losing a five-set epic against Germany's Daniel Altmaier.

After breaking early in the first two sets, Ruud struggled for rhythm in the third and a fired-up Zeppieri won it with his first break of the match.

Ruud got the break in the fourth and, serving for the match for the second time, sealed the win in three hours and four minutes.

He will face Zhang Zhizhen of China in the next round.

'One to remember' for Altmaier

The crowd on court Suzanne Lenglen were treated to the fifth-longest match in Roland Garros history as, after five hours and 26 minutes, Altmaier completed a surprise 6-7 (0-7) 7-6 (9-7) 1-6 7-6 (7-4) 7-5 win over Italy's Sinner.

After the pair took a tie-break each in the opening two sets, Sinner breezed through the third and brought up two match points in the fourth.

Altmaier was indebted to the net cord to save the first of them and then won the match's third tie-break to force a fifth set.

Sinner, who came out on top of a five-setter between the duo at the last year's US Open, broke as Altmaier first served for the match.

He proceeded to save four match points in a 12-minute final game before the German clinched a hard-earned victory with an ace.

"We have had historical matches and there were so many match points," Altmaier said. "It was one to remember."

Altmaier will play 2014 Wimbledon semi-finalist Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria in round three after the 28th seed beat Finland's Emil Ruusuvuori 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 6-4.

Borna Coric battled through in another five-set match. The 15th seed from Croatia beat Argentina's Pedro Cachin 6-3 4-6 4-6 6-3 6-4.

Another Argentine is next up for Coric after Tomas Martin Etcheverry saw off 18th seed Alex de Minaur of Australia in straight sets, 6-3 7-6 (7-2) 6-3.

German 22nd seed Alexander Zverev, a semi-finalist for the past two years, is in action later on Thursday when he takes on Slovakia's Alex Molcan in the night match on court Philippe Chatrier.

Zverev made a painful exit at the same venue last year when an ankle injury forced him to retire against Rafael Nadal.

American 12th seed Frances Tiafoe is waiting to face the winner after coming from a set down to beat Aslan Karatsev 3-6 6-3 7-5 6-2 on court Simonne-Mathieu.

American Jessica Pegula, who is third in the singles world rankings and second in the doubles, is the latest leading WTA Tour player to feature in a BBC Sport column.

Coming into this week's French Open, my preparations were completely thrown by getting food poisoning on my first night and first dinner in Paris.

What horrendous luck - I haven't gone out to a restaurant since because I've been too afraid to eat there.

I don't know exactly what did the damage. I had escargots - I love escargots - but everyone else in my group had them. I also had salmon so maybe it was a bad piece of fish.

I was throwing up for the whole night and I couldn't sleep much.

That was after I arrived in Paris on Tuesday, I didn't practise on Wednesday, I practised on Thursday - but it was not pretty. I could barely do anything.

I was getting a lot of nausea and acid reflux, I wasn't eating. I was afraid to eat anything. I didn't have an appetite.

It lingered for four or five days but I wasn't able to just sit in bed, I had a bunch of stuff to do.

Whatever I had scheduled, like the media day for example, I needed to get through it as quickly as possible. I was like, 'Sorry I'm not in a good mood but I need to get through it' .

I was a zombie for two days.

I still practised because I wanted to hit and get a feel, but I wasn't pushing myself too hard. I didn't want to be totally running myself down when my immune system was shot.

On Friday I was thinking, 'I'm supposed to be playing on Sunday and how am I going to play? I feel horrible and I've practised once'.

Also, going into the first round of a Grand Slam you have nerves anyway and feel a little uneasy.

The good thing was I felt I was playing OK, but just not feeling physically good. Still, I didn't feel happy or prepared.

I had to try and turn it into a positive, which was by really focusing on me. I was like, 'right I need to get through this match' because I knew I had two days off after to recover.

That was my motivation: to walk in, get through, be super focused and hope for the best. Actually I played a decent match against Danielle [Collins], who is someone I know well and is a great player.

Luckily I came around by the weekend, caught up on sleep and got some good practice in. Now I'm feeling a lot better and ready to go.

'Extended European swing feels like Groundhog Day'

So far my European clay-court season has been good, having reached the Madrid Open quarter-finals in the singles and reaching the doubles final in both Madrid and Rome.

But it has been a really long trip. I'm American - we start dwindling over here after a while. It's so different over here and I think I generally don't do so well.

It is a long swing and it has changed with the introduction of the two-week events in both Rome and Madrid. This year was the first time it was two weeks in Rome and, coming after the two weeks in Madrid, it is an adjustment which we have to get used to.

I have to configure myself differently and work out how I'm going to stay fresh for a month before a Grand Slam. It is about learning how to adjust into a different structure.

I think it's a little tiring. Grand Slams are a lot, mentally and physically, and to prepare with two back-to-back, fortnight-long tournaments is hard.

It is mentally draining. It gets like Groundhog Day after a while.

In Rome, it didn't help that the weather was awful. I think it rained almost every single day. Sometimes at a tournament - when it's been a long day and the weather is bad - it is easy to get stuck in your room.

You don't want to leave, you just want to stick on the television and order in some food. It can get you down.

'Sightseeing and shopping in Italy kept my mind fresh'

To help overcome those feelings, I try to do wander around the cities and see some of the tourist sights. I had spare time in Rome so I did a lot of things with my sister, who came over for the first time.

We went shopping, walked and toured everywhere. She wanted to see the sights.

In Rome, we went to see the Colosseum and Pantheon and all the other key things. We walked the city a lot and headed to a few restaurants because she likes to find all the foodie spots.

Then we went to Milan for two days to break up the trip before I came here for Paris.

We took a train from Rome which was fun, we don't have a lot of trains in America so it was nice to see a new city by hopping on the train for a couple of hours.

We also did a lot of shopping in the area around the Duomo, which was really pretty.

I'm not the kind of tourist who takes loads of photos, but I love wandering around and finding cool restaurants or cute coffee spots.

In Italy there is lot of great coffee and here in Paris there are lots of nice bakeries.

Wherever you are in the world, I think you have to leave the hotel and force yourself to do things. That's so important to help keep your mind fresh.

Jessica Pegula was talking to BBC Sport's Jonathan Jurejko at Roland Garros.

Cardiff prop Rhys Carre has been released from Wales' World Cup training squad having "failed to meet individual performance targets".

But the 20-cap loose-head is no longer involved in preparations for the World Cup, which begins in September.

"Rhys Carre has been released from the Wales senior men's preliminary training squad for Rugby World Cup 2023," the Welsh Rugby Union said.

"Following ongoing discussions between the player and the Wales coaching team, Carre has failed to meet individual performance targets set at the end of the 2023 Guinness Six Nations."

Former Wales Under-18 captain Carre was part of the Wales squad at the 2019 World Cup, having made his senior international debut in the lead-up to the tournament.

The former Saracens player was omitted from Wales' squad for last year's autumn internationals despite some impressive displays for Cardiff, with then national coach Wayne Pivac saying he had "fallen short" in his "general conditioning".

He was recalled by Gatland in January for the 2023 Six Nations, and featured as a replacement in the first three games of the tournament.

Carre was one of 10 props named in the squad preparing for the World Cup, which takes place in France.

U.S. hockey legend Hilary Knight is the first recipient of the International Ice Hockey Federation's Female Player of the Year award.

Knight, 33, led the U.S. women's national team to a gold medal at the 2023 IIHF Women's World Championship in Brampton, Ontario, leading all players with eight goals. She scored three goals in the championship game against Canada, including the game winner -- the third time Knight has scored the game-winning goal in a gold-medal win.

It was the 10th IIHF gold for U.S. women's hockey. Knight has been on the team for nine of those, tying her with Canada's Danielle Goyette for most in a career. She's also tied with Canada's Hayley Wickenheiser for most total women's worlds medals at 13. Both Goyette and Wickenheiser are in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Knight, who is an analyst for ESPN, also became the first woman to reach 100 career points in the tournament.

The IIHF is handing out player of the year awards for the first time in 2023, with the men's award scheduled for later this month.

Players must have competed in at least one IIHF tournament at any level during the year (Olympics, World Championship, U20 or U18 event) as well as in a domestic league of the highest level for that country. Knight played on the Professional Women's Hockey Players' Association tour.

Voting for the award was done by media representing 16 countries (70%) and members of the IIHF family (30%).

The Pittsburgh Penguins have hired former Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas as president of hockey operations, the team announced Thursday.

Dubas, 37, will oversee all aspects of the Penguins' hockey operations department, "establishing the strategic vision and philosophy for the franchise," according to the team.

He will also serve as the team's interim general manager until at least July, which is when Dubas said he expects to hire "someone progressive that can really add an element to the organization that perhaps I don't have as a skill set."

The Penguins fired president of hockey operations Brian Burke, general manager Ron Hextall and assistant general manager Chris Pryor on April 14. Pittsburgh missed the Stanley Cup playoffs this season for the first time since Sidney Crosby's rookie campaign, a span of 16 years.

Burke was the first person to ever serve as president of hockey operations for the Penguins.

"We are thrilled to welcome Kyle to the Pittsburgh Penguins," Fenway Sports Group principal owner John Henry and chairman Tom Werner said in a joint statement. "Throughout his career, Kyle has proven himself as a forward-thinking hockey mind and embodies all of the qualities -- integrity, intelligence, and an unwavering commitment to building a winning culture -- that we value in a leader at the Penguins and within Fenway Sports Group."

Dubas said he spoke with Crosby and Penguins coach Mike Sullivan before taking the job, to get a sense of their expectations for the franchise's future. Sullivan is signed through the 2026-27 season and had input on the search for the team's new executives. Crosby has two more years on his contract.

At his introductory news conference, Dubas said he views the task ahead of the Penguins as a two-pronged effort: Continuing to give their veteran core a chance to contend for a fourth Stanley Cup championship together, while also laying the groundwork for the next phase of the franchise.

"The work will also begin at delivering a long-term hockey organization that can be the class of the NHL and to reduce any gap in time from the end of those great players' careers to the next era of great hockey for the Pittsburgh Penguins," Dubas said.

Dubas spent nine seasons with the Maple Leafs, including the past five as general manager. At the time of his hiring, he was the second-youngest GM in NHL history at age 32. Three of the five most successful regular seasons in team history happened on his watch. Toronto defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the 2023 playoffs, its first series win since 2004.

Dubas, however, didn't have a contract beyond the 2022-23 season.

At his final media availability of the season, Dubas said the season was hard on his family and that his next steps would require "a full family discussion."

Dubas, however, indicated at that time that he wanted to remain in Toronto.

"I definitely don't have it in me to go anywhere else," Dubas said then. "It'll either be here or it'll be taking time to recalibrate, reflect on the seasons here. You won't see me next week pop up elsewhere. I can't put [my family] through that after this year."

On Thursday, Dubas said he has some regrets about his candor.

"Maybe I was too honest that day with how I was feeling in that exact moment, but it's in the past," he said.

Leafs president Brendan Shanahan, who promoted Dubas to general manager in 2018, said four days later that the team would seek a new GM. He cited those comments by Dubas as an indication he was wavering on his commitment to the job.

"I think at that point there was a dramatic shift in my thinking as I drove home that night," Shanahan said at the time. "As Kyle expressed, he may not want to be our GM, and I have to take that very seriously. As I said to him the day before [when we met privately], I understood those feelings [around family] and the pressure ... but it was a very real possibility for me at that point I'd be needing to look somewhere else."

By the time the agent for Dubas presented a new contract proposal to Shanahan later that week, the Leafs' president had already decided a split was probable.

"A gap had risen in the contract status," Shanahan said.

The Leafs announced Wednesday that former Calgary Flames GM Brad Treliving was hired to replace Dubas. Perhaps not coincidentally, Treliving's introductory news conference was scheduled Thursday for just minutes after the Penguins announced the executive he's replacing had joined them.

Shanahan didn't believe the timing was intentional.

"[Fenway Sports Management CEO Sam Kennedy] and I are very close. We've talked over the last week several times about Kyle," Shanahan said Thursday at the Leafs' news conference to introduce Treliving. "I think they need to get to work as well. Fully endorse Kyle, and [I] told Sam he would be great for the organization and I'm very happy for him."

For Dubas, the task with the Penguins is considerable. The team's legendary core of Crosby (35 years old), Evgeni Malkin (36) and Kris Letang (36) is trying to win one more Stanley Cup together after victories in 2009, 2016 and 2017. Finding the right mix around the trio was a challenge that Hextall failed to overcome.

Dubas and his eventual general manager will have over $20 million in salary cap space to work with this offseason. Among the priorities will be finding a new supporting cast at forward, where only eight players are under contract, and assessing the team's goaltending. Starter Tristan Jarry is an unrestricted free agent this summer and had a particularly brutal last 20 games of the regular season.

Dubas said he'll consult Penguins goalie coach Andy Chiodo and Sullivan on Jarry's future but left the door open for the goalie's return next season.

"We'll get a real scope of who's going to be available, whether that's in free agency or by trade," Dubas said. "And then, if Tristan is at the top of that mix or in that mix, because he's familiar, it'll be to try to establish a concept that can get done with he and his agent."

ESPN's Kristen Shilton contributed to this report.

TORONTO -- Toronto Maple Leafs incoming general manager Brad Treliving got straight to the point at his introductory news conference Thursday by addressing potential contract extension talks with star Auston Matthews.

The team's top center is about to enter the final season of his five-year, $58 million deal and is eligible to re-sign with Toronto as of July 1. Treliving has been on the job less than 24 hours but already made time to connect with Matthews.

"I communicated with Auston via text," Treliving confirmed. "I know [his agent] Judd [Moldaver], there's a great personal relationship [there]. We're not going to get into any public discourse about contracts but obviously we know where these contracts are at. Auston is one of the elite players in the world. We're not talking about [just] a good player. Getting to Auston is a priority."

Treliving said visiting with Matthews in his home state of Arizona is "No. 1" on the agenda now that he's up and running with Toronto. The two didn't cross paths while Treliving was general manager in Calgary from 2014 until he left the organization last month, and fostering a strong relationship with Toronto's marquee skater -- who has a full no-move clause kicking in July 1 -- is the goal.

"It's getting down [to Arizona] and me getting a chance to meet him and more importantly, Auston getting a chance to meet me," Treliving said. "And [for him to] know what we're about and just talk a little bit. That's priority No. 1. We're prepared to get after it. I'm excited to get a chance to meet with him and thrilled to work with him."

Matthews is coming off a fourth consecutive 40-plus goal season and is one year removed from a 60-goal effort that earned him a Hart Trophy as the NHL's MVP. The 25-year-old added five goals and 11 points in 11 playoff games for Toronto this season as the Leafs advanced to the second round for the first time since 2004. The Leafs' postseason ended there with a thud as they fell in five games to Florida.

An ongoing lack of playoff success has, once again, put Toronto's so-called core four of Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and John Tavares under scrutiny. Former GM Kyle Dubas -- who left the organization in May and was announced Thursday as president of hockey operations in Pittsburgh -- had staunchly refused to trade any of the Leafs' key players. Treliving was less dogmatic about taking the same course.

"We will look at all things," he said of trade possibilities. "We're going to review everything. I want to stress strongly -- I'm not about coming in and making a statement. You can throw a body on the tarmac and it might look good for headlines but are you getting any better? At the end of the day it's about getting better. Being different doesn't necessarily make you better. This can't be about the core four; it's about the Toronto Maple Leafs [and] the 23 players we have in this organization.''

Treliving's responsibilities extend beyond managing those on the ice, to the person behind the bench as well. Coach Sheldon Keefe was brought on by Dubas to replace the fired Mike Babcock in November 2019. Keefe and Dubas previously worked together at both the AHL level with the Toronto Marlies and with the OHL's Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.

Treliving admitted he doesn't "have a relationship with Sheldon" although they have talked since Treliving took over the GM role. Keefe's future with the club will be determined from here.

"There's a lot of things that are priorities; Sheldon's [status] is as well," Treliving said. "As I said to him, it's a unique situation. We can call it whatever we want. There's been a change [in management]. He's in a unique situation. That's the business. I think he's a really good coach. My view in determining whether a guy is good, bad, indifferent, you've got to get to know him. I'm coming in with no preconceived notions."

If Treliving didn't have concrete answers to provide on day two of his tenure, there did at least seem to be a plan for how he'd approach the next weeks and months. One wrinkle for Treliving will come in how involved he can be with the Leafs at the NHL draft later this month. Leafs' president Brendan Shanahan confirmed -- without providing details -- that "restrictions" were imposed on Toronto by the Flames when Calgary gave the Leafs permission to speak with Treliving ahead of his contract officially expiring June 30. The draft is set for June 27 and 28.

Regardless, Treliving will be busy working through a lengthy to-do list this summer that should have his fingerprints all over the Toronto franchise.

"We're going to build relationships," Treliving said. "We've got Sheldon's situation [to deal with], we've got to get to know the staff. We've got a draft to prepare for. No. 1, I've got to get out and see Auston. No. 1A is the other contractual issues; we've got a coach we've got to get some clarity [on] and meet with. There's a lot to do, and the clock is ticking."

Cristiano Ronaldo has confirmed he will stay in Saudi Arabia with Al Nassr next season, but said that the Saudi Pro League (SPL) needs to improve to become one of the world's top leagues.

Ronaldo, 38, scored 14 goals in 16 games for Riyadh-based Al Nassr following his January move after having his Manchester United contract was cancelled by mutual consent last November.

- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)

The former Real Madrid and Juventus forward could be joined in Saudi Arabia by former Real team-mate Karim Benzema, who sources have told ESPN will join newly-crowned champions Al Ittihad, while ESPN reported in April that Lionel Messi has an offer to join Al Hilal when he leaves Paris Saint-Germain this summer.

But despite saying he has enjoyed his brief stint in Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo says that areas such as refereeing and VAR need to improve.

"The league is very good," Ronaldo said in an interview with the SPL. "But I think we have many, many opportunities to still grow. The league is competitive. We have very good teams, very good Arab players, but they need to improve a little bit more the infrastructure.

"Even the referees, the VAR system, should be a little quicker. I think other small things they need to improve.

"But I am happy here, I want to continue here, I will continue here. And in my opinion if they continue to do the work that they want to do here, for the next five years, I think the Saudi league can be a top five league in the world."

With Benzema, Messi and other high-profile players linked with moves to Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo said such big-name arrivals will accelerate the process of improving the league

"If they are coming, big players and big names, young players, 'old players,' they are very welcome because if that happens, the league will improve a little bit," he said.

Ronaldo has finished his first season at Al Nassr without silverware due to Al Ittihad winning the SPL and local rivals Al Hilal lifting the King Cup.

And the Portugal international admits that he expected to win some honours this season following his move to Al Nassr.

"Well, my expectation was a little bit different," he said. "To be honest I expected to win something this year, but it is not always the way we think or the way we want, sometimes we need passion, consistency, and persistence to achieve the best things.

"So, I still believe that next year we will improve a lot, let us say in the last five or six months, the team has improved a lot, even the league, all the teams improved.

"It takes time sometimes, but if you believe and you think it is your goal, I think everything is possible. I expected to win something this year, but we didn't, but next year I am really positive and confident that things will change, and we go in a better way. So, let us believe that and work on that."

Ronaldo, meanwhile, said that adjusting the culture in the Middle East has been a challenge

"One example is in Europe we train more in the morning, but here we train in the afternoon, or evening and in Ramadan we train at 10 at night -- so this is so strange," he said.

"But as I tell you these situations are part of an experience, memories. I like to live these moments because you learn with these things.

"It is difficult, but it is nothing I have not seen before. My experience so far is that Saudi fans they really love football and like to live the life and it is good and I am so happy until now."

Karim Benzema will leave Real Madrid when his contract expires this month to join Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad, sources have told ESPN.

ESPN reported earlier this week that Benzema was offered a two-year contract worth €400 million to move to Saudi Arabia in January, the same deal as Cristiano Ronaldo, who joined Al Nassr after leaving Manchester United.

Benzema, 35, has spent 14 seasons at the Bernabeu, becoming the club's second-highest goal scorer and winning five Champions Leagues, four LaLiga titles and the 2022 Ballon d'Or.

- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)

The centre-forward had been expected to stay at Madrid for one more season until June 2024 but is opting instead to accept a new challenge. Madrid are in advanced talks to sign Joselu on loan to replace Mariano Diaz, but they will look for someone else to bolster the attack.

Benzema refused to be drawn on the reports on Thursday as he received the Marca Legends award at a ceremony.

"Why do I need to talk about my future? I am at Real Madrid. Not everything that you read on the internet is reality," he said. "For the time being I'm here. I'm enjoying my time. There is a game on Saturday, and I train tomorrow."

Madrid's club captain has had an injury-hit season -- missing the 2022 World Cup in Qatar with a hamstring problem -- but still scored 18 goals in 23 LaLiga appearances, as well as four goals in the Champions League knockout stage.

Benzema joined Madrid from Lyon in 2009 as one of Europe's highest-rated young forwards. He initially had to compete with Gonzalo Higuain for a place in the side, before becoming a part of Madrid's iconic "BBC" forward line alongside Gareth Bale and Ronaldo.

Asked whether he plans to speak to the Madrid fans about his future, he said: "Speak of what? "What am I going to discuss? What is being said is from the internet, and reality is not internet."

"I was a child when I arrived at Real Madrid, I was 21 years old. I just wanted to enjoy myself and look at all that I have won. There is no other club like Real Madrid, playing at the Santiago Bernabeu, the place where the greatest of this sport have played. I'm very proud of my career."

"The road to the Champions League last year was special. I don't know if it will happen again, but it's the best road I've experienced. When I'm on the field, I feel like they [Bernabeu fans] love me.

"Football is about enjoyment, the day I go to [Madrid's training ground] Valdebebas and it feels like work, I will give it up."

With the departure of Ronaldo in 2018, Benzema evolved into the team's main goal threat. He had a career-best season in 2021-22, top scoring in LaLiga with 27 goals and scoring another 15 in the Champions League, form that won him the Ballon d'Or in October 2022.

Benzema will leave Madrid having won a total of 24 trophies: the four LaLiga titles and five Champions Leagues as well as three Copas del Rey, three Spanish Supercopas, four UEFA Super Cups and five FIFA Club World Cups. His tally of 353 Real Madrid goals -- more than club legends such as Raul Gonzalez and Alfredo di Stefano -- is surpassed by only Ronaldo, the club's career-record scorer, with 450.

Benzema retired from international football in December after France's World Cup final defeat to Argentina, having been left out of his country's squad by coach Didier Deschamps after failing to recover from injury in time for the start of the tournament.

Welcome to the ESPN FC hotlist, which each month highlights some of the most in-form talent aged 23 or under across Europe.

Generally, young but established stars like Manchester City's Erling Haaland, Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham or Barcelona's Gavi aren't included -- otherwise they'd be on the list every month -- but we'll shine a light on some of those who deserve praise for their performances and who could potentially be European football's next big name.

Next week we'll also have a look at the top performers from the Under-20 World Cup currently happening in Argentina.

- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)

Xavi Simons, 20, AM/FW, PSV Eindhoven

Signed from Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer last summer, the incisive winger-playmaker capped a sensational full season at senior level in style as he outpaced and outsmarted the AZ Alkmaar defenders to score both goals in a 2-1 away victory last Sunday.

In addition to being a fountain of creativity (1.6 key passes and 4+ successful dribbles per 90 minutes) and end product -- he finished the season as the Eredivisie's joint leading scorer with 19 goals -- Simons is also enthusiastic in his pressing duties. The Netherlands international's exceptional performances begs the question of whether he has played his last game for PSV, as there are plenty of interested clubs.

Lamine Yamal, 15, AM/FW, Barcelona

Yamal became the youngest player to feature for Barcelona in a league match when he was brought on for Gavi in the 83rd minute against Real Betis on April 29. Then he was selected to play for Spain at the U17 European Championship in Hungary and has been in outstanding form.

Though Spain lost 3-1 to France in the semifinal, Yamal has arguably been the best player at the tournament. With four goals (two of which were genuine world-class efforts) the prodigal talent -- who has been likened to Ansu Fati and, inevitably, Lionel Messi -- has shown why he's a potential star in the making.

Naturally skilful and equipped with remarkable vision, Yamal has delighted the crowds with no-look passes, quick turns and sublime first touches. On the evidence of his performances in Hungary, he could be a regular member of the Barcelona first team already next season.

Nicolas Jackson, 21, FW, Villarreal

Arguably the most productive LaLiga player over the past couple of months, Jackson has found the net eight times in his last seven matches. In addition to his goal-scoring exploits, he's at his most effective in the transitional phase where his pace, physicality and one-vs.-one abilities make him hard to deal with for defenders.

The Gambia-born Senegal international has also improved other parts of his game: his first touch is getting more reliable and he appears more aware of his teammates' movement when dropping deep to link the play. He has also shown growing maturity as he unselfishly set up two goals against Girona.

Elye Wahi, 20, FW, Montpellier

Earlier in the month, Wahi famously got on the scoresheet four times in a Ligue 1 match against Lyon, yet still ended up losing 5-4 as former Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette also netted four! But while spectacular finishing -- astonishing overhead kicks and extravagant chips count among his 17 goals in the league this season -- brought the France U21 international to prominence, there's so much more to his game.

Usually tasked with spearheading the attack, his style of play is more akin to an old-fashioned roaming "second striker" than a centre-forward. Wahi utilises his acceleration, outstanding movement and dribbling skills to deceive opponents and, when the space opens up, any defender is fair game in a one-vs.-one sprint duel.

His remarkable form for Montpellier has inevitably sparked speculation over a potential summer move, with Arsenal and AC Milan frequently linked.

Julien Duranville, 17, FW, Borussia Dortmund

Some fans may have been surprised when Dortmund boss Edin Terzic called upon the 17-year-old, ahead of more famous names on the substitutes bench, with his side trailing Mainz by 2-0 in the Bundesliga title decider at the weekend. Though the game ended in a 2-2 draw and heartbreak for Dortmund as Bayern Munich pipped them to the post, it was clear that Terzic knew what he was doing.

The quick, nimble, technically brilliant teenager was the ideal player to make things happen against Mainz's ultra-low block. During the course of his debut, Duranville registered two key passes and kept beating opponents for fun (seven successful dribbles.)

Although he couldn't make the final difference, the introduction of the €8.5m January signing from Anderlecht provided a ray of hope for the future.

Gustav Isaksen, 22, FW, FC Midtjylland

Having built his reputation as an energetic, speedy right winger, Isaksen's scoring rate has taken off recently after he moved to a more central position. Since the turn of the year, the Denmark U21 international has scored 13 times in 14 appearances and, with the ability to finish with either foot, he has proven hard for his opponents to mark.

With his excellent high-speed dribbling, Isaksen thrives on exploiting space in wide areas or behind the defensive line. Mentally alert, he often pounces on rebounds and is clever at finding the right space to run into without the ball.

There's every chance he might be the next Danish Superliga star to leave for a top league, while his goals in the Europa League against Lazio and Feyenoord would have reassured any travelling scouts that he's ready to make the step up to a higher level.

Amar Dedic, 20, RB, FC Salzburg

Finding a young right-back with high potential who has not already been spotted by Europe's elite clubs is a struggle, but Salzburg's No. 70 is one to keep an eye on. Born in Austria to Bosnian parents, Dedic is already a regular international for the Balkan country and scored a magnificent left-footed goal against Iceland in March.

What makes Dedic particularly attractive to watch is his energy and commitment. By always playing on the front foot, he's quick to close down opponents (six interceptions per 90 minutes) and constantly pushes forward to provide an outlet down the right flank.