Matildas star Ellie Carpenter set for Chelsea reunion alongside new wife Danielle van de Donk's London switch
The 25-year-old joined French giants Lyon in 2020 but is set to be lured to England by none other than Australian teammate Sam Kerr's six-time defending champions Chelsea.
Carpenter, who was under contract with Lyon for 2026, will depart the club just weeks after their Australian coach Joe Montemurro left to lead the Matildas.
Carpenter will reportedly sign a three-year deal with Chelsea as part of an informal swap deal that has sent Canadian Ashley Lawrence, who previously played in France for Paris Saint-Germain, to Lyon.
As well as teaming up with Kerr on the field, Carpenter will also be coached once again by her former Lyon boss Sonia Bompastor.
Bompastor joined Chelsea last year after leading Carpenter and Lyon to three straight league titles while they also won the 2022 Champions League and made the 2024 final.
Carpenter's move ensures she will be rivals, rather than teammates, with her new wife Danielle van de Donk.
The pair met when the Netherlands international star joined Lyon in 2021 and married last month in France.
Just days after the wedding it was announced van de Donk had signed with the London City Lionesses for their first season in the top-flight Women's Super League.
Lyon and the Lionesses, who are not affiliated with an English Premier League club, share the same owner.
The announcement appeared to telegraph Carpenter's switch to England with Chelsea, which had already been floated as a rumour.
Van de Donk's move to London will be a homecoming of sorts after she spent six years in the English capital with Arsenal prior to joining Lyon.
Carpenter, meanwhile, will have at least one season alongside Kerr at Chelsea.
Kerr has not played a match at any level since suffering an ACL tear in January 2024, with her time out extended by a mystery second round of surgery.
She has one more season left on her contract with Chelsea and it remains uncertain how she will fit into Bompastor's plans after being sidelined for so long.
But the star striker is firmly on the comeback trail and has attended two recent Matildas camps as a train-on player.
Carpenter said it was a boost to have Kerr around the squad.
'She's a massive player, also a massive character for the team,' the fill-in skipper said late last month.
'She's been absent from the team for a while, so it's nice to have her training individually, and hopefully, soon she can be back with us.'
Montemurro tapped Carpenter to lead the Matildas in their two matches against Slovenia over the past week, a 3-0 win and 1-1 draw.
But she was among several players to depart camp ahead of matches against Panama over the next week.
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Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
Saved by the dark: Rinky's great Wimbledon escape
Battling Rinky Hijikata has lived to fight another day at Wimbledon after saving three match points and then being reprieved by a controversial suspension of play amid farcical scenes as darkness descended. As his match with 10th seed Ben Shelton approached its finish on No.2 Court with the American in total control late on Thursday evening, Sydneysider Hijikata was on the brink of defeat at 2-6 5-7 3-5 and 0-40 down. Yet Australia's world No.87 then fought tigerishly to win the five next points and stay in the hunt, by which time it was 9.30pm and had become so dark on a court without floodlighting that Spanish chair umpire Nacho Forcadell insisted he had to call a suspension. Shelton was furious, being told he would not be given one last chance to serve out for the match. The left-hander, who has one of the biggest deliveries in the game, had previously not dropped his serve all match. While he complained, and the courtside supervisor stepped in quickly, Hijikata had already swiftly sped away to complete his great escape, knowing he can return on Friday afternoon to try to rescue what, in truth, still looks close to a lost cause. The most ridiculous aspect of the affair was that after he had taken his two-set lead at 8.40pm, the dominant Shelton had already queried with Forcadell whether there was enough time to complete the match. The 22-year-old American also pointed out it was beginning to be slippery at the back of the court and seemed as if he would have been happy for the match to be postponed at that point. Hijikata, perhaps playing for time, had meanwhile disappeared for a strategic comfort break and when the 24-year-old Australian returned, he didn't seem overly enthused about them playing on. Indeed, after slipping on the grass at 1-3 down, he pointedly told Forcadell: "No mate, you're not the one out there running and moving."
The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
Aussie No.1s sidestep seeds carnage with Wimbledon wins
Alex de Minaur and Daria Kasatkina, Australia's biggest Wimbledon hopes, have been left relieved to avoid joining the legion of seeds who've already been scattered at this shock-laden Wimbledon as they battled into the third round. In perfect sunny conditions on Thursday (Friday AEST), de Minaur brushed off a woeful first set against French qualifier Arthur Cazaux before regrouping and eventually showing some signs of his best in a 4-6 6-2 6-4 6-0 victory. Then after his fellow Sydneysider Aleksandar Vukic had been crushed by the full power of world No.1 Jannik Sinner, the other national No.1 Kasatkina came through her second-round arm wrestle with old Romanian rival Irina-Camelia Begu 6-2 4-6 6-1. So there'll be at least three Australians in the last 32, with injury-hampered Jordan Thompson having heroically made it into the third round on Wednesday - and Rinky Hijikata almost but not quite out of it on the brink of defeat to Ben Shelton when his match was controversially suspended because of the dying light. The encouraging news for world No.11 de Minaur is he'll next be facing Denmark's August Holmgren, a qualifier ranked 181 places below him who knocked out Czech 21st seed Tomas Machac and may feel drained after the second longest match of the championships lasting four hours 38 minutes. Fifteen of the 32 men's seeds had already fallen in the first two rounds, and 15 of the women's - and there was momentary concern both de Minaur and Kasatkina, the newest recruit for Australian tennis, might join them. "It just shows you, this sport, it's not easy out there. Anything can happen on any given day," sighed de Minaur. And though his victory, featuring 31 unforced errors, suggested plenty of work to be done still, he was grateful to have avoided the same second-round calamity of the French Open when beaten by Alexander Bublik. De Minaur had never been knocked out of a grand slam by anyone as lowly ranked as No.115 Cazaux, but alarm bells rang once the fluid server from Montpellier took advantage of de Minaur's absent-minded start on a packed No.2 Court. But urged on at courtside by his Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt, de Minaur stirred, nearly doubled his first-serve percentage of 33 per cent to 63 per cent and swept to level the set scores. Cazaux's spirit was broken after de Minaur's late break in the second, and 'Demon' felt freed to play his best tennis of the tournament so far, feeding the dispirited Frenchman a 41-minute 'bagel' set. His next opponent Holmgren will have to recover from a marathon in which he finally kayoed Machac 7-6 (7-5) 6-8 (8-10) 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 7-6 (7-5). Kasatkina, the 16th seed, has beaten 34-year-old Begu more times than she's defeated any other player, so it looked a perfect draw as she swept through the first set, only for the veteran to uncork some laser shotmaking in the second. But, though occasionally venting her frustration to her courtside team about an uneven performance, Kasatkina recovered her poise, earned an early break in the decider and then reeled off the final four games to book a much more challenging third-round encounter with 18th seed Liudmila Samsonova, who's already knocked out star teenage Australian Maya Joint. "I prefer this fire and getting this anger than when I don't feel the energy at all. So sometimes I was screaming to the box and stuff, but that's important, it gives you energy," Kasatkina said. Sydneysider Vukic gave Carlos Alcaraz a few worries last year on No.1 Court but his latest big-match date on Centre proved a bloodless affair as he was taken apart by Sinner 6-1 6-1 6-3 in an hour and 40 minutes, with his most notable resistance emerging at the death when he saved five match points. "I feel like I'm in a boxing ring and just have to go back out there," sighed the "pummelled" Vukic. In near-darkness at 9.30pm, there was still general amazement when the chair umpire told Shelton he was suspending the No.2 Court contest against Hijikata just as the dominant American 10th seed was leading 6-2 7-5 5-4 and about to step out to serve for the match. Shelton was outraged, understandably complaining, while Hijikata, equally understandably, zoomed off court before minds could be changed. The match will be resumed on Friday. Earlier, Australia's Olympic men's doubles champions, 15th seeds John Peers and Matt Ebden, bowed out in the opening round, losing 6-3 6-4 to Czech pair Petr Nouza and Patrik Rikl. Alex de Minaur and Daria Kasatkina, Australia's biggest Wimbledon hopes, have been left relieved to avoid joining the legion of seeds who've already been scattered at this shock-laden Wimbledon as they battled into the third round. In perfect sunny conditions on Thursday (Friday AEST), de Minaur brushed off a woeful first set against French qualifier Arthur Cazaux before regrouping and eventually showing some signs of his best in a 4-6 6-2 6-4 6-0 victory. Then after his fellow Sydneysider Aleksandar Vukic had been crushed by the full power of world No.1 Jannik Sinner, the other national No.1 Kasatkina came through her second-round arm wrestle with old Romanian rival Irina-Camelia Begu 6-2 4-6 6-1. So there'll be at least three Australians in the last 32, with injury-hampered Jordan Thompson having heroically made it into the third round on Wednesday - and Rinky Hijikata almost but not quite out of it on the brink of defeat to Ben Shelton when his match was controversially suspended because of the dying light. The encouraging news for world No.11 de Minaur is he'll next be facing Denmark's August Holmgren, a qualifier ranked 181 places below him who knocked out Czech 21st seed Tomas Machac and may feel drained after the second longest match of the championships lasting four hours 38 minutes. Fifteen of the 32 men's seeds had already fallen in the first two rounds, and 15 of the women's - and there was momentary concern both de Minaur and Kasatkina, the newest recruit for Australian tennis, might join them. "It just shows you, this sport, it's not easy out there. Anything can happen on any given day," sighed de Minaur. And though his victory, featuring 31 unforced errors, suggested plenty of work to be done still, he was grateful to have avoided the same second-round calamity of the French Open when beaten by Alexander Bublik. De Minaur had never been knocked out of a grand slam by anyone as lowly ranked as No.115 Cazaux, but alarm bells rang once the fluid server from Montpellier took advantage of de Minaur's absent-minded start on a packed No.2 Court. But urged on at courtside by his Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt, de Minaur stirred, nearly doubled his first-serve percentage of 33 per cent to 63 per cent and swept to level the set scores. Cazaux's spirit was broken after de Minaur's late break in the second, and 'Demon' felt freed to play his best tennis of the tournament so far, feeding the dispirited Frenchman a 41-minute 'bagel' set. His next opponent Holmgren will have to recover from a marathon in which he finally kayoed Machac 7-6 (7-5) 6-8 (8-10) 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 7-6 (7-5). Kasatkina, the 16th seed, has beaten 34-year-old Begu more times than she's defeated any other player, so it looked a perfect draw as she swept through the first set, only for the veteran to uncork some laser shotmaking in the second. But, though occasionally venting her frustration to her courtside team about an uneven performance, Kasatkina recovered her poise, earned an early break in the decider and then reeled off the final four games to book a much more challenging third-round encounter with 18th seed Liudmila Samsonova, who's already knocked out star teenage Australian Maya Joint. "I prefer this fire and getting this anger than when I don't feel the energy at all. So sometimes I was screaming to the box and stuff, but that's important, it gives you energy," Kasatkina said. Sydneysider Vukic gave Carlos Alcaraz a few worries last year on No.1 Court but his latest big-match date on Centre proved a bloodless affair as he was taken apart by Sinner 6-1 6-1 6-3 in an hour and 40 minutes, with his most notable resistance emerging at the death when he saved five match points. "I feel like I'm in a boxing ring and just have to go back out there," sighed the "pummelled" Vukic. In near-darkness at 9.30pm, there was still general amazement when the chair umpire told Shelton he was suspending the No.2 Court contest against Hijikata just as the dominant American 10th seed was leading 6-2 7-5 5-4 and about to step out to serve for the match. Shelton was outraged, understandably complaining, while Hijikata, equally understandably, zoomed off court before minds could be changed. The match will be resumed on Friday. Earlier, Australia's Olympic men's doubles champions, 15th seeds John Peers and Matt Ebden, bowed out in the opening round, losing 6-3 6-4 to Czech pair Petr Nouza and Patrik Rikl. Alex de Minaur and Daria Kasatkina, Australia's biggest Wimbledon hopes, have been left relieved to avoid joining the legion of seeds who've already been scattered at this shock-laden Wimbledon as they battled into the third round. In perfect sunny conditions on Thursday (Friday AEST), de Minaur brushed off a woeful first set against French qualifier Arthur Cazaux before regrouping and eventually showing some signs of his best in a 4-6 6-2 6-4 6-0 victory. Then after his fellow Sydneysider Aleksandar Vukic had been crushed by the full power of world No.1 Jannik Sinner, the other national No.1 Kasatkina came through her second-round arm wrestle with old Romanian rival Irina-Camelia Begu 6-2 4-6 6-1. So there'll be at least three Australians in the last 32, with injury-hampered Jordan Thompson having heroically made it into the third round on Wednesday - and Rinky Hijikata almost but not quite out of it on the brink of defeat to Ben Shelton when his match was controversially suspended because of the dying light. The encouraging news for world No.11 de Minaur is he'll next be facing Denmark's August Holmgren, a qualifier ranked 181 places below him who knocked out Czech 21st seed Tomas Machac and may feel drained after the second longest match of the championships lasting four hours 38 minutes. Fifteen of the 32 men's seeds had already fallen in the first two rounds, and 15 of the women's - and there was momentary concern both de Minaur and Kasatkina, the newest recruit for Australian tennis, might join them. "It just shows you, this sport, it's not easy out there. Anything can happen on any given day," sighed de Minaur. And though his victory, featuring 31 unforced errors, suggested plenty of work to be done still, he was grateful to have avoided the same second-round calamity of the French Open when beaten by Alexander Bublik. De Minaur had never been knocked out of a grand slam by anyone as lowly ranked as No.115 Cazaux, but alarm bells rang once the fluid server from Montpellier took advantage of de Minaur's absent-minded start on a packed No.2 Court. But urged on at courtside by his Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt, de Minaur stirred, nearly doubled his first-serve percentage of 33 per cent to 63 per cent and swept to level the set scores. Cazaux's spirit was broken after de Minaur's late break in the second, and 'Demon' felt freed to play his best tennis of the tournament so far, feeding the dispirited Frenchman a 41-minute 'bagel' set. His next opponent Holmgren will have to recover from a marathon in which he finally kayoed Machac 7-6 (7-5) 6-8 (8-10) 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 7-6 (7-5). Kasatkina, the 16th seed, has beaten 34-year-old Begu more times than she's defeated any other player, so it looked a perfect draw as she swept through the first set, only for the veteran to uncork some laser shotmaking in the second. But, though occasionally venting her frustration to her courtside team about an uneven performance, Kasatkina recovered her poise, earned an early break in the decider and then reeled off the final four games to book a much more challenging third-round encounter with 18th seed Liudmila Samsonova, who's already knocked out star teenage Australian Maya Joint. "I prefer this fire and getting this anger than when I don't feel the energy at all. So sometimes I was screaming to the box and stuff, but that's important, it gives you energy," Kasatkina said. Sydneysider Vukic gave Carlos Alcaraz a few worries last year on No.1 Court but his latest big-match date on Centre proved a bloodless affair as he was taken apart by Sinner 6-1 6-1 6-3 in an hour and 40 minutes, with his most notable resistance emerging at the death when he saved five match points. "I feel like I'm in a boxing ring and just have to go back out there," sighed the "pummelled" Vukic. In near-darkness at 9.30pm, there was still general amazement when the chair umpire told Shelton he was suspending the No.2 Court contest against Hijikata just as the dominant American 10th seed was leading 6-2 7-5 5-4 and about to step out to serve for the match. Shelton was outraged, understandably complaining, while Hijikata, equally understandably, zoomed off court before minds could be changed. The match will be resumed on Friday. Earlier, Australia's Olympic men's doubles champions, 15th seeds John Peers and Matt Ebden, bowed out in the opening round, losing 6-3 6-4 to Czech pair Petr Nouza and Patrik Rikl. Alex de Minaur and Daria Kasatkina, Australia's biggest Wimbledon hopes, have been left relieved to avoid joining the legion of seeds who've already been scattered at this shock-laden Wimbledon as they battled into the third round. In perfect sunny conditions on Thursday (Friday AEST), de Minaur brushed off a woeful first set against French qualifier Arthur Cazaux before regrouping and eventually showing some signs of his best in a 4-6 6-2 6-4 6-0 victory. Then after his fellow Sydneysider Aleksandar Vukic had been crushed by the full power of world No.1 Jannik Sinner, the other national No.1 Kasatkina came through her second-round arm wrestle with old Romanian rival Irina-Camelia Begu 6-2 4-6 6-1. So there'll be at least three Australians in the last 32, with injury-hampered Jordan Thompson having heroically made it into the third round on Wednesday - and Rinky Hijikata almost but not quite out of it on the brink of defeat to Ben Shelton when his match was controversially suspended because of the dying light. The encouraging news for world No.11 de Minaur is he'll next be facing Denmark's August Holmgren, a qualifier ranked 181 places below him who knocked out Czech 21st seed Tomas Machac and may feel drained after the second longest match of the championships lasting four hours 38 minutes. Fifteen of the 32 men's seeds had already fallen in the first two rounds, and 15 of the women's - and there was momentary concern both de Minaur and Kasatkina, the newest recruit for Australian tennis, might join them. "It just shows you, this sport, it's not easy out there. Anything can happen on any given day," sighed de Minaur. And though his victory, featuring 31 unforced errors, suggested plenty of work to be done still, he was grateful to have avoided the same second-round calamity of the French Open when beaten by Alexander Bublik. De Minaur had never been knocked out of a grand slam by anyone as lowly ranked as No.115 Cazaux, but alarm bells rang once the fluid server from Montpellier took advantage of de Minaur's absent-minded start on a packed No.2 Court. But urged on at courtside by his Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt, de Minaur stirred, nearly doubled his first-serve percentage of 33 per cent to 63 per cent and swept to level the set scores. Cazaux's spirit was broken after de Minaur's late break in the second, and 'Demon' felt freed to play his best tennis of the tournament so far, feeding the dispirited Frenchman a 41-minute 'bagel' set. His next opponent Holmgren will have to recover from a marathon in which he finally kayoed Machac 7-6 (7-5) 6-8 (8-10) 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 7-6 (7-5). Kasatkina, the 16th seed, has beaten 34-year-old Begu more times than she's defeated any other player, so it looked a perfect draw as she swept through the first set, only for the veteran to uncork some laser shotmaking in the second. But, though occasionally venting her frustration to her courtside team about an uneven performance, Kasatkina recovered her poise, earned an early break in the decider and then reeled off the final four games to book a much more challenging third-round encounter with 18th seed Liudmila Samsonova, who's already knocked out star teenage Australian Maya Joint. "I prefer this fire and getting this anger than when I don't feel the energy at all. So sometimes I was screaming to the box and stuff, but that's important, it gives you energy," Kasatkina said. Sydneysider Vukic gave Carlos Alcaraz a few worries last year on No.1 Court but his latest big-match date on Centre proved a bloodless affair as he was taken apart by Sinner 6-1 6-1 6-3 in an hour and 40 minutes, with his most notable resistance emerging at the death when he saved five match points. "I feel like I'm in a boxing ring and just have to go back out there," sighed the "pummelled" Vukic. In near-darkness at 9.30pm, there was still general amazement when the chair umpire told Shelton he was suspending the No.2 Court contest against Hijikata just as the dominant American 10th seed was leading 6-2 7-5 5-4 and about to step out to serve for the match. Shelton was outraged, understandably complaining, while Hijikata, equally understandably, zoomed off court before minds could be changed. The match will be resumed on Friday. Earlier, Australia's Olympic men's doubles champions, 15th seeds John Peers and Matt Ebden, bowed out in the opening round, losing 6-3 6-4 to Czech pair Petr Nouza and Patrik Rikl.
The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
Bulldogs' halves puzzle solved with playmaker's exit
Lachlan Galvin will finally have the chance to become a regular starting half at Canterbury after Toby Sexton signed with French side Catalans Dragons for 2026. Sexton's move will solve the halves conundrum triggered by the Bulldogs' mid-season signing of Wests Tigers gun Galvin this year. The Bulldogs are currently playing Galvin off the bench and starting Matt Burton in the halves next to halfback Sexton, who moves to hooker once Galvin comes on. But that plan appeared unsustainable for the future given Galvin's status as a generational talent whose preference is to play in the halves long-term. Journeyman Sexton, without a Bulldogs contract for 2026, had always appeared the likeliest of the three halves options to move on, despite career-best form this year. Bulldogs powerbrokers had been coy when publicly quizzed about Sexton's future at the club beyond this year, as had the 24-year-old himself. Sexton was considered a chance to be fashioned into a hooker at the Bulldogs should Reed Mahoney depart the club. Instead, he signed a two-year deal to join Catalans - the only French side currently playing in the Super League competition. "I'm super pumped to be joining the Catalans Dragons for the following season and can't wait for what's ahead," Sexton said. Sexton has played every game this season for top-two hopefuls the Bulldogs and is the French club's first new signing for the 2026 season. He is poised to partner Luke Keary in the halves, with the three-time NRL premiership winner contracted there until next year. Tevita Pangai Jr, Reimis Smith and Elliott Whitehead are among the other NRL players currently on Catalans' roster. Lachlan Galvin will finally have the chance to become a regular starting half at Canterbury after Toby Sexton signed with French side Catalans Dragons for 2026. Sexton's move will solve the halves conundrum triggered by the Bulldogs' mid-season signing of Wests Tigers gun Galvin this year. The Bulldogs are currently playing Galvin off the bench and starting Matt Burton in the halves next to halfback Sexton, who moves to hooker once Galvin comes on. But that plan appeared unsustainable for the future given Galvin's status as a generational talent whose preference is to play in the halves long-term. Journeyman Sexton, without a Bulldogs contract for 2026, had always appeared the likeliest of the three halves options to move on, despite career-best form this year. Bulldogs powerbrokers had been coy when publicly quizzed about Sexton's future at the club beyond this year, as had the 24-year-old himself. Sexton was considered a chance to be fashioned into a hooker at the Bulldogs should Reed Mahoney depart the club. Instead, he signed a two-year deal to join Catalans - the only French side currently playing in the Super League competition. "I'm super pumped to be joining the Catalans Dragons for the following season and can't wait for what's ahead," Sexton said. Sexton has played every game this season for top-two hopefuls the Bulldogs and is the French club's first new signing for the 2026 season. He is poised to partner Luke Keary in the halves, with the three-time NRL premiership winner contracted there until next year. Tevita Pangai Jr, Reimis Smith and Elliott Whitehead are among the other NRL players currently on Catalans' roster. Lachlan Galvin will finally have the chance to become a regular starting half at Canterbury after Toby Sexton signed with French side Catalans Dragons for 2026. Sexton's move will solve the halves conundrum triggered by the Bulldogs' mid-season signing of Wests Tigers gun Galvin this year. The Bulldogs are currently playing Galvin off the bench and starting Matt Burton in the halves next to halfback Sexton, who moves to hooker once Galvin comes on. But that plan appeared unsustainable for the future given Galvin's status as a generational talent whose preference is to play in the halves long-term. Journeyman Sexton, without a Bulldogs contract for 2026, had always appeared the likeliest of the three halves options to move on, despite career-best form this year. Bulldogs powerbrokers had been coy when publicly quizzed about Sexton's future at the club beyond this year, as had the 24-year-old himself. Sexton was considered a chance to be fashioned into a hooker at the Bulldogs should Reed Mahoney depart the club. Instead, he signed a two-year deal to join Catalans - the only French side currently playing in the Super League competition. "I'm super pumped to be joining the Catalans Dragons for the following season and can't wait for what's ahead," Sexton said. Sexton has played every game this season for top-two hopefuls the Bulldogs and is the French club's first new signing for the 2026 season. He is poised to partner Luke Keary in the halves, with the three-time NRL premiership winner contracted there until next year. Tevita Pangai Jr, Reimis Smith and Elliott Whitehead are among the other NRL players currently on Catalans' roster.
