Alexander Zverev outlined his plan to stay at the top of the game for another decade after overcoming Casper Ruud in his second match at the ATP Finals.

Having started his campaign at the season finale in Turin by downing Andrey Rublev, Zverev made it two wins from as many matches with a 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 victory over the Norwegian.

He needed just 86 minutes to wrap up his victory, hitting 28 winners to his opponent's 13 in a confident, powerful performance.

Zverev is appearing at the ATP Finals for a seventh time, and another victory over Carlos Alcaraz on Friday would secure his spot in the semi-finals.

The German has won the event on two previous occasions, beating Novak Djokovic in the 2018 showpiece and overcoming Daniil Medvedev in 2021.

Asked what his experience at the ATP Finals meant for his chances of success, he joked: "It means I'm old! But I still don’t feel old. 

"I hope I have another solid 10 years ahead of me, but I think it’s a young group of guys.

"There has been kind of a shift in tennis this year and I think it's a good thing. They're exciting new players and everybody loves watching them."

Data Debrief: ATP Finals specialist marches on

Since the ATP Finals moved to Turin for the 2021 event, Zverev's eight victories at the competition have only been bettered by Djokovic's 12.

Meanwhile, the German has also managed more ATP Tour-level wins this year than any other player, with Wednesday's success his 68th of 2024.

Rory McIlroy has confirmed he will play a reduced schedule of 22 or 23 events in 2025, acknowledging he must take care of his body after a challenging year.

McIlroy endured a series of agonising near misses in 2024, most notably when losing to Bryson DeChambeau at the U.S. Open in June, when he made three bogeys in his last four holes to relinquish the lead.

While the Northern Irishman has not won a major crown since 2014, he is closing in on a sixth Race to Dubai crown, holding a lead of 1,785 points over Thriston Lawrence ahead of this week's DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

As McIlroy prepares for his 18th season as a professional, he has revealed his intention to skip a series of events, mostly those staged in the United States. 

"If I can trim it down to 22 or 23, that will be good for me in the long run," McIlory said in an interview with BBC Sport.

"I have to remember I'm 35, I'm knocking on a little bit – I have the grey hairs to prove it.

"At 35, I've been on tour for 17 or 18 years, I'm not slowing down but I just have to take care of myself and my body a little bit more.

"I'm not going to miss these tournaments in the Middle East, I'm not going to miss Wentworth, the Irish Open or the Scottish Open.

"There were a few events I played in America this season that I don't typically play, and I think that's where I'm going to have to trim a little bit."

McIlroy has previously won the DP World Tour Championship on two occasions, beating Justin Rose by two strokes in 2012 and edging out Andy Sullivan in 2015.

The San Antonio Spurs announced on Wednesday that Gregg Popovich has been away from the team due to a mild stroke the Hall of Fame head coach suffered earlier this month.

The 75-year-old Popovich suffered the stroke on November 2 at San Antonio’s arena before the Spurs faced the Minnesota Timberwolves.

San Antonio initially said Popovich would not coach that night because of an undisclosed illness.

Popovich has started a rehabilitation program and is expected to make a full recovery, the Spurs said Wednesday.

“During this time, the organisation is grateful to the extended community for providing privacy and space to the Popovich family,” the team said in a release.

Mike Johnson has taken over as head coach and led San Antonio to a 3-3 record after the Spurs opened 2-3 under Popovich.

Popovich is the NBA's all-time leader with 1,393 victories and has won five NBA titles while coaching San Antonio since the 1996-97 season.

The Indianapolis Colts are reversing course once again in their search for stability at the quarterback position, as head coach Shane Steichen announced Wednesday that Anthony Richardson has regained the starting job for the remainder of the season.

Steichen said Richardson will be under center for Sunday's key game against the New York Jets. The 2023 No. 4 overall pick was benched in favour of veteran Joe Flacco for the team's two previous contests, losses to the Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills.

"He will start this week," Steichen said of Richardson. "He will start the rest of the season, and we're going to go from there."

Richardson was removed from the starting role after noticeably struggling in Indianapolis' 23-20 loss to the AFC South-rival Houston Texans in Week 8, a game in which he completed just 31.3 per cent of his pass attempts and had two turnovers.

The offence has failed to receive a spark from Flacco, however, as the 39-year-old managed just 179 passing yards in the loss to Minnesota and was intercepted three times in last week's 30-20 defeat to the Bills.

Steichen told reporters on Monday that Flacco would remain the starter, but said he changed his mind after witnessing improvement in Richardson's work habits and focus.

"I've said the process, the process for a long time, and what I mean by that is the attention to detail in everything [Richardson] does," Steichen said Wednesday. "From the classrooms, to the walk-throughs to practice, the weight room, all those little things just got to be at a higher standard. That was discussed with him two weeks ago. Those were the conversations that took place. And over the last two weeks he's made strides in those areas, big-time strides, becoming a pro's pro.

"Is he a finished product? No, he's not, and it's my job to help him get there along with the rest of the coaching staff. But he's a hell of a talent. We never lost faith and belief in him and his abilities, and he's shown strides, he really has."

Richardson's second NFL season has been plagued by inconsistent play. Among all quarterbacks with at least 125 pass attempts in 2024, the 22-year-old ranks last in completion percentage (44.4), interception percentage (5.3) and passer rating (57.2).

Staying healthy has also been an issue for the former University of Florida standout. He missed two games in October with an oblique injury and had his rookie campaign cut short after four starts due to a sprained right shoulder that required surgery.

The Colts enter Sunday's matchup having lost three straight games and are a game back of the Denver Broncos in the race for the AFC's final play-off spot. 

Cian Healy is set to equal Brian O'Driscoll's Ireland cap record when they face New Zealand in Friday's autumn international in Dublin.

The 37-year-old prop has represented his country on 132 occasions and, after being named on the bench, will equal O'Driscoll's mark if introduced versus the Pumas.

Ireland suffered their first home defeat since 2021 last time out, going down by a 23-13 scoreline against New Zealand.

Despite that loss, head coach Andy Farrell has only made one change to Ireland's starting lineup, bringing Robbie Henshaw in at inside centre in place of Bundee Aki.

Argentina also named their team on Wednesday, with vice-captain Pablo Matera, Guido Petti and Matias Moroni replacing Santiago Grondona, Franco Molina and Matias Orlando.

Ireland team: Hugo Keenan; Mack Hansen, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, James Lowe; Jack Crowley, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Ronan Kelleher, Finlay Bealham; Joe McCarthy, James Ryan; Tadhg Beirne, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris.

Replacements: Rob Herring, Cian Healy, Thomas Clarkson, Ryan Baird, Peter O'Mahony, Craig Casey, Sam Prendergast, Jamie Osborne.

Argentina team: Juan Cruz Mallia; Rodrigo Isgro, Lucio Cinti, Matias Moroni, Bautista Delguy; Tomas Albornoz, Gonzalo Bertranou; Thomas Gallo, Julian Montoya, Joel Sclavi; Guido Petti, Pedro Rubiolo; Pablo Matera, Juan Martin Gonzalez, Joaquin Oviedo.

Replacements: Ignacio Ruiz, Ignacio Calles, Francisco Gomez Kodela, Franco Molina, Santiago Grondona, Gonzalo Garcia, Santiago Carreras, Justo Piccardo.

Carlos Alcaraz surprised himself with the level of performance he was able to produce in his win over Andrey Rublev at the ATP Finals on Tuesday. 

Alcaraz emerged a 6-3 7-6 (10-8) victor against the Russian in his second match of the tournament, keeping his hopes of advancing to the next round in Turin alive. 

The Spaniard fell to defeat in his opening game against Casper Ruud, citing a stomach issue that left him feeling unwell before and during that match. 

But the world number three looked back to his brilliant best against Rublev, claiming the first set in 37 minutes before edging a thrilling tie-break in the second.

"Yes, I surprised myself a lot," Alcaraz said shortly after the victory. 

"The way I played today from the baseline, I was really calm and tried to just focus on my game and what I had to do - forget that I'm not really feeling well.

"Once you step on the court, you have to forget everything you're struggling with outside the court."

Alcaraz, though, said he was still not feeling 100% ahead of facing Alexander Zverev, who is in action against Ruud later on Tuesday. 

It will be the pair's first meeting since the Spaniard's triumph in the French Open final in June, but Zverev has not let that defeat ruin a fine season. 

His own opening win over Rublev was his ATP Tour-leading 67th win of the campaign, with only Jannik Sinner matching the German for victories this year. 

"I could be better, healthier. I'm just trying to step on the court and play good tennis, try not to think about my issues right now," Alcaraz said.

"I've been struggling the last week and that's going to be the case over the next day too, for sure.

"Zverev is playing great tennis. He is one of the toughest players in the world right now, that's for sure.

"I will try to play good tennis and enjoy the same way I did today. Then let's see."

Carlos Alcaraz overcame his recent illness to keep his hopes of progressing at the ATP Finals alive with a straight-sets triumph over Andrey Rublev on Tuesday. 

Alcaraz had complained about feeling unwell in his defeat to Casper Ruud, but returned to winning ways with a 6-3 7-6 (10-8) victory in 96 minutes against his Russian opponent. 

The Spaniard, sporting a pink nasal strip to aid his breathing, exchanged blows with Rublev early on but was able to take control of the encounter after the fifth game.

Alcaraz reeled off four consecutive games from 3-2 down to seal the opening set, closing in on a second consecutive win against Rublev at the year-end tournament in Turin. 

The enthralling affair continued to produce some sensational tennis, most notably when Alcaraz brilliantly turned defence into attack during a long rally in the third game. 

The four-time grand slam champion later kept his cool in the second-set tie-break, saving two set points before closing out the win to kickstart his campaign. 

Alcaraz now sits at the top of the John Newcombe Group ahead of Alexander Zverev's meeting with Ruud later on Tuesday, with the German up next for the world number three.

Data Debrief: Winning the best medicine 

After a rocky start to his ATP Finals campaign, Alcaraz's latest showing confirmed that, despite not feeling at his best, he can still pose a threat at the tournament. 

The Spaniard struck 31 winners compared to Rublev's 14, but did match his opponent for unforced errors during the contest (20 each). 

But it was another victory on a favoured surface for the world number three. Since the ATP rankings were first published in 1973, Alcaraz (21 years and 192 days) is the second-youngest player to claim 20 top-10 wins on hard courts, older only than Lleyton Hewitt.

Rory McIlroy said his heartbreaking loss to Bryson DeChambeau at the U.S. Open in June still "stings", after assessing his 2024 season.

McIlroy's campaign will come to an end in the Middle East this week, with the Northern Irishman closing in on a sixth Race to Dubai crown at the DP World Tour Championship.

He currently holds a lead of 1,785 points over Thriston Lawrence, and knows a top-11 finish on Sunday will guarantee him the season-long crown for the third year in a row. 

Should McIlroy emerge victorious, it will also be his sixth Race to Dubai title and match Seve Ballesteros' total, just two away from record eight-time winner Colin Montgomerie.

But when reflecting on 2024, he said that after making three bogeys in his last four holes to lose the US Open to DeChambeau, the battle scars still remain. 

"Incredibly consistent again. I've been really proud of that over the past few years," he said in Wednesday's pre-tournament press conference in Dubai.

"But then, at the same time, thinking about the ones that have got away.

"I should be sitting up here with a fifth major title and I'm not, so that stings and that's something that I've had to come to terms with. But at the same time, I've got plenty more opportunities in the future.

"But I really just tried to focus on the positives this year of consistently performing at the highest level. You know, still having three wins with an opportunity to get a fourth here this week, to win another Race to Dubai title.

"Did I achieve every goal I set myself this year? Probably not, but I still consider it a successful season."

McIlroy won once on the DP World Tour when he claimed the Dubai Desert Classic in January.

But he has also had four runner-up finishes, including the US Open, the Amgen Irish Open at Royal County Down and the BMW PGA.

Winning a sixth Harry Vardon Trophy and matching his father’s golfing hero, Ballesteros, still means a lot to him.

"I guess I am a little too young to remember a lot of Seve's career and things that he did. Seve is almost like, not a mythical character to me, but was just a little bit before my time," he said.

"But he was my dad's favourite player. The immense impact he had on European golf from a Ryder Cup and from what he did for the European Tour, he means a lot to the overall game of golf but specifically in this part of the world and on this tour.

"To draw level with him and to have a career that can somewhat stack up against his is very cool."

Senior England coach Richard Wigglesworth believes that the pressure to win matches is part of the privilege of playing for the national team.

England face world champions South Africa at the Allianz Stadium on Saturday with displeasure growing after four straight defeats.

Included in that run were narrow losses in their first two Autumn Nations Series games against New Zealand and Australia. 

Though England have won three of their last four games against South Africa at Allianz Stadium, Wigglesworth insisted everyone within the squad wants to improve. 

"This job of being part of the England team is such a privilege, because so many people care, which makes your feeling on the matter really big," Wigglesworth told BBC Sport.

"Our job is to step back from that and see what was right, what was wrong, and what can we fix.

"We need to see the game for what it is, make the decisions for what they are, and get better every week.

"It is our job to make sure the players understand as much as they can that they can’t get affected by that as well.

"We know the attention the team gets is result-dependent, and rightly so."

The last time England and South Africa faced one another was in the Rugby World Cup semi-final in 2023, in which the Springboks came back from 15-6 down to win 16-15.

England will have to be wise to how the visitors have evolved since that game according to Wigglesworth.

"They have a squad and a plan they have done for a while, and when you are successful you tend to stick to things," he said.

"I have really enjoyed watching what they do, and how they do it. It is our job to meet that and rise to it."

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr expressed deep emotions regarding Klay Thompson's return to the Bay Area, this time as a member of the Dallas Mavericks.

Thompson finished with 22 points in an emotional return to Chase Center for the first time since he departed, though former team-mate Steph Curry stole the show. 

Curry scored 37 points, including Golden State's final 12, to rally the Warriors past the Mavericks 120-117 in the NBA Cup on Tuesday.

Thompson spent 13 successful years with Kerr in San Francisco, winning four NBA Championships. 

After the game, Kerr revealed the surreal moment between himself and Curry before he went out to meet with his former “Splash Brother” Thompson. 

"We went over our pre-game scout and the matchups,” Kerr said. “It was almost surreal saying, ‘Steph, you got Klay.’ Steph smiled.”

In Thompson’s time in California, he was part of the core alongside Curry and Draymond Green, who also helped to bring so much success to the team.

However, Thompson missed more than two years after suffering back-to-back injuries.

First, an ACL tear and then a torn right Achilles tendon – before making a return in January 2022, with Kerr lauding his resilience to come back to the sport. 

“I think what he overcame is almost unprecedented,” Kerr told reporters.

“The last couple of years after he came back, he struggled reconciling all of that, losing those prime seasons. We all saw that, saw him struggle with it emotionally.

"We saw him fight to get his game back. He helped us win a championship, led the league in threes two years ago, he did a lot of amazing things.

“We wished that this had gone forever, that Klay would have finished his career with us, but circumstances always dictate these things.

"In the end, I think he made the right choice. He was not happy and that was hard to see, because he deserves to be happy. At his core, he’s a very happy person.”