Alexander Zverev cruised into the second round of the Hamburg Open with a comfortable straight-sets victory over Jesper de Jong.

The top seed took one step closer to defending his title with a 6-2 6-2 victory on Wednesday.

De Jong took the opening game, but Zverev dominated after that, winning the next five in a row, before holding off the Dutchman's late fightback to take the first set.

The second was a carbon copy of the first, as De Jong was broken twice and given no way back in as Zverev closed out the match to set up a meeting with Hugo Gaston in the next round. 

Data Debrief: Defending champion starts strong

After clinching the title on home soil last year, Zverev was always going to come out fighting in his defence.

He hit 29 winners and twice went on five-game winning runs to take the match away from De Jong before he could get any real foothold. 

Luka Modric has signed a one-year contract extension to keep him at Real Madrid until June 2025.

The 38-year-old's previous contract expired at the end of June, but he has reached an agreement to play a 13th season at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Modric signed for Madrid from Tottenham in 2012 and has since made 534 appearances in all competitions, scoring 39 goals and providing 83 assists.

He boasts a club-record 26 trophies, including six Champions League, five Club World Cups, four European Super Cups and four LaLiga titles.

In 46 appearances last season, with many of those off the bench, he scored twice and assisted six goals.

The announcement also confirmed that Modric will be the new club captain following Nacho's departure last month. 

Patrick Mahomes has challenged the Kansas City Chiefs to "get better" as they aim to win an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl.

In February, the Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 to lift the Vince Lombardi trophy for a second consecutive year.

However, it did not look like they would even reach the showpiece match at times due to their inconsistent offense.

Mahomes threw 14 interceptions, the most in a single season in his career, while his receivers dropped 25 catchable passes, the most by any such group since the 2012 Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Chiefs entered the postseason as the number three seed in the AFC, their lowest since Mahomes became the starter in 2018.

Though they still got the glory in the end, the quarterback, who is entering his eighth year, is eyeing some big improvements to ensure they are in a better position to lift the trophy again this season.

"It's time to get better," Mahomes said at the start of the Chiefs training camp. "Every season starts differently.

"You've got to come in with that same mentality you had the year before, even with a higher intensity, and even though we won the Super Bowl last year, we felt like we didn't play our best football, especially offensively.

"So, it's our goal to be better that way and coming in with that mentality every single day.

"The end result [last season] was awesome, but I think a lot of us still have a weird feeling in our mouth.

"It wasn't fun every single week having to try to just continue to get better and better and the results not paying off the way you wanted to.

"It wasn't a lot of fun. We have a lot of those same guys back, and they know how that felt, and so we're going to try to prepare ourselves better this year so that we can play better throughout the season and obviously try to end with the same result."

While the offense were not at their best last season, the defense defined their run to the Super Bowl.

The Chiefs had the second-best defense in the league, allowing an average of just 17.3 points per game in the regular season, and Mahomes is confident they will play a part in improving the level of the squad.

"We added a lot of speed," Mahomes added. "What's better than going against our defense?

"It's the best defense in the NFL, and we get to go against them every single day and really show where we're at and how we can get better."

The Chiefs will kick off the new season against the Baltimore Ravens on September 5.

Thiago Monteiro pulled off a shock in the second round of the Swedish Open, beating Casper Ruud in straight sets to reach the quarter-finals.

The Brazilian took just an hour and a half to see off the second seed 6-3 6-3 in Bastad on Wednesday.

Ruud successfully defended two break points in the opening game but could not gain the upper hand as Monteiro charged forwards, getting two breaks to take the set.

Monteiro continued to dominate in the second, though he only needed one break this time, and comfortably held off the Norwegian in the final game to make it into the next round, where he will face either Pavel Kotov or Duje Ajdukovic.

Data Debrief: Monteiro comes out on top

Monteiro did not give Ruud any sort of opening, winning all of his service games, and 75% of his service points (38/51).

The number two seed did not win more than one game in a row, and he will be hoping to put this result behind him quickly ahead of his doubles quarter-final with Rafael Nadal later on.

Chelsea have launched an internal disciplinary procedure following Enzo Fernandez's social media video which the French Football Federation (FFF) said included an alleged racist chant.

Fernandez, who posted the video in an Instagram live, was chanting a derogatory song about France following Argentina's Copa America victory on Sunday along with some of his team-mates.

The FFF said they will file a legal complaint against Argentina for the video, while Fernandez's Chelsea team-mate Wesley Fofana, who has one cap for France, reposted it on his social media account with the caption: "Football in 2024: uninhibited racism".

Fernandez later apologised for the video, saying he was "truly sorry".

"I want to apologise sincerely for a video posted on my Instagram channel during the national team celebrations," he said.

"The song includes highly offensive language and there is absolutely no excuse for these words.

"I stand against discrimination in all forms and apologise for getting caught up in the euphoria of our Copa America celebrations.

"That video, that moment, those words, do not reflect my beliefs or my character.

"I am truly sorry."

On Wednesday, Chelsea released a statement confirming their own internal investigation.

"Chelsea Football Club finds all forms of discriminatory behaviour completely unacceptable," the statement read. "We are proud to be a diverse, inclusive club where people from all cultures, communities and identities feel welcome.

"We acknowledge and appreciate our player's public apology and will use this as an opportunity to educate.

"The club has instigated an internal disciplinary procedure."

The fourth and final major of 2024 is here, as Royal Troon hosts the 152nd edition of The Open Championship.

Following his remarkable near-miss at the U.S. Open, the event offers Rory McIlroy one last chance to stop his major drought from stretching into an 11th year.

Bryson DeChambeau edged McIlroy out at Pinehurst and should again be among the contenders, while world number one Scottie Scheffler is targeting an improvement after a disappointing showing on home soil.

Ludvig Aberg, Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa – who won the 149th Open three years ago – are also eyeing glory, while Tiger Woods will play his first Open at Troon in 20 years.

Here, we run through the best Opta stats and storylines surrounding the main contenders.

Can McIlroy bounce back?

McIlroy won his third major title at The Open in 2014, beating Rickie Fowler and Sergio Garcia by six shots at Royal Liverpool Golf Club. One month later, he made it four by winning the PGA Championship at Valhalla. 

Who would have thought that 10 years on, the Northern Irishman would still be yet to add another major title to his glittering trophy cabinet?

Perhaps his most gutting near-miss to date came at last month's U.S. Open. Neck-and-neck with DeChambeau at the top of the leaderboard as the final round drew to a close, McIlroy missed two putts from within four yards in the final three holes.

The world number two took three weeks off after that disappointment before struggling on the greens again at last week's Scottish Open, finishing tied for fourth as Robert MacIntyre triumphed on home ground.

McIlroy has had five top-10 finishes in his last seven Open Championship appearances, though, including finishing in the top five on each of his last three Open outings on Scottish soil.

He also finished in a share of fifth at his only previous Open at Troon in 2016, and produced his best Open performance of the last decade when the event was last held in Scotland, finishing third and two shots adrift of Cameron Smith at St. Andrews in 2022.

With 21 top-10 finishes in 37 majors since his 2014 PGA Championship win, McIlroy has generally put himself in contention on the big stage – an improvement he referenced at Tuesday's pre-tournament press conference.

The key, as he earlier told reporters after the Scottish Open, will be getting his putter to "cooperate" when it matters most.

Double bubble for Bryson?

Not since Woods completed his memorable 'Tiger Slam' has any player won the U.S. Open and The Open Championship in the same year.

Woods, of course, captured both titles as he won three straight majors to round off 2000, then kick-started 2001 by triumphing at The Masters.

Tom Watson (1982), Lee Trevino (1971), Ben Hogan (1953), Gene Sarazen (1932) and Bobby Jones (1926 and 1930) are the other players to have won both in the same year.

DeChambeau will attempt to write his name into the history books this week, though his record at The Open leaves plenty to be desired. 

Only in 2022 (T8) has he finished higher than 33rd at the event, a placing he managed in both 2017 and 2021. Across his six participations, he has also missed the cut twice and finished in a share of 60th last year.

The American has really turned up at the majors this year, however, finishing T6 at The Masters and second at the PGA Championship before claiming his second U.S. Open title.

PGA Championship victor Schauffele is the only other player to finish inside the top 10 at each of this year's three majors to date.

Indeed, DeChambeau is 28 under par across this year's opening three majors (-2 at The Masters, -20 PGA Championship, -6 U.S. Open), a better aggregate score than any other player. Write him off at your peril.

Scheffler to stay on top?

Victory at Augusta seemed to be paving the way for a dominant year in the majors for world number one Scheffler, though that has not quite been the case, even if he is enjoying a fantastic season nevertheless.

His arrest on the eve of the PGA Championship was far from ideal preparation for that tournament, and it was followed by a disappointing showing at the U.S. Open.

Will he get back to form at Royal Troon, and become the ninth player to win both The Masters and The Open in the same year, and the first since Woods in 2005?

Scheffler's best finish at The Open was a tie for eighth in 2021. But he has won six of his last 10 tournaments this year (Arnold Palmer Invitational, Players Championship, Masters, Heritage, Memorial and Travelers).

That marks the most wins on the PGA Tour in a calendar year since Woods in 2009.

The last six major tournaments have been won by American players. It is the USA's longest streak of major wins since 1982, and Scheffler is the very best of the bunch.

Can Harman hold onto the title? The other contenders and Woods is back

Four golfers have finished inside the top 10 at each of the last two editions of The Open: McIlroy, Cameron Young, Tommy Fleetwood and Brian Harman, who won the Claret Jug last year.

Harman comes into The Open as the world number 13, though it is worth noting he has only finished in the top 10 in three majors (U.S. Open 2017, The Open 2022 and The Open 2023).

Scottish Open champion MacIntyre is one of only three multiple winners on the PGA Tour this year (he won the Canadian Open in June), along with Scheffler and McIlroy.

Home favourite MacIntyre is aiming to become the first Scottish winner of a major since Paul Lawrie in 1999.

In his three Open Championship appearances so far, Morikawa has either won (2021) or missed the cut (2022, 2023). He is one of two players to win The Open at the first attempt this century, alongside Ben Curtis in 2003.

What about Schauffele? He finally ended his wait for a major title at the PGA Championship earlier this year. Since the 2022 edition of that tournament, the world number three has played in 10 major tournaments and has never finished outside the top 20.

And, finally, Troon will welcome back Woods after a two-decade absence.

The 15-time major champion bit back at a suggestion he should be considering retirement, and will be out to prove his doubters wrong. 

That being said, the last time he made the cut at The Open was in 2018, at Carnoustie (T-6th), and he failed to make the weekend at both the U.S. Open and PGA Championship this year.

Having also finished last of any player to make the cut at this year's Masters, Woods may be up against it at Royal Troon, though is firing on all fronts after Colin Montgomerie's retirement comments.

The course

Royal Troon is hosting The Open Championship for the 10th time. It will become the eighth course to welcome the tournament on 10 or more occasions and only the fourth venue in Scotland to play host that many times, after St. Andrews (30), Prestwick (24) and Muirfield (16). 

The first Open at Troon took place 101 years ago, in 1923, and the course has welcomed the tournament at least once in every decade since the 1950s.

The most recent Open to be held at the venue saw Henrik Stenson edge out Phil Mickelson by three strokes back in 2016. 

At that edition of the tournament, Stenson set records both for the lowest final score at a 72-hole Open (264) and the lowest score to par (20 under), with Smith matching that latter achievement two years ago. 

Does more history await this year?

Jarren Duran hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the fifth inning and the American League scored five unanswered runs to defeat the National League 5-3 in the All-Star Game on Tuesday night in Arlington, Texas.

Shohei Ohtani staked the National League to a 3-0 lead with a three-run homer in the third inning off Tanner Houck, but the American League answered in the bottom half with three runs of its own.

Juan Soto doubled home a pair of runs and scored on pinch-hitter David Fry’s hit one out later.

Hunter Greene opened the bottom of the fifth by getting the first two outs, but Anthony Santander singled and Duran sent an 0-1 pitch 413 feet into the right-center field seats to give the AL a 5-3 lead.

Duran was named All-Star Game MVP.

Mason Miller struck out two in a perfect inning to earn the win and Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo and Kirby Yates each worked one scoreless inning before Emmanuel Clase fanned two in the ninth for the save.

Paul Skenes, 22, became the fifth rookie to start an All-Star Game and pitched a hitless first inning. His 11 big league games are the fewest for an All-Star.

The AL has won 10 of the last 11 All-Star Games and improved to 48-44-2 all-time in the Midsummer Classic.

Gareth Southgate chose the right time to end his England tenure, though he will go down as a Three Lions "legend".

That is according to Southgate's former international team-mate Darren Anderton.

The Football Association (FA) confirmed on Tuesday that Southgate had decided to walk away from his role following the 2-1 Euro 2024 final defeat against Spain.

Southgate, who took charge in 2016, guided his national side to the World Cup semi-finals in 2018, as well as back-to-back Euros finals – becoming the first manager to lose two European Championship showpiece matches.

Anderton, a team-mate of Southgate with England at Euro 1996, believes the time was right.

"I think he's been getting a lot of stick. He's been involved since 2011 with the FA and now eight years as the manager," Anderton told Stats Perform. 

"I feel like he's more negative within the job, the pressure of it, I think is what causes that. From where he took over, we're in an incredible place with fantastic players."

Southgate appeared to grow tired of the repeated negativity surrounding his side at Euro 2024.

Anderton understands some of the frustration, but thinks Southgate will go down as one of England's great managers.

"There's been a lot of negativity and I think rightly so, the standard and the style of football hasn't been what we would hope or what it was when Gareth first took over," Anderton added.

"I feel that he's done a great job and as he said, time for a change. People always say it's the hardest job in the world and he's had a right go at it and been very close to creating history, but he has great history.

"I mean, two finals and that's what he'll be remembered for. I mean at the moment I think everyone's very negative about it but I think you know as time goes on he'll be remembered as a legend."

England are also the first side to ever lose back-to-back Euros, though Anderton does not believe that unwanted feat will tarnish Southgate's legacy.

"I think it'll be a success," Anderton said when asked how Southgate will be remembered.

"At the moment we see it as a failure because I believe that we had the players and the capabilities to win the tournaments. 

"The fact that we haven't done because you know possibly the manner of football that we've played is obviously really disappointing.

"When you watch that Spanish team play and win seven games on the bounce and play with that freedom, I think if we had played in the same way, I think that we would have seen better performances and probably had more chance of winning the tournament. 

"That criticism is fair but also the expectation has obviously gone up because of what Gareth's teams have achieved. When that happens, you know, you go into the tournaments, you're favourites, that wasn't the case before he came.

"We were in a really awful position. Eight years ago, if we go into a tournament, and we think we're going to get to a final or a semi-final World Cup, no one cares how we play.

"I think now the expectation has changed based on what he has achieved, and people want more. And that's just the nature of the beast."

Southgate won 61 of his 102 matches in charge of the national team, with 14 of those victories coming at major tournaments.

Eddie Howe, Graham Potter and Mauricio Pochettino are said to be the early targets for the FA, though England Under-21s boss Lee Carsley could also be in the frame.

Sarina Wiegman lauded the "incredible" impact Gareth Southgate has had on English football after the Three Lions' manager confirmed his exit on Tuesday.

Southgate walked away from his role with England after their 2-1 defeat against Spain in the Euro 2024 final on Sunday.

Having fallen at the same hurdle against Italy, Southgate is the first manager in history to lose two European Championship finals, while England are the first team to suffer defeat at the stage in back-to-back Euros.

England Women's head coach Wiegman knows all too well about the same challenges, though went one further when guiding the Lionesses to Euro 2022 glory on home soil, beating Germany in the final.

The pair will likely no longer see one another around England's headquarters, though the Dutchwoman holds Southgate high in her thoughts.

"To be honest, yes, because he's such a nice person and a great coach," Wiegman told ITV after the Lionesses' goalless draw with Sweden in Gothenburg. 

"We wouldn't see each other all the time, but when we would, it was very nice. What he has done for English football is just really incredible.

"Of course, they made the final again, they made the final at the last Euros too.

"I think he can be very, very proud of himself. I think England is very proud of him and me as a Dutchie, I'm very proud of him too."

Wiegman's side secured qualification for next year's Women's European Championships with their draw in Sweden.

The Lionesses will now head to Euro 2025 aiming to defend their title in Switzerland.