The Guardian

Her motivations for returning may be hard to gauge but there is no doubt the returning former champion will steal the early spotlight at SW19 At the southernmost point of the All England Lawn Tennis Club’s vast grounds, Serena Williams was starting another day of training as the clock ticked down to her first singles match after four years of retirement. Her training partner for the morning, Mart…

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The US were on the verge of an encouraging draw in a meaningless game, but they insist that losing to Turkey changes nothing about what’s to come Throughout the week preceding the United States’ final group game, the matchup with Turkey was discussed as something of a formality. The new World Cup format made it impossible to begin speculation on a possible opponent until the third wave of matches…

Broadcaster keen not to antagonise viewers Hydration breaks prove unpopular at World Cup ITV will drop the controversial in-game adverts from its rugby union coverage when it broadcasts the Nations Championship next month as it has been unable to sell the slots due to brands focusing on the World Cup. The commercial broadcaster is successfully cashing in on the World Cup, with advertising revenue…

Thomas Tuchel’s team will be working on key details of how to combat a low block before their final Group L game on Saturday England’s goalless draw with Ghana reminded me of many games in my coaching career, when you’re facing a team who are extremely compact, positioned very low, and very well drilled. To break them down you need to play with more variety, better movement and – above all – urge…

After dethroning Gloucester-Hartpury, the underdogs fear no one but Saracens’ ‘dog mentality’ will pose a formidable challenge The self-proclaimed “big bad wolves” Saracens will take on the dark horses Trailfinders in the Premiership Women’s Rugby final at the Stoop on Sunday to bring the most competitive edition of the English top flight to a close. Part of Saracens’ persona this season has been…

Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning , Mark Langdon and Archie Rhind-Tutt as Ecuador beat Germany to reach the last 32 Continue reading...

Cricket updates from second day at Trent Bridge from 11am BST Day one report | Read the Spin | Mail Taha If you’re at Trent Bridge today please drop me a line – would be good to hear how those in the crowd are managing with the heat. Our very own Will Unwin has told me to check out Lancashire’s squad for their Blast game against Leicestershire tonight: Jos Buttler, Phil Salt, Liam Livingstone, Lu…

The New York City mayor has made his mark on the tournament to cap an extraordinary run of sporting success over the last few months A stunning evening sun was setting behind Union City on Wednesday. It made it slightly harder to see the giant screen that had been set up for the Brazil v Scotland watch party in Hudson River Park, but not enough to ruin the vibe of a New York City World Cup evenin…

Spain present a formidable obstacle for a Uruguay side needing a win to progress – and quell a rebellious dressing-room mood In the summer of 2011, at about the time Marcelo Bielsa was arriving at Athletic Bilbao, Luis de la Fuente was leaving. Bielsa was the revolution . De la Fuente was a former left-back with long, curly locks who had come through the academy, played eight years in the first t…

⚽ Latest news from day 15 | Haaland v Mbappé in data ⚽ Third-place table | Player guide | Bracketology | Mail us Sweden secured their place in the last 32 but Anthony Elanga, who scored against Japan, forgot a draw would see them through. Cameras caught him looking sad after the final whistle and manager Graham Potter explained: It couldn’t have been any clearer for him, so he’s obviously thinkin…

Exactly three decades have passed since one of the most unforgettable nights in English tournament history Des Lynam ended the BBC’s coverage of that European Championship semi-final between England and Germany on Wednesday 26 June 1996 by telling viewers that they “ better remember where you were watching this tonight because in 30 years’ time somebody will probably ask you ”. So, 30 years on, t…

Climate crisis is on show every day when sportspeople do their thing and the rest of us sweat on the sofa Nothing sharpens the distinction between professional athletes and the rest of us like a week of truly hot weather. While we’re apologetically crying off long-in-the-diary engagements – so sorry, just can’t face it in this weather – elite sportspeople are blinking the rivulets of sweat out of…

The word No 1 has had difficult periods previously, but at 35 and a wealthy family man, could he now be tempted towards a more relaxed lifestyle? Magnus Carlsen’s four defeats in a row during the World Team Rapid in Hong Kong last week, coupled with his disappointing fourth place among six grandmasters in Oslo last month, have sparked discussion about whether the Norwegian, now a wealthy 35-year-…

All-time greats have questions to answer in SW19 while Raducanu and Draper have to show they can stay fit Serena Williams left it until the last minute to take the final available singles wildcard at Wimbledon and dramatically escalate her comeback from retirement. It is hard to imagine this was all part of her master plan. If she knew she was ready to compete against the best in the world from t…