Ben Simmons has little doubt what is in store for him when he returns to the Philadelphia 76ers this week, having finally found form with the Brooklyn Nets.
An ugly stand-off between Simmons and the 76ers eventually came to an end in February when he was traded to the Nets in the deal that took James Harden to Philly.
The messy exit was in the best interests of both parties, but Simmons acknowledged there will be little love lost from a typically boisterous Philadelphia crowd when the teams meet on Tuesday.
"In Philly?" Simmons replied with a sarcastic smile when asked if enough time had elapsed that he might not get an unfriendly reception. "Come on now. I know what's coming."
Despite his expectations of hostility, Simmons talked up the passion of Philadelphia sports fans.
"One thing about Philly fans, they're incredible. They're diehard Philly. I respect that about the city. It's a sports town," Simmons said.
"I was 18 years old coming into Philly, so it's really the only place I've lived as an adult. I've got a lot of love for that city.
"People don't know that, but a lot of my best friends are from Philadelphia. My brother still lives in Philadelphia. So, regardless of the [basketball] situation, and whatever happened happened, but I've got a lot of love for that city. I look forward to going down there and playing."
For Simmons, the timing of the game could hardly be better given he is starting to find his groove again.
Coming off a season-best performance against the Portland Trail Blazers last time out, Simmons went even better with 22 points, eight rebounds and five assists as the Nets downed the Memphis Grizzlies 127-115 on Sunday.
It means he has 37 points, 21 rebounds and 12 assists over his past two games. It took him until the 10th game this season to even put up a double-figure points return, while the last time he had a 20-point game was with the 76ers in the first round of the 2021 playoffs.
"It takes time," Simmons said about his improvement.
"I'm just trying to build my consistency. Stay focused on what I can do. I know what I can do. I know what I'm capable of. I'm not surprised [I'm playing well]."
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones declared his side unequivocally as Super Bowl contenders after a comprehensive 40-3 win over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
The Cowboys improved to 7-3 with the win against the 8-2 Vikings, who were on a seven-game win streak having knocked off the Buffalo Bills in overtime last week, in arguably the game of the season.
Dallas had suffered a shock 31-28 loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 10 where they collapsed in the fourth quarter.
But Jones was full of belief after their win over the Vikings, fueled by two touchdowns each to Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard, keeping them in touch with NFC East leaders, the Philadelphia Eagles (9-1).
"A resounding yes. Yes. Unequivocally," Jones said when asked if the Cowboys were Super Bowl contenders.
"I think we've had adversity. We very easily could have more adversity… Yes, I think if we use the experience of what we're having in the season, then we're going to be playoff ready.
"But I sure do think that what I see out here right now is the team like that you could go get a Super Bowl with."
The Cowboys' 40-3 win was their largest road win in team history, coming against one of the two sides ahead of them in the conference.
"I too thought this game was going to tell us what we are," Jones said. "I don't know that we're that. I really don't. But I know this, that we're not a team that doesn't respond when it's wounded.
"Everybody thought against the Packers that we underplayed, and I think you saw what happened when we got out here tonight and the team all came together. We'll build from this."
Jones also discussed speculation about three-time Pro Bowler Odell Beckham Jr joining the Cowboys, revealing he will visit after their next game against the New York Giants.
"Certainly, it's time for us to sit down and visit," Jones said.
It has been reported that Beckham Jr, who is currently sidelined from an ACL injury sustained in last season's Super Bowl, will also visit the Giants after Thanksgiving.
Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell conceded the defeat was humbling for his side, who were kept scoreless for the latter three quarters.
"This league has a way of humbling any football team at any point in time if you don’t play good football," O'Connell told reporters.
Kyrie Irving never doubted he would return for the Brooklyn Nets after his team-imposed suspension, while he declined to answer questions about the Israel United in Christ group that turned out at Barclays Center in support of him.
Irving made his NBA return after eight games out due to suspension for sharing a social media post about a book and film with antisemitic tropes, scoring 14 points in 26 minutes in a 127-115 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.
The All-Star's return to the NBA came after a lengthy remediation process that split opinions, involving the Nets, the league, the NBPA and Irving, who also met with key community members.
"Never had a doubt," Irving responded after the game when asked if he feared the situation may mean he would never play for the Nets again.
On his return, Irving added: "I felt good. I missed my teammates, missed the coaching staff… It felt good to get this game out of the way. Now we can move forward with the rest of the season."
Prior to the game, approximately 100 members from Israel United in Christ group were outside the venue, chanting and handing out flyers headlined "The Truth About Anti-Semitism" and "The Truth about Slavery".
The group has been designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center yet appeared to be in support of Irving's social media post that led to his suspension.
"I think that's a conversation for another day. I'm just here to focus on the game," Irving said when asked about the group's presence.
When asked again, he added: "Again I'm just here to focus on the game."
Boston Celtics swingman and NBPA vice-president Jaylen Brown retweeted a social media video of the group, writing "energy".
Brown later backtracked on the post, but did not delete it. He wrote: "I was not aware of what specific group that was outside of Barclay’s Center tonight. I was celebrating the unification of our people welcoming the return of Kyrie to the court, first glance I thought it was a known fraternity the (C/Que’s) Omega psi phi (step’n) showing support."
Travis Kelce scored three touchdowns as the Kansas City Chiefs secured a huge 30-27 AFC West divisional victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.
Patrick Mahomes found Kelce for a 17-yard touchdown with 31 seconds remaining to earn the Chiefs the victory, after the Chargers had re-claimed the lead when Josh Palmer scored his second TD with 1:51 left. There were six lead changes across the game, including three in the final quarter.
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert's desperate deep pass for Keenan Allen was intercepted by Nick Bolton on a deflection with 26 seconds remaining to end the game.
Kelce finished with three touchdowns on six receptions for 115 yards, with Mahomes throwing three TDs on 20-of-34 passing for 327 yards. The win was the Chiefs' fourth in a row and moved them to 8-2 in top spot in the AFC West, with the Chargers second at 5-5.
Herbert completed 23 of 30 passes for 280 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, while he was sacked a career-high five times. The Chargers had allowed the fewest sacks in the NFL through 10 games coming in, at 13.
The Chargers led 20-13 at half-time, with Herbert threading a 50-yard first-quarter pass for Palmer. Kelce put the Chiefs ahead early in the second quarter, capping a seven-play 75-yard drive, before Austin Ekeler restored the hosts' lead.
The Chiefs went ahead again early in the fourth when Mahomes' 32-yard pass found Kelce.
Chargers veteran Allen was guilty of a fumble but pulled off a great catch in their next drive on a 46-yard sideline shot, leading to Palmer's second TD. But the Chiefs had the last laugh, with Kelce bursting through for the decisive score on a six-play 75-yard drive.
Damian Lillard will be sidelined for the Portland Trail Blazers' next few games after an MRI scan confirmed he suffered a grade one calf strain in Saturday's 118-113 loss to the Utah Jazz.
The 32-year-old All-Star already missed four games this season with a calf injury, but this issue is in a different area to his previous injury.
The Blazers confirmed on Sunday that Lillard "will be re-evaluated in one to two weeks", meaning he will likely miss their upcoming games against the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday, the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday and the New York Knicks on Friday.
"An MRI taken Saturday night postgame vs. Utah on Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard revealed a grade one strain to the soleus muscle in the right lower leg," the Blazers said.
Lillard left Saturday's game in the third quarter with 13 points from 27 minutes. He said after the game that "the last time was worse".
"When I first strained it, I knew right away. The reason I took myself out is so hopefully this time we can get ahead of it instead of me staying out there and putting myself in a worse position."
Lillard is averaging 26.3 points and 7.0 assists this season for the Blazers, who are 10-6 and third in the Western Conference.
The Splash Brothers were at the peak of their powers in the Golden State Warriors' 127-120 road win against the Houston Rockets on Sunday.
Fresh off his first NBA Finals MVP, Stephen Curry continued his remarkable season with 33 points (11-of-20 shooting, seven-of-14 from three-point range) and a season-high 15 assists. It was one assist shy of his career high, set back in 2013 and matched in 2014.
But the story was his backcourt partner Klay Thompson, who is shooting a career-worst percentage from both the field (36.3 per cent) and from long-range (33.6 per cent) this season.
He began to right the ship with a stunning 43-point performance, hitting 10 of his 13 three-point attempts on his way to 14-of-23 shooting. It is the sixth game of his career with at least 10 three-pointers in a game, and he also owns the all-time record with 14.
For the Rockets, the third overall selection from this year's NBA Draft, Jabari Smith Jr, showed exactly why he was so highly coveted. The long-armed, six-foot-11 power forward scored a season-high 22 points on eight-of-14 shooting, hitting three long-balls.
The win is the Warriors' first on the road this season from nine attempts, giving them an 8-9 record, while the Rockets fell to 3-14.
Durant makes history in Irving's return
Kevin Durant became the fourth player in NBA history to score at least 25 points in the first 17 games of a season in Sunday's 127-115 victory against the Memphis Grizzlies.
In the return of Kyrie Irving from his team-imposed suspension, Durant led the Nets with 26 points on nine-of-16 shooting, adding seven rebounds, seven assists, a steal and a block. The last player to score at least 25 in their first 17 games of a season was Rick Barry back in the 1966-67 campaign.
The Nets also benefited from Ben Simmons' best game since arriving with the team, scoring a season-high 22 points on 11-of-13 shooting with eight rebounds and five assists, boasting a game-high plus/minus of plus 19.
Irving was quiet in his return, hitting five-of-12 shots for 14 points and zero assists with four turnovers.
Fox leads the Kings to sixth win in a row
The Sacramento Kings have now won six games in a row after a 137-129 shootout against the Detroit Pistons.
Sacramento have scored at least 120 points in each of their wins on this streak, highlighted by a 153-point outing against the Nets, which is the most points scored by any team this season.
De'Aaron Fox top-scored with 33 points on 11-of-18 shooting, adding seven assists. After never previously shooting better than 48 per cent in a season, Fox is 55.4 per cent from the field this campaign, and a career-best 37.5 per cent from three.
Ireland's Josh van der Flier has been named men's World Rugby Player of the Year, while New Zealand duo Ruahei Demant and Wayne Smith both scooped another big prize.
The Leinster flanker was presented with the prestigious award in Monaco on Sunday after playing a huge part in Ireland's rise to the top of the rankings.
Van der Flier beat off competition from France scrum-half Antoine Dupont, winner of the award last year, South Africa centre Lukhanyo Am and his Ireland team-mate Johnny Sexton to land the gong.
The 29-year-old has been outstanding in a memorable year for Ireland, who secured a historic maiden series win over the All Blacks in New Zealand.
He is the third Irishman to win the award after Keith Wood in 2001 and Sexton four years ago.
Co-captain Demant was named women's World Rugby Player of the Year following New Zealand's World Cup triumph on home soil.
Demant's team-mate Portia Woodman, England's Alex Matthews, Sophie de Goede of Canada and France's Laure Sansus were also on the shortlist.
Smith was presented with the Coach of the Year award following the Black Ferns' win over England.
Ireland men's head coach Andy Farrell, France men's head coach Fabien Galthie and England women's boss Simon Middleton missed out on that honour to Smith.
Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields is feeling the effects of Sunday's 27-24 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, telling reporters he hurt his left shoulder late in the contest.
Fields has broken out over the past couple of months, establishing himself as the Bears' quarterback of the future, but it is yet to translate to wins.
After only throwing a touchdown pass in one of Chicago's first four games, Fields has now thrown a touchdown pass in each of their past seven fixtures, going 1-6 in that stretch.
It is hardly Fields' fault, with the defense conceding an average of 35.5 points per game across their past four outings, while Fields has also broken the record for rushing yards from a quarterback in a single regular season game (178) and the record for most over a two-game span (325).
Attempting to come back from a late deficit against the Falcons, Fields told reporters he believes he landed on it awkwardly, forcing him to finish the game in pain.
"I don't know what happened, to be honest with you," he said. "I just landed on it, I think.
"I was hurting, but it was the last drive of the game. I tried to be there for my teammates and fight through the pain.
"The pain right now is pretty bad. I'll just take it day by day and see how it feels later in the week."
Bears head coach Matt Eberflus added they are expecting an update mid-week.
"We will have an update on Wednesday," he said. "We don't know what exactly it is, that's why we are going to take a look at it."
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is possibly dealing with a concussion for the second time in three weeks after he left in the third quarter of Sunday’s 27-20 loss at the New Orleans Saints.
Stafford exited the game after appearing to hit his head on the turf and then being sacked to end that same drive.
The Rams said Stafford was being evaluated for a concussion, but coach Sean McVay said after the game he was not sure if his Super Bowl champion signal-caller was in the NFL’s concussion protocol.
Stafford cleared the league’s protocol on Friday after missing last week’s 27-17 home loss to the Arizona Cardinals due to a hit he took in a 16-13 defeat at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on November 6.
Following Sunday’s loss, McVay said he had no update on Stafford’s status.
''I need to talk to the doctors,'' McVay said. ''Obviously we need to make a smart decision for Matthew and see where we're at with that.
"I know how he was feeling, and we made the decision it was going to be in his best interest to not have him continue to play.''
The Rams have lost four in a row to fall to 3-7 and equal the worst 10-game record of any defending Super Bowl champion.
The Dallas Cowboys sent a statement to the rest of the NFL with an eye-opening 40-3 road win against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
Warning signs were there early that it may not be the Vikings' day as Defensive Player of the Year favourite Micah Parsons came roaring around the edge for a strip-sack, forcing a turnover from Minnesota's third play of the game.
In his return from injury, Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott scored the game's first touchdown, and his backfield partner Tony Pollard made it 14-3 in the second quarter when he took a short pass down the sideline for his own touchdown.
Pollard would strike again to begin the second half, this time getting on the end of a deep pass from Dak Prescott for a 68-yard touchdown, and it was 37-3 late in the third quarter after Elliott also forced his way in from the one-yard line for his second score.
Prescott completed a terrific 22 of his 25 passes to set a new season-high completion percentage (88 per cent), tallying 276 yards, and it was the first game this campaign he did not take a single sack.
Pollard and Elliott finished with 15 carries each, while Pollard also collected 109 receiving yards from six catches.
In his past three games, Pollard has had 326 rushing yards, 138 receiving yards and six touchdowns.
Adams delivers walk-off winner for Las Vegas
In a low-scoring, grinding contest, the Las Vegas Raiders needed some brilliance in overtime from Davante Adams to defeat the Denver Broncos 22-16.
There were no touchdowns in the second half as both sides continued to fight for field goals, and the Raiders came back to tie it at 16-16 after mounting a crucial drive with less than two minutes remaining in regulation.
In overtime, the Raiders won the toss and opted to receive the ball first, and it paid off. After a deep completion down the middle to Foster Moreau, Adams completely shook his coverage and got himself wide open for the game-winning score.
Adams finished with seven catches for 141 yards and both of the Raiders' touchdowns.
Novak Djokovic has no doubt in his own mind he is the best tennis player in the world, regardless of what the rankings say.
After clinching a record-equalling sixth ATP Finals title by downing Casper Ruud in Turin, Djokovic reflected on a turbulent 2022 season in which he was unable to play in two of the four grand slam events.
His refusal to accept a COVID-19 vaccination meant Djokovic was denied permission to compete at the Australian Open and US Open, while the various tennis authorities' reaction to the Ukraine crisis meant no ranking points were on offer at Wimbledon.
Indeed, Djokovic successfully defended his title at the All England Club, but in doing so he lost all of his 2,000 points for being the 2021 champion.
As such, he entered the ATP Finals as the world number eight, with his unbeaten run at the tournament seeing him collect 1,500 points and jump up to fifth on the ATP ranking list.
Carlos Alcaraz is the number one for now, after a stellar season for the 19-year-old Spaniard in which the highlight was his US Open victory, but Djokovic will be the favourite with many for the Australian Open, with authorities expected to allow him to play next year.
Asked if he was the world's best player, Djokovic said: "I'm not. I'm fifth."
That came with a smile from the Serbian, who added: "This week I probably am [the best]. Overall the rankings are showing who had the best year, and Alcaraz is the number one in the world. Not much to say about that.
"But in my mind I always see myself as the best player in the world, of course. I have that kind of mentality and that kind of approach. Regardless of who is across the net, regardless of what the surface is, regardless of what season it is, what number of the professional season in my career we're facing, I mean, it's always the same. The ambitions are as high as possible.
"That kind of approach, I feel it brought me to where I am sitting here today as a 35-year-old, holding one of the biggest trophies in the sport."
The 21-time grand slam winner, one behind Rafael Nadal on the men's all-time singles list, said the prospects for future success come down to his "love and passion" for tennis.
"As long as that's there I'll do anything in my power to challenge the young guys for the biggest trophies," Djokovic said.
"I don't know what the future holds, but I know that what I hold in my mind is a huge hunger still to win trophies, make history of this sport, compete on the highest level all around the world, bring good emotions to sports fans, tennis fans."
Djokovic was greeted after the final by Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, another sporting evergreen at the age of 41, albeit very much in his career twilight.
The same cannot be said yet for Djokovic, who may have several seasons left at this high level.
His coach, former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic, watched on admiringly as Djokovic won 7-5 6-3 in Turin against Ruud on Sunday.
According to Croatian Ivanisevic, the key to Djokovic's success in his mid-thirties is his relentless work rate.
"He's practising even harder than when he was 22," said Ivanisevic. "That's why he's still so good and that's why he's still going to be even better.
"The will to practise, the will to improve, the will to be better is amazing. He's taking care of his body. In my time we stopped tennis at 30, 31. You were already an old guy ready to leave.
"They all talk about, yes, young players are coming. It's great for tennis. You have the youngest number one in the world who made unbelievable things this year, Carlos. But look at Novak. He's still hungry, he's still winning the tournament, playing unbelievable tennis. He's still already thinking now about preparation for next season.
"Till he's like that, in his mind he's going to be always competitive, favourite to win majors and the big tournaments."
New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh made it clear Zach Wilson's status as starting quarterback is not under threat, despite a woeful offensive display against the New England Patriots.
Wilson had just nine completions for 77 yards in the 10-3 defeat, the Jets losing on a last-second punt return, with the team combining for just 103 yards overall and having more punts (10) than first downs (6).
In the second half, the Jets remarkably gained just two net yards on offense and Saleh gave a blunt description of his side's showing post-game, describing it as "dog s***".
While Saleh also conceded there was never a point where he thought the offense would get going, he retains faith in under-fire quarterback Wilson.
Asked about the status of the 2021 second overall pick, he said: "That's the furthest thing on my mind.
"I've told you guys before, Zach's our quarterback and we're going to, we've got to, find ways to help him get better."
Despite a poor showing that will see criticism on the second-year quarterback increase, Wilson said he does not feel he let down the defense.
"No. It sucks to lose, but we have a lot of season left," he replied.
Defeat leaves the Jets 6-4 for the season in the extremely tight AFC East, with the Patriots having the same record while the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills are 7-3. The Jets host the 3-8 Chicago Bears in Week 12.
The surprisingly successful Utah Jazz will be without veteran point guard Mike Conley for at least the next two weeks after he was diagnosed with a sprained knee.
Conley, 35, is averaging just 10.2 points per game this season for his lowest figure since his rookie season back in the 2007-08 season, but his 7.9 assists per game is setting a new career-high.
His leadership and ball distribution have helped the Jazz to 12-6 record – the best in the Western Conference – in a season where they were expected to bottom-out after trading away max-contract talents Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell in the offseason.
During Utah's 118-113 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday, Conley left the game after playing only eight minutes, going down awkwardly with a non-contact knee injury.
Usually a sign of significant damage, Conley dodged a bullet when it was revealed on Sunday by The Athletic's Shams Charania that he had only suffered a knee sprain, and could be back in as little as two weeks.
His absence could lead to increased opportunity for Collin Sexton, who has been relegated to a bench role since arriving from the Cleveland Cavaliers as part of the trade for Mitchell.
Marcus Jones scored the first punt return touchdown of the NFL season in the final seconds as the New England Patriots continued their hoodoo over the New York Jets.
The AFC East rivals appeared destined to take a game severely short on offensive production into overtime.
However, with the game locked in a 3-3 tie, rookie Jones took Braden Mann's punt back 84 yards to clinch a 10-3 win for New England and spark delirium at Gillette Stadium.
The dramatic ending was in stark contrast to the nature of a game that saw field goals from Nick Folk and Greg Zuerlein in the second quarter as the only scoring prior to Jones' decisive touchdown.
His return means the Patriots have won their last 14 games against the Jets, who were held to 2.1 yards per play in an offensive performance likely to spark significant questions about second-year quarterback Zach Wilson.
Had they ended their drought against New England, the Jets would have sat atop an ultra-competitive AFC East.
Instead, their defeat, combined with the Buffalo Bills' win over the Cleveland Browns, means drops them to the bottom of the division at 6-4.
Eagles survive scare
The Philadelphia Eagles lost for the first time on Monday, suffering defeat at the hands of the Washington Commanders, and they narrowly avoided a second successive loss on Sunday.
Philadelphia trailed the Indianapolis Colts, playing their second game under interim coach Jeff Saturday, 13-3 going into the fourth quarter.
But Jalen Hurts threw a 22-yard touchdown to Quez Watkins to set a comeback in motion, and eventually broke Indianapolis hearts with a seven-yard touchdown run with 80 seconds left, improving the NFC-leading Eagles to 9-1 with a 17-16 win.
Philadelphia also gained extra breathing room in the NFC East as the New York Giants dropped to 7-3 with a home loss to the Detroit Lions.
Patterson makes history in Falcons win
The Atlanta Falcons are still in the mix in the NFC playoff picture after coming through a thrilling game with the Chicago Bears 27-24.
It is a win Cordarrelle Patterson will remember forever after he took a kick return 103 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter. Patterson's score marked the ninth kick return touchdown of his career and saw him claim the outright record for the most in NFL history
Atlanta's NFC South rivals, the Carolina Panthers, lost 13-3 to the Baltimore Ravens, who are now 7-3 at the top of the AFC North.
Adam Svensson played the weekend of his life to claim his maiden PGA Tour victory, fighting back from a one-over opening round to win the RSM Classic with a score of 19 under.
Canadian Svensson the competition on the Plantation Course at Sea Island Resort and struggled, but he found much more success on the Seaside Course following his opening round.
After posting a 64 on Friday, he followed that with the best round on Saturday, two strokes better than anybody else with his eight-under 62.
He continued that momentum on Sunday, going bogey-free with six birdies to equal the day's top round again, including back-to-back birdies on the 16th and 17th holes to turn a four-way tie atop the leaderboard into a two-stroke lead.
Svensson, 28, had not secured a top-10 finish on the PGA Tour until last season, collecting three, and with a par on the 18th hole he secured the first win of his career in his 70th start.
Speaking to the media after stepping off the final green, he was emotional as he reflected on his journey to this point.
"To be honest, it's not even real right now," he said. "I'm just so happy, I put so much work in. To win on the PGA Tour – it means everything to me.
"It's been an up-and-down journey, I've had lows, I've had highs, but I kept believing in myself, and here I am."
In a three-way tie for second was England's Callum Tarren, along with American duo Sahith Theegala and Brian Harman.
Recent winner of the Bermuda Championship, Seamus Power, was two further back at 15 under in a tie for fifth, and he was joined by a group that included 23-year-old Cole Hammer, who rode the opening-round lead to the best finish of his career.
Novak Djokovic ended his "roller coaster year" on a roaring high with victory at the ATP Finals, matching Roger Federer's record of six titles by sinking the hopes of Casper Ruud.
The Serbian said he had spent the season "on the needles", his colourful way of describing the nervousness and discomfort he had experienced during a campaign which saw him prevented from playing in Australia and North America.
Djokovic, who has refused to take a COVID-19 vaccination, has seen his career suffer because of that firm stance. He was thrown out of Australia in January, a humiliating way to begin the year.
Yet there is little doubting the 35-year-old remains the pre-eminent player on tour heading towards the 2023 season, even with the rise of Carlos Alcaraz, who ends the year as world number one.
A first ATP Finals triumph for Djokovic came in 2008, and he then won four in a row from 2012 to 2015, and now he has carried off the trophy once more, plus a cheque worth $4.74million, the biggest prize ever paid out in tennis.
"Seven years, it's been a long time. At the same time, the fact I've waited seven years makes this victory even sweeter and even bigger," Djokovic said.
Speaking on Amazon Prime, Djokovic said the win after all he has gone through felt "huge".
"I probably talked about this season and how unusual it is 1,000 times prior to this interview, so I'm not going to repeat what most people who follow tennis know," he said.
"[It's] just a big relief and satisfaction, and also I look forward to having a couple of weeks off, because I've been on the needles the entire year, whether for tournaments or waiting for permissions to go somewhere, so I'm really glad I managed to end it in a positive way."
He is the oldest champion in the tournament's 53-year history, breaking a record held by Federer, who was 30 when he won in 2011.
Djokovic said it was "really, really impressive" for Ruud to have reached grand slam finals in Paris and New York, and the ATP Finals title match, in a stellar year for the 23-year-old Norwegian.
But Djokovic was ruthless in Sunday's final, emerging a 7-5 6-3 winner thanks to a break of serve in each set, earning a fifth title of his disrupted year following wins at Wimbledon, Rome, Astana and Tel Aviv.
Thanking his team and supporters during the trophy presentation for "going through some tough times" with him, Djokovic said there were moments where he had needed "a shoulder to lean on, a shoulder to cry on".
The 21-time grand slam winner added: "It's been a roller coaster year really, something I've never experienced ever before in my life, and only we know what we've been through."
Former Trinidad and Tobago gymnast Thema Williams has opened a gym intended to be a safe space for all-rounded childhood athletic development.
The talented gymnast said her aim is to “create initiatives that foster teamwork through sport and culture.”
“We envision an environment in sport built on the pillars of accountability, equity, integrity, knowledge and transparency,” she in an interview with T&T newspaper Newsday.
“I started by offering private gymnastics classes during the pandemic, and word quickly spread throughout a network of reputable people. Before I knew it, I had five clients weekly.”
She has poured a lot of sweat into making her idea into reality even making her own equipment. She revealed that she made a balance beam, her first, from wood from her home storage unit and used foam and glue to fashion mats.
The demand for her teaching was so great that she had more than 100 students enrolled by the end of 2021, which then prompted her decision to open a gym.
In 2018, Williams won a court battle against the Trinidad and Tobago Gymnastics Federation that was deemed to have discriminated against the gymnast when they withdrew her from the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, Brazil. In her place, the TTGF selected Canadian-born gymnast Marisa Dick.
She was awarded damages amounting to more than $TT200,000. However, the TTGF did not turn over the cash until a few weeks ago when a high court judge ordered Republic Bank where the gymnastics federation held an account, to cut a cheque for more than $230,000 to pay the athlete.
Novak Djokovic ended his tumultuous year on a breathtaking high by dismantling Casper Ruud to win the title match at the ATP Finals, pocketing almost $5million in the process.
The man who was deported from Australia after a vaccination and visa dispute in January, then refused entry to the United States later in the campaign, scorched to a 7-5 6-3 victory against rising star Ruud.
This was a sixth triumph for Djokovic at the ATP Finals, matching Roger Federer's record, and at the age of 35 he is also the oldest champion at the event. Federer was previously the oldest, being 30 when he captured the 2011 title in London.
The tournament has since moved to Turin, and Djokovic reels in $4.74million for a victory that shows he remains the player to beat, wherever and whenever he gets the chance to play.
Serbian superstar Djokovic had two chances to break in the second game but Ruud resisted, and the younger man saved another break point in the eighth game too, but a further opportunity came at 6-5 after Ruud paddled a backhand into the net. The 23-year-old Norwegian sent the ball long in the next rally to slip behind.
It was becoming a masterclass from Djokovic and he was pummelling the ball from the back of the court, breaking Ruud's serve for a 3-1 lead in the second set. Djokovic later won a 36-shot rally to set up championship point, sealing victory with an ace down the centre.
Ruud, a runner-up this season at the French Open and US Open, had watched each of Djokovic's previous ATP Finals victories on television, and this time he had a prime spot to witness the 21-time grand slam winner at the top of his game.
Try as he might, Ruud could not find a way to fight back once the stranglehold was with Djokovic, who heads towards 2023 with his appetite for the biggest trophies in tennis far from sated.
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Djokovic – 9/0
Ruud – 6/1
WINNERS
Djokovic – 31
Ruud – 17
BREAK POINTS WON
Djokovic – 2/5
Ruud – 0/0
Kyrie Irving is available again after an eight-game ban ahead of the Brooklyn Nets hosting the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday.
The 30-year-old NBA star had been serving a suspension imposed by the Nets on November 3 for sharing a social media post on a book and film that featured anti-semitic tropes.
Irving verbally apologised for the post for the first time on Saturday, saying he was "deeply" sorry to the Jewish community.
The Nets initially listed Irving as "questionable" for the Grizzlies clash at Barclays Center, before confirming on Sunday he would be available.
Irving said he has been on a "learning journey" as part of his suspension and reintegration into the Nets team, before reiterating his sorrow to reporters on Sunday, offering: "my deep apologies to all those who are impacted over the last few weeks".
"I don't stand for anything close to hate speech, or anti-semitism, or anything that is anti going against the human race," he said. "I feel like we all should have an opportunity to speak for ourselves when things are assumed about us.
"And I feel it was necessary for me to stand in this place and take accountability for my actions because there was a way I should have handled all of this.
"... I meant no harm to any person, any group of people. And yeah, this is a big moment for me because I'm able to learn throughout this process that the power of my voice is very strong.
"The influence that I have within my community is very strong, and I want to be responsible for that. In order to do that, we have to admit when you were wrong and instances where you hurt people and it impacts them."
Irving has played just eight games this season as a result of the ban, averaging 26.9 points, as well as 5.1 assists and 5.1 rebounds.
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