The same two teams have not faced each other in consecutive Super Bowls since 1994, when the Dallas Cowboys ended the 1993 season by repeating as champions with a second straight rout of the Buffalo Bills, for whom the loss marked their fourth consecutive defeat on the grandest stage.
But the stars may be aligning for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs to end that wait and face off again in Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles in February.
Tampa Bay crushed Kansas City in Super Bowl LV, becoming the first team to win the Lombardi Trophy at their home stadium with a 31-9 triumph.
And it is tough to look at the respective rosters following strong offseasons from both without feeling they should each be in position to renew acquaintances at SoFi Stadium.
The Buccaneers did an excellent job of keeping their title-winning core together, while the Chiefs attacked the glaring weakness that saw their hopes of defending the championship last season go up in flames.
Using its advanced data, Stats Perform analyses why these two powerhouses appear poised to emulate the feat of the Cowboys and Bills.
Bucs keep the band together
Faced with the complex challenge of retaining a host of free agents who made significant contributions to their Super Bowl triumph while dealing with a salary cap shrinking due to the impact of the pandemic and a season played largely without fans, the Buccaneers made good on head coach Bruce Arians' post-championship pledge to keep the heart of the roster intact.
There were, of course, some departures, but the pivotal cogs that helped propel the Bucs to a second title in franchise history were all tied down for 2021 and, in most cases, beyond.
Perhaps the most important move the Bucs made was to re-sign edge rusher Shaquil Barrett, who had 13 of Tampa Bay's 31 pressures of Patrick Mahomes in February to a four-year, $72million contract that is the joint-11th most expensive edge rusher contract in the league by average annual salary.
The fact Barrett agreed to take a discount to stay with Tampa is reflective of the excellent situation the Bucs are in, and several of his team-mates were similarly eager to re-sign with a team superbly positioned to contend for more titles.
Veteran linebacker Lavonte David received long-overdue recognition in 2020 after years of stellar play and also received a two-year, $25m deal from the Bucs to keep him next to Devin White in the middle of the defense.
David allowed a burn, which is when a receiver wins his matchup with a defender on a play where he is targeted regardless of whether the ball is catchable, on 36.8 per cent of his targets. His 6.42 burn yards per target conceded was fourth best among all linebackers while White's pressure rate of 37.3 was the best for linebackers with at least 50 pass rush attempts.
They have a claim for being the top linebacking duo in football when it comes to affecting the pass game and the Bucs' front seven looks to have all the ingredients to give quarterbacks nightmares in 2021. Tampa retained the services of defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh and added a first-round pass rusher in Joe Tryon, who recorded a 19.6% pressure rate off the edge in his last season for Washington in 2019, with 30 of his 35 total pressures seeing him beat a pass protector.
However, the Chiefs have made a series of impressive moves with the aim of ensuring Tampa Bay cannot disrupt their aerial attack to the same extent should they meet again.
Protecting Patrick
The defining image of Kansas City's 31-9 loss in Super Bowl LV was that of Mahomes running for his life in the face of near relentless pressure from Tampa Bay.
Mahomes was playing behind an offensive line decimated by injuries. Right tackle Mike Remmers was forced to play at left tackle and guard Andrew Wylie had to take his place across the formation.
Kansas City's offense was unable to function at anything close to peak performance as a result, and the Chiefs' offseason appeared designed entirely to prevent such a scenario coming to pass again.
Joe Thuney was signed as a free agent to lock down the left guard position having served as one of most dependable players in football during his career with the New England Patriots. Thuney's pressure rate (4%) in 2020 was fifth among all guards and he will have Orlando Brown Jr. on his outside shoulder after the Chiefs traded their 2021 first-rounder among multiple picks to acquire him from the Baltimore Ravens to be their new left tackle.
Brown, who is switching from right to left tackle and gave up a pressure rate of 9% in 2020, may have some work to do as a pass blocker but Kansas City should expect him to help their run game. Only David Bakhtiari (3%) allowed run disruptions at a lower rate than Brown (3.6%) last year.
In addition to fortifying the left side, the Chiefs ensured they will have depth across the line. They used one of their two second-round picks on Oklahoma center Creed Humphrey, whose pressure rate (1.6%) was joint-third best among Power 5 centers with a minimum of 50 pass protection snaps. He is set to start ahead of versatile free agent addition Austin Blythe and another rookie, sixth-round pick Trey Smith, is in line to get the starting right guard job ahead of Laurent Duvernay-Tardif.
Duvernay-Tardif, who opted out of the 2020 season to aid the fight against coronavirus in his native Canada, should prove an extremely valuable reserve having been credited with allowing just two adjusted sacks on 354 pass protection snaps in 2019.
The big question mark is at right tackle, where Lucas Niang seems primed to start. He did not play in his rookie year after opting out and is, therefore, likely to be the player opposing pass rushes target. The Chiefs will hope he can reprise his form of his senior year at TCU, when he was not credited with an adjusted sack allowed on 123 pass protection snaps.
Kansas City defeated the Buccaneers in Week 12 of the 2020 season with the 27-24 score flattering Tampa Bay. Conventional wisdom says that with better protection, Mahomes and the Chiefs' explosive offense would have the advantage. But, after an offseason in which the Bucs solidified the strength of their team and Chiefs attacked a deficiency, is that actually the case?
Who has the edge?
There is statistical evidence to backup the argument that, if the Chiefs have genuinely fixed their pass protection, then they deserve to be Super Bowl favourites.
When he is not overwhelmed by pressure, Mahomes can be an extremely dangerous quarterback to blitz due to his ability to improvise and turn seemingly negative plays into explosive ones.
From a clean pocket, he can be little short of a nightmare to defend. In the Chiefs' title-winning 2019 season, when he was not pressured Mahomes delivered an accurate, well-thrown ball 84 per cent of the time, the fifth-best rate in the NFL. His pickable pass percentage of 1.81 was third.
Those numbers dipped in 2020, but his 81.6% well-thrown was still above average and his 2.39% pickable pass rate was 12th. With his 2019 following a stunning 2018 in which he was named league MVP, the likelihood is that last season was the anomaly.
Even if Mahomes does return to the remarkably high standards of his first two years as a starter, there's plenty to suggest the Chiefs still might not be able to outgun a Buccaneers offense that coalesced at the perfect time in the previous campaign.
In the final four games following the regular-season loss to the Chiefs and their bye, the Bucs ran the table going 4-0 and led the league with 357.3 net passing yards per game. Brady threw 14 touchdowns and just one interception.
That tailed off to 256 net yards per game, third among teams to play multiple playoff games, in the postseason as the standard of opposition improved, but the reality is his decision to leave New England for Tampa Bay rejuvenated Brady as a downfield passer.
Only Deshaun Watson (69) and Mahomes (67) had more completions of 20 yards or more than the 63 produced by Brady, who ranked fourth in air yards per attempt (9.50) among quarterbacks with at least 100 passes but was able to protect the ball while going deep more often, his pickable pass percentage of 2.20 second behind Alex Smith.
He will again have the benefit of arguably the deepest wide receiver corps in the NFL in his 22nd season. The Bucs franchise tagged Chris Godwin to keep him around while also re-signing Antonio Brown, and Brady will surely be confident of furthering his rapport with the former, who registered a burn on 72.6 per cent of targets last year, tied-seventh among receivers with at least 50 targets.
With Brady seemingly gaining new life midway through his fifth decade and turning the Tampa offense into a juggernaut late last season and Mahomes set to enjoy what should be a much higher standard of protection, the stage is set for a potential shootout should these teams book a rematch in five months' time.
The Chiefs have almost always been able to rely on outscoring their opponents. Yet, in a possible aerial duel with Brady and the Bucs, it is their defense, which ranked 18th with 6.42 yards per pass play allowed last season, that looks the most vulnerable.
Williams Racing has confirmed that Alex Albon will join the team for the 2022 Formula One World Championship.
Currently a test and reserve driver with Red Bull, Albon returns to the grid having previously occupied a race seat for Christian Horner's team between 2019 and 2020, claiming podium finishes in Tuscany and Bahrain.
The 25-year-old will link up with Nicholas Latifi, who remains on the team for a fourth consecutive season.
Albon is relishing returning to the grid, but has his immediate sights set on a strong finish to 2021 with Red Bull.
"I am really excited and looking forward to returning to a Formula One race seat in 2022," he said.
"When you take a year out of F1, it's never certain you will make a return so I'm extremely thankful to Red Bull and Williams for believing in me and helping me on my journey back to the grid.
"It's also been great to see all the progress Williams have been making as a team this year and I look forward to helping them continue that journey in 2022.
"My focus now returns to my test and reserve driver role at Red Bull and helping the team fight for this year's World Championship."
Widely regarded as one of the most exciting young talents in motorsport, Albon enjoyed an impressive junior career that included multiple race wins in the GP3 Series and the FIA Formula Two Championship.
Albon replaces George Russell, whose move to Mercedes was finally announced on Tuesday after Valtteri Bottas' switch to Alfa Romeo went through.
Mercedes confirmed the worst-kept secret in Formula One this week as they announced George Russell will drive for the Silver Arrows.
Russell will take the seat of Valtteri Bottas, who is set to join Alfa Romeo after failing to mount a drivers' championship challenge during his time with Mercedes.
A product of the Mercedes junior driver programme, Russell earned his spot with Mercedes through a series of impressive performances for Williams, while he was also praised for his display filling in for future team-mate Lewis Hamilton at the Sakhir Grand Prix last year.
But how do Russell and his predecessor compare? Stats Perform looks at the numbers from their respective careers to assess whether Russell can be an upgrade.
Bottas too often the bridesmaid
Bottas has sprayed the post-race champagne plenty of times already this season. He has claimed seven podiums in 2021 but has not been on the top step. Indeed, with six third-place finishes and one second-place, Bottas has collected the most podiums without winning in the campaign so far.
That is reflective of Bottas' career with Mercedes. Unlike the man he succeeded, Nico Rosberg, Bottas has never truly been a threat to Hamilton despite the dominance the team has enjoyed.
The Finn has finished second 29 times in his career, more than any other driver who has failed to win the championship. Only Rubens Barrichello can match him. Since 2017 when he joined Mercedes from Williams, Bottas' total of 45 second and third-places finishes is more than any other driver.
And when he reflects on his Mercedes tenure, Bottas will in part have to look back on a number of missed opportunities. Rene Arnoux (11.1%, 2 of 18) and Nelson Piquet (20.8%, 5 of 24) are the only drivers to in F1 history to claim a lower percentage of victories from pole position than Bottas (29.4%), who has qualified fastest 17 times but gone on to win the race on just five occasions.
George growing in stature
While it can be argued Bottas has struggled to get the best out of what has been, for the most part, the clear top car on the grid, Russell has this year taken a Williams car that pales in comparison to what the team produced during their glory years beyond expectations.
Though his second-place at the Belgium Grand Prix was secured in part because the weather meant only two laps could be completed behind the safety car, his reward for a brilliant qualifying performance made him the first Williams driver to claim second since Lance Stroll in 2017.
Russell has elevated Williams from backmarkers to regular residents in the midfield, reaching Q2 of qualifying in 12 of 13 attempts in 2021. He had reached that stage nine times in his previous 37 qualifying appearances.
Even when the Williams car was the worst in the field in 2019, Russell still had the edge over Robert Kubica in qualifying. He qualified ahead of his team-mate in all 21 grands prix, becoming the first rookie driver to achieve that feat.
Bottas had the edge at the Sakhir Grand Prix when Hamilton was absent, beating Russell to pole, but the Brit was only denied victory as a puncture handed the win to Sergio Perez.
If he can avoid such misfortune going forward, Russell's track record with Williams this year indicates he could provide Hamilton with stiff competition in qualifying and on raceday.
The Tampa Bay Rays added to their season-long list of eye-popping statistics as they rolled past the Boston Red Sox 12-7 at Fenway Park on Tuesday.
Nelson Cruz and Mike Zunino combined to go seven-for-nine with a double, a triple, four home runs and eight runs batted in as the first-place Rays built a 12-1 lead before Boston tacked on six runs in the final two innings.
Cruz homered in the third and fith innings to reach 30 for the season, making the 41-year-old the oldest MLB player to reach that mark. Zunino is close behind Cruz on the season, hitting his 28th in the fourth inning and 29th in the sixth.
According to Stats Perform, they are the second visiting duo to each have at least two home runs and at least four RBIs in the same game at Fenway Park since Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris of the New York Yankees on May 30, 1961.
While those two were going deep, Wander Franco was getting on base once again. The rookie walked in the seventh to extend his on-base streak to 37 games, breaking a tie with Mantle to put him behind only Hall of Famer Frank Robinson (43) in consecutive games reaching base for a player 20 years old or younger.
The Tampa Bay win and another Yankees loss extended the Rays' American League (AL) East lead to nine and a half games.
Astros storm back to beat Mariners, Angels spoil Snell's brilliant outing
The Houston Astros trailed the Seattle Mariners 4-2 heading to the bottom of the ninth inning, but Alex Bregman's two-run homer tied the game and Carlos Correa won it 5-4 for Houston with a walk-off ground-rule double in the 10th.
San Diego Padres starter Blake Snell was perfect through six innings but ended up taking the loss when Jo Adell hit a two-run single with two outs in the seventh on the way to a 4-0 Los Angeles Angels win. Snell has held opposing hitters to a .071 batting average over his last four starts, which Stats Perform says is the lowest since Johnny Vander Meer held batters to a .063 average over four games – including his back-to-back no-hitters – in 1938.
Avisail Garcia hit his 25th home run while Eric Lauer and two Milwaukee Brewers relievers held the Philadelphia Phillies to five hits in a 10-0 victory. The Brewers lead the National League (NL) Central by 11 games over the Cincinnati Reds.
Ozzie Albies homered for the fourth successive game, his two-run shot in the seventh giving the Atlanta Braves the lead for good on the way to an 8-5 victory over the Washington Nationals. Albies also drove in runs with a fourth-inning sacrifice fly and an eighth-inning single.
Cole leaves injured as Yankees lose again
Gerrit Cole left in the fourth inning with hamstring tightness and the New York Yankees lost 5-1 to the Toronto Blue Jays, their eighth defeat in 10 games in a skid that began immediately after a 13-game winning streak. With their sixth straight win, the Blue Jays are now two games back of the Red Sox in the American League wild card race.
Pujols hits another homer in St Louis
Albert Pujols got a standing ovation from the fans in St Louis, where he starred for 11 seasons, before hitting his 206th home run in the city and the 679th of his career.
Hitting a homer directly after getting a standing ovation is so awesome. pic.twitter.com/EdJGzkmOdS
— MLB (@MLB) September 8, 2021
Tuesday's results
Minnesota Twins 3-0 Cleveland Indians
Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2 Detroit Tigers
Baltimore Orioles 7-3 Kansas City Royals
Tampa Bay Rays 12-7 Boston Red Sox
Atlanta Braves 8-5 Washington Nationals
Toronto Blue Jays 5-1 New York Yankees
New York Mets 9-4 Miami Marlins
Milwaukee Brewers 10-0 Philadelphia Phillies
Cincinnati Reds 4-3 Chicago Cubs
San Francisco Giants 12-3 Colorado Rockies
Los Angeles Dodgers 7-2 St Louis Cardinals
Houston Astros 5-4 Seattle Mariners
Texas Rangers 3-1 Arizona Diamondbacks
Los Angeles Angels 4-0 San Diego Padres
Chicago White Sox 6-3 Oakland Athletics
Blue Jays at Yankees
Luis Gil has yet to surrender a run in three career MLB starts and the Yankees (78-60) will hope for more of the same as they try to stop Alek Manoah and the streaking Blue Jays (75-62).
Gerrit Cole does not sound too worried about the hamstring injury that compelled him to leave Tuesday's start early, and the New York Yankees hope his instincts are right.
Cole signalled for the physio with two outs in the fourth inning of a 5-1 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays and departed the game with what the team officially called left hamstring tightness.
Manager Aaron Boone said after the Yankees' eighth defeat in 10 games that the team has not scheduled an MRI on Cole's leg.
"I know in talking to Gerrit, he feels pretty optimistic about it, something that’s popped up with him before," Boone told reporters. "Hopefully, it’s something he got out in front of enough and we’ll see where we’re at in the coming days."
Cole said he began to feel discomfort earlier in the fourth inning, which began with two Toronto singles, a sacrifice fly, a walk and another sacrifice fly that put the Yankees in a 3-1 hole.
"I was out there for a few pitches trying to weigh the pros and cons, and I just wasn’t sure I was going to be able to get through the inning," Cole said. "You’re only one pitch away from making it worse."
Cole was pitching on extra rest after dominating the Los Angeles Angels in his previous start on September 1. He allowed four hits and a run with no walks and 15 strikeouts in seven innings of that game, his fourth strong start in a row after spending two weeks on the COVID-19 injured list.
It was not immediately clear on Tuesday whether Cole would miss his next scheduled start.
"It’s tough to say right now," he told reporters. "I’m obviously disappointed about the outcome of today. I just want to reserve judgment and see how this thing reacts the next 24-36 hours.
"I guess maybe for my own mentality I just want to make sure I’m good or if I need a few extra days.
"I’m gonna definitely be as smart about it as I can, and trust my instincts... Hopefully I’ll be able to make the next one. We’ll see how it shakes out."
Canadian 12th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime feels "ready to attack the biggest stages" of tennis after becoming the first male player born in the 2000s to reach a major semi-final.
Auger-Aliassime advanced to face second seed Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals on Friday after a 6-3 3-1 walkover win over Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz who succumbed to an upper right leg injury after back-to-back five-set wins.
The 21-year-old Canadian, whose previous best performance at a major was reaching this year's Wimbledon quarter-finals, has defeated Alcaraz, Francis Tiafoe and 18th seed Roberto Bautista Agut on his way to the last four.
Prior to this year's Wimbledon, Auger-Aliassime had never gone beyond the fourth round at a major.
"There's one part, I'm feeling more and more confident playing in these big stages," he told ESPN. "It doesn’t get much bigger than this. When you get comfortable on this court [Arthur Ashe Stadium], everything else is a bit lower.
"I've tried to switch my mentality over the past year to try to be more consistent with my focus, my confidence and my inner self belief. I feel I've grown a lot as a person and a player and now I feel like I'm ready to attack the biggest stages of our sport."
Auger-Aliassime labelled the career milestone as "amazing", albeit coming with a "weird ending" as Alcaraz retired without any major signs of injury beforehand.
The Canadian will take on 2021 Australian Open runner-up Medvedev, who defeated Auger-Aliassime in their only previous meeting in 2018.
"He's one of the best players, he's the most solid on hard courts probably right now with [Alexander] Zverev and Novak [Djokovic]," Auger-Aliassime said during his on-court post-match interview.
"I'm going to have to play my best tennis, try to mix things up, maybe come in a lot, try to see what I can do to disturb him."
Auger-Aliassime's triumph also means two Canadians have reached the men's and women's semi-finals at the same major for only the second time, following Milos Raonic and Eugenie Bouchard at Wimbledon in 2014.
He joins Canadian teenager Leylah Fernandez who defeated fifth Elina Svitolina in three sets to continue her dream run at the US Open reaching the last four.
"It's fantastic. She's amazing," Auger-Aliassime said about 19-year-old Fernandez. "I watched her match again today, I really hope the best for her.
"She's a great person, she's got great heart. I'm really happy all her hard work is paying off. I hope we keep going."
Canadian 12th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime has progressed to his first-ever major semi-final after Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz's shock withdrawal in the second set of their US Open quarter-final.
Alcaraz, who had won back-to-back five-setters to reach the last eight, retired 68 minutes into Tuesday's quarter-final trailing 6-3 3-1.
The result means Auger-Aliassime, who has never won an ATP Tour title, will take on second seed Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals on Friday.
The Spanish 18-year-old was attended to by a physiotherapist 2-1 down in the second set and was seen pointing to his upper right leg without receiving any discernible treatment.
Alcaraz had not shown any major signs of injury prior to that yet withdrew following the completion of the next game with the Canadian in control.
Beyond the unusual circumstances, the victory marks a major milestone for 21-year-old Auger-Aliassime, who joins countrywoman Leylah Fernandez in reaching this year's US Open semi-finals.
This marks the second time that two Canadians have reached the semis in the same grand slam, joining Milos Raonic and Eugenie Bouchard at Wimbledon in 2014.
Auger-Aliassime, whose best previous major result was reaching this year's Wimbledon quarter-finals, was strong on his first serve early, delivering 6-1 aces in the first set.
Leading 3-2, the Canadian broke Alcaraz at the third attempt, before both players held to give Auger-Aliassime the chance to serve for the set at 5-3.
In a dramatic game, Auger-Aliassime offered up three break points trailing 0-40, only to rally and win the game to close out the set in 44 minutes, aided by 12 winners.
The 21-year-old broke Alcaraz in the first game of the second set, before Alcaraz's premature retirement, handing the Canadian victory.
Data Slam: First of a new men's generation
Auger-Aliassime becomes the first male born in the 2000s to reach a Grand Slam semi-final, marking a new generation in men's tennis.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Auger-Aliassime – 15/16
Alcaraz – 9/16
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Auger-Aliassime – 8/4
Alcaraz – 1/1
BREAK POINTS WON
Auger-Aliassime – 2/7
Alcaraz – 0/3
Aryna Sabalenka has ranked among the top dozen players in the world since 2018, but her grand slam results always seemed underwhelming.
In 12 career majors heading into 2021, Sabalenka had advanced past the third round only once, a fourth-round exit at the 2018 US Open.
Now she is into her second successive grand slam semi-final after defeating Barbora Krejcikova 6-1 6-4 Tuesday, and she said the adjustments she has made this year have paid off.
"I think I improved my volley game, my slice game," Sabalenka told ESPN after her latest win. "I mean, I would like to say my service game [too] but today's didn't work well."
She added with a smile: "I don't know, maybe the court's a little bit smaller, I don't know, I need to check it. But, yeah, I improved a lot."
Indeed, Sabalenka won seven of eight net points (to eight of 14 for her opponent) and consistently won points on her first serve even though it did not go in as often as she would have liked.
Sabalenka entered the match having won 82 per cent of points on her first serve in the tournament and was down to 76 per cent Tuesday as she got only 57 per cent of her first serves in the court, but that was plenty good enough to handle Krejcikova.
She said she focussed on putting as many balls back in play as she could and believed that was the key to her victory, as her opponent had 29 unforced errors and just 14 winners.
Though the match was rather one-sided, Sabalenka enjoyed the support of the crowd in her first time playing Arthur Ashe Stadium during the night session.
"I really love to be in New York and the US Open, one of my favourite slams, and I'm really enjoying my game here and every second on this court," she said.
She also knows she probably will not get the same level of fan support in the semi-final, where she will face Canadian teen sensation Leylah Fernandez.
"She's playing well, she's moving well and the crowd here [is] for her so I would say it's like nothing to lose for her," Sabalenka said. "It's going to be interesting match and I'm really looking forward to this one."
Second seed Daniil Medvedev refuses to start thinking about a US Open final against Novak Djokovic despite reaching his third straight semi-final at Flushing Meadows on Tuesday.
Medvedev dropped a set for the first time at this year's US Open but still got through, winning 6-3 6-0 4-6 7-5 over Dutch qualifier Botic van de Zandschulp on Tuesday.
The 25-year-old will play the winner of the quarter-final between Canadian 12th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime and Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz in the last four.
Top seed Djokovic, who has won all three majors this year, looms on the other side of the draw, with a quarter-final match-up on Wednesday against sixth seed Matteo Berrettini, while fourth seed Alexander Zverev is still alive.
"I don't think about him [Djokovic], because as we saw, anybody can beat anybody," Medvedev said at his post-match news conference.
"If he's in the final, and if I'm there, I'm happy. He plays on the days where I don't play so I watch his matches just because I enjoy watching tennis.
"I'm not going to root or cheer for somebody. I'm just gonna enjoy the tennis and then prepare for the winner. It's same every match."
Medvedev's victory clinches his spot in the final four at Flushing Meadows for the third straight year, having lost the 2019 final to Rafael Nadal.
"[I'm] really happy to be in the semis again, third time in a row," Medvedev said. "I couldn't dream of it four years ago, but now it's three."
Medvedev will be several years older than his next opponent, with Auger-Aliassime turning 21 last month and Alcaraz is still only 18.
Neither has ever reached a major semi-final either, while Medvedev will be playing in his fourth, having won two of them previously including at this year's Australian Open.
"I always said that experience helps me," Medvedev said. "You never know, because you're gonna play tough opponents, semis or final.
"Who knows? Maybe Novak. But first of course Felix or Carlos. Whoever wins gonna be on huge fire. You know they are much younger than even me.
"But for them it's going to be a first semis of a slam. Experience is not everything, because, for example, when I was in my first semis of a slam, I won it. Doesn't mean if you're there for the first time you're gonna lose it. But I like that I have this experience."
Aryna Sabalenka is into the semi-finals at a second successive grand slam after making easy work of Barbora Krejcikova at the US Open on Tuesday.
The second seed cruised past eighth-seeded Krejcikova 6-1 6-4 to set up a semi-final meeting with Canadian teen Leylah Fernandez at Flushing Meadows.
Sabalenka is coming off a semi-final appearance at Wimbledon, her best career result in a major, and she was rarely tested in her quarter-final rout of Krejcikova.
The pair appeared evenly matched heading in, both having won 42 matches this year with Krejcikova taking three tournament titles – including Roland Garros – and Sabalenka two. But there was a clear separation between the pair on this night at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Sabalenka started strong, breaking Krejcikova in her first service game to take an early lead and never looking back as she hit 12 winners to the Czech's five in the opening set.
Krejcikova lost her last chance to salvage the first set in the sixth game, as she double-faulted on the fourth break point she faced in the game to give Sabalenka a 5-1 lead before the Belarusian had an easy hold to secure the set.
The second set featured more of the same as Sabalenka broke her opponent in the opening game, dropping only one point as Krejcikova imploded with three unforced errors and a double fault.
Sabalenka was not quite as sharp as the set unfolded, falling behind 0-30 in consecutive service games, but she fought back to win both without facing a break point.
While Krejcikova stablised on her own service games, the damage was done. Sabalenka served out the match without dropping a point, capping her triumph with an ace.
Data Slam: Sabalenka top winner on Tour
The victory was Sabalenka's 43rd match win of the year against 14 losses, breaking a tie with Krejcikova (42-11) and Ash Barty (42-8), both of whom have won grand slam titles this season, for the most WTA Tour wins in 2021.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Krejcikova – 14/29
Sabalenka – 22/23
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Krejcikova– 4/5
Sabalenka – 6/7
BREAK POINTS WON
Krejcikova – 1/6
Sabalenka – 4/10
Jacob deGrom's return to the majors remains up in the air despite New York Mets team president Sandy Alderson declaring the pitcher's elbow sprain has "resolved".
DeGrom, who has an ERA of 1.08 with 146 strikeouts in 92 innings across 15 starts this MLB season, was placed on the Mets injury list in July with forearm tightness.
The 33-year-old right-hander was shut down on July 30 after a setback and has not pitched in the majors since July 7 due to the elbow issue.
The Mets previously described the issue as "right elbow inflammation" but Alderson revealed it was a "sprain" of the ulnar collateral ligament while also trying to downplay the severity.
"A sprain is the lowest grade partial tear and at this point the sprain has resolved itself," Alderson said.
"The elbow is perfectly intact, based on the MRIs and our clinical evaluations through our doctors.
"[Sprain] is a technical term… another term for a very mild ligament condition."
DeGrom was cleared to resume throwing on August 25 but still remains unavailable to play, with no immediate likelihood of a return.
The pitcher had been in contention for a third Cy Young Award and a possible MVP push but his injury issues have thwarted that.
The Mets are 69-69 and still plausibly in contention for a National League wild card spot which may impact the franchise's thinking on a deGrom return this season.
US Open semi-finalist Leylah Fernandez joked Canada's staple sweet treat must be behind the country's emergence of talent after she continued her remarkable run at Flushing Meadows.
Fernandez – who turned 19 on Monday – beat world number five Elina Svitolina 6-3 3-6 7-6 (7-5) to book her spot in the last four in New York.
She is the youngest player to reach the semi-finals at the major since Maria Sharapova back in 2005, and has already beat defending champion Naomi Osaka and former world number one Angelique Kerber.
Fernandez won her first title earlier in the season, triumphing in Monterrey, but this was her first appearance in a grand slam quarter, and she had to come through it in a third-set tie-break – the seventh at this year's edition of the tournament, already more than in the previous three combined.
She is not the only youngster flying the flag for Canada, however, with Felix Auger-Aliassime in action in the men's side of the draw, facing Spain's Carlos Alcaraz – the youngest ever quarter-finalist at the US Open in the Open Era.
Asked in her on-court interview for the reason Canada are producing such talented youngsters, an ecstatic Fernandez quipped: "I would say it's the maple syrup! The Canadian maple syrup is very good!"
Explaining her win, Fernandez said: "I honestly have no idea what I'm feeling right now. I was so nervous, thank you so much to the crowd, the New York crowd, cheering me on, fighting for me, never giving up for me. Thanks to you I was able to push through today.
"Svitolina, she's a great player, she fought for everything, she runs for everything, she deserves to be in the quarter-finals and I'm honoured to have a fight with her.
"I told myself to trust my shots, trust that everything was going to go well and even if I lose, I had to go for it and I'm glad I did."
Fernandez is coached by her father, who was not in attendance at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
"He told me to go out there, have fun, fight for every ball, for every point," the teenager said.
"Today's your first quarter-final, don't make it your last, don't make it your last match over here, fight for your dream.
"My family tell me after every match to just enjoy it, tomorrow is a new day, I'll start from zero and work hard now."
Next up is a semi-final with either Aryna Sabelenka or Barbora Krejcikova, the winner of this year's French Open.
"I'm not going to think about it," Fernandez concluded. "I'm going to enjoy tonight, I'll leave the planning and strategy to my dad back home."
Leylah Fernandez carried on her brilliant form to clinch a place in the semi-finals of the US Open with a 6-3 3-6 7-6 (7-5) victory over Elina Svitolina.
The newly turned 19-year-old has put her name into the history books with a wonderful run at Flushing Meadows, dethroning the defending champion Naomi Osaka and three-time grand slam winner Angelique Kerber on her way to the quarter-finals.
Fernandez's streak will not stop there, and she will now play for a place in the final after overcoming world number five Svitolina in a tense tussle at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Svitolina was the first to blink as Fernandez broke to nose ahead in the first set, which she took in 40 minutes.
Yet the 2019 US Open semi-finalist struck back in set two, saving three break points to serve out the set.
The Canadian made a brilliant start to the decider, only to concede serve immediately after nudging herself into the lead.
Fernandez rallied herself to break again and Svitolina looked beaten, with the youngster on the verge of the semi-final at 5-2 up.
Once again, however, Svitolina found some resolve, reeling off three consecutive games and forcing a tie-break.
Despite Svitolina seemingly finding a second wind, it was Fernandez who raced into a 4-1 lead, only to once more be pegged back.
Svitolina found another ace to make it 5-5, but a passing shot from Fernandez clipped the net to evade the Ukrainian, who then sent a return long – to the jubilation of the crowd – that sealed a stunning triumph for Fernandez, who collapsed to the court in tears.
Data Slam: New ground for another teenage sensation
Fernandez turned 19 on Monday and celebrated in incredible style a day later. It is her first grand slam semi-final, as she hunts what would just be a third Tour final overall (and a second title after her Monterrey success this year). She will need to cut down on her unforced errors (31), and she only hit one ace compared to Svitolina's eight, but in what was just her second third-set tie-break, Fernandez showed maturity well beyond her years. Next up, it is Aryna Sabalenka or French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Svitolina – 32/25
Fernandez – 42/31
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Svitolina – 8/3
Fernandez – 1/5
BREAK POINTS WON
Svitolina – 4/6
Fernandez – 4/10
Daniil Medvedev took the first spot in the men's semi-finals at the US Open as he beat qualifier Botic van de Zandschulp in four sets on Tuesday.
Second seed Medvedev was two sets up with just over an hour played at Arthur Ashe Stadium, yet was ultimately made to work for a 6-3 6-0 4-6 7-5 triumph.
The Russian, a beaten finalist at Flushing Meadows in 2019 and a semi-finalist last year, broke Van de Zandschulp three times in the opening set, which he took at the fourth time of asking as his Dutch opponent offered up the first sign it would not be an easy day for the favourite.
Medvedev wrapped up a second set bagel with ease, though Van de Zandschulp – who beat in-form world number 11 Casper Ruud en route to the quarters – found some resolve in the third.
Unforced errors from the world number two handed Van de Zandschulp hope and the 25-year-old stuck 91 per cent of his first-serve points to take advantage.
Medvedev's wobble was short lived, however, with his composure regaining as he held his serve in what proved to be the final set.
A match point went begging as Medvedev missed the chance to break, but victory was assured on Van de Zandschulp's next serve, with a drop shot nestling into the net.
Next up for Medvedev is Felix Auger-Aliassime or Carlos Alcaraz, with the latter the youngest men's quarter-finalist at the US Open in the Open Era.
Data Slam: Medvedev's serve too strong
Medvedev won a whopping 83 per cent of his first serve points, converting 54 of 65, and finished with 13 aces. "I'm really happy with my serve in the fourth set, and to get through without a tie-break," he said. Indeed, in the final set, the 25-year-old's first serve percentage was up at 85.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Van de Zandschulp – 36/35
Medvedev – 36/24
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Van de Zandschulp – 4/4
Medvedev – 13/1
BREAK POINTS WON
Van de Zandschulp – 2/5
Medvedev – 7/12
George Russell said he is "absolutely buzzing" for next season's Formula One world championship after he agreed a move to Mercedes.
It was confirmed on September 6 that Valtteri Bottas would be ending his Mercedes stint after five seasons with the team, joining Alfa Romeo for 2022 on a multi-year deal.
Bottas has served as the second-seat driver to Lewis Hamilton, helping Mercedes to four constructors' titles.
However, with the Finn now joining Alfa in the wake of Kimi Raikkonen's impending retirement, Mercedes have signed up Hamilton's fellow Briton Russell from Williams.
"Looking ahead to next season, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't absolutely buzzing," Russell said in a statement released by Mercedes.
"It's a huge opportunity and one I want to grab with both hands. But I'm under no illusions as to the scale of the challenge; it's going to be a steep learning curve.
"For now, though, I have nine more races as a Williams driver, and I want to make sure they are the best nine of my time with the team.
"Then, and only then, can I turn my attention to 2022."
The 23-year-old, who has signed a long-term contract with Mercedes, has spent the last three seasons with Williams and has achieved one podium finish in his Formula One career to date.
However, that came in contentious circumstances at this season's Belgian Grand Prix as Russell was awarded second after only two laps had been completed in sodden conditions.
When Hamilton returned a positive positive coronavirus test before the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix Russell stepped in to replace him, finishing ninth.
Russell revealed he is excited to become a team-mate of Hamilton's.
"I've looked up to Lewis since I was in go-karts," Russell said of the seven-time F1 champion.
"The opportunity to learn from someone who has become a role model both on and off the track can only benefit me as a driver, a professional, and a human being."
Russell was on the Mercedes young driver programme in 2017 and won that season's GP3 Series championship before he became Formula Two champion the following year.
Mercedes team principal Toto Woolf claimed Russell and Hamilton will provide a formidable team over the next few seasons.
"We are very happy to confirm that George will have the opportunity to take the next step in his career and join Mercedes," Woolf added.
"He has been a winner in every racing category – and the past three seasons with Williams have given us a taste of what the future could hold for him in F1.
"Now, it is our challenge together to help him continue learning within our environment and alongside Lewis, the greatest F1 driver of all time.
"I am confident that as their relationship grows, they will form a strong team and deliver for Mercedes on and off the track in the years to come.
"It's a weight off our shoulders to have our plans for 2022 clear and announced."
Maria Sakkari felt she got her just rewards for being brave as she triumphed in a late-night US Open thriller against Bianca Andreescu.
The Greek sealed a 6-7 (2-7) 7-6 (8-6) 6-3 victory in a gruelling last-16 clash that finally concluded at 02:13 local time in New York – the latest finish to a women's singles match in tournament history.
Sakkari saved eight of the 12 break points she faced as she racked up 46 winners and 40 unforced errors after adopting a bold approach to fight back from a set down and wrap up the victory in three hours and 30 minutes.
She ended 2019 champion Andreescu's 10-match unbeaten streak at the US Open and was delighted to see her tactics pay off, with Karolina Pliskova standing between her and second grand slam semi-final of the year.
Speaking about her fearless showing, Sakkari, who was beaten in the last four at Roland Garros, said: "It's something that I've been working with [coach] Tom [Hill] since end of last year, but I felt like I lost that bravery after the French. I was more hesitant. I was not going for it so much.
"After my loss [in Cincinnati] with Angie [Angelique Kerber] I just practiced for two weeks. I had some very tough practices where I was crying because I could not feel my shots, I could not feel my tennis. But thankfully I had Tom and Yannis, my hitting partner, that supported me a lot.
"I lost my identity. That's how I called it. I lost myself, part of myself. With my psychologist, as well, I found a way to come back and feel again what I felt out there today.
"By telling myself to be more brave, it's not like, Maria, now be brave, and you're brave. It's just a process in practice and everything that has helped me to be more brave.
"I mean, there was a decent crowd staying until 2:30 at night. I said, Maria, you cannot give up. Just stay focused and stay calm and just make balls."
Jenson Brooksby has confidence he can compete with anybody after threatening a fourth-round upset against Novak Djokovic at the US Open.
The unheralded American posed a real problem for Djokovic at Arthur Ashe Stadium and took out the opening set 6-1 in New York City.
It was not to be, though, as Djokovic – chasing a calendar Grand Slam – roared back to win 1-6 6-3 6-2 6-2.
Despite falling short, Brooksby is only looking at the positives from going toe-to-toe with the world number one in such a huge match.
"It's definitely all positive things to take away. I learned my game. I'm feeling really confident in my game. I believe I can compete with anybody," Brooksby said after his first run to the second week of a grand slam.
"I knew it would be important to start strong, to impose my mindset and my strategy, my game out there. It's definitely special. I mean, I always enjoy the matches and everything throughout the moment. Obviously you have to stay focused.
"Afterwards, you can always have time to reflect more. Just appreciate and enjoy for the whole journey.
"Atmospheres like that are what you want to be in front of since you were a little kid, watching on TV when you were young, and now you're living it. It is something I really appreciate and I'm grateful to be here now. I'm excited to keep [playing] in atmospheres like this for the future."
Brooksby required treatment a couple of times during the match and revealed he was contending with an issue to his left hip.
"Yeah, there was something. Something that kind of came up from later in the second match, then in the third one. Even with a day off, then kind of into today, like my left hip kind of was bothering me even early on and more into it," he added.
"Not like it's an excuse or anything, but it kind of went throughout the leg today a bit. I was struggling more to push off and move. But that's part of the sport. I did everything I could to feel the best I can going out there today and all the other days. There's no regrets on that.
"I definitely think if there wasn't that, I could have kept a better level up closer to the first set throughout the rest of the match."
Brooksby only reached the world's top 100 earlier this month and is now projected to be on the cusp of the top 40.
The 20-year-old relished his first experience of playing on Arthur Ashe.
"I did take time to look around a little bit, just appreciated being in an atmosphere like that with so many people cheering you on. Took a moment to still have it all in after," he said.
"You're not going to win every match you play obviously, but you still have to enjoy it.
"I think [the belief] comes from definitely more training, but most importantly other match situations against other guys and just the whole process of it.
"Leading up to it, I 100 per cent believed I could win against anybody. I thought I showed that with the level I could produce out there. Unfortunately, physically it got a little tougher."
Novak Djokovic said "I'll take your legs out, that's for sure" after digging deep to outlast American qualifier Jenson Brooksby in a physically demanding encounter at the US Open.
Djokovic – bidding to become only the third man to claim a calendar Grand Slam and first since Rod Laver in 1969 – rallied from a set down to prevail 1-6 6-3 6-2 6-2 en route to the quarter-finals in New York on Monday.
It was a brutal clash on Arthur Ashe Stadium, 20-time major champion and top seed Djokovic needed almost three hours to see off world number 99 Brooksby, who was making his debut at the iconic venue.
After being blitzed in a 29-minute opening set, Djokovic and Brooksby contested a gruelling 20-minute fifth game in the second set – the latter converting a sixth break-point chance.
Djokovic's physical superiority, however, was on display as the Serb star eventually powered past the spirited 20-year-old at Flushing Meadows.
During the last-16 matchup, former world number one Andy Roddick tweeted, in reference to Djokovic, "first he takes your legs… then he takes your soul".
Djokovic – who will face sixth seed Matteo Berrettini in a repeat of the Wimbledon final – said on court: "Thanks Andy, I take that as a compliment – only the first part.
"The second part, I don't take anybody's soul. Everyone has their soul, we're all beautiful souls so I appreciate everyone. But I'll take your legs out, that's for sure."
Djokovic hit 44 winners in the four-set triumph, to go with 41 unforced errors in a tricky clash under the Arthur Ashe lights.
With his hard-fought victory, Djokovic improved to 11-0 against Americans at the US Open. He is 29-3 at major events and 70-10 in ATP Tour-level matches.
The 34-year-old is on a 21-match winning streak against players from the United States since Sam Querrey snapped his 30-match slam streak at Wimbledon in 2016.
"Great quality match," Djokovic, who can break the record for most men's slam titles – currently level with injured pair Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, told reporters. "He started off better. I've never played him. I didn't see him play too many times. Maybe few matches in the last few months. Haven't followed his career prior to that, so I didn't know much about him. Had to do some homework and some analysis.
"It's different stepping out on the court first time against someone that really has nothing to lose. He's a young, talented player that is very crafty. He's got the really all-around game. He was pumped. He had the crowd behind him, of course. He played a perfect first set. Everything he intended to do he executed it perfectly.
"On my end, I was just trying to find a rhythm, trying to read his game, trying to understand where I can find holes in his game and start to attack and shift the momentum to my side.
"That happened already at the beginning of the second set. I broke him early. He broke back. But I re-broke his serve right away. We had some very, very long rallies, long games. It took a toll physically I think on both of us at that point. But I managed to find the right serves. I served efficiently when I needed to, opening up the court.
"The third and fourth set were really, really good from my side. I felt I was more dominant. I decreased the unforced errors that were really high in the first part of the match. I just was kind of swinging through the ball better. Was a good finish. It wasn't a good start. But all in all, expected the battle, and I got that one. I'm pleased to overcome it."
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