Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander added to his already convincing case for the American League Cy Young Award as he pitched six innings without allowing a hit in his side's 4-2 win against the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday.
Verlander, 39, is almost guaranteed to finish top-five in voting for best pitcher in the league for the ninth time in his career, and he showed why against the Twins as he struck out 10 while also allowing no walks.
He was pulled after six innings and 91 pitches with a no-hitter intact, before former Astros player Carlos Correa broke it up as he collected a hit from the very first pitch thrown by reliever Ryne Stanek.
Despite some late struggles by Astros bullpen arm Hector Neris, allowing a pair of runs in the ninth inning, the early offense highlighted by Alex Bregman's two-run home run was enough to get the job done.
Mauricio Dubon and Trey Mancini drove in a run each for the Astros, while rookie Jeremy Pena collected a couple of hits and Bregman went three-for-four.
With this performance, Verlander now leads the majors in wins (16-3), ERA (1.87) and walks-plus-hits-per-inning, or WHIP (0.85).
The win moves the Astros to 79-45, giving them a three-game buffer over the Yankees for the best record in the AL.
Yankees break streak of six consecutive series losses
The New York Yankees have finally rediscovered some form after a miserable month, winning their two-game series against local rivals the New York Mets as Frankie Montas pitched his best game in pinstripes in the 4-2 victory.
Montas, who arrived in a trade from the Oakland Athletics at the deadline, pitched five-and-two-thirds innings while giving up two runs from six hits and a walk after struggling in his first few starts in a Yankees uniform.
After four scoreless innings to open the game, Aaron Judge put the first run on the board with his league-leading 48th home run of the season, launching a 453-foot bomb. He now has 14 more home runs than second-placed Kyle Schwarber (34) from the Philadelphia Phillies.
Phillies win on a walk-off
The Philadelphia Phillies blew their lead in the ninth inning against the Cincinnati Reds, but it only set up a thrilling 7-6 walk-off win for the home fans.
Leading 5-4 heading into the final frame, closing pitcher Brad Hand was not able to finish off the job, as a fielding error and an infield single allowed two runners on base, who were both driven in by a pinch-hit RBI triple to T.J. Friedl.
In response, a lead-off walk to Jean Segura led to the tying run as Bryson Stott's RBI double made it 6-6, before pinch-hitter Nick Maton was the hero with a walk-off base hit.
Top overall seed at the Winston Salem Open, Grigor Dimitrov, won the first set of his opening match against Dominic Thiem 6-0 before being forced to retire due to illness symptoms while trailing 4-2 in the second.
The first set was total domination from the Bulgarian, winning 80 per cent (12-of-15) of the points against Thiem's serve as he breezed through the opening frame in 25 minutes, but after experiencing dizziness and shortness of breath in the second set, he decided to pull the plug on his match after a visit from the doctor.
Thiem will play England's Jack Draper in the next round after he was too strong down the stretch for Italy's Fabio Fognini, winning 6-2 4-6 6-1.
Meanwhile, it was relatively smoother sailing for second second Botic van de Zandschulp in his all-Dutch matchup against Tallon Griekspoor, converting both of his two break point opportunities to win 7-6 (7-5) 6-3.
Earlier in the day, in-form Belarusian and 11th seed Ilya Ivashka used his powerful serve to overwhelm Germany's Peter Gojowczyk 6-4 6-2.
Ivashka will meet Switzerland's Marc-Andrea Huesler next after the world number 102 passed a stiff test against Sweden's Mikael Ymer, with his 6-4 6-4 win likely elevating him into the top-100 when the next rankings are released.
Richard Gasquet at 36 years young upset 20-year-old Italian Lorenzo Musetti 7-6 (7-5) 4-6 6-1, and he will play Steve Johnson next after the big American defeated Spain's Pedro Martinez 7-6 (7-2) 6-2.
Serbia's Laslo Djere needed almost three hours to get the better of Portugal's Joao Sousa 4-6 6-3 7-6 (7-5), and Djere will play Australia's Jason Kubler after he handled South Korea's Kwon Soon-woo 7-5 6-2.
The other two Aussies in action were less successful, as John Millman fell 6-4 6-4 to Spain's Albert Ramos-Vinolas, and James Duckworth went down 6-3 6-3 against Maxime Cressy.
Finland's rising star Emil Ruusuvuori was disappointing in his 6-4 6-1 loss to France's Adrian Mannarino, and fellow Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi also got the job done against England's Kyle Edmund 6-4 7-6 (7-5).
In the late session, 15th seed Jaume Munar defeated Tseng Chun-hsin 6-3 6-4, and in the last match of the night, Lorenzo Sonego beat Alejandro Tabilo 7-5 6-1.
Aliaksandra Sasnovich was the top seed to advance in Tuesday's action at Tennis in the Land, treating the Cleveland crowd to a two-and-half-hour battle before prevailing 4-6 6-3 6-3 against Sara Sorribes Tormo.
In a close contest, Belarus' Sasnovich took advantage in the big moments, winning five of her 10 break point opportunities, while Sorribes Tormo could only convert two-of-nine.
While seventh seed Sasnovich was the highest-seeded winner on the day, fifth seed Irina-Camelia Begu fell victim to a shock 6-3 6-2 upset from world number 415 Sofia Kenin.
Kenin, a wildcard, now advances to the quarter-finals after winning two matches in a row for the first time since January, and prior to this week she had lost her previous nine matches.
Alize Cornet will likely meet second seed Martina Trevisan in the quarter-final after a strong 6-3 7-6 (7-1) triumph against Denmark's rising 19-year-old talent Clara Tauson.
Liudmila Samsonova needed only 59 minutes to breeze past Iryna Shymanovich 6-1 6-0, and it was similarly smooth sailing for Magda Linette as she defeated Sorana Cirstea 6-4 6-2.
Meanwhile, at the Granby Championships in Canada, only one match was able to finish before the rain halted the rest of the day's play.
Spain's Nuria Parrizas-Diaz was too much for England's Harriet Dart, winning 6-2 6-4, while top seed Daria Kasatkina will just need to add the finishing touches when she resumes her match against Magdalena Frech, leading 6-3 5-0.
The Los Angeles Dodgers already knew they would not have Walker Buehler available to pitch this season, and now it appears he will have to sit out all of their 2023 campaign as well.
Buehler, 28, underwent Tommy John surgery and a repair to his flexor tendon on Tuesday and is unlikely to pitch next season. The news comes after the Dodgers announced in June that the right-hander would undergo an elbow procedure that would end his 2022 season.
This is the second Tommy John surgery for Buehler, who also had the operation done not long after he was selected in the first round of the 2015 draft. He missed the remainder of that season and virtually all the following year in recovery, making three brief appearances late in his first full pro season.
Tommy John recoveries typically take upwards of 14 months, and Buehler’s rehab could take longer due to his personal injury history, as the second Tommy John procedure is known to be a slower recovery process.
Buehler was 6-3 with a 4.02 ERA in 12 starts over 65 innings this season, and made his final appearance at San Francisco on June 10.
He went 16-4 with a 2.47 ERA last season and finished fourth in voting for the NL Cy Young Award.
Los Angeles Chargers cornerback and prized free agent acquisition J.C. Jackson underwent ankle surgery on Tuesday.
The 2021 Pro Bowl selection is expected to miss two-to-four weeks, the team announced, giving him a chance to suit up for the Chargers' season opener against the Las Vegas Raiders on September 11.
After starting his NFL career with the New England Patriots, Jackson signed a five-year, $82million contract with the Chargers this offseason.
Jackson, who went undrafted out of Maryland in 2018, had 25 interceptions in his four seasons with the Patriots, the most in the NFL over that span.
Jackson, 26, was signed by the Chargers in an effort to improve on last year's bottom-five scoring defense that allowed 27 points per game.
This offseason, Los Angeles also traded for Khalil Mack to rush the quarterback opposite Joey Bosa, while the interior defensive line should be bolstered by the acquisitions of Sebastian Joseph-Day and Austin Johnson.
The Chargers made Derwin James the highest-paid safety in NFL history when they signed him to a $76.5m contract extension earlier this month.
With a talented, new-look defense and with blossoming star Justin Herbert under center, the Chargers are looking to challenge the Kansas City Chiefs in a highly competitive AFC West.
Retiring legend Serena Williams has indicated she "will always have some sort of involvement" in tennis as she prepares for the US Open, in what will be the final Grand Slam of her career.
The 40-year-old has won 23 major singles titles, while also adding 14 doubles championships in a brilliant career, but will be hanging up her racquet after she plays in the tournament she has won six times.
Her first time lifting the US Open trophy came in 1999, but even after spending over two decades at the top level of the sport, Williams says she will continue to be active in tennis.
"I will never retire from something I absolutely love," the American told Meghan Markle on the Duchess' new Spotify podcast.
"I will always have some sort of involvement in it. Maybe not professionally, but I will always want to be involved in some form in tennis. Obviously, I’ve retired professionally, but it’s also an evolution."
Williams also outlined her plans for the future, adding: "I really want to expand my family, and you know I’ve been putting it off for so long.
"As a woman, there’s only so long you can put that off and other people out there, other men out there, can continue to play. My best is being a mom; I think I can do really good at that."
Fellow tennis legend John McEnroe has heaped praise on Williams ahead of the tournament at Flushing Meadows, commenting: "The way that she moves the needle when she plays, it's like Tiger Woods and golf.
"You can look at the accomplishments, she has the Grand Slam victories. Off the court, I know that she's had a lot of difficulties in her life that she talks about in her own documentaries, but she has come out the other end as this icon, global superstar.
"Her story alone, what she represents as someone who's an African-American girl who came from a tough situation, and became the greatest player that ever lived. What that represents for us, and maybe around the world, is an opportunity that it can happen to anyone potentially."
Retiring legend Serena Williams has indicated she "will always have some sort of involvement" in tennis as she prepares for the US Open, in what will be the final Grand Slam of her career.
The 40-year-old has won 23 major singles titles, while also adding 14 doubles championships in a brilliant career, but will be hanging up her racquet after she plays in the tournament she has won six times.
Her first time lifting the US Open trophy came in 1999, but even after spending over two decades at the top level of the sport, Williams says she will continue to be active in tennis.
"I will never retire from something I absolutely love," the American told Meghan Markle on the Duchess' new Spotify podcast.
"I will always have some sort of involvement in it. Maybe not professionally, but I will always want to be involved in some form in tennis. Obviously, I’ve retired professionally, but it’s also an evolution."
Williams also outlined her plans for the future, adding: "I really want to expand my family, and you know I’ve been putting it off for so long.
"As a woman, there’s only so long you can put that off and other people out there, other men out there, can continue to play. My best is being a mom; I think I can do really good at that."
Fellow tennis legend John McEnroe has heaped praise on Williams ahead of the tournament at Flushing Meadows, commenting: "The way that she moves the needle when she plays, it's like Tiger Woods and golf.
"You can look at the accomplishments, she has the Grand Slam victories. Off the court, I know that she's had a lot of difficulties in her life that she talks about in her own documentaries, but she has come out the other end as this icon, global superstar.
"Her story alone, what she represents as someone who's an African-American girl who came from a tough situation, and became the greatest player that ever lived. What that represents for us, and maybe around the world, is an opportunity that it can happen to anyone potentially."
John McEnroe has called Novak Djokovic's potential absence from the US Open over his vaccination status a "joke".
The United States does not currently allow those who have not received the COVID-19 jab into the country, putting the unvaccinated Djokovic in real danger of missing this year's edition of the tournament he has won three times.
The Serb has already missed the Australian Open this year because of his lack of vaccination, while also missing tournaments at Indian Wells in California, as well as the Rogers Cup in Canada.
He did however win his 21st Grand Slam at Wimbledon earlier this year, and McEnroe believes Djokovic should be allowed to play at Flushing Meadows as he chases down Rafael Nadal for the most Grand Slam titles in history.
Ahead of the tournament in New York, McEnroe told reporters: "No, I don't think it's fair. I think it's a joke.
"I would have had the vaccine and gone and played but he's got very strong beliefs and you have to respect that.
"At this point, in the pandemic, we're two and a half years in, I think people in all parts of the world know more about it, and the idea that he can’t travel here to play, to me is a joke."
On whether Djokovic's decision not to get the vaccine could affect his competition with Nadal and Roger Federer to become the most decorated male player ever, McEnroe replied: "That's the question that we all want to know the answer to.
"Obviously, Rafa Nadal has benefited from that. These three guys are already above everyone else. So, it makes it extremely interesting to see these two go at it and then you think of Roger Federer but he's been hurt for a while."
However, McEnroe believes Djokovic can overcome his vaccination status to win more titles, adding: "Who's to say [Djokovic] can't do it for another couple of years?
"Let's say that he wins three or four more. That's not impossible, by any means. Despite this, he can still get to 25. I think it's made it more complicated to do it because that has to wear on you mentally.
"Training this past month or six weeks not knowing whether he's going to play, that's going to put a strain on you mentally just as it was when he got thrown out of Australia. I think it took him three, four months to get his head right."
Oleksandr Usyk's promoter Alex Krassyuk has said a much-anticipated fight with Tyson Fury for all four of the world heavyweight titles is "in the making".
Usyk was a split-decision victor in his rematch against Anthony Joshua on Saturday in Jeddah, retaining the WBA, IBF and WBO belts that he took off the same opponent at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last year.
It means that the Ukrainian would now just need the WBC belt to make him only the second fighter in the four-belt era behind Claressa Shields to become undisputed in two different weight classes, having already held all four titles in the cruiserweight division.
That WBC belt belongs to Fury, who has not been in the ring since April when he defended his strap by stopping Dillian Whyte with a brutal uppercut in the sixth round at Wembley.
Fury has since claimed to be retired, but it appears that he could be tempted back into the ring to face Usyk and crown an undisputed champion in the heavyweight division, after telling his Instagram followers he would "annihilate" both Usyk and Joshua following the conclusion of their rematch.
And Usyk's promoter Krassyuk is confident the fight between the two undefeated titleholders will happen, telling Sky Sports on Tuesday: "It's in the making."
Speaking on Monday, meanwhile, Fury's co-promoter Frank Warren also indicated he is confident of the Briton getting in the ring with Usyk.
"[Fury] and Usyk would be a really good fight," Warren told BBC Radio 5 Live. "It's a fight that I think will be made because both teams would like to see that happen.
"Usyk said after the fight that it's the only fight he's interested in, and it's certainly the same case with Tyson. It's just a matter of where it will generate the most income because it's a unique fight, a historic fight."
Defending champion Primoz Roglic roared to the top of the Vuelta a Espana standings with a first stage win of this year's competition on day four in the Basque Country.
With the race resuming on Tuesday after a break to transfer from the Netherlands, the Slovenian moved up from third to take the red jersey with victory from Vitoria-Gasteiz to Laguardia.
Despite no other team members making the top 10 for the day, Roglic was ably supported by his fellow Team Jumbo–Visma riders, who helped him command the final uphill sprint to take victory.
After back-to-back stage wins for Ireland's Sam Bennett, it means Roglic has now reinforced his title defence, dethroning team-mate Edoardo Affini at the top.
Roglic edged Mads Pedersen, whose strong Vuelta continues apace with his third consecutive second-place finish, moving him up to ninth in the General Classification and second in points.
The former's team-mate Sepp Kuss lies second, 13 seconds off the overall lead, though the rest of their fellow Jumbo-Visma riders have slipped down the ranks ahead of Wednesday's leg from Irun to Bilbao.
Roglic happy to build early advantage
For the first time this year, Roglic has built a double-digit lead, and says he is happy to take the early advantage.
"It's really just the beginning of La Vuelta but it's always better to be 10 seconds ahead rather than behind," he stated.
"It was already a hard pace the whole day, with a super fast and hard stage. The finale was an opportunity to fight for the stage win. I had the legs so I gave it a go."
STAGE RESULT
1. Primoz Roglic (Team Jumbo-Visma) 3:31:05
2. Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) same time
3. Enric Mas (Movistar Team) same time
4. Quentin Pacher (Groupama-FDJ) same time
5. Pavel Sivakov (INEOS Grenadiers) same time
CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS
General Classification
1. Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) 11:50:59
2. Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma) +13 seconds
3. Ethan Hayter (INEOS Grenadiers) +26 seconds
Points Classification
1. Sam Bennett (BORA-Hansgrohe) 127
2. Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) 118
3. Pascal Ackermann (UAE Team Emirates) 34
King of the Mountains
1. Joan Bou (Euskaltel-Euskadi) 5
2. Primoz Roglic (Team Jumbo-Visma) 3
3. Julius van den Berg (EF Education-EasyPost) 3
Washington Commanders coach Ron Rivera had said all along the team would not rush defensive end Chase Young back from last November's ACL tear.
Now the earliest Young can suit up for the Commanders is Week 5 after officially placing the star pass-rusher on the reserve/physically unable to perform (PUP) list on Tuesday.
Young is still recovering from a torn ACL in his right knee sustained in Week 10 of last season and Rivera had already ruled him out for the 2022 opener against the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars on September 11, while also hinting he could wind up on the PUP list.
Under the new rules for the PUP list, a player must sit out at least four games, meaning the first game Young will be eligible to play is against the Tennessee Titans on October 9.
After capturing Defensive Rookie of the Year honours and earning a Pro Bowl selection in 2020 with 7.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries to help Washington win the NFC East, Young's production dipped last year before his season-ending injury.
In nine games in 2021, Young finished with just 1.5 sacks and two forced fumbles without recovering a fumble as Washington ended the season in third place in the division.
Placing Young on the PUP list was a necessary move as all teams must trim their rosters to 80 players by Tuesday's deadline.
Organiser of the P.H.A.S.E 1 Elite 1 Caribbean Basketball League Wayne Dawkins says he’s looking at expanding the league to the rest of the Caribbean in the future.
The P.H.A.S.E 1 E1 CBL was held from August 13-20 at the National Arena in Kingston, Jamaica. It featured four teams comprised of professionals from Jamaica, Barbados, USA and Canada and saw excellent crowd support throughout.
“We want to do big things for basketball in Jamaica and the Caribbean,” said Dawkins in an interview with Sportsmax.TV on Saturday.
“Absolutely. We still have to perfect this and then, as that happens, we can expand it to the rest of the Caribbean but it really starts with the product that we’re able to perfect right here in Jamaica,” he added.
With this in mind, Dawkins also outlined the amount of work that goes into putting on a basketball league.
“It’s an immense amount of work. You have to recruit players, think about player management, finding and developing staff. Identify venues, all the different production partners, sales, marketing and everything. All those divisions require a lot of coordination and a lot of work,” he said.
Kevin Durant is set to stay with the Brooklyn Nets after franchise and the 12-time NBA All-Star "agreed to move forward with our partnership".
Durant's future has been shrouded in doubt after the 33-year-old superstar reportedly asked for a trade at the end of June.
Nets general manager Sean Marks on Tuesday released a statement making it clear Durant is going nowhere after a meeting in which team owners Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai, and head coach Steve Kerr, were present.
"Steve Nash and I, together with Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai, met with Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman in Los Angeles yesterday," the statement said.
"We have agreed to move forward with our partnership. We are focusing on basketball, with one collective goal in mind: build a lasting franchise to bring a championship to Brooklyn."
It was reported this month that Durant had given the Nets an ultimatum over his future, stating that he would only stay if Marks and Nash were fired.
Tsai threw his support behind Marks and Nash, tweeting: "Our front office and coaching staff have my support. We will make decisions in the best interest of the Brooklyn Nets."
Forward Durant is about to enter the first year of his four-year, $198million contract extension with the Nets.
The two-time NBA champion joined Brooklyn in a sign-and-trade deal in 2019 and penned a contract extension with the Nets 12 months ago.
Ex-Golden State Warrior Durant averaged 29.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists from 55 games last season for a Nets team that was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Boston Celtics.
Kevin Durant is set to stay with the Brooklyn Nets after franchise and the 12-time NBA All-Star "agreed to move forward with our partnership".
Durant's future has been shrouded in doubt after the 33-year-old superstar reportedly asked for a trade at the end of June.
Nets general manager Sean Marks on Tuesday released a statement making it clear Durant is going nowhere after a meeting in which team owners Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai, and head coach Steve Kerr, were present.
"Steve Nash and I, together with Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai, met with Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman in Los Angeles yesterday," the statement said.
"We have agreed to move forward with our partnership. We are focusing on basketball, with one collective goal in mind: build a lasting franchise to bring a championship to Brooklyn."
Will Zalatoris' bid to win the FedExCup is over after he withdrew from the Tour Championship due to a back injury.
The 26-year-old suffered two herniated discs during the third round of the BMW Championship last weekend and pulled out after the fourth hole.
Zalatoris had given himself a great chance of winning the FedExCup with his maiden PGA Tour triumph at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, but he will not be fit for the Tour Championship at East Lake this week.
The world number nine, who is third behind Scottie Scheffler and Patrick Cantlay in the FedExCup standings, will also miss the Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow next month.
If all 29 players complete 72 holes in Atlanta this weekend, Zalatoris will finish 30th in the FedExCup and pick up bonus money of $500,000, with the winner pocketing $18million
Allen Hobbs, Zalatoris' agent, said in a statement on Tuesday: "After Will’s withdrawal from the BMW Championship on Saturday, his medical team determined that the source of his back pain is two herniated discs.
"Unfortunately, this means that Will is unable to play this week at the TOUR Championship. He is also very disappointed that he will not have the opportunity to play in next month's Presidents Cup, where he was hoping to play for Captain Love [Davis III] and represent the United States.
"Will would like to thank his fans, sponsors, the TOUR, and his team for all of their support. He is fully focused on getting healthy and back onto the course as soon as he is able."
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman would welcome a unification bout between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk and believes such a fight could even take place before the end of the year.
Usyk produced a near-perfect display to record a split-decision victory over Anthony Joshua in Jeddah on Saturday, retaining the WBA, IBF and WBO belts he took from the Briton in London last year.
Having retained his undefeated professional record with a 20th victory in as many fights, Usyk declared his intention to fight Fury, saying: "I'm sure Tyson Fury isn't retired yet. I'm sure he wants to fight me. I want to fight him. If I'm not fighting Tyson Fury, I'm not fighting at all."
Fury has repeatedly flip-flopped on his boxing future, calling out Derek Chisora earlier this month before ruling out a return to the ring just three days later.
In the aftermath of Usyk's win over Joshua, however, Fury told his Instagram followers he would "annihilate" both fighters before declaring that the "Gypsy King is here to stay forever".
Sulaiman is excited by the prospect of Fury, who is unbeaten in 33 professional bouts, returning to face the Ukrainian.
"Tyson Fury is a unique man, his personality, his thinking is unique so I respect that, I respect him," Sulaiman told Sky Sports.
"He has been so loyal to the WBC, he has been so representative and proud of the WBC. I just hope that he makes the right decision, whichever it is.
"If he decides to hang up the gloves and retire, what a great way to do it, with money, with health, with his beautiful family.
"But if he has that hunger of going into the ring, which I believe is the case, it would be great to see him represent the WBC in a fight with Usyk or other championship fights he could have in the near future."
Sulaiman also revealed Fury has until Friday to confirm whether he intends to vacate the WBC heavyweight title after his latest retirement claims, and stated his belief fans may not have to wait long to see the two champions in action.
"Tyson Fury is the WBC champion of the world, he's not holding the 'other belt', he's holding the WBC championship, which is the championship of Muhammed Ali, George Foreman, [Joe] Frazier, [Mike] Tyson, Lennox Lewis etc," Sulaiman said.
"I'm very proud of Tyson Fury, he's a tremendous fighter and I am sure he wishes to continue boxing and a fight to unify all the championships in the division would be tremendous."
Sulaiman said Fury was free to make his own choice, adding: "But my personal opinion is that boxing is going through a great stage, a great moment, it will be great to see Fury against Usyk in the ultimate unification of the division.
"We are in August, there is still time to finalise and close up the year, or early next year."
Sulaiman said a tussle between Usyk and Fury at this stage in their careers would be "a momentous, huge event".
A spectator at the Wimbledon final who Nick Kyrgios accused of looking like she had consumed "about 700 drinks" is taking legal action against the Australian.
Polish lawyer Anna Palus was temporarily ejected from Centre Court last month after Kyrgios claimed she was drunk and putting him off during his defeat to Novak Djokovic.
He said to the chair umpire between points: "She's drunk out of her mind in the first row.
"The one who looks like she's had about 700 drinks talking to me in every single point."
Ms Palus has instructed her solicitors, Brett Wilson LLP, to start defamation proceedings against the 27-year-old and she is prepared to take the case to the High Court if there is no "prompt resolution" to the matter.
She said in a statement released by solicitors Brett Wilson LLP: "On Sunday 10 July 2022 I attended the final of the Wimbledon tennis championships with my mother.
"It was an event we had been looking forward to for some time. During the course of the final, Nick Kyrgios made a reckless and entirely baseless allegation against me.
"Not only did this cause considerable harm on the day, resulting in my temporary removal from the arena, but Mr Kyrgios's false allegation was broadcast to, and read by, millions around the world, causing me and my family very substantial damage and distress.
"I am not litigious, but after much consideration, I have concluded that I have no alternative but to instruct my solicitors Brett Wilson LLP to bring defamation proceedings against Mr Kyrgios in order to clear my name.
"The need to obtain vindication, and to prevent a repetition of the allegation, are the only reasons for taking legal action. Any damages recovered will be donated to charity.
"Given the extant claim, I am unable to comment further on the events of the day in question. I hope that Mr Kyrgios will reflect on the harm he has caused me and my family and offer a prompt resolution to this matter. However, if he is unwilling to do this, I am committed to obtaining vindication in the High Court."
The clock is ticking on Novak Djokovic's prospects of playing at the US Open, two days out from the draw at Flushing Meadows.
Wimbledon champion Djokovic, who lost to Daniil Medvedev in last year's final in New York, has his route to the United States blocked by red tape at present.
US authorities are refusing to allow unvaccinated foreign visitors to enter the country, and barring a change of policy on that front, his hopes appear forlorn. Djokovic, a three-time US Open champion, has refused to accept any COVID-19 vaccine.
The United States Tennis Association (USTA) has pledged to adhere to government rulings surrounding coronavirus protocols, despite including Djokovic on the US Open entry list last month.
He remains on that list for now, but there was an indication that the US Open may not be expecting to see Djokovic when a promotional poster was revealed this week that featured four top women players and four leading men.
The men selected were defending champion Medvedev, 22-time grand slam winner Rafael Nadal, Australian Nick Kyrgios and Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz. All were archive pictures, so Djokovic could easily have been selected for the advertising campaign.
His exclusion prompted an angry response on social media from some fans of the 35-year-old Serbian, with one saying it would be "a failed tournament if he doesn't participate in it".
The US Open draws are due to take place on Thursday ahead of the start of the tournament on Monday.
Leading players are already assembling on site, with Medvedev, Serena Williams, Nadal, Alcaraz, Simona Halep and Andy Murray among those with practice sessions booked in for Tuesday.
For Djokovic to be allowed into the United States, it appears he would require a sudden change of entry rules from law-makers, or he would have to be considered suitable for an exemption.
In late July, he said he was "preparing as if I will be allowed to compete"; however, he has not been able to travel for the build-up tournaments.
On Instagram, Djokovic's last tennis-related post came on Monday night as he sent a congratulatory message to shock Cincinnati champion Borna Coric, telling the Croatian: "Bravo king! Totally deserved. All the effort and patience paid off. Go ahead and good luck."
Djokovic was not allowed to play at the Australian Open at the start of the year, when issues surrounding his visa ended with him being deported from Melbourne on public health grounds due to not taking the vaccine.
American great John McEnroe told Tennis 365 in July it was "crazy" that Djokovic should have to miss the US Open and called for a solution to be found.
The current entry rules in the United States were not in place when Djokovic was toppled by Medvedev in last year's men's singles final, ending his hopes of a calendar Grand Slam.
The new NFL season is right around the corner and, amid the battle for the playoffs and eventual success in the Super Bowl, there's also the fight that nobody wants to admit they may like the idea of.
The team with the worst record in the NFL in the 2022 season will secure the first pick of the 2023 NFL Draft – theoretically allowing the worst teams to pick the best players, continuing a cycle of maintaining competitiveness across the league.
For the past two seasons, that opportunity has fallen to the Jaguars but, while 2022 may not be a fully enjoyable season in Jacksonville, there is at least hope that they can rise off the bottom after two seasons with a combined record of 4-29.
So, if not the Jaguars, then who? Stats Perform has crunched the numbers and given an assessment of four teams who could be in the hunt for the number one pick.
Houston Texans
There are few teams who head into 2022 with such a bleak picture across the entire team and Davis Mills, the quarterback tasked with helming the offense, has weak wide receiver options and an offensive line unable to provide him with much safety.
Last season, Houston were ranked dead last for the total number of first downs (266), and red-zone drives (37), as well as holding the worst yards-per-game average at 278.1 and the highest percentage of three-and-out drives (28.2)
Their first down efficiency, the percentage of first downs picking up four or more yards, was 42.9 per cent, again the worst across the league.
Defensively, things were not much better. When it came to stopping big plays where opponents gained 10 or more yards, the Texans were bottom of the class with 257 given up and allowed the most successful plays in the red zone with 55.9 per cent.
The Texans' opponents averaged 384.4 yards per game in 2021, which was the second-worst tally in the NFL - and Houston also ranked 31st for the average margin of defeat (17.15 pts).
Atlanta Falcons
Having traded away the greatest quarterback in their franchise history in Matt Ryan, the Falcons head into unchartered territory in 2022, but the signs are far from promising.
Marcus Mariota, entering his seventh year in the NFL, has been named as the Falcons' starting quarterback for the forthcoming season ahead of rookie Desmond Ridder, but has enjoyed limited playing time in recent years.
Getting up to speed with the offense will be even harder without Calvin Ridley, handed an indefinite suspension for betting during the 2021 season, though tight end Kyle Pitts and rookie receiver Drake London offer him two physically imposing targets.
Atlanta have also had problems retaining the ball, with the Falcons recording 30 fumbles last season, the most in the NFL - conceding possession on 11 occasions.
Things are worse on defense. In the 2021 season, the Falcons gave up an average of 364.4 yards per game and conceded an average of 27 points per game - the third-worst mark in the NFL behind only the New York Jets (29.6) and the Detroit Lions (27.5). Atlanta's is a talent-poor roster that looks primed to put them in contention for the first pick and a potential shot at a franchise quarterback.
New York Jets
The Jets' situation looks bleak before even diving into the stats, with the franchise 0-6 against division opponents in 2021 and having an overall record of 4-13 last season – only the Jaguars and the Lions held a worse return.
Positive moves were made in the 2022 NFL Draft, New York landing cornerback Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner, wide receiver Garrett Wilson and defensive end Jermaine Johnson in the first round – but getting immediate contributions from all three may be asking too much.
The Jets were comfortably the worst defensive team in the NFL last season, conceding an average of 397.6 yards per game, the highest in the NFL, and 29.6 points per game totalling 504 overall – the most by some distance ahead of the porous Lions (467).
Vulnerabilities were present across the field, with the Jets giving up an average of 138.3 rushing yards per game in 2021, the fourth-highest in the league, and 259.4 receiving yards per game, the third-highest total.
The Jets will be desperate to improve a turnover differential of minus 13. Doing so will be contingent on 2021 second overall pick recovering from his preseason knee injury and staying healthy and avoiding the poor decisions that were prevalent in his rookie year. He threw 11 of the Jets' 20 interceptions last season.
If Wilson fails to make those strides, the Jets could be debating whether to replace him with one of 2023's top quarterback prospects with the number one pick.
Seattle Seahawks
Losing Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos is a hit likely to send the Seahawks to the NFC cellar, as their 2012 third-round pick was responsible for moments of magic that kept Seattle's head above water in recent years.
The strength of Pete Carroll's defense had defined his reign in Seattle, but the Seahawks have gradually declined to become one of the league's worst teams on that side of the ball. Seattle conceded an average of 379.1 yards per game in 2021 – the fifth-most in the league.
Seattle have particularly struggled defending the pass, giving up 265.5 yards per game through the air in 2021 – putting them behind only the Baltimore Ravens.
Neither of Wilson's replacements have previously shown any indication of elevating an offense to a level to mitigate the defensive struggles as the franchise legend did so often during his storied spell in Seattle.
Indeed, neither Drew Lock nor Geno Smith can be considered capable of filling the void left by the nine-time Pro Bowl QB.
Lock's interception percentage of 2.8 since entering the NFL in 2019 is the ninth-worst in the league in that time. Both Lock (6.54) and Smith (5.88) were among the five worst quarterbacks (min. 50 attempts) by pickable pass percentage last season.
Simply put, the Seahawks do not possess the quarterback play to allow for the defense to be as bad as it is. It's a transition year in Seattle, and the Seahawks could soon be transitioning to Wilson's long-term replacement with the top pick.
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