Naomi Osaka apologised after a troublesome back injury forced her to withdraw from the Hong Kong Open and cut her comeback season short.
The four-time major champion was expected to feature in the final WTA 500 event of the year but has pulled out, still citing an injury she suffered in the China Open against Coco Gauff this month.
Osaka has posted a 22-17 record since returning from maternity leave, but her comeback campaign was confirmed to have hit an abrupt end on Monday.
"I'm really sorry that I have had to withdraw from competing at the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open and the rest of this tennis season," said Osaka.
"I love visiting the tournament and, despite the obvious disappointment of not being able to play, I want to reassure all my wonderful Hong Kong fans that I will still be attending the event.
"I am very much looking forward to meeting you all.
"There is a wonderful line-up of world-class players coming to the tournament and I want to wish them all the best of luck in this exciting event."
Osaka racked up six victories over top-20 opponents this year, including her first win over a top-10 opponent in two years by beating Jelena Ostapenko in the first round of the US Open.
Peter Johnston, the director of International Events at the Hong Kong, China Tennis Association, offered his well-wishes to Osaka despite her withdrawal.
"We are obviously very disappointed that Naomi has had to withdraw from competing, and we sincerely hope that she makes a speedy recovery from her injuries," he said.
"We are nevertheless confident that we have a stellar field of world-class players to enthuse and excite Hong Kong tennis fans."
Deshaun Watson won't take another snap for the Cleveland Browns this season.
An MRI on Monday confirmed that Watson suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon rupture in Sunday's 21-14 home loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
The results of the tests were expected after the embattled quarterback was injured on a non-contact play with 1:26 remaining in the first half.
Watson took a snap and dropped back to pass, but when he tried to plant his right foot, his leg buckled underneath him. He immediately dropped to the ground and was carted off the field after he was tended to by trainers.
With Sunday's loss, the Browns fell to 1-6 this season.
Watson is in the third year of a five-year, $230million fully guaranteed contract he signed with the Browns in March 2022 after being traded from the Houston Texans.
He has not lived up to the mega-contract, however, playing in just six games in each of his first two seasons in Cleveland before making it to seven this year.
In his first season in 2022, he served an 11-game suspension and in 2023, he was limited to just six starts because of a shoulder injury that required surgery.
In seven games this season, Watson had five touchdowns and three interceptions, ranking 27th in passer rating (79.0) and 31st in pass yards per attempt (5.31).
He was replaced Sunday by Dorian Thompson-Robinson, but he later left with a finger injury and was replaced by Jameis Winston.
The Browns have been a mess offensively and just traded away their top receiver Amari Cooper last week, though they did manage to top 300 yards of total offence Sunday for the first time this season (336).
They still failed to reach 20 points, and their 109 total points are the franchise's fewest through seven games since the 2017 team scored 103.
Aryna Sabalenka has ended Iga Swiatek 11-month reign at the summit of the world rankings ahead of the WTA finals.
Sabalenka previously held the top spot for eight weeks from September to November last year, and has returned once again after a sensational run of form.
The Belarusian has compiled a record of 20-1 since mid-August, during which she claimed her third grand slam title at the US Open after beating home favourite Jessica Pegula.
Sabalenka also recently claimed the Cincinnati Open and Wuhan Open titles, while she also started the year with a major triumph at the Australian Open.
She is the player with the most wins in 2024 with 46, including the women's singles grand slam and WTA-1000 events, one more than Swiatek who is in second.
The next chance for Swiatek to return to number one is the season-ending WTA Finals next month in Riyadh.
Five-time losing finalists, the New York Liberty, can finally call themselves WNBA champions after defeating the Minnesota Lynx 67-62 in overtime of a decisive Game 5 on Sunday night in Brooklyn.
Bahamian Jonquel Jones scored 17 points to lead New York, which was one of the original franchises in the league.
The win gave the city of New York its first basketball title since 1973, when the Knicks won the NBA championship.
With stars Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu struggling offensively, other players stepped up for the Liberty, mainly Leonie Fiebich and Nyara Sabally.
Fiebich, a rookie from Germany, started off overtime with a three-pointer before Nyara Sabally had a steal for a layup to make it 65-60 and bring the sellout crowd to its feet.
Minnesota didn’t score in the extra period until Kayla McBride hit two free throws with 1:51 left.
The Lynx, five-time WNBA Champions, missed all six of their field goal attempts in overtime.
After Ionescu missed a shot with 21 seconds left, her 18th miss in 19 shot attempts, the Lynx had one last chance, but Bridget Carleton missed a three-pointer with 16 seconds left.
Stewart, who missed a free throw with 0.8 seconds left in Game 1, hit two free throws with 10.1 seconds left to seal the victory.
Jones was named Finals MVP with averages of 17.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists on 56 percent shooting throughout the five games.
During Game 5, Jones finished with 17 points, six rebounds and one assist to help the Liberty grab the title.
Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski fears that quarterback Deshaun Watson suffered a season-ending Achilles injury during their 21-14 defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Watson will go through tests to confirm a diagnosis for his injury, which he suffered on Sunday.
But Stefanski did not have a great outlook after the game.
"Obviously, it doesn't look good with the injury," he told ESPN.
"I'll give him a call here in a little but ... disappointed for him. Any of our guys that you lose, you're disappointed because you know much this means to them and how hard they work. It's tough."
Watson's injury was sustained during a non-contact play when his leg hyperextended and he fell to the ground.
It compounds a miserable start to the season for the Browns, who are bottom of the AFC North with a 1-6 record.
Fan frustration was noticeable, with many seeming to cheer Watson's injury after he had been booed during the pregame.
"We don't boo guys that are injured on the field, especially when the cart comes out," said defensive end Myles Garrett said after the game.
"We should be ashamed of ourselves as Browns and as fans to boo anyone and their downfall."
Stefanski was in agreement with Garrett.
"I don't think it's ever OK to cheer when someone's injured. I'm sure it's not every person in the building doing that, but that's disappointing," he said.
Meanwhile, it is feared San Francisco 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk suffered a torn ACL during their 28-18 defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
"That's what it looks like, but we don't know for sure," coach Kyle Shanahan told ESPN. "Been wrong before. So, praying that we are [again]."
Further tests will confirm the exact issue and determine whether Aiyuk will miss the rest of the season.
With fitness problems mounting for the 49ers, Deebo Samuel was also announced to be suffering from illness before kick-off but was still expected to play.
He was withdrawn after four snaps with no catches or carries.
"Throat, stomach things, just real fatigued," Shanahan said, on Samuel. "Struggled to breathe, couldn't catch his breath ... he kept trying to fight through it, but once he was struggling with the breathing and everything, we had to shut him down."
Aiyuk's teammates, meanwhile, were vocal in their disappointment at potentially missing the wide receiver for the remainder of the season.
"It sucks," said tight end George Kittle. "I love Brandon Aiyuk, the energy that he brings, what he can do on the football field, routes, catching the ball. He's an incredible football player. You can't really replace, in my opinion, one of the best receivers in the NFL."
Quarterback Brock Purdy echoed Kittle's sentiments.
"What BA does for our offense and who he is and as a teammate and the brother of ours, man, it's sad," he said.
"Wish him nothing but the best and praying for him. So that's my guy. And when he goes down like that, obviously we have other guys that can step up and do their job really well ... we all just got to come together as a group collectively, the receiver unit and all of us."
Lando Norris described the decision to penalise him for a passing move that saw both him and Max Verstappen go off the track as a "momentum killer" in the race for the Formula One Drivers' Championship.
The penalty given to Norris saw him leapfrogged by Verstappen onto the podium positions, with the McLaren driver dropping from third to fourth.
Following the race, the gap between Norris and Verstappen in the Drivers' Championship was 57 points with five to go and 146 points available.
The United States Grand Prix started controversially, with both Norris and Verstappen jostling for position on the first corner in a way that allowed race winner Charles Leclerc to gain ground on the duo.
While Norris admitted he had "driven like a muppet" at that point, an incident with four laps to go was more pertinent.
With Norris attempting an overtake, Verstappen defended the inside and both cars ran off the track with Norris emerging in front. The McLaren driver was penalised for overtaking off the track, although he saw it a different way.
"For me, the thing that is incorrect is what Max did, which is defend his position by going off the track and effectively keeping his position," he told BBC Sport.
"He over-defended and made a mistake and gained from that. I had to go off the track.
"It is impossible for people to know whether I could have made it on the track or couldn't, therefore you cannot steward that kind of thing."
Norris thought that the stewards should have waited to review the incident with both drivers after the race had finished.
"It's just a rash decision," he said. "They don’t hear or understand our points, which they should do after the race. They just want to make a decision at the time so they don’t alter points and podiums and things like that.
"But they don’t hear my point or my team's point or Max's point, which I don't think is the most correct thing. But today it's a penalty and there's not a lot I can do apart from accept that.
"It was a great battle. Max defended very well but he ended up on top and congrats to him."
Despite his magnanimous comments, Norris' frustration was palpable as he claimed that race officials were "just guessing."
He added: "I don’t think that's how stewarding should be done".
Cheryl Reeve lashed out at the officiating after her Minnesota Lynx team lost 67-62 to the New York Liberty in Game 5 of the WNBA Finals.
The Liberty clinched their first championship with an overtime victory on Sunday.
Yet Reeve, who has won four titles with the Lynx, was left seething after a disputed foul handed New York's Breanna Stewart the chance to restore parity with 5.2 seconds of the game remaining in regulation time.
She did not hold back during her postgame media duties.
"We know we could have done some things, right, but you shouldn't have to overcome to that extent," Reeve said.
"This s*** ain't that hard. Officiating is not that hard.
"Bring it on, because that s*** was stolen from us.
"This is for a championship, for both teams. Let them decide it. What contact is legal should be the same for both teams."
Reeve was not the only big name to criticise the officiating.
LeBron James posted on X: "I'm sorry but that wasn't a foul! Let the damn players dictate the outcome of a close battle-tested game."
Damian Lillard posted on X, too.
"Refs called this game like they knew the assignment in the second half boy. Great game," he wrote.
While Reeve and the Lynx will have to accept defeat, the Liberty celebrated a famous moment in their history.
"This is something special right here and I'm trying not to cry," said Stewart, who finished with 13 points, 15 rebounds and four assists.
"We had some ups and downs. This series was tough but we fought through because we wanted to bring it home to this city and this crowd."
Jonquel Jones top-scored with 17 points and was named the WNBA Finals MVP.
"I could never dream of this," said Jones. "It's the biggest moment and you have to lock in if you want to be a champion. It was all about this and us winning together because we really love each other."
The Kansas City Chiefs got the better of the San Francisco 49ers once again, only this time without an MVP-like performance from Patrick Mahomes.
Kansas City used a strong running game and another excellent effort on defence to keep its perfect 2024 record intact with Sunday's 28-18 win over the 49ers, the first meeting between the teams since the Chiefs' overtime victory in Super Bowl LVIII back in February.
Kareem Hunt had two of four Kansas City rushing touchdowns and the Chiefs amassed a season-high 184 yards on the ground to move to 6-0 and record their 12th straight victory when including play-off games. The two-time defending NFL champions have not lost since a 20-14 defeat to the Las Vegas Raiders on Christmas Day.
The Chiefs offset Mahomes' two interceptions and a 154-yard passing day from the three-time Super Bowl MVP by picking off Brock Purdy three times, including twice in the second half, to help them pull away in the fourth quarter.
San Francisco dropped to 3-4 and was dealt with another significant injury to a key player when wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk exited in the second quarter with a right knee injury. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said afterward the team believes Aiyuk sustained a torn anterior cruciate ligament that would end his season.
Purdy did rush for two touchdowns but was held to 212 yards on 17-of-31 passing. George Kittle recorded six catches for 92 yards in the loss.
Touchdown runs of one and six yards from Hunt in the second quarter staked the Chiefs to a 14-6 half-time lead, though Deommodore Lenoir's interception of Mahomes and 33-yard return set up Purdy's 1-yard touchdown plunge early in the third quarter that trimmed the margin to two points. 49ers kicker Anders Carlson missed the extra point.
San Francisco's next two drives ended in Purdy interceptions, however, and the Chiefs scored touchdowns on their first two possessions of the fourth quarter to separate. Mahomes had the first with a 1-yard run, while Mecole Hardman scored on an 18-yard jet sweep with 3:09 left to put the game out of reach.
Lions hand Vikings first loss on late field goal
The Minnesota Vikings were the NFL's only other unbeaten team entering Week 7, but their five-game winning streak to start the season came to an end when Detroit's Jake Bates made a 44-yard field goal with 15 seconds left to give the Lions a hard-earned 31-29 victory.
Minnesota overcame an 11-point third-quarter deficit to take a 29-28 lead with 5:50 remaining on linebacker Ivan Pace's 36-yard touchdown return of a fumble by Lions running back David Montgomery. The Vikings could not convert the ensuing 2-point conversion attempt, however, as Sam Darnold's pass intended for Jordan Addison landed off the mark.
That misfire would prove costly for Minnesota (5-1). Detroit's defence forced a three-and-out on the Vikings' next possession, and the Lions marched 44 yards in eight plays after getting the ball back with 2:32 left to play to set up Bates' winning kick.
The Lions owned a 21-10 advantage at half-time on the strength of two Jahmyr Gibbs touchdown runs, including a 45-yard scamper early in the second quarter. Their lead was 28-17 following Jared Goff's second touchdown pass of the day, a 21-yard strike to Kalif Raymond with 5:43 left in the third quarter.
Goff completed 22 of 25 passes for 280 yards and no interceptions in the fourth straight win for Detroit (5-1). The veteran became just the fourth quarterback in NFL history to record a passer rating of 140 or more in three consecutive games.
Gibbs finished with 116 rushing yards on 15 attempts, while Amon-Ra St. Brown caught Goff's first touchdown pass and recorded 112 yards on eight receptions.
Aaron Jones had a 34-yard touchdown run in the first quarter for Minnesota and ended with 93 yards on 14 carries. Justin Jefferson led the Vikings with 81 receiving yards on seven catches and had a 25-yard touchdown grab from Darnold in the third quarter.
Wilson's solid Pittsburgh debut helps send Jets to fourth straight loss
Russell Wilson threw for two touchdowns and ran for another in his long-awaited first game with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who extended the New York Jets' struggles by pulling away for a 37-15 victory.
After missing the season's first six games with a lingering calf injury, Wilson completed 16 of 29 passes for 264 yards with touchdown connections to George Pickens and Van Jefferson to help Pittsburgh (5-2) move a half-game up on the Baltimore Ravens for first place in the AFC North.
New York (2-5), meanwhile, dropped three games behind the first-place Buffalo Bills in the AFC East after dropping its fourth straight game during what's been a turbulent season for the expected contenders. The Jets are now 0-2 since firing head coach Robert Saleh on Oct. 8 and replacing him with defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich.
While Wilson had a productive Pittsburgh debut, Davante Adams had a quiet one in his first appearance since being acquired by the Jets from the Las Vegas Raiders earlier in the week. The accomplished receiver and former Green Bay Packers team-mate of Aaron Rodgers was held to 30 yards on three catches.
Rodgers was intercepted twice by Beanie Bishop as the Jets failed to hold on to a 15-6 second-quarter lead. The Steelers scored the game's final 31 points and outscored New York by a 24-0 margin in the second half.
Bishop's first interception ignited the rally, with the turnover leading to Wilson's 11-yard touchdown pass to Pickens that pulled Pittsburgh within 15-13 at half-time.
The rookie cornerback came through again midway through the third quarter, as he snared a deep pass that fell out of the hands of New York's Garrett Wilson and returned the pick 41 yards to the Jets' 1-yard line. Wilson scored on a quarterback sneak on the following play to give the Steelers a 23-15 advantage.
Pickens finished with 111 yards on five catches for Pittsburgh, which also received 102 rushing yards and a fourth-quarter touchdown from Najee Harris.
Breece Hall had a rushing touchdown for New York and led the Jets with 103 receiving yards on six catches. Rodgers finished 24 of 39 for 276 yards with one touchdown in addition to the two picks.
Commanders crush Panthers despite star rookie Daniels' departure
The Washington Commanders lost quarterback Jayden Daniels to a rib injury in the first quarter, though Marcus Mariota stepped in capably for the rookie sensation and helped the NFC East leaders to a 40-7 rout of the Carolina Panthers.
Mariota completed 18 of 23 attempts for 205 yards with touchdown passes to Zach Ertz and Ben Sinnott as Washington (5-2) rolled to its most lopsided win since 2015 despite Daniels exiting after just one drive. The 2024 No. 2 overall pick is scheduled for further testing Monday, and Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said after the game he had yet to receive an update on the injury.
Washington also received a 67-yard interception return touchdown from edge rusher Dante Fowler in the first quarter and four field goals from Austin Seibert for the game. Brian Robinson Jr. rushed for a team-high 71 yards with a touchdown on 12 carries, while Terry McLaurin had 98 receiving yards on six catches for the Commanders.
Fowler's pick was one of two by the Washington defence against Andy Dalton, who managed just 93 yards on 11-of-16 passing before being relieved late by 2023 No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young.
Chuba Hubbard had 52 rushing yards for Carolina (1-6) and scored the Panthers' lone touchdown with a 4-yard run early in the fourth quarter, after the Commanders had built an overwhelming 37-0 lead after three periods.
Barkley burns former team for 176 yards as Eagles cruise past Giants
Saquon Barkley's return to MetLife Stadium was a memorable one, as the first-year Philadelphia Eagle piled up 176 rushing yards and a touchdown to lead his new team to a 28-3 victory over the New York Giants.
Facing the Giants for the first time since leaving New York to sign a three-year, $37.5 million contract with Philadelphia in the offseason, Barkley registered the second-highest single-game rushing total of his seven-year career. He spent the first six of those seasons with the Giants and ranks fourth in team history with 5,211 rushing yards.
Philadelphia (4-2) also received a dominant effort on defence en route to its second straight win, as the unit racked up eight sacks and held New York (2-5) to 119 total yards.
Daniel Jones took seven of those sacks and mustered just 99 yards on 14-of-21 passing before being pulled after three quarters in favour of backup Drew Lock.
Barkley ripped off a 55-yard run in the second quarter and later finished that drive with a 3-yard touchdown to break a scoreless tie with 8:58 left before half-time.
The Eagles extended the lead to 14-0 less than five minutes later when Jalen Hurts hit A.J. Brown with a well-thrown deep ball on 4th-and-3 for a 41-yard touchdown.
Hurts added a pair of 1-yard touchdown runs in the second half and finished with 114 passing yards while completing 10 of 14 attempts. Brown led all receivers with 89 yards on five catches.
Newcomer McManus boots winning field goal as Packers edge Texans
Brandon McManus capped his Green Bay debut with a 45-yard field goal as time expired to give the Green Bay Packers a 24-22 win over the Houston Texans in a clash of teams off to strong starts.
After the AFC South-leading Texans took a 22-21 lead on Ka'imi Fairbarin's 35-yard field goal with 1:44 left, Jordan Love drove the Packers into range for McManus' kick that put an end to a three-game winning streak for Houston (5-2).
McManus signed with the Packers on Wednesday, more than four months after being released by Washington following allegations he sexually assaulted two flight attendants while traveling to London last season while then with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The NFL announced last month it found no evidence the veteran kicker violated its personal conduct policy.
Love shook off two first-half interceptions to throw for 220 yards and three touchdowns in the third straight win for Green Bay (5-2). The young quarterback delivered scoring strikes to Tucker Kraft and Dontayvion WIcks in the second quarter, then later found Josh Jacobs for an 8-yard touchdown that put the Packers up 21-19 in the third quarter.
Jacobs rushed for 76 yards on 12 carries in addition to his touchdown catch, while Romeo Doubs compiled eight catches for 94 yards for Green Bay.
Houston received 115 rushing yards and two touchdowns from Joe Mixon but got an off day from C.J. Stroud. The 2023 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year was held to 86 yards on 10-of-21 passing while being sacked four times by a Green Bay defence that yielded just 197 total yards.
Tommy Edman drove in four runs with a homer and a double as the Los Angeles Dodgers captured their 25th National League pennant with Sunday's 10-5 victory over the New York Mets in Game 6 of the NL Championship Series.
Will Smith added a two-run homer to help set up a World Series clash between two of baseball's most storied franchises in the Dodgers and the American League champion New York Yankees. Game 1 of the best-of-seven series will take place Friday in Los Angeles.
The Dodgers and Yankees will be meeting for the 12th time in a World Series, the most frequent matchup of any two teams in the event's history, though they last opposed one another in 1981.
This World Series will also pit this season's likely MVP winners against one another in Los Angeles' Shohei Ohtani and the Yankees' Aaron Judge. It will be the first World Series appearance for both star sluggers.
Ohtani finished 2 for 4 with a run-scoring single and two runs scored in Sunday's clincher, in which Dodgers manager Dave Roberts used seven pitchers in a bullpen game.
Ben Casparius received the win with 1 1/3 scoreless innings in relief of Michael Kopech, who walked two batters in the first inning and gave up the game's first run when Pete Alonso drove in Francisco Lindor with an infield single.
The Dodgers countered with two runs in their half of the first, with both Ohtani and Teoscar Hernandez reaching on singles off Mets starter Sean Manaea before Edman knocked in each with a double.
Los Angeles knocked Manaea out during a third inning in which they scored four times to increase their lead to 6-1.
Edman followed Hernandez's single with a two-run homer to start the big inning. Manaea then walked Max Muncy, who later crossed the plate on Smith's homer off Phil Maton to further extend the margin.
Manaea, who beat Los Angeles in Dodger Stadium in Game 2, was tagged for five runs on six hits in two-plus innings of work.
The Mets did close the gap in the fourth on Mark Vientos' two-run homer that cut the lead to 6-3, but Ohtani plated Smith with a single in the sixth to put Los Angeles ahead by four runs.
After the Mets scored once in the seventh to get back within three, the Dodgers put the game away with a three-run eighth.
Mookie Betts doubled in the first of those runs before Hernandez brought in Ohtani with a sacrifice fly for a 9-4 advantage. Edman later reached on a fielder's choice before coming home on Enrique Hernandez's single.
The New York Liberty captured their first WNBA championship in franchise history by outlasting the Minnesota Lynx 67-62 in overtime of Sunday's decisive Game 5 of the league FInals.
After Breanna Stewart made two free throws with 5.2 seconds left in regulation to force extra time, the Liberty held the Lynx without a field goal during the additional five-minute period to claim the title that had eluded one of the WNBA's charter teams for the first 27 seasons of its existence.
New York had reached the Finals five times previously and was ousted in four games by the Las Vegas Aces in last year's championship round.
The Liberty, who finished the regular season with a league-best 32-8 record, did manage to prevail in this winner-take-all showdown despite the shooting struggles of its top two stars, Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu.
Ionescu missed 18 of 19 field goal attempts while limited to five points, while Stewart went 4 of 15 on a night New York misfired on 21 of its 23 shots from 3-point range.
Stewart did pull down 15 rebounds while finishing with 13 points, however, and the Liberty got a big lift from Jonquel Jones as the All-Star center posted 17 points and six rebounds while being named WNBA Finals MVP.
Second-seeded Minnesota, seeking to become the first team to win five WNBA titles, got 22 points from Napheesa Collier and 21 from Kayla McBride. The Lynx failed to hold onto a 12-point second-quarter lead, however, and went 0 of 6 from the field in overtime to come up just short in their bid for a first championship since 2017.
Minnesota owned a 60-58 lead entering the final minute of regulation after Collier capped a 6-0 run with consecutive baskets. The Lynx came up empty on their next two possessions, though, before Stewart was fouled by Alanna Smith and knocked down both free throws to tie the contest.
After McBride missed a would-be game-winning 3-pointer just before the buzzer, the Liberty scored the first five points of overtime and never trailed thereafter.
Leonie Fiebich began extra time with a 3-pointer to put New York ahead, and Nyara Sabally later stole McBride's errant pass before converting a layup that extended the lead to 65-60 with 3:14 to go.
Charles Leclerc says Ferrari "couldn't have dreamed for better" after claiming his third victory of the Formula One season at the United States Grand Prix.
The Monagasque started fourth on the grid but slipped ahead of Lando Norris and Max Verstappen on Turn One at the start of a dominant performance.
His Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz claimed second place but failed to put Leclerc under any pressure as he coasted along at the front of the pack.
It is the 87th time the Italian team have achieved a one-two in their F1 history, while Leclerc took his eighth win in his career.
The 27-year-old, however, was pleased with the way the team overcame what he said had started as a tough weekend in Austin.
"Very happy, it hasn't been an easy weekend until now. I have been struggling with the feeling in the car, but I had the confidence in the race and the feeling was better," he said.
"We said in the sprint race we weren't scared, but we felt that the others will improve, but today we still had the upper hand, so really happy with how it went today, a one-two for the team. We couldn't have dreamed for better.
"Very happy [to get the first Ferrari one-two in the US in 18 years], and now we are still targeting the title, it's still a long way to go, but it's a good start to this triple header."
Leclerc now sits just 22 points behind Norris, who finished fourth behind Verstappen, in the drivers' championship, while Ferrari are just 48 points off McLaren in the race for the constructors' championship.
Having snuck in front of the two title challengers so early in the race, Leclerc was happy that he was able to hold onto his lead throughout.
"It was a pretty good Turn One, that is exactly how I wanted to do, we had a good launch, and I knew it would be tight," he added.
"[Saturday], I was a bit of a victim being in the wrong place at the wrong time, [on Sunday] I gained from it and that helped a lot in our first stint because we had a lot of mega pace.
"In the second stint it was all about managing behind, but we did a great job, the pace of the car this weekend was really good and that's thanks to the engineers.
"They've been working like crazy to bring the upgrades that we had in Singapore, and it seems to be paying off. Everything worked out well, and we are really, really happy."
Jamaican judoka Ebony Drysdale-Daley is considering legal action against the Jamaica Judo Federation (JJA) after her one-year ban, which was imposed in June 2024, was overturned by the JJA Appeals Committee last week. The athlete, who became Jamaica’s first judoka to compete at the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2021, expressed her relief at returning to the sport she loves but voiced disappointment over how the situation was handled by the federation.
“I feel really relieved that I can come back to the sport I love. It’s been so depressing not being able to be a part of something that’s been a part of most of my life,” said Drysdale-Daley. “I feel hugely disappointed, the way I felt abandoned, it’s been very hurtful and I am now considering suing.”
One of her legal representatives, Dr. Emir Crowne, lashed out at the JJA, describing their actions as shocking and unjustified. He criticized the federation for imposing the ban without granting Drysdale-Daley the opportunity to defend herself, stating that it was one of the most egregious cases he had encountered in his legal career.
“It is absolutely shocking what the Jamaica Judo Federation has done to Ms. Drysdale-Daley, a promising Olympian,” Dr. Crowne said. “It banned her on the heels of an Olympic qualifying event, where she was ranked No.1 and would have received a bye to the finals, thereby earning enough points to qualify for the Olympics, irrespective of whether she placed first or second.”
The suspension was initially imposed by JJA President Dwayne Barnett under the federation’s Vexatious Complaints and Unacceptable Behaviour Policy, citing a violation of the federation’s Code of Ethics. Drysdale-Daley was accused of actions that allegedly brought the JJA into disrepute. The suspension letter, issued on July 26, 2024, notified her of the one-year ban, which would last from June 13, 2024, to June 12, 2025.
The JJA justified conducting the disciplinary hearing without Drysdale-Daley’s presence, claiming it was in line with the policy. However, the Appeals Committee found significant procedural errors, including the failure to notify Drysdale-Daley of informal resolutions or grant her the opportunity to respond to the accusations.
In his statement, Dr. Crowne further criticized the JJA’s handling of the case. “To ban her in those circumstances, and completely deprive her of any right to be heard or any due process at all, is absolutely indefensible. The initial ban—of indefinite duration—was apparently initiated by the President, Mr. Dwayne Barnett, and then replaced with a one-year ban by the Executive Committee (of which Mr. Barnett was a member). Even the appeal itself, Mr. Barnett appeared for the Jamaica Judo Federation in defense of the Executive Committee’s decision. It was akin to a High Court judge appearing before the Court of Appeal defending his decision. Most unusual.”
The Appeals Committee, after reviewing the case, found that the JJA had not adhered to its own policies or Statutes. The Committee ruled that the Vexatious Complaints and Unacceptable Behaviour Policy was invoked prematurely, without exhausting reasonable measures to resolve the issue through informal dialogue, as required. Additionally, the Committee found no evidence that Drysdale-Daley was formally invited to appear before the Executive Committee, further invalidating the decision to suspend her.
As a result, the Appeals Committee overturned the suspension and reinstated Drysdale-Daley’s membership with immediate effect, highlighting that the federation’s actions violated its governance structures.
“At the end of the day, the Appeals Committee ‘saw through’ the glaring transparency breaches committed by the Jamaica Judo Federation and ordered that her membership be reinstated with immediate effect,” Dr. Crowne added. “To say that this is one of the most egregious cases I’ve seen in my career would be an understatement. It is but another example of a federation acting with absolute impunity. ‘Wrong and strong’ till the end.”
With her membership restored, Drysdale-Daley can now return to competitive judo. However, her legal team is now exploring the possibility of suing the JJA for damages caused by the suspension, which came at a critical time as she aimed to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
As the dust settles on her successful appeal, the legal battle between Drysdale-Daley and the JJA may be far from over.
Ferrari claimed an impressive one-two finish at the United States Grand Prix, with Charles Leclerc dominating to take the win.
Starting from fourth, the Monegasque took advantage of Lando Norris' distraction in his attempt to hold off Max Verstappen, slipping in front to take the lead on the very first corner.
While Carlos Sainz attempted to try and close the gap to his team-mate as he challenged for the win, he did not have enough to force a nervy finish for Leclerc.
That meant all eyes were drawn to the fight for third place, as Verstappen attempted to hold off title rival Norris, though he could only hold out until Turn 12 on lap 52.
The Brit finally got the move around the Red Bull driver, but came off the track to do so, and was handed a five-second penalty, which meant he finished in fourth behind Verstappen.
It means the Dutchman, who won the sprint on Saturday, increases his lead over Norris to 57 points in the drivers' championship with five races to go.
Meanwhile, George Russell had to start from the pit lane after a crash in qualifying but, remarkably, finished sixth – behind Oscar Piastri – the place he was supposed to start from.
But it was a disappointing day for his Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who spun out inside the first three laps – on the same corner where Russell crashed in qualifying – and was unable to finish the race.
Data Debrief: All eyes on Ferrari
It was a brilliant race from Leclerc, even if his win became a slight footnote due to Norris and Verstappen's eye-catching battle further back.
This was his eighth win in Formula One, and his third in 2024, his joint-most in a calendar year during his racing career (also three in 2022).
And it was a good day for Ferrari, who achieved the 87th F1 one-two in their history, and their second of 2024 - it is the first time they have achieved two in a single year since 2017.
Top 10
1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
2. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
4. Lando Norris (McLaren)
5. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
6. George Russell (Mercedes)
7. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
8. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)
9. Liam Lawson (RB)
10. Franco Colapinto (Williams)
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Drivers'
1. Max Verstappen - 354
2. Lando Norris - 297
3. Charles Leclerc - 275
Constructors'
1. McLaren - 544
2. Red Bull - 504
3. Ferrari - 496
Little has gone right for Deshaun Watson in 2024, and now it appears his season could be over.
The embattled Cleveland Browns quarterback suffered a right Achilles tendon injury on a non-contact play against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
The injury occurred on a second down with 1:26 remaining in the first half when Watson took a snap and dropped back to pass.
When he tried to plant his right foot, it buckled underneath him, and he immediately dropped to the ground.
Cleveland's training staff rushed out to tend to him and Watson was carted off the field. He was replaced by Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
The Browns announced he sustained an Achilles injury, and NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported it is feared to be a tear, which will likely end his season.
Watson has been criticised for his poor play this season and the Cleveland fanbase had been calling for coach Kevin Stefanski to bench him.
In the first six games of the season, Watson had five touchdowns and three interceptions and led the Browns to just one victory. Among qualifying QBs, he ranked 28th in passer rating (76.6) and 31st in pass yards per attempt (5.13).
He was playing well before his injury, however, completing 15-of-17 passes for 128 yards.
The injury could bring an end to a massively disappointing tenure with Cleveland after the Browns signed Watson to a fully guaranteed $230million contract in 2022.
He only played in six games in his first season with Cleveland because of an 11-game suspension by the NFL, and was limited to just six starts last season because of a shoulder injury that required surgery.
The suspension of Jamaican judoka Ebony Drysdale-Daley by the Jamaica Judo Federation (JJA) has been overturned following a hearing by the Appeals Committee last week. The committee ruled that the federation failed to follow proper procedures in enforcing its Vexatious Complaints and Unacceptable Behaviour Policy, resulting in an invalid disciplinary process.
The Appeals Committee, chaired by Rashid Hall and Lyle-Anthony Golding, convened on October 14, 2024, to hear the appeal submitted by Drysdale-Daley, who had been handed a one-year suspension by the JJA for allegedly violating its Code of Ethics. The suspension, which was originally set for the period June 13, 2024 to June 12, 2025, had been imposed by the JJA’s Executive Committee, which included President Dwayne Barnett, Vice-President Marvin Anthony Rickards, and Treasurer Fernando Gonzalves.
During the hearing, Drysdale-Daley was represented by Dr. Emir Crowne, Matthew Gayle, Jason Jones, and Sayeed Bernard, while Dwayne Barnett represented the JJA.
The case centered around the JJA’s use of its Vexatious Complaints and Unacceptable Behaviour Policy to justify Drysdale-Daley’s suspension and the decision to conduct a disciplinary hearing without her being present. However, the Appeals Committee found significant procedural flaws in the federation’s handling of the case.
Drysdale-Daley, who became Jamaica’s first judoka to compete at an Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020, claimed the JJA initially registered her for an event in Lima, Peru, but later removed her, depriving her of the opportunity to challenge Ashley McKenzie for the sole available judo spot for Jamaica. McKenzie had secured a silver medal at the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games last year.
“They have removed me from the competition registry. I feel the Jamaican Judo Association has favoured the other athlete in contention over me. They have effectively secured the other athlete’s qualification ahead of mine by blocking me from this final tournament, of which I have paid flights for,” Drysdale-Daley said.
The Dwayne Barnett-led JJA, in a statement, firmly denied these accusations, asserting that the federation’s decisions were based on adherence to deadlines and procedures, including missed Anti-Doping tests, which Drysdale-Daley reportedly failed to attend.
“The JJA categorically refutes any claims of impropriety or personal interests influencing the selection process. The General Secretary and other mentioned individuals have no personal or vested interests that would compromise the integrity of these processes,” the statement read.
She was subsequently suspended.
One of the key issues identified was the failure to exhaust all reasonable measures before invoking the policy, as outlined in Point 1.4 of the policy, which mandates that it should be used "only as a last resort." The Appeals Committee determined that there were no attempts by the JJA to resolve the matter through informal channels or standard procedures before resorting to disciplinary action.
Additionally, the Appeals Committee found that Drysdale-Daley was not properly notified or given an opportunity to address the situation before sanctions were applied, violating Point 4.2 of the policy. This failure to follow due process rendered the JJA’s decision invalid.
Further scrutiny of the JJA’s Statutes also revealed that Drysdale-Daley had not been formally invited to appear before the Executive Committee to address the accusations against her, as required by Article 17. This failure to follow the association’s own statutes constituted another breach, further invalidating the suspension.
In its ruling, the Appeals Committee concluded that the Jamaica Judo Federation had not adhered to the correct procedures in both invoking the Vexatious Complaints and Unacceptable Behaviour Policy and enforcing its Statutes. Consequently, the committee overturned the suspension and ordered Drysdale-Daley's immediate reinstatement as a member of the federation.
Nearly seven months after being acquired by the New York Jets, Haason Reddick is ready to join his new team.
Reddick is ending his hold-out and will report to the Jets on Monday after the two sides agreed to an adjusted contract for the remainder of this season.
As part of the agreement, which came Sunday, New York will waive the $12million in NFL-mandated fines that Reddick amassed while holding out.
Reddick, who recently switched to Drew Rosenhaus as an agent, and the Jets will continue to work on a long-term deal beyond this season.
The Jets acquired Reddick from Philadelphia in late March after he had initially asked the Eagles for a new contract.
Since passing his physical with the Jets, he had not joined his new team for any activities. Due to make $14.25million in 2024 in the final year of his deal, he skipped both their voluntary and mandatory mini-camp and has been holding out since the start of training camp.
In August, Reddick informed New York he wanted to be traded.
Shortly after the news of Reddick's trade demand broke, the Jets announced they wouldn't honour his request.
Just last week, however, New York gave him permission to seek a trade with his new agent.
He is now finally joining the Jets and could be on the field for their Week 8 game against the New England Patriots.
Drafted 13th overall by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2017 draft, Reddick has emerged as one of the league's premier pass rushers over the last four seasons.
Since 2020, his 14 forced fumbles are the most in the NFL, while his 50 1/2 sacks rank fourth.
The 29-year-old was named to his second Pro Bowl team last season when he registered 11 sacks and 13 tackles for loss.
In 2022, his 16 sacks trailed only Nick Bosa's 18 1/2 for the most in the NFL.
Lando Norris believes he produced the best lap of his career in qualifying for the United States Grand Prix, which he will start on pole ahead of Max Verstappen.
Norris, who is 54 points behind Verstappen in the race for the drivers' championship title, qualified 0.031 seconds quicker than the Dutchman in Texas on Saturday.
The McLaren driver was helped by Mercedes' George Russell crashing to prevent any driver improving on their second laps, after Verstappen had started his second attempt much quicker than Norris, only to be forced to abort.
Reflecting on his first lap, Norris said: "It was a beautiful lap. I was not going to go much quicker than I did.
"When you just do a lap and you think it’s going to be tough to beat... I put everything on the line, I needed to do it.
"We’ve not had the pace of the Ferraris or Red Bulls so I had to do something, and I did that.
"It was a very good lap. I can probably say quite confidently the best of my career."
Norris' pole is his fourth in the last five races, with him and team-mate Oscar Piastri posting two race victories apiece in the last four.
Piastri will start Sunday's race fifth, ahead of Russell but behind Ferrari duo Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, who qualified in third and fourth respectively.
Juan Soto hit a three-run homer with two outs in the 10th inning and the New York Yankees defeated the Cleveland Guardians 5-2 to advance to the first World Series in 15 years on Saturday night.
Soto, who was acquired in a seven-player trade with San Diego in December and is an impending free agent, moved the Bronx Bombers into position with one big swing.
The Yankees will try to win their 28th title against either the New York Mets or Los Angeles Dodgers. Game 6 of the NL Championship Series is on Sunday at Dodger Stadium.
In the 10th, Austin Wells walked with one out and Alex Verdugo followed with a grounder to second baseman Andrés Giménez, whose soft toss to the bag was dropped by rookie shortstop Brayan Rocchio for an error.
Gaddis struck out Gleyber Torres and had Soto in a 1-2 count before New York’s stylish outfielder sent a shot over the wall in center. Soto danced down the first-base line and paused to celebrate with his teammates before circling the bases.
Giancarlo Stanton hit a two-run homer – his fourth of the series - for the Yankees, who took care of the Guardians in five games, but it wasn’t easy.
New York won the first two at Yankee Stadium without much fanfare or any major drama. However, it was a different story in Cleveland as all three games at Progressive Field were nail-biters.
The Guardians rallied to win Game 3 on two, two-run homers in their last two at-bats, and the Yankees held on to win Game 4 after blowing a four-run lead.
Cleveland just didn’t have enough and a surprising season under first-year manager Stephen Vogt ended just short of a World Series. The franchise remains without a title since 1948, baseball’s current longest drought.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa could return to action as soon as next weekend after recovering from his latest concussion.
Tagovailoa will reportedly start practising Wednesday with the hopes of playing in Week 8 against the Arizona Cardinals if he doesn’t suffer any setbacks, according to multiple reports.
He reportedly hasn’t dealt with any further issues since sustaining a concussion in a Week 2 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 12.
Tagovailoa was symptom-free shortly after that concussion, and he has consulted with some of the doctors he visited after previous head injuries.
The fifth-year quarterback has endured four concussions in his career, including three since joining the NFL in 2020. He is eligible to come off injured reserve and is eligible to play Oct. 27 against the Cardinals.
He has been taking part in team meetings and standing on the sidelines for every game he has sat out.
The Dolphins have started Skylar Thompson and Tyler Huntley in Tagovailoa’s absence, with Huntley making his third straight start Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts.
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