Iga Swiatek will have a chance to win her third career grand slam after defeating Aryna Sabalenka 3-6 6-1 6-4 in a gutsy come-from-behind win in Thursday's semi-final.
Poland's Swiatek, who has also won the French Open in 2020 and 2022, will play Ons Jabeur in the decider after the Tunisian won her semi-final against the in-form Caroline Garcia in straight sets earlier on.
It continues a remarkable season for the 21-year-old Swiatek, having also reached the semi-final at the Australian Open, before rattling off a 37-match winning streak that saw her claim six titles in a row and put a massive gap on the field as the world number one.
Belarus' Sabalenka was impressive in the opening set, attacking Swiatek's second serves to generate plenty of break points. She won 10-of-12 opportunities against Swiatek's second serve in the first frame, creating six break point chances and taking three.
Things flipped in the second set, and it was all about Swiatek making the adjustments, increasing her first serve accuracy from 64 per cent in the opener to 94 per cent in the second.
She won 14-of-17 points in those situations in the second frame, and converted all three of her break point opportunities as Sabalenka got sloppy, committing 15 unforced errors with only six winners.
Sabalenka threatened to run away with things late – twice managing to go up a break in the third set – but Swiatek showed composure beyond her years as she continued to fight back.
From 4-2 down in the decider, Swiatek rattled off the next four games in a row, going up 40-0 against Sabalenka's serve in the final game and finishing things off with her second match point.
Data Slam: Swiatek continues historic season
From her past 50 matches, Swiatek has a record of 46-4, and coming into this tournament she had 8605 ranking points – with second-placed Anett Kontaveit down at 4360.
She is also the first number one seed to reach the US Open final since Serena Williams did it back in 2014, snapping the equal-longest drought at any grand slam in the Open Era.
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Swiatek – 2/3
Sabalenka – 4/7
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Swiatek – 24/31
Sabalenka – 22/44
BREAK POINTS WON
Swiatek – 7/10
Sabalenka – 5/10
The New York Yankees’ lengthy injury list got a little longer Thursday with infielder D.J. LeMahieu placed on the 10-day IL due to a nagging toe injury.
LeMahieu has been dealing with inflammation of his right second toe for several weeks, but had managed to play through the pain until recently. He missed the first three games of New York’s series against the Minnesota Twins this week and the team decided to put him on the injured list Thursday.
"It's just been sore, and I think it's just prevented him from really getting off his swing," manager Aaron Boone said. "I talk about these guys, they're like race cars. A little something's off and it prevents you from being that race car."
With the move retroactive to Monday, LeMahieu could return September 16 at Milwaukee. While Boone was cautiously optimistic, he did not set a timetable for LeMahieu's return.
"I'm concerned about it obviously because D.J.'s been dealing with this now for a few weeks where I think it's clearly compromised him," Boone said. "So yeah, there's that concern, but there's also hope with that."
LeMahieu is a two-time batting champion, but has struggled recently, batting just .143 (10 for 70) with no extra-base hits in his past 18 games. He is hitting .262 with 12 home runs and 46 RBIs this season.
He becomes the 15th Yankees player currently on the IL, joining the likes of Anthony Rizzo (lower back), Giancarlo Stanton (left foot), Matt Carpenter (left foot) and pitchers Zack Britton (left elbow surgery), Aroldis Chapman (lower leg) and Luis Severino (lat strain).
Despite the injuries, the Yankees entered Thursday with a five-game lead over the second-place Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East.
Ons Jabeur was wildly impressive in her 6-1 6-3 victory over the red-hot Caroline Garcia in the US Open semi-final on Thursday, getting the job done in just 67 minutes.
Jabeur, the world number five, was dominant in the opening set, winning 75 per cent of her service points and 61 per cent of her return points, allowing no break point opportunities while taking all three of her own chances to break.
She wrapped up the first set in 24 minutes, and after an even start to the second frame, Jabeur capitalised on her first and only break point chance to grab the decisive lead.
Tunisia's best ever tennis export served things out in style, finishing the match without Garcia ever seeing a break point chance.
It ends a remarkable run for Garcia, who entered the contest on a 13-match winning streak, with 31 wins from her past 35. After dominating Coco Gauff in the quarter-finals, Garcia became the betting favourite to win the tournament.
For Jabeur, it continues a career-best season after reaching her first ever grand slam final at Wimbledon, and her ranking will be bumped up to number two in the world when it next updates.
She will play the winner between Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka in the decider.
Data Slam: Jabeur makes more history for African tennis
Jabeur is the first African, Arab or Tunisian woman to ever reach the US Open final, after also accomplishing that feat at Wimbledon.
Through six matches at this tournament, she has only lost one set – in the third round against American Shelby Rogers.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Jabeur – 21/15
Garcia – 12/23
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Jabeur – 8/2
Garcia – 2/0
BREAK POINTS WON
Jabeur – 4/4
Garcia – 0/0
The UFC's traditional pre-pay per view press conference was unexpectedly cut short on Thursday, with president Dana White telling the media he has never seen anything like the fight which broke out backstage.
It is being reported by Ariel Helwani that while fighters were waiting backstage before being brought out, welterweight fighters Kevin Holland and Khamzat Chimaev exchanged words, before things turned physical with their entourages getting involved.
Helwani also reported that Nate Diaz – Chimaev's opponent this weekend – and his crew got involved after things kicked off, describing it as "total chaos".
Addressing the media before word had spread about the incident, White said "this has never happened in the history of this company", before adding "for everybody's safety, this is the right decision".
In an interview after the dust had settled, White offered some more insight into the severity of the situation.
"22 years I've been doing this – we've never had an incident like today," he said.
"All hell broke loose out here… we stopped it, but we didn't do a good job of not letting it happen.
"It's never happened before, and we'll be ready for it next time."
Journalist Helen Yee added that White claimed the camps travelling with Chimaev and Diaz consisted of at least 100 people, rendering their limited security helpless.
A minute's silence will be held at the US Open, while the ATP and WTA Tours paid tribute following the death of the Queen.
Buckingham Palace confirmed on Thursday the UK's longest reigning monarch had passed away peacefully at the age of 96, with members of the Royal Family travelling to Balmoral to be by her side.
The US Open will pay tribute to Her Majesty with a photo montage and moment of silence ahead of the first women's singles semi-final between Ons Jabeur and Caroline Garcia at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Meanwhile, the ATP and WTA tweeted: "We are saddened to hear of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. We are grateful for her contributions to tennis, and our thoughts and condolences are with the British Royal Family."
Billie Jean King also took to social media to share a photo of her meeting the Queen at Wimbledon in 2010, while paying her own tribute to a "respected leader around the world."
The 39-time major winner posted: "For 70 years, her leadership, impact, and influence on the United Kingdom and the entire global community has been immense. I met her in 2010 at Wimbledon, and it was a special moment for me.
"She was the longest reigning British monarch in history, the only woman from the Royal Family to serve in the armed forces, and a respected leader around the world. She earned her place in history, and she will be missed."
The NFL is set to hold a moment of silence ahead of Thursday's season-opening kick-off encounter between the Buffalo Bills and the Los Angeles Rams following the death of HRH Queen Elizabeth II.
The reigning Super Bowl champions will make the trip to New York state to start their defence in the 2022 campaign curtain raiser.
Before a ball is kicked however, both teams will pay tribute to the late monarch, Britain's longest-reigning sovereign at the time of her passing at the age of 96.
"Everyone at NFL UK is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Her Majesty The Queen, Elizabeth II," read an official message posted to social media by the league.
"Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with The Royal Family. We join all those mourning the loss of Her Majesty."
The NFL is due to hold three games in London this year as part of their International Series, with the first to come in week four between the Minnesota Vikings and the New Orleans Saints at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Friday's play at the BMW PGA Championship has been suspended following confirmation of the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Her Majesty passed away at her home in Balmoral on Thursday at the age of 96.
Play was immediately suspended at Wentworth once the news came through at 18:30 BST.
In a statement released later on Thursday, event organisers paid tribute to the Queen and confirmed there will be no action on Friday as a mark of respect.
"On behalf of our members and everyone associated with the European Tour group and the BMW PGA Championship, it is with great sadness that we have learned of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II," the statement read.
"She truly was an inspiration to people the world over. Out of respect for Her Majesty and the Royal Family, play has been suspended at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club for the remainder of Thursday and all flags at Wentworth Club will be lowered to half-mast.
"Furthermore, no play will take place at the BMW PGA Championship on Friday and the golf course and practice facilities will be closed. Further updates on the resumption of play will be provided in due course. Our deepest sympathies and condolences are with the Royal Family at this time."
Tommy Fleetwood, Andy Sullivan and Viktor Hovland held a joint-lead with an eight-under par 64 when play came to a stop on Thursday.
The tournament was scheduled to conclude on Sunday.
Hours before beginning defence of their Super Bowl title, the Los Angeles Rams announced they have agreed to extensions with head coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead through the 2026 season.
McVay has led the Rams to four playoff appearances and two trips to the Super Bowl in five seasons since the team made the then 30-year-old the youngest head coach in modern NFL history in 2017.
He became the youngest coach to win a Super Bowl at age 36 when Los Angeles defeated the Cincinnati Bengals in February.
The 2017 NFL Coach of the Year's 55 regular-season victories are tied with Pittsburgh's Mike Tomlin for the third-most of any coach through his first five seasons in NFL history.
McVay also sports a 7-3 postseason record with three NFC West titles over his tenure, along with an NFC championship in 2018 that resulted in the franchise's first Super Bowl appearance in 17 years.
Snead, entering his 11th season as the Rams' GM after remaining with the team following its move from St. Louis back to Los Angeles in 2016, has also played a major part in the franchise's recent success by assembling one of the league's most talented rosters through the draft and trades.
The Rams have drafted five Pro Bowl players, most notably three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald and 2021 Offensive Player of the Year Cooper Kupp, under Snead's watch.
The 51-year-old has also established a reputation as one of the league's most aggressive and shrewd executives by acquiring several other members of last season's championship core via the trade and free agent markets.
Snead snared three-time All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey from the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2019 and landed quarterback Matthew Stafford in a blockbuster trade with the Detroit Lions in March 2021.
He later made two significant in-season moves that contributed to last season's title run by trading for star pass rusher Von Miller and signing wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
"As an organisation we constantly strive to better ourselves every day. This requires selflessness, dedication and great leadership throughout. Sean and Les personify this mindset," Rams owner Stan Kroenke said in a statement.
"They have been crucial to many of our successes that transcend wins and losses. They epitomise the 'We, not me' mantra that permeates the entire organisation.
"We look forward to many more exciting seasons at SoFi Stadium as Sean and Les continue to play meaningful roles within the organisation and throughout the community."
Los Angeles will kick off the 2022 NFL season Thursday night at SoFi Stadium against reigning AFC East champion, the Buffalo Bills.
Formula One president and CEO Stefano Domenicali has offered his "deepest condolences" to the Royal Family following the death of the Queen.
Buckingham Palace announced at 6.30pm BST on Thursday that Her Majesty had passed away peacefully at the age of 96.
Members of the Royal Family had travelled to Balmoral to be by the Queen's side after the Palace issued a statement confirming that doctors were "concerned" by her health.
There has subsequently been an outpouring of tributes to the UK's longest serving monarch, including F1 boss Domenicali, who praised the "dignity and devotion" she demonstrated during her reign.
A statement read: "Formula 1 mourns the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. For more than seven decades, she dedicated her life to public service with dignity and devotion and inspired so many around the world.
"Formula 1 sends its deepest condolences to the Royal Family and the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth."
The Rugby Football Union (RFU) has paid tribute to HRH Queen Elizabeth II following her passing aged 96, as Northampton Saints have confirmed the postponement of their match with Saracens.
Her Majesty, the former long-term patron of the sport's governing body from her coronation in 1952 through 2016, died at her home in Balmoral the Royal Family confirmed on Thursday.
In a short statement posted to social media, the RFU expressed their condolences to the Royal Family.
"On behalf of the rugby union community in England, all at the Rugby Football Union are very saddened to hear of the death of Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II," read an official statement.
Northampton meanwhile announced shortly after the news broke that their Premiership Rugby Cup clash with Saracens set for Thursday evening would be postponed in light of the Queen's passing.
"Tonight's Premiership Rugby Cup match between Northampton Saints and Saracens has been postponed following the announcement of the death of Her Majesty the Queen," they stated.
"The thoughts of everyone at the Club are with the Royal Family at this time."
Tommy Fleetwood impressed on his return to claim a share of the lead after round one of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, shooting eight-under-par to end Thursday tied with Andy Sullivan and Viktor Hovland.
Fleetwood had not played since finishing fourth in the Open at St Andrews in July, having taken an extended period of absence following his mother's death.
But he showed no signs of rustiness on Thursday as he cruised around a rainy Wentworth in 64 shots, covering his last seven holes in six under before declaring his delight at returning to the DP World Tour.
"It's nice to be back more than anything," said Fleetwood. "Seven weeks off feels more like two years I guess.
"When you stand on the first tee, you don't know what to expect, no matter how well you might have been practising or playing.
"It was a lovely grouping to come back to, best friends on Tour [Justin Rose was in his group]. It's always better that I played good rather than bad, but it was just nice to be back."
Sullivan recovered with a fine bunker shot at the 18th to ensure he remained level with Fleetwood, before Hovland joined the leading duo in style with an eagle on the last, sinking a fine putt from 27 feet.
Jordan Matthew finished seven-under on a good day for the home hopefuls, with Shane Lowry, Jason Scrivener, Fabrizio Zanotti and Marcus Amitage all a shot further back.
Rory McIlroy, who became the first three-time FedEX Cup winner last month, finished four-under for the day, and told Sky Sports he could have done more.
"I thought I played okay, as you said the rain was on and off all day and that made it really tricky," he said.
"I felt four-under was pretty pedestrian, I didn't do a lot right, I didn't do a lot wrong, I definitely feel that the course is going to be very gettable for the rest of the week.
"Winning gives me motivation more than anything else, you've proven to yourself that you can win, you can beat the best players in the world. I've always got this sense of excitement after a win, and it's about resetting goals to strive for other things."
Lewis Hamilton has issued a message of support to the Queen following news of her health status on Thursday.
Buckingham Palace issued a statement on Her Majesty's health and said doctors were "concerned", with members of the Royal Family travelling to Balmoral to be by her side.
An outpouring of support has come from across the globe, with world leaders and political figures among those to comment on the matter, and seven-time Formula One world champion Hamilton also spoke on the matter.
"It's definitely concerning. I think she's been such a strong leader for a such a long time, so resilient," he said in a press conference ahead of Sunday's race at Monza.
"I know she's always been a real fighter, so my thoughts are with her. I don't have any more information, I don't know any more about the situation.
"My thoughts are with the family, my thoughts are with her, my prayers are with them and I'm hoping for better news soon."
Hamilton was knighted by the Queen last year, days after he narrowly missed out on what would have been a record-breaking world title.
Remco Evenepoel narrowly extended his lead at the top of the General Classification after a Stage 18 victory on the Vuelta a Espana, having been towed by rival Enric Mas.
The pair overtook Robert Gesink in the final 500 metres, with Evenepoel surging ahead of Mas to clinch the bonus seconds that led to his overall triumph looking to be a formality.
Gesink appeared to be closing in on a win that would have provided a welcome boost to his Jumbo-Visma team following the withdrawal of leader Primoz Roglic earlier this week, but was cruelly denied by Evenepoel.
With three stages remaining, the Belgian boasts a lead of two minutes and seven seconds, a maiden Grand Tour title set to go his way this weekend with sights set on Sunday's finale in Madrid.
The provisional podium ahead of the finale has Juan Ayuso Pesquera in third, sitting five minutes and 14 seconds off the lead and having a 42 second advantage over fourth-placed Miguel Angel Lopez.
Rodriguez, involved in a crash earlier in the race, was paced home by team-mate Richard Carapaz after the Ecuadorian was caught in the final climb and denied a third stage win.
Vine abandons after Pedersen crash
The battle for the polka dot jersey was blown wide open on Thursday following a crash that led runaway leader Jay Vine to retire, the Australian having taken two summit wins earlier in the race.
A big incident with 171 kilometres remaining of Stage 18 saw Mads Pedersen, with the green jersey, and podium hopeful Carlos Rodriguez also involved, but it was Vine who suffered the biggest blow.
Vine's exit elevates Richard Carapaz to the lead, the Ecuadorian also clinching two summit wins in 2022.
STAGE RESULT
1. Remco Evenepoel (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) 4:45:17
2. Enric Mas (Movistar) +0:02
3. Robert Gesink (Jumbo-Visma) +0:02
4. Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe) +0:13
5. Thymen Arensman (Team DSM) +0:13
CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS
General Classification
1. Remco Evenepoel (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) 69:59:12
2. Enric Mas (Movistar) +2:07
3. Juan Ayuso Pesquera (UAE Team Emirates) +5:14
Points Classification
1. Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) 349
2. Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious) 149
3. Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates) 133
King of the Mountains
1. Richard Carapaz (INEOS Grenadiers) 45
2. Enric Mas (Movistar) 25
3. Thymen Arensman (Team DSM) 23
The US promoter of Tyson Fury is unsure if Anthony Joshua and his camp want an all-British heavyweight fight, despite supposedly agreeing to initial terms.
Fury had wanted to face Oleksandr Usyk in a title unification bout but the latter does not want to compete again until 2023, and Fury intends to fight before the end of the year.
That led to the Gypsy King going public with his proposal to Joshua as he pushes to set up a 'Battle of Britain' clash with the WBC heavyweight belt on the line before the end of 2022.
Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn declared his fighter had accepted a proposed deal for a bout with Fury on Wednesday, with a 60-40 split in favour of Fury.
Fury also said on Wednesday his team had secured provisional dates for Wembley and Cardiff, with Hearn suggesting December 17 as a good option for the bout.
However, speaking to Sky Sports, Fury's US promoter Bob Arum raised doubts about the sincerity of Joshua's camp in wanting the fight.
"I really don't think Joshua's people are anxious to make the fight now," Arum said. "Because he's come through a devastating loss and I think, conventionally, Joshua is going to want a couple of soft touches to get back in the swing of things.
"Our guy, Tyson Fury, wants to fight this year. I tried to see if we could get Usyk this year and apparently they don't want to do it until February.
"We're going to try to get an opponent for Tyson Fury – Joshua or somebody else – and make sure he gets in the ring this year.
"Eddie Hearn is just talking. Eddie Hearn, if he wanted to make the fight, he knows me well enough and knows I'm over here – he knows the Warrens. We haven't really heard from Eddie Hearn; he's really good at making statements to the press and television, but he's not – I don't think – anxious to make this fight."
Joshua is coming off a second defeat to Usyk, losing on split decision to the Ukrainian in Saudi Arabia last month, and Arum believes the Brit would not want to take on Fury at this time.
"I've been in boxing a long time and the fact that Eddie and Joshua would want this fight is, to me, incomprehensible. It makes no sense," he added.
"If I'm wrong and they decide they want it, they know where to find us and call, and stop talking to the press and talk to us and see if we can put it together."
Lewis Hamilton is set to start the Italian Grand Prix at the back of the grid as Mercedes will use a fourth power unit of the season.
The seven-time world champion sustained damage to the power unit in the recent Belgian Grand Prix, where a collision with Fernando Alonso launched Hamilton's car into the air and led to his retirement shortly after.
Formula One regulations permit the use of three different power units over the course of a season and a grid penalty is issued to those who require the use of additional units – which takes the car to the back of the grid.
A Mercedes spokesperson told GPFans: "We will be fitting PU number [four] for this weekend for Lewis.
"This is because although we are still working on the recovery plan for PU number three that was damaged in Spa, that unit cannot be run this weekend.
"This will come with associated grid penalties as it's in excess of the allocation for the season."
Hamilton is not expected to be the only man on the grid to encounter a penalty for this weekend, with it reported former team-mate Valtteri Bottas will also take a fourth power unit in his Alfa Romeo.
The recent race in Belgium saw a number of engine penalties issued, including those to championship leader Max Verstappen and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.
Carlos Alcaraz believes New York provides a perfect stage for the first grand slam semi-final of his career after the Spanish teenager edged a late-night thriller with Jannik Sinner.
In the last of the men's singles quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows, Alcaraz prevailed in the latest finish on record at the tournament, sealing a 6-3 6-7 (7-9) 6-7 (0-7) 7-5 6-3 victory at 02:50 local time on Thursday.
Sinner was left crestfallen, saying the defeat was in his "top list" and would hurt "for quite a while". He had served for the match in the fourth set but could not see it out, the 21-year-old seeing Alcaraz exact revenge for defeat in the fourth round at Wimbledon.
At the age of 19, Alcaraz is leading the men's tour for wins this season, one short of reaching 50 for the year, and the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowds have taken him to their hearts.
He is the youngest men's grand slam singles semi-finalist since Rafael Nadal marched to the 2005 French Open title, and the youngest man to reach the last four at the US Open since Pete Sampras in 1990, also on a run to the trophy.
The clash with Sinner was an epic that spanned five hours and 15 minutes, yet Alcaraz said afterwards: "During the whole match, I feel great physically.
"I feel great to be in my first semi-final in a grand slam. I feel better reaching the semi-final here in the US Open. This tournament is amazing. The crowd is amazing, I would say the best in the world.
"The energy I receive in this court at 3am, it was unbelievable. Probably in other tournaments, other places, everybody would have gone to their house to rest. But they keep in the court, supporting me. It was unbelievable.
"I feel great to have a semi-final here in the US Open."
Frances Tiafoe awaits him, after the American took down Andrey Rublev in straight sets on Wednesday, following up his fourth-round win over Rafael Nadal with another accomplished display. The crowd will likely have split allegiances for that semi-final on Friday.
"It's going to be really, really tough," said Alcaraz. "Everybody knows the level of Frances. He has beaten Rafa Nadal, Rublev in three sets. He's playing unbelievable right now, high in confidence.
"He loves the crowd. He loves this court. I'm going to have to play my best. But right now I'm thinking about this match. I'm enjoying this moment. I have a day of rest to think about the semi-final."
Alcaraz also said the possibility of becoming world number one did not cross his mind during the Sinner battle. He would hit the top spot by winning the title, and would also be assured of number one by reaching the final if Casper Ruud loses to Karen Khachanov in the other semi-final.
Sinner can only dream of reaching such heights for now, although his time may come.
He has a 9-20 losing record against top-10 opponents after this setback, but wins over Alcaraz at Wimbledon and later at a smaller event in Umag, Croatia, suggest his game is developing nicely.
The Italian had a strong tournament in New York but was left with regrets after failing to see this one through.
"I've had some tough losses, for sure. This is in the top list," Sinner said. "I think this one will hurt for quite a while.
"But tomorrow I wake up, or today I wake up, trying to somehow take only the positives, trying to take away the other part.
"But it's tough, for sure. In my next tournament I will play Davis Cup. Before, I want to practise again in the best possible way, trying to improve. Maybe next time I can win this, no?"
The NFC houses the reigning Super Bowl champions, but it enters the 2022 season viewed as the weaker of the two conferences.
Given the plethora of talented young quarterbacks residing in the AFC, the road to the Super Bowl appears to be an easier one in an NFC where the level of supply at the game's most important position is not quite as impressive.
But it would be wrong to suggest this is a conference lacking in depth, and there are several teams who could emerge as new and legitimate contenders to represent the NFC in Super Bowl LVII in Arizona.
Which teams are most likely to earn that honour? Stats Perform previews the NFC with the help of its AI season simulation and pre-season position rankings.
Favourites
No team in the league is seen as having a better chance to win the Super Bowl than the Rams, with Stats Perform AI giving the defending champions a 15.3 per cent chance of retaining the Lombardi Trophy despite the loss of Von Miller and the absence of Odell Beckham Jr, who remains a free agent following the torn ACL he suffered in the Super Bowl.
Even without Beckham, the Rams' skill position players are ranked fifth. On top of that, the Rams enter the season first in pass rush, third in pass defense and first in run defense. That's what having Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey on the same team will do for you.
Their most obvious competition comes from the team they beat in a Divisional Round thriller last season, though the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are projected to have just a 6.6 per cent chance to win the Super Bowl by stark comparison.
Despite the loss of center Ryan Jensen to injury and an offseason of change on the interior of the offensive line, the Buccaneers are still ranked sixth in pass protection. Tampa Bay's ability to justify that lofty position will go a long way to deciding whether Tom Brady - who had more passing plays of 25 yards or more than any other quarterback (42) in 2021 - can lead Tampa to a second title in three seasons.
Brady will have the benefit of a stacked wide receiver group, which is a luxury Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers do not enjoy as the four-time MVP launches another quest for a second Super Bowl ring.
Rodgers will be tasked with elevating a Davante Adams-less supporting cast to contention. However, though the trade of Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders dropped Green Bay's skill position players to 23rd, the Packers are still projected to win 11.5 games, the third-highest total in the NFL and a number tied in part to the continued improvements of a defense ranked third in pass rush and 10th in pass coverage that could give Rodgers the support he needs for a deep postseason run.
In the mix
The Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings combined to win a grand total of zero playoff wins in the 2021 season.
Yet all three are projected to threaten double-digit wins in 2021.
Philadelphia, blown out in the Wild Card Round by the Buccaneers last season, have a win projection of 11.9, the second-highest in the NFL behind the Rams, illustrating the strength of the roster and the level of pressure on quarterback Jalen Hurts as he heads into a critical second season as the starter knowing the Eagles have the draft capital to move on from him should he fail to deliver.
The Eagles' NFC East rivals the Cowboys have a win projection of 11 even after an offseason in which they traded wide receiver Amari Cooper and lost edge rusher Randy Gregory in free agency. Dallas will also start the year without left tackle Tyron Smith after he suffered a knee injury that will keep him out until December.
Though the Cowboys head into the season ranked sixth in pass defense, much of their success in that area was tied to takeaways and an 11-interception season from Trevon Diggs that history says is unlikely to be repeated. This is a roster that lacks depth in several key areas and the onus will be on Dak Prescott to maintain the form that saw him finish 2021 fifth in quarterback Efficiency Versus Expected (EVE) - which measures performance in expected passing situations compared to the league average - for the Cowboys to live up to their projection.
Minnesota are also predicted to produce an 11-win season in their first under the guidance of new head coach Kevin O'Connell, who will have a top-seven quarterback by EVE last season in Kirk Cousins and a skill-position group that goes into the campaign ranked eighth to work with as the Vikings aim to keep pace with the Packers in the NFC North.
Will Lance live up to expectations?
The most pertinent question in the NFC surrounds the San Francisco 49ers, who are given just a 10.6 per cent chance of making the playoffs for the third time in four seasons despite possessing one of the better all-round rosters in the league and coming within minutes of beating the Rams in the NFC Championship Game back in January.
Doubt around the Niners' ability to contend again is based on the complete unknown that is Trey Lance, the third overall pick from 2021 with just two NFL starts to his name.
Lance takes over from his now backup Jimmy Garoppolo, who was 10th in QB EVE in 2021, and the move from Garoppolo's down to down efficiency to a quarterback who is, for all intents and purposes, coming off a redshirt year, is a significant factor behind the Niners' projection of 7.1 wins.
Yet Lance is a quarterback with the big-play upside as both a passer and a runner to take an offense that finished 2021 first in EVE to an even higher level, and he will be working with a group of skill-position players ranked as the league's sixth best.
Supported by a defense that, according to the rankings, boasts the second-best pass rush and a top-seven pass coverage unit, Lance is in a tremendous situation to vindicate his lofty draft status.
Should he do so, an ultra-talented team will likely dramatically outperform their projection. If he endures the kind of growing pains associated with rookie quarterbacks, the Niners may be tempted to revert back to Garoppolo. It is that range of outcomes that makes the 49ers the most interesting team in the NFC if not the NFL.
Time to believe in the Saints?
The final few days of build-up to the new season have brought some perhaps unexpected hype about the prospects of the New Orleans Saints.
Is it justified? Well, their projection seems to suggest they have a strong chance of making it to the dance, New Orleans going into the season tied with the Los Angeles Chargers tied for the 10th-best playoff odds in the league at 60 per cent.
It is not overly difficult to make a case for the Saints, who retain one of the premier defenses in the NFL. New Orleans' defense is ranked first against the pass and fifth against the run. The coordinator who has overseen that defense, Dennis Allen, is now the Saints head coach after Sean Payton stepped away.
On offense, Alvin Kamara is a dual threat on the ground and as a receiver from the running back position, while the Saints are hoping Michael Thomas can get back to his All-Pro best at wideout after playing just seven regular-season games in the last two years.
The problem is that much of the external belief in the Saints appears to be built on hope rather than evidence. They are hoping Thomas can return to his old self, that Chris Olave can quickly become a rookie sensation at receiver and that Jameis Winston's encouraging seven-game pre-injury stretch last season was not a mirage.
Simply put, the Saints need a lot to happen for them to truly contend as many seemingly expect them to, but the undoubted quality of their defense does at least give New Orleans a reasonably high floor.
New quarterbacks, new places, same old results
Baker Mayfield and Carson Wentz will each ply their trade in new locations following offseason trades.
Mayfield will look to rehabilitate his career with the Carolina Panthers while the Washington Commanders are the latest team to tell themselves they can succeed with Wentz.
Reality, however, begs to differ.
Even in what was a largely turnover-free 2021 season for the Indianapolis Colts, Wentz was still only 23rd among quarterbacks (min. 100 attempts in expected passing situations) in QB EVE.
It is no surprise, then, that the Commanders are projected to win 7.9 games, and spend another year mired in mediocrity, with Wentz unlikely to be helped by a skill-position group lacking proven playmakers outside of Terry McLaurin and ranked 31st in the league.
Mediocrity will also be the order of the season in Carolina, with the Panthers' reward for an offseason in which they traded draft capital for both Matt Corral and Mayfield a win projection of 6.8. Seven wins would represent an improvement for head coach Matt Rhule but is unlikely to be enough progress to prevent the Panthers from cleaning house come the end of the campaign.
Excitement levels for the 2023 Rugby World Cup have ramped up another notch with Thursday marking exactly one year to go until the tournament gets up and running.
For some teams, the next 12 months will present a chance to continue building momentum ahead of the showpiece event. For others, a year of uncertainty awaits.
While it is still too early to pick out a strong favourite to win the event, a handful of teams – major issues or not – stand out among the top candidates to lift the famous trophy.
Here, Stats Perform looks at how the leading lights are shaping up ahead of the quadrennial world championship in France.
SOUTH AFRICA
Where better to start than with the reigning world champions? The Springboks triumphed somewhat against the odds in Japan three years ago, becoming the first team to win the title after losing a match in the pool stage.
Owing to the coronavirus pandemic, South Africa went 20 months between beating England in the 2019 final and cruising to a 40-9 victory over Georgia in July last year, though series victories over the British and Irish Lions, England and Wales have helped get any rustiness out of the system over the past 12 months or so.
The ongoing Rugby Championship is a better litmus test of what to expect in a year's time, and the Boks find themselves third with four matches played, albeit with only a point separating the four sides. Consistency is proving to be a major issue, having strung together successive wins only twice in their past 14 outings, something that must be put right.
NEW ZEALAND
Perennial World Cup favourites New Zealand won back-to-back tournaments prior to South Africa's triumph three years ago. If they are to have any chance of wrestling back the Webb Ellis Cup, then a number of issues must be resolved.
The All Blacks opted to put faith in under-fire boss Ian Foster amid a run of desperately disappointing results, which included three successive home Test losses for the first time in their history, with Ireland winning their maiden Test series in the country.
Defeat against Argentina two weeks ago may well have forced New Zealand chiefs to reconsider their options before it is too late, but Foster's side responded with an emphatic 53-3 victory against the same opponents in Hamilton to move top of the Rugby Championship standings and send out a message to their critics.
Back-to-back fixtures with Australia, followed by Tests with Wales, Scotland and England, will provide a better indication of exactly where this New Zealand side are ahead of the World Cup after a turbulent period.
IRELAND
Ideally for Ireland, the World Cup would start this week rather than in a year's time on the back of what has been a stellar period. Andy Farrell's side closed out the momentous series win in New Zealand in July and have won 13 of their past 16 matches.
Despite that consistent run of results, Ireland have gone four years between Six Nations titles, with their solitary loss to France in this year's competition prolonging their wait for silverware.
Ranked at number one in the world a year out from France 2023, Ireland need to fine tune one or two areas and ensure they keep their star players – Johnny Sexton among them – fit and firing.
FRANCE
Having lived up to the hype by ending a 12-year wait for Six Nations success, followed up by their recent series win over Japan, France are now under pressure to win the World Cup for the first time in their history on home soil next year.
Les Bleus have won 10 in a row since their most recent defeat, coming at the hands of Australia in July 2021, and will test themselves against Australia and South Africa prior to their Six Nations title defence getting under way in February.
A fit Antoine Dupont remains crucial to any chance France have of ending their World Cup hoodoo following a record three defeats in finals. Beyond wrapping certain players in cotton wool, Fabien Galthie must ensure the hunger remains and that his men can cope with the pressure that comes with being the host nation.
ENGLAND
If results in both hemispheres over the past few months have taught us anything, it is that any of the major rugby nations can beat any other on their day. Scotland, Wales, Ireland and Argentina have each produced some big victories, for example, while Australia as ever will fancy themselves on the biggest stage of them all.
The same is very much true of England, who earned an impressive series win Down Under to silence Eddie Jones' growing list of critics following yet another underwhelming Six Nations campaign.
And therein lies the problem for England. Jones has constantly said hitting form in time for the World Cup is all that matters, and the Red Rose simply cannot afford for one of their off days to come in a knockout match.
As runners-up last time around, and as one of only four teams to have ever lifted the trophy, this will be another win-or-bust tournament for England in what will be Jones' final bow before being replaced.
Carlos Alcaraz survived a Jannik Sinner match point before going on to clinch his maiden grand slam semi-final berth with an epic five-set victory in more than five hours at the US Open.
The Spanish third seed triumphed 6-3 6-7 (7-9) 6-7 (0-7) 7-5 6-3 in the latest-ever finish at the US Open, officially ending at 2:50am Thursday local time.
The match was within nine minutes of being the longest ever in US Open history, the record held by Michael Chang and Stefan Edberg from 1992 of five hours and 26 minutes.
The 19-year-old fought back from a Sinner match point in the fourth set, rallying to force a fifth, where he broke the Italian 11th seed in the eighth game before serving it out for victory.
Alcaraz blew opportunities too, including five set points in the second set, while he failed to serve out the third set before Sinner won the tie-break 7-0 to take all the momentum into the fourth.
But the emerging Alcaraz showcased his doggedness even after falling a break behind in the fourth, to set up a semi-final date against 22nd seed Frances Tiafoe, who has beaten Andrey Rublev and Rafael Nadal in his past two matches.
The win also means Alcaraz is a step closer to claiming the world number one ranking for the first time, which will be achieved if he wins the title, or even if he makes the final and fifth seed Casper Ruud does not.
Data slam: Alcaraz cannot help Nadal comparisons
Alcaraz, 19, is not fond of comparisons to compatriot Rafael Nadal, but his victory means he becomes the youngest grand slam semi-finalist since the 22-time major winner in 2005.
Little separated Alcaraz and Sinner who will both have won huge admiration, but the Italian's 63 unforced errors compared to the Spaniard's 38 was an outlier.
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Alcaraz – 5/5
Sinner – 8/11
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Alcaraz – 58/38
Sinner – 61/63
BREAK POINTS WON
Alcaraz – 11/26
Sinner – 7/16
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