The men's tennis tour has scrapped plans to stage four tournaments in China later this year as the pandemic continues to take its toll on the sporting calendar.
Mandatory quarantine rules make it unfeasible for international players and tour officials to travel to the events, including the Shanghai Masters, a top-tier ATP 1000 tournament.
The lucrative Shanghai event had been due to run from October 9-16 and would have featured many of the world's top players.
Also cancelled are the Chengdu Open and the Zhuhai Championships, which were scheduled to begin on September 26, and the China Open, billed for the following week.
The ATP said it had cancelled the three-week China swing "due to ongoing restrictions related to COVID-19".
It marks a third successive year in which the run of tournaments has had to be cancelled, with China last hosting ATP events in 2019, before the pandemic hit.
At the same time as it cancelled the tournaments in China on Thursday, the ATP made provision for its players to keep earning by announcing six new events to take place in September and October.
Those events will be played in San Diego, Seoul, Tel Aviv, Florence, Gijon and Naples, the ATP said, with all at ATP 250 level, the lowest rung of the main tour.
The WTA, which runs the women's tour, announced last December it would be suspending all its tournaments in China due to concerns over the wellbeing of Peng Shuai, a professional tennis player who appeared to allege she had been sexually assaulted by a powerful former government official.
Former doubles world number one Peng has since denied making the accusations, yet the WTA has remained concerned for her safety and freedom.
Michael Schumacher still enjoys following Formula One races and watches the sport at home alongside Jean Todt, the former Ferrari boss has revealed.
Seven-time world champion Schumacher suffered a skiing accident in December 2013 that left him with a serious brain injury.
The 53-year-old was placed into a medically induced coma after the incident in Meribel, France, before he was moved to the family home in Geneva the following year to be cared for by medical staff and his wife.
Schumacher has not been seen publicly since, though Todt still meets with his former Ferrari colleague, having teamed up with the German as he won five world titles between 2000 and 2004.
The pair continue to enjoy F1 together, with Schumacher watching on as his son Mick competes in his second season for Haas.
"I don't miss Michael, I see him," Todt told German broadcaster RTL after collecting the State Prize of North Rhine-Westphalia for Schumacher, alongside the former driver's wife Corinna and daughter Gina.
"Yes, it's true, I watch Grands Prix with Michael. But sure, I guess what I miss is what we used to do together.
"If it was emotional for you, you can imagine how emotional it was for me [collecting the award]. Emotional, but at the same time a great pride to be able to talk about Michael.
"You have people around you who are just special. And in a way, Michael is also very special. Corinna, Mick and Gina have also become special to me. They have all become family to me, to my wife and to my son."
Scott Robertson will join Ronan O'Gara in coaching the Barbarians against an All Blacks XV, as the Crusaders boss continues to be linked with the New Zealand top job.
The Barbarians game will be played at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on November 13 as the teams battle for the Killik Cup.
Robertson has been strongly linked with the New Zealand national side as speculation surrounds head coach Ian Foster's future, after a 32-22 defeat to Ireland condemned the All Blacks to a first home series defeat in 28 years.
Former New Zealand Under-20 team coach Robertson is reportedly in the running to take over if Foster does indeed lose his job.
Welcoming his appointment for the All Blacks XV fixture, Robertson told the Barbarians' official website: "Rugby throws you great opportunities and coaching the Baa-baas has to be one of the best there is.
"I am proud to help the incredible club and add to its history."
The series defeat to Ireland could also be the last act of New Zealand captain Sam Cane's tenure, with reports stating he could be replaced by Sam Whitelock ahead of the series in South Africa next month.
Cane took the job in 2020, succeeding Kieran Read, but could be losing the armband after just 13 Tests.
Chris Froome was forced to abandon the Tour de France on Thursday as the four-time champion tested positive for COVID-19.
The British rider sat 26th overall after Wednesday's stage 17, having spent over 69 hours on the road for the Israel Premier-Tech team.
The 37-year-old achieved his best Tour stage result since 2018 when he finished third on stage 12 up the Alpe d'Huez.
After a huge crash at the 2019 Criterium du Dauphine, Froome was left in intensive care with multiple serious injuries. He looked nailed on for his best general classification result in a Grand Tour since then as the riders edged closer to the finish in Paris this Sunday.
However, in a video message posted on his Twitter page, Froome said he had received "pretty disappointing news".
"A test has revealed that I've contracted COVID, so I'm not going to be taking the start today," he said.
"I'm really disappointed not to be able to roll into Paris and finish off this Tour de France. It's been an extremely special race for us as a team and me personally as well. I've been finding my legs again.
"I'm going to head home now, switch off for a few days, and refocus on being ready for the Vuelta a Espana later this season."
The Vuelta begins in the Netherlands on August 19, with a time-trial opener in Utrecht, before taking place in Spain from stage four onwards.
Novak Djokovic must be allowed to play at the US Open because a ban over his COVID-19 vaccination refusal would be "crazy", according to John McEnroe.
The Serbian won his seventh Wimbledon title this month, but the All England Club event was just his second major of the year after missing the Australian Open in January.
Djokovic was not permitted to play in the opening major of 2022, where issues surrounding his visa ended with him being deported from Melbourne on public health grounds due to not taking the vaccine.
The 35-year-old hopes to compete at Flushing Meadows in August but has insisted he will not take the vaccination, while the United States is refusing to allow unvaccinated foreigners to enter the country.
The USTA confirmed it would adhere to US rulings surrounding coronavirus protocols, despite including Djokovic on the entry list for the final slam of the year on Wednesday.
Seven-time major champion McEnroe has previously suggested Djokovic should be allowed to compete and reiterated his calls for the 21-time slam winner to be exempt from vaccination regulations.
"I mean, we have to find a way to get Novak into the US Open," McEnroe told Tennis365.
"How can he not be there? He has just won Wimbledon, he is a great champion and he should be in the US Open.
"I don't agree with his decision not to get vaccinated, but I respect it. He is one of the fittest guys in the world and everything he puts into his body, he is watching carefully.
"Now we are saying that because of his choice, he can't play at the US Open. I mean, come on. He has already been deported from Australia for the same reason and here we are again."
For Djokovic to be allowed into the United States, it would require a change of tack from law-makers, or he would have to be considered suitable for an exemption.
Among those who would be eligible for such an exemption are "persons whose entry would be in the national interest".
"I hope someone finds a way to sort this out," McEnroe said. "It's crazy that Novak misses the US Open at this stage."
Fernando Alonso believes Formula One's growing popularity has led to a dwindling appreciation of drivers from past eras, claiming many new fans "don't know much" about the sport.
Having raced in other categories at the Dakar Rally and the Indianapolis 500, the two-time F1 champion made a stellar return to the series in 2021, after relinquishing his seat with McLaren at the end of the 2018 season.
The 40-year-old has showed no signs of slowing down in literal and figurative terms, currently sitting 10th in the drivers' standings in a middling Alpine and matching team-mate Esteban Ocon for pace.
Alonso believes that despite his own quality as a racer, he and other drivers have faced negative consequences from F1's Netflix-fuelled influx of new fans.
"I think the perception from the outside or the feeling towards me, has changed, from time to time," he told The Race. "And in 2007 [the year after his second F1 title], maybe people had a perception of what I was as a driver or as a person."
He suggested that changed when he had a five-season spell at Ferrari from 2010 to 2014.
"Now I think that the fans that we have now, there are new fans and in a way – and I don't want to lack respect to them – but they don't know much about Formula 1," said Alonso.
"They just are more like a football kind of fan, where they just follow the results, whoever is winning does the best. And whoever is last is not Formula 1 level.
"They don't understand much about car performance and the package that you need. So you are on more of a rollercoaster kind of feeling, of perception, of what the people feel about you."
Alonso has been unfortunate not to pick up a bigger haul of points in recent outings, with a double stop in Austria arguably costing him a second straight top-five finish.
He did, however, concede his front-row position in the wet in Canada was significant in the context of his return and changing minds.
"It meant a lot because when you decide to come back, you need to put away a few things in life – family, friends again – and have full dedication for the job you do, travelling, the physical aspect, the mental aspect, everything and the pressure that you feel in your shoulders," he said.
"Because you are Fernando Alonso, and everyone will look at you if you are doing well."
The NBA has fined Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob $500,000 for recent comments made on a podcast that violate the league’s rules on discussing collective bargaining, ESPN reported Wednesday.
While making an appearance on the Point Forward Podcast, hosted by Andre Iguodala and Evan Turner, Lacob called the NBA’s luxury tax structure "very unfair", lamenting the extra costs of having the league’s highest payroll.
This past season, the Warriors paid Stephen Curry $48million, Klay Thompson $40m, Andrew Wiggins $33m, Draymond Green $25m, and former second overall pick James Wiseman $9m, totalling $155m from just five of their 15 roster spots. The NBA's 'soft cap' – meaning the salary cap that can be exceeded to re-sign a team's current players – was set at $112m for 2021-22, and will rise to $122m for the upcoming season.
"The truth is, we're only $40 million more than the luxury tax. Now, that's not small but it's not a massive number," Lacob said. "We're $200 million over in total because most of that is this incredible penal luxury tax. And what I consider to be unfair and I'm going to say it on this podcast, and I hope it gets back to whoever is listening.
"Obviously, it's self-serving for me to say this, but I think it's a very unfair system because our team is built by... all [of our] top eight players are all drafted by this team."
Lacob said that some have classified the Warriors’ 2022 championship a "checkbook win."
According to ESPN, the Warriors paid $69 million in luxury tax in 2020-21, $170 million in 2021-22 and are projected to pay $181 million in 2022-23.
James Harden has officially finalised his deal to stay with the Philadelphia 76ers, agreeing to a two-year, $68.6million contract on Wednesday.
Harden will make $33m for the 2022-23 season and then has the player option for $35.6m in 2023-24. He can decline the option and become a free agent again ahead of the 2023-24 and sign a new deal.
Harden had previously declined his $47.4m player option for this upcoming season from the 76ers, but was set to return to them all along while taking a pay-cut to help the team sign other players with the hopes of building a championship roster.
Thanks in part to his pay-cut, the 76ers have been able to add P.J. Tucker and Danuel House this offseason, and are expected to contend amongst the best teams in the Eastern Conference with MVP runner-up Joel Embiid and Harden leading the way.
Philadelphia acquired Harden from the Brooklyn Nets in February, and he averaged 21 points, 10.5 assists and 7.1 rebounds in 21 games with the Sixers, but the team suffered the same fate as three of the previous four seasons, again losing in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The 76ers have not been past the conference semis since losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2001 NBA Finals, and the 32-year-old Harden has never won a title, only reaching the NBA Finals once, in 2012 with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
A 10-time All-Star and the 2017-18 NBA MVP, Harden averaged 22 points, 10.3 assists and 7.7 rebounds in 65 total regular-season games for the 76ers and Nets, missing time due to hamstring issues.
Padraig Harrington did not mince his words when discussing Henrik Stenson's decision to forfeit his Ryder Cup captaincy by joining LIV Golf, insisting he has "no empathy" for the Swede.
Stenson is the latest big name to join the controversial circuit, with LIV Golf announcing the 46-year-old former major champion as one of three new recruits on Wednesday along with Jason Kokrak and Charles Howell III.
Just four months ago Stenson was awarded Europe's Ryder Cup captaincy ahead of the 2023 edition beginning in Italy next September, taking over the role from Harrington.
But Stenson was removed from the position in anticipation of his choice to join LIV on Wednesday.
When asked how he felt about the Swede's move, Harrington argued Stenson should have honoured his Ryder Cup commitment, while saying he understands why the average professional golfer might make the jump.
"I certainly empathise with anybody that makes the decisions that they have made in terms of going to play a new tour; the financial incentives are quite impressive," he said.
"I do think it's different in Henrik's case, yes. He signed a contract not to do that and was specifically asked not to do that. I have no empathy there.
"No, he took the Ryder Cup job when LIV was in doubt, and now that LIV is pretty much mainstream normalised, he's jumped ship."
Despite his disappointment, Harrington said Stenson's choice will have no real effect on Europe's Ryder Cup bid, with plenty of time remaining to select a new captain.
"It is 15 months, plenty of time," he said. "No issue as regards the actual team and, like, there's been nothing set in place about the selection processes or qualification processes.
"Really doesn't affect the Ryder Cup in any shape or form. I'm sure we'll have a new captain installed pretty soon."
Anett Kontaveit cruised into the quarter-finals of the Hamburg European Open with a straight-sets win over Rebecca Peterson, while third seed Zhang Shuai was forced out of the Palermo Ladies Open through injury.
World number two Kontaveit recorded a 6-3 6-2 victory over Peterson on the clay in Germany, setting up a last-eight meeting with eighth seed Andrea Petkovic.
The Estonian's win was her third over Peterson and maintained her 100 per cent career record against Swedish opponents, taking her to seven such successes.
Kontaveit was joined in the quarter-finals by fellow seeds Aliaksandra Sasnovich, who beat Aleksandra Krunic 6-3 6-2, and Maryna Zanevska, who downed Alexandra Cadantu-Ignatik 6-4 6-1.
They will face off for a semi-final spot on Thursday, while Anastasia Potapova will meet 2021 French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova after beating Maria Carle in straight sets.
At the Palermo Ladies Open, meanwhile, third seed Zhang withdrew from her last-16 clash with home favourite Jasmine Paolini before taking to the court, citing an unspecified injury.
Fellow seeds Sara Sorribes Tormo and Anna Bondar both reached the quarter-finals with straight-sets wins, however, with the pair set to face off for a semi-final berth on Friday.
Pablo Carreno Busta saw his title defence at the Hamburg European Open come to an early end as he crashed out on Wednesday, while Andrey Rublev progressed with ease.
Carreno Busta fell to a 6-3 1-6 7-6 (7-5) second-round defeat against Slovakian Alex Molcan, who progressed to a fourth ATP Tour quarter-final this season.
World number 48 Molcan will next meet Borna Coric after the Croatian eased past Tallon Griekspoor 6-3 6-4, registering back-to-back tour-levels wins for the first time in 17 months.
Second seed Rublev coasted through his first-round clash with Ricardas Berankis, triumphing 6-3 6-4 as he improved his record at the ATP 500 clay-court event in Germany to 10-2.
"I am happy with my performance. Ricardas is a really tough player," said world number eight Rublev, who is aiming for his fourth title of the season after success in Marseille, Dubai and Belgrade.
"He hits the ball really hard and plays fast, so I had to bring intensity from the first game. I am really happy with how I was serving today and I hit some great shots from the baseline.
"The game he broke me in the second set he played really well. He returned really aggressively and I don’t think I made one first serve. But then I kept [my] focus and broke him straight away again."
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina was another comfortable winner, easing past Jozef Kovalik 6-2 6-2 to set up a quarter-final contest with Lorenzo Musetti, who beat Emil Ruusuvuori 6-4 7-5.
Play was suspended early at the Swiss Open due to bad weather, with Spaniard Jaume Munar downing Alexander Ritschard 6-3 6-3 in the only match of the day to reach the last eight.
That meant top seed Casper Ruud will have to wait until Thursday to face Jiri Lehecka in Gstaad, with third favourite Roberto Bautista Agut also seeing his match with Juan Pablo Varillas pushed back a day.
Serena Williams has been named on the entry list for the US Open.
The 23-time grand slam champion withdrew from last year's tournament at Flushing Meadows with a torn hamstring, but she has entered this year's with a protected ranking of 16.
Williams has also been named among the initial entry list for August's Cincinnati Masters as she returns to the US Open Series.
Former US Open champions Naomi Osaka, Bianca Andreescu and Emma Raducanu will also be present in Ohio.
Williams returned to action after almost a year away from the game in the WTA event in Eastbourne in June in the women's doubles, before competing in the singles at Wimbledon.
Following an exciting defeat to Harmony Tan in the first round on Centre Court at SW19, Williams said she was aiming for a US Open return.
"When you're at home, especially in New York, and the US Open, that being the first place I've won a grand slam, is something that's always super special" she said. "There's definitely lots of motivation to get better and to play at home."
The 40-year-old will also compete at the Canadian Open next month as she ramps up her preparations for the US Open.
Novak Djokovic looks set to miss the US Open after the USTA confirmed it would respect the United States government's policy regarding unvaccinated travellers from outside the country.
Djokovic has already missed one grand slam this year, with the 21-time major champion absent from the Australian Open after a protracted saga surrounding his visa ended with him being deported on public health grounds.
The Serbian was permitted to play at the French Open and Wimbledon, winning the latter for the seventh time in his career, despite being unvaccinated against COVID-19.
However, he is unlikely to have a chance to compete for a fourth singles title at Flushing Meadows.
Djokovic was included on the entry list for the final slam of 2022, but the U.S. government does not permit unvaccinated non-U.S citizens to enter the country.
In a statement released alongside the entry lists, the USTA said: "Per the ITF Grand Slam rulebook, all eligible players are automatically entered into the men's and women's singles main-draw fields based on ranking 42 days prior to the first Monday of the event.
"The US Open does not have a vaccination mandate in place for players, but it will respect the U.S. government's position regarding travel into the country for unvaccinated non-U.S. citizens."
Should Djokovic miss the New York major, it will mean he will not get the chance to play in a grand slam until the 2023 French Open.
Having had his visa to enter Australia cancelled, Djokovic is banned from re-applying for three years. Unless that ban is reversed or reduced, the 35-year-old may well have played his final Australian Open.
Djokovic is one major title shy of Rafael Nadal's record of 22 following his four-set win over Nick Kyrgios in the Wimbledon final.
He reached the final of last year's US Open but lost to Daniil Medvedev in straight sets, preventing him from claiming the calendar Grand Slam.
A month later, the White House issued a presidential proclamation declaring that non-U.S. citizens must be vaccinated to enter the country, effectively ending his hopes of going one better in 2022.
Venus Williams will make a long-awaited singles comeback at the Canadian Open next month.
The seven-time grand slam champion has not played a singles match since she lost to Hsieh Su-Wei in the first round at the Chicago Women's Open last August.
But she returned from a leg injury to partner Jamie Murray in the mixed doubles at Wimbledon earlier this month, reaching the second round.
The 42-year-old will be back in singles action in Toronto, where the Canadian Open begins on August 8.
Williams' sister, Serena, will also play in the tournament three weeks before the US Open gets under way.
After being handed a wild card, Venus will join the likes of world number one Iga Swiatek in a strong field.
The American made her debut in the hard-court event as a 15-year-old back in 1995, losing to Sabine Appelmans in the first round.
Tadej Pogacar claimed a thrilling win in stage 17 of the Tour de France following a remarkable battle in the Pyrenees with yellow jersey holder Jonas Vingegaard.
UAE Team Emirates rider Pogacar claimed his third stage victory of this year's Tour, producing a decisive final kick to edge Jumbo-Visma rider Vingegaard on an enthralling and tortuous final climb.
Pogacar and Vingegaard somehow found the legs to produce a stunning finish on imposing gradients at the end of the 130-kilometre stage from Saint-Gaudens to Peyragudes.
The Slovenian's victory owed much to the efforts of team-mate Brandon McNulty, who set a furious pace to help the trio drop the rest of the field, ensuring Pogacar was in a position to go for the win for a depleted UAE team.
UAE lost Rafal Majka to a muscle tear having already been robbed of the services of Marc Soler, who finished stage 16 outside the time limit. Soler had appeared to be struggling from the effects of the searing heat that has spread across Europe.
Despite having only four riders left in the peloton to start the stage, UAE blew the race open, enabling Pogacar to launch his first attack after reaching the summit of the penultimate climb first.
Yet he could not succeed in putting distance between himself and Vingegaard as the pair proved incredibly evenly matched.
Indeed, it initially appeared as if Vingegaard would claim the glory after McNulty, who won the day's combativity award, was dropped.
But Pogacar had a final burst left in the tank that allowed him to cross the line arms aloft, though he gained only four seconds on Vingegaard, whose lead is two minutes and 18 seconds in the general classification.
POGACAR OPTIMISTIC OVER GC HOPES
Despite his minimal gains in the GC, Pogacar retains high hopes he can overhaul Vingegaard with one mountain stage left. The Tour will effectively be decided on stage 20's time trial. Both Pogacar and Vingegaard are excellent time-triallers.
"The team rode today, we were only four, to take the stage win is incredible," Pogacar said. "We can be proud, we see tomorrow as another chance. Tomorrow is another day, which I'm looking forward to.
"I gave absolutely everything. I know that I need to win, there's no other way, I gave it all for the team. I was so happy.
"Brandon did an amazing job. He was so good today. Special mention goes to him.
"I am optimistic [about his GC hopes]. Tomorrow is a more hard day, we can try again tomorrow."
STAGE RESULTS
1. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) 3:25:51
2. Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma)
3. Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates) +0:32
4. Geraint Thomas (INEOS Grenadiers) +2:07
5. Alexey Lutsenko (Astana) +2:34
CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS
General Classification
1. Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) 67:53:54
2. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) +2:18
3. Geraint Thomas (INEOS Grenadiers) +4:56
Points Classification
1. Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) 416
2. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) 202
3. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) 196
King of the Mountains
1. Simon Geschke (Cofidis) 64
2. Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) 52
3. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) 46
Ferrari and Charles Leclerc have history on their side as they aim to continue their recent run of form and eat into Red Bull and Max Verstappen's leads at the top of Formula One championships at the French Grand Prix.
The Scuderia have won the last two races, Carlos Sainz claiming a maiden F1 win at Silverstone before Leclerc ended a seven-race drought with victory in Austria.
Despite those successes, Red Bull still hold a 56-point lead in the constructors' championship, while Verstappen is 38 points ahead of Leclerc.
Verstappen's lead would be less emphatic had Sainz not suffered an engine failure in the closing stages at the Red Bull Ring last time out, denying Ferrari a well-deserved one-two.
The spectre of reliability concerns looms for Ferrari heading into the race at Circuit Paul Ricard, which will host the 12th grand prix of a season in which they have had six DNFs.
Yet Ferrari have enjoyed a lot of success in France. They have the most poles and wins at the French Grand Prix (both 17), though only two of those triumphs have come at Le Castellet.
Red Bull had claimed six straight wins prior to the recent Ferrari riposte and will have their sights set on strengthening their grip on both championships with a repeat of last year's double podium, when Verstappen prevailed and Sergio Perez finished third.
With Paul Ricard a circuit defined in part by long straights, Red Bull should again be strong in France, but it is also a circuit that should suit a Mercedes team on a run of four consecutive podiums.
Mercedes have rarely been close to Red Bull or Ferrari in a disappointing season. However, with its smooth surface and high-speed corners, Paul Ricard could allow the Silver Arrows a repeat of their performance at Silverstone, when Lewis Hamilton appeared set to challenge for victory until a safety car left him to settle for third.
Should he upset the odds to prevail in the south of France, Hamilton will add more history to his glittering CV.
CAN MERCEDES END WAIT?
Mercedes' dominance has come to an abrupt end in 2022 and they are in the rare position of still not having a win after 11 grands prix.
Paul Ricard likely represents one of their best chances to end their wait. If it is Hamilton who triumphs, he would move on to 99 career points at the French Grand Prix, surpassing the record of 98 set by Michael Schumacher.
More significantly, Hamilton would also break Schumacher's record for the most consecutive seasons with at least one race win. Victory for Hamilton would make it 16 seasons in a row for the Briton, Schumacher produced a grand prix success in 15 successive seasons between 1992 and 2006.
OCON EYES HOME JOY
Alpine's Esteban Ocon is enjoying an excellent season. He has 52 points to his name at the halfway point, having collected 74 across 22 races last season.
One place he has yet to taste success is at his home race. A first-lap collision with compatriot Pierre Gasly ended his hopes when the French Grand Prix returned in 2018. Last season, he finished a disappointing 14th.
Should he get himself in the top 10 this time around, he would become the first French driver to earn points in the French Grand Prix with a French team (Alpine) and a French engine (Renault) since Erik Comas in 1992 for Ligier team (Renault engine – two points finishing fifth).
With the race reportedly under threat for 2023, this could be Ocon's last chance for some time to score home points.
Henrik Stenson has been stripped of the captaincy of Europe's Ryder Cup team ahead of his reportedly imminent switch to LIV Golf.
Stenson was appointed as Padraig Harrington's successor for the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome back in March.
However, having said to have been swayed by a lucrative offer from the controversial Saudi-backed breakaway tour, Stenson will now not lead Europe in their bid to regain the cup.
The 2016 Open champion was reported to have held talks with Ryder Cup Europe on Tuesday.
Yet those discussions did not conclude positively, with a statement from Ryder Cup Europe reading: "Ryder Cup Europe today confirms that Henrik Stenson's tenure as Captain of Team Europe for the 2023 Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome, Italy from September 25 – October 1, 2023, has been brought to an end with immediate effect.
"In light of decisions made by Henrik in relation to his personal circumstances, it has become clear that he will not be able to fulfil certain contractual obligations to Ryder Cup Europe that he had committed to prior to his announcement as Captain on Tuesday March 15, 2022, and it is therefore not possible for him to continue in the role of Captain.
"Confirmation of the new 2023 European Ryder Cup Captain will be made in due course. Ryder Cup Europe will be making no further comment on any aspect of the process until that time."
LIV Golf will reveal the identities of another three players who have signed up "in the next few days".
Cameron Smith did not rule out making the move to LIV Golf after winning his first major with a sensational final round at The Open on Sunday.
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