Laura Robson has hailed Serena Williams as the "greatest of all time" following the announcement of her retirement.
The 23-time grand slam winner confirmed on Tuesday she would be retiring from the court ahead of the US Open, which is now widely expected to be her final appearance at a major tournament.
Williams, who also boasts 14 doubles victories in grand slam events alongside her sister Venus, bid an emotional farewell to Toronto after her second-round defeat at the Canada Open on Wednesday.
The countdown is now on for the US Open, with fans holding the knowledge that every round could be her final farewell, and Robson believes the retirement decision will not have surprised many.
"It's difficult, because you know that it's coming. And I think everyone has been waiting for this announcement over the last few years," she told Stats Perform.
"But it's still very sad that it's finally here. You know, she has been such a great champion for decades now.
"And I looked up to her growing up, I've got so many memories, watching Serena on TV, I've got my own memories from playing her as well, which is cool.
"I'm just looking forward to being at the US Open, to seeing the atmosphere of her last few matches. And hopefully she goes on a bit of a run, that would just be electric."
Robson believes Williams is comfortably the greatest of all time in the women's game and added there is a strong argument she is the greatest overall in the sport.
"I think on the women's side, there's no doubt for me that Serena is the greatest of all time. You know, to win as many matches and titles and slams and Olympic medals as she has over the last couple of decades," she stated.
"Doing it all while having a child, going through life-threatening illnesses that she had after giving birth. So many injuries as well. So for me, yeah, on the women's side, definitely greatest of all time.
"There's an argument to be made for greatest in tennis in general, but everyone's got their own opinions on that. And yeah, that's an entirely different debate, because it's really, who you're a fan of the most that that comes down to."
Robson, who announced her own retirement in May, also identified with the tough decision Williams has had to make but feels she has played for "as long as possible".
"It sounds like from the Vogue article that she really doesn't want to retire, she's still struggling to come to terms with it," she added.
"But for me, I found as soon as I said it out loud and said it to the world it does make it a lot easier to wrap your head around.
"So, for Serena you know, she's devastated to be stopping I'm sure she would love to keep playing by the sounds of it. She played it as long as possible until her body gave out but she's got other priorities in her life now.
"It's about finding that balance, but it definitely sounds like she's devastated to step away from tennis."
Play Your Way to Wimbledon, Powered by Vodafone is the largest individual mass participation tennis competition in the UK - delivered by Vodafone in partnership with the LTA and The All England Lawn Tennis Club.
Serena Williams' decision to begin winding down her tennis career has saddened world number one Iga Swiatek and Belinda Bencic, who defeated the 40-year-old on Wednesday.
Williams announced on Tuesday that she is about to retire, saying "the countdown has begun" as she looks to "move in a different direction".
While the 23-time singles grand slam champion did not put a specific timeline on her remaining days in tennis, her comment about looking for new challenges after "these next few weeks" suggests the US Open – which she has already been included on the entry list for and starts at the end of August – will be her swansong.
That announcement came on the back of Williams' first singles win in 430 days, a defeat of Nuria Parrizas-Diaz at the Canadian Open in Toronto, but she was subsequently eliminated by Bencic on Wednesday, when the reality of her farewell tour set in.
Williams failed to hold back the tears as she said goodbye to the Toronto crowd for the last time as a player, and Bencic herself could not help feeling a little overcome
She said: "It was definitely very special. I think it was more than just the usual tennis match, also just really exciting, and also a little bit overwhelming for me, of course.
"[It's] great, I can be part of her career and her story and this was just really nice and I'm just really appreciative and honoured to play her so many times, and also here in Toronto.
"I mean, she's really the greatest of all time, so it's really exciting. I could have been on the court against her so many times and even today I really enjoyed it a lot. It was sometimes like a pinch me moment again."
Williams finished five different calendar years as the highest-ranked player in the world, a record only Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova can better.
Swiatek, the current world number one, looks to be the best-placed of the next generation to challenge that achievement, though she recognises a degree of fortune in not having to face Williams at the peak of her powers.
"Well it's always pretty sad when you see such a career coming to an end, but on the other hand she's a legend and I feel like she's done so much," Swiatek added.
"It's really amazing. I'm pretty sad that I wasn't able to play against her and experience that her being the strongest one on tour, but on the other hand, I would be losing against her if I played [her at] that time, so that's fine!
"But she's a legend and everything that she has done on court and off court, she's basically a superstar and the way she handled playing tennis and business and also being a mother, it's mind-blowing. So I'm pretty sure that she's going to have a great second part of her career."
The worrying form of the New York Yankees continued as they were downed the Seattle Mariners 4-3 after Carlos Santana's seventh-inning go-ahead two-run homer on Wednesday.
The Yankees have lost seven of their past eight games and are 2-7 in August, with the skid putting their top seed hopes in the American League in jeopardy.
Sam Haggerty had blasted the Mariners into a 1-0 lead with a solo home run in the sixth inning.
After Tuesday's 1-0 extras' loss to the Mariners, the Yankees actually went scoreless across 19 innings, breaking that run in the seventh inning on Wednesday.
Kyle Higashioka crushed a go-ahead two-run homer to left-center field in the seventh inning, before Aaron Judge added another, his 45th home run of the season, to extend the lead.
But the Mariners, who won the season series against the Yankees for the first time since 2002, fought back through Santana, with his two-run blast being his 11th homer of the season.
Mariners pitcher Robbie Ray played his part, striking out seven batters as well as Seattle moved to 61-52, while the Yankees are 71-41.
Dodgers clinch 10 straight wins
Joey Gallo blasted a three-run homer to help the Los Angeles Dodgers secure their 10th win in a row with an 8-5 triumph over the Minnesota Twins.
The Dodgers were trailing 4-2 in the fifth inning but rallied back with Chris Taylor homering the go-ahead run. Gallo, who was traded to the Dodgers from the Yankees last month, came up with his 13th home run of the season in the seventh inning.
The 10-game win streak is the Dodgers' longest since they won 11 in a row in July 2017, while they swept the four-game series against the Twins with a 32-10 run record.
Lindor stars as Mets winning run continues
The New York Mets extended their run of wins by three or more runs to six with a 10-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds fueled by Francisco Lindor again.
The shortstop helped the Mets clinch a series sweep with a second-inning two-run single, opening up a 4-0 lead and making franchise history.
Lindor, who finished with three runs, two hits and two RBIs, moved to 81 RBIs for the season, tying with Jose Reyes in 2006 for a Mets' single-season record.
The Serena Williams' farewell tour in Toronto is over after she was knocked out of the Canadian Open 6-2 6-4 by 12th seed Belinda Bencic on Wednesday.
Williams, playing for the first time since declaring on Tuesday her intention to retire after this month's US Open, was no match for Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Bencic.
The 23-time major winner was unable to claim back-to-back WTA singles wins for the first time since last year's French Open, having defeated Nuria Parrizas-Diaz for her first victory in 430 days on Monday.
Bencic triumphed in one hour and 17 minutes, winning 84.2 per cent of first-serve points and converted five of eight break points throughout the match.
Williams' power was on show with 13 winners, but Bencic was physically more capable and decisively managed 25 winners with only 13 unforced errors.
Elsewhere, 2019 US Open winner and local hope Bianca Andreescu edged Alize Cornet in a see-sawing clash in the evening, winning 6-3 4-6 6-3 in two hours and 26 minutes.
Fourth seed Paula Badosa and fifth seed Ons Jabeur, who was last month's Wimbledon runner-up, were forced to retire due to injury.
Spanish 24-year-old Badosa withdrew against Yulia Putintseva 7-5 1-0 due to muscle cramping, while Zheng Qinwen had a walkover against Jabeur 6-1 2-1 due to abdominal pain.
Top seed Iga Swiatek brushed aside Ajla Tomljanovic 6-1 6-2 in 64 minutes. The win means Swiatek is the first player to win 15 WTA 1000 matches in straight sets in a row since 2009.
Canadian 13th seed Leylah Fernandez also bowed out, going down 7-6 (7-4) 6-1 to Brazil's Beatriz Haddad Maia, who will face Swiatek in the third round.
Second seed Anett Kontaveit lost 6-4 6-4 to Jil Teichmann in one hour and 27 minutes. Teichmann will next face Simona Halep who won in 71 minutes against Zhang Shuai 6-4 6-2.
Sixth seed Aryna Sabalenka got past Sara Sorribes Tormo 6-4 6-3 to set up a third-round meeting with Coco Gauff after she defeated Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina 6-4 6-7 (8-10) 7-6 (7-3) in an epic that lasted two hours and 49 minutes.
Jessica Pegula won 6-2 7-5 over American qualifier Asia Muhammad to progress through to face Camila Giorgi after she knocked off Elise Mertens 7-3 7-5.
Third seed Maria Sakkari triumphed in three sets 6-2 4-6 6-2 over Sloane Stephens and will face Karolina Pliskova next after the Czech beat Amanda Anisimova 6-1 6-1.
Eighth seed Garbine Muguruza won 6-4 6-4 against Kaia Kanepi and Alison Riske toppled 16th seed Jelena Ostapenko 7-6 (7-2) 0-6 7-5.
Tua Tagovailoa and Tom Brady shared the same field on Wednesday for the first time since the NFL punished the Dolphins for tampering with the seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback.
They are bound to be linked for much longer.
Tagovailoa was asked for his reaction to the Dolphins’ interest in Brady that resulted in Miami being disciplined by the league.
"Yeah, I mean, I’m still here," he said. "To me, that’s all noise at this point."
Wednesday was the first of two joint practices between the Dolphins and Buccaneers before the teams meet in the preseason opener Saturday at Raymond James Stadium.
Just over a week ago, the NFL suspended Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and fined him $1.5 million for tampering with Brady and former New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton following a six-month investigation stemming from Brian Flores' racial discrimination lawsuit against the league.
The investigation found that the Dolphins had impermissible contact with Brady and his and Payton’s agent, Don Yee. The Dolphins will forfeit a first-round selection in the 2023 NFL draft and a third-round selection in the 2024 draft. Ross is suspended through Oct. 17.
Tagovailoa was more succinct on Wednesday after giving a longer reaction in last week's media session about his team’s interest in another quarterback.
"I would say the only thing that gets frustrating is if you hear it every day or if you see it every day," he said.
"For me, I eliminate all of that. Don’t hear it. Don’t see it. I go home, go to my family, study, wake up the next day, come back and enjoy football.
"I hear everything obviously from the media and then when [the communications staff] preps me for whatever you guys are going to say, then I’m like 'Ah, I’ve got to answer this. All right, let me figure out something politically correct to say'."
Brady has yet to speak on the Dolphins’ interest and punishment and did not speak to reporters on Wednesday.
First-year Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel did speak to the media on the subject.
"For me, nothing happened," he said. "Everyone else is the one making it awkward. It doesn’t occupy a single iota of space with anybody.
"It’s hard enough to be good in this league. As the Miami Dolphins, all of our energy is very coordinated and only has to do with us getting better and everything else would be an opportunity cost that we’re not willing to expend."
The Dolphins and Buccaneers are not scheduled to play in the regular season.
The day after declaring her impending retirement, Serena Williams was full of emotion and admitted it had been a "pretty interesting 24 hours" for her.
Williams revealed on Tuesday in an article in Vogue that "the countdown has begun" for her retirement with this month's US Open set to be the 23-time major winner's last tournament.
The 40-year-old was knocked out of the Canadian Open on Wednesday by Belinda Bencic 6-2 6-4 and spoke after the match for the first time publicly since declaring her intention to retire.
"It was a lot of emotions obviously," Williams said during the on-court post-match interview.
"I've loved playing here [Toronto], I've always loved playing here. I wish I could have played better but Belinda played so well today.
"It's been a pretty interesting 24 hours."
Williams, who won the first of her 23 Grand Slam titles way back in 1999 at the US Open, was emotional about the reception from fans to her announcement.
"It's just been so memorable," Williams said.
"Like I said in my article, I'm terrible at goodbyes. But goodbye, Toronto."
Williams has already been named on the entry list for the US Open, which starts at Flushing Meadows at the end of August.
The former world number one had claimed her first WTA singles win in 430 days on Monday when she defeated Nuria Parrizas-Diaz in preparation for her US Open farewell.
Long-time Detroit Tigers general manager Al Avila was dismissed on Wednesday with his side sitting last in the American League (AL) Central division.
Avila has been involved with the Tigers since 2002, being elevated to general manager in 2015 while also working as executive vice president of baseball operations.
The 64-year-old's dismissal comes with the Tigers holding a 43-68 record with a minus-122 run differential, having come into 2022 with increased expectations.
Detroit's long rebuild was declared over in pre-season, having missed the playoffs for seven straight games.
"I think heading into the season, all of us at the ballclub -- that would include the players, front office and I think many of you, if not all of you - had high expectations and excitement for the season," Tigers chairman and CEO Christopher Ilitch said in a press conference.
"Unfortunately, we did not see progress this season at the Major League level, and it's a big reason why I decided it's time to make a change."
The Tigers had finished in last place in the AL Central four times under Avila, who was the only general manager of Latin American descent in the MLB.
Ilitch added: "At this point in time, enough of the season has occurred and we’ve played enough games to where I feel as though we just have not seen progress this year.
"And I’ve been very clear year in and year out, we need to make progress each and every year. If we do that, ultimately, we will accomplish our objectives. That’s what led me to the decision."
While his regular-season debut as a Cleveland Brown will not come until at least October, Deshaun Watson's first game with his new team is now just days away.
The Browns announced Wednesday that Watson will start Friday's preseason opener against the Jaguars in Jacksonville, though it is unclear how much the embattled quarterback will play in his first appearance since being acquired from the Houston Texans in March.
Watson is facing a suspension of at least six games for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy but is eligible to play in the preseason. The three-time Pro Bowler had been facing 24 civil lawsuits filed by female message therapists alleging sexual misconduct between 2020 and 2021 during his time with the Texans.
He was not charged by two grand juries and has strenuously denied any wrongdoing. Watson settled 20 of the lawsuits in June, with a further three settlements reported at the start of August ahead of the verdict of his NFL hearing.
The NFL announced last week it will appeal arbiter Judge Sue L. Robinson's ruling in hopes of extending the ban. The league was seeking a minimum one-year suspension as well as a fine of at least $5million.
"We decided it was the right thing to do," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Tuesday at the league's owners meetings in Bloomington, Minnesota.
"We've seen the evidence. [Judge Robinson] was very clear about the evidence. She reinforced the evidence, that there was multiple violations here and they were egregious, and it was predatory behavior. Those are things that we always felt were important for us to address in a way that's responsible."
The Browns signed Watson to a five-year, $230m fully guaranteed extension following the trade and structured the deal so he would face lesser financial penalties in the event of a suspension. He is due a base salary of only $690,000 in 2022.
Watson has not appeared in an NFL game of any kind since the 2020 season finale. The Texans held him out of all of their 2021 games while a criminal investigation into the allegations was conducted.
A grand jury ultimately dropped all criminal charges in March, and Watson's attorneys have since settled all but one of the civil cases.
Cleveland coach Kevin Stefanski did not reveal his quarterback plans for the preseason when speaking to reporters Tuesday. The Browns held a closed practice Wednesday and were set to fly to Jacksonville later in the evening.
"We have a framework for how we are going to handle this preseason," Stefanski said Tuesday. "As you know, you always reserve the right to change your mind based on how practice goes and those types of things, but we are pretty confident in the plan we have."
Veteran Jacoby Brissett, who is 14-23 in 37 career starts, will serve as the Browns' quarterback during Watson's suspension. The journeyman started five games for the Miami Dolphins last season and finished the campaign with 1,283 passing yards, five touchdown passes, four interceptions and a 78.1 passer rating.
Rory McIlroy considered Tuesday "a good day" for members of the PGA Tour, as he felt the attempts of LIV Golf rebels to enter the FedEx Cup had made the dispute around the breakaway series "personal".
A judge ruled ahead of the FedEx St. Jude Championship that LIV Golf players were not eligible to compete in the play-offs.
Talor Gooch, Matt Jones and Hudson Swafford had filed a restraining order to allow them to play this week's tournament, while 11 LIV Golf stars put together an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour.
McIlroy, who said he was following the proceedings live on Tuesday, was delighted the trio had not been granted access after abandoning the Tour for the lucrative new Saudi-backed league.
"From my vantage point, common sense prevailed, and I thought it was the right decision," McIlroy said.
"And now that that has happened, I think it just lets us focus on the important stuff, which is the golf, and we can all move forward and not have that sideshow going on for the next few weeks, which is nice."
The four-time major winner, who finished third as Cameron Smith – reported to be the next LIV Golf signing – won The Open last month, was asked if the struggle between players on either tour had become "personal".
"Yeah – and it was when that lawsuit was filed last week or whenever it was," McIlroy replied.
"The thing that I would say [is that] I certainly have a little more respect for the guys that haven't put their names to the suit. Yeah, it's become a little more personal because of that."
And while delighted with the outcome on Tuesday, McIlroy knows there will be plenty more battles ahead.
Explaining his outlook, the Northern Irishman said: "Guys are going to make their own decisions that they feel is best for them, and that's totally fine.
"I don't begrudge anyone for going over to play LIV or taking guaranteed money. If that's your prerogative and what you want to do, totally fine.
"But I think where the resentment comes from, from the membership of this tour, is the fact that they want to try to get their way back in here with no consequences.
"Anyone that's read that PGA Tour handbook or abided by the rules and regulations, that would feel very unfair to them.
"That's sort of how it played out, and I think everyone that has abided by the rules was... There's such a long way to go – it's like you've birdied the first hole, but you've still got 17 holes to go – but it was a good day for the Tour and for the majority of the membership yesterday."
McIlroy has been prominent in his opposition to LIV Golf, and he revealed on Wednesday he had received an offer from the Premier Golf League, but not from the latest threat to the PGA Tour.
The 33-year-old was therefore asked if he enjoyed his role as an unofficial spokesperson for the PGA Tour.
"Not really," McIlroy replied, but he does feel his game has somehow benefited from his being at the centre of a storm when off the course.
"I don't feel like it's my job to be up here and stick up for the Tour or be a spokesperson," he said.
"It's just sort of the role that I've found myself in, especially coming on the PGA Tour [policy] board this year. It was a great time to agree to do that...
"I've said this to a few people: I feel when I then get myself inside the ropes, it's like no one can get to me, and it's really nice.
"So, it's actually made the golf part of it way more enjoyable. And I sort of appreciate it a little bit more, because of all the other stuff that's going on.
"If anything, it's probably helped my golf, just because I can get out there and I can not think about it and compartmentalise everything and maybe enjoy competing a little bit more – or at least appreciate it a little bit more with everything else that's going on."
Cleveland Browns standout return specialist Jakeem Grant will miss the 2022 season with a torn left Achilles tendon, head coach Kevin Stefanski announced Wednesday.
Grant, a second team All-Pro as a punt returner in each of the last two seasons, was hurt during Tuesday's practice and underwent an MRI that confirmed the injury.
"I really feel awful for Jakeem," Stefanski said in a statement. "We've witnessed how hard the young man has worked since he got to our team.
"We all realise injuries are a part of our game, but that doesn't make it any easier to accept, especially for someone that works as hard and carries himself like Jakeem."
The Browns signed Grant to a three-year contract worth up to $13.8million in March to be their primary return man and compete for snaps at slot receiver after the team released Jarvis Landry.
One of the game's premier returners, Grant has averaged 10.3 yards per punt return with four touchdowns and 24.5 yards per kick return with two touchdowns over six NFL seasons. His six combined touchdowns on kick and punt returns since 2016 are tied with Jacksonville Jaguars' Jamal Agnew for the most in the league over that period.
As a receiver, Grant has totaled 100 catches for 1,140 yards and seven touchdowns for his career. The 29-year-old had career highs of 36 receptions and 373 receiving yards with the Miami Dolphins in 2020.
A sixth-round pick of the Dolphins in 2016, Grant had spent his entire career with Miami before being traded to the Chicago Bears in October.
Grant's injury gives rookie David Bell, a third-round pick in this year's draft, the inside track to be Cleveland's No. 3 receiver behind Amari Cooper and Donovan Peoples-Jones. Second-year pro Demetric Felton will likely take over on returns barring any additional roster moves.
The 37th running of the Caribbean Senior Squash Championship will take place in Jamaica, August 21 - 27 at the Liguanea Club in Kingston.
Cameron Smith has vowed he will come forward when he has any announcement to make on his future, although the world number two is reported to have already agreed to join the LIV Golf Invitational Series.
Smith is the Open champion and would represent another major coup for the breakaway golf league.
Fellow Australian Cameron Percy indicated Smith would be joining LIV Golf this week, telling RSN Radio that the 28-year-old and Marc Leishman were "gone".
Smith subsequently responded to these claims in a news conference ahead of the FedEx St. Jude Championship on Tuesday.
"My goal here is to win the FedEx Cup play-offs," he said. "That's all I'm here for.
"If there's something I need to say regarding the PGA Tour or LIV, it will come from Cameron Smith, not Cameron Percy.
"I'm a man of my word, and whenever you guys need to know anything, it will be said by me.
"Like I said, I'm here to play the FedEx Cup play-offs. That's been my focus the last week and a half, that's what I'm here to do. I'm here to win the FedEx Cup play-offs."
However, Wednesday brought an exclusive report from The Telegraph claiming Smith had signed a $100million-plus deal with LIV Golf.
The report says an initial offer of around $100m was made to Smith ahead of The Open, but he is set to be boosted by his new status as a major winner.
An announcement, The Telegraph said, would likely follow the FedEx Cup play-offs, with Smith second in the standings.
Chris Eubank Jr will face Conor Benn and renew the two families' rivalry 29 years on from their fathers' second fight.
Chris Eubank twice faced Nigel Benn, beating him in their first bout in November 1990 before the pair drew the rematch three years later.
The latter meeting took place on October 9, 1993, and their sons will now take to the ring on October 8, 2022.
Benn's son Conor is still undefeated, with a 21-0 record that he will put on the line against Eubank Jr (32-2) at the O2 Arena in London.
"It's definitely a legacy fight," he said. "There was obviously a great rivalry between Eubank Sr and my dad, Nigel Benn.
"It's a fight that's even still spoken about now. It was one of the greatest British rivalries.
"So, the legacy lives on. It really is for the legacy, this fight. For me, it feels like the stars are aligned for this moment, to be honest."
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has explained the league appealed the advised six-game ban for Deshaun Watson because a disciplinary hearing found "egregious" violations and "predatory behaviour".
Watson faced 24 civil lawsuits following sexual assault and misconduct allegations. He was not charged by two grand juries and has strenuously denied any wrongdoing.
The Cleveland Browns quarterback settled 20 of the lawsuits in June, with a further three settlements reported at the start of August ahead of the verdict of his NFL hearing.
Former US district judge Sue L. Robinson oversaw those proceedings and concluded Watson should miss six games with no additional fine.
But the NFL felt, having reviewed that decision, the evidence uncovered by Robinson required a harsher punishment, and it has used its right to appeal.
It is widely reported the league believes Watson should be suspended for the entire 2022 season, and Goodell outlined why this is the case.
"We've seen the evidence," he said. "[Robinson] was very clear about the evidence, should we enforce the evidence – that there were multiple violations here, and they were egregious, and it was predatory behaviour.
"Those are things that we always felt were important for us to address in a way that's responsible."
A single run in the 13th inning gave the Seattle Mariners a memorable win over the New York Yankees late on Tuesday in "one of the best games I've ever seen", according to Scott Servais.
The Mariners held their own in a pitching battle with the Yankees, as new signing Luis Castillo marked his first home start by giving up just three hits through eight scoreless innings.
Seattle's relief pitching was similarly effective, while there were a series of stunning defensive plays as the two teams repeatedly failed to bat in runners in scoring positions.
Eventually, after more than four hours of play, a pinch-hit single from Luis Torrens scored Eugenio Suarez to the delight of a raucous Seattle crowd.
"Baseball's not a boring game," Mariners manager Servais said after the 1-0 victory.
"I've been at a lot of major league games, I've been in a lot of major league games, and that was one of the best games I've ever seen.
"The electricity in our ballpark tonight, the fans were incredible. As we sit here in early August, we've got big things ahead of us."
The Mariners occupy the second AL wild card place at 60-52 as they bid to end a 21-year playoff drought.
"I don't know, because we haven't been to the postseason in a while, but I'm assuming it would be like this and maybe a little bit better," Servais added.
"Our fan base is starved for this type of baseball. We have a team that can provide it. We're fun to watch. We can be frustrating to watch.
"I get all that as a fan and what it means to hang on the edge of your seat for every pitch. That's what baseball is about, and our team embodies that."
Coco Gauff described Serena Williams as "the reason why I play tennis" as she paid tribute to the soon-to-retire great, declaring: "There will never be another Serena."
Williams, a 23-time grand slam champion, announced in a piece in Vogue on Tuesday that she would soon retire.
The 40-year-old did not provide a firm date for the end of her career, but hinted that she could bow out after the US Open, which begins at the end of August.
Williams had won her first singles match in over a year on Monday at the Canadian Open, yet she wrote of the need to now prioritise her family.
And Gauff, playing at the same event in Toronto, was not short of praise for a legend of the sport.
"She's just been playing forever, my whole life," Gauff said after beating Madison Brengle.
"The legacy that she's left throughout her tennis career is something that I don't think any other player can probably touch.
"I think that the legacy that she'll continue to leave throughout her life is something that can inspire many more generations."
Gauff, a highly talented 18-year-old, has no interest in any tag as the 'next Serena', although she can take inspiration from Williams in dealing with such pressure.
"I've learned a lot from them [Serena and sister Venus]," Gauff said.
"People always tell me that you're going to be 'next whatever', blah, blah, blah, and Serena has been considered the GOAT [greatest of all time] for at least the second half of her career, and she never succumbed to that pressure.
"I think she overcame it, and I think that's something I take from her and try to learn from it. Not that I'm at her level and experiencing the same pressure she is, but in the moment I try to emulate that.
"For me, I grew up watching her. That's the reason why I play tennis, and tennis being a predominantly white sport, it definitely helped a lot, because I saw somebody who looked like me dominating the game, and it made me believe I could dominate, too.
"She's the GOAT. And undisputed, too, in my opinion. But I don't think that's an opinion, it's a fact.
"Serena, for me, is the GOAT. The GOAT of all GOATs. There will never be another Serena."
Sean McVay has announced he signed a contract extension with the Los Angeles Rams over the offseason, but talks are ongoing with general manager Les Snead.
Head coach McVay guided the Rams to a Super Bowl win last season, and tying down his long-term future represents a major boost for the franchise.
Yet McVay revealed he and Snead were waiting until both men were committed to the team before formally confirming the deals.
"We are in a good place," McVay said at training camp. "I feel really good about the direction that's going in, and I think it'll be something where it'll be me and Les, and you guys will know when that is finalised for us.
"We wanted to be able to announce that when both of us got it done.
"It is something that we've been taking care of, but it is very important for Les and I to kind of have that represented as we're a partnership and a pair."
McVay has been Rams coach since 2017, with this his first head coaching role after holding various assistant positions in Washington.
Earning his first title against the Cincinnati Bengals at Super Bowl LVI earlier this year, McVay, 36, became the youngest coach to win the Super Bowl.
McVay has a 55-26 career record, with his winning percentage of 67.9 the seventh-best of all time among coaches to oversee 80 or more games.
Snead was the man who brought McVay to Los Angeles, having been the Rams GM since 2012, when the team were in St. Louis.
The Denver Broncos are looking forward to a new era after the team's record-breaking sale to the Walton-Penner family ownership group was confirmed.
The deal, worth $4.65billion, a record for any American sports franchise, was unanimously approved by NFL owners on Tuesday.
And the group, fronted by Walmart heir Rob Walton, could not wait to get started.
"We are just so excited to become officially a part of the Broncos," Walton said. "It's a big, big day for us. Really, really exciting.
"It's been a great process and I want to extend a thanks with all the owners we've been involved with. Their warm greeting and support as we've met them along the way – haven't met all of them yet, but we're getting close – has just been good.
"It's a very wonderful group to become associated with.
"We want to acknowledge [former owner] Pat Bowlen's outstanding legacy, also, as well as the family. Pat's leadership and commitment to build a successful team and business, and we'll continue to build on that.
"Putting a winning team on the field is our number one priority. We can't wait to get to Denver, join our new colleagues and get to work."
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell added: "This is a group that is going to be great for the Denver community.
"Their commitment to winning, but more importantly their commitment to making sure the Broncos franchise is an important part of the Denver community. We're thrilled about that."
The Atlanta Braves received an MVP-level performance from Austin Riley as they went into Fenway Park and left with a 9-7 extra-innings win on the road against the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday.
Riley – who is the second-favourite for National League MVP, trailing only Paul Goldschmidt from the St Louis Cardinals – got things going for the Braves in the opening inning, with an RBI triple scoring the first run of the game.
After Red Sox second-baseman Christian Arroyo connected on a two-run home run an inning later, travelling 403 feet, Riley answered back in the third frame with his own two-run shot, with his sailing 426 feet for the longest hit of the game.
The Red Sox rallied back in the middle stages, with home runs to Tommy Pham and Jarren Duran, as well as another RBI double from Arroyo, to jump ahead 5-4 in the fifth inning.
National League Rookie of the Year contender Michael Harris II tied the game with a double in the sixth frame, and Dansby Swanson gave the Braves a 6-5 lead as his double brought home Ronald Acuna Jr for his second run of the game.
That lead would be short-lived, with Boston tying things up at 6-6 in the bottom of the eighth through a J.D. Martinez base hit, and that score would hold through the end of regulation to force extra innings.
Both teams tallied a single run in the 10th, before Riley came through again in the 11th, driving in his fourth and fifth runs of the day with a single as Acuna crossed home plate for the third time to snatch a 9-7 lead.
Tyler Matzek made no mistakes on the mound, finishing things off and collecting his first save of the season, striking out two.
Riley finished three-for-five at the plate with five RBIs, and he now sits third in the league in home runs (30), eighth in RBIs (74) and second in total bases (255), trailing only New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge (273).
Ohtani delivers with bat and ball
It was another starring performance for baseball's most unique player as Shohei Ohtani pitched six scoreless innings and hit his 25th home run of the season to carry the Los Angeles Angels to a 5-1 victory away against the Oakland Athletics.
Only 11 players have hit more home runs this season than Ohtani, while only five pitchers have struck out more batters than his 157 in 19 starts. Everyone ahead of him on the strikeout list has started at least two more games, and he trails only Braves rookie Spencer Strider in strikeouts-per-nine-innings among starters.
He struck out five batters against the Athletics while giving up four hits and three walks in his six innings, and finished two-for-three at the plate, with two runs and one RBI.
Padres get mixed results from new recruits
The San Diego Padres needed some late heroics when newly acquired closer Josh Hader blew a three-run lead in the ninth inning, before Manny Machado came through in the clutch for a 7-4 win.
While Hader was the Padres' big pitching recruit, Juan Soto was the prize of their trade deadline dealings, and he was terrific as he finished with two hits and two walks from his five plate appearances, including his first home run since arriving in San Diego.
Leading 4-1 in the ninth inning, Hader failed to secure the save, giving up three runs to tie the game. But the Padres would get away with it, with a single to Jurickson Profar and a walk to Soto bringing Machado to the plate for the walk-off home run.
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