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American duo lose 6-3, 6-7(6), 7-6(7) to Maya Joint and Chan Hao-chingSerena and Venus crash out of women’s doubles in first roundIn the end, after so much toil and admirable fight, defeat came swiftly for one of the greatest doubles teams to ever share a tennis court. Upon their return to prime time in New York, Venus and Serena Williams fought desperately to overturn the various deficits they found themselves in over three hours inside a thunderous Arthur Ashe Stadium.They came close. The Williams sisters had clawed their way back into the match after trailing a 1-4 in their final set against Chan Hao-ching and Maya Joint, and they established a 5-0 lead in the third set tie-break. Just as they appeared to be on the verge of victory, they were brushed aside, losing 6-3, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (7) in the first round of the US Open. Continue reading...

Australian returns on AU$4.9m contract after season on sidelinesFormer No 1 pick hopes to reignite basketball career with fourth clubAustralian former No 1 overall draft pick Ben Simmons has taken a significant step towards resurrecting his NBA career, agreeing a one-year deal with the Sacramento Kings.The Melbourne-born guard returns on a US$3.5m (AU$4.9m) contract after sitting ‌out the entire 2025-26 campaign while rehabilitating back and leg injuries that have hampered him in recent years. Continue reading...

Australian beats Olympic champs Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Cole HockerPole vaulter Kurtis Marschall soars over 5.82m to finish third in BrusselsMiddle-distance runner Cameron Myers has become only the eighth Australian to win a Diamond League final crown with victory in the men’s 1500m in Brussels.The 20-year-old claimed one of the biggest wins of his career to date as he beat a star-studded field that included Olympic champions Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Cole Hocker to continue his own meteoric rise. Continue reading...

Mbappé sees late penalty saved by VallesPSG are beaten by league leaders MonacoReal Madrid’s perfect start in La Liga ⁠ended on Friday when Real Betis beat them 1-0, with the ⁠substitute Troy Parrott ⁠scoring ​nine minutes from time and goalkeeper Álvaro Valles saving a stoppage-time ⁠penalty from Kylian Mbappé.The clash began at a high tempo but the pace ⁠dropped after the interval in the heat in ​Seville. The Republic of Ireland star Parrott, introduced ‌in the 68th ‌minute, broke the deadlock in the 81st when ‌he reacted quickly after Thibaut Courtois parried a header into his path. Continue reading...

‘It’s tricky to handle when you’re trying to compete’Alcaraz into fourth round after straight sets victoryAryna Sabalenka briefly stopped her match at the US Open to complain about the strong smell of cannabis on her court as she comfortably reached the fourth round in New York.Sabalenka, the two-time defending champion, continued her attempts to rebuild her form as she overcame a challenging test from Kamilla Rakhimova before winning 6-3, 6-4. Continue reading...

Leigh 48-10 St HelensCharnley scores and agrees contract extensionIt ended not so much with a bang, but with a whimper. One of rugby league’s most extraordinary streaks has felt as though it was coming to an inevitable end for quite some time but as it transpired, St Helens’ 64-year run of making the playoffs ultimately concluded in a manner that summarises their fall from grace.You have to go back to 1962 to find an end-of-season playoff series that did not include one of rugby league’s true heavyweight clubs. In the Super League era, they have won 10 titles and were champions of the world as recently as 2023. But this, sadly, is a shadow of that side – and indeed that club. Continue reading...

British sprinter finishes third behind Olympic 100m championPole vault superstar Mondo Duplantis pulls out with injuryBritain’s Amy Hunt was given a jolting reminder of the gap between her and the world’s very best female sprinters as she finished nearly half a second behind Julien Alfred in the Diamond League 200m final.But afterwards Hunt insisted that coming third in a season’s best time of 22.16sec, on tired legs on a dank Brussels night, amounted to one of the better races of her career. Continue reading...

A first win for Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool, the introduction of the latest star signing in Bradley Barcola making for a successful Friday night. Better yet, continuing signs that Alexander Isak, last year’s model, is coming back to life, his two, well-taken early goals securing the three points. That Cody Gakpo, Isak’s supplier, might have been at Manchester City or Tottenham had the transfer runes been right, added further to a sense of renewal. Liverpool’s attackers were full of the speed and invention sorely lacking for much of last season.Once Barcola arrived in the second half, those velocity levels increased yet further, Liverpool playing the attacking style, high on risk and entertainment, the appointment of Iraola promised. “We are starting to get to the way we want to play,” said Isak afterwards. Continue reading...

There are few scenarios since Millwall Lionesses broke away from Millwall and became London City Lionesses that would have felt more surreal than the idea of Alexia Putellas captaining the side to a statement win in a WSL season-opener in Bromley just seven years later.Here we are though: referees have to get used to the formerly talismanic Barcelona captain stooping to pick up the coin after the toss, as is her custom; players must get used to eyes and cameras looking past them to focus in on the influential No 11; and the two-time Ballon d’Or winner has to get used to playing with teammates not drilled in a very specific style of play from such an early age that it becomes an inherent part of them. Continue reading...

Before his home grand prix, the Mercedes driver opens up on his rocky debut season and quest to become the first Italian world champion since 1953If Kimi Antonelli feels any pressure as the favourite to take the Formula One world championship at just 20 years old and in his second year in the sport, it is imperceptible. He admits F1 can be brutal but a thing of beauty too, a labour of love for the Italian who has been a revelation this season.Compelling and brilliant, that he is also endearing and likable marks Antonelli out as more than just a potential champion. Sitting in the Mercedes motorhome it is impossible not to be struck by how young he looks, the tousled hair, engaging smile and eyes gleaming with youthful enthusiasm. He speaks with an open candour, the air of a kid in a sweetshop who still can’t quite believe all those sherbet lemons are there for the taking. Continue reading...