(Reuters) – Angelique Kerber has not won a title since 2018 but the former world number one is hoping better days lie ahead after rehiring compatriot Torben Beltz as her coach and restoring a partnership that helped the German win two of her three Grand Slam t... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Japan’s Naomi Osaka says she wants to spread awareness about racial injustice after the former U.S. Open champion walked onto court with a mask bearing the name of Breonna Taylor on Monday. Osaka, who moved to the United States as a three-... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Japan’s Naomi Osaka showed no signs of discomfort from the injury that forced her to miss a final on Saturday but the former U.S. Open champion had to dig deep to beat compatriot Misaki Doi 6-2 5-7 6-2 in her opener at Flushing Meadows. A ... More »
Luis Robert homered in the seventh inning and drove in the winning run with a ground-rule double in the ninth as the Chicago White Sox grabbed sole possession of first place in the American League Central with an 8-5 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Monday ... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – John Isner began the U.S. Open in typical fashion on Monday with a barrage of aces and a match that stretched to five sets, but the American failed to find a way past compatriot Steve Johnson as he fell 6-7(5) 6-3 6-7(5) 6-3 7-6(3). World ... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Novak Djokovic got his campaign to win a fourth U.S. Open, and 18th Grand Slam title overall, off to a flying start on Monday by beating Damir Dzumhur 6-1 6-4 6-1 to advance to the second round. Djokovic broke Dzumhur’s serve for a seventh... More »
NEW YORK(Reuters) – Highlights of the first day at the U.S. Open on Monday (times ET- GMT-4). The Grand Slam, the second this year after Wimbledon was cancelled and the French Open was postponed, is being played without spectators due to the COVID-19 pandemic:... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Novak Djokovic showed a bit more passion than might have been expected in his first-round win over Damir Dzumhur on Monday but the world number one brushed aside any question that he was feeling the pressure as overwhelming U.S. Open favou... More »
GENEVA (Reuters) – Countries with significant active spread of coronavirus must prevent amplifying events, as opening up without the virus being under control would be a “recipe for disaster”, the World Health Organization said on Monday. WHO director-general ... More »
Mathew Barzal scored 4:28 into overtime to give the New York Islanders a 2-1 win over Washington and a commanding 3-0 lead in their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series in Toronto. Anders Lee scored in the first period and Semyon Varlamov made 22 saves for t... More »
Yoan Moncada, Yasmani Grandal, Jose Abreu and Eloy Jimenez connected on four consecutive home runs in the fifth inning to tie a major league record, and Dallas Keuchel pitched 5 2/3 strong innings to lift the host Chicago White Sox to a 7-2 victory over the St... More »
FC Dallas announced that players will remain in the locker rooms during the playing of the national anthem in Sunday night’s game against Nashville SC, four days after fans booed kneeling players during the anthem before a game between the same two teams, also... More »
(Reuters) – American Jennifer Brady clinched her first career WTA title on Sunday, defeating Switzerland’s Jil Teichmann 6-3 6-4 in the Top Seed Open final. The hard court, outdoor competition in Lexington, Kentucky, marked the WTA’s first tournament in the Un... More »
(Reuters) – Japan’s Kei Nishikori said on Sunday he had tested positive for COVID-19 while in Florida – just two weeks ahead of the U.S. Open that begins in New York on Aug. 31. The 30-year-old former world number four has been staying at the IMG Academy in Br... More »
(Reuters) – Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi has urged riders who make their way up to the premier class to exercise caution when fighting for track positions to avoid a repeat of the horror collision that halted the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday. The red flag came ou... More »
(Reuters) – World number two Simona Halep said she will announce on Monday whether she will play at the U.S. Open. Speaking after her victory over Elise Mertens in the Prague Open final, the 28-year-old Romanian said “she just needed her time” to make a decisi... More »
Oliver Bjorkstrand scored the go-ahead goal late in the first period to lift the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 3-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference first-round series in Toronto. Defenseman Ryan Murray and Ale... More »
Damian Lillard poured in 51 points and added seven assists to lead the Portland Trail Blazers to a 124-121 victory over a Philadelphia 76ers’ squad that lost Joel Embiid to injury on Sunday night near Orlando. Carmelo Anthony recorded 20 points and seven rebou... More »
Gordon Hayward scored 31 points and Jayson Tatum added 29 to lift the Boston Celtics to a 122-119 overtime victory over the Magic on Sunday near Orlando. Jaylen Brown collected 19 points and 12 rebounds for the third-place Celtics (47-23), who saw their slim c... More »
Minnesota’s Randy Dobnak and Milwaukee’s Adrian Houser might not necessarily be household names throughout the big leagues, but they happen to be two of the better pitchers on the young 2020 season. Dobnak’s task is clear: Help the struggling Twins avoid a fif... More »
The Colorado Rockies are heading home after a loss, but hardly hanging their heads. Despite Sunday’s 5-3 loss at the Seattle Mariners, Colorado is 11-4 and off to its best 15-game start since 2013. The club has won all five series it has played this season. Th... More »
DeMar DeRozan scored 27 points and the San Antonio Spurs kept their playoff hopes alive with a 122-113 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday afternoon near Orlando. The Spurs (31-38) improved to 4-2 during the restart and stayed in the thick of the t... More »
Marc Gasol capped a key third-quarter run with a 3-pointer in his first game against his longtime employer and the Toronto Raptors clinched the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference with a 108-99 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday near Orlando. Gasol ... More »
The Tampa Bay Rays hope their second road trip of the season turns out better than the first. The Rays open a 10-game trip Monday, starting with a four-game series against the Boston Red Sox. The Rays went 0-5 on their first trip of the season, which took them... More »
Having been swept soundly by the visiting Atlanta Braves in a doubleheader by a combined score of 13-2 on Sunday, the Philadelphia Phillies will turn to ace Aaron Nola to reverse fortune in the finale of a four-game series on Monday. Nola, who’s 0-1 with a 3.9... More »
COPENHAGEN (Reuters) – Denmark’s staging of the Tour de France’s start, known as the ‘Grand Depart’, has been pushed back a year to 2022, Danish organisers said in a statement on Monday. The Danish organisation charged with planning the start of the Tour de Fr... More »
(Reuters) – Players need assurance that they would not face mandatory quarantine upon returning to Europe from the U.S. Open before travelling to New York amid the COVID-19 pandemic, former world number one Andy Murray has said. Organisers United States Tennis... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – The Tokyo Paralympics may require specific COVID-19 measures to help keep athletes safe as they move between venues, organisers said on Monday. The 2020 Summer Olympics and Paralympics have been pushed back to next year because of the novel c... More »
(Reuters) – This year’s Diamond League athletics meeting in Doha, initially scheduled for Oct. 9, has been brought forward by a fortnight and will take place on Sept. 25, organisers announced on Monday. The event in Doha, which serves as the traditional season... More »
WELLINGTON (Reuters) – New Zealand’s Sports Minister Grant Robertson has called allegations of psychological and physical abuse in gymnastics in the country “deeply concerning” and urged any athletes affected and their parents to come forward. New Zealand’s tw... More »
(Reuters) – New England Patriots safety Devin McCourty said it is an “absolute joke” that the National Football League (NFL) was looking to bring forward a deadline for players to opt out of the upcoming season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Under an agreement ... More »
(Reuters) – Rory McIlroy says the coronavirus shutdown has made him more focused on adding to his tally of four major titles, the last of which came in 2014. The 31-year-old will compete in the PGA Championship at Harding Park starting on Thursday, before the ... More »
(Reuters) – Greek tennis player Maria Sakkari says she was so desperate for competition during the COVID-19 shutdown that she considered running in the 100m at the national athletics championships. The 25-year-old is seeded third at the WTA’s Palermo Ladies Op... More »
Russell Westbrook sank four free throws inside the final 28.5 seconds and the Houston Rockets topped the Milwaukee Bucks 120-116 on Sunday at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando. Westbrook scored a team-high 31 points while adding eight assists,... More »
(Reuters) – Arsenal skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored twice to help his side secure a 2-1 win over 10-man Chelsea in the FA Cup final on Saturday for a record-extending 14th crown in the competition – and a spot in next season’s Europa League. Victory a... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The NBA’s return to regular-season play for the first time in four months averaged 3.4 million viewers for a close contest between the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers, the league and AT&T Inc’s TNT cable network said on Frid... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The NBA basketball jersey given to Michael Jordan on the day in 1984 when he first signed with the Chicago Bulls will go up for auction in December, Julien’s Auctions announced on Monday. The red and white jersey emblazoned with Jordan’... More »
(Reuters) – A decision on whether this year’s London Marathon can be held has been pushed back until Aug. 7, the organisers said on Monday. The event, originally scheduled for April 26, was postponed to Oct. 4 after the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the internat... More »
The Oakland Athletics took advantage of the wild pitching from Shohei Ohtani to score five times in the first inning and held on for a 6-4 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Angels on Sunday afternoon. After the teams had split the first two contests of a f... More »
NAIROBI (Reuters) – Kenya’s Timothy Cheruiyot, the 1,500 metres world champion, is hoping to return to competitive running next month after a hiatus caused by the coronavirus crisis. Cheruiyot, a three-time Diamond League winner, has targeted the Aug. 14 Monac... More »
(Reuters) – Britain’s Andy Murray is still feeling “apprehensive” about travelling to New York for the U.S. Open amid the COVID-19 pandemic but the former world number one says he is mentally preparing for the Grand Slam. The United States has the highest numb... More »
(Reuters) – An original drawing of the Olympic rings by the founder of the modern Games, Pierre de Coubertin, has fetched 185,000 euros ($216,302) at auction in Cannes, the auction house said. “The drawing was sold to a Brazilian collector for a price of 185,0... More »
Kevin Kiermaier’s two-run, walk-off triple with none out in the 10th inning rallied the Tampa Bay Rays to a 6-5 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday afternoon in St. Petersburg, Fla. Toronto scored a run in the top of the 10th on Lourdes Gurriel Jr.’s sacr... More »
(Reuters) – Jon Rahm’s two-shot penalty at the 16th hole of the Memorial Tournament on Sunday had no impact on the final placings but the Spaniard says it took the shine off one of the greatest shots of his career. Rahm’s final round three-over-par 75 was enou... More »
(Reuters) – Spain’s Jon Rahm overcame nerves and a two-shot penalty to claim victory at the Memorial Tournament on Sunday and replace Rory McIlroy at the top of the world rankings. Rahm began the final round at a steamy and gusty Muirfield Village Golf Club wi... More »
(Reuters) – Jack Nicklaus, the 18-time golf major winner, said on Sunday that he was ill with COVID-19 earlier this year and his wife Barbara had also tested positive for the coronavirus. At 80 years old, Nicklaus is in the higher risk category for being serio... More »
(Reuters) – Tiger Woods’ first PGA Tour event in five months ended with a grinding final round four-over 76 at the Memorial Tournament on Sunday, but the 15-times major winner said he was leaving Muirfield Village Golf Club focused on the positives. Woods, who... More »
Seeing his options for a spot in the Minnesota Twins’ rotation dwindling, veteran right-hander Jhoulys Chacin on Sunday was granted a release from his contract. Chacin, 32, signed a minor league deal with the Twins in advance of the 2020 season, but with the s... More »
(Reuters) – Six times world champion Lewis Hamilton criticised Formula One’s leaders after what he called a “rushed” anti-racism gesture by some drivers before the start of Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix. Hamilton, who won from pole position to take the champio... More »
Philadelphia Flyers forward Jakub Voracek returned to practice on Sunday, one day after skipping a scrimmage because of a delayed and inconclusive coronavirus test. The subsequent test was negative, allowing the 30-year-old veteran to rejoin his teammates on t... More »
(Reuters) – Twice Olympic triple jump champion Christian Taylor has joined calls to allow athletes to protest peacefully during the Games as anti-racism stances are increasingly seen at sports events in the wake of George Floyd’s death in U.S. police custody. ... More »
(Reuters) – The NFL’s Washington team announced on Monday it will retire its Redskins name and logo in a decision made after sponsors stepped up pressure to scrap a name that the franchise has used since 1933 but long has been criticized as racist by Native Am... More »
(Reuters) – The NFL’s Washington team said on Monday it will abandon its Redskins name and logo, a decision made after sponsors recently stepped up pressure to scrap a name long criticized as racist by Native American rights groups. “On July 3, we announced th... More »
MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) – After UEFA’s attempt to ban Manchester City from European football was overturned by sport’s highest court on Monday, the continental governing body’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) system, under which they were charged, faces likely... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – Racing Point accused Formula One rivals Renault on Monday of making a “misconceived and poorly informed” protest against them at the Styrian Grand Prix and said they were confident of winning. Stewards said on Sunday that the protest was adm... More »
(Reuters) – Six times Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton praised his Mercedes team for taking a stance against racism but said after winning Sunday’s Styrian Grand Prix that Ferrari and others should do more. The Briton took a knee with 11 drivers befor... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – UK Sport said it does not fund research projects aimed at giving athletes a performance advantage at the expense of their health, after the Mail on Sunday reported that it backed an experimental nutritional programme at the 2012 London Olymp... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, often floated as a future Japanese premier, said on Monday the Olympics must go ahead next year as a symbol of world unity in overcoming the novel coronavirus, even as her city grapples with stubborn spikes in cas... More »
Add players’ famed fashion statements when entering the arena to the list of things excluded from the NBA bubble near Orlando. According to an ESPN report Sunday night, players will be required to “be in uniform and warm-ups when they arrive” to the arena for ... More »
League physicians and officials are concerned about the lingering health effects for NBA players who contract the coronavirus, ESPN reported Saturday. “There are unknown effects it has on lung capacity, unknown effects it has on cardiac health,” one general ma... More »
(Reuters) – The Badminton World Federation (BWF) are seeking more information from China about its decision to cancel all international sport in the country this year before they make a decision on the season-ending World Tour Finals. The World Tour Finals, sc... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – With their stadium devoid of fans due to coronavirus restrictions, Japanese baseball team Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks have come up with an imaginative replacement: dancing robots. Before their most recent Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) game ag... More »
MUMBAI (Reuters) – French Open organizers are taking every precaution to ensure the Grand Slam does not meet the same fate as Novak Djokovic’s Adria Tour, which was abandoned after several players tested positive for COVID-19, tournament director Guy Forget ha... More »
(Reuters) – The National Hockey League and union representing its players have reached a tentative agreement on protocols to resume a season interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said on Sunday. Daly told Reuters the two sides... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – A wide-ranging survey conducted by the Japan News Network (JNN) found that 77% of those questioned said that the Tokyo Olympics “cannot be held” next year, it was announced on Monday. The Tokyo 2020 Games, originally due to start this month, ... More »
SEOUL (Reuters) – Former team mates of a South Korean triathlete found dead last month after alleging she had been abused by her coaching staff said on Monday athletes endured a living “hell” and were habitually beaten and verbally abused. Choi Suk-hyeon, a me... More »
The Milwaukee Bucks closed their practice facility after receiving coronavirus test results, ESPN reported Sunday. It wasn’t immediately clear whether a player — or multiple players — tested positive for COVID-19. ESPN reported the team received the results on... More »
New York Yankees right-hander Masahiro Tanaka was back at Yankee Stadium on Sunday, a day after getting hit in the head by a line drive off the bat of Giancarlo Stanton. Tanaka’s quick return — and relatively minor injuries — is even more amazing when consider... More »
As the NBA begins welcoming teams to ESPN Wide of Sports Complex near Orlando this week for the resumption of the 2019-20 season, the league has reportedly set the protocols for players unable to travel with the rest of their team. Citing a memo sent to teams ... More »
(Reuters) – A bulked-up Bryson DeChambeau, who has been knocking on the door since the PGA Tour’s return from a COVID-19 hiatus, finally blew it open as he cruised to victory at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit on Sunday. World number 10 DeChambeau, who ... More »
Kamaru Usman will meet Jorge Masvidal for the UFC welterweight title next weekend in Abu Dhabi, ESPN’s Ariel Helwani reported Sunday. At UFC 251 on Saturday, Masvidal will replace Gilbert Burns, who withdrew on Friday and reportedly tested positive for COVID-1... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – McLaren’s Formula One future was never in doubt despite a cash crisis brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and now resolved by a fresh injection of funds, team principal Andreas Seidl said on Tuesday. The National Bank of Bahrain announced on... More »
(Reuters) – Nick Kyrgios and Boris Becker traded insults on social media on Tuesday following the Australian’s criticism of Alexander Zverev after a video appeared to show the German dancing in a crowded club despite the COVID-19 pandemic. The video was posted... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – Russian Sergey Sirotkin will be on standby in Austria this weekend after Renault announced on Tuesday they had retained him as their Formula One reserve driver. The role has come into the spotlight more as the sport finally starts its season... More »
(Reuters) – The U.S. National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) has said players can choose to remain in the locker room or express their individual views on the pitch while the national anthem is being played at the Challenge Cup. The NWSL said the decision to pro... More »
WELLINGTON (Reuters) – Team New Zealand have blamed “informants” for spreading “highly defamatory and inaccurate” allegations about the body organising their America’s Cup defence, triggering government questions over “financial and structural matters”. The te... More »
(Reuters) – Black power, suffering and the fight for justice took center stage at the BET awards on Sunday, the first Black celebrity event in the United States since nationwide mass protests broke out this month over systemic racism. The show, which celebrate... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – One lucky baseball fan was taken inside the otherwise empty Tokyo Dome for Yomiuri Giants’ win on Tuesday via a monitor mounted on a robot she controlled from home. Nippon Professional Baseball teams have begun their season without fans in st... More »
(Reuters) – NASCAR has launched an investigation after a noose was found in a garage stall at Talladega belonging to Bubba Wallace, the only Black driver competing in its top Cup series. “Late this afternoon, NASCAR was made aware that a noose was found in the... More »
(Reuters) – Croatia’s Borna Coric, who played in Novak Djokovic’s Adria Tour exhibition tournament at the weekend, said on Monday he had tested positive for COVID-19. Coric’s positive test follows that of Grigor Dimitrov, who said on Sunday he had contracted t... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan is withdrawing its bid to host the 2023 Women’s World Cup, Kyodo news agency quoted a source as saying on Monday, just days before football’s world governing body holds a vote to determine the successful candidate. The Japanese bid is o... More »
SOFIA (Reuters) – CSKA Sofia’s Australian striker Tomi Juric has tested positive for COVID-19, the 31-times Bulgarian champions said in a statement late on Sunday. The 28-year-old forward, who has played 41 times for his country, has been isolated. Other CSKA ... More »
(Reuters) – Manager Pep Guardiola says Manchester City “have ideas” for improving the side in the transfer market and will be ready to halt Liverpool’s bid for back-to-back Premier League titles. Liverpool need five points to be sure of their first English lea... More »
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Incoming Wallabies coach Dave Rennie is cautious about scrapping Australia’s ‘Giteau Law’, which limits selection of overseas-based players to those with 60 test caps or more, fearing it may lead to an exodus of talent and harm the domest... More »
(Reuters) – LA Lakers owner Jeannie Buss said on Friday, the Juneteenth holiday, that she is no longer willing to ignore hate and called on white people to come together and acknowledge the racism that exists in the United States. Juneteenth commemorates the U... More »
(Reuters) – Webb Simpson birdied three of his final four holes to emerge with victory at the PGA Tour’s tightly-contested RBC Heritage in South Carolina on Sunday. The 34-year-old father of five made sure it was an extra special Father’s Day by recording his s... More »
As a vote by Major League Baseball players on whether to accept the owners’ latest proposal to play the 2020 season continues to be delayed, a report surfaced Sunday that a large of positive COVID-19 tests is main reason for the delay. Citing two sources close... More »
NASCAR recently banned the Confederate flag from its racetracks but the organization has no control over the skies. Prior to Sunday’s scheduled GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama, a small plane flew above the track with a banner of the Confederate... More »
(Reuters) – Throughout a good part of his career Phil Mickelson was the best golfer never to win a major but as “Lefty” turns 50 he has become golf’s nearly man. As in nearly won the U.S. Open (runner-up six times). Nearly won the career slam. Nearly climbed t... More »
(Reuters) – Daniel Berger emerged from a tightly-bunched leaderboard to win the PGA Tour’s first tournament back after a three-month COVID-19 break with a playoff victory at the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas on Sunday. Berger, who needed a bird... More »
(Reuters) – Commissioner Jay Monahan said on Sunday the PGA Tour’s return from a three-month COVID-19 shutdown was off to a phenomenal start and that he will share information about its safety measures with other sports looking to restart play. Monahan, speaki... More »
San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich sharply ripped NFL commissioner Roger Goodell for folding under pressure from president Donald Trump in the past when it came to national anthem protests. San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began kneeling fo... More »
GRADISKA, Bosnia (Reuters) – Kobe Bryant, the 18-time NBA All-Star who died in a helicopter crash in January, has been honored with a giant mural commissioned by sports enthusiasts and painted on the side of an elementary school building in northern Bosnia. “K... More »
(Reuters) – Im Sung-jae has enjoyed a longer run at the top of the Fedex Cup standings than many better-known players but the South Korean is taking nothing for granted as he plots his return to PGA Tour action in Texas this week. The hardworking world number ... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Leaving the ice with tears of joy after her gold medal-winning free skate at the 1998 Nagano Olympics, a shaking 15-year-old Tara Lipinski shared a sentiment shared by millions watching around the globe: “That was so cool.” Lipinski had de... More »
SYDNEY (Reuters) – As Australia moves ahead with relaxing a lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus, a state government gave the all clear for more than 2,000 fans to attend an Australian Rules Football game at a stadium in Adelaide this weekend. “Footb... More »
(Reuters) – The U.S. women’s national team has called on the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) to repeal a policy forbidding players from kneeling during the national anthem and issue an apology to black players and fans. The USSF will hold a special meet... More »
(Reuters) – Brazil has withdrawn its candidacy to host the 2023 Women’s World Cup, with the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) saying the government did not consider it wise to offer financial guarantees in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Because of t... More »
With NFL teams reportedly set to start bringing players back to the workplace later this month, the NFL issued a detailed list of protocols Monday for the reopening of club facilities. The full nine-page memo, dated Sunday, was published by NFL.com. The league... More »
(Reuters) – The United States Tennis Association (USTA) said on Monday it will eliminate 110 jobs and close its White Plains, New York office as part of belt-tightening measures brought on by the COVID-19 outbreak. The USTA said in a statement the measures wer... More »
