After spending much of his offseason recovering from a right elbow injury, veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford resumed throwing as the Los Angeles Rams opened training camp on Sunday.
"It feels good to get out there," Stafford said. "Definitely knocking some rust off and feeling it again. It's good to get out there and stress it a little bit and see how it reacts."
Stafford, who helped lead the Rams to a Super Bowl title last season, has rested his arm since February and received an anti-inflammatory injection in his elbow.
Stafford and head coach Sean McVay have said that the 14th-year quarterback will have to ease back into a full workload after taking so much time off.
"It's an interesting thing trying to have a little bit of governor on there, and at the same time, just trying to be as smart as I can," Stafford said. "It's a process. Just going to have to sit there and work through it, trust it. We'll figure it out as we go."
McVay told reporters that while Stafford is on a pitch count, it didn’t come into play in Sunday’s camp-opening session.
"[Stafford] was a full participant today," McVay said. "Like him having as much experience as he does, we will continue to build him up.
"We're aware of what that pitch count is, but it didn't restrict him from being able to do anything today."
Acquired last offseason from the Detroit Lions, Stafford was a key reason why the Rams got over the hump to win their first Super Bowl since the 1999 season.
Stafford tied a career high last season with 41 touchdown passes and registered a 102.9 passer rating, starting all 17 games.
He added nine more touchdown passes during the Rams’ postseason run, including six to Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have appeared to have found their replacement for the retired Rob Gronkowski, signing tight end Kyle Rudolph to a one-year contract on Monday.
The deal is reportedly worth $2million and Rudolph can earn an additional $1.5million in incentives.
Gronkowski retired for the second time in his career last month despite having the chance to play another season with Tom Brady, who announced his retirement on Feb. 1 before changing his mind March 13 and returning to Tampa Bay.
In Rudolph, the Buccaneers land a tight end who had 26 catches for 257 yards and one touchdown last season for the New York Giants.
That was Rudolph’s only year with New York after spending his first 10 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, who selected him with the 11th pick of the second round (43rd overall) in the 2011 NFL Draft.
Rudolph earned two Pro Bowl selections while playing for Minnesota, including being named the MVP of the game in 2012 after having five catches for 122 yards and a touchdown.
Rudolph has appeared in 156 regular-season games, hauling in 479 passes for 4,745 yards and 49 TDs.
Third seed Elise Mertens suffered a first-round exit at the Prague Open, while Caroline Garcia dispatched of Misaki Doi in the Poland Open.
Mertens, who reached the fourth round at Wimbledon at the start of July, succumbed to a 6-3 2-6 6-2 defeat to Magda Linette – her first loss to the Pole after three straight-set victories in their previous encounters.
The Belgian got just 52 per cent of her first serves in and won 38.5 per cent of points behind her second serve while only converting one of the five break points she earned.
Sixth seed Alison Van Uytvanck retired in the first set of her match against Dalila Jakupovic, while eighth seed Marie Bouzkova overcame Sinja Kraus 6-2 7-6 (7-2).
In Warsaw, fifth seed Garcia by no means had it easy in a 7-5 6-4 success over Doi.
The Frenchwoman committed eight double faults and only got 55 per cent of her first serves in, but by saving six of the eight break points she faced she was able to get the job done in straight sets.
Polish wildcard Maja Chwalinska was a 7-5 6-2 victor over qualifier Rebeka Masarova in only her second Tour-level tournament.
Lewis Hamilton has backed Max Verstappen to ease towards another Formula One world championship after the Red Bull driver extended his advantage with victory in France.
The defending champion came in ahead of Hamilton and his Mercedes team-mate George Russell, capitalising on Charles Leclerc's error that saw him crash out while holding the lead in the race.
That marked the third time in 2022 that Leclerc's Ferrari has retired from the lead and leaves the Monegasque driver 63 points adrift with just one race remaining before F1's mid-season break.
Leclerc took responsibility for his latest setback and Hamilton offered his condolences to the 24-year-old by admitting he was "gutted" by his departure at the Circuit Paul Ricard.
Though he's urging Ferrari to keep up the fight, he admitted that he does not see any alternative outcome to Verstappen successfully defending his crown.
"It's been great to see the pace of Ferrari this year. I'm gutted for Charles, who's been doing a great job, as has Carlos [Sainz]," he told reporters.
"It's not easy though, having that pace and that performance and maintaining it.
"It's a tough job and I feel for the whole team because I know what that can feel like. But they're a great team, and they'll continue to keep their heads down.
"[There's] massive gaps, obviously pretty huge so that's pretty smooth sailing in that space [for Verstappen] generally.
"But a lot can still go wrong up ahead so I would just advise them to just continue to push."
Raheem Mostert has confirmed he is fit to feature in the Miami Dolphins' training camp.
Mostert has been out of action since Week 1 of last season due to a knee injury.
The running back and his team-mates are scheduled to report for training camp on Tuesday, and on Monday Mostert used his official Twitter account to declare his fitness.
"Wanted to give you all an update," he wrote on Monday. "Yah Boy is CLEARED!!! It's go time!!"
Mostert has been rehabbing his knee since chipping cartilage in the San Francisco 49ers' 2021 season opener.
He underwent surgery in October and signed a one-year contract with Miami this offseason, reuniting him with first-year coach Mike McDaniel, who served as the 49ers' run game coordinator as well as offensive coordinator in San Francisco from 2017 to 2021.
"Being told you may never step on the field again isn't easy to hear," Mostert went on to write. "But when you bet on yourself, your faith, your determination, and modern medicine, good things happen. Hard work pays off! Beyond thankful!!"
The 30-year-old enjoyed his best season with the 49ers in 2019, when he rushed for 772 yards and eight touchdowns with an average of 5.6 yards per carry – the best by a running back with a minimum of 100 attempts – but injuries have limited him to just nine games these past two seasons.
Now entering his eighth season, Mostert is one of three new running backs signed by the Dolphins this offseason, along with Sony Michel, who led the Super Bowl-winning Los Angeles Rams with 845 rushing yards last year, and Chase Edmonds, who rushed for 592 yards and averaged 5.1 yards per carry last season for the Arizona Cardinals.
The Dolphins, who brought back Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed from last year's backfield, struggled mightily to move the ball on the ground last season as only the Houston Texans averaged fewer yards per carry than Miami's average of 3.55 and had fewer plays of 10+ rushing yards than Miami's 34.
Known for his speed, Mostert led all running backs with a minimum of 100 rushes in 2019 in percentage of carries gaining at least 10 yards at 16.8 per cent.
After seemingly implying that Derek Carr is a Hall of Fame quarterback, Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams pumped the breaks on writing his presentation speech for his new team-mate's induction into the NFL Hall of Fame.
During an interview on CBS Sports on Friday, Adams was asked about moving on from Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers to his new quarterback in Carr.
"Anytime you change quarterbacks from Hall of Famer to Hall of Famer… it's going to be a little bit of an adjustment," he replied.
It certainly sounded like he was saying that the four-time league MVP and a Super Bowl MVP Rodgers – who had 37 touchdown passes to only four interceptions in 2021 for his eighth season of 30 or more TD passes – and Carr – who had 23 TD passes to 14 interceptions in 2021 and has not thrown more than 30 TD passes in a season since 2015 – both belong in the Hall of Fame.
Adams clarified that initial comparison and acknowledged he meant it is going to be an adjustment whenever you change quarterbacks.
"What I meant to say was even if you go Hall of Famer to Hall of Famer it's an adjustment," he said.
"Even if it is Hall of Famer to Hall of Famer, there's going to be an adjustment. I wasn't saying Hall of Famer Aaron to Hall of Famer Derek."
While he was quick to see how his original remarks could have been misinterpreted, he still believes his new quarterback could one day join Rodgers in the Hall of Fame.
"What I'm not going to do is take away from that statement because, why is Derek not a Hall of Famer? What I meant, I left one key word out of there because that's not exactly what I meant," he said.
"But I do think that Derek's career is Hall of Fame-worthy, and why not? Does he have the MVPs right now? No. Has he won a Super Bowl? Not yet. That's obviously what we're chasing."
Entering his ninth season in the NFL – all with the Raiders – Carr appeared in his first playoff game this past January – a 26-19 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in which he threw an interception near the goal line in the final seconds.
Carr is a three-time Pro Bowler and the Raiders’ all-time leader in passing yards and passing touchdowns, but he has not had a receiver as dynamic as Adams in recent years.
A five-time Pro Bowler, Adams had career highs of 123 receptions for 1,553 yards last season while also catching 11 touchdowns after hauling in 18 in 2021.
The 29-year-old receiver signed a five-year, $141.25million contract extension after being traded to the Raiders this offseason and is now reunited with his former Fresno State team-mate in Carr as they look to help the franchise to its first postseason win since reaching the Super Bowl in the 2002 season.
"But what I'm not going to do is say Derek is not going to be a Hall of Famer because at the end of the day I believe, and this is not putting any expectations or any added pressure on him because he puts that type of pressure on himself because of what he expects every time he touches the field," Adams said.
"But yeah, I did not mean to say exactly that. I'm going to reiterate, even if you go from Hall of Famer to even another Hall of Famer, it's going to be an adjustment. Any time you change quarterbacks, is what I was getting at. So, take that and run with it and do whatever you want to do with it."
Carlos Sainz has defended Ferrari's strategy after a late pit stop cost the Spaniard a potential podium finish at the French Grand Prix.
Ferrari endured a frustrating outing at Le Castellet as Red Bull stretched their lead at the top of Formula One's constructors' standings to 82 points.
With Charles Leclerc crashing out of the race for his third retirement of the season when in a leading position, Red Bull's Max Verstappen was followed onto the podium by Mercedes duo Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.
Sainz had just overtaken Sergio Perez to assume third place when Ferrari took the decision to call the 27-year-old in for a late pit stop, after which he finished in fifth, his worst performance of the campaign, excluding retirements.
Ferrari chief Mattia Binotto defended the decision after the race, insisting Sainz would have struggled to maintain his pace without new tyres, and the Spaniard has offered his support for the team's overall strategy.
"I think the team is doing a very good job on strategy this year," Sainz told Sky Sports.
"At Ferrari we get super criticised for things that other teams might be going through also in their pit stop windows.
"Every time there is a tricky moment on strategy, we are discussing things, but we are not a disaster like people seem to say we are."
While Sainz added he would have liked the opportunity to stay out and challenge the leaders after surging from the back row of the grid, he insisted he trusts his team's ability to weigh up the data and make decisive calls.
"We like to discuss things, we are open about them," Sainz added. "Yes, I was in the middle of an overtake, but the team believed that was the right lap to stop and come back through the field.
"I believed at the time that maybe it was better to risk it and stay out and see what happens with the tyres, even if it was the medium tyre on the limit of its life, but I had just made it to P3 and I saw a podium position.
"I thought, 'if I make these tyres last, maybe I can finish on the podium', but we will never know.
"The team has a lot more data on the computer, they have a lot more numbers to go through, and if they took that decision, I'm 100 per cent convinced that they did it with the best of intentions and the best spirit.
"We need to keep progressing, and we need to analyse everything and see how we can be better, but I'm convinced the team is doing a good job."
Carlos Alcaraz has his sights set on climbing to the summit of the ATP rankings after becoming the youngest player to crack the top five since Rafael Nadal.
The Spaniard was downed in the Hamburg European Open final by Lorenzo Musetti over the weekend but nevertheless saw a rise in his stature to a career-high position of fifth.
In doing so, it makes the 19-year-old the second-youngest male to break into the top five this century, trailing only Nadal and bettering Novak Djokovic by a matter of months.
"It means a lot," Alcaraz stated. "The hard work that I put in every day for reaching my dreams, [number] 1, and little by little I'm reaching my dream.
"Top five for me is pretty amazing and I will keep going to be [number] 1."
Had Alcaraz won in Hamburg, he would have risen to fourth, while other movements in the rankings include a rise to number 31 for Musetti and a return to the top 200 for Dominic Thiem, at number 199.
Ex-Manly Warringah Sea Eagles prop Ian Roberts says it "saddens" him that several of the club's players will reportedly boycott the decision to wear a pride jersey against Sydney.
The Sea Eagles are set to face the Roosters on Thursday in a specialised rainbow strip showing their support for the LGBTQ+ community.
But it has been reported that possibly more than half-a-dozen stars are set to refuse to feature, citing they were not consulted by the club, leaving Roberts - the first rugby footballer in either code to come out as gay, in 1995, frustrated.
"LGBTIQA people have always been a part of sport but haven’t always been allowed the visibility," he said.
"Honestly, I have been trying to get the NRL to have a pride round for the past three years and it still hasn’t got the traction it deserves.
"It saddens me because they think having a float at the Mardi Gras is enough and it’s not."
The Boston Celtics have emerged as a possible trade destination for Kevin Durant, according to reports.
The 12-time All-Star forward rocked the Brooklyn Nets by requesting a trade last month, having joined the franchise in 2019.
Having won back-to-back NBA titles in 2017 and 2018 during his time with the Golden State Warriors, being named the finals' MVP on both occasions, Durant has reportedly shown signs of discontent with the Nets' failure to compete for a first-ever NBA title.
The Nets' 2022 playoff campaign was halted by a first-round defeat to the Celtics, who now appear to be in the hunt for Durant's signature.
According to a report from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Celtics' ability to include 2021 All-star forward Jaylen Brown in any deal makes them a strong contender to acquire Durant, who is under contract until 2026.
Durant is expected to command a huge trade package, and ESPN claim Boston could offer as many as three unprotected first-round picks and two pick swaps alongside Brown's services.
The Miami Heat, the Phoenix Suns and the Toronto Raptors have also been credited with an interest in Durant, who led the Nets with an average of 29.9 points per game across his 2021-22 regular-season campaign, posting a 36-19 record in his 55 outings.
Muhammad Ali's championship belt from the Rumble in the Jungle - his 1974 heavyweight title bout with George Foreman - was sold at auction on Sunday for $6.18million.
The belt, won by the legendary boxer after he stopped his rival with an eighth round knockout in Zaire, was purchased by Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay.
The 63-year-old has already purchased a large assortment of pop culture memorabilia, the Isray Collection, which he intends to tour across the nation.
"Proud to be the steward!" Isray tweeted, while revealing the belt would be on display next month in Chicago and then in Indianapolis in September.
Ali's belt falls short of becoming the most expensive piece of sporting memorabilia to be sold at auction.
Diego Maradona's iconic Hand of God shirt - worn during Argentina's quarter-final victory over England at the 1986 FIFA World Cup - fetched just over £7.1m ($8.9m) in May.
Gold Coast Titans have sacked former captain Kevin Proctor after the 33-year-old posted a video of himself appearing to vape at half-time during his side's NRL loss to Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.
The Queensland outfit were downed 36-26 at CommBank Stadium by the Bulldogs on Sunday to keep them marooned joint-bottom of the ladder with Wests Tigers after a miserable season.
Ex-skipper Proctor - who was a non-playing member of the matchday squad as 19th man - appeared to be seen inhaling from a vape pen during the interval in a since-deleted video posted to Instagram, with the Titans trailing 26-10.
Both vaping and the use of mobile phones in dressing rooms are a breach of stadium and sport integrity rules, and Gold Coast have now opted to dismiss the second-rower out of hand, with a $15,000 fine to boot.
Proctor, a former Kiwi Test veteran and an NRL Premiership winner in 2012 with Melbourne, was a flagship purchase for the Titans when he arrived for the 2017, and held the armband until the end of last term.
His dismissal may spell the end of his first-grade career in Australia, with several sides already juggling tight salary cap restrictions.
Trayce Thompson drove in two runs and helped break the game open for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who claimed a four-game series sweep with a 7-4 win against the rival San Francisco Giants on Sunday.
Scores were tied at 4-4 following Darin Ruf's two-run homer off Clayton Kershaw in the fifth inning, as the Giants looked to deny their first sweep at Dodger Stadium since 1995.
Kershaw was ultimately pulled in the fifth, giving up five hits and striking out six over 94 pitches, before Craig Kimbrel eventually came in for his 17th save and the Dodgers' eighth consecutive win.
Jake Lamb's double drove in the go-ahead run the game up for grabs in the seventh inning, before Thompson's drive deep to right-centre scored Max Muncy with his brother and Golden State Warriors star Klay in attendance.
The Dodgers maintained their six-game lead over the New York Mets atop the National League standings, extending their record to 64-30 with the victory.
Judge goes deep again in Yankees win
Aaron Judge hit his fourth home run from his past four games as he continues his outlier season, extending his league-leading home run tally to 37 in the New York Yankees' 6-0 away win against the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday.
After starting the series against the Orioles with two home runs, and following it with four hits and two RBIs yesterday, Judge stayed hot as he connected on a 456-foot blast in the third inning. He now leads the MLB for home runs with 37, seven more than the next best in Kyle Schwarber.
On the mound, Nestor Cortes was at his best for the Yankees, giving up six hits and no walks in six scoreless innings, striking out seven. Clarke Schmidt then came in for the unconventional three-inning save.
Alcantara strikes out 10 for Marlins
Arguably the best pitcher in all of baseball this year, Sandy Alcantara struck out 10 batters as his Miami Marlins defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-5 in extra innings.
In his six innings of work, Alcantara gave up two earned runs from just two hits and three walks, earning his 15th quality start of the season, one off the MLB lead held by Houston's Framber Valdez and Toronto's Alek Manoah.
According to Baseball Reference's Wins Above Replacement (WAR), Alcantara has been the most valuable player in all of baseball this season, and he is the only pitcher in the top-five.
The XFL announced on Sunday that it will return in 2023 with the league revealing the home cities, and head coaches for each team.
Owners Dwayne Johnson and longtime business partner Dany Garcia announced that the eight teams competing next year will be Arlington, Houston, San Antonio, Orlando, Las Vegas, Seattle, St. Louis and Washington, D.C.
Originally founded in 2001 by WWE’s Vince McMahon and relaunched in 2020, the XFL went bankrupt due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its future was uncertain. Johnson and Garcia then purchased the league in August 2020.
Longtime Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops will coach Dallas, former NFL head coach Wade Phillips will coach Houston and former Steelers receiver Hines Ward is the San Antonio coach.
Las Vegas will be coached by 17-year NFL veteran Rod Woodson, Seattle’s coach is former Rams and Saints coach Jim Haslett, former NFL cornerback Terrell Buckley will be Orlando’s coach, former NFL tight end Anthony Becht is St. Louis’ coach and Washington will be coached by Reggie Barlow, who played seven seasons in the NFL as a receiver.
The XFL is expected to kick off on February 18, 2023.
Although David Ortiz was one of seven inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday afternoon, the day clearly belonged to the former Boston Red Sox slugger.
Ortiz, the designated hitter known as 'Big Papi', played 14 of his 20 major league seasons with the Red Sox and made the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. He was part of three World Series titles in Boston, including the championship run in 2004 that ended an 86-year title drought.
Known as much for his outsized personality as his powerful swing, Ortiz delivered a passionate speech and was sure to thank everyone who helped him throughout his baseball career.
"I want to thank God for giving me the opportunity to be here today and for giving me the joy of being able to travel this path, this path that has allowed me to be here today and hopefully inspire everyone to believe in yourself," Ortiz said.
Ortiz completed his career with 541 home runs and finished in the top five of AL MVP balloting in five consecutive seasons over a period ending in 2007. Known for his clutch performances, Ortiz had 17 postseason homers, and his 61 playoff RBIs are tied for fourth all-time.
He batted .455 (20 for 44) in 14 career World Series games and was named MVP of the 2013 World Series win against St. Louis after going 11 for 16 with two home runs and eight walks.
Ortiz becomes the fourth Dominican-born player to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame, along with former teammate Pedro Martinez, Vladimir Guerrero Sr. And Juan Marichal.
''I always tried to live my life in a way... so I can make a positive influence in the world,'' Ortiz said. ''And if my story can remind you of anything, let it remind you that when you believe in someone you can change the world, you can change their future, just like so many people believed in me."
In addition to Ortiz, the 2022 Hall of Fame Class included former Dodgers and Mets star Gil Hodges, former Twins teammates Jim Kaat and Tony Oliva, Minnie Minoso – who appeared in the majors in five decades (1949-1980) – and Black pioneers Buck O’Neil and Bud Fowler.
Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo confirmed discussions are ongoing that could lead to the 2024 Tour de France finishing outside the French capital.
Since 1975, the final stage of the Tour has traditionally concluded on the famous Champs-Elysees avenue, and it was where Jonas Vingegaard sealed his race triumph on Sunday.
The 2024 Tour is scheduled to be held between June 29 and July 21 – its end date coming just five days before the Olympic Games begin in the French capital.
It has been reported that the 111th edition of the race will begin in Tuscany. Nice has been touted as a potential alternative final destination to Paris, and Hidalgo revealed she is in talks with Tour director Christian Prudhomme.
Asked whether the 2024 Tour would conclude in the French capital, she told Le Parisien: "We'll see. This is a subject we are discussing with Christian [Prudhomme]. It is an important subject.
"The arrival of the Tour will almost coincide with the opening of the Olympic Games. We work together intelligently on alternative solutions. We are pragmatic. We'll find a solution.
"The opening of the Games is July 26, 2024. This means that during the preceding weeks, the Place de la Concorde will have to organise itself."
The large city centre square, at the eastern end of the Champs-Elysees, is due to be given a major overhaul for the Olympics.
"The question of the absence of the Champs-Elysees on the Tour is not taboo," said Hidalgo. "We will communicate in due time."
Tony Finau produced a terrific Sunday performance to win the 3M Open with a final score of 17 under par – even if It was not quite a comfortable finish.
The American completed his final round with six birdies and two bogeys to post the equal second-best score of the day with a 67. One bogey came on the 18th after Finau teed off into the water, but he was never in any real danger after starting that hole with a four-stroke lead.
Finau's charge to the front of the field began during his back nine, when he rattled off four birdies over the course of six holes – including three in a row on 14, 15 and 16 – perfectly coinciding with the collapse of 54-hole leader Scott Piercy.
Speaking to CBS after stepping off the 18th green, Finau said it felt like he was a long way off the lead until it all started to shift.
"[It took] really everything I had," he said. "I was playing great, and every time I looked it up it seemed like I was four or five shots back, really all day.
"I really got things going down the back nine, and once I took control of the golf tournament it was a totally different mindset, trying to seal the deal.
"It's so special just to have my family here with me, and to celebrate this win with them… this one was for them."
Piercy began his day at 18 under with a four-stroke lead, and he was cruising early, making a couple of early birdies to jump out to 20 under, with his buffer extending to five. But everything began to fall apart on the eighth hole.
After back-to-back bogeys on eight and nine, Piercy also bogeyed 11, teased a bounce-back with a birdie on 12, and then capitulated with bogey, triple-bogey, bogey from his next three holes to go tumbling down the leaderboard. Over the course of eight holes, he dropped seven shots, completely eliminating himself from contention.
Piercy finished tied for fourth at 13 under after his 76, along with fellow Americans Tom Hoge and James Hahn, with Hahn's six-under 65 ending up two strokes better than any other final round.
That grouping was one stroke behind Argentina's Emiliano Grillo and South Korea Im Sung-jae, who were tied for second at 14 under.
Rounding out the top 10 were the English pairing of Danny Willett and Callum Tarren, tied for seventh at 10 under along with Greyson Sigg, with Chesson Hadley one shot back.
Recent PGA Tour winner J.T. Poston headlined the group at eight under, and Australia's Cam Davis was at seven under as he prepares to defend his Rocket Mortgage Classic crown this coming week.
Lewis Hamilton has indicated that he intends to extend his Formula One career beyond the end of next season.
The seven-time world champion is under contract with Mercedes until the conclusion of the 2023 campaign.
Hamilton marked the 300th race of his F1 career by finishing second behind Max Verstappen at the French Grand Prix; the Dutchman extending his lead at the top of the Drivers' Championship to 63 points.
While Hamilton's wait for a first race win of 2022 goes on, the 37-year-old made it four successive podium finishes after a slow start to the campaign.
And he revealed his excitement at the ongoing project with Mercedes when asked whether he saw himself racing beyond the expiration of his current deal.
"That's a lot of races! I firstly just want to be grateful to get to this point," the seven-time world champion said. "But I still feel fresh and still feel like I've got plenty of fuel left in the tank.
"So, I'm really, really proud and enjoying arriving every day, and working with this incredible group of people.
"I'm also enjoying working with the sport more than ever. We've got some great people leading the sport and having great conversations about the direction we're going as a sport, so I'm enjoying it more than ever.
"I would say in that space, of course, I want to get back to winning ways and that's going to take time, but I'm sure we'll sit down at some stage and talk about the future.
"But again, just with our team, I always want to continue to be building. It’s one thing having races, but it's also continuing the work that we do outside and doing more, which I think Mercedes and us can always do more, and we will."
Irina-Camelia Begu ended her five-year wait for another WTA title by beating home favourite Lucia Bronzetti to claim the Palermo Open crown.
The Romanian captured her fifth trophy on the tour – and a first since triumphing in her native Bucharest in 2017 – as she prevailed 6-2 6-2 in one hour and 33 minutes on Sunday.
This was Begu's ninth career final and her experience showed against Bronzetti, who was appearing in her maiden championship match.
The 31-year-old Begu broke her opponent's serve six times on the way to becoming the second Romanian to triumph on the WTA Tour this year, after Simona Halep captured a title in Melbourne in January.
Nerves were evident early on as the opening three games went against serve, before Begu held in the fourth to take command.
The sixth seed had been on court for over three hours as she overcame fourth seed Sara Sorribes Tormo in a thrilling late-night semi-final on Saturday.
She was well on top against Bronzetti, though, breaking again and winning 80 per cent of points when landing her first serve as she took the opening set.
World number 78 Bronzetti had taken out France's Caroline Garcia and Italian compatriot Jasmine Paolini to reach her maiden WTA final.
However, she had little answer to Begu, who broke twice early in the second set to establish a commanding 3-0 advantage.
Bronzetti broke back to reduce the deficit to 3-2, but the world number 45 pulled away again before a thumping ace sealed the deal.
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