Jannik Sinner says he has surprised himself in 2024 after capping off his incredible year with a maiden ATP Finals title on Sunday.
Sinner beat Taylor Fritz in straight sets in Turin to claim his eighth title of the season and become the first Italian champion in the competition.
He is the seventh player in the Open Era to win the ATP Finals on home soil, and the first since Andy Murray in 2016, as he collected his Tour-leading 70th win of the campaign.
The 23-year-old, who had already confirmed his year-end number-one ranking in October, was delighted to finish the season on a high.
"It's amazing, it's my first title in Italy, and it means so much to me," said Sinner. "It's something very special.
"I just tried to understand what works best for each opponent, trying to play my best possible tennis. That was the key.
"It was a very high-level tournament from my side. At times, I couldn't have played better, so I am very happy."
Speaking to Sky Sports shortly after, he added: "Honestly, I have surprised myself the whole year at times, but in my mind, I know how much work I put in and how many sacrifices I have made to be in this position.
"I just try to play in the present moment."
Fritz, the first American to reach the final of the ATP Finals and US Open in the same season since Andre Agassi in 1999, will go into 2025 as the world number four.
The 27-year-old, who also lost to Sinner in the US Open showpiece, remained upbeat despite his defeat, revelling in his success over the past 12 months instead.
"It's been a really good week for me. Obviously, it's a good way to end the year. It gives me a lot of confidence finishing the season like this," Fritz said.
"Something I told my team in 2023 when I hit world number five for a week right before I was defending the Indian Wells title, was 'That's crazy, I'm five in the world, look at all these guys ranked behind me that are probably better than me'.
"Back then I was five, but I didn't feel like I was five. Now I'm ranked where I'm at. I feel like I belong.
"It's a different feeling. It's been a great year. That gives me a lot of confidence to have that belief. That's a huge part of having the big results. The goal I set for myself at the start of the year was to finish top five."
Rising athletics star Jaydon Hibbert was humbled and deeply honoured to receive the first-ever Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) Olympic Spirit Award during a glittering ceremony at the Terra Nova Hotel on Saturday night.
The award, introduced to celebrate athletes who exemplify the core values of Olympism—courage, perseverance, and sportsmanship—recognizes Hibbert’s remarkable resilience and determination at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Despite battling discomfort during competition, Hibbert delivered an exceptional performance in the men’s triple jump, narrowly missing the podium by 0.03 centimeters to finish fourth. At just 19 years old, he was the youngest competitor in the field, showcasing composure and tenacity beyond his years.
The JOA’s official citation praised Hibbert’s efforts, describing him as "dauntless and with inborn patriotism," commending his ability to “give it his all” despite physical challenges. It continued:
"The heart of a gladiator will always beat with the lifeblood of a champion, and Jaydon is of that mettle. The Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) applauds Jaydon Hibbert, a distinguished brother of our household and our first Olympic Spirit awardee."
Hibbert, who is also a nominee for the World Athletics Rising Star Award for the second consecutive year, expressed gratitude and humility in his acceptance speech.
"To be recognized in this way is truly humbling," he said. "The Olympic Games were a test of my spirit, and I’m proud to represent Jamaica on and off the field. This award serves as motivation for what’s to come."
Christopher Samuda, President of the JOA, highlighted the importance of the award during his remarks at the ceremony, underscoring its role in celebrating not just athletic excellence but the qualities of perseverance and character.
"The award not only recognizes athletic excellence but also celebrates the spirit of perseverance and sportsmanship that transcends the playing field," Samuda said. "Jaydon's inclusion underscores the JOA’s commitment to celebrating not only athletic success but also the core values of Olympism – character, courage, and unyielding grit, the true essence of the Olympic spirit."
The ceremony also honored Jamaica’s 2024 Paris Olympic medalists, but Hibbert’s recognition stood out as a poignant reminder of the Olympic spirit that defines true champions. As the applause echoed in the room, it was clear that Jaydon Hibbert’s journey has only just begun, and his story continues to inspire.
Relegated Israel stunned Belgium 1-0 in their final Nations League game as Yarden Shua's late goal earned them their first win in the competition this season.
The Red Devils, who were without a number of key players for the tie in Hungary, were masters of their own downfall as they gifted Israel the winner with four minutes left on the clock.
In a cagey first half, Eli Dasa breached Belgium's backline 24 minutes in and beat Koen Casteels with a crisp low effort, only to be denied by the foot of the far post.
Casteels was alert just before the break, getting down low to push Dor Peretz's low drive away from the bottom corner.
Domenico Tedesco's half-time team talk looked to have buoyed his side as they upped the pressure, with Lois Openda hitting the side netting before Johan Bakayoko forced a fingertip save out of Daniel Peretz just after the hour.
However, in their rush to find a winner, Belgium were caught playing out from the back. Dor Peretz latched onto Matte Smets' loose backpass, and though he was bundled over in the box, Shua coolly picked out the bottom corner.
Israel finish bottom of Group A2 and are automatically relegated to League B, while Belgium sit above them due to a superior goal difference in their head-to-head record –they now have a relegation play-off to overcome.
Data Debrief: Tough times for Tedesco
It has been a Nations League campaign to forget for Belgium, who managed just one win and finished with a whimper as they went winless in their final four matches (D1 L3).
They just edged the shot count in Budapest, having 12 attempts to Israel's 10, but without the likes of Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne to call on, they lacked a clinical edge.
While Belgium struggled in attack, their defensive struggles will also be a worry for Tedesco. They failed to win any of the four games in which they fell behind in the group, earning just one point from a losing position.
France secured top spot in Nations League Group A2 as they beat Italy 3-1 thanks in large part to the efforts of Adrien Rabiot and Lucas Digne.
Rabiot headed home twice at San Siro on Sunday, each time from excellent Digne dead-ball deliveries.
Digne also played a pivotal role in France's second goal, with his exceptional free-kick clattering the crossbar and bouncing in off the unfortunate Guglielmo Vicario.
And though Italy hit back through Andrea Cambiaso just two minutes after Vicario's own goal to make it 2-1, they could not find a second wind after Rabiot had restored Les Bleus' two-goal cushion midway through the second half.
Mike Maignan, playing in his home stadium, made a fantastic save from Moise Kean deep into stoppage time to preserve France's advantage and ensure Didier Deschamps' side, who were frustrated by Israel last time out, kept hold of top spot.
The result means France, who did not feel Kylian Mbappe's absence this time out as they had done against Israel, will be seeded in the quarter-finals draw, with those matches to be played in March.
Data Debrief: Delight for Digne and Rabiot
Both playing for France for the 50th time, Digne and Rabiot were the stars of the show as Les Bleus gained revenge for their 3-1 defeat to Italy on home soil back in September.
Rabiot's first goal – a fine header from a brilliant Digne corner – came after just one minute and 59 seconds, marking the earliest goal Italy have conceded in a home match since Opta began recording such data in 2008. It was also France's fastest goal in an away match since a Patrick Battiston effort in a 4-0 win over Luxembourg in October 1984.
France scored three goals from set-pieces in a match for the first time since 1991, when they netted three times from dead-ball situations against Albania.
Les Bleus have now won each of their last three away matches against Italy, more than in their first 14.
Italy may feel hard done by given they had more shots (10 to six) and accumulated a higher expected goals figure (0.7 xG to 0.4), but France's deadly double act of Digne and Rabiot were worthy matchwinners.
Harry Kane hailed "top drawer" Lee Carsley after he closed his interim spell as England boss with a thumping win and promotion in the Nations League.
The Three Lions brushed aside 10-man Republic of Ireland 5-0 at Wembley on Sunday, with Kane scoring the opener before Anthony Gordon, Conor Gallagher, Jarrod Bowen and Taylor Harwood-Bellis all netted their first international goals.
Carsley finished with five wins and one defeat, as they finished top of Group B2, using his time in charge to give younger players opportunities in the first team ahead of Thomas Tuchel's arrival in January.
Kane believes he has stood England in good stead for the future and was pleased to finish the Nations League campaign on a high.
"A really important win for us. It has been a really good camp and two tough games," Kane told ITV Sport.
"We got the job done in Greece and again here. It was a tough first half, but we came out with more energy, and we finished it off.
"We spoke about new opportunities for new lads, and they've shown why they are here and a couple of good finishes. It was nice for Jarrod [Bowen] too to come on and score straight away.
"Thomas has a lot of players to choose from. A lot of young players that have come in and done well and some more experienced players that are injured and will be looking to come back, so there's a good balance. I'm sure he [Tuchel] will be looking at everyone.
"[Carsley] has been top drawer, him and all the staff. After the Euros, it was never going to be easy to come and go straight into the Nations League and sometimes the motivation is a bit less.
"I'm really glad we won today and finish off on a high."
Sunday's win marked the first time four players have scored their first England goal in the same game since October 1930 v Northern Ireland, when Harry Burgess, Jimmy Hampson, Sammy Crooks, Eric Houghton were on target.
Harwood-Bellis, who was the most used player by Carsley at Under-21 level, was the eighth player to be handed a debut by the former Ireland and Everton midfielder.
"It is a great day for me and my family. It's every young kid's dream to make their debut, and to score the goal is magical," the Southampton defender told BBC Radio 5 Live.
"I had a few hints yesterday that I would be needed at some point, when I got the nod to come on, I was over the moon.
"There's always a pathway and us young ones, we do believe we can get into the seniors. We know the door is open if we take our chances. I've got to thank Lee [Carsley] for calling me up and I have repaid him with a nice goal.
"Playing for my country at every level is something I take such pride in. To play for the seniors is something you dream of; it is the pinnacle of football, to do it and score is some feeling."
Gordon netted the second of England's goals with a volleyed finish, hitting the back of the net for his country for the first time from his ninth cap.
"Better late than never. It's definitely about time!" he told BBC Radio 5 Live. "It was a good feeling to see it hit the net, I got to spend it with some of the lads that I have come through the England setup, that made it a bit more special.
"They made it really hard; they were defending with 11 players behind the ball, but I said to the lads, 'They can't keep up that running for 90 minutes, it is not possible'.
"I think Lee deserves a lot of credit; he fills us with so much confidence."
Lee Carsley is eager to offer information and assistance to England's incoming head coach Thomas Tuchel.
Carsley signed off as England's interim manager with an impressive 5-0 victory over the Republic of Ireland, who were reduced to 10 men.
All of England's goals came in the second half at Wembley, where Harry Kane's opener was swiftly built upon by maiden international goals for Anthony Gordon, Conor Gallagher, Jarrod Bowen and Taylor Harwood-Bellis.
The victory ensured the Three Lions were promoted back to the top tier of the Nations League ahead of Tuchel's official arrival as coach in January.
And while Carsley hinted he has not loved his time in charge of the senior side, he is keen to give Tuchel a helping hand when the German starts.
"The pool of players has increased," Carsley told BBC Radio 5 Live, having handed out eight debuts in total across his spell in charge.
"I'll give him as much information that he needs.
"I have enjoyed it in parts, the games have always been the best bit.
"I am still gutted about the Greece game at home, if anything I am not thinking about the five wins, it is the one we have lost."
Greece beat England at Wembley last month, but the Three Lions bounced back on Thursday with a 3-0 win in Athens, paving the way for victory over Ireland to ensure their promotion from League B.
"We spoke about it at the first press conference, about gaining promotion in the Nations League, and it was a relief if I'm honest," said Carsley.
"I don't think you can ever get too excited, the performance against Greece was so good. For at least three minutes on the coach driving to the airport I was excited, but then I was thinking we have got another game.
"I enjoyed watching the lads, to play with the aggression and intent that they played with.
"I loved the reaction from the crowd at half-time. If they had got a bit nervy that would have transferred to the players. I think they could tell the players were playing with intent."
England's win was the biggest by a manager in their final match with the Three Lions since Graham Taylor in November 1993 (7-1 v San Marino).
On what was their 19th meeting, this was England’s biggest ever victory over Ireland.
Having been 0-0 at half-time, this was also England’s biggest ever margin of victory (five) in a game that had been goalless at the break.
Norway made light work of Kazakhstan as Erling Haaland's hat-trick inspired them to a 5-0 victory in the Nations League on Sunday.
Without absent captain Martin Odegaard, Norway were skippered by Haaland at Ullevaal Stadion, where the Manchester City forward netted his 25th career hat-trick.
Haaland took his total of international goals to 38 in 39 appearances by scoring twice in the first half before rounding off his star turn in the 71st minute.
The 24-year-old now has 22 goals in all competitions for club and country this season, and is the leading scorer in the Nations League with seven strikes to his name.
Alexander Sorloth scored Norway's third goal, while Antonio Nusa, who was heavily involved in both of Haaland's first-half efforts, got in on the act in the 76th minute.
Norway's victory ensured they finished top of Group B3 on 13 points, two ahead of Austria, therefore promoting Stale Solbakken's team to League A.
Warren Gatland accepts his future is out of his hands after Wales suffered a record-setting defeat to Australia.
Wales were hammered 52-20 by the Wallabies in Cardiff on Sunday, as Australia scored eight tries in their biggest ever away win over the Welsh.
It marked an 11th straight Test defeat for Wales, who face world champions South Africa in their next outing.
Wales are on their worst ever run of defeats, and Gatland knows there is plenty of negativity around his coaching.
"It's the most challenging time I've ever known as a coach and what will be, will be," Gatland told TNT Sports.
"I will chat to a few people as to what happens from here.
"I am passionate about Welsh rugby but there's a lot of negativity around the game right now and we want to make sure what happens is the best for Welsh rugby, not about me. I will respect the decision."
Gatland is in his second stint in charge of Wales, having led them for 12 years between 2007 and 2019, leading them to four Six Nations titles.
Yet Wales have been abysmal as of late, and were dispatched by an Australia team that were reduced to 14 men for 20 minutes of the second half.
"It hurts. We got ourselves back into the game, but to me, we're a man up and conceded three tries - 21 points - that's really disappointing," he added.
"From our point of view, we had a chance to put them under pressure, we probably just forced things - [conceded] some turnovers, some penalties, so that was disappointing.
"I felt we had the chance to get ourselves back into it and kind of just shot ourselves in the foot.
"We spoke about it at half-time, some momentum, go out there and be accurate, we'll get some opportunities and when we play with tempo and keep the ball we look good.
"[Conceding] 21 points with a man advantage, it's not often that happens."
Wales prop Gareth Thomas told S4C: "We're all very disappointed after that. We came into the game with a lot of energy, everything was in place coming into the game. We had confidence with the coaches.
"Our discipline let us down and we're very disappointed. We've let ourselves down. They were down to 14 men and we couldn't take advantage."
Australia's Tom Wright capped off his hat-trick just before full-time, and he was keen to highlight the Wallabies' dominant display.
"That was an awesome 80-minute performance," he told TNT Sports. "Ebbs and flows, we gave a lot of momentum to Wales at stages, we made it difficult for ourselves, but those are games you like to be a part of.
"There was a lot of ball in play, Wales were really up for the content and really made us earn all those points."
Lee Carsley signed off as England's interim manager with an emphatic 5-0 win over 10-man Republic of Ireland that sealed the Three Lions' Nations League promotion.
England took advantage of Liam Scales' sending-off with a ruthless second-half attacking display, with four first-time scorers helping to secure top spot in Group B2 and passage back to League A.
The first half was tight, with few chances for either side after Curtis Jones' early strike was deflected wide before Kyle Walker headed over from the resulting corner.
Yet the floodgates opened with three goals in the space of five minutes after the break.
Scales received a second yellow card for tripping Jude Bellingham in the box, and Harry Kane marked his return to the side by expertly dispatching the penalty.
Anthony Gordon volleyed in his first England goal shortly after, before Conor Gallagher was alert to meet Marc Guehi's flick-on at a corner.
Jarrod Bowen then made an instant impact after his introduction, sweeping a Bellingham corner through the crowd with his first touch of the match.
Taylor Harwood-Bellis rounded things off in the 79th minute, grabbing a debut goal as he thumped a header past Caoimhin Kelleher from six yards out after meeting another Bellingham corner.
Data Debrief: First time for everything
Carsley said on Saturday that he believed he was leaving the England squad in a good place for incoming boss Thomas Tuchel, having widened the pool of young players.
He has certainly done his bit, handing out eight senior debuts in all, with Tino Livramento and Harwood-Bellis the players to benefit against Ireland.
Meanwhile, in Gordon, Gallagher, Bowen, and Harwood-Bellis, four players have scored their first England goal in the same game for the first time since October 1930 v Northern Ireland, when Harry Burgess, Jimmy Hampson, Sammy Crooks, Eric Houghton were on target.
At the other end of the age spectrum, Kyle Walker made his 38th England appearance at Wembley, overtaking Wayne Rooney's total at the venue (37) – only Peter Shilton (52), Bobby Charlton (44), Bobby Moore (43), and Stuart Pearce (41) have now played there more often for the Three Lions.
Carsley, who has collected the biggest win as an interim England boss since Graham Taylor oversaw a 7-1 victory over San Marino in 1993, started his short reign with a win over Ireland in September, and England have now won three consecutive games against them for the very first time.
Jannik Sinner claimed his maiden ATP Finals title as the all-conquering world number one capped off a sensational season in style.
Sinner defeated Taylor Fritz 6-4 6-4 in Turin on Sunday, claiming his eighth title of 2024 in the process.
It was a rematch of this year's US Open final, which Sinner also won, and the Italian made home advantage count in another dominant show of force befitting of his place at the top of the ATP rankings.
Fritz, the first American to reach the final of the ATP Finals and the US Open in the same season since Andre Agassi in 1999, managed to force only one break point, and even that was clawed back by Sinner at the end of the first set.
And Sinner's performance on serve was ultimately just too strong for Fritz, who was on the end of a wonderful drop-shot in the final game as his opponent delighted the crowd.
A cross-court forehand went long from Fritz on the next point to decide the match, and complete Sinner's supreme season.
Data Debrief: King of the hill
Sinner is the seventh player in the Open Era to win the ATP Finals on home soil, and the first since Andy Murray in 2016, as he collected his Tour-leading 70th win of the season. He is the first Italian champion of this competition.
The 23-year-old has also joined Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as the only men to win the Australian Open, US Open and ATP Finals in the same year.
Having fallen at the final hurdle against Djokovic last season, Sinner was in no mood for a repeat of that heartbreak. Indeed, he went through the entirety of this year's tournament without dropping a single set, making him the first player to win the ATP Finals without giving up a set since Ivan Lendl in 1986.
Since the start of August, Sinner has won three of the four tournaments he has competed in, with his sole defeat coming to Carlos Alcaraz in the final of the China Open.
While 2024 will go down as Sinner's year, Fritz can at least take solace in a fine season of his own, and he will head into 2025 as the world number four.
Kusal Mendis' unbeaten 74 helped Sri Lanka clinch an ODI series win over New Zealand with a three-wicket victory in the second match.
Rain shortened the match to 47 overs a side, and Sri Lanka took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series with six balls remaining.
New Zealand's innings were disrupted by the weather, with Sri Lanka's spinners taking advantage of the slowed momentum around the stoppages despite Will Young's (26) steady start.
Mark Chapman (76) and Mitchell Hay (49) gave the tourists some hope, but Maheesh Theekshana (3-31) and Jeffrey Vandersay (3-46) took three wickets apiece as they halted New Zealand at 209, with Glenn Phillips (15) the only other batter to hit double figures.
After Avishka Fernando's early dismissal, Mendis was a mainstay for Sri Lanka and ultimately proved the difference.
Michael Bracewell (4-36) did his best to rally New Zealand, but they fell just short thanks to an eighth-wicket stand of 47 off 59 balls between Mendis and Theekshana.
Data Debrief: Running it back
It is the first time since 2012 that Sri Lanka have won an ODI series against New Zealand, while it is the first time they have won back-to-back ODIs against the Black Caps since November that year.
Sri Lanka also made a welcome return to winning ways at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium - they had lost their most recent match in this format at the venue to West Indies back in October.
Tom Wright and Matt Faessler plundered hat-tricks as Australia cruised to an emphatic 52-20 win over struggling Wales in Cardiff.
Wright capped off a superb individual display in the closing minutes of Sunday's clash to take the Wallabies over 50 points at the Principality Stadium.
It is a defeat that will only increase the pressure on Wales coach Warren Gatland, whose team have now lost 11 straight Tests, their worst-ever run.
Wright and Faessler claimed six of Australia's eight tries, with Nick Frost and Len Ikitau also going over for the visitors, who were 19-0 up early on before Wales responded through Aaron Wainwright's try and Gareth Anscombe's kicks.
Wales were unable to take advantage of Samu Kerevi's second-half 20-minute red card for a high tackle on Jac Morgan, as Australia scored three tries in quick succession, with Faessler getting two and Wright adding his second.
Ben Thomas crossed for the hosts, but Ikitau and Wright had the final say for Australia, who have Scotland and Ireland to come in their next fixtures.
Data Debrief: Record losing run reaches new low
Wales' 11-match losing run is the worst in the nation's Test history, and it is now a long way back for Gatland.
This was Australia's biggest-ever away win over Wales, who now face the daunting prospect of facing two-time reigning world champions South Africa next week.
Should Wales lose to the Springboks, they will have gone an entire calendar year without a win for the first time since 1937.
Dusan Vlahovic says he finds it "easier" to play in Serbia's tactical approach than at Juventus.
The striker has started all 16 games since Thiago Motta took over this season, scoring nine goals in all competitions, with six of those coming in Serie A.
His recent form saw him recalled to Serbia's squad for the Nations League matches this international break, and he got an assist for their equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Switzerland on Saturday.
Overall, Vlahovic has racked up 50 goals at Juve since his move from Fiorentina in January 2022, but he seemingly suggested his game would improve in a different system.
Motta favours a 4-2-3-1 system, with Vlahovic playing as a lone striker, whereas on international duty, he plays as part of a front two, most recently alongside Aleksandar Mitrovic.
"It is a bit easier for me when there is another striker because Mitrovic holds up the ball and engages in aerial duels, so I can make more of my own characteristics and qualities," Vlahovic told RSI when asked the differences between playing for Serbia and Juventus.
"The coach also does not require many defensive duties from me, so that makes it easier too.
"With my physicality, I can't really run that much and am not as fresh in my finishing when I've been working so hard."
Tottenham have confirmed that Wilson Odobert has undergone surgery for a hamstring injury.
The 19-year-old joined Spurs from Burnley in August and made five appearances in all competitions for the north London side.
He managed just 162 minutes in his three Premier League matches, creating three chances in that time, but has not featured in the competition since their 1-0 loss to Arsenal in mid-September.
His last appearance was a two-minute cameo in the Europa League group stage amid ongoing hamstring problems.
"We can confirm that Wilson Odobert underwent surgery to his right hamstring yesterday (Saturday 16th November)," Spurs said on social media.
"The 19-year-old will continue to be closely monitored by our medical team to determine when he can return to training."
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