Victoria Azarenka says she regrets beginning her Miami Open match against Linda Fruhvirtova after retiring during the second set of the third-round encounter.
The former world number one blamed an "extremely stressful" time in her personal life for the withdrawal, calling her decision to play a "mistake" and pledging to learn from the incident.
Azarenka was trailing 6-2 3-0 against 16-year-old Czech Fruhvirtova when she abruptly ended the match, having earlier shouted "why am I here?" at her coaching team.
The two-time Australian Open champion also broke down in tears after her third-round defeat to Elena Rybakina at Indian Wells earlier this month, deleting her social media accounts in the aftermath.
Via a statement released after her retirement from the tournament, the Belarusian said she should not have gone onto the court to face Fruhvirtova, blaming an "extremely stressful" time in her personal life for the incident.
"I shouldn't have gone on the court today," the 32-year-old said.
"The last few weeks have been extremely stressful in my personal life.
"[My] last match took so much out of me, but I wanted to play in front of a great audience as they helped me pull through my first match.
"I wanted to go out there and try but it was a mistake. I always look forward to the challenge and pressure of competition but today it was too much.
"I have to and will learn from this."
As a Belarusian, Azarenka has had to compete as a neutral player since her country's regime helped enable the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with the participation of sportspeople from the two countries being a subject of intense discussion.
Serena and Venus Williams attended the Academy Awards on Sunday as Will Smith took home the Best Actor prize at this year's Oscar ceremony for playing their father in the biographical drama King Richard.
The Williams sisters, widely considered two of the sport's pre-eminent players with 30 grand slam singles titles between them, were executive producers on the film, which charts their meteoric rise.
King Richard was nominated for six Oscars in total, including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actress, for Aunjanue Ellis who plays the pair's mother Oracene Price.
It was not without controversy, however, after Smith – who takes on the role of the sisters' father Richard in the film – struck presenter Chris Rock for a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett-Smith, shortly before accepting his honour.
"This night has been surreal," 23-time major winner Serena wrote on Instagram following the ceremony. "To spend it sitting next to my sisters meant more than anything.
"I am so grateful to The Academy for making this an unforgettable night, and to Will Smith for bringing this story to the big screen and honouring my family. This will always be a night to remember."
Smith overshadowed his own victory though following his altercation with comedian Rock.
He apologised to the Academy during his subsequent acceptance speech, in which he was tearful, while praising Richard Williams as a "fierce defender of his family".
"I want to say thank you to Venus and Serena and the entire Williams family for entrusting me with your story," he stated. "I want to apologise to the Academy. I want to apologise to all my fellow nominees.
"This is a beautiful moment and I'm not crying for winning an award. It's not about winning an award for me. Thank you for this moment and thank you on behalf of Richard and Oracene and the entire Williams family."
Egan Bernal has returned to the road for the first time since his horrific crash in January.
The 25-year-old, who won the 2019 Tour de France and the 2021 Giro d'Italia, was treated in intensive care after hitting a parked bus at high speed while on a training ride in Colombia in January.
Bernal required multiple surgeries after sustaining a fractured vertebra, a fractured right femur, a fractured right patella, chest trauma, a punctured lung and several fractured ribs.
The Colombian revealed in a social media post later that month that there was a "95 per cent chance" of him being paralysed or killed during the incident, but has now been pictured on the road in a tweet from the official INEOS Grenadiers account.
"The best Monday motivation we could ever hope for, Egan Bernal is back on the bike," INEOS tweeted.
"The happiest day of my life," he wrote on Twitter.
"After 2 months and 20 broken bones, here I am, and I want more! See you on the road!"
Former cyclist Chris Hoy, one of Great Britain's most successful Olympians, told Stats Perform earlier this month that he expects Bernal to recover, though knows it will be a long way back.
"I guess it's always hard to tell just how bad an injury or how bad mentally a big crash can affect athletes and with social media, you're always trying to portray the best possible side and the positive side all the time," said Hoy.
"But there is no doubt that no matter how well he's doing now, it will have been a huge struggle to get past the physical injuries and the psychological scars as well from such a horrible accident.
"He is a fierce competitor, all the other team-mates who know him say that if anyone can, he can, and I think the cycling community is hoping that he will get back to his very best and be able to compete on the biggest stage. But, you know, it's not a small challenge that he's facing, but we'll have to wait and see."
Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have reaffirmed their concern over Formula One racing in Saudi Arabia.
A Houthi missile strike that hit an Aramco facility 10 miles from the Jeddah circuit during the first practice on Friday sparked concern over the safety of the race.
The Saudi energy and chemical company is also a sponsor of F1, as well as a principal sponsor of the Aston Martin team.
Amid criticism of the Saudi regime's human rights record and fears for their safety, there was serious concern over a driver boycott of Sunday's race.
However, the event went ahead as planned, with reigning F1 champion Max Verstappen beating Charles Leclerc.
Hamilton, who qualified 16th, finished down in 10th, but the seven-time world champion was simply happy that the paddock could finish the race and leave the country.
"I am so happy the weekend is done," Hamilton said.
"I am so happy everyone is safe, I am just looking forward to getting out. I just want to go home."
Red Bull's Verstappen confirmed the drivers will be looking to take their concerns over the future of the race further.
"We had a lot of guarantees that of course it would be safe but after this weekend all the drivers together, we will speak with F1 and the team bosses to see what is happening for the future," he said.
"Of course, I am relieved [to have got through the weekend," added McLaren's Lando Norris.
"It is a nervous place to be and you are going to have these nerves."
Scottie Scheffler is still coming to terms with his new status as the number one golfer in the world after victory in the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play final on Sunday.
The 25-year-old was still waiting on his first PGA Tour win at the start of February but has sensationally come out on top in three of his five entries since.
His latest triumph, secured with a 4 and 3 win over Kevin Kisner in Austin, made him the 25th man to lead the Official World Golf Ranking since its inception in 1986.
Scheffler moved to 3 up by the sixth hole and scarcely looked in trouble throughout, ultimately sinking a putt for par on the 15th to claim victory.
Displacing Spain's Jon Rahm at the summit and with his family watching on from the side, the American acknowledged afterwards he was yet to truly realise the magnitude of his new status.
"[It is] pretty cool to do that in front of my family," Scheffler said. "They've supported me so much along the way, and I really don't know what to say about that.
"I don't feel like number one in the world. I feel like the same guy I was four months ago, and I hope that doesn't change. Yeah, I don't feel any different."
Scheffler came second in last year's WGC Match Play, losing 2 and 1 to Billy Horschel in a painful defeat that has since played on his mind.
"[There was] definitely a lot of emotion coming off the green," he said. "It's been kind of a crazy past few months.
"I got my first win in Phoenix, and then I guess this is my third now, and golly, what a long week.
"I really don't know how to describe the emotion. I've thought about winning this tournament ever since last year.
"It left kind of a poor taste in my mouth, getting so close and ultimately coming up short. So it feels really good to finish the job this time around."
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner believes Ferrari are a challenger for this year's Formula One drivers' and constructors' titles, despite Max Verstappen's victory at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Sunday.
Following his DNF in the season opener in Bahrain, Verstappen bounced back to claim the 25 points in a tightly contested race.
With Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz on the podium in both races, however, Ferrari have opened up an early 40-point lead in the constructors' championship. Leclerc has also added to his respective first and second-placed finishes with two bonus points from fastest laps.
According to Horner, it is a sign of their legitimacy and strength this season.
"Ferrari have got a great car, they've got great drivers," he told Sky Sports. "It was a really tough battle. If that's what we're set for the rest of the season... from what we've seen in the first two races, it's been epic.
"They're all competitive teams. Ferrari are a big team, they've been a sleeping giant for a couple of years. They've got great strength in depth. It was just a great motor race. We enjoyed it, it was good hard racing between the drivers, and let's see what happens in Australia."
In the second consecutive race this season, Verstappen and Leclerc were locked in a thrilling wheel-to-wheel battle, with the defending champion seeing off the Ferrari challenge in Jeddah this time.
Horner praised the reigning world champion's race management, with Verstappen well placed to hold off Leclerc's late charge, while also saving some words for fourth-placed pole-sitter Sergio Perez.
"It was a very patient race from Max," Horner said. "He looked after the tyres for the end of the race there, and then after the last safety car, he really went for it.
"[Sergio] has driven brilliantly all weekend. He got that pole, his race pace was great, and he's just got unlucky with track position with the safety car. We've seen that happen sometimes."
The F1 season resumes in April with the Australian GP in Melbourne.
Mattia Binotto enjoyed "a great spectacle" as Charles Leclerc battled with Max Verstappen in Jeddah – despite Ferrari coming off second best.
For the second week running, Leclerc and Verstappen were at the forefront of the race.
This time, however, Verstappen's Red Bull did not fail on him, allowing the defending champion to earn his first win and points of the season in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
As in Bahrain, where Verstappen had failed to make his passes stick, Leclerc initially looked to have a tactical edge, braking in front of the DRS line to beat his rival on the straight on one lap before nipping in front when the Dutchman attempted to do the same the following time around.
Eventually, however, Verstappen worked it out, getting ahead and staving off a last-gasp challenge to cross the line first.
Ferrari team principal Binotto was unable to celebrate successive victories following the Bahrain one-two but again had two cars on the podium, with Carlos Sainz in third, and simply enjoyed seeing Leclerc in position to challenge Verstappen.
"Red Bull and Max did a fantastic race. I think Max drove very well," Binotto told Sky Sports.
"It has been a great spectacle to see those two guys battling for the first positions. It has been a great – not good but great – race. I think it's what we're looking for.
"For us to be competitive, to be there, to fight, it was at least our objective to start the season. We can be very pleased. In two races, from 88 points total available, we scored 78, so this can only be a good start to the season.
"I think [Leclerc] drove very well, and he's very smart, and those two guys are very strong.
"He's got a lot of talent and he's proven again that he can fight with Max at the level. They've been fighting since when they were kids, and now they're fighting here at the first position in F1.
"It's very, very good for F1, a fantastic start to the season."
Albert Pujols has reportedly agreed a deal to return to the St. Louis Cardinals.
According to ESPN's Aidan Gonzalez, the future Hall of Famer signed a one-year, $2.5million contract to return to the club where he made his name and possibly bookend his career.
Once the 42-year-old completes his physical, Pujols will officially return to the Cardinals, where he won three National League MVPs, made nine All-Star Game appearances and claimed two World Series titles between 2001 and 2011.
He subsequently spent nine and a half seasons with the Los Angeles Angels before ending last year on the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Back in St. Louis, Pujols appears set to play in a part-time role, as a designated hitter against left-handed pitchers and as a late-game pinch-hitter.
In his MLB career to date, Pujols has tallied 3,301 hits, 679 home runs and 2,150 RBIs in 21 seasons.
Kyrie Irving believes his return to home games for the Brooklyn Nets transcends his status as a basketball player.
The unvaccinated Irving made his season debut in January, when a COVID-19 outbreak forced the Nets to field him on a part-time basis, having initially chosen not to.
New York City vaccine mandates still barred the 30-year-old from playing the Barclays Center, but last week's easing of those mandates allowed for a return to action on his home floor.
Following the 119-110 loss to the Charlotte Hornets, Irving wanted to bring matters into perspective.
"I was just trying to ground myself as much as possible today and just prepare for the warm reception from a lot of supporters of the organisation, of me, just the journey thus far," he said post-game.
"So I don't take it for granted what happened tonight, it was historic. I'm grateful I got a chance to be out there with my brothers and just leave it all out there."
Irving received a hearty reception from the home crowd as he was introduced in the starting lineup, in what was the Nets' second game of a back-to-back.
The former All-Star struggled to find rhythm despite his 16 points and 11 assists, going six-of-22 from the field and making one out of nine attempts from the perimeter.
But Irving spoke afterwards about how his stance against the vaccine meant his return was not simply about him or the game of basketball.
"Tonight my presence out there was just bigger than the basketball game," Irving said. "I was just representing a lot of individuals that are out there in a similar situation as me.
"And now that I can play, I think we should be opened up for everybody.
"I made it very clear it was never just about me. I think for my legacy, that's to be written by all those that I impact and all those that impact me, and it's far bigger than just a basketball game.
"But when I'm in this locker room, I get a chance to perform with a bunch of guys that are selfless and are sacrificing just as much as I am. It makes it worthwhile."
Jannik Sinner saved multiple match points for the second straight match on Sunday, advancing to the last-16 at the Miami Masters.
After saving three in his opening match against Emil Ruusuvuoiri, the 20-year-old Italian denied Pablo Carreno Busta five times to eventually win 5-7 7-5 7-5.
A Miami finalist in 2021, the Italian was 5-4 down in the second set before winning 11 consecutive points to force a third frame.
Down a break before breaking-to-love in the third, Sinner was fearless with his ground strokes with the game on the line, moving to 5-0 in deciding sets for 2022.
He will face Nick Kyrgios, who continued his strong start to the year with a 6-2 6-4 win over Fabio Fognini.
Taking only 61 minutes to advance after defeating world number seven Andrey Rublev in straight sets in his opening match, Kyrgios hit 24 winners and only lost eight points on serve.
The Australian wildcard and Sinner were supposed to meet at Indian Wells earlier this year, but the latter had to withdraw due to illness.
Fellow unseeded Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis advanced past Denis Kudla, while Francisco Cerundolo upset Gael Monfils.
In the late result on Sunday, Alexander Zverev was a comfortable 6-2 6-2 winner over Mackenzie McDonald.
The German second seed put McDonald under immediate pressure with his return of service, winning 13 of 22 points on the American's second serve.
Meanwhile, Cameron Norrie and Casper Ruud saw their way through in straight sets.
After scoring 11 points in the first quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers' 116-108 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, LeBron James suffered an ankle injury early in the second term that he called "horrible".
James ended up staying in the game, and went on to score 39 points on 14-of-27 shooting, but he admitted after the game that it was more serious than he hoped.
After scoring 69 points in the first half, the Lakers were a different side after the break, scoring just 39 points over the final two quarters while the Pelicans scored 41 in the third quarter alone.
Speaking to post-game media, James said he would have "probably not" finished the game if he did not feel it was a crucial fixture for his side.
"I have no idea how I finished the game after watching the replay, it was pretty nasty," he said.
"I lost all explosiveness… a lot of my game was on the perimeter after that. It's horrible right now.
"From the time that I turned my ankle I felt a sharp pain run up my leg and get hot, and I've been there with ankle sprains before, but I didn't want to come out of the game.
"I understood how big of a game it was for us."
James was blunt when describing how it felt to come up short in a game that was built up as a near must-win internally.
"It feels like sh** – excuse my language, but that's what it feels like," he said.
"I came in with the mindset understanding that it was a playoff-type atmosphere with playoff implications.
"We also have a lot of guys in our ball club who haven't played in playoff games as well… [New Orleans] have guys who have been in the postseason.
"It feels like a wasted opportunity."
Also speaking with post-game media, head coach Frank Vogel preached urgency as the playoffs rapidly approach.
"Time's running out on us – we came out with the proper urgency for this game, but weren't able to close it," he said.
"It's over, this game is over, and we have to turn the page to the next one.
"It's not good – it hurts, this was a big game – but we have to regroup and find a way to beat Dallas and get some wins down the stretch here."
On James' injury, Vogel said it was a brave effort to stick it out until the end.
"It's tough – it has been that kind of season, and [James] was in an incredible groove when it happened," he said.
"Credit to him for toughing it out – you could see that he was limited on it somewhat the rest of the way, but he battled through it."
Iga Swiatek was in a ruthless mood as she coasted into the last 16 of the Miami Open, setting up an intriguing clash with Coco Gauff.
Swiatek was in action for the first time since ensuring she will be top of the pile after the next WTA rankings update, and she certainly showed world-number-one form against Madison Brengle in a 6-0 6-3 victory.
The 20-year-old Pole needed just 25 minutes to win the opening set, during which she hit 12 winners to Brengle's one.
Brengle gave a better account of herself in the second set but Swiatek still had far too much for her, with the latter remaining on course to become only the fourth woman to win the so-called 'Sunshine Double' of Indian Wells and the Miami Open.
But certain expectations – particularly those relating to her ranking – are not what Swiatek wants to think about at the moment, especially while she is so content out on the court.
She said: "I know the ranking can be pressure, but on the other hand when I was climbing up and I entered top 10 and top five, I felt the same feeling, and right now I don't want to repeat that. So I just focus on my game.
"I don't know what's going to happen after the tournament and the adrenaline will go down and I have more time to stress about that a little bit more, but for now I feel great. It's not like it's bothering me, it's more motivating me. So it's great."
Gauff, competing in her local tournament, awaits after showing admirable spirit to beat Zhang Shuai 7-6 (7-1) 7-5.
The 18-year-old had to save two set points in the opener before rallying back and producing a devastating display in the tiebreaker.
She then came back from 4-2 down in the second, winning five of the final six games to seal a hard-fought victory.
Another teenager hoping to leave a lasting impression is 16-year-old Linda Fruhvirtova, who became the youngest player to reach the fourth round in Miami since Maria Sharapova and Tatiana Golovin in 2004 – both were also 16.
Fruhvirtova was 6-2 3-0 up over Victoria Azarenka before the three-time Miami Open winner retired, giving the youngster her first top-20 scalp.
Jessica Pegula, Petra Kvitova and Paula Badosa were among the others to secure their progression on Sunday.
After some results fell their way, the new Eastern Conference one seed Philadelphia 76ers went head-to-head with the Western Conference one seed Phoenix Suns in a potential NBA Finals preview.
Unfortunately for the 76ers, their time on top was short-lived as the Suns' 114-104 home win sent the away side toppling down to fourth in the Eastern Conference standings.
MVP favourite Joel Embiid was enormous for the 76ers, scoring 37 points on 14-of-27 shooting to go with 15 rebounds, three steals and two blocks, but it was not enough to beat a Phoenix team that has now won 61 games this season – one short of their franchise record of 62 set in 1992-93 and 2004-05.
For the Suns, Devin Booker was the star, scoring an efficient 35 points on 13-of-22 shooting (three-of-five from long range), while Chris Paul dished out 14 assists to go with his 19 points.
As a team, Phoenix shot over 51 per cent from the field, and 48 per cent from three-point range.
Boston takes the one seed – for now
As Philadelphia fell from the top spot, the Boston Celtics took the opportunity to assume the position atop the Eastern Conference musical chairs, beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 134-112.
Boston's two centrepieces were both at the top of their game, with Jayson Tatum scoring 34 points on 12-of-21 shooting and dishing six assists, while Jaylen Brown had 31 points on 12-of-20 shooting with his 10 rebounds.
Boston, Philadelphia, the Miami Heat and the Milwaukee Bucks are all separated by just a half-game in a four-way race for the one seed and home-court advantage throughout the Eastern playoffs.
Lakers lose again despite LeBron heroics
As has become a theme this season, a terrific LeBron James performance was not enough to carry the Los Angeles Lakers to victory, going down 116-108 to the New Orleans Pelicans.
James had 39 points on 14-of-27 shooting, including seven-of-13 from long range, to go with nine rebounds and five assists in the loss.
In his first game back from a 10-match absence due to injury, Brandon Ingram was the man for the Pelicans, scoring 26 points on 10-of-17 shooting with seven rebounds and five assists, while rookie sensation Herb Jones claimed six steals.
North Carolina have set up a tantalising Final Four matchup with historic rivals Duke after ending the 'Cinderella' run of the 15-seed Saint Peter's Peacocks.
The Peacocks assumed the role of this year's loveable underdogs of March Madness when they became the first 15 seed to make it through to the Elite Eight, but they were no match for North Carolina, going down 69-49 in a game that was never close.
Armando Bacot was the star of the show for the Tar Heels, finishing with 20 points on eight-of-15 shooting to go with a monstrous 22 rebounds.
With the win, North Carolina booked their spot against Duke in the Final Four as Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski searches for his sixth national title in his 42nd and final year in charge.
One of the fiercest rivalries in American sports, North Carolina and Duke have played 256 times since their first meeting in 1920, but incredibly have never met in the NCAA Tournament.
Earlier in the day, it was a tale of two halves as one-seed Kansas took on 10-seed Miami, with the higher-ranked Jayhawks struggling out of the gate to trail 35-29 at half-time.
Kansas shot zero-for-five from long range and three-for-nine from the free throw line in the first half but flipped a switch in the second half, showing why they are considered one of the favourites to win the tournament.
The second half was total domination, out-scoring the Hurricanes 47-15 in the 20 minutes to pull away for an easy 76-50 win.
The top performance in the game came from the top NBA prospect, Kansas' Ochai Agbaji, who finished with 18 points on eight-of-12 shooting, including two-from-two from long range. He also registered five rebounds, four assists and four steals as he continues to build his case as a potential lottery pick in this year's NBA Draft.
Scottie Scheffler is the new number one-ranked golfer in the world after defeating Kevin Kisner 4 and 3 in the WGC Match Play final on Sunday.
The 25-year-old American has dethroned Spain's Jon Rahm to become only the 25th man to hold the top spot on the Official World Golf Ranking since its inception in 1986.
It is Scheffler's third professional tour win of the season, after triumphs at the Phoenix Open last month and the Arnold Palmer Invitational three weeks ago.
Kisner, the Match Play champion in 2019 when he beat Matt Kuchar 3 and 2, struggled to best his opponent, who went 1up off the second tee and subsequently never relinquished his lead.
Scheffler, who saw off a Dustin Johnson fightback to win 3 and 1 in the semi-finals, built a commanding early advantage through the sixth hole, emerging 3up with a dozen to play,
Neither man was able to get the better of the other until the 14th hole, when Scheffler shot a smart birdie against Kisner's bogey to move four up with just four holes remaining.
It left Kisner needing to win on the 15th to keep the match going, but the 38-year-old could not force the game on, and with just two putts needed for the title, Scheffler made no mistake on the green.
Scheffler, who had ranked fifth in the world heading into the Match Play, becomes the ninth American to top the men's world rankings, and the first new USA native to rank first since Brooks Koepka in 2018.
Elsewhere, Johnson missed out on a podium finish as the two-time major champion went down 3 and 1 to Corey Conners.
The Canadian held his nerve from the 12th hole onwards after dropping back to a two-hole lead to claim third place on the 17th hole with a birdie.
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin feels lucky to add an asset as valuable as new senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach Brian Flores.
Flores was fired from his role as head coach of the Miami Dolphins in January following the franchise's first back-to-back winning seasons since 2003, finishing 10-6 in 2020 and 9-8 in 2021.
During the fallout of his stint in Miami, Flores filed a lawsuit against the NFL, the Dolphins, Denver Broncos and New York Giants.
In it, he accused the Broncos and Giants of flawed hiring processes, alleging the two franchises only offered interviews to comply with the league's 'Rooney Rule', which requires teams to interview candidates of colour for head coaching and senior operation vacancies.
The class action brought by Flores alleged the NFL "remains rife with racism, particularly when it comes to the hiring and retention of black head coaches, coordinators and general managers".
Flores also alleged he was offered $100,000 per loss by Dolphins owner Stephen Ross in 2019 in an effort to secure a better draft position.
All parties have strenuously denied Flores' allegations.
Flores was confirmed as the Steelers' new defensive assistant and linebackers coach last month, and Tomlin acknowledged that his decision to offer him a role was partly influenced by a desire to ensure he was not exiled from the league.
"I just didn't want him to feel like he was on an island," he told reporters on Sunday.
"From a coaching fraternity standpoint, I owed him that. I was in position to provide that. I think that started our interactions and conversations.
"Over the course of those discussions, particularly when it became evident he was not going to get a head job, then I think the natural discussion began.
"It really ran its course rather quickly, to be quite honest with you, because it doesn't require a lot of time to come to the realisation that you can use a Brian Flores on your staff."
Tomlin believes Flores will bring a level of experience that will help shape decision-making on every level.
"Senior defensive assistant and linebacker coach is his title, but there's help that he's going to help us and help me, in particular," he added.
"I love sharpening my sword on his and gaining a perspective that his experiences provide, that wise counsel.
"We're talking about a myriad of things. Whether it's calendar, whether it's taking care of players, whether it's the acquisition or evaluation of talent, it's been fun to have him. His contributions are going to be significant."
Lewis Hamilton says Mercedes have "a lot of work" to do to match Red Bull and Ferrari after a disappointing Saudi Arabian Grand Prix performance.
The seven-time world champion was knocked out following a shaky Q1 session on Saturday, and he began from 15th on the grid and ultimately came home 10th in Jeddah, saying it was a "gutting" outcome.
Hamilton could have finished higher were it not for pit-stop confusion amid virtual safety car conditions a dozen laps from the end, while George Russell drove a sedate race to finish fifth.
Both were well off the pace of Red Bull and Ferrari, who locked out the front two rows in qualifying and then the podium as Max Verstappen got off the mark for the season with the win.
Speaking afterwards, Hamilton felt little had been done to improve the Mercedes car since Bahrain owing to the short turnaround, and said the pace of his vehicle remains a serious concern.
"Not much has changed really since the last race. It's only been a few days," the Briton said.
"What I know is that today, I couldn't keep up with the Haas at the end. The power they have, they came sling-shotting past me when I overtook [Haas driver Kevin] Magnussen earlier on in the race."
However, Hamilton, who drove to a P3 in the season-opener last weekend after both Red Bull cars suffered mechanical failures late on, believes he has the crew to help turn things around.
"We've got a lot of work to do for sure, but I know we've got a great team, and we'll just keep our heads down and try to improve," he said on Sky Sports.
Hamilton added: "It's gutting but we need to keep fighting, it's all we can do."
Team principal Toto Wolff admitted Mercedes' performance was a grim reminder of how far off the pace they are so far, saying: "Today’s race was the reflection of where we currently stand.
"The overall picture is sobering, and it's clear that we need to continue working hard if we wish to deliver a stronger performance in Melbourne."
Hamilton faces a two-week wait in which to help fine-tune his car before the F1 season resumes with the first Australian Grand Prix since 2019.
Chad Ramey landed the first PGA Tour title of his career with a one-shot victory at the Corales Puntacana Championship in the Dominican Republic.
Playing his first full season on the tour, Ramey came into the week with one top-10 result behind him, having tied for fifth at the Puerto Rico Open.
The 29-year-old from Fulton, Mississippi, came good on Sunday to complete a five-under 67 and reach 17 under par, winning by one from Alex Smalley and overnight leader Ben Martin, both fellow Americans.
Smalley had a closing seven-under 65 to jump seven places on the leaderboard, while Martin could have forced a play-off, only to miss a six-foot birdie putt at the 18th hole.
That gave Martin a two-under 70, and allowed Ramey to roll in from short range for the title, in the process earning an exemption to the US PGA Championship. He had surged to the top of the leaderboard after making consecutive birdies from the 13th to the 16th hole.
Reflecting on his success, Ramey told the Golf Channel: "I just think it'll give me a lot of confidence. I've always had the self-belief that I can get it done, and I proved it today."
Max Verstappen hailed the race pace of his Red Bull after snatching victory in a gripping tussle with Charles Leclerc at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
The Dutchman edged out the Ferrari of Leclerc to deny the Monte Carlo racer consecutive wins after his victory in Bahrain, where Verstappen failed to finish.
Verstappen passed Leclerc for the lead with just a handful of laps to go on Sunday after sitting behind him all race, initially in third and then second after Sergio Perez dropped down the field.
It meant the 24-year-old earned his first points of the season as he aims to become a two-time world champion, and speaking afterwards, Verstappen admitted he was glad to have got off the mark.
"It was really tough, but a good race," the Dutchman said. "We were both battling hard at the front. We just tried to play the long game.
"They were really quick through corners, and we were really quick on the straight. The tyres were wearing out quite quick.
"You could see by the end we had a little bit more pace. I tried to get by, it wasn't easy, they were playing smart tricks in the last corner, but eventually I managed to get ahead.
"Even after that, he was constantly in the DRS. [I'm] really happy we finally kick-started the season."
Leclerc, who had looked poised for his second win as many races, took time to congratulate his opponent and point to the thrill of the jostling for first place.
"It wasn't enough today, but my god, I really enjoyed that race," Leclerc said. "Every race should be like this. It was fun.
"We had two very different configurations. We were quite quick in the corner, but slow in the straights. It was extremely difficult for me to cover Max in the straight. He did a great job, it was a fun race."
The Ferrari driver felt the race only reinforced the respect the pair have for each other, adding: "It's always been there, especially when you finish a race like this on a street track.
"We've been pushing like I've rarely pushed before, we take risks. Of course there's respect."
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