Serena Williams will find it "super difficult" to challenge for an eighth Wimbledon singles title when she returns to SW19 next week, according to Karolina Pliskova.
Williams announced her participation at Wimbledon after receiving a wildcard last week, having been absent since a first-round retirement against Aliaksandra Sasnovich at The All England Club last year.
The American great will team up with Ons Jabeur to play doubles at Eastbourne over the coming days as the 40-year-old prepares for her Wimbledon return.
But Pliskova, who lost last year's Wimbledon final to Ashleigh Barty, says Williams could struggle to match her previous exploits after coming back from a long-term leg injury.
"I don't know how long it has been since she has played. Has it been a year? It is a long time, and she is not the youngest any more, so I suppose the body also takes some time to get back into shape," Pliskova said ahead of her own campaign at Eastbourne.
"Playing matches at tournaments is still very different to just practising and from what I understand, she is not playing [singles] here, she is just playing doubles.
"I think it will be difficult, super difficult for her, no matter what kind of player she is because this is a thing where you still need some time.
"But of course, she is an amazing player, she achieved so much and still a number of players will be super scared to play her. This is her advantage but let's see the level. I cannot really say."
Pliskova has won two of her three grand slam meetings with Williams, eliminating her at the quarter-final stage at the 2019 Australian Open and in the final four at the 2016 US Open.
While the world number seven may have cast doubt upon Williams' chances, Paula Badosa is not keen on the prospect of facing the 23-time major champion on the grass.
"I think it surprised everyone but it's very good to have her back. It really amazes me how she has all this hunger for the game," the world number four said.
"It is a great inspiration. It is nice to have her back and I hope she can be back for much more time because I think she does very good for tennis.
"But the other side, of course I don't want to play against her! I hope the draw goes for another player because no one wants to play against Serena and [even] less on grass. Let's pray for that!"
Ons Jabeur has announced she will not take part in the singles tournament at the Eastbourne International.
Jabeur will continue to play in the doubles, where she will pair with American legend Serena Williams, who has not played a competitive match since a first-round defeat at Wimbledon last year.
The news of the Tunisian's withdrawal from the singles tournament comes on the same day that she was elevated to world number three, after her victory at the Berlin Open on Sunday.
She beat Belinda Bencic in the final after her Swiss opponent retired with an ankle injury.
"I feel like I need to be smart about this decision," Jabeur told reporters about her choice not to play singles at Eastbourne.
Jabeur and Williams will face off against the unseeded duo Marie Bouzkova and Sara Sorribes Tormo in the first round on Tuesday.
Ons Jabeur hailed Serena Williams as a "legend" as she expressed her nervousness and excitement to pair with the American great at the Eastbourne International.
Williams has not played a competitive match since defeat to Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the first round of last year's Wimbledon and is now ranked at 1,204 in the world.
The 40-year-old, who is one grand slam title shy of matching Margaret Court's long-standing record of 24, will feature at the third grand slam of the year, which starts next Monday.
Eastbourne will serve as preparation for the upcoming grass-court major after Williams received a wild card in the doubles draw alongside Jabeur.
Jabeur has been in fine form in 2022, winning the Berlin Open and Madrid Open and rising to world number three, though she remains nervous to play with Williams at Eastbourne.
"I wanted to tell everyone, but obviously I couldn't," Jabeur told the WTA Tour in an interview. "I told my family, but even my close friends, I didn't tell anyone.
"Excited, really lucky that she picked me. I'm pretty glad that I can share the court with her. I always watched Serena playing and always supported her.
"She's such a legend and such an example for our sport. I'm really nervous to play. I hope the match will be great and we'll have great matches.
"I don't know why she picked me to be honest. Maybe she watched Madrid. I met her a few times outside the court and she was always nice.
"I remember exchanging pins with her in Rio. I respect her so much. I've been waiting for this moment for a long time. I had to take my time in Berlin, but now it's Eastbourne. I cannot wait for this moment."
Williams and Jabeur have been drawn against unseeded duo Marie Bouzkova and Sara Sorribes Tormo in the first round on Tuesday.
Billy Vunipola and Danny Care have returned to the England fold as head coach Eddie Jones announced the squad for the upcoming tour to Australia.
Vunipola has not featured for England since last year's Six Nations, but comes into the squad after injuries to Alex Dombrandt and Sam Simmonds.
The 29-year-old suffered a head injury in Saracens' Premiership final loss to Leicester Tigers on Saturday but is fit to join up with an England side that were hammered 52-21 by the Barbarians at Twickenham on Sunday.
Care also features, having not earned a cap since 2018, as England's most-capped international and fellow scrum-half Ben Youngs stays at home due to family reasons.
Jones has included eight uncapped players in the 36-man squad.
Fraser Dingwall, Tommy Freeman, Guy Porter, Patrick Schickerling, Jack van Poortvliet, Jack Walker, Henry Arundell and Will Joseph will hope for their first competitive caps Down Under.
England have not played in Australia since 2016, when they won all three of the games. They also overcame the Wallabies in the quarter-finals of the 2019 Rugby World Cup and are on an eight-match winning streak against their old rivals.
Jones' side ultimately went on to lose the final to South Africa, but they are turning their attention to next year's World Cup in France as they look for their first title since 2003.
England will open the series against Australia in Perth on July 2, before games in Brisbane and Sydney.
England squad in full
Forwards: Ollie Chessum, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Tom Curry, Charlie Ewels, Ellis Genge, Jamie George, Joe Heyes, Jonny Hill, Nick Isiekwe, Maro Itoje, Courtney Lawes, Lewis Ludlam, Bevan Rodd, Patrick Schickerling, Will Stuart, Sam Underhill, Billy Vunipola, Mako Vunipola, Jack Walker, Jack Willis.
Backs: Henry Arundell, Danny Care, Joe Cokanasiga, Fraser Dingwall, Owen Farrell, Tommy Freeman, George Furbank, Will Joseph, Joe Marchant, Jonny May, Jack Nowell, Guy Porter, Harry Randall, Jack van Poortvliet, Marcus Smith, Freddie Steward.
Matt Fitzpatrick credited his U.S. Open triumph to his Sheffield upbringing, which he believes helped to prepare him for the tournament.
The 27-year-old won a first career major after finishing six under par with a composed performance at The Country Club in Brookline, having entered the tournament considered an outsider to clinch victory.
Fitzpatrick likened his sitting prior to the start of play to his football team, Sheffield United, and described his approach as being reflective of his hometown.
"Sheffield, where I grew up playing golf, Hallamshire. Windy, tough, tight, really small greens. All jokes aside, it's actually similar to here. Just doesn't have the length. But always really windy," he said.
"When growing up, it was kind of the same wispy, high rough as well, so you had to learn to control your ball flight and chip well because you just weren't going to hit that many greens.
"It's a steel town, but I love Sheffield. It's great. It's where I'm from. It's where my football team's from. Yeah, it's where all my best pals are from, so yeah.
"I think, not to like compare it to my football team, but I feel like I'm the same deal. Not expected to do well, not expected to succeed. I've won a major today.
"I feel like I certainly work hard for it, and that's kind of where I've grown up from is that's the mentality of everyone around there. It's kind of you're told it's not upper class at all.
"It's kind of, I can't think of the words. I've been out of the country too long. Yeah, it's certainly like underdog mentality, and you work for what you get."
Fitzpatrick also spoke about the influence of his parents in moulding him to become a humble person, though that doesn't limit his competitive edge.
"They did such an amazing job with me. That was the thing, they always taught me to be humble and to be down to earth, and if they're not bringing me back down to earth, my friends are. That will always be me," he added.
"It doesn't matter what we're doing, how well we're playing, I'll leave here tonight, and they'll give me abuse about something, I know they will. My friend is just nodding back there.
"I don't know, I've always felt like I had it. I've always been competitive, and that comes from my dad as well. My dad was always competitive with us as juniors. I just love winning. I absolutely love winning. I don't care who it is, but I just want to beat everyone.
"Although it doesn't come across -- like I don't show it much because I like to be quite reserved. Yeah, I just love beating everyone. It's as simple as that. Anyone else on tour would say the same thing. That's why the guys are the best, and that's why they play so well. Just love winning."
Matt Fitzpatrick declared he can "retire a happy man" after taking victory in the U.S. Open to clinch a first career major.
The Englishman came in one stroke ahead of Scottie Scheffler and Will Zalatoris, finishing 68 and six under par to secure success on Sunday.
Victory at the U.S. Open signified his second career win at The Country Club in Brookline, having lifted the U.S. Amateur trophy there in 2013 by edging out Australian Oliver Goss.
It also brought an end to the 27-year-old's wait for a first major and, while there's still plenty to play for in his career, Fitzpatrick has declared he can now retire happily.
"The feeling is out of this world. It is so cliche, but it's stuff you dream of as a kid. To achieve it, I can retire a happy man tomorrow," he told reporters.
"I think there were expectations, but I didn't feel them, in my opinion. The field's such a strong field, so many great golfers playing.
"But I think for me, the expectations were for me to play well, but I feel like having won the U.S. Amateur here as well, I just felt so comfortable around this place. Know where to hit it; know where to miss it."
While he could relax after his win, Fitzpatrick outlined his intention to secure six honours in his career in order to attain legendary status in golf.
"Six is the number. That's the number that we all agreed on. I've got a bit of a way to go, but it's a good start," he added.
Fitzpatrick will now turn his attention towards The Open Championship at St. Andrews, a course he loves to play on, though he looks forward to a well-deserved break first.
"It will be great. I love playing St. Andrews. It's a great golf course," he said of the final major of the year.
"It's going to be interesting, obviously, with the length and everything. And now I'm a bomber, I'll probably be driving most of the greens.
"I'm looking forward to it. I've got two weeks off now, which I couldn't be happier about. I'll get my head around a few things, and then I guess we'll go to St. Andrews."
A clear top tier has emerged ahead of Thursday's NBA Draft, comprised of Auburn wing Jabari Smith, Gonzaga center Chet Holmgren and Duke forward Paolo Banchero.
The Orlando Magic hold the keys to the draft with the first overall pick, and ever since they won the lottery the buzz has been about their affinity for the six-foot-10, smooth-shooting Smith.
Smith, who only turned 19 in May, is one of the youngest prospects in the draft and seems to tick a number of high-value boxes that are usually required to become a star in the NBA.
His premier skill is his shooting, boasting arguably the prettiest jump shot in the whole class, and he converted a scorching 42 per cent of his three-pointers while getting up a healthy 5.5 attempts per game.
Playing at Auburn with a cast of guards, who at times appeared to have no idea they were playing with an NBA player, meant Smith was primarily used in an off-ball role, getting shots up quickly off the catch or at the end of plays, as opposed to getting an opportunity to create with the ball in his hands.
This role and his ability to stylishly rise up and hit long jumpers at his size with hands in his face have caused many to compare him to former Magic power forward and two-time All-Star Rashard Lewis.
Lewis appears to be Smith's 'floor' – which would be a pretty handy worst possible outcome if it is the case – but his athleticism, seven-foot-one wingspan with defensive upside, and well-reported elite work ethic as a son of a former NBA player puts him on a similar trajectory to Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum, who also had questions raised about his playmaking and ball-handling coming out of Duke.
The Magic will be selecting between Smith and Holmgren, with the Gonzaga big-man clearly the most unique prospect in the class.
Holmgren has been on NBA radars since his high school days when he was carrying the United States to junior gold medals – winning Tournament MVP at the 2021 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup.
As the number-one recruit in the country coming into the 2021-22 college basketball season, Holmgren chose to shun traditional 'one-and-done' schools to go play for respected coach Mark Few at Gonzaga, where he would buy into a pro-style team system instead of playing for a program that would allow him to average 20 points per game.
Out of more than 3000 Division One college players, Holmgren was fourth in blocks per game (3.7) and eighth in block percentage, blocking 12.6 per cent of opponent shots while he was on the court.
He was also number one in two-point field goal percentage, converting almost 74 per cent of his chances as he routinely finished off lobs and alley-oops both in the half-court and in transition, and his seven-foot-six wingspan made it impossible to block his shot when he was allowed to catch with two feet in the paint.
Add to the equation that he shot a terrific 39 per cent from long range on 3.3 attempts per game, and that he has displayed for more ball-handling and open-court playmaking in the international game than he was allowed to in college, and he is a near-flawless prospect.
As such a unique prospect, there are very few comparisons that can be made. Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis seems the only obvious choice, but Holmgren plays a less ball-dominant style, like a bigger Andrei Kirilenko.
His one major flaw scouts point to is his body – he is seven feet tall and weighs less than 200lbs – and does not appear to have a frame that will allow him to blow up physically the way Giannis Antetokounmpo and other skinny rookies have.
But how many players in the NBA right now are actually too skinny? It is hard to think of a single player who is truly unplayable because of not being physically stout enough.
Oklahoma City Thunder wing Aleksej Pokusevski is a similar build, but he does not play center, and does not show close to the defensive chops Holmgren does.
Admittedly, against hulking behemoths like Joel Embiid – who are exceedingly rare – he may need to play next to a true, bruising center, to take the pressure off; but those match-ups are few and far between.
The third player in the top tier is Banchero, and although the Magic are reportedly not considering him with the top pick, some respected draft analysts rate him as this year's best prospect.
It is easy to see why, especially given the modern NBA.
Banchero projects as the most likely of the top trio to become a lead initiator early in his career, flashing terrific feel for the game with ball in hand, and an ability to attack the rim and create off the dribble.
In his one season, he had 24 games with at least three assists, while Smith had 11 games with at least three assists, and Holmgren had six.
The ability to create shots for yourself and others is thought of as the most valuable skill-set in basketball, with LeBron James clearly the standard-bearer, but with less explosive athleticism Banchero more closely mimics Jimmy Butler on the offensive end, without the Heat star's unrelenting defensive motor.
To be clear, Banchero is significantly bigger than both James and Butler, reportedly measuring in at over six-foot-10 without shoes, with a grown man's body at 250lbs. Given his size, his lack of true first-step explosion – or 'wiggle' off the bounce – should not greatly hinder his ability as a match-up nightmare from day one.
Banchero is too big for traditional wing defenders who will have a speed advantage on him, and he will be too quick for guys his own size.
He has shown he can run pick-and-roll and operate in a pass-first role, and jumbo playmakers like Luka Doncic and Cade Cunningham are showing that elite quickness is not mandatory at that size if you are savvy enough and understand how to use power instead of speed.
The Houston Rockets are the overwhelming favourites to select Banchero with the third selection, pairing him with one of the best athletes in the entire league in last year's number-two pick, Jalen Green.
World number one Scottie Scheffler and fellow U.S. Open runner-up Will Zalatoris paid respect to winner Matt Fitzpatrick after a thrilling final round at The Country Club.
Scheffler started his round with four birdies on his first six holes, going on to shoot a 67 and finish five under for the tournament, one behind Fitzpatrick.
Zalatoris also finished at five under, and had a chance to force a playoff by making a birdie putt on the 18th hole, only for it to narrowly miss wide.
It was a remarkable result for England's Fitzpatrick, who became the first player since fellow Englishman Danny Willett in 2016 to mark his first career PGA Tour win with a major victory.
Scheffler told the media after his round that he was happy with his performance, and highlighted the massive improvements he has seen from Fitzpatrick this season.
"My game is still in a good spot," he said. "I gave myself a chance to win the U.S. Open.
"Performed really well today under a lot of pressure – I made some key putts there in the beginning to kind of get today going. I just played some quality golf.
"It just so happened the putts [later in the round] were going around the edge instead of in. That's kind of what it felt like was happening most of the week… a few breaks here or there, and I would be the one holding the trophy.
"Tip of the hat to 'Fitzy'. He's been playing really good golf, and he definitely deserved to win this event. I don't know if you guys noticed, but I feel like he has made some extreme improvements off the tee in a matter of months.
"I played with him in Austin this year, and he was not hitting it nearly as far as he is now. I don't know what he was doing. Maybe he was on the Bryson program or something.
"He's hitting the ball really well and has been knocking on the door for a long time. He definitely deserves this win."
Zalatoris said he thought his playoff-forcing putt was dropping as he watched it travel, and gave respect to Fitzpatrick for what will go down as a legendary bunker save on the 18th hole.
"I did [think my putt was going in] – with about six feet to go, I thought I had it," he said.
"When he pulled it off [out of the bunker] – tip your cap, well done. Now I have to make birdie and hope he misses.
"I painted that shot right over the flagstick and just hit it a little deep. [Fitzpatrick's] golf shot was one-in-20, at best. To pull it off in that situation is incredible.
"He had to cut it around kind of an island of rough in the middle of that bunker. Probably – I don't know how far he had – I'd say roughly around 160, 170 [yards to the pin].
"So he's probably hitting a seven or a six-iron and opening it up, carving it off probably left edge of the green. And to get it to be just past pin-high, like I said, the fact he had a look was just awesome.
"When they show the highlights at future U.S. Opens, that's one that's going to be shown, because that was just incredible."
Mike Trout hit his fifth home run of the Los Angeles Angels' five-game series against the Seattle Mariners to help his side to a 4-0 road win.
Trout hit two home runs in the series-opener on Thursday, and after a zero-for-three performance in the second game, he followed it up with a homer in each of the third, fourth and fifth games.
On Sunday he blasted his 21st of the season – the second-most in the majors – to give his side a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning.
Angels pitcher Kenny Rosenberg put in a strong performance in his second start of the season, throwing four-and-two-thirds innings of scoreless baseball, allowing two hits and three walks.
It was a spectacular showing from the Angels bullpen as well, not allowing a single hit or walk the rest of the way after Rosenberg was withdrawn, while striking out seven batters.
Max Stassi finally added another run for the away side in the seventh inning when he brought home Luis Rengifo with an RBI double, before Jared Walsh completed the scoring with a base hit in the eighth inning that allowed Taylor Ward to make it home off a fielding error.
The series win against the Mariners has helped get the Angels' season back on track, winning four-out-of-five after coming into the slate of games with just two wins from their previous 20.
Blue Jays win epic power display
The Toronto Blue Jays won a high-scoring battle against the New York Yankees 10-9 as two of the most powerful batting sides combined for nine home runs.
Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero hit the first of the game with a two-run shot in the opening inning, but over the next four frames home runs to Gleyber Torres and Josh Donaldson, as well as RBI doubles to Aaron Judge and Torres had the Yankees up 6-2.
Toronto's George Springer hit a solo home run in the sixth frame, answered by two solo shots from New York's Kyle Higashioka and Marwin Gonzalez, but the Blue Jays would not go away.
Down 8-3, Toronto came all the way back with a grand slam by Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and a three-run homer from Teoscar Hernandez, with Jordan Romano completing a five-out save.
Soto shows his swing in Nationals upset
Juan Soto came through in a big spot for the Washington Nationals to defeat the red-hot Philadelphia Phillies 9-3.
Soto, considered to be one of the game's greatest young hitters, is having the worst season of his career, with his batting average of .218 well below his career average of .290.
He only had one hit from five at-bats against the Phillies, but it was a big one, driving a 428-foot, three-run home run in the second inning to give his side some breathing room.
For the Phillies, the loss was just their third from their past 18 games.
Rory McIlroy kept his good form rolling to finish fifth at the U.S. Open, but with nearly eight years since his last major win, he said he views it as "another missed opportunity".
The Northern Irishman is on an impressive run lately, finishing second at The Masters, fifth at the Wells Fargo Championship, eighth at the PGA Championship, and winning the Canadian Open in four of his past five starts.
He was in contention right from the word go this week, one stroke off the lead after the first round and four-under par heading into the weekend, but he shot a disappointing 73 on Saturday to take himself out of the group of real contenders.
Speaking to the media after his final round, McIlroy said while there were positives to take from the week, it "doesn't really mean anything" for him to bank another top-five finish.
"Another top-five in a major – I guess doesn't really mean anything," he said. "Yeah, the game's there.
"I've got one more start next week in Hartford before I go to the Open Championship. I'll get two weeks of good rest before the Open and play some links golf and prepare and look forward to that.
"Again, my game's in good shape. I've got one more chance this year to try to get that major.
"I feel like this is my fourth top-ten in a row coming off the back of three missed cuts in this event – so it's definitely been better – [but] it's still not quite close enough.
"There was a few holes there today where I made the birdie and then did the reverse ones back with the bogey at the next. To win golf tournaments, you just can't do that.
"But it's there. It's close. I just have to stay patient. As I said, I've got one more opportunity this year to try to get a major, and I'm looking forward to that."
While he feels like this was "another missed opportunity", he said he knows he is playing well enough to win at the highest level.
"It will take a while [to reset and process the outcome] – I'll look back at this as another missed opportunity just as Southern Hills was," he said. "But missed opportunities are better than not contending at all – so that is a positive.
"I have to stay patient at this point because if I just keep putting myself in position, sooner or later it's going to be my day and I'm going to get one.
"It's not win or bust. It's not as if where I finished today is the same as not playing on the weekend. I guess when I look back, will I remember the fifth place I had at Brookline? Probably not.
"I played well enough to give myself a chance to win. I didn't get the job done, but I'm closer than I have been in a while, which is good."
Matt Fitzpatrick called it a dream come true to win his first major after shooting 68 in Sunday's final round to finish on six under, winning the U.S. Open by one stroke from Scottie Scheffler and Will Zalatoris.
The win is the 27-year-old Englishman's first on the PGA Tour, making him the first player to collect his debut victory in a major since Danny Willett won the 2016 Masters.
It also comes at the same course – The Country Club at Brookline – where Fitzpatrick won the 2013 U.S. Amateur.
Speaking to the media after his stunning triumph, he said this was the culmination of a lifetime of work.
"No words, it’s what you grow up dreaming of," he said. "It’s a day I’ve worked so hard for, for such a long time.
"There was a big monkey on my back trying to win over here, all they ever talked about was that, and to do it as a major for my first win – there’s nothing better."
Fitzpatrick gave himself every chance on Sunday by hitting 17-of-18 greens in regulation, and then produced one of the shots of his life on the 18th hole to work his way out of a bunker for the win.
"I’ve got to give myself credit, I stayed patient today," he said. "I said to [caddie] Billy [Foster] that if I could just hit 18 greens today I’d like to think I’d got a good chance – and I near as damn did it.
"I got a couple of nice breaks there on 15, took advantage of it and that’s what it took in the end.
"Me and Billy spent quite a while talking about the 18th tee shot, undecided. I hit a three-wood today, into the bunker and if there was one shot that I’ve struggled with that I just do not want, it’s a fairway bunker shot.
"I don’t know, ability just took over and it’s one of the best shots I’ve hit, of all time. When I saw it leave the sand, I couldn’t have been happier."
Back in 2013 when he won the U.S. Amateur, Fitzpatrick stayed with a host family, and he decided to stay with the same family – the Fultons – this time around.
"It’s meant the world, I’ve won twice now here," he said. "I’m trying to get every Tour event around here now and stay at the Fulton’s.
"So to have them, or to stay with them this week, has made it so much more relaxing, less pressure – I’ve loved every minute."
He finished his trophy presentation ceremony with a message for Jack Nicklaus.
"I don’t know if Jack’s listening to this, but he gave me a bit of abuse at the start of the year," he said.
"I won the member’s member at his club – the Bears Club – and he said ‘finally, congratulations on winning in the States’.
"So I can go back to him and say 'Jack, I’ve won a second time this year'."
Matt Fitzpatrick claimed his first-ever major win as he edged out Will Zalatoris and Scottie Scheffler to triumph at the U.S. Open at The Country Club on Sunday.
Englishman Fitzpatrick, who won the U.S Amateur at the same course in 2013, carded a two-under par 68 in his final round at The Country Club in Massachusetts to edge out playing partner Zalatoris and Scheffler by one shot, finishing on six under for the tournament.
Zalatoris, who lost the US PGA Championship in a play-off to Justin Thomas last month, bogeyed the second and third holes but roared back with three birdies before the turn, while Fitzpatrick was two under through his first nine holes.
The Englishman opened his back nine with back-to-back bogeys, which paved the way for Zalatoris to open up a two-shot lead at the summit of the leaderboard after the 11th hole.
They were level pegging again after the 13th, though, largely in part to a stunning long birdie putt from Fitzpatrick.
And 27-year-old Fitzpatrick moved two clear on the 15th thanks to a birdie after Zalatoris could only manage a bogey.
The lead was reduced to one going into the final hole, and despite a poor tee shot that saw him find the bunker, Fitzpatrick held his nerve, playing a sublime shot out of the sand to set him up with two putts to seal his maiden major success.
And that came when, after Fitzpatrick sunk his putt for par, Zalatoris edged his effort just wide.
Zalatoris shared second with world number one Scheffler, while Hideki Matsuyama produced the round of the week - the 30-year-old from Japan hitting a bogey-free 65 to conclude his tournament on three under for a fourth-placed finish.
Collin Morikawa was left to rue a dismal 77 on Saturday, the two-time major champion bouncing back in style from that with a four under par 66 to finish tied fifth with Rory McIlroy, who had an up and down Sunday, and Adam Hadwin on two under for the tournament.
Further down the leaderboard, US PGA Championship winner Thomas carded a four over par 74 to finish the tournament on seven over par – the same as three-time major winner Jordan Spieth.
Hideki Matsuyama will "keep on grinding" after carding the lowest score in the U.S. Open on Sunday.
Posting a 65, Matsuyama was five under on the final round and finished the tournament three under overall.
Matsuyama headed into the clubhouse in fourth place, though his efforts were not enough to put him in contention for success, barring a major slip up from the leaders.
The 2021 Masters champion conceded he did not feel he was at his best over the course of the tournament, though it gives him confidence moving forward and highlighted his putting as a strength.
"To be honest, I don't feel like this is my 100 per cent performance, but it does give me a lot of boost on my confidence," Matsuyama said.
"So, I'll try my best, try to connect this momentum to my next game, and I'll be prepared for it.
"Definitely my putting was helping my game a lot. Rolling really good putts.
"My shots were pretty decent too. I was able to target most of the greens, so I think that really helped me."
Collin Morikawa, the reigning champion of The Open, will head to St Andrews having learned from his experience at the U.S. Open.
Morikawa was among the favourites to clinch the season's third major at The Country Club this weekend, and was on course to challenge until carding a dismal 77 on Saturday.
He hit back with an impressive 65 on Sunday, though, putting him T5 at the time he went back into the clubhouse - only three off the lead.
While Morikawa required a huge slip up from all of the leaders to get him in contention for glory at Brookline, he was able to reflect on learning what he hopes will be a valuable lesson ahead of defending his Open title next month at St Andrews.
"I don't know if I found something. I think it just taught me that just go play golf," Morikawa told reporters.
"This year has been so much focused on trying to hit that cut and trying to be so perfect, and that's who I am, but just go out and play.
"Things are going to be tough. The ball is not going to go exactly where you want, but just figure it out.
"After this week it was a huge boost heading into the last little stretch of golf.
"I'm very excited. I think I'm going to have to really do a good job about prioritising every single day and splitting up what I need to focus on, whether it's the golf or whether I need to enjoy just being there at St. Andrews, being back as a defending champion.
"I think last year I was able to settle in a little quicker because I played the Scottish [Open] and you just kind of showed up. Time zones, everything, it was just go and play golf.
"This year I think there's going to be a couple more distractions just with being the defending champion and just knowing that it's such a golf-centred town, but that doesn't mean by Tuesday midday all I'll be focusing on is golf."
Morikawa went round in 69 on Thursday and built on that impressive start with a 66 in his second round in Massachusetts, yet it all fell apart on Saturday.
"I didn't see it coming. I think when you are playing well, you'll make doubles, right, and doubles aren't acceptable, just like three-putts," added Morikawa, who already has two major titles under his belt by the age of 25.
"Yesterday with two doubles, you just can't play with that. I know you can kind of rebound from that, and I think Scottie [Scheffler] kind of bounced back and still kept himself around there, but I just... the game and the approach shots and just off the tee, I was playing out of the rough yesterday, which is just impossible at a U.S. Open to play well and to hold and maintain pars.
"So I didn't think it was coming. I hope many seven-overs aren't coming in the future, but it just kind of made me refocus and kind of just get back into things, right, and just really start from the tee, get it in the fairway, and then worry about it from there."
Fernando Alonso lamented another engine problem that "hurts a lot" after struggling at the Canadian Grand Prix, where he was demoted to ninth following a time penalty.
The Alpine driver produced an incredible drive on Saturday to secure second on the grid behind Max Verstappen.
However, Alonso fell away on Sunday as Verstappen held off the push of Carlos Sainz to claim his sixth win of the season and mark Red Bull's best start to a Formula One season.
Alonso initially finished in seventh in Montreal, but was handed a five-second time penalty after he was deemed to have made more than one change of direction while protecting against Valtteri Bottas.
The Spanish veteran believes he could have fought for a place on the podium if it was not for an engine problem with his A522 car.
"It was a pretty good race in terms of pace, I think we could have fought for the podium, seeing that [Lewis] Hamilton finished there and we were ahead of him in a more or less controlled way, but from lap 20 we had a problem in the engine," Alonso said.
"It was an energy issue that cut the KERS in the middle of the straights, more or less I lost eight-tenths of a second per lap.
"To be on the DRS train with [Esteban] Ocon and [Charles] Leclerc, the truth is that in the bends I had to go to the top and well, keeping the seventh position was a miracle at the end.
"Having this reliability problem today, another engine problem in my car, the truth is that it hurts a lot.
"We didn't have any luck with the safety cars either. I was just passing through the finish line and the safety car came out and just when I was going back to enter the pits, it was over.
"Luck was not on our side today, as usual."
Carlos Sainz is optimistic his first Ferrari win could be just around the corner after pushing Max Verstappen close to the limit in the Canadian Grand Prix.
Defending Formula One drivers' champion Verstappen defended expertly to keep Sainz at bay over the closing laps in Montreal, sealing a sixth win of his season and extending his championship lead to 46 points.
Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez, who abandoned Sunday's race in its early stages, sits second, while Sainz is fifth but producing strong results every time he finishes.
The Spaniard has had three DNFs, twice crashing out, but he has had five podiums and a fourth place in the other six races to date.
For the 27-year-old, however, the wait for a first Formula One race victory goes on.
Formerly of Toro Rosso, Renault and McLaren, he has been a staple of the top 10 in recent seasons, without yet scaling the top step.
He said of Sunday's race: "I was pushing flat out. I wasn't leaving any inch to the walls. I was pushing everything with the battery.
"I tried everything to pass Max, but today we just didn't have enough pace to get close enough in the hairpin to then get him a bit out of line into the chicane.
"But the positive thing is we were quicker, we were faster all race, we just [needed] that little bit more to overtake around here.
"I'm particularly happy with the race pace, with the way we managed to put pressure on Max during the whole race, and the timing of the pit stops I think was right."
Team-mate Charles Leclerc, third in the championship, has won twice already this season. He surged from a back-row start to earn fifth place in Canada.
Silverstone and the British Grand Prix is next on the calendar, with Sainz seeing grounds for Ferrari optimism.
He said: "Honestly, we tried everything, and we were very, very close to winning today, so I take the positives and keep trying in the next one."
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has hailed Max Verstappen for being in the "form of his life" after he extended his lead at the top of the drivers' championship.
Verstappen started on pole at the Canadian Grand Prix and ultimately held off Carlos Sainz to claim his sixth win of the season and mark Red Bull's best start to a Formula One season.
Sainz remained within DRS range for the final 10 laps of the race but was unable to make the move stick, with Verstappen holding firm.
Red Bull have now won seven of the nine races so far this season to put themselves 76 points ahead of Ferrari in the constructor's championship.
In the drivers' standings, the win gives Verstappen a 46-point lead over team-mate Sergio Perez, whose race ended prematurely, and Horner believes the reigning world champion is showing the best level of performance so far in his career.
"It wasn't very comfortable at all in those last 10 laps or so because Max just couldn't break the DRS and the Ferrari was very quick in the straight line today," Horner told Sky Sports.
"They could attack the kerbs and stay close but there wasn't a single mistake. We lost communication with the car, it was only one-way traffic where he could hear us but we couldn't hear him.
"All credit to Carlos today, he pushed him really hard. The strategy wasn't clear because we went for that early stop, we felt that was the best route to the end of the race, and then Sainz got a free stop too which set it up nicely for the end of the race. It was super tight.
"We've just got to take each race at time. We've put a great run together and it's great to be heading to Silverstone leading both championships. Max is in the form of his life and doing a great job."
Despite the late surge from Sainz putting Verstappen under pressure, the Dutchman felt it was a "fun" finale.
"It was really exciting at the end – I was giving it everything I had and, of course, Carlos was doing the same," he said.
"I could see he was pushing and charging, but when you're on the DRS it's a lot easier to charge. The last few laps were a lot of fun.
"Luckily, this year, we seem really quick on the straights so that helps a lot."
Lewis Hamilton returned to the podium at the Canadian Grand Prix and sees potential in his car as Mercedes battle issues with their W13 model.
Seven-time world champion Hamilton had not finished on the podium since the season-opener in Bahrain, but secured third place in Montreal behind Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz.
The Briton's struggles have largely been down to his Mercedes W13 car porpoising – otherwise known as bouncing unevenly.
Hamilton faced such difficulties at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, struggling with back problems after a painful ride in Baku that led to doubts over him featuring in the next race.
However, the 37-year-old subsequently confirmed he would compete and spoke gleefully after securing his second podium in nine attempts.
"It's quite overwhelming to get this third place – it's been such a battle this year with the car, but we continue to stay vigilant, focused and never giving up, and that's something I'm proud of," Hamilton said.
"We're getting closer, so we've got to keep pushing and keep pushing, and hopefully we'll eventually be in the fight with these guys."
Hamilton, speaking to Sky Sports after the race, thanked the team working on the car as he reflected on an emotional season.
"I want to say a big shout to the team back home, they are working so hard at the factory week in week out. It’s difficult working and not seeing any progress," he added to Sky Sports.
"It's been a difficult year for me personally and in the car. Qualifying was emotional for me and back in the garage we were like 'wow, this is beautiful for us', we have been working so hard.
"Then to have a strong race just gives me so much hope and confidence that we can move forwards.
"There is potential in this car, it's not currently where we want it to be, it's just got a really small working window and if you don't get it perfect it's all over the place.
"That's a really hard thing to navigate through, but the team did a great job this weekend."
Hamilton's fellow Mercedes team-mate George Russell maintained his run of finishing in the top five in every race this season, settling for fourth.
That saw Mercedes move to 188 points in the constructor standings, 116 behind leaders Red Bull, and Toto Wolff acknowledged his team still have much to work on.
"They were both very good and they were on different set-ups and different rear wing settings. We showed some pace today," Wolff said.
"Before the safety car came out at the end we were actually quicker than Sainz. You're picking out a few laps and saying, 'yeah we are back' but I don't think that's the case yet, we just need to keep on working.
"The way forward, we just need to develop the car in a different window than we had. We were having it really low on the ground and clearly that doesn't function.
"I think before we start looking to fix the problems, you need to understand where the issues are.
"I think we have development direction. We haven't got it right in many areas but we own the problem and we will fix it."
While Russell secured yet another top-five finish, he warned that the issues with cars porpoising is far from over.
"I had total confidence we were able to carve our way past the Haas and Alpines," he said.
"We were certainly concerned [Charles] Leclerc and Checo [Sergio Perez] would be able to come through and be fortunate to keep them behind us.
"Ultimately, our race pace was closer to Ferrari and Red Bull than we've seen all season, but the inherent performance isn't there yet.
"It was a shame I couldn't get the tyres going at the end, probably would have liked to pit before the first safety car, and then have been in the fight at the end.
"Nevertheless, P4, it's good points for the team and great to be back on the podium for the team.
"It was definitely bumpy out there, down the straight the car was just hitting the ground. It'll be a good sleep again tonight for sure.
"I think there are so many different factors [with the porpoising], this global issue with the 2022 cars is far from over."
Max Verstappen showed dogged resistance to secure victory in the Canadian Grand Prix after holding off Carlos Sainz, as Lewis Hamilton returned to the podium.
After the ninth leg of the 22-race season, Verstappen's lead in the Formula One drivers' championship stands at 46 points, and that is because his Red Bull team-mate and closest rival in the championship Sergio Perez was an early casualty in Montreal.
Sainz, in the Ferrari, clung tight behind Verstappen over the closing laps after a lengthy safety car delay but could not quite forge an overtaking opportunity.
That meant Verstappen's 150th grand prix was a triumphant one, as Sainz was kept waiting for his first F1 victory.
Hamilton had not finished on the podium since the season-opening race in Bahrain, a wait of seven races, so the Briton was delighted to get third, ahead of Mercedes team-mate George Russell. Hamilton said it was "quite overwhelming".
Perez, who crashed out in Q2 on Saturday, pulled over to the side of the track and abandoned the race on lap nine, seeming to lose power and complaining of being stuck in gear.
It was clear that Fernando Alonso, in the Alpine, would not be able to convert second place on the grid into a top-three finish as the two-time champion gradually drifted down the field.
Alonso did not pit until lap 29 and came back out on hard tyres in seventh place, behind team-mate Esteban Ocon and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.
Leclerc first went to the pits on the 42nd lap, but it was a painfully sluggish stop and left the man from Monte Carlo down in 12th place. It was a credit to him and his team that he was able to surge through the field and close in to just three points behind Perez in the championship.
Yuki Tsunoda crashed out on lap 49 and that forced the drivers to proceed behind the safety car for five laps, drawing the field tightly together.
Leclerc, who started on the back row of the grid after his car was fitted with an all-new power unit, jumped ahead of the Alpines of Alonso and Ocon to go fifth, while at the front, Verstappen fittingly showed the defence of a champion to fend off Sainz.
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