Aryna Sabalenka expressed her delight at overcoming a "tough" match with Victoria Azarenka to advance to the semi-finals of the Washington Open in straight sets.
World number three Sabalenka needed an hour and 45 minutes to get past her fellow compatriot, prevailing 6-4 6-4 to progress to the next round.
The two-time grand slam champion served eight aces compared to Azarenka's one, and although the encounter looked one-sided, it was anything but for Sabalenka.
"Always tough battles against her," Sabalenka said. "She always brings the best fight she can.
"I always enjoy playing against her. Just super happy to get through this tough match.
"I feel like with every set, I play better and better. Hopefully I can just (keep) building my level and by the US Open, I'll be 100 percent ready."
Sabalenka claimed her second Australian Open title earlier this year, but was forced to withdraw from Wimbledon with a shoulder problem.
However, the Belarusian showed no signs of injuries in the American capital and is confident of maintaining her recent form.
"I'm super happy. I'm doing really great so far. Fingers crossed, the injury's in the past. I feel really good," Sabalenka said.
"We're doing everything we can with my team to keep my shoulder strong and make sure (such an injury) will never happen again."
Top seed Sabalenka advanced to Saturday's semi-final where she will meet Marie Bouzkova, who beat 19-year-old American Robin Montgomery in straight sets.
San Francisco Giants left-hander Blake Snell threw his first career no-hitter in a 3-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Friday.
The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner threw 78 of his 114 pitches for strikes, striking out 11 batters and allowing three walks.
Snell also recorded the first complete game of his career, pitching into the ninth inning for the first time in his 202 career starts, and his first win in a Giants uniform.
Tyler Fitzgerald and Casey Schmitt each homered for San Francisco, who have won six of their last seven.
Snell’s no-hitter was the 18th in Giants franchise history, with the most recent coming in 2015 from Chris Heston.
Snell threw the third no-no in the major leagues this season, joining Ronel Blanco of the Houston Astros and Dylan Cease of the San Diego Padres.
Snell was one of the most celebrated off-season moves when he signed a two-year, $62million deal with San Francisco, but he made just his 11th start of the season on Friday due to two stints on the injured list.
Snell’s first three starts with the Giants were a disaster, saddling him with an 0-3 record and an 11.57 ERA. Since returning from his most recent IL stint, however, he has allowed just 2 runs in 33 innings, and batters are hitting .078 against him over that five-game stretch.
Paula Badosa lauded Emma Raducanu for pushing her all the way in a three-set encounter at the Washington Open.
Badosa, the world number 62, ended Raducanu's promising run in the American capital with a 4-6 7-5 6-4 triumph on Friday.
The Spaniard needed two hours and 45 minutes to overcome the 2021 US Open champion and reach her first semi-final of the season.
"She was playing amazing, honestly," Badosa said after meeting Raducanu for the first time.
"She took me to the limit in all the phases; physically, mentally, tennis-wise. I knew I had to play very aggressive.
"In the beginning, I was missing a little bit so I had to adjust. She was also making me miss. She's very, very fast. I never played her, so it's the first time I experienced her.
"I was surprised how smart she is on court and I like the way she plays."
Badosa will next face Caroline Dolehide, who beat Amanda Anisimova in straight sets.
Oscar Piastri says McLaren will prioritise winning the Formula 1 constructors' championship over helping Lando Norris win the drivers' championship.
Red Bull started the season strongly, getting one-twos in three of the opening four races, but McLaren have since closed the gap in the constructors' standings to 42 points.
The team have improved, particularly in the three months since Norris took his first Grand Prix victory in Miami, and were on the podium for the 10th consecutive race after Piastri’s second-place finish in Belgium last Sunday.
There was a contentious moment at Hungaroring the week before when Norris refused to give the lead back to Piastri, who eventually won the race after being let back in front by his team-mate with two laps to go.
Norris is 78 points adrift of championship leader Max Verstappen, but Piastri is confident they are both on the same page when it comes to to pushing McLaren up the standings.
"The first objective is to win the constructors' for the team, and I think we've got a very strong chance of doing that," Piastri told Sky Sports News. "We've been closing the gap to Red Bull in the last six or seven races.
"I think for me, the drivers' standings, of course, I'd like to finish as high as I can. I'm not out of the running for the championship myself. It's a very big ask, but I want to string together good races, build consistency on that front, and really help the team to win the constructors'.
"If it comes to a situation where I need to help Lando later in the year, then, of course, it is something we'll discuss, but the first target is to win the constructors' and try to do a good job for myself as well."
McLaren were not expected to be contenders for the championship at the start of the season, but Red Bull have faltered in recent weeks to leave the door open.
Sergio Perez has failed to finish above seventh since the Miami Grand Prix, while Verstappen's last victory came in Spain at the end of June.
Though they are still in with a chance of topping the standings with 10 races remaining, Piastri is confident that, no matter this season's result, they can build some momentum for next year as well.
"At the end of last year we had a very quick car on certain circuits, but we really needed to rely on those circuits to get good results," the Australian added.
"This year, we've just been quick everywhere and that's been a joy to be a part of, but a real confidence boost to everybody that we're not relying on the high-speed corners like we were last year.
"We can rock up and be pretty confident we'll be, if not the quickest, then one of the quickest, and I think that sets us up really nicely for next year.
"I feel like I'm growing in confidence. Getting some more good results and just learning more through my second year as well.
"I want to learn as much as I can and have as much success as I can this year. But ultimately, I think trying to set up a really strong run next year is a realistic target at the moment."
The remaining semifinalists were decided as action continued in the Men’s and Women’s CAZOVA Under-19 Zonal Championships at the GC Foster College in Spanish Town, Jamaica on Wednesday.
The men’s side saw hosts Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago automatically book spots in the semifinals after winning their respective preliminary groups on Monday while on the women’s side, the US Virgin Islands and Barbados advanced to the final four as group winners.
On Wednesday, Barbados secured their spot in the final four of the men’s tournament with a comfortable 3-0 win over Aruba in their quarterfinal clash.
The Bajans dominated throughout the match, holding the Arubans to less than ten points in two of the three sets. The final score was 25-9, 25-11 and 25-8.
They will play Jamaica in the semifinals on Friday.
The US Virgin Islands will play Trinidad and Tobago in the other semifinal after securing their spot with a straight set win over the Cayman Islands. USVI won the sets 25-14, 25-21 and 25-21.
On the women’s side, hosts Jamaica secured a date with the US Virgin Islands in the last four on Friday with a straight set win over Aruba in the quarters.
In a dominant display, the Jamaicans held Aruba under ten points in each of the three sets. They won the first 25-7 before winning the next two 25-8 and 25-5.
The other semifinal will be contested between Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago after the latter defeated Curacao in straight sets in the quarterfinals.
The first two sets were hotly contested before the Trinidadians rallied to dominate the third set and secure the win.
They won the first set 25-19 before Curacao showed an improved effort in the second, eventually losing 22-25 before T&T won the third 25-14.
David Fry and Bo Naylor each hit three-run homers and Jose Ramirez added a two-run shot to lead the Cleveland Guardians to their fourth straight win, 10-3 over the Baltimore Orioles in a matchup of American League division leaders on Thursday night.
Cleveland scored twice in the first off Trevor Rogers on Ramirez’s sacrifice fly and Josh Naylor’s RBI single.
Fry extended the lead to 5-1 in the third with his ninth home run and Ramirez connected off reliever Albert Suarez for his 28th of the season to trigger a five-run seventh inning, capped by Bo Naylor’s eighth homer.
Ramirez has gone deep in three straight games for the first time since 2021.
Ben Lively allowed two runs and four hits in six innings with one walk and four strikeouts for his team-leading 10th win.
The Guardians’ 66-42 record is the best in the majors and the club’s best through 108 games since the 1995 AL title team started 73-35.
Rogers struggled in his Orioles debut after he was acquired from the Miami Marlins at the trade deadline on Tuesday. He gave up five runs and six hits in 4 1/3 innings.
Anthony Santander hit his 32nd home run for Baltimore, which dropped into a tie with the Yankees for first place in the AL East.
Cubs score 3 in 9th to stun Cardinals
Mike Tauchman delivered a walk-off RBI double to cap a three-run ninth against closer Ryan Helsley to lift the Chicago Cubs to a 5-4 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.
Helsley was called on to protect a 4-2 lead and retired Seiya Suzuki to open the inning, but Cody Bellinger homered to make it a one-run game. After Isaac Paredes grounded out, Nico Hoerner singled, stole second and scored on Dansby Swanson’s double.
Tauchman then lined Helsley’s 2-2 fastball the opposite way down the left field line to easily score Swanson.
Masyn Winn homered and Paul Goldschmidt had a home run, single and double for the Cardinals, who were denied their third straight win.
Pasquantino’s blasts power Royals
Vinnie Pasquantino homered twice and drove in four runs to back Seth Lugo’s 13th win as the Kansas City Royals rolled to a 7-1 win over the Detroit Tigers.
Red-hot Bobby Witt Jr. homered and doubled for the Royals, who won their fourth straight after losing four of five.
Witt is batting .500 (49 for 98) with eight home runs and 25 RBIs in his last 25 games.
Lugo (13-5) rebounded from allowing a season-high six runs in his last start to limit the Tigers to one run and four hits over eight innings. He tied Baltimore’s Grayson Rodriguez and Atlanta’s Chris Sale as the majors’ only 13-game winners.
Pasquantino got the Royals off to a fast start with a three-run shot in the first off Keider Montero and followed Witt’s homer in the eighth with his second of the game to make it 6-1.
Pasquantino had his first career multi-homer game in the same stadium where he hit his first major league home run on July 1, 2022.
Detroit has lost four in a row and been outscored 25-5 during that span.
Los Angeles Angels superstar Mike Trout will miss the rest of the season after he sustained another meniscus tear, general manager Perry Minasian said Thursday.
Trout, widely regarded as the best player of his generation, released a statement on social media, writing that he was “devastated” to learn that an MRI revealed a second tear.
The three-time American League MVP was attempting to return from a separate torn meniscus he suffered on April 29. He appeared in 29 games this season before the injury and underwent surgery on May 3.
Trout suited up for a Triple-A game on July 23 as he attempted to return, but he experienced a setback and left the contest after just two innings due to soreness in his knee.
The first MRI didn’t reveal any structural damage and he was informed that he was dealing with scar tissue buildup and inflammation, leaving the possibility of a return. But another MRI showed a tear in the same surgically repaired knee.
Trout, who turns 33 on Wednesday, started this season with 10 home runs in his first 109 at-bats before the injury. His .220 batting average was well below his career mark of .299, but he still had a .867 OPS and six steals.
Injuries have become a troubling trend for Trout, who was limited to 82 games in 2023 due to a wrist issue. Back problems kept him to 119 games in 2022, but he still hit 40 home runs with a .283 average. He played in just 36 games the previous season after suffering a right calf strain.
Trout is making $37.1 million in the sixth year of a 12-year, $426.5 million contract and will earn that salary in each of the next six seasons.
Trout is an 11-time All-Star and has won nine Silver Slugger Awards, but has only appeared in three postseason games and none since 2014.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has extended his contract, the Formula One team confirmed on Thursday.
Stella, who joined the British-based team in 2015 from Ferrari, has signed a multi-year deal with McLaren not revealing the length of the new terms.
The 53-year-old has overseen McLaren's recent transformation, and are just 42 points behind Red Bull as they aim to claim a first Constructors' championship since 1988.
This season, drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have finished in the podium places for the last 10 races, including a first one-two since 2021 at the Hungarian Grand Prix earlier this month.
Both Norris and Piastri have also signed contract extensions, keeping them with the team until at least the end of the 2026 season, building solid foundations for the future.
"It's a privilege to be part of the McLaren F1 team, and I am honoured to continue in my role as team principal," said Stella.
"We've made great strides forward in the past year and a half and we still have a lot more work to do to consistently fight at the front of the grid, which poses an exciting challenge.
"Success comes through the team working in synergy, and I am enjoying my role, which has allowed me to help unlock individual talent and empower people to work together towards our team's objectives."
Chief Executive Zak Brown added: "[Andrea's] excellent leadership, expertise and the respect he holds within the team and Formula 1 means we could not have a better person in place to continue the pursuit of consistently fighting at the front of the grid.
"His impact on McLaren F1 in his role as team principal has been profound, not only through our results on track and the trajectory of the team but also in his development of our culture and mindset.
"With multi-year extensions already agreed with Lando, Oscar, and now Andrea, we can confidently continue on our quest to become World Champions. We're all looking forward to the years to come under Andrea's leadership."
Lando Norris believes that former McLaren team-mate Carlos Sainz deserved the chance to race for Red Bull in 2025.
It was confirmed earlier this week that Sainz had signed a multi-year contract with Williams, replacing Logan Sargeant on the grid next year.
The Spaniard had been linked with a move to both Mercedes and Red Bull after it was confirmed that Lewis Hamilton would be replacing him at the Italian team in 2025.
Sainz has won three races with Ferrari since joining the team in 2021, establishing himself as one of the best drivers on the grid in recent years.
However, interest never materialised from either Mercedes or Red Bull, something which Williams boss James Vowles said was a surprise, with Norris agreeing.
"The easy one is just to say Red Bull. He should have gone there, in my eyes," Norris told Sky Sports when asked where his friend should have gone.
Sainz spent two seasons with Norris at McLaren, with the pair forming a great friendship off the track which has remained despite the Spaniard's move to Ferrari.
Sergio Perez's future with Red Bull was thrown into question after a difficult few weeks with the Austrian team, who currently trails team-mate Max Verstappen by 146 points in the Drivers' championship.
Perez, was given a contract extension for 2025 despite not being on the podium since April's Chinese Grand Prix, with Christian Horner confirming the Mexican would stay beyond the current summer break.
"Obviously I'm biased, I know Carlos a lot more than I know Checo [Pérez] and that kind of thing, but Carlos deserves a lot.
"He's one of the best drivers in Formula One, he's proven that countless times, and I'm a good friend of his.
"I'm happy for him that he's still in Formula One and I'm happy he's got a drive and can try and bring Williams back up.
"Him partnering Alex [Albon] will be good for Formula One at the same time.
"That's a good thing. But I'm sure a lot of people would love to say he should have gone to Red Bull, potentially, but that's not my decision to make."
Gordon Hayward announced his retirement on Thursday following 14 seasons in the NBA.
The Utah Jazz selected Hayward with the ninth overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, and he went on to also play for the Boston Celtics, Charlotte Hornets and Oklahoma City Thunder.
The 34-year-old forward averaged 15.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 835 career regular-season games.
An All-Star with Utah in 2016-17, Hayward ranks fifth all-time in Jazz history with 689 made 3-pointers.
“Today, I am officially retiring from the game of basketball,” Hayward wrote on social media. “It’s been an incredible ride and I’m so grateful to everyone who helped me achieve more than I ever imagined.
“To all my fans: thank you for supporting me through the ups and downs. I’ll always cherish the letters of encouragement and the moments we’ve shared around the world.
“You inspired me to always dream big and improve everyday - and for the young players up next, I challenge you do to the same!”
Red Bull have confirmed that sporting director Jonathan Wheatley will leave the team to become Audi's Formula One team principal.
Wheatley, who has been part of Red Bull since 2006, has helped the Austrian team win six Constructors' and seven Drivers' championships.
The 57-year-old will have a period of 'gardening leave' in 2025 before joining the German manufacturer when they take over Sauber, who remain the only team without a point this season.
Team Principal and CEO, Christian Horner said, "It has been a long and successful relationship with Jonathan, over 18 years.
"His contribution to six World Constructors’ Titles and seven World Drivers’ Championship, first as Team Manager and latterly Sporting Director will forever be a marker in our Team history."
Red Bull have now lost two significant members of their team following Adrian Newey's departure from the company three months ago.
Wheatley will link up with former Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto, who was announced as Audi's new chief operating and technical officer, replacing Andrea Seidl and Oliver Hoffmann.
Wheatley became widely-known for his radio calls to race director Michael Masi throughout the controversial 2021 season, which saw Max Verstappen claim his first world championship in the final race at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
"Everyone at Oracle Red Bull Racing and Red Bull Technology wish him all the best in his new role and would like to place our thanks to Jonathan," read a Red Bull statement.
"Red Bull Racing have tremendous strength and depth and this provides opportunity to elevate others within the team. We will announce a new team structure in the coming weeks."
The Jamaican ladies team finished the first day of the 67th Caribbean Amateur Golf Championship atop the leaderboard, driven by stellar performances from Kierra Williams and Emily Mayne. Both golfers shot an even par 72, securing Jamaica's leading position as they vie for the George Teale Trophy.
Puerto Rico trailed closely with a plus one score, while the Dominican Republic held third place with a plus 13 score.
On the men's side, the Jamaican team, competing for the Hoerman Cup, ended the day in third place with a plus eight score. Contributions came from Oshae Haye (71), Rocco Lopez (72), Ryan Lue (76), and Aman Dhiman (77). Puerto Rico led the men's team section with a minus three score, followed by the Dominican Republic in second place with a plus one score.
The championship, featuring nine teams, is being contested at the Iberostar Golf Course in Bavaro, Dominican Republic.
Individually, Jamaica's ladies occupied three of the top five spots. Puerto Rico's Arabella Lopez led with an impressive six under par 66, six strokes ahead of her closest rivals. Tied for second place were Kierra Williams and Emily Mayne, each posting an even par 72. Mattea Issa followed closely in fourth place with a one over par 73. Holly McClean of the Cayman Islands was in fifth place with a three over par 75, while Jamaica's newcomer Kingston Burke was joint 16th with a 13 over par 85.
Among the Jamaican men, former national champion Oshae Haye was the best placed, ending day one in joint fourth place with a one under par 71. The leaders in the men's individual section were Rodrigo Huerta of the Dominican Republic and Marc Alvero of Puerto Rico, both shooting three under par 69. Juan Cayro Delgado of the Dominican Republic was in third place with a two under par 70.
Other Jamaican men's scores included Rocco Lopez (even par 72), Ryan Lue (four over par 76), Aman Dhiman (five over par 77), Jack Stein (seven over par 79), and national champion Zandre Roye (nine over par 81).
The golfers look forward to the second round of competition, set to commence at 8:00 am on Thursday at the same venue in the Dominican Republic.
DJ LeMahieu drove in a career-high six runs with a grand slam and two-run double and the New York Yankees completed a three-game sweep of the slumping Philadelphia Phillies with a 6-5 victory on Wednesday.
In a season-long slump, LeMahieu entered with a .173 batting average and 13 RBIs, but the two-time batting champion hit his third career slam and had his first game with two extra-base hits since Aug. 25.
He joined Joe DiMaggio at Cleveland on May 23, 1948, and Yogi Berra at the White Sox on Aug. 2, 1958, as the only Yankees players with six RBIs who drove in all of New York’s runs.
Nestor Cortes earned his first road win of the season, allowing three runs and three hits in 5 1/3 innings with six strikeouts. He had been 0-5 with a 6.18 ERA in 11 road starts this season.
Clay Holmes worked around a leadoff single in the ninth for his 22nd save in 30 chances.
The Yankees have rebounded from a 10-23 slide with five straight wins and remained a half-game behind AL East-leading Baltimore.
Weston Wilson homered and Nick Castellanos had three RBIs for the Phillies, who have lost four in a row and 11 of 15, trimming their NL East lead over Atlanta to 6 ½ games. Two-time NL MVP Bryce Harper went 0 for 5 with two strikeouts, hit into a game-ending double play and is in a 1-for-30 slump.
Cease leads surging Padres past Dodgers
Dylan Cease won his fourth straight start and Luis Campusano homered as the red-hot San Diego Padres rolled past the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-1 for a two-game sweep.
Jurickson Profar and Campusano each drove in two runs as the Padres won their ninth in 10 games to pull within 4 ½ games of the NL West-leading Dodgers.
Pitching in his first start after throwing a no-hitter, Cease limited the Dodgers to one run and three hits over 5 2/3 innings while striking out six and walking three. He improved to 4-0 with a 0.33 ERA in his last four starts.
Clayton Kershaw was roughed up for seven runs – three earned – and six hits in 3 2/3 innings in his second start of the season.
He failed to record a strikeout for the first time in 424 major league starts, a streak that had been the longest since the mound was moved to its current distance in 1893.
The Dodgers have dropped 10 of their last 12 road games.
Holliday hits grand slam for first career home run
Jackson Holliday celebrated his return to the major leagues with a grand slam for his first career home run in the Baltimore Orioles’ 10-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.
Holliday, the No. 1 pick in the 2002 draft and baseball’s top prospect, was back in the majors after he went 2 for 34 with 18 strikeouts in April. In his first game back, he grounded out twice before connecting for a 439-foot blast with the bases loaded in the fifth to give the Orioles an 8-3 lead.
Grayson Rodriguez (13-4) tied for the major league lead in wins after giving up three earned runs and six hits in six innings with three walks and eight strikeouts.
Colton Cowser also went deep for the first-place Orioles, who have won four of five after losing five of six.
Baltimore lost All-Star third baseman Jordan Westburg to a broken hand after he was hit by a pitch immediately before Holliday’s slam.
Jarrett Allen has become the latest Cleveland Cavalier to sign a maximum contract extension since the conclusion of the 2023-24 NBA season.
Allen signed a three-year, $91million extension with the Cavaliers on Wednesday, according to multiple sources.
The deal will guarantee him $131million over the next five years.
Allen joins Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley as Cleveland players to ink extensions this off-season, as the franchise has established itself as a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference.
The 26-year-old Allen averaged a career-best 16.5 points along with 10.5 rebounds in 77 games last season. His shooting percentage of 63.4 ranked fourth in the NBA.
The 22nd overall pick of the 2017 draft by the Nets, Allen spent his first three-plus NBA seasons in Brooklyn before Cleveland acquired him in January 2021.
He was named an All-Star in his first full season with the Cavs in 2021-22, when he averaged 16.1 points and a career-high 10.8 rebounds.
In 252 games in a Cavs uniform, Allen has averaged 15.1 points, 10.3 boards and 2 assists while shooting 64.2 per cent.
The Cavs reached last season's East semi-finals before being ousted by the eventual champion Boston Celtics with Allen sitting out the entire play-off series due to a rib injury and Mitchell missing the final two games because of a left calf strain.
In the four post-season games he played before his injury, Allen averaged 17 points on 67.6 per cent shooting and 13.8 rebounds.
Mercedes have revealed George Russell's own weight loss during the Belgian Grand Prix contributed to his disqualification.
Russell had pulled off a remarkable victory from sixth on the grid by using a one-stop strategy, edging to victory ahead of team-mate Lewis Hamilton by half a second.
However, the 26-year-old's car failed a post-race weight check, coming in at 1.5kg below the weight limit, and Hamilton was promoted to first place.
A report after the race confirmed the car had initially been compliant with the minimum weight but by keeping the tyres for longer, they lost more rubber.
The underbody 'plank' still complied with the regulations during the post-weight check, but had eroded more than expected.
Now, Mercedes have explained how the car lost so much weight during the race.
"The car can lose quite a lot of weight during the race. You get tyre wear, plank wear, brake wear, oil consumption.
"The drivers themselves can lose a lot, and in this particular race, George lost quite a bit of weight.
"George's car was the only one that had the problem, and it is because things like the tyre wear was much higher. It looks like we lost more material on the plank.
"We will collect all that data though, look at how we can refine our processes because, clearly, we do not want that to happen in the future."
Rory McIlroy says winning a gold medal at the Paris Olympic Games would be one of his "biggest achievements" in the last 10 years.
McIlroy is competing in his second Games having narrowly missed out on a podium finish in Tokyo after losing a seven-way play-off for bronze.
It has been a tough season for the Northern Irishman, who suffered U.S. Open heartbreak after letting his lead slip on the final four holes before he failed to make the cut at The Open earlier this month.
McIlroy's last major win came in 2014, with his wait for a fifth title now stretching into an 11th year. But making his return to the summer tournament, the Northern Irishman is ready to challenge for the top prize.
"For me, it's well documented I haven't won one of the big four in 10 years so it [a gold medal in Paris] would be one of, if not the biggest, achievements of my career in the last 10 years," McIlroy said.
"I've obviously had a bit more time off than I wanted with not playing the weekend at The Open, but I'm excited to be here and at a golf course where I've got a lot of fond memories from the Ryder Cup a few years ago.
"I was really close to winning a medal last time – I said I'd never tried as hard to finish third in my life – so once you're in there and especially if you are in contention for a medal, you feel the buzz of it, and it's really cool."
Golf returned to the Olympic schedule in 2016 after a 112-year hiatus, though only six of the top 12 male players in the world competed at Rio, with none of the then-top four involved.
However, eight years on from its reintroduction, only two of the top 10 golfers will not be in Paris, with Patrick Cantlay and Bryson DeChambeau ineligible for the United States due to four Americans sitting above them in the rankings.
DeChambeau, who won the U.S. Open in June, plays on the breakaway LIV circuit, which does not qualify for ranking points.
Only seven LIV players will be in the Olympic field, and McIlroy had little sympathy for those who missed out, despite recently taking a more accepting view of the tour.
"I think that's the nature of qualification for the Olympics," McIlroy added. "You could have the fifth-best sprinter in the world but if he's from a certain country, he's not able to make it.
"So I think it's just the way that the qualification works in the Olympic Games, and that's not just in golf.
"It's hard to compare the golf that they play to the golf that we play.
"That's the reason they didn't get world ranking points. If you want to qualify for the Olympics, you knew what you had to do.
"Just like if you wanted to qualify for the Ryder Cup, you knew what you had to do. They were very aware of the decision they made when they did."
Williams team boss James Vowles admitted he was surprised that neither Red Bull nor Mercedes wanted to sign Carlos Sainz for the 2025 season.
The Spaniard signed a two-year contract with the option to extend at Williams earlier this week, ending speculation surrounding his future.
Ferrari had confirmed earlier this year that he would not continue with them past the end of the season, having signed Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes to partner Charles Leclerc.
While Sainz was initially seen as a candidate to replace Hamilton, Mercedes look set to promote 17-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli instead, while Red Bull preferred to extend Sergio Perez's contract for the next two years.
Vowles was full of praise for the 29-year-old, explaining how it was an easy choice to bring him into the team.
"Look at Carlos," said Vowles. "Look at every team he has been in. They have improved significantly - and I get why.
"After spending the last nine months talking to him at least weekly, what I've realised is he is a performance machine.
"He will do everything in his power to transform himself and the team around him. And that's powerful. That's worth more than what he can drive the car at.
[He is] one of the top four drivers - if not at times the number two driver on the grid. Why wouldn't you want that in your stable?"
Sainz has achieved three Formula 1 wins to date, including a victory at the Australian Grand Prix in March, and currently sits fifth in the drivers' championship.
He is only 15 points behind team-mate Leclerc, who sits in third, while his five podium finishes this season have also helped Ferrari to third in the constructors' championship, where they sit 63 points behind leaders Red Bull.
There is speculation that Mercedes could make a swoop for Max Verstappen for the 2026 season, despite his Red Bull contract running until 2028.
With so many F1 futures up in the air, Vowles was surprised to find out there was not more interest in their new driver.
"Red Bull have a constructors' championship at risk - I would have Carlos alongside Max [rather than Perez]," he added.
"Mercedes have more info than I do. It's more than likely that they are very confident in the direction they will be travelling in. Whether that will be Max or Kimi, I'm unsure - but they're not fools.
"Red Bull will also have reasons behind it that I won't be aware of because they are multiple world champions. They don't make decisions lightly, but I was surprised."
Jazz Chisholm hit a pair of home runs for the second straight night, Gleyber Torres hit the go-ahead sacrifice fly in the 12th inning and the New York Yankees outlasted the Philadelphia Phillies 7-6 on Tuesday.
Chisholm, acquired from the Miami Marlins on Saturday, matched his two-homer performance from Monday and drove in five runs for the Yankees, who have won four straight games.
After the Phillies jumped out to a 4-1 lead, Chisholm hit a solo homer off All-Star Aaron Nola in the sixth inning, then launched a three-run shot off Matt Strahm in the seventh to put New York ahead.
Philadelphia tied the game in the bottom of the ninth when Josh Rojas scored on a Clay Holmes wild pitch.
Both teams scored in the 11th to extend the game before Torres’ sacrifice fly allowed Austin Wells to score the decisive run.
Michael Tonkin, who blew a save opportunity in the 11th, pitched a perfect 12th to seal the New York victory.
Will Warren got the start for the Yankees after Gerrit Cole was scratched a few hours before first pitch due to general soreness.
The Phillies still lead the majors with a 65-42 record despite dropping nine of their last 12 games.
Padres rally in 9th, stun Dodgers in extras
Pinch-hitter Donovan Solano hit a walk-off single in the 10th inning, and the San Diego Padres stunned the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-5.
The Padres entered the ninth trailing 5-3, but solo home runs off Blake Treinen by Manny Machado – his second of the game – and Jackson Merril forced extra innings.
Ha-Seong Kim started the 10th on second base, and two walks by Alex Vesia loaded the bases for Solano. Once his hit made it past diving third baseman Kike Hernandez, the San Diego crowd of 47,559 erupted in cheers.
With a win over their rival, the Padres (58-51) improved to 8-2 since the All-Star break and continued their push into play-off contention.
The Dodgers jumped on San Diego starter Matt Waldron for five runs in the first inning, including a two-run homer by Cavan Biggio, but were held scoreless for the next nine innings.
The Padres’ bullpen allowed just two hits in six scoreless innings.
White Sox blow late lead, drop 16th straight
For the second straight night, the Chicago White Sox carried a lead into the eighth inning. And for the second straight night, the Kansas City Royals rallied for a victory.
Bobby Witt Jr.’s RBI single sparked a three-run eighth inning, and the Royals beat the White Sox 4-3 as Chicago’s franchise-record losing streak reached 16 games.
The floundering White Sox wasted a sterling outing from rookie starter Jonathan Cannon, who gave up one run and one hit over seven innings.
The loss dropped Chicago to a record of 27-83, worst in the league this season and within reach of the all-time losses record of 120, set by the New York Mets in 1962.
“It’s not for the lack of effort. We’re busting our (tails) trying to get that win,” shortstop Nicky Lopez said. “It just always seems like there’s that one inning or one situation where we have to come through and we haven’t done that.”
Michael Wacha pitched seven strong innings for the Royals, allowing two runs and five hits with five strikeouts.
Vinnie Pasquantino drove in two runs, and Michael Massey hit a solo home run.
DJ Moore had a sensational first season with the Chicago Bears in 2023.
The team clearly liked what it saw and sees him as being a key part of the offence moving forward, rewarding the wide receiver with a massive contract extension.
The Bears signed Moore to a four-year extension worth $110million with $82.6million guaranteed, according to multiple media outlets on Tuesday.
The deal is the largest in franchise history, and will keep him under contract in Chicago until 2029.
The 27-year-old Moore, who had two years left on his deal, becomes the first wide receiver in NFL history to have the first 10 years of his career guaranteed.
Moore spent his first five NFL seasons with the Carolina Panthers before being traded to Chicago last March as part of a deal for the first pick of the 2023 draft. The trade also included Carolina's first-round pick in the 2024 draft, which wound up becoming the top overall pick, which the Bears used to select Caleb Williams.
Moore's first season with the Bears was the best of his career, as he had single-season personal highs in receptions (96), receiving yards (1,364) and touchdowns (eight).
Since his 2018 rookie season, his 6,565 receiving yards ranks seventh among all NFL players. He also has 581 catches and 29 TDs.
He now will be catching passes from Williams, and be lining up opposite wide receiver Rome Odunze - the ninth pick of this year's draft.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
