After triumphing at Flushing Meadows, Jannik Sinner feels the next generation of stars on the ATP Tour push each other on.

Sinner won his second grand slam title by beating Taylor Fritz 6-3 6-4 7-5 in the US Open final on Sunday.

The Italian became the third youngest player in the Open Era to win the title at the Cincinnati Open and Flushing Meadows during the same season after Andy Roddick (2003) and John McEnroe (1981).

He is the third youngest player during the Open Era to register a minimum of 23 wins in grand slam matches during a single season, older only than Pete Sampras (23-2, 1993) and Rafael Nadal (24-2, 2008).

And while Novak Djokovic is still going strong, Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are spearheading a new generation of stars that are already living up to their potential.

"I feel like the new generation, we push each other," the world number one told ESPN after his win over 26-year-old Fritz.

"I always have players who are going to make me a better player, because there are going to be times where they beat me.

"Then you have to try to find a way how to win against certain players."

Alcaraz was among those to congratulate Sinner, with the Spaniard posting on his Instagram story after the final.

Fritz, meanwhile, became the second oldest American male in the Open Era to reach a maiden men's singles final at a grand slam, after MaliVai Washington (27 years 15 days) at Wimbledon in 1996.

He was looking to emulate Roddick's success from 2003, ending a 21-year wait for a homegrown champion at Flushing Meadows, but could not get over the line.

"There's obviously a lot of positives, and when I get some time to cool down then I'll be happy about the fact that I made it to the finals," reflected Fritz, who feels like he let fans down.

"But right now I'm pretty disappointed in just a lot of things on the court, how I played, how I hit certain shots. It sucks.

"And I'm not saying that it necessarily would have made a difference. I don't know if it would have, but I just would have liked to have played better and given myself a better chance. It's really disappointing right now.

"I feel like the fans obviously, American fans, been wanting a men's champion for a long time, and I'm pretty upset with how I played. I feel like, I don't know, I feel like I almost let a lot of people down."

England interim manager Lee Carsley believes he is capable of taking the job on a full-time basis, but conceded he had his doubts.

Carsley oversaw a 2-0 victory over the Republic of Ireland in his first match in charge since stepping in to replace Gareth Southgate on a temporary basis.

An extended audition continues on Tuesday when England take on Finland in their second Nations League match.

And Carsley acknowledged the performance and result against Ireland, who he represented as a player, has provided a much-needed confidence boost.

He said: "In the back of your mind you always think... you know, it's easy to be the England manager, isn't it, when you're sat in the house.

"There have been times when I've thought I'm not sure if I could do it.

"But it has done my confidence good, and the rest of the staff as well, that actually we're OK, we'll be all right.

"I spoke about it at the first press conference, [being] a safe pair of hands. I feel like we’re in a good position with the players.

"I think it's natural to have doubts.

"Going into the Euros with the Under-21s, with the record that we've got, there was a worry we could go home in 10 days. But I've learned with ­experience and dealing with ­setbacks, having good people around you, that it gets easier."

England managed some slick play in Dublin, in particular for their second goal, when Jack Grealish – returning to the fold after he was left out of the Euro 2024 squad – tucked home at the culmination of a sweeping team move.

The Three Lions controlled possession (76.4%), had 16 shots and accumulated 2.67 expected goals (xG), while Carsley handed starts to Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back, Anthony Gordon on the left flank and then brought on Morgan Gibbs-White and Angel Gomes for their debuts.

"The end goal is doing that against the top teams in the world in the ­biggest moments," said Carsley.

"They have got two years to get to that point [before the 2026 World Cup]. We have gone a good way to doing that. We've had four ­training sessions, so it's early. The players have to take huge credit for trying a few things that we have worked on and going out there and doing it for themselves.

"We have to be careful with the term 'freedom'. We have tried to get really effective players in really ­effective areas, to do what they're good at.

"If you call that freedom, maybe it is. But within that there comes a real responsi­bility out of possession. I thought we did really well in that area. We made the pitch really small and were able to suffocate Ireland and get the ball back."

Santiago Espinal snapped a tie game with a two-run double in the ninth inning as the Cincinnati Reds ended the New York Mets' nine-game winning streak with a 3-1 victory on Sunday.

The Mets' first loss since Aug. 28 dropped them into a tie with Atlanta for the National League's final wild card spot after the Braves earned a 4-3, 11-inning win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday.

Espinal's one-out double off Phil Maton in the top of the ninth drove in Spencer Steer and Ty France after both reached base to begin the inning with the score tied 1-1. Steer was hit by a pitch from Maton and France got on via an infield single.

The key hit also ended a streak of 80 consecutive innings in which the Mets had not trailed, the longest stretch in the majors this season.

New York starter Luis Severino did not factor in the decision despite allowing just one run and striking out eight over 6 2/3 innings.

Severino had held the Reds scoreless until the seventh, when Noelvi Marte drove in Jake Fraley with a two-out single to forge a 1-1 tie.

The Mets scored their lone run in the sixth on Starling Marte's two-out single that plated Pete Alonso, who reached on a walk and advanced to second on Jose Iglesias' infield single.

Julian Aguiar started for Cincinnati and tossed 4 2/3 scoreless innings while surrendering just two hits and two walks.

Smith leads Diamondbacks' rout of Astros with three homers, eight RBIs

Pavin Smith homered in his first three at-bats while driving in a career-high eight runs to power the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 12-6 win over the Houston Astros that prevented the reigning NL champions from being swept in the three-game series.

Smith opened the scoring with a three-run homer off Justin Verlander in the second inning, then delivered a grand slam off the three-time Cy Young Award winner during a five-run third that put Arizona up 8-0.

The outfielder/first baseman capped his huge night with a solo homer in the fifth.

Eugenio Suarez also homered while going 4 for 5 and driving in two runs to help the Diamondbacks halt a three-game losing streak. Jake McCarthy added two hits, including a run-scoring single.

Verlander (3-6) lasted just three innings while being tagged for eight runs and eight hits. The future Hall of Famer has now lost four straight starts since returning from a neck injury and has a 9.68 ERA during that stretch.

Arizona starter Ryne Nelson worked 4 2/3 innings and allowed five runs. Kevin Ginkel relieved the right-hander in the fifth and struck out the lone batter he faced to receive the win.

Alex Bregman had a two-run homer for Houston, which had its lead atop the American League West reduced to 4 1/2 games over second-place Seattle after the Mariners defeated the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday.

Yainer Diaz and Chas McCormick each had three hits for the Astros, with Diaz driving in a pair of runs. 

Royals sweep Twins in crucial three-game series

The Kansas City Royals extended their lead over the Minnesota Twins in the AL wild card race with a 2-0 victory that completed a three-game series sweep.

Michael Wacha (12-7) allowed four hits over seven innings as the Royals increased their lead on the AL Central-rival Twins to 2 1/2 games in the standings. Minnesota still currently holds the third and final wild card spot by a 3 1/2-game margin over the Detroit Tigers and Seattle Mariners.

Kris Bubic and Lucas Erceg finished off the shutout, with Erceg earning his 11th save with a scoreless ninth.

The Royals scored both of their runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, which MJ Melendez began by drawing a walk off Minnesota starter Simeon Woods Richardson. Freddy Fermin and Maikel Garcia followed with back-to-back singles to load the bases with none out.

Garrett Hampson's sacrifice fly brought in Melendez for the game's first run, and Fermin later scored when Salvador Perez legged out an infield single.

Woods Richardson (5-4) was charged with both runs and gave up three hits and three walks in 4 1/3 innings. 

Minnesota scored just two runs in the three-game series and has now dropped 10 of its last 14 contests.

Hours after making their franchise quarterback the highest-paid player in NFL history, the Dallas Cowboys opened defence of their NFC East title with an impressive 33-17 road win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. 

Dak Prescott threw for 179 yards and a touchdown in his first game since signing a record four-year, $240 million contract extension earlier in the day, and Dallas also got strong contributions on defence and special teams to easily handle a Browns team that won 11 games and reached the playoffs last season.

The Cowboys intercepted Deshaun Watson, Cleveland's highly paid quarterback, twice while limiting the Browns to 230 total yards. Dallas' return game was in top form as well, with KaVontae Turpin taking a punt back 60 yards for a touchdown early in the second half.

Watson managed just 169 yards and a touchown on 24-of-45 passing in his first appearance since undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery in November.

Prescott showed his value on Dallas' second possession of the season, as he completed a 34-yard pass to star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb to put the Cowboys deep into Cleveland territory and later capped the drive with a 21-yard touchdown strike to Brandin Cooks for a 7-3 Dallas lead with 6:55 left in the first quarter.

The Browns had gone ahead early on Dustin Hopkins' 51-yard field goal that concluded their opening drive.

It was all Cowboys from that point on, though. 

Dallas increased its advantage to 14-3 with 5:15 left in the second quarter via an 11-play, 78-yard drive culminating in Ezekiel Elliott's 3-yard touchdown run, his first score since rejoining the Cowboys following a one-year stint with the New England Patriots.

The Cowboys then closed out the first half with field goals of 57 and 40 yards from Brandon Aubrey to build a 20-3 half-time lead.

Turpin's dazzling return touchdown just over two minutes into the second half put the Browns in a bigger hole, though Cleveland did respond with its best drive of the day.

Watson completed 6 of 9 passes on a 12-play, 75-yard march that he ended with a six-yard touchdown toss to Jerry Jeudy that got the Browns within 27-10 midway through the third quarter.

The offence turned it over on downs on its next two series, however, which led to two more Aubrey field goals that pushed Dallas' lead to 33-10 early in the fourth quarter.

Cleveland did get a late touchdown, a 2-yard run from Jerome Ford with 29 seconds left in the game that completed a 15-play drive.

Lions ruin Stafford's return again, edge Rams in overtime

David Montgomery capped the game's only overtime drive with a 1-yard touchdown run that gave the Detroit Lions a hard-fought 26-20 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in a rematch between teams that met in last season's NFC playoffs.

The Lions squeaked out a 24-23 win over Los Angeles in a post-season clash in January, the first game for Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford in Detroit since being traded by the Lions to Los Angeles in March 2021 in a deal that sent fellow signal-caller Jared Goff to the Motor City.

Detroit had to dig deep once again in this meeting, as it blew a 17-3 third-quarter lead before rallying to force overtime on Jake Bates' 32-yard field goal with 17 seconds left in regulation.

Stafford never had the chance to exact revenge in extra time, as the Lions never gave the ball back to the Rams by marching 70 yards to the end zone in nine plays.

Montgomery did much of the heavy lifting, as he churned out 45 yards on five carries during the possession and capped it by powering across the goal line to end the game.

The running back amassed 91 of the Lions' 163 rushing yards as one of Detroit's offensive stars along with wide receiver Jameson Williams, who caught a 52-yard touchdown pass from Goff in the third quarter and finished with a career-high 121 yards on five receptions.

Goff threw for 217 yards with one touchdown and one interception while completing 18 of 28 passes.

Stafford, who spent his first 12 seasons with Detroit, finished with 317 yards and a touchdown on 34-of-49 passing, but also threw a costly interception in the end zone late in the first half with the Rams in scoring range.

Cooper Kupp was on the other end of a slew of Stafford's throws, as he tied a career high with 14 catches totalling 110 yards with a touchdown. The Rams' other standout receiver, Puka Nacua, was forced out of the contest early in the second half with a knee injury.

Both teams managed just one field goal each for the majority of the first half until the Lions got untracked with a 10-play, 77-yard drive late in the second quarter.

Williams had a 36-yard catch and a 13-yard run on the series, which Jahmyr Gibbs capped with a 1-yard touchdown run that gave Detroit a 10-3 lead just past the two-minute warning.

The Rams got to Detroit's 8-yard line on the ensuing possession, but came away empty when Stafford's pass into traffic was picked off by Kerby Joseph in the end zone.

Goff found Willams open down the left sideline for a 52-yard touchdown that put Detroit up 17-3 early in the third quarter, but the Rams responded with 17 straight points to move ahead.

Los Angeles answered Williams' score with a 14-play, 61-yard drive ending in Kyren Williams' 2-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter. A 63-yard pass from Stafford to Tyler Johnson on the Rams' next possession led to Joshua Karty's 26-yard field goal that trimmed the lead to 17-13 with 12:32 to go in regulation.

Goff was then intercepted on Detroit's next series, and Stafford went 8 for 8 the next time Los Angeles had the ball. The veteran hit Kupp for a 9-yard touchdown to give the Rams a 20-17 edge with 4:30 left in the fourth quarter.

Following an exchange of punts, the Lions got the ball back with 2:11 to go and moved within range for Bates' game-tying field goal in the final stages of regulation.

Fields steps in, Boswell boots six field goals to help Steelers get past Falcons

Justin Fields filled in for an injured Russell Wilson and won his Pittsburgh Steelers debut - with a little help from kicker Chris Boswell and his new team's rugged defence.

Boswell accounted for all of Pittsburgh's points with six field goals, while the Steelers intercepted Kirk Cousins twice in a season-opening 18-10 road victory over the Atlanta Falcons.

The game had been billed as a clash of veteran quarterbacks playing their first game with new teams, and remained so with a twist as Wilson was ruled inactive due to a calf injury he aggravated in practise during the week.

Fields, acquired from the Chicago Bears in the offseason, stepped in to complete 17 of 23 passes for 156 yards while adding 57 yards on 14 rush attempts.

Cousins' first outing since bolting the Minnesota Vikings in March to sign a four-year, $180 million contract with the Falcons didn't go as smoothly. The four-time Pro Bowler did throw a touchdown pass to Kyle Pitts, but managed just 155 yards on 16-of-26 passing while under constant pressure throughout.

Atlanta's new-look offence was held scoreless over the final two quarters and committed two second-half turnovers, the first a botched shotgun exchange that resulted in a fumble recovered by Pittsburgh's T.J. Watt early in the third quarter. The miscue led to Boswell's fourth field goal of the day, a 56-yard kick that gave the Steelers a 12-10 lead.

Boswell converted again on Pittsburgh's next possession, with his 40-yard field goal with 29 seconds left in the third quarter set up by a 40-yard completion from Fields to George Pickens.

The Steelers' defence continued to dominate in the fourth, and any Atlanta comeback hopes were dashed when Donte Jackson picked off Cousins with 2:34 remaining and returned the interception 47 yards to the Falcons' 18.

After Boswell ended the drive with a 25-yard field goal with 31 seconds left to extend the lead to 18-10, Watt sealed the win by sacking Cousins as time expired.

Cousins' first interception, a throw into traffic that was snared by Steelers' safety DeShon Elliott, came after both teams capped their opening drives with field goals. The turnover was turned into Boswell's 51-yard field goal that gave Pittsburgh a 6-3 edge early in the second quarter.

Cousins was sharp on a nine-play, 90-yard drive that he concluded with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Pitts that put Atlanta up 10-6 with 32 seconds left in the first half. Fields quickly answered, however, by connecting with Pickens on a 33-yard pass that set up Boswell's 44-yard field goal that brought the Steelers within a point at half-time.

No. 1 pick Williams struggles but wins Bears debut

Caleb Williams' NFL debut was one to remember, even if his final stat line was something to forget.

The 2024 No. 1 overall pick mustered just 93 passing yards in his first career game, but Williams' Chicago Bears teammates picked up the rookie by scoring touchdowns on defence and special teams in a 24-17 win over the Tennessee Titans.

Tyrique Stevenson put the Bears ahead for good with a 43-yard interception return for a touchdown with 7:43 left to play, and Chicago also received a 21-yard touchdown return from Jonathan Owens on a blocked punt in the third quarter to overcome a 17-0 first-half deficit.

Cairo Santos made all three of his field goal attempts to also help offset Williams' struggles. The former Heisman Trophy winner completed just 14 of his 29 passes.

Will Levis also had a rough day for Tennessee, however, as the second-year quarterback threw for just 127 yards and a touchdown on 19-of-32 passing and was intercepted twice in the fourth quarter.

The first of those picks was an ill-advised throw under pressure that Stevenson snared out of the air and raced untouched down the sideline to give Chicago a 22-17 lead. Williams then successfully converted the ensuing two-point try with a pass to DeAndre Swift that increased the margin to seven points.

Levis got the Titans to near midfield in the final minutes, but was intercepted by Jaylon Johnson with 1:05 left before the Bears ran out the clock.

Chicago mustered a mere 50 yards of offence in the first half and trailed 17-3 at intermission, but got the spark it needed from its special teams early in the third quarter.

Daniel Hardy blocked Tennessee punter Ryan Stonehouse's attempt, with Owens promptly scooping up the loose ball and running into the end zone to score the Bears' first touchdown of the season and change the game's momentum with 9:07 remaining in the third.

Chicago's defence then forced the Titans to go three-and-out on their next two possessions, and Williams led an 11-play, 44-yard drive capped by Santos' 50-yard field goal that cut the lead to 17-13 early in the fourth quarter.

The Bears' defence came up big again on Tennessee's next drive, as Levis was sacked by Darrell Taylor to force a fumble recovered by Chicago linebacker T.J. Edwards. The turnover set up Santos' 48-yard field goal that made it a one-point game with 9:52 left.

Tennessee scored on three consecutive drives in the first half to build an early 17-0 advantage, with Tony Pollard opening the scoring with a 26-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter.

The Bears then fumbled the ball away on the ensuing kickoff, leading to Nick Folk's 40-yard field goal 54 seconds into the second quarter.

Tennessee extended the margin with a massive 14-play, 73-yard drive culminating in Levis' 17-yard touchdown pass to Chig Okonkwo with 3:44 left in the first half. Chicago's DeAndre Carter returned the following kickoff 67 yards into Titans' territory, however, before Santos booted home a 24-yard field goal just before halftime.

Pollard rushed for 82 yards on 16 carries in his Titans' debut. The Memphis native signed with Tennessee in March following a five-year stint with the Dallas Cowboys. 

Chargers pull away from Raiders, win Harbaugh's NFL return

J.K. Dobbins' 135 rushing yards and a touchdown helped make Jim Harbaugh's return to the NFL coaching ranks a winning one as the Los Angeles Chargers pulled away for a 22-10 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.

Justin Herbert added a late touchdown pass to rookie Ladd McConkey in Harbaugh's first game on an NFL sideline since leaving the San Francisco 49ers following the 2014 season for the University of Michigan, where he led his alma mater to a 2023 national championship before resurfacing with the Chargers.

Los Angeles stalled on offence for the first three quarters in Harbaugh's comeback game, but got untracked in the fourth with a pair of touchdown drives to extend a slim 9-7 lead entering the final period.

Dobbins made a triumphant return as well while playing his first game since rupturing his Achilles tendon in the 2023 season opener while then a member of the Baltimore Ravens. The running back ripped off a 46-yard run in the third quarter that set up Cameron Dicker's third field goal of the game, a 24-yard kick that put Los Angeles up 9-7 near the midway mark of the period.

The Chargers later increased the margin with a six-play, 61-yard drive that Dobbins ended with a 12-yard touchdown run on the first play of the fourth quarter.

A 33-yard pass from Gardner Minshew to Jakobi Meyers got the Raiders in range for Daniel Carlson's 32-yard field goal that trimmed the lead to 16-10 with 10:30 left. Las Vegas went three-and-out on its next possession, however, and Dobbins broke loose for a 61-yard run shortly afterward to put the Chargers deep into Raiders' territory.

Three plays later, McConkey caught a short pass from Herbert and side-stepped a defender for a 10-yard touchdown which helped seal the outcome with 3:40 remaining.

Minshew completed 25 of 33 passes with one interception in his first game since signing with Las Vegas as a free agent in the offseason. The veteran quarterback also threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to Alexander Mattison late in the first quarter that gave the Raiders a 7-3 advantage.

Los Angeles had scored the game's first points on Dicker's 53-yard field goal with 4:22 left in the opening quarter.

Minshew also had a costly fumble late in the first half that was scooped up by the Chargers' Khalil Mack and returned 22 yards to Las Vegas' 12-yard line. The turnover led to Dicker's 25-yard field goal that pulled the Chargers within 7-6.

Dolphins rally to top Jaguars on Sanders' 52-yard field goal

The Miami Dolphins escaped to beat the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars 20-17 on Jason Sanders’ 52-yard field goal as time expired.

Sanders connected on a pair of late field goals for the Dolphins, who rallied from a 17-7 half-time deficit to win a fourth consecutive season opener.

Tua Tagovailoa threw for 338 yards, and his 80-yard touchdown pass to Tyreek Hill with just over two minutes remaining in the third quarter started the comeback and brought Miami within three points.

The Dolphins tied the score on Sanders’ 37-yard field goal with 4:22 to play in the fourth quarter. Miami’s defence then forced a three-and-out, sacking Trevor Lawrence on both second and third down.

The offence got the ball back at its own 35-yard line with just over two minutes remaining and Tagovailoa drove the Dolphins 31 yards to set up the winning kick.

Hill finished with seven receptions for 130 yards in an eventful day, which began with him being handcuffed and placed facedown on a street by police officers after being stopped for a traffic violation near the Dolphins’ stadium.

The Miami-Dade police department opened an investigation into the events that led to Hill being handcuffed, with one of the officers involved in the incident put on administrative leave.

Miami also got 109 yards on five receptions from Jaylen Waddle, while Devon Achane had a rushing touchdown while compiling 100 yards from scrimmage.

Lawrence threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to rookie Brian Thomas that gave the Jaguars a 14-0 lead in the second quarter, but got little going after half-time as Jacksonville was held scoreless over the final two quarters. The former No. 1 overall pick finished with 162 yards while completing 12 of 21 attempts. 

Domenico Tedesco says Belgium are still hurting after their Euro 2024 exit to France as they prepare to meet them in the Nations League on Monday.

Belgium suffered a 1-0 defeat to France in the round of 16 at the Euros, conceding an 85th-minute Jan Vertonghen own goal to send them crashing out after a poor tournament.

It was a tight affair when the sides met in July, with both only managing two shots on target, though France's came from 19 overall attempts compared to Belgium's five.

And Tedesco would rather forget about that meeting as he targets a more positive result this time around.

"At the European Championship, it was a close one against France. We could have won too,” Tedesco told reporters.

"France were a bit better, they deserved to win, but we also had our chances. It would be a lie if I said that match is forgotten. It still hurts. I often think about the European Championship, but you also must look ahead.

"Looking back is not always the best solution. We have to be ambitious; it's been a long time since we beat France in a competitive match with commitment. Let us perform well, and then the rest will follow."

Tedesco also admitted that Belgium over-prepared for that meeting with France, with their adjustments to the game plan proving detrimental.

"The last match at the European Championship was different from the one now, it was a knockout match," he added.

"We learned that we adjusted our own plans a bit too much then. You always have to analyse your opponent, but we adjusted excessively."

Scotland boss Steve Clarke has declared that his side "deserved something" from their Nations League clash with Portugal after losing 2-1 thanks to a late Cristiano Ronaldo goal.

Scott McTominay gave Scotland an early lead after seven minutes, but Portugal fought back through goals from Bruno Fernandes and Ronaldo to take all three points in Group A1.

Ronaldo's goal came in the 88th minute and was his 901st career goal.

It leaves Scotland on their longest-ever winless run as they remain without a win in their last eight competitive games in all competitions, but Clarke feels they should not have left Lisbon empty-handed.

"I'm disappointed to lose a game where it looked, for a large period, we would get something from it," he told the BBC.

"I'm really disappointed for my players because I think they deserved to get something from the game.

"If you ignore the results, [there are a lot of positives], but we're professional, so it's disappointing.

"We played well in these two games, but we don't have anything to show for it. I've told the players not to be too hard on themselves. They have to understand the work that we're doing."

Scotland did well to prevent Portugal from getting any further sight at goal, defending a total of 26 shots during the match with seven ending up on target.

The 16 shots the Scots had to defend in the opening 45 minutes were the most they have faced in a first-half since October 2012 when Belgium also let loose 16 efforts.

"With the amount of balls that go into the box, you know one of them can go in the back of the net and that's what happened to us," added Clarke.

"When you bring quality players from the bench like Roberto [Martinez] can do, you always know there's a risk, but I felt we handled it well.

"We'll go away and analyse these games, and hopefully, we can give the lads a few pointers for the games next month, which don't get any easier."

Gamechanger Ronaldo was brought on at half-time by Portugal manager Roberto Martinez, a move that was well thought through and had the desired effect.

"Ronaldo did 17 sprints against Croatia. He is the player who made the most sprints. So we need to protect the players. One more game in 72 hours is impossible to have a physical performance [equal]," Martinez explained.

"The question was whether Ronaldo played the first half and left or came in and finished the game. That was the decision.

"He is an asset to the national team. When he comes in, if the [team] needs goals, Cris gives energy and a feeling to the fans. The stadium is different.

"If Cris leaves, it's the opposite and facilitates what the opponent would like to do when playing away from home in Portugal."

Luis de la Fuente believes Spain are doing "something important" for the country after they beat Switzerland 4-1 in the Nations League.

La Roja made an underwhelming start to Group A4 in a 0-0 draw with Serbia but looked back to their best on Sunday.

Fabian Ruiz's brace was sandwiched between goals from Joselu and Ferran Torres, with Spain able to clinch their first win of this season's tournament, despite Robin Le Normand's 20th-minute sending-off.

De la Fuente was particularly impressed with how his players dug in after going down to 10 men, hailing them for a resilient performance.

"I feel like we are doing something important for a country, that people identify with this group of players," De la Fuente said after the game.

"We grow from humility and sacrifice as a team. I am proud of this group of players, which never ceases to surprise me.

"If there's one thing I like to boast about, it's the pride I've always felt for this team. When these circumstances happen, one feels more proud, but to highlight a group of players that is a team, not a national team.

"This team has plenty of self-esteem and humility because what they are doing is historic.

"With 10 men, we have been able to interpret the game in a masterful way. I am very proud of this team and every day we see that we continue to grow and that we can improve."

Spain finished the game with just 33.7% possession, understandably low after having just 10 players on the pitch for 70 minutes.

They had nine shots overall, compared to Switzerland's 20, but got eight of theirs on target while the hosts only mustered three.

De la Fuente was particularly impressed by Joselu's performance, with the former Real Madrid man setting the tone from the front.

"I'm very happy for everyone, especially for Joselu because he deserves it," De la Fuente added.

"He had the best game since he's been with us, he did everything we asked of him, both when we had 11 and when we were down to 10.

"We were playing a very complete game. Pedri was playing a great game, but we understood that in order to have the chances we had, we had to make that change.

"We felt very powerful. With 10 players, we played the perfect game, we defended very well, we had a great goalkeeper..."

Taylor Fritz said he was "sorry" he could not provide home victory in the US Open after losing in straight sets to world number one Jannik Sinner in the final.

It has been 21 years since an American claimed the US Open title when Andy Roddick won in straight sets in 2003 against Juan Carlos Ferrero.

Fritz became the first American to reach the final since Roddick lost to Roger Federer in 2006, after beating Frances Tiafoe in the semi-finals.

He also registered impressive victories against Alexander Zverev and Casper Ruud on his route to the final.

Yet he came up short against the reigning Australian Open champion, losing 6-3 6-4 7-5 in the final in front of a home crowd at Flushing Meadows.

"Thanks to the fans. Being an American at the US Open is incredible, feeling the love all week," said Fritz after the final.

"I know we've been waiting for a champion for a long time, so I'm sorry I couldn't get it done this time, but I'm going to keep working and, hopefully, the next time."

Fritz became the second-oldest American (26 years and 313 days) in the Open era to reach a maiden men's singles final at a grand slam.

"It's been an amazing two weeks and congrats to Jannik, he played a great match. It was really impressive, he was too good," he added.

Jannik Sinner is proud of his "incredible year" but is still targeting improvements despite picking up his second grand slam win at the US Open.

The Italian edged a tight contest in straight sets, claiming his maiden title at Flushing Meadows with a 6-3 6-4 7-5 victory over home favourite Taylor Fritz on Sunday.

In the process, the world number one became just the third player to win the title at the US Open men's singles after dropping his opening set at the event in the past five decades, after John McEnroe (1981) and Patrick Rafter (1998).

Sinner fell behind in the final set and had to dig deep to overcome Fritz's late fight, and said that his self-belief ultimately carried him over the line.

"I just went day by day. Believing in yourself is the most important," Sinner said in his on-court interview.

"I understood, especially in this tournament, how important the mental part is in sport.

"It's been an incredible year. So many big wins, starting off in Australia which gave me confidence until now.

"The work never stops. I know I can still improve. I can't wait for my continued process.

"I love tennis. I practice a lot for this kind of stage. I know how much work Taylor puts in. He's doing an amazing job and congrats to you and the whole team.

"It's so nice to see you on big stages like this, and I'm quite sure there will be many more. I wish you the best of luck for the future."

Just before the start of the US Open, Sinner was cleared following an investigation, having twice tested positive for a banned substance in March.

The 23-year-old was inadvertently contaminated by a low level of a metabolite of clostebol – a steroid that can be used to build muscle mass – by his physiotherapist, who had used an over-the-counter spray for a cut on his own hand before treating the player.

With many worried about how that would affect Sinner's focus in New York, he credited his team for helping him get through the tough period.

"This title for me means so much because the last period of my career was really not easy," Sinner added.

"My team and the people who are close to me have supported me every day. I'm very happy and proud to share this moment with my team."

Cristiano Ronaldo came off the bench to score the winner as Portugal earned a 2-1 victory, condemning Scotland to another late defeat.

The 39-year-old, who started on the bench in a competitive match for the first time since the 2022 World Cup, added to Bruno Fernandes' strike after Scott McTominay had given Scotland the lead early on.

The home crowd were just as stunned as Portugal's defence when McTominay snuck in behind, thumping Kenny McLean's cross past a stranded Diogo Costa after just seven minutes.

The hosts certainly had their chances to get back into the game though – Angus Gunn made a brilliant save to deny Rafael Leao, who also fired a number of efforts wide of the left post.

Though Scotland tried to continue soaking up the pressure, their defence was eventually breached nine minutes after the break, with Fernandes marking his 30th birthday with a sweeping finish from 20 yards out. 

Gunn smothered Joao Felix's low shot in the 78th minute before Ronaldo came within millimetres of a winner as his header hit the inside of the far post.

But Ronaldo would have the final say as he stretched out a leg in the six-yard box to turn Nuno Mendes' cross into the back of the net.

Data Debrief: Ronaldo the hero once again

Steve Clarke could not have asked for more from his team in the first half, as they scored with their only effort, but also resolutely defended as Portugal racked up 16 shots (three on target), creating 1.21 expected goals (xG).

It was a regular creator that got the Selecao back on level terms though, as Fernandes got his 21st goal involvement under Roberto Martinez in all competitions, at least five more than any other Portugal player (11 goals, 10 assists). 

And Ronaldo is now up to 901 career goals, with only Aleksandar Mitrovic (14), Erling Haaland (12) and Romelu Lukaku (10) bettering his nine-goal tally in the Nations League. 

Fabian Ruiz’s double helped 10-man Spain claim a comprehensive 4-1 win over Switzerland in the Nations League on a rainy night in Geneva.

Joselu opened the scoring after just four minutes as he latched onto the end of Lamine Yamal’s pinpoint cross to flick goalwards.

The goal was confirmed after some controversy as Swiss goalkeeper Gregor Kobel thought he had clawed it away before it crossed the line.

Switzerland thought they had an immediate response three minutes later but Becir Omeragic had a goal ruled out for a handball in the build-up. Instead, Spain doubled their lead on 12 minutes as Fabian powered home the rebound from Nico Williams’ parried shot.

The Swiss were handed a lifeline as Robin Le Normand was shown a straight red for bringing Breel Embolo down as he went through on goal, and Zeki Amdouni rattled the crossbar from the resultant free-kick.

Amdouni did find the net to bring scores level just before half-time, sweeping home Embolo’s flick-on from a corner after finding himself unmarked at the back post. He nearly had a brace after the restart, but it was ruled out for a foul in the build-up.

Instead, it was Fabian with two goals to his name by the final whistle, after he tucked away at the far post in the 77th minute against the run of play before Ferran Torres added further gloss.

Data Debrief: Spain's run rolls on

The writing was on the wall early for Switzerland who have not won any of their last eight matches after conceding first in the Nations League. Spain, on the other hand, are undefeated in their last five matches when they have scored first in the competition.

It means, excluding friendlies, Spain are now unbeaten for 17 matches in all competitions (W15 D2). It is their best unbeaten run under a single manager since Vicente del Bosque was in charge in June 2013.

Luciano Spalletti is expecting to make up to five changes for Italy's Nations League clash with Israel owing to the tight turnaround between matches.

Italy produced a shock 3-1 victory over France on Friday, just three days before they face Israel in Hungary.

But their opening three points in Group A2 took their toll, with starters Riccardo Calafiori and Lorenzo Pellegrini both leaving the squad after sustaining injuries in the match against France.

As such, Spalletti feels it is necessary to rotate for their upcoming match.

"It's difficult to put the same team out as Friday. It's not possible to get over the fatigue after just two days. Let's see how the guys are, but it's not unusual to change three, four, five players," the Italy boss told the press.

Some players, however, will have to play due to the injuries sustained in that victory, which saw them register their first win against France since June 2008.

"Bastoni will play tomorrow because it becomes tricky taking both him and Calafiori out of the team. He has the most experience, he brings things to the table that can help the whole team," Spalletti added. 

"Frattesi will be evaluated in today's training, but he says he is fine and good to go. He was substituted earlier than planned, to avoid any unnecessary dangers. We need to see after a bit of training."

Italy play Israel in the Nations League on Monday at the Bozsik Arena in Hungary.