Patrick Mahomes feels he has not played his best football in the early stages of the season, despite the Kansas City Chiefs being 3-0 after Sunday's victory over the Atlanta Falcons.
The Chiefs – who are targeting a historic Super Bowl three-peat this term – opened their campaign with dramatic victories over the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals.
They were handed another stern test by the Falcons in Sunday's late game, relying on their defense to produce two big fourth-down stops in the closing minutes of a 22-17 win.
The Falcons, who impressively dispatched the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2, had multiple chances to score a go-ahead touchdown, only for Kirk Cousins to throw a pair of incompletions in the end zone with just over four minutes to play.
Mahomes threw for 217 yards including touchdown passes to Rashee Rice and JuJu Smith-Schuster, though he also threw a pick to Justin Simmons, who now has six career interceptions against the three-time Super Bowl champion.
"I feel like I haven't played very well and that's not a stats thing," Mahomes said after the game.
"I just feel like I'm missing opportunities whenever they're out there and not throwing the ball in the exact spot I want it to be at.
"I'm not playing my best football and we're still getting wins, so I've got to get better to make the offense better."
Mahomes' 659 passing yards for the season ranks 10th among all quarterbacks, while his passer rating of 89.9 is just the 17th-best in the league.
Ahead of a challenging Week 4 visit to the Los Angeles Chargers, Mahomes is determined to step things up.
"It's about me getting back to my fundamentals, putting our guys in the right positions, and then we've got to execute at a higher level offensively," he said.
"If teams are going to make us drive the field, we have to prove that we're able to do that, and I'm sure we'll get a lot of the same this next week with the Chargers."
Rory McIlroy admitted golf is "testing" him more than usual after enduring yet another near miss at the BMW PGA Championship, losing to Billy Horschel in a play-off.
McIlroy, Horschel and Thriston Lawrence were forced into a three-way play-off after they all finished 20-under through four rounds at Wentworth.
Lawrence carded a final round of 65 to close a two-shot gap to McIlroy and Horschel, but the South African bogeyed the first play-off hole to put himself out of contention.
Horschel then wrapped up his second triumph at Wentworth with an eagle on the second, having previously triumphed at the event in 2021.
McIlroy has endured a frustrating year, missing two close-range putts when in pole position to win the US Open in June, then slipping again on the final round to finish second at last week's Irish Open.
Speaking after Sunday's play-off, the Northern Irishman said: "Last week was a tough one but I left there with my head held high with the way I played the last hole, trying to make three.
"Two weeks in a row I've played well. Just not quite well enough. The game is testing me a little more than it has done in the past, but that's fine.
"It could have been a different year but the nice thing is there's next year and the year after and the year after and the year after.
"If you think of my career as a 30-year journey, it's only one year in a 30-year journey, and hopefully the other 29 are a little more productive or a little bit better."
Horschel, meanwhile, admitted the struggles of the four-time major winner, a close friend of his, put a slight dampener on his victory.
"I'm thrilled and excited for the way I played," Horschel said.
"At the same time I'm a little disappointed – Rory is a great friend of mine and he's a generational talent. I know how close he's been this year so I feel for him.
"I needed a bit of luck. There was a lot of luck on my side to get this victory today."
Sam Darnold tied a career high with four touchdown passes to continue a strong start for himself and the Minnesota Vikings, who moved to 3-0 on the season with Sunday's 34-7 rout of the previously unbeaten Houston Texans.
Darnold finished with 181 passing yards to outplay 2023 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud, who was intercepted twice and sacked four times by a relentless Minnesota defence that shut down Houston's high-powered offence nearly the entire afternoon.
Aaron Jones caught one of Darnold's touchdown throws while adding 102 rushing yards for Minnesota, a team with the longest odds to win the NFC's North division entering the season. Former Texan Jonathan Greenard spurred the defensive effort with three sacks of his ex-teammate Stroud.
Stroud's day began ominously as his first pass of the game was deflected at the line of scrimmage and intercepted by the Vikings' Kamu Grugier-Hill, setting up Minnesota at the Houston 21-yard line. Six plays later, Darnold hit Justin Jefferson for a 6-yard touchdown pass for a 7–0 lead nearly three minutes into the contest.
Houston (2-1) missed a long field goal on its next drive, and the Vikings increased the margin with a six-play, 56-yard series capped by Jones' 8-yard touchdown reception late in the first quarter.
The Vikings marched 77 yards in eight plays to start the second half and went up 21-0 on Darnold's 4-yard scoring pass to Jalen Nailor.
Houston put together its best drive of the day later in the third quarter to get on the board on Stroud's 8-yard touchdown pass to Cam Akers with 3:56 remaining in the period.
After Will Reichard's 35-yard field goal gave Minnesota a 24–7 advantage seven seconds into the fourth quarter, Stroud was picked off by Camryn Bynum on the ensuing possession to give the Vikings the ball back near midfield.
The interception led to Darnold's fourth TD pass of the game, a 2-yard strike to Johnny Mundt with 10:14 left to play.
Reichard knocked home a career-long 58-yard field goal with under five minutes left for the final points.
Stroud finished with 215 yards on 20-of-31 passing, while former Vikings star Stefon Diggs had 10 catches for 94 yards for the Texans.
Steelers move to 3-0, Chargers' Herbert re-injures ankle
The Pittsburgh Steelers are also on a three-game winning streak to begin the season after pulling away for a 20-10 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, who saw star quarterback Justin Herbert leave the contest in the third quarter due to an ankle injury that had him questionable to play going in.
Pittsburgh scored 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to move to 3-0 behind another solid performance from quarterback Justin Fields, as well as another stout effort from a defence that produced five sacks and limited the Chargers to 168 total yards.
Fields had a rushing and passing touchdown to remain undefeated as a Steeler and help give Los Angeles (2-1) its first loss under new head coach Jim Harbaugh. The former Chicago Bear completed 25 of 32 passes for 245 yards and an interception while making a third straight start with expected No. 1 quarterback Russell Wilson still dealing with a calf injury.
Herbert completed 12 of 18 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown before bowing out shortly after being sacked late in the third quarter. The 2020 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year sustained a high ankle sprain in the Chargers' win over the Carolina Panthers last week.
The game was tied at 10-10 at the time of Herbert's departure. Fields then moved the Steelers 73 yards in 12 plays on the ensuing possession to set up Chris Boswell's 30-yard field goal in the opening minute of the fourth quarter.
After the Chargers were forced to punt with Taylor Heinicke at quarterback for their next series, Fields hit Calvin Austin over the middle and the wide receiver sprinted past the Los Angeles defence for a 55-yard touchdown that put Pittsburgh up 20-10 with 7:02 remaining.
The Chargers then went three-and-out and never got the ball back again, as Pittsburgh ran out the clock after taking possession with just under five minutes left.
Herbert showed no effects of the injury early on, as he connected with Quentin Johnson for a 27-yard touchdown pass to give the Chargers a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. The Steelers answered with a 13-play, 70-yard drive that Fields ended with a 5-yard touchdown run with 10:17 left before half-time.
Cameron Dicker put Los Angeles back ahead with a 28-yard field goal late in the first half, but Boswell's 38-yard field goal with 9:05 remaining in the third quarter created a 10-10 tie.
Dalton sparks Panthers to first win in first start in place of Young
Andy Dalton threw for 319 yards and three touchdowns to give the Carolina Panthers the spark they needed with a 36-22 road win over the Las Vegas Raiders, the first victory for first-year head coach Dave Canales.
Dalton was called into action after Canales opted to bench struggling 2023 No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young following two straight losses to begin the season. The 14-year veteran made the rookie coach's decision a wise one by completing a sharp 70.3 per cent (26 of 37) of his passes while directing an offence that put up 437 total yards, surpassing the 352 Carolina mustered in two games with Young at the controls.
Diontae Johnson put up 122 yards and a touchdown on eight catches as Dalton's top target, while the Panthers also got a lift in the running game from Chuba Hubbard's 114 yards on 21 carries.
Tre Tucker and Jakobi Meyers had touchdown catches for Las Vegas (1-2), which came out flat off last week's 26-23 upset road win over the Baltimore Ravens. Gardner Minshew threw for 214 yards on 18 of 28 passing with one touchdown and one interception.
Dalton marched Carolina right down the field on the game's first possession, a nine-play, 70-yard drive he capped with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Hubbard.
The Raiders tied the game on Alexander Mattison's 2-yard run late in the first quarter that completed a 97-yard series, but the offence stagnated from there as the Panthers scored the next 26 points to put the contest away.
Dalton tossed two more touchdown passes in the second quarter, a 5-yarder to Johnson and a 31-yard strike to Adam Thielen, to send Carolina into half-time with a 21-7 advantage.
The Raiders continued to get nothing going offensively in the third quarter as the Panthers pushed the lead to 27-7 entering the fourth on two Eddy Piniero field goals.
Hubbard accounted for 52 yards from scrimmage on an 11-play, 84-yard drive that ended on Miles Sanders' 1-yard run early in the fourth quarter. The Panthers missed a 2-point conversion try to keep it a 33-7 lead.
Minshew found Meyers for a 13-yard touchdown as well as the ensuing 2-point try to get Las Vegas within 33-15 with just under 11 minutes left. The Raiders also scored in the final minute via backup quarterback Aidan O'Connell's 8-yard touchdown pass to Tucker that followed Pineiro's 26-yard field goal.
Rams rally to edge hobbled 49ers on late field goal
Joshua Karty's 37-yard field goal with two seconds left capped a fourth-quarter rally that propelled the Los Angeles Rams to a sorely needed 27-24 win over the San Francisco 49ers in a clash of NFC West rivals each dealing with a slew of early-season injuries.
The Rams trailed 21-7 late in the third quarter and 24-14 in the fourth before ripping off 13 points in the final 6:15 to deal defending NFC champion San Francisco (1-2) a second straight loss following a season-opening victory over the New York Jets.
San Francisco was playing without three star offensive players with running back Christian McCaffrey on injured reserve and both wide receiver Deebo Samuel (calf) and tight end George Kittle (hamstring) inactive. Los Angeles (1-2) came in short-handed as well with its top two receivers, Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, sidelined and multiple starters on the offensive line out as well.
Tutu Atwell helped fill the void with 93 receiving yards on four catches, and the Rams also got a big lift from Kyren WIlliams' 89 rushing yards and three touchdowns, including a 15-yard scoring catch from quarterback Matthew Stafford.
Stafford finished with 221 yards and one touchdown on 16-of-25 passing to help Los Angeles avoid an 0-3 start.
The 49ers lost despite three touchdown passes from Brock Purdy to Jauan Jennings, who racked up 175 yards on 11 receptions while stepping up in Samuel and Kittle's absence. Purdy completed 22 of 30 throws for 292 yards without an interception.
San Francisco took a 21-7 lead when Jennings got behind the Los Angeles defence to haul in Purdy's 31-yard dart with 7:01 left in the third quarter. The Rams quickly answered, though, with a six-play, 70-yard drive that Williams finished with a 3-yard run to make it a one-score game just over three minutes later.
The 49ers moved inside the Rams' 10-yard line on the subsequent possession, but settled for Jake Moody's 26-yard field goal for a 24-14 advantage with under 12 minutes to go.
Karty's 33-yard field goal trimmed Los Angeles' deficit to seven points with 6:15 remaining, and Moody missed a 55-yard attempt on the ensuing drive to give the Rams the ball near midfield with 2:43 left.
Stafford found Atwell for a 50-yard gain on the next snap, and Williams crossed the goal line from four yards out two plays later to tie the game at 24-24 with 1:51 remaining.
After the Rams forced a quick punt, 49ers linebacker De'Vondre Campbell was called for a 25-yard pass interference penalty that set up Karty's winning kick.
The 49ers dominated the first quarter, building a 14-0 lead on a pair of touchdown passes from Purdy to Jennings from 13 and four yards out.
After stalling on their opening two possessions, the Rams got untracked with a 16-play, 87-yard drive that consumed nearly eight minutes. Williams finished it with a 15-yard touchdown catch late in the second quarter to get Los Angeles within 14-7 at the half.
Ravens hold off Cowboys behind Henry's big game
The Baltimore Ravens were also able to avert a dreaded 0-3 start, though they needed to hold off a frantic fourth-quarter comeback attempt from the Dallas Cowboys to secure an important 28-25 win.
Baltimore (1-2) opened up a 28-6 lead after three quarters behind big rushing efforts from Derrick Henry and quarterback Lamar Jackson, then held on after Dak Prescott led Dallas on a late rally in which the Cowboys outscored the Ravens 19-0 in the fourth.
Henry amassed 151 yards and two touchdowns in his biggest game since joining Baltimore in free agency, while Jackson had 87 yards and a touchdown on the ground in addition to throwing for 182 yards and a touchdown.
The Ravens put up 274 rushing yards to help withstand Prescott's 379 yards and two touchdowns through the air as well as a 65-yard field goal from Dallas kicker Brandon Aubrey, the second-longest in NFL history.
Baltimore dominated the game's early stages, however, as the offence scored touchdowns on its first two drives and the defence kept the Cowboys out of the end zone for the first three quarters.
The Ravens needed just five plays to take a quick 7-0 lead, as Jackson followed a 30-yard completion to Charlie Kolar with a 9-yard touchdown run less than 5 1/2 minutes in.
After Aubrey knocked through his career-long field goal to get Dallas on the board, a 56-yard pass from Jackson to Nelson Agholor set up Henry's 1-yard run that increased the margin to 14-3 late in the first quarter.
The Ravens went ahead further on Jackson's 13-yard touchdown pass to Rashod Bateman with 25 seconds left in the first half, capping an 8-play, 88-yard drive. The Cowboys were able to position themselves for Aubrey's 51-yard field goal, however, that trimmed the lead to 21-6 at half-time.
Baltimore continued to move the ball at will to begin the second half, as Henry ripped off a 29-yard run before scampering into the end zone from 26 yards out on the opening possession of the third quarter.
Dallas finally came to life with two fourth-quarter touchdowns that came less than two minutes apart. After Prescott's 1-yard run brought Dallas within 28-12 after it failed on the 2-point conversion, the Cowboys recovered an onside kick to get the ball back near midfield.
Prescott finished the resulting 7-play drive with a 15-yard touchdown toss to Jalen Tolbert, though the Cowboys again couldn't convert the 2-point try as Baltimore's lead dwindled to 28-18 with just over seven minutes left.
The Dallas defence then forced a three-and-out before Prescott led an 11-play, 91-yard series culminating in KaVontae Turpin's 16-yard touchdown catch that made it a three-point game with 2:53 to go.
Dallas didn't get the ball back again, however, as Jackson completed a critical 9-yard pass to Zay Flowers on 3rd-and-6 to help allow the Ravens to run out the clock.
Barkley's two touchdowns lift Eagles over Saints
Saquon Barkley rushed for 147 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns, including the go-ahead score with 1:01 remaining that gave the Philadelphia Eagles a 15-12 victory over the previously unbeaten New Orleans Saints.
Barkley also had a 65-yard touchdown run to help Philadelphia (2-1) bounce back from blowing a late lead in a frustrating 22-21 loss to Atlanta on Monday night, in which the Falcons quickly marched down the field for a winning touchdown in the final seconds.
The Eagles' defence redeemed itself this time, however, by holding a potent Saints offence to 219 total yards and keeping it out of the end zone until the fourth quarter. New Orleans (2-1) had scored a combined 91 points in winning its first two games.
Philadelphia also received a huge game from Dallas Goedert. The tight end compiled career highs of 10 catches and 170 receiving yards, 61 of which came on a late reception that led to Barkley's deciding touchdown.
The Saints were clinging to a 3-0 lead after three quarters in a game where both teams failed to convert several scoring opportunities, but that all changed when Barkley broke through the line of scrimmage and out-sprinted the New Orleans secondary to put the Eagles ahead with 13:17 to go.
New Orleans countered with Blake Grupe's 38-yard field goal on the following possession, then got the ball back at midfield with 6:41 left after Eagles coach Nick Sirianni had Jake Elliott try a 60-yard field goal that missed the mark.
The Saints proceeded to go 50 yards in nine plays and took a 12-7 lead on Derek Carr's 13-yard touchdown pass to Chris Olave with 2:03 remaining. New Orleans failed on the subsequent 2-point conversion attempt.
Faced with a 3rd-and-16 with just over a minute left, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts found Goedert open on a crossing route and the tight end raced down the sideline before being brought down at the New Orleans 4-yard line.
Barkley powered into the end zone on the next play, then scored on the 2-point conversion to give the Eagles a 15-12 edge.
Reed Blankenship then sealed Philadelphia's win by intercepting Carr with 48 seconds to play.
Hurts completed 29 of 38 passes for 311 yards but was intercepted in the end zone early in the second quarter, one of a few first-half possessions in which Philadelphia came away empty after moving into scoring range.
Carr managed just 142 yards on 14-of-25 passing with one touchdown and the late interception.
Kerry Carpenter hit two home runs, including the tie-breaking blast in the sixth inning, and the surging Detroit Tigers moved into possession of an American League wild card spot with Sunday's 4-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles.
The Tigers' sixth win in seven games moved them one game ahead of reeling Minnesota and into a tie with also-slumping Kansas City for the AL's second wild card. The Twins lost both games of a doubleheader with the Boston Red Sox, who got a three-homer game from Triston Casas to win the opener 8-1. The Royals have now lost seven straight following Sunday's 2-0 defeat to the San Francisco Giants.
Spencer Torkelson also homered while Trey Sweeney delivered a run-scoring double for Detroit, which last reached the post-season in 2014.
Cedric Mullins had a two-run homer for Baltimore, which is four games up on the Tigers and Royals for the first wild card.
Carpenter drilled a pitch from Albert Suarez into the right field seats in the sixth inning for a 4-3 lead that Detroit's bullpen made stand by holding the Orioles scoreless over the final four innings. Jason Foley finished it out with a perfect ninth for his 26th save.
The Tigers had taken a 2-0 advantage on Torkelson's second-inning homer and back-to-back doubles by Jace Jung and Sweeney later in the frame. Carpenter's first homer of the afternoon increased the margin in the third.
Baltimore drew even with a three-run fifth inning, with Mullins cutting the deficit to 3-2 with his 18th homer of the season. Gunnar Henderson followed with a single before scoring the tying run on Jordan Westburg's double.
Mets edge Phillies to keep rival from clinching NL East
Brandon Nimmo's tie-breaking solo home run in the sixth inning provided the difference as the New York Mets prevented the Philadelphia Phillies from clinching the National League East with a 2-1 victory.
The result kept Philadelphia's magic number to win the division at one but, more importantly, dropped the Phillies one game back of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the race for the NL's best record. The Dodgers rallied for a 6-5 win over the Colorado Rockies on back-to-back home runs from Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts in the ninth inning.
New York took three of four matchups from their division rivals in the weekend series and are now tied with the Arizona Diamondbacks for the NL's final two wild-card spots, with the Atlanta Braves two games behind both teams.
Nimmo's drive off Philadelphia ace Zack Wheeler just eluded the glove of a leaping Phillies right fielder Nick Castellanos and cleared the wall to snap a 1-1 tie. Relievers Jose Butto and Edwin Diaz successfully protected the one-run lead over the final three innings, with Diaz working the last two to earn his 20th save.
Wheeler (16-7) struck out eight over seven innings while permitting just two runs in a hard-luck loss.
The Phillies got their lone run in the opening inning when Trea Turner singled, moved to second on a wild pitch from New York starter Tylor Megill and scored on Alec Bohm's single.
New York pulled even an inning later when Tyrone Taylor followed Mark Vientos' double off Wheeler with a run-scoring single.
Taylor and Jose Iglesias each had two hits for the Mets, while Castellanos and Turner each went 2 for 4 for Philadelphia.
White Sox tie modern era record with 120th loss
The San Diego Padres rallied for three eighth-inning runs to hand the Chicago White Sox their 120th loss of the season, a 4-2 setback that tied an MLB record for most defeats in a season in the post-1900 era.
Chicago (36-120) matched the 1962 expansion New York Mets, who finished 40-120, for the most losses in a season in baseball's modern era and have six more chances to eclipse the dubious record. The White Sox will open a three-game series at home with the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday.
The White Sox took a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the eighth that quickly evaporated as San Diego's Donovan Solano and Luis Arraez led off with consecutive doubles, with Arraez's hit off Fraser Ellard scoring pinch-runner Tyler Wade.
Ellard then threw a wild pitch that advanced pinch-runner Brandon Lockridge to third. Jurickson Profar followed with a sacrifice fly that put the Padres ahead in front of Fernando Tatis' solo homer that increased the lead to 4-2.
The comeback win kept the Padres three games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers for first place in the NL West. San Diego has won four straight and holds a three-game lead on the Arizona Diamondbacks and New York Mets for the league's top wild card.
Profar finished 2 for 3 and drove in another run with a solo homer in the bottom of the third that tied the game at 1-1. The White Sox had briefly gone ahead on Korey Lee's solo homer in the top of the inning.
Chicago went back in front on Miguel Vargas' solo homer in the sixth, his second hit in four at-bats for the game.
Both starting pitchers performed well while not factoring in the final outcome. San Diego's Yu Darvish struck out nine while allowing two runs in 6 1/3 innings, while Chicago's Sean Burke fanned eight while yielding one run on two hits in six innings.
Max Verstappen said after the Singapore Grand Prix that his punishment for swearing in a news conference could speed up his exit from Formula One.
Verstappen, who finished second behind title rival Lando Norris on Sunday, has often said that he is not motivated by having a long career in the competition.
The Dutchman has now gone seven Grand Prix without a pole position and seven without a victory, but did halt his two-race podium drought this time around.
But Verstappen's weekend was dominated by his actions off the track rather than on it, saying the controversy could make his departure from the sport a lot quicker.
"These kinds of things definitely decide my future as well, when you can’t be yourself or you have to deal with these kinds of silly things," Verstappen said.
"Now I am at the stage of my career where you don’t want to be dealing with this all the time. It’s really tiring.
"For me, that is not a way of continuing in the sport, that’s for sure."
On Friday in Singapore, Verstappen was ordered by race stewards to "accomplish some work of public interest" swearing while describing his car’s performance in Baku while speaking in the official pre-event news conference on Thursday.
He staged a protest against the decision by giving short answers in the official post-qualifying news conference.
Verstappen called the penalty "ridiculous" and was backed by Norris and Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton.
"If you can’t really be yourself to the fullest, then it’s better not to speak," Verstappen said.
"But that’s what no one wants because then you become a robot and that’s not how you should be going about it in the sport.
"You should be able to show emotions in a way. That’s what racing is about. Any sport.
"Anyone on the pitch, if they get tackled, or get pushed, or they are not happy with something or there is a frustrating moment, or something they get asked about, it’s quite normal there can be a sort of reaction."
There was also an emotional moment for Verstappen's former Red Bull team-mate Daniel Ricciardo, with the Singapore Grand Prix potentially his final race in F1.
Rumours had swirled in the build up to this weekend's race that the eight-time Grand Prix winner would be replaced at RB by Liam Lawson for the final six races of the season.
The Australian recorded the fastest lap and was voted the driver of the day, but Ricciardo gave his clearest indication that this weekend may be the end of his career in the sport.
Referring to his fastest lap attempt, Ricciardo said: “It was maybe just to have one last crack at doing a fast one, if it is to be it.”
Pushed on whether that meant Singapore may have been his last Grand Prix, Ricciardo replied: “Possibly, I have to acknowledge that.
"It’s been a little bit of a race-by-race situation and I would have obviously loved the weekend to have gone better. It didn’t, so I have to prepared for this maybe being it.
"I do feel, let’s say, at peace with it.
“At some point, it’ll come for all of us… I think also, I tried to get back into Red Bull, it didn’t work out, so then I also have to say, ‘Okay, what else am I ultimately doing here and trying to achieve?’
"Let’s say maybe the fairytale ending didn’t happen, but I also have to look back on what it’s been. Fourteen or so years and I’m proud.
“I think when you’ve experienced the highs of winning, you can only fight for P10 for so long."
Ricciardo was spotted taking his time getting out of the cockpit, the Australian appearing to savour the final moments with the car after a gruelling 62-lap race.
Across his 13-year career, Ricciardo has won eight times, with his latest win coming for McLaren at the Italian Grand Prix back in 2021.
But as he crossed the line for potentially the final time, the Australian struggled to hold back the tears.
“A lot of emotions, because – look I’m aware it could be it, and I think it’s also just [being] exhausted after the race," Ricciardo concluded.
"So it’s like a flood of many emotions and feelings and exhaustion.
“The cockpit is something that I got very used to for many years,” added the veteran of 257 Grand Prix starts, tearing up. “I just wanted to savour the moment.”
Carlos Alcaraz's straight-set triumph over Taylor Fritz ensured Team Europe completed a remarkable final day comeback to lift the Laver Cup in Berlin.
Team World had led 11-7 heading into the penultimate match of the competition, but Alexander Zverev's win over Frances Tiafoe forced a deciding contest.
The Spaniard completed the thrilling turnaround in style, saving three of the four break points he faced to hand Team Europe their first win at the tournament since 2021.
Alcaraz managed eight points for Team Europe during the 2024 edition of the Laver Cup, the most points a player has earned in a single edition of the tournament.
The world number three kickstarted proceedings in the doubles with Casper Ruud, emerging victorious in straight sets 6-2 7-6 (8-6) against Tiafoe and Ben Shelton.
Speaking after his opening game of the day, Alcaraz said his performance was an attempt to imitate the great Roger Federer, who was watching on in the stands.
"I think that one of the best tennis players that made these shots possible was Roger [Federer]," Alcaraz said.
"I have watched him many times and the way he plays these unbelievable shots.
"Sometimes, in some way, I try to imitate him a little bit and that is why I try in every practice and in every match to bring some good shots into the match."
But the pendulum swung back in Team World's favour in the following game, with Shelton downing Daniil Medvedev 7-6 (8-6) 5-7 7-10 to put his side on the brink.
However, Zverev found his groove at just the right time, winning his first match of the week 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 10-5 to set up a nail-biting conclusion.
But on his Laver Cup debut, Alcaraz held his nerve with a commanding 6-2 7-5 display against Fritz to see Team Europe become only the second team in the last six editions of the tournament to win having trailed on the final day.
The Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) has made a significant contribution to the development of cycling in Jamaica by donating JMD$1 million to the Jamaica Cycling Federation. The grant, aimed at boosting the sport’s progress, was used to purchase vital racing and training equipment, including state-of-the-art smart trainers.
The Jamaica Cycling Federation expressed its gratitude for the financial assistance, highlighting the importance of this investment in elevating the sport’s standards. Smart trainers have become increasingly popular in cycling programs worldwide due to their advanced capabilities, which are integral to modern training methods.
“These smart trainers are game changers,” said a spokesperson for the Federation. “They allow riders and coaches to approach training in a more scientific manner, offering features like measuring and tracking energy output, simulating race routes, and even enabling coaches to remotely access training data.”
This technological upgrade not only enhances training efficiency but also opens up new possibilities for coaches to closely monitor and optimize athletes' performance. The equipment's ability to simulate real-world racing conditions and provide accurate data on rider performance will help Jamaica’s cyclists prepare for international competition with cutting-edge tools.
The JOA's donation represents its ongoing commitment to supporting the development of underrepresented sports in Jamaica. “This contribution from the JOA is truly appreciated and confirms the continued support for the growth and development of sports like cycling,” the Federation said.
The equipment is expected to help Jamaica’s cyclists better prepare for regional and international competitions, as the nation continues to push for excellence across various sporting disciplines.
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert re-aggravated an ankle injury in Sunday's 20-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Herbert left after being sacked by linebacker Elandon Roberts midway through the third quarter and was replaced by Tyler Heinicke.
Herbert was uncertain to play in this matchup of 2-0 teams after having his ankle rolled up on in Los Angeles' 26-3 victory over the Carolina Panthers last Sunday. He went through pre-game warm-ups, however, and was deemed good to go.
The score was tied at 10-10 when Herbert exited and the Chargers offence only managed one first down on their final two possessions with Heinicke.
Herbert finished the game 12-of-18 for 125 yards with a touchdown, while Heinicke completed his only two pass attempts for 24 yards, but was sacked three times.
In 13 games last season, Herbert averaged 241.1 passing yards with 20 touchdowns and seven interceptions, but for the run-heavy Chargers in 2024, he entered Week 3 with 274 total passing yards with three TDs and one pick.
Los Angeles averaged 197.5 rushing yards in its first two games, but managed just 61 on the ground against the Steelers.
Lando Norris lauded an "amazing race" as McLaren's Singapore Grand Prix dominance secured a comfortable ending for the winner.
Norris claimed his third win of the Formula One season on Sunday, further closing the gap in the drivers' championship to Red Bull's Max Verstappen.
The Dutchman's lead has now been slashed to 52 points but the defending champion remains the favourite to regain his crown.
That will not take away from another success for Norris, however, with the Briton relishing further success in 2024.
"It was an amazing race," Norris told Sky Sports. "A few too many close calls – I had a couple of little moments in the middle – but it was well controlled, I think, otherwise.
"The car was mega. I could push, we were flying the whole race, and at the end I could just chill. So it was a nice race, still tough, I'm a bit out of breath, but a fun one."
With Verstappen finishing just behind Norris, Oscar Piastri completed a superb weekend for McLaren by coming in third ahead of Mercedes' George Russell.
It could have been a different story for Norris and McLaren, though, with the 24-year-old brushing the barriers on more than one occasion.
"It's not that you are necessarily over-pushing, sometimes it can even be that you are just chilling too much," Norris said of those near-misses.
"Maybe it was a bit of both, I don't know what it is. It's tricky. It's still tough out there and easy to lock the tyres as I did.
"I still pushed, I didn't want to have a one-second lead, I wanted to have the biggest lead possible."
Norris has now equalled Stirling Moss and John Surtees on 24 podiums, meaning David Coulthard (62) and Eddie Irvine (26) are the only Britons to have secured more F1 podium finishes without winning a world championship.
Caitlin Clark lived up to the lofty expectations as one of the most highly touted rookies in WNBA history, and has been rewarded.
The WNBA announced Sunday that the Indian Fever star was unanimously chosen as the league's Rookie of the Year.
After a phenomenal collegiate career, Clark was the first pick of this year's draft and made an immediate impact on the court and also by helping the WNBA gain popularity worldwide.
She broke the league's single-season assist mark with 337 - including a WNBA-record 19 in one game - and scored the most points ever by a rookie with an average of 19.2 per game.
Clark, who finished fourth in MVP voting and was named to the AP All-WNBA first team, also helped lead the Fever to their first play-off berth since 2016.
She is joined on the all-rookie team by Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso of the Chicago Sky, New York Liberty forward Leonie Fiebich and Los Angeles Sparks forward Rickea Jackson.
The honours keep coming for A'ja Wilson.
The WNBA announced Sunday that the Las Vegas Aces star was unanimously chosen as the league's MVP.
This is the third time Wilson has won the award, after also being selected in 2020 and 2022, to become just the fourth player in league history to achieve the feat, joining Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie and Lauren Jackson.
Wilson received all 67 first-place votes to join Cynthia Cooper in the league's inaugural 1997 season to win the award unanimously.
The MVP selection was the latest milestone for Wilson in the past few weeks.
She established the WNBA single-season scoring record on September 11, and four days later became the first player in league history to score 1,000 points in a season.
Wilson finished the regular season with 1,021 points, 451 rebounds and a league-high 98 blocks, for averages of 26.9 points, 11.8 boards and 2.6 blocks.
McLaren enjoyed a brilliant Singapore Grand Prix as Lando Norris closed the gap on Formula One drivers' championship leader Max Verstappen.
Norris led from pole position on Sunday, and never looked likely to let that lead slip as he controlled the race from the off in a statement victory - his third race win of the season.
The Briton, who did have a few brushes with the barriers, ultimately finished 20.94 seconds clear of second-place Verstappen, whose championship lead has now been cut to 52 points, though the Dutchman nevertheless remains the firm favourite to retain his crown.
Oscar Piastri, the victor in Baku last time out, completed a superb weekend for McLaren by finishing third ahead of Mercedes' George Russell, though Daniel Ricciardo did do Red Bull a favour.
In what could well prove to be the final grand prix of his career, Ricciardo - racing for Red Bull's second team - pitted at the end in order to come out on soft tyres and take the fastest lap, which Norris had held.
"Thank you, Daniel," Verstappen said on the team radio when he was informed of the Australian's effort.
Charles Leclerc, who is third in the championship, completed the top five, but it was a day that belonged firmly to Norris and McLaren, who nudged themselves further clear at the top of the constructor standings.
Lewis Hamilton, who had been in the hunt for a record-equalling fifth win in Singapore, crossed in sixth.
Data Debrief: Lights to flag
The driver occupying pole had only won two of the last five races in Singapore (Hamilton in 2018 and Carlos Sainz in 2023), but Norris was in a league of his own this time out.
Norris has now equalled Stirling Moss and John Surtees on 24 podiums, meaning David Coulthard (62) and Eddie Irvine (26) are the only Britons in F1 history to have secured more podium finishes without winning a world championship.
McLaren, meanwhile, have had at least one driver on the podium in the last 14 races, matching their second-best such streak, only behind a run of 19 they managed between Australia 2007 and Malaysia 2008.
Ricciardo did at least steal some of McLaren's thunder. Ten drivers have secured at least one fastest lap in 2024. The last season with at least 10 different drivers to record a fastest lap was 2012 (12).
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Drivers'
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 331
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 279
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 245
Constructors'
1. McLaren - 516
2. Red Bull - 475
3. Ferrari - 441
Carlos Alcaraz slammed the congested schedule in elite-level tennis, with the world number three saying "they are going to kill us".
As a hectic season draws towards a close, Alcaraz is competing for Team Europe at the Laver Cup.
The 21-year-old, who won the French Open and Wimbledon earlier this year and also reached the final of the Paris Olympics, has played 50 matches on the ATP Tour last year.
And the Spaniard feels tournament organisers are not doing enough to protect player welfare.
"Probably they are going to kill us in some way," said Alcaraz, who beat Ben Shelton on Saturday.
"Right now a lot of good players are going to miss a lot of tournaments because of that [injury]."
Alcaraz also suggested he struggles when it comes to motivating himself when the schedule is so congested.
He added: "Sometimes, you don't want to go to a tournament.
"I'm not going to lie – I have felt this way a few times already.
"Sometimes I don't feel motivated at all. But as I've said many, many times, I play my best tennis when I smile and enjoy it on court. That's the best option to keep motivating [myself]."
Alcaraz was in doubles action alongside Casper Ruud on Sunday, before facing Taylor Fritz in the singles.
Beatriz Haddad Maia clinched her first WTA title of the year by fighting back from a set and a break down to beat Daria Kasatkina 1-6 6-4 6-1 in the Korea Open final on Sunday.
Haddad Maia, who produced her second-best major run by reaching the US Open quarter-finals earlier this month, was a distant second-best as she lost the opener 6-1.
Top seed Kasatkina then broke in the first game of the second set but Haddad Maia rallied from there, hitting back in the sixth game then later winning set point against her opponent's serve.
The Brazilian was irrepressible in the decider, winning 100% of her first-serve points (10/10) and saving three break points in a row when Kasatkina did put the pressure on midway through the set.
Haddad Maia made that count by going two breaks up, then served out the contest to love to earn her first title since winning the WTA Elite Trophy in China last year.
Data Debrief: Haddad Maia goes one better
Haddad Maia reached the final of the Korea Open on her tournament debut in 2017, only to go down to Jelena Ostapenko in her first WTA showpiece match – and her last until she won the 2022 Nottingham Open.
A dominant performance on serve got her over the line on Sunday, after her early wobble.
Haddad Maia won 72% of first-serve points to Kasatkina's 63%, also converting four of the five break points she generated.
Argentina coach Felipe Contepomi hailed Los Pumas for combining "beautiful" attacking play with resolute defensive work as they kept their Rugby Championship hopes alive with a dramatic victory over South Africa.
Having won their first four games of the 2024 tournament, the Springboks knew a win in Santiago would have clinched their fifth Tri-Nations/Rugby Championship crown with a match to spare.
They raced into an early lead with tries from Aphelele Fassi and Jesse Kriel, only for Mateo Carreras, Pablo Matera, Joel Sclavi and Tomas Albornoz to go over in response for the hosts.
The visitors later re-established their lead in the second half, only for Albornoz's penalty to put Argentina 29-28 ahead, which remained the final score following a late penalty miss from South Africa's Manie Libbok.
After the win, which preserved Argentina's hopes of overhauling the Springboks in matchweek six, Contepomi said: "The victory could have been a defeat in the last minute.
"Beyond the result, which is obviously welcome, the important thing is what we were able to do at times, which is to impose our game.
"At times it came out and we shot ourselves in the foot, because we gave them an entrance into the game with penalties and unforced errors.
"South Africa are predictable, but it's not easy. You know what they are going to do, but they do it so well that it is very difficult to stop. Every centimetre counts.
"The attacking play is what is easiest to see, or the most beautiful, but I think a lot about our work on defence."
Argentina go to Mbombela for their final game next Saturday, sitting five points behind the world champions in the standings.
"We have many areas to correct," Contepomi said, looking ahead to that rematch. "There are small mistakes that allowed them into the game.
"It's about trying to minimise the ones you can control, the unforced errors. We are going to work on that to continue growing."
The Cleveland Guardians’ rally on the field may have come up short on Saturday night, but that didn’t stop the celebration afterwards.
The Guardians lost 6-5 to the St. Louis Cardinals but clinched their 12th AL Central title since 1995 after the Kansas City Royals were beaten by the San Francisco Giants.
“This is awesome just to see the joy,” Cleveland manager Steven Vogt told reporters after the game. “The result of tonight's game, it matters, but at the end of the day, we need to celebrate this. Any time you get the chance, you win the division, you've got to enjoy every second of it.”
The Guardians (90-66) have spent 170 days in first place this season, the most in the American League and trailing only the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 181 days in the majors.
Jose Ramirez starred in the losing effort on Saturday, hitting his 37th home run and 36th double this season.
Entering the eighth inning, Cleveland trailed 6-1 with their only run coming on a Bo Naylor solo shot.
Ramirez’s homer provided three runs in a fourth-run eighth inning, but the Guardians could never close the gap entirely.
Nick Sandlin gave up four runs in the seventh, but they were all unearned, coming after a Naylor fielding error.
Ivan Herrera and Jordan Walker went deep for the Cardinals. Miles Mikolas gave up one run and four hits in six innings to earn the win.
White Sox on brink of losses record
The Chicago White Sox took one more step toward infamy, tying the American League record with their 119th loss of the season.
Xander Bogaerts, David Peralta and Elias Diaz hit home runs and the San Diego Padres beat the Chicago White Sox 6-2 as the Padres moved closer to securing a post-season berth.
Chicago (36-119) fell into a tie with the 2003 Detroit Tigers (43-119) for the worst season in AL history. The expansion 1962 New York Mets lost 120 games, the most in baseball’s modern era.
San Diego picked up a game in the NL West standings on the Los Angeles Dodgers and now trail by three with seven games to play.
The Padres are currently slotted as the NL’s top wild card team with a three-game lead over the final wild card spot.
San Diego have won seven of their last eight games and have baseball’s best record since the All-Star break at 38-17.
Mets top Phils to stay alive in NL East
Sean Manaea had another strong outing, Brandon Nimmo sparked a three-run seventh inning and the New York Mets beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-3, denying Philly a division-clinching win.
Francisco Alvarez and Luisangel Acuña hit solo home runs early, and Alvarez added a two-run double in the seventh as the Mets collected their 17th win in 22 games.
Manaea won his fourth consecutive decision, allowing three hits and three runs in seven innings’ work. Edwin Diaz got the last four outs for his 19th save of the season.
New York (86-69) remained two games ahead of the Atlanta Braves for the NL’s final wild card spot.
Philadelphia (92-63), who clinched a playoff berth on Friday, needed one more win over the Mets to secure their first NL East title since 2011 but will have another chance on Sunday.
Kyle Schwarber extended his MLB record by hitting his 15th leadoff home run of the season, his 36th homer overall. Nick Castellanos also went deep, but Philadelphia managed just four hits.
The Phillies’ staff issued seven walks in the game, while the Mets’ staff issued none.
Anthony Joshua is likely to call for a rematch against Daniel Dubois, having conceded he "came up short" after he "rolled the dice" in Saturday's bout at Wembley Stadium.
In front of a record-breaking, 96,000 crowd that had been further geed up by a performance from Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher, it was Dubois who turned in a supersonic display on Saturday.
Joshua saw his hopes of clinching the IBF heavyweight title slide away as Dubois dominated from the off, before delivering the knockout blow in round five.
Some pundits suggested this should be the end for Joshua, though the 34-year-old insisted he is not planning on stopping any time soon.
"Credit to him and his team. We rolled the dice of success, but we came up short," he told DAZN.
"You know I'm ready to kick off in the ring, but I'm going to keep my cool, keep very professional, and give respect to my opponent.
"I'm always saying to myself I'm a fighter for life... We keep rolling the dice.
"I had a sharp opponent, a fast opponent and a lot of mistakes from my end, but that's the game."
Promoter Eddie Hearn, meanwhile, claimed Joshua would likely take up the option of a rematch.
"I'm sure he'll exercise that rematch clause, it's a given, it's a dangerous fight because he's growing in confidence all the time but he'll believe he can beat him," Hearn told DAZN.
Dubois, though, will likely want to turn his attention to facing the victor out of Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, with their rematch set to take place in December in Saudi Arabia.
Daniel Dubois does not want his "redemption story" to stop after dominating Anthony Joshua to reclaim his IBF heavyweight title.
Oleksandr Usyk vacated his IBF belt, labelling it as a present for the fight between Joshua and Dubois, the latter taking the title by default.
Dubois left no doubts over the merit of his belt on Saturday, though, delivering a brutal fifth-round knockout blow to Joshua in front of a record-breaking crowd for the all-British clash at Wembley Stadium.
Speaking on DAZN after an impressive triumph, Dubois addressed the record-breaking crowd: "I've only got a few things to say, are you not entertained?!
"It's been a journey and I'm grateful to be in this position. I'm a gladiator, I'm a warrior until the bitter end. I want to get to the top of this sport and reach my full potential.
"Behind the scenes, the work with my dad. I've been on a rollercoaster run, this is my time, this is my redemption story. I'm not going to stop until I reach my full potential."
Tyson Fury and Usyk are set for a Riyadh rematch in December, though Dubois will be waiting in the wings for a shot at the heavyweight pair.
Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn immediately suggested his fighter will seek to activate a rematch clause with Dubois, however.
Whether Joshua can recover from this defeat remains to be seen, having been sent spiralling to the canvas multiple times, including in the opening round.
Joshua appeared to have found a way back into the bout in the fifth, only for Dubois to land a crucial right-hand finisher, much to his understandable delight.
"I am the man," he added to Sky Sports. "A mix of emotions. I can't say too much right now. I'm fighting to get all the glory. To me, I'm the hunter and I need to hunt."
As for his next fight, Dubois is dreaming big, adding: "All of the best, maybe Usyk [for] a big shot at my redemption. Anyone can get it."
Frank Warren echoed Dubois' sentiment, with the Queensbury promoter eyeing another shot at Usyk for Dubois, who lost to the Ukrainian in August last year.
"It was a phenomenal fight and I always felt it would be a [Marvin] Hagler versus [Thomas] Hearns situation," Warren told DAZN. "AJ showed his heart right until the end. It was a brilliant fight.
"I always felt Dubois would do it and he has. It's not a turnaround, it was there. He was a young man and had double fractures in his eyes, he couldn't fight. He hurt him [Usyk], I'd like to see him fight him now but he has to fight Tyson now.
"Everyone here has seen a champion's performance. He's done everything you could ask for. AJ caught him with a shot over there and I was worried. He's a young man and on top of his game, he can improve."
WBO interim heavyweight champion Joseph Parker also put his name into the hat to face Dubois, with Fury and Usyk not set to meet until later this year, which would keep any challenger waiting.
"If he [Dubois] wants to get it on then let's go," Parker said on DAZN immediately after the result.
Francis Tiafoe enjoyed an important Laver Cup victory over Daniil Medvedev on Saturday, with the American thriving on confidence after feeling "like Roger Federer".
American Tiafoe rallied past Team Europe's Medvedev 3-6 6-4 10-5 to send Team World into a 4-2 lead, at least temporarily.
Carlos Alcaraz soon levelled the team series in Berlin with an impressive 6-4 6-4 victory over Tiafoe's fellow American Ben Shelton.
Swiss great Federer was in the crowd to watch Tiafoe's performance, much to the delight of the 26-year-old.
"Honestly I just started having fun. Laughing with my team, laughing with my team over there and here. Just having a bit of fun and started really finding my rhythm," Tiafoe said.
"The courts are obviously much slower than I'm used to playing on, so it's tough playing Daniil on this court. But after the second set, midway into the second and in the tie-break, I felt like I was Roger Federer, honestly."
Tiafoe had lost all five previous ATP Tour meetings with Medvedev but continued his fine form after reaching the US Open semi-finals for the first time, along with making the final in Cincinnati.
"I just have a lot more confidence in myself. I'm having a lot of fun playing the game at the moment," Tiafoe added.
"I'm just trying to play the right way and compete as hard as I can, let the chips fall where they may. I respect everyone, but I'm just not fearing anyone at the moment.
"I'm just going out there, taking it to guys and seeing what happens."
Alcaraz fell on his Laver Cup debut in the doubles alongside Alexander Zverev but responded with a near-perfect singles performance against Shelton.
"I'm really happy to be part of Team Europe in the Laver Cup for the first time," Alcaraz said after his first win in the competition.
"I'm trying to be as [good] a partner as I can, as [good] a player as I can to help my team. I played against Ben, a really powerful player, a really tough one.
"I'm pretty happy because I played a really solid match from the beginning until the end of the match."
Taylor Fritz subsequently restored Team World's lead with a 6-4 7-5 victory over Germany's Zverev, before doubles success followed for Shelton and Alejandro Tabilo.
The Team World pair dispatched Casper Ruud and Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-1 6-2, securing a 8-4 lead for their side heading into the third day of action.
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