Serena Williams battled nerves early but has commenced their US Open farewell campaign with a first-round victory over Danka Kovinic in front of a loud Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd on Monday.

The 22-time major champion, who will end her decorated tennis career after the Flushing Meadows tournament, triumphed in one hour and 39 minutes over the unseeded Montenegrin 6-3 6-3.

Williams will face a bigger test next on Wednesday against second seed Anett Kontaveit who eased past Jaqueline Cristian 6-3 6-0.

Given Williams' impending retirement, there was a sense of expectation but also trepidation inside the star-studded center court and the 40-year-old appeared nervous early on with two double faults in a row in the first game.

But after a topsy turvy first set that included five breaks of serve, Williams eventually got a stronghold of the contest.

Williams improved as the match wore on, hitting 23-18 winners, with Kovinic having 28-9 forced errors.

Kovinic won three games in a row after Williams led 2-0 early, but the American responded in the sixth game to break back to square it up and never looked back.

Williams was forced to save four break points in an epic service game before converting set point after back-to-back aces.

The six-time US Open champion broke Kovinic in the fifth game of the second set to assert her control on the contest, before clinching the match by breaking to love.

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Kovinic – 18/25 
Williams – 23/25

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Kovinic – 6/8 
Williams – 9/6

BREAK POINTS WON
Kovinic – 2/10
Williams – 5/11

Former US Open champion Dominic Thiem has been bundled out at Flushing Meadows in the first round by Pablo Carreno Busta 7-5 6-1 5-7 6-3 on Monday.

The Austrian, who was back to defend his 2020 title after missing last year due to a wrist injury, was no match for the 12th-seeded Spaniard, despite coming in with a 7-0 head-to-head record.

Four-time Grand Slam finalist Thiem has struggled for the past 14 months, with a mix of injury and form, only gaining entry at the US Open with a wild card.

Thiem is now ranked 211th in the world and has a 9-10 record this season, albeit with an improved past two months.

Former world number three Thiem had waited 426 days between ATP Tour level wins, when he triumphed at the Swedish Open in July this year.

Carreno Busta, who won in Montreal earlier this month, won in three hours and 18 minutes, rallying back from a 2-4 deficit early to peel off 10 of the next 11 games and claim a two-set lead.

Thiem responded in the third set by breaking in the second game, with Carreno Busta committing more unforced errors, but the Austrian could not maintain the pressure in the fourth.

The Austrian hit 44-31 winners but was not helped by unforced errors (54-32), while his first serve percentage was down at 59 per cent, winning only 58 per cent on his first serve.

Every team after every single draft believes they nailed it with their class of rookies. Yet the percentage of draftees who go on to have a transformative impact in their first NFL season is a small one.

Those players who do hit the ground running as rookies can completely change the direction of their franchise. That was the case in 2021, as fifth overall pick Ja'Marr Chase exploded onto the scene and helped propel the Cincinnati Bengals to within minutes of a Super Bowl victory.

Last season also saw Micah Parsons, the first-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys, establish himself as one of the most fearsome defensive players in the league.

Both Chase and Parsons earned individual honours as they won the Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year awards respectively.

The 2022 NFL Draft was not of the same standard as the 2021 class, but this group of rookies still features several players who could replicate the rise to stardom Chase and Parsons enjoyed in their maiden campaign.

Aidan Hutchinson - Edge Rusher, Detroit Lions

No edge defender in the NFL draft comes into the league as well-rounded as Hutchinson, who has already flashed his tremendous potential in the preseason for the Lions.

With flexibility, power, quickness and a wide array of pass-rush moves in his arsenal, Hutchinson’s pressure rate of 30.8 per cent was the second best of all edge prospects in this year's class.

The tools that saw him amass 14 sacks in his final season with Michigan should translate excellently to the pros and significantly boost a Lions defense that ranked 27th in pass rush win rate last season.

After a 2021 campaign in which they went 3-13-1 but lost six games by one score, the Lions are viewed by many as a team on the rise.

They are unlikely to compete for the playoffs this year but Hutchinson's floor is high enough for him to quickly blossom into a household name with a standout season for a team that should at least take another step forward on the path to contention.

Chris Olave - Wide Receiver, New Orleans Saints

Olave had to wait to hear his name called after former Ohio State team-mate Garrett Wilson, but he is in a better position to immediately succeed at the highest level.

A smooth and detailed route-runner with the speed to test defenses deep, Olave figures to mesh perfectly with a typically aggressive quarterback in the form of Jameis Winston.

The former Buckeye was sixth in burn rate among wide receivers in this class in 2021, winning his matchup with a defender on 69.9 per cent of his targets. He was tied third in burn yards per target (14.08) while recording the second-highest average depth of target (14.3).

With the health of Michael Thomas still a concern, Olave could quickly become the top target in the Saints' offense. Given his proclivity for gaining separation downfield, such an opportunity has the chance to result in substantial production for Olave, provided Winston's encouraging pre-injury form of 2021 does not prove a false omen.

If they get serviceable quarterback play, the Saints have the roster to contend for a return to the postseason and Olave will have a strong chance of following in Chase's footsteps by winning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year if he is a key factor in a campaign that ends in a playoff berth for New Orleans.

James Cook - Running Back, Buffalo Bills

For the past four years, the Bills have not had a player eclipse 870 rushing yards in a season, so it made sense to take a swing on Cook in the second round.

Despite none of their backs coming close to the 1,000-yard mark of late, the Bills are one of only six teams to average at least 150 rushing yards per game across the past three seasons, reaping the benefits of quarterback Josh Allen's dual-threat skill set.

Cook, the younger brother of Minnesota Vikings star running back Dalvin Cook, was a star during his time at Georgia, averaging 6.5 yards per carry for his career with the Bulldogs and finishing his final season with 1,012 scrimmage yards on 140 touches, ranking fifth among Power 5 backs with 7.2 scrimmage yards per touch. He had seven touchdowns on the ground and four through the air as Georgia rode him to their first National Championship since the 1980s.

Cook thrived because of his burst to the second level and his long speed, which could heighten the big-play threat of a running game that racked up 60 runs of 10 yards or more in 2021, the seventh most in the NFL.

And, even when not afforded a huge advantage, Cook can be effective. He was fifth in the NCAA in yards per carry on plays where there was a run disruption.

His recieving skills saw him record 11 receptions of at least 10 yards, tied for 12th among Power 5 backs, last season. Playing in an offense that consistently has defenes fearing the deep ball from Allen, Cook has the potential to become a dynamic short-game weapon who can take advantage of the underneath space he will often be afforded.

Not since LeSean McCoy have the Bills had a back with the all-round ability Cook possesses. Their offense could be borderline unstoppable should the Bills immediately harness his talents and put Cook in position to ascend to his brother's level of stardom as a rookie.

George Karlaftis - Edge Rusher, Kansas City Chiefs

When the Chiefs selected the Purdue edge rusher with the 30th pick of this year’s NFL Draft, it was the highest draft pick they had committed to the position since taking Dee Ford with the 23rd pick back in 2014.

The Chiefs ranked 19th in the league in sacks in 2020, before plummeting to 29th in that category in 2021, illustrating their inability to take care of arguably the defense's most important job – hitting the quarterback.

This past season, the Chiefs blitzed at the eighth-highest rate in the league (28.1%) and were credited with 278 quarterback pressures. Only nine teams produced more in the regular season. But the league's best quarterbacks thrive against the blitz, and a more sustainable formula for defensive success is to create consistent pressure by sending only four rushers.

That is where Karlaftis can thrive.

In his 26 games at Purdue, Karlaftis totaled 29 tackles for loss and 14 sacks, and his pressure rate of 21.9 per cent was the sixth-best among all edge rushers in this draft class.

Set to play alongside Chris Jones, arguably the premier defensive tackle in the NFL not named Aaron Donald, on the Chiefs' front, Karlaftis could become an immediate difference-maker for a Chiefs' team eyeing another Super Bowl push if his monstrous physical traits translate to the NFL as many expect.

Christian Watson - Wide Receiver, Green Bay Packers

The Packers have one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the sport, coming off back-to-back league MVP awards – but it remains to be seen if Aaron Rodgers' weapons are up to the task.

Only Los Angeles Rams receiver Cooper Kupp received more targets in 2021 than Davante Adams, Rodgers' favourite target since 2016 who was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason. Watson was one of the men picked to help fill the void, selected 34th overall this year’s draft out of North Dakota State.

Standing 6ft 5in tall, Watson is a height-weight-speed receiver who ran a 4.36 40-yard dash and has the versatility to do damage as a receiver and out of the backfield. He carried the ball 49 times for his career in Fargo, averaging eight yards per rush and racked up over 20 yards per reception as a pass catcher.

However, he played against weaker competition in the FCS, and has seemingly been usurped on the depth chart this preseason by fellow rookie Romeo Doubs, who was selected in the fourth round. Doubs is younger, has been producing since his true freshman season and may, at this point, be a better football player, but the Packers will need more than one receiving threat to emerge this season and Watson's athletic gifts, duplicity and big-play upside give him the highest ceiling of any receiver on their roster.

If he establishes a rapport with Rodgers, Watson could play a massive role in finally getting the Packers over the top.

Kaiir Elam - Cornerback, Buffalo Bills

The Bills already have one All-Pro cornerback in Tre'Davious White and hope they have found another after using their first-round pick on Elam.

Elam rose up the draft board following an impressive final season with Florida in which he more than held his own against some of the SEC's best.

His performance against Jameson Williams in the Gators' clash with Alabama was one that drew effusive praise and Elam finished the year 10th among all corners in the draft in burn yards per target allowed, giving up 8.52.

Elam's success in providing tight coverage was on display in his preseason debut against the Indianapolis Colts, offering further encouragement he can enjoy a smooth and swift transition to the pros.

A physical and aggressive corner with the speed to stay in lockstep with blazers like Williams, Elam's man coverage skills may allow a Bills defense that was 22nd in blitz rate (22.9%) last year to throw a more diverse array of pressure packages at opponents as they bid to get over the hump and win a first Super Bowl.

Playing across from a corner of White's reputation, Elam will be tested continually. His own profile will grow rapidly should he pass those tests.

Jimmy Garoppolo will be staying with the San Francisco 49ers for the 2022 season after signing a reworked one-year contract.

Garoppolo had been widely expected to be released by San Francisco before Tuesday's deadline for teams to trim their rosters to 53 players ahead of the regular season.

San Francisco had attempted to trade Garoppolo this offseason as part of the transition to Trey Lance as their starting quarterback. The 49ers traded three first-round picks to select Lance with the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

However, a shoulder surgery for Garoppolo complicated the Niners' plans to trade him, with San Francisco unable to find a partner with which to do a deal.

He has worked out away from the team during training camp and preseason but will now serve as the backup to Lance after coming to an agreement on amended terms with the 49ers.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Garoppolo has agreed to a one-year deal worth $6.5million in base salary and $500,000 in roster bonuses. He has bonuses for playing time that could be worth up to $9m.

It is a move that lowers Garoppolo's salary cap number from nearly $27m to just over $8m, giving the 49ers financial flexibility for potential in-season moves and still giving the former New England Patriot the chance to hit the open market in 2023.

Garoppolo arrived in 2017 in a trade with the Patriots. He has a record of 31-14 as a starter for San Francisco and helped the Niners reach Super Bowl LIV in the 2019 season. He and the 49ers were minutes away from another Super Bowl appearance last season, but lost the NFC Championship Game 20-17 to the Los Angeles Rams. 

The 30-year-old completed 68.3 per cent of his passes for 3,810 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions last season.

Garoppolo led the league in yards per completion (12.7) and net yards per attempt (7.68) but was heavily reliant on his receivers creating yards after the catch. Lance, who made two starts while Garoppolo was injured last year, is expected to offer greater upside to the 49er offense with his dual-threat skill set that allows him to make downfield throws that are beyond Garoppolo and excel on the ground as a runner.

The 49ers open the season with a road game against the Chicago Bears on September 11.

Daniil Medvedev says he is not feeling the "extra pressure" of being the defending US Open champion after easing to a 6-2 6-4 6-0 victory over Stefan Kozlov in the first round.

The Russian won the first grand slam title of his career last year when he defeated Novak Djokovic at Flushing Meadows, and started his defence in dominant fashion on Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday.

The world number one broke American outsider Kozlov eight times in a one-sided encounter in New York, in which he struck 37 winners and committed 19 unforced errors 

Top seed Medvedev does not feel burdened by being the man who won the final major of the year in 2021.

"[There is] a little bit [of] extra pressure [in being the defending champion]," he stated, "But mostly, I don't feel it, to be honest.

"Probably the only pressure is I know if I'm not going to play good here, for whatever reason... I will not care that I won it last year, I will just be disappointed that this year did not work out my way."

Medvedev will face Arthur Rinderknech next on Wednesday, after the Frenchman defeated his compatriot Quentin Halys in four sets on day one.

Antoine Griezmann scored the winner just a couple of minutes after coming off the bench as Atletico Madrid beat Valencia 1-0 in a feisty LaLiga clash on Monday.

Griezmann and Thomas Lemar were brought on midway through the second half by Diego Simeone at the Mestalla and they combined to secure all three points.

Griezmann took a pass from Lemar before opening the scoring with a deflected shot to make it two wins out of three for Atleti.

With new signing Edinson Cavani watching on, Valencia had a goal from Yunus Musah disallowed in the first half following a VAR check as they slumped to back-to-back defeats.

Alvaro Morata came close with an early effort from close range, but Valencia started to look the more threatening and it appeared they had taken the lead 25 minutes in.

Musah beat Jan Oblak with a rasping long-range drive, but referee Guillermo Cuadra Fernandez ruled the goal out following a check on the pitchside monitor for a foul by Mouctar Diakhaby on Joao Felix.

Coaches Simeone and Gennaro Gattuso were booked as tempers flared on the touchline, before Joao Felix was denied by Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili.

Fernandez was centre stage again when he sent Thierry Correia off for a professional foul on Morata, but changed his decision and instead dished out a yellow card to the defender.

Mamardashvili used his left foot to keep out Morata's finish when the striker was sent clear right at the end of a frantic first half.

Neither side looked particularly threatening in the second half until Lemar and Griezmann made an instant impact off the bench, the midfielder winning possession and setting up the France forward, whose left-foot shot from outside the area deflected in off Carlos Soler.

Mamardashvili produced an excellent save to thwart Yannick Carrasco after Matheus Cunha had a goal ruled out for offside and Valencia's impressive keeper prevented Griezmann from claiming a double.

Cunha's effort struck the crossbar via a strong hand from Mamardashvili, but Griezmann's goal proved to be enough.

Simona Halep was the first big casualty at the US Open when she was sensationally beaten by qualifier Daria Snigur on day one.

Halep arrived at Flushing Meadows as one of the favourites to win the title after she was crowned Canadian Open champion this month.

The two-time grand slam champion fell at the first hurdle, though, as Ukrainian Snigur consigned her to a stunning 6-2 0-6 6-4 defeat on Louis Armstrong Stadium.

Making her first appearance in the main draw at a major, the unheralded 20-year-old was rewarded for a positive approach, winning eight out of 12 points at the net and breaking five times.

Halep swept the world number 124 aside in the second set, but the outsider claimed the upper hand with break in the first game of the decider and went on to open up a 5-1 lead.

The former world number one showed her fighting spirit to hang in there, reducing the deficit to 5-4, but Snigur demonstrated nerves of steel to serve out the match and looked as shocked as anyone after sealing her place in the second round in New York.

Halep paid the price for 30 unforced errors, crashing out after a run to the semi-final in the last major at Wimbledon.

Inter have confirmed Romelu Lukaku will be absent for at least a week with a thigh injury.

The Belgian forward sustained the issue in a training session on Sunday and will be reassessed next week, though his absence means he will miss two crucial games for the Nerazzurri.

Lukaku will be forced to watch on in Tuesday's Serie A clash against Cremonese and will remain absent for the derby against defending champions Milan this weekend.

It is also likely that the Chelsea loanee will not be able to feature when Inter commence their Champions League campaign against Bayern Munich next week.

A statement on Inter's website confirmed Lukaku had suffered an injury to the flexor of his left thigh and said his condition will be re-evaluated next week.

Reports in Italy have suggested Lukaku could be out for a longer period of 20 days, which would mean missing further clashes against Torino and Udinese in Serie A and Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League.

Inter have picked up six points from their opening three league matches, beating Lecce and Spezia before defeat to Lazio on Friday.

Andy Murray equalled Lleyton Hewitt by claiming his 47th main-draw win at the US Open as he came through a tricky first-round clash with Francisco Cerundolo.

Just under 10 years on from his maiden grand slam triumph at Flushing Meadows, where he famously beat Novak Djokovic in a near five-hour final, Murray overcame 24th seed Cerundolo in relatively short order.

The world number 51 produced one of the more impressive performances since his return from hip surgery to win 7-5 6-3 6-3 in two hours and 42 minutes on the Louis Armstrong Stadium court.

It is a success that moved him level with Australian great Hewitt, with whom he now shares ninth place on the all-time list for the most main-draw wins in New York.

Additionally, it marked Murray's first straight-sets win at a grand slam since his fourth-round victory over Benoit Paire at Wimbledon in 2017.

Cerundolo, meanwhile, is still awaiting his first main-draw win at a major.

He has enjoyed a breakthrough year, winning his first ATP title at the Swedish Open in July and reaching a career-high ranking of 24, but fell at the first hurdle for the third successive major having failed to qualify for the Australian Open at the start of the year.

Murray will play John Millman or Emilio Nava in the second round.

Rory McIlroy said making history is the reason he plays golf, as the world number three could not resist another jibe at the LIV Golf Invitational Series.

McIlroy claimed an unprecedented third FedEx Cup title on Sunday, edging out Scottie Scheffler in a play-off in the final round of the Tour Championship.

The 33-year-old has enjoyed a resurgence in 2022, despite missing out on major glory.

McIlroy has also become a de-facto spokesperson for the PGA Tour amid the divide caused by breakaway competition LIV Golf.

On his official Twitter account, McIlroy had one last swipe at LIV Golf, while outlining his motivation for playing the game.

"It's an absolute privilege to be a member of the PGA Tour, where I have the opportunity to battle players like Scottie in front of the most incredible fans," McIlroy tweeted.

"Having the chance to do something no one else has done by winning three FedEx Cup titles is why I play this game."

McIlroy has won three PGA Tour titles in the 2021-22 season and on Monday confirmed he will take part in the Italian Open next month.

He will aim to get in some early practice for the Ryder Cup, which takes place at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in 2023.

Manchester United have confirmed midfielder Hannibal Mejbri will spend the 2022-23 campaign on loan with Championship outfit Birmingham City.

The Tunisia international, who has made three senior appearances for United since making his bow at the end of the 2020-21 season, is the latest player to make a temporary exit from Old Trafford.

Mejbri follows goalkeeper Dean Henderson and defenders Alex Telles and Eric Bailly as additional departures.

Birmingham's social media accounts celebrated the signing for John Eustace's side with an edited poster for the 1991 film 'The Silence of the Lambs', playing on the 19-year-old's shared name with the character Hannibal Lecter.

A clutch of pre-season appearances during the club's tour of the Far East and Australia suggested an increased role under Erik Ten Hag for Mejbri, but the teenager will now look to gain first-team minutes at St Andrew's instead.

The move will likely bolster the 19-year-old's hopes of cementing his place in the Tunisia squad for the Qatar 2022 World Cup, with the 16-cap international hoping to feature at the end-of-year tournament.

Patrick Vieira had no intention to speak about players at other clubs when asked about Crystal Palace's rumoured move for Conor Gallagher.

The midfielder spent last season on loan at Palace in an impressive first campaign in charge for Viera.

His form for Palace saw the 22-year-old earn his first England call-up and the club's Player of the Year award.

Gallagher has since returned to Chelsea, but has found it hard to impose himself in the same manner so far this term.

An early red card after successive bookings at the weekend against Leicester City, on his second start of the season, has further highlighted his struggles and now reports have emerged of a £27million bid from Palace to bring him back on a permanent basis.

Vieira, however, refused to comment on whether any such move had been launched.

"The way that you are talking, it is like the £27million is on the table," Vieira quipped when asked if a move for Gallagher was on the cards.

"It is difficult to talk about players who are [at] other football clubs. You mention Conor, [but] Conor is a Chelsea player, and until Chelsea say otherwise, there is no point for us to think about what may not be possible to do."

Vieira acknowledged Palace are hopeful of concluding more business before the transfer window shuts on Thursday, adding: "We have people around the world working on trying to improve the squad.

"Like I said, we are short of numbers. We need players, and we will try to bring those players. If not, I am quite really happy with the players that we have, and we will try to win football matches."