Thriston Lawrence said winning this week's DP World Tour Championship and overhauling Rory McIlroy to clinch the Race to Dubai title would "mean the world" to him.
Lawrence is the only player who can prevent McIlroy from winning the Race to Dubai title – formerly the Order of Merit – and joining the late Seve Ballesteros on six and going only two behind Colin Montgomerie's record.
The South African, however, needs a victory at Jumeirah Golf Estates and then needs Northern Irishman McIlroy to finish tied for 11th or lower.
McIlroy finished third at the Abu Dhabi Championship last weekend, crucially finishing a shot ahead of Lawrence as Paul Waring claimed his second DP World Tour success, and his first title in six years.
Lawrence has had five runner-up finishes - including at The Open and the BMW PGA Championship - and five more top-10s during an impressive campaign.
It leaves him currently 1,785 points behind McIlroy with 2,000 available to the winner in Dubai, and Lawrence is relishing the opportunity of competing against his "idol".
"It's nice to have a chance," Lawrence said in his pre-tournament press conference. "It's going to take a lot, but just incredible to have an opportunity. I'm very grateful just to be inside the top 50 to be able to compete this week.
"It has been an unbelievable year. Rory [McIlroy] has been an idol for me since growing up as a youngster and being able to clinch it this week would be the cherry on the cake for myself.
"It would mean the world - being the best golfer on the European Tour over the year is an unbelievable achievement.
"Sitting here right now, I've achieved a lot of things that I've wanted to. But to get this trophy behind me would just be unbelievable."
Lawrence won twice on the DP World Tour in each of his first two seasons and has since moved inside the world's top 50 despite his only 2024 victory coming on the Sunshine Tour, with the 27-year-old proud of his progression as a golfer.
"The consistency has been the highlight," Lawrence added. "Finishing in the top 10 ten times this year proves that I'm growing as a golfer, and I'm getting more comfortable out here.
"Obviously, ranking-wise, it's the best season I've had in my life. I won twice in my rookie year, twice last year. This year, I won on the Sunshine Tour, which is nice.
"I always feel like with the strength of golfers in today's time, winning on any tour is quite an achievement.
"Not won on this tour yet, but there is still one event left, so maybe it's my time this week. Where I am now, it just feels comfortable.
"It feels like I can win every week. Just to see myself grow from two years ago is just unbelievable."
Dak Prescott won't play again for the Dallas Cowboys this season.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said that Prescott will undergo surgery on Wednesday to repair his torn hamstring and is out for the remainder of the season.
"His prognosis is wonderful," Jones said Tuesday on his weekly radio appearance on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. "It just means we're not going to have him for the rest of the year."
Prescott sustained the injury in the Cowboys' 27-21 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on November 3, and he sat out this past Sunday's 34-6 home drubbing by the Philadelphia Eagles - Dallas' fourth consecutive defeat.
There was some hope that he wouldn't need surgery and return this season, but he has decided to have the procedure to repair a partial avulsion of the hamstring tendon.
The recovery time for his surgery is at least three months, and the Super Bowl is just under three months away.
With a 3-6 record, Dallas' chances of making the Super Bowl are slim, and it looks like the franchise will miss the play-offs for the first time since 2020 after going 12-5 each of the past three seasons.
The Cowboys' offence also looked completely inept in its first game without Prescott.
Cooper Rush started against the Eagles, but threw for just 45 yards - the fewest by a Cowboys starting quarterback in a game since Matt Cassel had 37 in a 19-16 loss to the New York Jets in 2015.
Trey Lance ended up replacing Rush, and passed for 21 yards, giving Dallas 66 total passing yards - the fewest by the team in a game since having 34 in a 10-6 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2001.
Prescott, who signed a record-breaking, $240million contract hours before this season's opener after finishing as runner-up in NFL MVP voting in 2023, was off to a slow start to the 2024 season with 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions through eight games.
Daniil Medvedev credited his ability to "block out the noise" as crucial in getting his ATP Finals campaign up and running with a straight-sets victory over Alex de Minaur.
Medvedev, who lost his opening game of the tournament to Taylor Fritz, returned to winning ways with a 6-2 6-4 triumph over the Australian in 78 minutes on Tuesday.
The Russian cut a frustrated figure in his defeat to Fritz on Sunday, breaking his racket and was docked a point after serving a third consecutive double fault during the encounter.
However, the fourth seed produced an expertly measured performance, winning 20 out of 31 baseline points in the opening set to claim the early advantage.
The second set was more evenly contested, but Medvedev secured a crucial break point in the ninth game, going on to seal his first top 10 win on hard courts since March.
"After the last match I was too tired to fight mentally the way I do and so, during the match, when it doesn't work your way, you want to win and when you start losing you get frustrated," Medvedev said.
"So I went into this match thinking, if I lose I go home on Thursday for sure and if I win then I have the chance to have a good feeling. I tried to hit some shots and it worked well and I'm ok with it.
"A lot of football players do it [block the noise]. It's more about social media and for sure after my performance with Taylor and some of my comments ... I tried to read it less.
"I went into this match trying to block the noise even from myself, so no tantrums and I really didn't care what was happening on the court."
Medvedev will seek to bolster his hopes of progressing from the John Newcombe Group when he takes on Jannik Sinner next, with the Italian in action against Fritz later on Tuesday.
Data Debrief: Cool, calm and collected
Medvedev kept his hopes of sealing a second ATP Finals crown alive with a composed display against De Minaur, improving his record to 45-19 for the season.
While the Russian produced more unforced errors (18) than De Minaur (15), Medvedev showed his quality by hitting 24 winners, 14 of which came with his forehand.
Medvedev also claimed his sixth top 10 win of 2024, while also improving his head-to-head record against his Australian opponent to 7-3, avenging his defeat in the French Open round of 16 earlier this year.
Mack Hansen has backed Ireland to bounce back from their 23-13 defeat to New Zealand that saw their 19-game home winning streak come to an end.
The loss also saw Ireland tumble from atop the world rankings to third as the All Blacks repeated their World Cup quarter-final success from last year, and also marked New Zealand's first win on Irish soil since 2016.
Ireland had previously won 25 of their 26 home games under Andy Farrell, which was their longest run on home soil, with their latest defeat before last Friday coming against France in 2021 (13-15).
While questions have been asked of a team that have been beaten in three of their past five matches, Hansen was adamant that the mood is not dampened ahead of Friday’s visit of Argentina.
"People are always very eager to jump on you when you’re down. It’s like in South Africa, nobody gave them a hope after the first Test," said Hansen.
“And what happens? They come back and win it. That’s the best thing about this group. The outside noise is outside noise and nobody knows what goes on in here, how hard we work and how resilient we are.
"People can chat away. The people who know us know, unfortunately, it was one of those weeks [against New Zealand], but we’re ready to bounce back.”
Ireland's display was littered with errors against the All Blacks, which included 21 handling mistakes, 30 missed tackles and 13 penalties conceded at the Aviva Stadium.
But eradicating those mistakes could prove difficult when they face Argentina on Friday, who come into the encounter on the back of a 50-18 thrashing of Italy.
Ireland, however, have not lost to the Pumas since the 2015 World Cup quarter-final and have beaten them on the three subsequent occasions they have played in Dublin.
And Hansen is confident his team-mates can respond against Felipe Contepomi's side and continue their impressive run against Argentina.
“There weren’t really hard chats, just honest chats,” added Hansen on Monday's debrief.
"We came to the conclusion that it wasn’t good enough and also that it just wasn’t us.
"So this week we’re looking to right a lot of wrongs and no better place to do it then back in the Aviva in front of a home crowd."
Naomi Osaka is targeting a fifth grand slam win of her career, so says Patrick Mouratoglou.
Osaka, who has won the Australian Open twice and the US Open twice, will head into 2025 as the world number 59.
The former world number one has had a stop-start career in recent years, as she took time away from the sport to focus on her mental health, before then giving birth.
She has taken part in 18 WTA Tour-level competitions this season, with her best effort a run to the quarter-finals at the Qatar Open in February.
Mouratoglou, a former coach of Serena Williams, has been helping to guide the 27-year-old, and he explained Osaka has set her sights on another major crown.
"[With] Serena, motivation was extremely key after she beat the record of [Martina] Navratilova and Chris Evert [to reach 23 Grand Slam singles titles]," he told Sky Sports.
"But I think we worked so well together because I think we were both motivating each other all the time. I knew exactly how to talk to her. She knew exactly how to talk to me. I was pushing her, she was pushing me and that was like that every day.
"So that's why it works so well. For Naomi, it's different because she really feels she has to give and do much more. She had two very difficult years.
"First, she had this mental health issue, and then she had a baby. So she's been out, and then she restarted the year this season and it was not a very good season.
"Before the first tournament we did together she was 80 in the world and she knows she can do much better than that.
"She's extremely motivated to come back and win grand slams, and it's a pleasure for me because that's the dream of every coach: to have a player who has that level of motivation."
Trinidad and Tobago’s Benjamin Martin joined American Mac McClear atop the standings at the 57th Jamaica Open Golf Championships after another positive display on Monday’s second day of action at Tryall Golf Club in Hanover.
Both Martin and McClear are tied at six under par 138 heading into Tuesday’s final day, which will determine this year’s Jamaica Open champion.
Martin, who shot 70 on Sunday’s first day, showed great composure to achieve a four under par 68 on day two, a performance that propelled him into contention for top honours.
“It’s always nice to lead, and I hope it can stay that way for the final round. It is key to stick to the routine, take it one shot at a time, and try your best,” Martin said.
Interestingly, Jacob Lehman of Canada also posted a four under par 68 to move fifth overall at two under par.
McClear, who scored a one under par 71 for the second round, acknowledged that he fell well short of his day one performance, a five under par 67.
“I didn’t have my best stuff today. I didn’t do a whole lot right, but I battled hard and am happy to be tied for the lead. I just have to do the same thing as I have been doing the last two days, which has been working so far, so I’ll just keep doing it,” he said.
Another American Ryan Sullivan and Frenchman Pierre Viallaneix are tied for third place on 139. They were just one stroke off the leaders, which makes for an exciting final day.
Justin Burrowes is the best-placed professional Jamaican golfer in seventh at 144, and he expressed pleasure with his performance in the championship so far.
“It feels good, I would say. I know I could do a little better for sure, but I feel like I am in a good spot after two days. I just have to keep on doing what I am doing, stick to the process, and kind of enjoy it. I feel like I have enjoyed it a lot more this year than last year, so that really helps when you are not focused on all of the external stuff, so I just plan to do more of the same tomorrow, hopefully some puts fall in and that’s about it,” Burrowes reasoned.
Meanwhile, Trey Williams, who recently excited the junior ranks, was having his best run at the Jamaica Open. His two-day score of six over par 150 puts him at three shots ahead of his nearest competitor in the amateur section.
Oshae Haye, the day one joint leader, ended the penultimate round three shots behind Williams on 153, while Sean Morris, the defending champion, occupied the third spot but was just one stroke back on 154 after shooting two over par 74 in the round.
Oklahoma City Thunder talisman Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shrugged off his career-high 45 points as he suggested the showing "didn't feel special".
Gilgeous-Alexander's 14th career 40-point game inspired the Thunder to a 134-126 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday.
Yet Gilgeous-Alexander did not want to play up the importance of his haul, as he instead focuses on pushing for a deeper postseason run this time around.
"It didn't feel special," Gilgeous-Alexander said.
"It didn't feel like I did something I'd never done before. Just felt like another basketball game. I felt like I should have had more, missed some easy shots, but [that's] the game.
"I don't say this to slight my teammates, but I feel like the end of our season last year in the playoffs, obviously for a lot of them, it was the first time in the playoffs and playing games that meaningful.
"I don't want to say they weren't ready, but I feel like I could have equipped them better throughout the year in taking [certain] shots, getting to spots and being more comfortable in certain positions on the court, especially offensively.
"I feel like in the playoffs we were good defensively and offensively is why we lost. And part of my job is to make sure that my teammates are confident and are ready for big moments."
Gilgeous-Alexander had to step up against the Clippers, given his star teammate Chet Holmgren faces up to two months out due to a hip injury.
He is the first player in the Thunder's franchise history to record at least 45 points and five steals in a single game, and he explained how he was set on getting Oklahoma City back on track after their defeat to the Dallas Mavericks in last season's playoffs.
"When we lost, I thought about why we lost and obviously there's so many things to nitpick," Gilgeous-Alexander said, with the Thunder having gone 9-2 to start the season.
"But I can only control what I can control, and I try to look at it from through that lens.
"A lot of people don't recognize it until it's too late. And I don't want it to be too late, so I tried to hit it on the head early."
Donovan Mitchell said "it's great to be part of history" after he propelled the Cleveland Cavaliers to their 12th straight win to start the season.
Cleveland are just the eighth team in NBA history to reel off a 12-0 record from the start of a campaign.
The last team to do so was the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors, who set the NBA record at 24-0.
Mitchell plundered a season-high 36 points in Monday's 119-113 win over the Chicago Bulls, and the omens are good for the Cavs, given five of the previous seven teams to start the season with a 12-0 record went on to reach the NBA Finals.
"It's great to be part of history," said Mitchell.
"I never want to take those things for granted along the road when we're doing it in various ways.
"We're doing it in ways where we are blowing out teams. We're winning from behind. We're winning close games.
"And it's somebody different every night leading the charge. It's always a group effort."
For first-year coach Kenny Atkinson, the level of focus displayed by his team is the most pleasing aspect of their excellent start.
"This group is locked in," he said.
"I do think there's [been] questions about this group, whether they can get to the next level, can they make the next step?
"So, I think when you have that, you have that chip [on your shoulder], you focus even more.
"There's another level of concentration, another level of focus, another level of detail that these guys use to carry us to 12-0 so far."
And Mitchell, who is averaging 22.5 points per game this season, knows the Cavs cannot step off the gas.
"It's great. We're playing well, vibes are good, but we have to continue to be this team," Mitchell added.
"That's been my message to the guys in the locker room.
"We're going to get teams' best shots. We're going to get tested early, but are we going to continue? No doubt we will, [but] are we going to continue to be this team January, February, March, April?
"I think the guys all feel it, but it's great to enjoy these moments too while you're still having a humble approach to it."
Donovan Mitchell scored a season-high 36 points and sparked a second-half rally that lifted the still-unbeaten Cleveland Cavaliers to a 119-113 win over the Chicago Bulls on Monday.
Cleveland fought back from a nine-point deficit late in the third quarter to become only the eighth team in NBA history to begin a season 12-0. The Cavaliers are the only team to win each of its first 12 games while scoring at least 110 points in all of those contests.
Darius Garland added 17 points and Evan Mobley had 15 with 11 rebounds for Cleveland, which once again received a big contribution from its second unit. Reserves Caris LeVert, Georges Niang and Ty Jerome each recorded 12 points, with Jerome dishing out six assists as well.
Zach LaVine had 26 points on 12-of-20 shooting in his second outing back from a three-game absence, but Chicago was hurt by 20 turnovers and lost for the fifth time in six games.
Nikola Vucevic and Coby White each finished with 20 points for the Bulls, while Josh Giddey scored 18 to go along with eight rebounds and seven assists.
Cleveland trailed 85-76 with four minutes left in the third quarter before getting back into it with a 9-0 run led by its bench. LeVert and Dean Wade started the flurry with back-to-back 3-pointers before Niang converted a three-point play to tie the game with 2:53 left in the period.
The teams were again tied at 106-106 with five minutes to go, but the Cavs put together a 9-2 spurt capped by LeVert's 3-pointer with 3:23 remaining to go ahead for good.
Cleveland owned a 52-42 lead midway through the second quarter before the Bulls answered with a 14-2 run to take a 56-54 edge with four minutes to play before half-time.
Gilgeous-Alexander scores career-high 45 as Thunder bounce back
One night after losing one of their star players for an extended period, the Oklahoma City Thunder returned to their winning ways behind a huge performance from another.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander racked up a career-high 45 points as Oklahoma City got back in the win column with a 134-128 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Thunder were coming off Sunday's 127-116 home defeat to the Golden State Warriors in which starting center Chet Holmgren suffered a pelvic fracture that will sideline him at least eight weeks. With the 7-footer unavailable, the Clippers recorded a 47-29 rebounding advantage while also going 20 of 37 (54.1 per cent) from 3-point range.
Oklahoma City still prevailed in large part due to Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished 13 of 21 from the field and 15 of 16 from the foul line while adding nine assists.
The Thunder also received a big 28-point, eight-rebound, six-assist effort from Jalen Williams and 19 points from Luguentz Dort to overcome a 31-point display from Los Angeles' Norman Powell, who went 5 of 8 from beyond the arc.
Los Angeles had its four-game winning streak snapped despite Ivica Zubac's 22 points and 14 rebounds and a near triple-double from James Harden, who tallied 17 points, 11 rebounds and five assists.
The Clippers couldn't stop Gilgeous-Alexander, though, as the two-time All-Star put up 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting in the first half to propel the Thunder to a 66-53 lead at intermission.
Oklahoma City's margin swelled to 20 points in the third quarter, though Los Angeles closed out the period with an 11-2 run to pull within 99-94 on Powell's 3-pointer just before the buzzer.
The Clippers cut the lead to two late when Zubac converted a three-point play to make the score 130-128 with 42.3 seconds left. Gilgeous-Alexander made two free throws on the other end, however, before Willams sealed the outcome with a dunk off a Harden turnover.
Wembanyama dominates as Spurs cruise past Kings
Victor Wembanyama joined an elite group of NBA players with a 34-point, 14-rebound effort that carried the San Antonio Spurs to a 116-96 win over the Sacramento Kings.
The reigning NBA Rookie of the Year added six assists in his 82nd career game and became only the sixth player in league history to record 1,700 points, 800 rebounds and 300 assists over a first full season. That list includes such legends as Oscar Robertson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Larry Bird.
Chris Paul contributed 12 points and 11 assists for San Antonio, which had lost three of its previous four games but got back on track by making a season-high 22 shots from 3-point range. Wembanyama led the way in that category as well by going 6 of 12 from beyond the arc.
The Kings, coming off an overtime win at Phoenix on Sunday, built a 31-22 lead early in the second quarter but relinquished it before the end of the first half.
San Antonio answered with a 10-2 run to cut its deficit to one, then closed out the half with seven straight points to own a 60-55 edge on Paul's 3-pointer at the buzzer.
The Kings then shot just 25 per cent in the third quarter while being outscored by a 24-16 margin for the period as the Spurs took an 84-71 lead into the fourth. Their margin never dipped below double-digits over the final 12 minutes.
De'Aaron Fox paced Sacramento with 24 points, while Domantas Sabonis had 23 points and 12 rebounds and DeMar DeRozan finished with 21 points in the loss.
Tyreek Hill scored his first touchdown since the season opener and the Miami Dolphins put forth a stout defensive effort to get back in the win column with Monday's 23-15 victory over the Los Angeles Rams.
Miami (3-6) held the Rams to five Joshua Karty field goals and sacked Matthew Stafford four times to end a three-game losing streak and halt a run of six losses in seven outings. The win was also the first in three starts for Tua Tagovailoa since the star quarterback returned from a concussion that sidelined him four games.
Tagovailoa completed 20 of 28 passes for 207 yards with one interception and had a 1-yard touchdown strike to Hill that gave the Dolphins a 17-6 lead in the third quarter. Hill, who tied for the NFL lead with 13 touchdown catches last season, ended a stretch of seven consecutive games without reaching the end zone.
The Dolphins also got an 18-yard touchdown run from rookie receiver Malik Washington in the first quarter and three field goals from Jason Sanders to end a three-game winning streak for Los Angeles (4-5).
Stafford threw for 293 yards on 32-of-46 passing, but was intercepted once while directing an offence that settled for Karty field goals on three trips inside the red zone.
The Rams also struggled on third downs, converting just three of 12 opportunities while Miami went 6 of 13 in such situations.
Puka Nacua had nine catches for 98 yards for Los Angeles, which dropped to 1 1/2 games back of the first-place Arizona Cardinals in the NFC West. Team-mate Cooper Kupp finished with seven receptions totalling 80 yards.
Ollie Sleightholme described England's review of their late defeat to Australia as "brutal", but insisted it was exactly what the squad needed.
England had led by 12 points and then trailed by 10 in an end-to-end encounter, but Maro Itoje's 78th-minute try seemed to have settled matters by moving the hosts 37-35 ahead.
However, in the final play of the match, Len Ikitau found space and fed replacement wing Max Jorgensen, who settled the contest.
The result saw the Wallabies defeat England at the Allianz Stadium for the first time since the pool stages of the 2015 Rugby World Cup when they won 33-13, with their tally of 42 points the most they had scored away to the Red Roses.
The result was their second narrow defeat in the Autumn Nations Series after the two-point loss to New Zealand, and their fourth defeat in a row.
Sleightholme came on as a replacement and scored twice in the second half to register his first two international tries, but provided insight into what followed after the loss.
"It has been really good to chew the fat on what happened and really get a grasp of what we need to do and what needs to change," Sleightholme told BBC Sport.
"It was a brutal view and it needs to be. It was a case of getting it all out there and not shying away from any of it.
"At the end of the day we didn't get it done. It is a frustrating review and a frustrating game to look back on.
"We left some opportunities out there and we didn't nullify some of their attacks. There are a few things [to work on] in all areas."
Saturday marked the first time England have lost four Test matches in a row since 2018, when they suffered five straight defeats under Eddie Jones.
It is the fourth game in five matches that Steve Borthwick's side have fallen on the wrong side of the result during the final play.
It followed two close Tests against the All Blacks in July and a 33-31 defeat by France in their final game of this year's Six Nations.
On Saturday, England will face world champions South Africa, who defeated Scotland in their opening match of the autumn series on Sunday.
"We're testing fans' patience, testing our patience," said England's Ben Earl. "It feels like we won the game twice against Australia and then managed to lose it. Frustrating.
"Not the same old problems, different problems, but the same overwhelming feeling of another game that we've let slip. So food for thought."
Alexander Zverev insisted improvements needed to be made despite kickstarting his ATP Finals campaign with a straight-set triumph over Andrey Rublev on Monday.
Zverev, who is going in search of a third crown at the year-end tournament, emerged a 6-4 6-4 victor in 72 minutes in Turin to claim a Tour-leading 67th win of 2024.
Rublev, however, got off to a blistering start to the encounter, winning each of his 13 points on serve, only for a lapse in the seventh game that allowed Zverev to take the opening set.
Zverev continued to trade blows with his opponent, but he claimed the decisive break point in the ninth game to maintain his dominant record in opening round-robin matches at the event (6-1).
"I'm looking forward to the next few matches, and hopefully I can improve on a few more things because I don't think this match was perfect to be honest," Zverev said.
"I still think there's a few more things that can be better. I missed a few balls from the baseline and I feel I wasn't as sharp movement-wise as I would like to be."
Zverev joined Casper Ruud at the top of the John Newcombe Group after he had beaten Carlos Alcaraz earlier on Monday, with the Norwegian up next for the world number two.
Data Debrief: Alexander the Great
After winning the ATP Finals in 2018 and 2021, Zverev's performance against the big-hitting Rublev was a sign of his intentions to complete a hat-trick of victories at the year-end tournament.
The German struck 22 winners compared to his opponents' 10, along with converting both break points he was presented with.
Excluding the Laver Cup, Zverev also claimed the 50th ATP top 10 win of his career, becoming the first player born since 1990 to achieve the feat.
Carlos Alcaraz revealed that he struggled with illness during his opening game loss at the ATP Finals to Casper Ruud on Monday.
Alcaraz looked out of sorts as he fell to a 1-6 5-7 defeat to Ruud in just 86 minutes in Turin, and now faces an uphill struggle if he is to progress from the John Newcombe Group.
During the contest, the Spaniard hit 26 unforced errors compared to his opponents' 10, while also failing to save any of the four break points he faced.
It also marked Alcaraz's first loss against Ruud in their fifth match against each other, with the 21-year-old confirming he had felt unwell leading up to the tournament.
“I don’t like talking about things like this because it sounds like an excuse and I don’t want to take anything away from what Casper did to win the match,” began Alcaraz.
“Before coming here, I was unwell at home. When I got to Turin, practice was going well; I could handle long rallies, competing and playing.
"And I hoped things would get better as the days went by.
"I don’t know if it was because of the nerves of the first match, but I didn’t feel completely well. My stomach limited my game a lot and made me feel uncomfortable.
"I could’ve done better. I’m not going to feel good in every match I play throughout the year, but it really limited me in terms of my recovery.”
Alcaraz will be back on court on Wednesday, when he takes on the loser of Monday's clash between Alexander Zverev and Andrey Rublev.
Failing to win would see the four-time grand slam champion fall short once again at the year-end tournament, but he was confident of claiming a maiden ATP Finals crown.
“I don’t want to think much beyond today... Given how I’ve felt, it’s difficult to think about the semis,” said Alcaraz.
“The good thing in this sport is that your game can feel very bad one day and very good the next.
"There have been many players who have lost the first match of the [Nitto] ATP Finals and ended up winning. I reached the semis last year after losing on the first day.
"Now I want to take it day by day, to feel better, and see how the next match is. I’ll approach it as best I can. Let’s hope things turn out well.”
Casper Ruud believes his 50th Tour-level victory of 2024 was one of his best after he upset third seed Carlos Alcaraz in his opening match of the ATP Finals on Monday.
Ruud, who had registered just two wins since the US Open, sealed a 6-1 7-5 win in just 86 minutes against Alcaraz for his maiden Top 3 triumph on hard courts.
The Norwegian reeled off five consecutive games from 1-1 to claim the first set at a canter but had to battle from the brink to secure a straight-set victory in Turin.
Alcaraz had raced into a 5-2 lead in the second set but was unable to hold on, with Ruud roaring back to sit top of the early standings in the John Newcombe Group.
"It's only one match, but it's one of the best wins of the season in terms of who I am playing and his ranking," Ruud said.
"I feel really happy, of course. I think we have seen Carlos play better tennis, but I took care of my chances.
"I haven't been boosting with confidence in the last few months so it was a great win for me and I would like to get some more wins in Turin.
"I got a good start, I got a break early and in the second set I managed to turn it around with some good tennis at the end."
Ruud will next seek to earn a second win on Wednesday when he will face either Alexander Zverev or Andrey Rublev, who play later on Monday.
Data Debrief: Ruud awakening
Although Alcaraz appeared below his physical best during Monday's encounter, Ruud took full advantage to continue his impressive streak against the very best in the world.
The Norwegian's latest win saw his record against players in the Top 10 of the ATP rankings improve to 5-2, and he was a worthy winner in Turin.
Ruud converted all four of the break points he was presented with, ending the contest with 10 unforced errors compared to Alcaraz's 26.
Patrick Mahomes says "any way you win is good" in the NFL after the Kansas City Chiefs blocked a last-minute field goal to beat the Denver Broncos.
The Chiefs held out for a 16-14 win on Sunday, with their defense proving the difference as Denver's only points were all scored in the second quarter.
Leo Chenal then pulled off the big play in the final seconds to secure the win, blocking Will Lutz's 35-yard field-goal attempt in the final seconds.
Kansas City trailed 14-3 late in the second half before Travis Kelce's touchdown and Harrison Butker's two field goals turned the game in their favour.
And even though the Chiefs' offense was not at its best, Mahomes, who completed 28 of 42 passes for 266 yards, says they are still happy with the result.
"Yeah, they all feel like wins," the quarterback told reporters. "I've learned that any way you win is good in this league.
"Obviously, there's stuff to learn from. I thought we did good things in good spots. I missed – I mean, if I made the touchdown throw to Trav [Kelce] and I made the touchdown throw to [Xavier] Worthy, we're probably in a different situation.
"I think more than anything [during the last play], I was just sick that last drive because I missed that touchdown throw that would've given us the chance to make it where they [the Broncos] had to score a touchdown.
"I thought our defense stepped up in that second half and did a great job. I was just happy. I was happy that we ended with that block and Leo [Chenal] got through there. It was just joy after that."
The two-time reigning Super Bowl champions are aiming for an unprecedented 'three-peat' and are on a 15-game winning streak, including the playoffs, dating back to Week 17 of last season.
Kansas City (9-0) are the only team in the NFL with a perfect record so far, and though Mahomes was delighted to keep that run going, he acknowledged it would be tough to maintain it.
"You live for these moments [at the end of the game]," he added. "When you grow up playing football, you live for the walk-off, whatever it is.
"It's special when you build [with] these guys for so long, and you've built this chemistry with them and guys get to make that play.
"It's week-to-week in this league. We know it’s going to be a great challenge this next week – Buffalo's playing great football.
"We know they'll be fiery, and they're going to be trying to beat us, so we're going to [have to] play better and execute at a higher level in order to win."
Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown was disappointed with Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo after he offered him a fake handshake during their 113-107 win on Sunday.
The incident happened in the second quarter of Boston's victory when Antetokounmpo offered his hand to Brown after giving away an offensive foul.
But before Brown could accept it, the former MVP pulled his hand back and ran it through his hair. After laughing about it, he then reached out to offer Brown his hand again, although the gesture was not accepted and Brown shook his head.
"Giannis is a child," Brown said after the game. "I'm just focused on helping my team get a win. And that's what we did tonight."
Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, was surprised to hear that Brown had reacted so badly after the game after having previously joked with Brown on the court.
"We always joke around with the flow of the game," Antetokounmpo said. "It's something that I do to my kids, I play around.
"This is who I am. I play the game with fun, joy."
The Bucks held the lead at half-time, with Antetokounmpo scoring 19 points in the first quarter, his highest-scoring quarter this season. However, they could not hold out for the win as they fell to 2-8.
After the game, Antetokounmpo – who eventually finished with 42 points and 13 rebounds – was complimentary about Brown in an attempt to seemingly smooth things over.
"I think he's an incredible player," he said. "I'm just going to continue to be me. And at the end of the day, if I'm called a child, so be it.
"I just try to go out there and have fun. But again, [he is a] great player, great competitor. If I have another opportunity, I'll do it again."
Brown was called for a flagrant foul against Antetokounmpo in the fourth quarter after challenging him in the air, with the official saying it was excessive and unnecessary contact.
The foul was, according to Brown, not intentional or in response to the earlier handshake gesture.
Michael Malone is running out of superlatives for Nikola Jokic, who the Denver Nuggets coach labelled "the best player in the world".
Jokic posted a triple-double of 37 points, 15 assists and 18 rebounds as the Nuggets claimed a 122-120 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday. He is the first player in NBA history to finish with that stat line.
The Nuggets needed a last-gasp mid-range jumper from Michael Porter Jr. to clinch their fifth straight win, though Jokic's performance rightly stole the show.
It was Jokic's fourth straight triple-double. The Serbian is averaging 29.7 points per game this season, the fourth-highest PPG average in the NBA, while his 13.7 rebounds and 11.7 assists per game are league-highs.
Speaking to the press after the game, Malone quipped: I would assume that after tonight's performance, he'll only be fifth in the MVP voting.
"He just needs to do more for us, because clearly what he’s been doing hasn't been noticed by anyone on the outside of this Rocky Mountain empire.
"But, 37-15-18, three steels, the minutes that he played – 38 is a good number, I'm happy about that, we kept him under 40.
"On a serious note, just incredible. We're all running out of words, adjectives and ways to describe his greatness and his impact.
"The simple way to say it is he’s the best player in the world. That's the best way to say it, in my opinion."
Jokic has won the NBA's MVP award in three of the past four seasons.
The Mavericks, meanwhile, have now lost four of their last six games.
Kyrie Irving top-scored with 43 points, while Luka Doncic added 24, but it was not enough for Dallas to get back on track following a defeat to the Phoenix Suns.
The Oklahoma City Thunder announced that starting center Chet Holmgren will be sidelined from eight-to-10 weeks with a pelvic fracture he sustained in Sunday's game against the Golden State Warriors.
Holmgren has been diagnosed with a right iliac wing fracture as the result of a hard fall the 2023-24 NBA Rookie of the Year runner-up took while contesting a shot during the first quarter of the Thunder's 127-116 loss to Golden State.
The 2022 No. 2 overall pick played a big role in the 8-1 start Oklahoma City took into Sunday's contest. Holmgren entered the game averaging 18.2 points, 9.2 rebounds while shooting 40 per cent from 3-point range, and his 2.6 blocks per game currently ranks third in the NBA.
Oklahoma City was already without another of its top big men for the foreseeable future, as center Isaiah Hartenstein is expected to be sidelined into December after fracturing his left hand during the pre-season.
Hartenstein signed a three-year, $87 million contract with the Thunder during the offseason, the largest deal in franchise history, after averaging 7.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game for the Knicks in 2023-24 and helping New York win 50 games while reaching the Eastern Conference semi-finals.
Holmgren missed the entire 2022-23 season due to a Lisfranc fracture in his foot, but came back to put together a strong debut campaign for a Thunder team that went 57-25 and earned the Western Conference's No. 1 seed in 2023-24.
The 7-footer averaged 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.3 blocks while playing in all 82 games to finish second behind San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama in NBA Rookie of the Year voting.
Stephen Curry scored a season-high 36 points and the Golden State Warriors held off a late comeback attempt from the Oklahoma City Thunder to come away with a 127-116 win in Sunday's clash between two of the Western Conference's top teams so far this season.
Curry had seven of the Warriors' 21 makes from 3-point range to help Golden State improve to 8-2, tied with the Thunder and Phoenix Suns for the West's best record. The Warriors also received 20 points off the bench from Jonathan Kuminga and 19 points and 10 rebounds from De'Anthony Melton.
Oklahoma City lost for the second time in three games following a 7-0 start after trailing by as many as 30 points in the third quarter and losing starting centre Chet Holmgren in the first. The 7-footer did not return after injuring his right hip following a hard fall just over five minutes into the contest.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander paced the Thunder with 24 points but was held to 6-of-17 shooting. Jalen Williams went 9 of 15 from the field while recording 20 points.
The Warriors trailed 33-26 after one quarter but took control in the second, using a 10-2 run to open up a 58-49 lead with less than two minutes before half-time. Kuminga tallied 12 points in the second quarter as Golden State went into the break owning a 65-58 advantage.
Curry then took over in the third quarter, scoring 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting. Golden State outscored the Thunder by a 42-21 margin for the frame to take a commanding 107-79 lead into the fourth.
The Thunder made a late bid by putting together an 18-4 spurt that cut a 20-point deficit down to 114-108 with under five minutes to go. Kuminga answered with an alley-oop dunk on the next possession, however, before Curry's 3-pointer with 3:23 remaining helped put an end to the threat.
Kings halt Suns' seven-game win streak with overtime victory
DeMar DeRozan poured in a season-high 34 points, including eight in overtime, as the Sacramento Kings put an end to the ailing Phoenix Suns' seven-game winning streak by rallying for a 127-118 victory.
De'Aaron Fox also had eight of his 21 points in extra time to help Sacramento to its sixth win in eight games following an 0-2 start. Fox added 11 rebounds and eight assists, while Domantas Sabonis contributed 20 points and 12 rebounds and Keegan Murray compiled 14 points and 14 boards for the Kings.
In their first outing since Kevin Durant sustained a strained calf that's expected to sideline the perennial All-Star for around two weeks, the Suns played much of Sunday's game without another key starter after centre Jusuf Nurkic sat out the second half and overtime due to lingering soreness in his ankle.
Tyus Jones did step up in Durant's absence by scoring 22 points to complement the Suns' two other superstars, Bradley Beal and Devin Booker. Beal finished with 28 points and eight rebounds and Booker recorded 23 points and 12 assists. Jones finished 6 of 10 from beyond the 3-point line.
Phoenix looked on the way to another win after taking a 92-81 lead on Booker's jumper with 8:58 left in regulation. The Suns held a seven-point advantage with four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, but Murray's 3-pointer ignited a 7-1 Sacramento run that brought the Kings within 105-104 with two minutes to go.
Murray tipped in DeRozan's missed shot with four seconds left in regulation to give the Kings a 111-110 edge, but was called for a foul on the ensuing in-bounds play to allow Booker to make the tying free throw and force overtime.
DeRozan then took control during the extra period, scoring the first eight points of a 10-1 spurt early in OT as Sacramento opened up a 121-114 lead with 2 1/2 minutes to go.
The Kings were up by 11 points early in the third quarter before Phoenix put forth a 9-0 run to pull within 66-64 with 7:47 remaining in the period.
Porter's late basket lifts streaking Nuggets over Mavericks
Michael Porter Jr. hit a tie-breaking jumper with 6.5 seconds remaining to give the Denver Nuggets a fifth straight win with Sunday's 122-120 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.
The Nuggets scored the game's final four points after Dallas' Kyrie Irving snapped a 118-118 deadlock by banking in a shot with 1:39 to go.
Nikola Jokić tipped in his own missed shot in the final minute, however, to pull Denver back even. After Irving misfired on a 3-point try on the other end, Porter drove the lane and got a 14-footer to fall before Irving again couldn't connect on a 3-point attempt just prior to the final buzzer.
Irving had made his first six shots from beyond the arc prior to those two late misses, part of a 43-point performance in which the eight-time All-Star went 17 of 22 from the field.
Denver countered with a dominant 37-point, 18-point, 15-rebound effort out of Jokic, the two-time NBA MVP's fourth consecutive triple-double. Porter finished with 17 points and seven rebounds and the Nuggets also received 18 points and six assists from Jamal Murray.
Dallas was dealt a second straight defeat despite Irving's huge night and the presence of Luka Dončić, who played through a groin strain that had him questionable coming into the contest and recorded 24 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in 41 minutes.
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