Fifteen days before he is scheduled to play in what will likely be his final French Open, Rafael Nadal is so unsatisfied with his level of tennis that he’s still debating whether or not to go to Roland Garros.

Nadal’s surgically repaired hip and his 37-year-old legs didn’t provide him with the necessary means to be competitive enough on Saturday as ninth-ranked Hubert Hurkacz overwhelmed the 22-time Grand Slam champion on the Spaniard’s beloved clay for a 6-1, 6-3 victory in the third round of the Italian Open.

It was Nadal’s first match against a top-10 player in 1½ years and he couldn’t have been more disappointed.

“Tough day for me in all ways because I felt more ready than what I showed,” Nadal said. “I am little bit more unpredictable today, not playing enough for the last two years. Too many doubts.”

Nadal is still regaining his fitness after missing nearly all of 2023 with a hip injury that required surgery,

“Let’s see what’s going on, how I feel myself mentally tomorrow, after tomorrow, and in one week,” Nadal said. The French Open starts on May 26.

Golf

Sagstrom, Zhang break away, dashing Korda’s bid for record >> Madelene Sagstrom and Rose Zhang left Nelly Korda and everyone else way behind in the Cognizant Founders Cup.

Trying to win a record sixth straight LPGA Tour event, Korda was 11 shots behind Sagstrom and 10 back of two-time NCAA champion Zhang with a round left at Upper Montclair Country Club.

After months of near-perfect play, Korda inexplicably hit bad drives, found bunkers from the fairway and missed short putts. She shot a 1-over 73.

Sagstrom, who has played well on this course the last three years, had a 66 to get to 19-under 197. Zhang, who won in her professional debut in New Jersey state a year ago, had a 67 after lipping out on a short birdie putt at No. 18.

Unless something unexpected happens, one of them will win their second LPGA Tour title.

McIlroy pulls within shot of Schauffele >> Rory McIlroy shot a bogey-free 4-under 67 to pull within a stroke of leader Xander Schauffele with a round left in the Wells Fargo Championship.Schauffele, who entered the day four shots ahead of McIlroy and Jason Day, had a 70 to get to 12-under 201 as he looks to hold on and snap a 38-tournament victory drought.

Sungjae Im was four shots strokes back after holing out from bunker on No. 18 to save par and shoot 69. Sepp Straka matched McIlroy’s low round of 67 and was alone in fourth at 7 under, while Day was fifth at 5 under — making five bogeys in a 73.

Horse racing

Derby winner Mystik Dan is heading to the Preakness >> Mystik Dan, the horse who won the Kentucky Derby by a nose in the race’s closest finish in more than a half-century, is heading to the Preakness next weekend after all, keeping alive the chance of another Triple Crown winner.

Trainer Kenny McPeek announced the decision Saturday after speaking with owners and weighing the pros and cons of racing his horse again on a short, two-week turnaround. He initially expressed concern about that timeframe after Mystik Dan ran poorly under the same circumstances in November.

But he liked enough of what he saw in training to take a chance.

“All systems go,” McPeek said Saturday. “The horse is doing fantastic.”

MLB

Pirates rookie Skenes strikes out 7 in big league debut >> The top-ranked pitching prospect in baseball had a promising major league debut for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Paul Skenes worked into the fifth inning against the Chicago Cubs while offering a glimpse of what may be to come.

Skenes was charged with three runs in four-plus innings. He struck out seven, throwing 17 pitches of 100 mph or more. He also walked two and gave up a homer to Nico Hoerner in the fourth that just reached the first row of bleachers beyond the left-field wall.

WNBA

Wilson and Nike announce a signature shoe >> Two-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson is getting a Nike signature shoe.

The deal was announced Saturday as the two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces prepared to play a preseason exhibition against the Puerto Rican national team at South Carolina, where Wilson starred for the Gamecocks during her college career.

The shoe, which will be called A’One, will hit the market in 2025.

Wilson, a former No. 1 draft pick, five-time WNBA All-Star and Olympic gold-medal winner, joins tennis greats Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka, soccer standout Megan Rapinoe and New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu on Nike’s roster of signature athletes. Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark, the most prolific scorer in NCAA Division I history, reportedly has a new Nike deal valued at $28 million over eight years as well.

Hockey

US routs Germany at ice hockey worlds >> The United States rebounded from a 5-2 loss to Sweden by routing last year’s runner-up Germany 6-1 at the ice hockey world championship.

Johnny Gaudreau and Michael Kesselring each had a goal and an assist, and captain Brady Tkatchuk, Luke Hughes, Trevor Zegras and Michael Eyssimont added goals in a Group B game in Ostrava.

Goaltender Alex Lyon stopped all 14 German shots he faced before he was substituted for Trey Augustine 3:27 into the middle period due to an injury. Augustine made 11 saves.