The Guardian

‘It’s tricky to handle when you’re trying to compete’ Alcaraz into fourth round after straight sets victory Aryna 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 …

Mas keeps hold of red jersey with 1min 45sec lead Kooij claims stage win at Tour of Britain Wout van Aert won his fourth career stage at the Vuelta a España amid scorching heat on Friday, while Enric Mas kept the red jersey. On a hot and sunny day in southern Spain, Van Aert beat fellow breakaway rider Valentin Paret-Peintre to claim the hilly 192km jaunt from Almuñécar to Loja. 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. If Ipswich’s defending was less than watertight, Liverpool’s attackers were full of the speed and inven…

British sprinter finishes third behind Olympic 100m champion Pole vault superstar Mondo Duplantis pulls out with injury Britain’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…

Leigh 48-10 St Helens Charnley scores and agrees confirms extension For the first time in over 60 years, an end-of-season playoff series in England’s top division will take place without St Helens after their miserable season was given the emphatic ending it deserved with a heavy defeat by Leigh. You have to go back to 1962 to find a playoff campaign that did not feature one of rugby league’s mos…

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 Women’s Super League season opener in Bromley just seven years later. Here we are though. Referees have to get used to the former Barcelona captain stooping to pick up the coin afte…

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 1953 If 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 t…

From record growth and a landmark media deal to expansion, labor battles and a fractured relationship with players, Engelbert’s tenure was rarely quiet WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert will retire from the role on 31 December, bringing an end to a tenure that began with her appointment as the league’s first commissioner in 2019. “After more than seven years at the WNBA and more than 40 total yea…

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Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now! That icy wind rattling the rafters is the cold reality of what follows the closure of the transfer window, a hungover pall of regret. Despite £3.5bn shelled out in the men’s window, several things will not be happening in the Premier League when they might have been. When Arsenal host Chelsea for a most super of Sundays, Vinícius Júnior will not…

Mike Hesson had only been in the UK to meet the king Interim picks up the pieces after seven players sent home Mike Hesson was only in the UK this week to meet King Charles. But now the New Zealander finds himself interim head coach of a Pakistan Test side that have sent seven players and his predecessor home . As Hesson put it after his first net session: “The guys are probably more used to a li…

Clark finishes with 14 points and 11 assists Americans extend World Cup win streak to 31 China’s 7ft 3in Zhang Ziyu scores 13 on debut Caitlin Clark had 14 points and 11 assists to help the United States beat China, which was led by 7ft 3in Zhang Ziyu, 94-61 in its women’s basketball World Cup opener Friday. Rhyne Howard also scored 14 points and Jackie Young added 12 for the Americans, who have …

Arsenal invested the most as the leading clubs’ spending dwarfed that of the rest of the league but there was a greater emphasis on stability The Women’s Super League’s summer transfer window has closed before the start of the 2026-27 season. The finances involved are microscopic compared with the £3.4bn that Premier League clubs spent on new players but the data provides three key points of inte…

Arrow plays 100th game for South Sydney three months after MND diagnosis as Rabbitohs’ win against the Roosters takes a back seat This time last year Jai Arrow ran out for his final game. At the time it was merely the final game of 2025, an NRL season in which he had played every one of the Rabbitohs’ 25 matches. As most of South Sydney’s star players had sat injured, Arrow had led a ragtag band …

Manager was frustrated not to land defensive targets and lost last-day tug of war but can draw on positives as he seeks his first points At least Pierre Sage did his research before joining Crystal Palace in June. Having stepped into Oliver Glasner’s shoes after the most successful era in the club’s history, it has not been the easiest transition for the engaging Frenchman following defeats again…