Andy Murray swept through his opening test at the Sydney Classic as the wildcard grabbed his first win of the year.
Murray sped to a 6-3 6-1 victory over Norwegian Viktor Durasovic, a player ranked a lowly 345th by the ATP who won through two qualifying rounds to reach the main draw.
The Scot broke four times across the contest and won 25 of 26 points when landing a first serve, an encouraging rate. Realistically, anything other than a comfortable win for the former world number one would have been concerning ahead of the Australian Open.
Murray at least put last week's disappointing first-round loss to Facundo Bagnis at the Melbourne Summer Set tournament behind him, and now a stiff tests await him in the last-16 stage.
Georgian second seed Nikoloz Basilashvili is next for Murray on Wednesday, with the world number 23 a familiar foe after these two met in the first round at Wimbledon last July.
On that occasion, Murray won in four sets following a desperate wobble in the third, which he lost from 5-0 ahead.
Five times an Australian Open finalist, Murray believes limbering up this week in Sydney can set him up well for the season's first grand slam.
"It is perfect conditions here," Murray said. "It feels like you are playing indoors. It is really nice to get your range here, and hopefully I can carry that through to Melbourne.
"I was hoping to get matches in Melbourne last week, but that didn't happen. Thankfully the tournament organisers and Tennis Australia agreed to give me the wildcard and the opportunity to play here, and I am very grateful for that."
Tuesday also saw a win for Maxime Cressy, the American serve-volleyer who caused a stir with his run to last week's final in Melbourne before pushing eventual champion Rafael Nadal in the title match.
Cressy, who was born in Paris, is a throwback in an era dominated by baseliners, and his game again came good as he saw off Adrian Mannarino 6-3 7-5. Dusan Lajovic awaits him in round two after the Serbian beat Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 7-6 (7-5) 6-4.
At the Adelaide International 2 tournament, South African fifth seed Lloyd Harris made a first-round exit, losing 5-7 7-5 6-4 to Soonwoo Kwon.
There was another positive performance from Adelaide's own Thanasi Kokkinakis, who swatted away Frenchman Benoit Paire 6-4 6-0 to tee up a second-round shot at American second seed John Isner.
Kokkinakis, a once-bright young prospect who is finding his way again on tour after injury trouble, reached the semi-finals of last week's Adelaide tournament and is eyeing another run in South Australia before heading to Melbourne.
"After a good run last week, I was pretty knackered – I'm not going to lie," Kokkinakis said, quoted in The Australian. "But I thought another one in my hometown was a perfect situation.
"It was kind of a win-win for me almost. If I won, perfect, I get more matches. If not, I get to Melbourne and get to prepare for Aussie Open, but I'm stoked with the win."
Khris Middleton said he was "definitely concerned" and stand-in head coach Darvin Ham bemoaned another defeat as the Milwaukee Bucks tripped up once more against the Charlotte Hornets.
The Bucks have followed a run of six consecutive wins with four defeats in five games, the latest being a 103-99 setback to the Hornets at Spectrum Center.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 26 points with 13 rebounds and eight assists, while Middleton had 27 points, seven rebounds and 11 assists, yet the Bucks delivered an incomplete performance.
The Hornets improved to 22-19, while the sliding Bucks are now 26-17 for the season, following up their championship campaign in 2021 with something not quite so persuasive.
It was a second loss to the Hornets in three days for the Bucks, who, like so many other teams, are feeling the impact of the COVID-19 crisis.
Jrue Holiday has joined the ranks of Bucks stars sidelined and isolating due to the NBA's health and safety protocols, and inevitably his absence was felt. Holiday averages 18.4 per game this season and leads the team for assists (6.7)
Acting head coach Darvin Ham, leading the Bucks with Mike Budenholzer in health and safety protocols, could not coax out of the team a match-winning display, as James Borrego's Hornets extending their winning streak to three.
"My hat's off to Charlotte," Ham said. "JB has a great young group, it's a hell of an offensive team. And we just didn't make enough plays tonight.
"We just try to get to the game and as a staff, put our brains together and put together the best package possible. It's not going to be perfect, circumstances are what they are.
"I feel we're still in a position to win a game and we came up short."
From 99-99 with under half a minute remaining, LaMelo Ball sank the decisive shot and Miles Bridges made sure with two late free throws.
The Bucks looked to Middleton and Antetokounmpo in those late stages, which Ham said was the sensible play.
"Down the stretch you want the ball in the hands of your two best players and that was definitely deliberate," Ham said.
"Time and time again ... they've won a championship playing that way. There's not a better option in my opinion."
It gets no easier for the Bucks, who must tackle the Western Conference-leading Golden State Warriors on Thursday, albeit this time with home advantage.
Middleton, who had a fourth consecutive 20-plus point game, wants to see this slide halted as soon as possible.
He said: "I think you're definitely concerned – you never want to lose four out of five, you never want to lose two in a row."
Quoted in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Middleton said: "We understand the circumstances. We're not using that as an excuse. Everybody's going through it.
"So we still have to find a way to… compete and give ourselves a chance to win, which we have these last two nights, we just couldn't pull it out."
Kyrie Irving impressed in only his second game of the season but insisted he still has to get up to speed after the Brooklyn Nets were surprisingly beaten at the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday.
A dominant third quarter from Portland, in which they bettered the visitors by 13 points, ended up being crucial as they ran out 114-108 winners, despite being short-handed going into the game.
Anfernee Simons starred with 23 points, six rebounds and 11 assists for the Blazers, who were missing Damian Lillard (abdomen) as well as Norman Powell (COVID-19 protocol), Larry Nance Jr (knee) and CJ McCollum, who is expected to return soon after recovering from a collapsed lung.
The Nets were themselves without James Harden (knee) but did have Kevin Durant (28 points, 10 rebounds, five assists) on court. The 33-year-old's points return marked 19 straight games with 20 or more points, the second-longest streak of 20-point games in Nets history.
Irving has refused to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and is therefore barred from playing in New York due to the city's vaccine mandate, but was playing just his second game on the road for the Nets this season and managed 22 points, eight rebounds and four assists.
"It felt like I made a few good moves, but now it's just getting back in that NBA action of that athleticism and catching up to that speed. That's really what it is at this point, I feel," Irving said after the loss.
Portland first-year coach Chauncey Billups had been effusive in his praise of Irving before the game, stating his belief that 29-year-old was the "most skilled point guard in history".
After the victory for his team, Billups praised his own players, saying that nobody thought this result was possible.
"Certainly nobody in the world thought that we would win this game with the guys that we have missing, even though they're missing some important players too," Billups said. "I'm more happy than anything for our team, to be honest. We've suffered a lot of losses in this building, a lot of bad losses."
The result means the Nets are 25-14 and second in the east while the Blazers improve to 16-24.
Australia's Immigration Minister will "thoroughly consider" Novak Djokovic's visa status after fresh concerns were raised over his whereabouts in the two weeks prior to arriving in the country.
Djokovic is alleged to have falsely declared he had not travelled in the 14 days prior to his flight to Melbourne in the Australian Travel Declaration form which is a "serious offence".
The world number one flew from Spain to Australia via Dubai but was seen on social media in the 14 days prior to his arrival in his native Serbia with handball player Petar Djordjic.
Djokovic, who trained at Melbourne Park on Tuesday, was released from detention on Monday after winning his appeal and having his visa reinstated.
However, Immigration Minister Alex Hawke said in a statement on Tuesday that he will investigate the claims of Djokovic's false declaration.
“In line with due process, Minister Hawke will thoroughly consider the matter,” a representative said.
Mr Hawke has the power to cancel Djokovic's visa, which would force his deportation ahead of the Australian Open which is due to commence on January 17.
On Monday, Djokovic posted to Instagram: “I’m pleased and grateful that the Judge overturned my visa cancellation. Despite all that has happened, I want to stay and try to compete @AustralianOpen I remain focused on that.
“I flew here to play at one of the most important events we have in front of the amazing fans.”
Kyrie Irving finished with 22 points in his second game back but could not inspire the Brooklyn Nets to victory as they went down to a depleted Portland Trail Blazers 114-108 on Monday.
Anfernee Simons starred with 23 points, six rebounds and 11 assists for the Blazers who were missing Damian Lillard (abdomen).
The Nets were also without James Harden (knee), but had Kevin Durant (28 points, 10 rebounds, five assists) and Irving (22 points, eight rebounds, four assists) on court.
Durant's points return marks 19 straight games with 20 or more points, which is the second-longest streak of 20-point games in franchise history.
The defeat means the Nets are 25-14 and second in the east while the Blazers improve to 16-24.
Giannis cannot lift Bucks
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 26 points with 13 rebounds and eight assists but it was not enough as the Milwaukee Bucks lost their second straight game, going down 103-99 to the Charlotte Hornets. Khris Middleton had 27 points, seven rebounds and 11 assists for the Bucks.
First draft pick Cade Cunningham scored a career-high 29 points to lead the Detroit Pistons to an upset 126-116 win over the Utah Jazz, who were without Rudy Gobert again.
Joel Embiid scored 31 points with eight rebounds and six assists for the Philadelphia 76ers who beat the Houston Rockets 111-91.
Tatum cool as Celtics win in OT
Jayson Tatum went zero-of-seven from beyond the arc and shot at 33 percent from the field for his 24 points as the Boston Celtics edged the Indiana Pacers 101-98 in over-time. Domantas Sabonis had a triple-double for the Pacers.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians says it would be a "travesty" if 44-year-old quarterback Tom Brady does not win the MVP award.
Brady had 485 completions from 719 passing attempts for 5,316 yards and 43 touchdown passes across the regular season, which was the league-best across all categories.
The Bucs QB becomes the third quarterback following Drew Brees (2018) and Peyton Manning (2013) to lead the league in all four major statistical categories since 1991. Brady's 485 completions was an NFL single-season record.
Brady produced a three-touchdown display in the Bucs' 41-17 win over the Caroline Panthers on Sunday to reinforce his credentials with the home crowd chanting "MVP!".
"I think if he doesn't get it, it's a travesty," Arians told reporters on Monday. "Most completions ever, 5,000 yards, touchdowns - the whole nine yards. To me, it's not even a close race."
Brady's 5,316 passing yards was also the third-most in NFL history, beating his own personal record of 5,235 yards from 2011.
Bucs tight end Rob Gronkowski said: "It just shows what his work ethic is, how dedicated he is to the game of football and just how talented he is.
"Just his determination week in and week out - it's just unbelievable. And it's just surreal how he's pulling it off at age 44 and just coming out here like he's in his 20s still, just winging that ball, zipping it where it needs to be, making fantastic throws week in and week out."
Gronkowski added: "Tom's the MVP every year. Just the way he adjusts on the fly to his personnel, just trying to get the ball into the best players' hands or the best matchup on that current play - he's just always ready to go no matter what the situation is. He's the MVP every year."
Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash allayed fears of a serious knee injury for 2018 MVP James Harden who was left out of the side to play the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday.
Harden, who is averaging 22.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 9.7 assists this season, missed the game due to a left knee hyperextension.
Nash revealed Harden did not require an MRI on the knee and that the Nets were taking precaution.
"I think we're being overly cautious," Nash told reporters prior to Monday's game.
"A heavy stretch of games. Expect him to play Wednesday [against the Chicago Bulls]."
Kyrie Irving, who is only eligible for road games due to his vaccination status, will play in the game away to the Trail Blazers.
"It would be great if we didn't have to get him up to 40 [minutes] tonight," Nash said. "But at the same time, I think he's got the bulk of his preparation and his legs and is ready to play as much as needed ... you don't want to play him 44 minutes tonight, then he's got to turn around and play a big game on Wednesday.
"So we'll play him more minutes, but we would love for it to be gradual and a strategic allocation of minutes, not just like, 'All right great, we got a new Ferrari and we're going to rack up the miles.'"
The Arizona Cardinals remain uncertain on the availability of running back James Conner for their Wild Card game against the Los Angeles Rams due to injured ribs.
Conner left Sunday's 38-30 defeat to the Seattle Seahawks nursing his ribs after 15 carries for 52 yards and two touchdowns.
Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury said the side's medical staff were still evaluating Conner's condition ahead of Monday's game.
"He’s still being evaluated . . . hopefully, it’s not too serious," Kingsbury told Arizona Sports 98.7. "But we won’t know for the next couple days."
Conner had missed the Cardinals' previous two games due to a heel injury before making his comeback against the Seahawks.
The 26-year-old finished the regular season with an NFC-high 18 touchdowns, 15 rushing and three receiving. He ranked third in the NFL, behind only Austin Ekeler and Jonathan Taylor (both 20).
Conner has had 202 carries for 752 yards this season along with 37 receptions for 375 yards.
Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich says his side has been left with a "scar" after missing the playoffs following Sunday's shock 26-11 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Indianapolis needed only to beat a two-win Jaguars team to secure their place in the postseason but were humbled, allowing the Pittsburgh Steelers to clinch a playoffs spot.
Quarterback Carson Wentz was sacked six times in a game the Jaguars led the entire way, with the Colts having not won in Jacksonville since 2014.
The Colts finished the season with back-to-back defeats to slip to a 9-8 record and second in the AFC South behind the Conference-leading Tennessee Titans.
"It was hard to imagine after the Arizona game, we get to 9-6, we feel like we’re one of the two or three teams to beat, a team everybody’s talking about," Reich told reporters on Monday.
"When you think about how all this was going to end, certainly, no one including myself, really, ever thought it would end like it did the last two weeks.
"That’s something that can’t be undone. It’s part of our record. It’s part of my record. … It’s a scar."
Reich revealed that he met with team owner Jim Irsay and general manager Chris Ballard for several hours after the Jaguars defeat.
“It was a good conversation, a supporting conversation, but also demanding and wanting answers, [with Irsay] wanting to hold us accountable,” Reich said.
He added: "‘We’re going to get better.' … We walked out of there saying, ‘We’ve got a lot of the right pieces in place.'"
The ATP has welcomed the outcome of the hearing that will allow Novak Djokovic to play at the Australian Open but reiterated that it continues to encourage its players to get vaccinated against coronavirus.
After days of uncertainty regarding the world number one's participation in Melbourne, it was ruled on Monday he should be immediately released from detention.
That came after authorities cancelled his visa last week, despite the Serbian receiving a medical exemption that allowed him to enter the country, regardless of his vaccination status. Given his application for the exemption, it is assumed Djokovic is unvaccinated.
The Australian Border Force declared Djokovic must fly out of the country on Thursday, sparking the challenge that went in the tennis star's favour on Monday.
However, Australia's immigration minister Alex Hawke could still cancel Djokovic's visa on new grounds, meaning his participation at the year's first grand slam is not yet 100 per cent known.
With the saga seemingly drawing to a close, the ATP published a response to Monday's events.
Its statement read: "The ATP fully respects the sacrifices the people of Australia have made since the onset of COVID-19 and the stringent immigration policies that have been put in place. Complications in recent days related to player entry into Australia have however highlighted the need for clearer understanding, communication and application of the rules.
"In travelling to Melbourne, it's clear Novak Djokovic believed he had been granted a necessary medical exemption in order to comply with entry regulations.
"The series of events leading to Monday's court hearing have been damaging on all fronts, including for Novak's well-being and preparation for the Australian Open. Player medical exemption requests are made independently of the ATP, however, we have been in constant contact with Tennis Australia to seek clarity throughout this process. We welcome the outcome of Monday's hearing and look forward to an exciting few weeks of tennis ahead.
"More broadly, the ATP continues to strongly recommend vaccination for all players on the ATP Tour, which we believe is essential for our sport to navigate the pandemic. This is based on scientific evidence supporting the health benefits provided and to comply with global travel regulations, which we anticipate will become stricter over time. We are encouraged that 97 per cent of the Top 100 players are vaccinated leading into this year's Australian Open."
New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman has announced his retirement.
Gettleman took over as GM in 2017 but did not oversee a single winning season during his time at the helm.
He leaves his post with the Giants having gone a dismal 19-46 during his tenure, Gettleman shouldering a huge amount of the blame for their struggles following a series of questionable personnel decisions.
The selection of running back Saquon Barkley with the second overall pick in 2018 and quarterback Daniel Jones with the sixth overall pick in 2019 have backfired, while the hiring of Joe Judge as head coach has come under considerable scrutiny this season.
Sunday's defeat to the Washington Football Team saw the Giants finish 4-13, but Judge appears set to hold on to his job for a third season in charge.
Gettleman's time is over, however, with co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch set to lead the search for a new GM.
"It was a privilege to serve as the general manager of the New York Giants the last four years and to have spent so many years of my career with this franchise," said Gettleman.
"We obviously have not had the on-the-field success I expected, and that is disappointing. However, I have many fond memories here, including two Super Bowl victories, and I wish the team and organisation only the best moving forward.
"There are many good people here who pour their souls into this organisation. I am proud to have worked alongside them."
Mara said in a statement: "This will be a comprehensive search for our next general manager. We are looking for a person who demonstrates exceptional leadership and communication abilities, somebody who will oversee all aspects of our football operations, including player personnel, college scouting and coaching."
Tisch added: "It is an understatement to say John and I are disappointed by the lack of success we have had on the field.
"We are united in our commitment to find a general manager who will provide the direction necessary for us to achieve the on-field performance and results we all expect."
Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace have been fired by the Chicago Bears after the conclusion of a disappointing 6-11 season for the team.
The Bears confirmed on Monday they have opted to move on from both their head coach and general manager after missing out on the playoffs in 2021.
A 31-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday proved to be the final NFL game with the team for Nagy and Pace, though their positions have been under scrutiny throughout the campaign.
Pace took the GM job in 2015 and spent seven seasons with the Bears, hiring two coaches - John Fox and Nagy - during his tenure.
Nagy, meanwhile, has had to fend off questions about his job security throughout the season and has now had his fate confirmed after the worst of his four years in charge.
The franchise looked to be heading in the right direction when Nagy, in his first campaign, led the Bears to a 12-4 record in 2018 and was named NFL Coach of the Year.
But as former second overall pick Mitchell Trubisky struggled, two consecutive 8-8 seasons added to the pressure going into this year.
Pace had previously traded up in the draft to select Trubisky in 2017 and took another shot at a first-round quarterback in 2021 when he swooped to take Justin Fields at 11.
Notable other moves included a huge trade for pass-rusher Khalil Mack in 2018 and bringing in Super Bowl winner Nick Foles at QB, which failed to have the desired effect.
The big move to land Fields in the draft, which excited the fanbase, was seen to provide a possible path to both men saving their jobs and leading the Bears into the future, but the Bears went 2-8 in 10 starts for the rookie.
It will therefore be a new regime that decides how to build around Fields in a bid to end an 11-year drought without a win in the playoffs.
Chicago lost Super Bowl XLI to the Indianapolis Colts after the 2006 season and reached the NFC Championship Game - where they were beaten by the Green Bay Packers - in 2010, both under the guidance of Lovie Smith.
But they are winless from just two postseason appearances since as the Packers continue to dominate the NFC North.
Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross ruled out an approach for Jim Harbaugh after the team surprisingly fired Brian Flores as head coach.
The Dolphins announced Flores' dismissal on Monday after another season in which they missed the playoffs came to an end.
However, Flores' exit came as a shock given the Dolphins finished the year 9-8, marking their second successive winning season.
Miami went 10-6 in 2020 but missed out on the postseason with a blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills in their season finale. In 2021, they recovered from a 1-7 start to become the first team to lose seven successive games and then win seven straight in the same season.
However, talk of an internal power struggle with general manager Chris Grier and a deteriorating relationship with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa appears to have played a role in Flores' departure.
Harbaugh led the San Francisco 49ers to three NFC Championship Game berths, and a narrow defeat in Super Bowl XLVII, in four seasons during his sole NFL head coaching stint. He is said to be interested in a return to the pros.
After his exit from the Niners, Harbaugh took over as head coach of the University of Michigan and guided them to a College Football Playoff berth this season.
The Dolphins pursued Harbaugh back in 2011 when he was hired by San Francisco but Detroit-born Ross, an alumnus of Michigan, does not want to prise him away from the Wolverines.
"I'm not going to be the person to take Jim Harbaugh from the University of Michigan - I hope he stays there," Ross said.
Earlier, a statement from the Dolphins owner read: "I made a decision today to part ways with Brian Flores.
"After evaluating where we are as an organisation and what we need going forward to improve, I determined that key dynamics of our football organisation weren't functioning at a level I want it to be and felt that this decision was in the best interest of the Miami Dolphins.
"I believe we have a talented young roster in place and have the opportunity to be much better in 2022. I want to thank Brian for his hard work and wish him nothing but the best in his future."
Trinidad & Tobago’s Men’s Bobsled team is aiming to qualify for the Beijing Winter Olympics in February 2022 and end a 20-year hiatus from the Games.
The team consisting of Summer Olympic hurdler Mikel Thomas, sprinter Andre Marcano, Axel Brown, and brothers Shomari and Shakeel Brown has been competing on the North American Cup tour and will know whether or not they’ve qualified for the Olympics on January 16.
Their best seven out of eight races in recent months will count towards Olympic qualification.
Right now, the team is comfortably ahead of countries like Italy, Croatia, Israel, and Jamaica and Brown says the team’s chances look good as long as they can stay ahead while also pointing out that they are relatively inexperienced.
“We are currently comfortably ahead of them, but this is elite sport and anything could happen. I understand that a lot of people were not aware T&T had a bobsleigh team, but it only happened realistically three months before the start of the season so this has only existed in a tangible form since July,” Brown told the Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.
Brown, born to a Trinidadian mother and British father, has also represented Great Britain in the past and says he’s overwhelmed by the response of the Trinidadian public to the team.
“It feels great. I am really excited over not only what we have been able to do on the ice, but also the reception that it’s had. It’s been incredible. To be doing what I am doing still, but having such a warm welcome and such an excited kind of fan base is honestly so validating and lovely…it is exciting that now all of a sudden, the TT population is kind of embracing us and what we are able to do. That’s again, so nice,” he said.
Brown hopes that this team can inspire future generations of Trinidadian bobsledders.
“Going forward into the next four years…hopefully, there are other TT teams that are inspired by what we are doing, but I think we certainly have the athletic pool from which to choose great athletes from but also the four that we’ve got at the moment are doing incredibly well and I am really excited to see what they can do,” Brown added.
The Minnesota Vikings have fired head coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman.
Zimmer and Spielman have been dismissed from their roles after the Vikings missed the playoffs for the second straight year and the third time in four seasons.
The Vikings went 8-9 in 2021, ultimately finishing a game out of the NFC Wild Card places.
That proved too familiar of a tale for the Vikings' hierarchy to handle. Since Zimmer was hired in 2013, they have won at least seven games in all but one year but have only won two playoff games in that time.
Minnesota reached the NFC Championship game in the 2017 season but missed out on playing a Super Bowl at their home stadium as they were blown out by eventual champions the Philadelphia Eagles.
It was hoped the decision to sign quarterback Kirk Cousins to a fully guaranteed contract in 2018 would get them over that final hurdle, yet a trip to the NFC Divisional Round in the 2019 campaign is the best the Vikings have managed with him under center.
Cousins' decision not to receive a coronavirus vaccine proved critical in the Vikings missing the playoffs, as he returned a positive test ahead of their Week 17 encounter with the Green Bay Packers, forcing him to miss their penultimate game in which they were eliminated from postseason contention.
Entering the final year of his contract with $35million guaranteed, Cousins' future will be the most pressing issue for the new Vikings regime.
Spielman, who had served as vice president of player personnel for the Vikings since 2006 and became general manager in 2012, departs with a 132-123-2 record as an executive with the franchise.
Zimmer, meanwhile, leaves with a 72-56-1 record in the regular season and, should he wish to coach in 2022, will likely be a popular candidate for defensive coordinator jobs.
Tom Brady was thrilled to see the Tampa Bay Buccaneers claim the number two seed in the NFC as he set his sights on the playoffs after reaching a host of new landmarks in Week 18.
The defending Super Bowl champions responded to a turbulent week following the release of Antonio Brown with a comprehensive 41-17 home win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.
It meant the Bucs finished at 13-4, a franchise record for victories, and were 7-1 at home, their overall record tying that of the Green Bay Packers for the best in the NFL.
The win, coupled with a defeat for the Los Angeles Rams against the San Francisco 49ers, meant the Bucs improved their seeding in the last game of the season.
While some teams opted to rest their star players going into the playoffs, Brady stayed on the field until the fourth quarter, completing 29 of 37 passes for three touchdowns.
The quarterback's 5,316 passing yards for the 2021 season is his best career total – and the third-highest tally ever recorded in NFL history - while his 43 TDs for the year set a new Bucs record.
Brady became only the second QB in history, along with Drew Brees, to have multiple 5,000-yard seasons.
He also broke a record previously held by Brees (471 in 2016) for the most pass completions in a season, finishing up with 485.
With history made, Brady will now set his sights on the Bucs repeating as Super Bowl champions, which would give him a historic eighth world title if achieved.
They start against the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card Round, and moving ahead of the Rams means they would also be at home in the Divisional Round should they progress.
"In the end it's a great achievement to get the two-seed and it just felt good to win," said Brady.
"With other teams, you can't ever control any of those things. Even thinking ahead for the next game [in the playoffs] – you are worrying about two games from now.
"Even if the Rams had won, I'm not worried about two games from now, I'm worried about one game from now, which is the Eagles.
"We've still got the Eagles and that's going to be the biggest game of our season. If we win, whoever we play, wherever we play, we are still going, and that's what we want to do."
On the win over the Panthers, he added: "We got off to a little bit of a rough start but we found a way to get some rhythm, and when we do that it's pretty good.
"We did a good job of taking care of the football, did a good job with penalties, good job in the red area, good job on third downs. We're going to have to keep it going."
Brady was not the only Bucs player to reach a significant milestone in Week 18.
Wide receiver Mike Evans (six catches for 89 yards and two TDs) extended his own record for the most consecutive seasons (eight) with at least 1,000 receiving yards to begin a career in the NFL.
Tight end Rob Gronkowski, who had seven catches for 137 yards, now has 32 career games with 100+ receiving yards, meaning he now stands alone above Tony Gonzalez atop the all-time list for his position.
Gronkowski had equalled Gonzalez last week and this was the first time since Weeks 5-6 in the 2016 season that he recorded back-to-back 100-yard games.
It is a timely run of form with star wideout Chris Godwin out injured and Brown no longer on the team.
"It's amazing the records [they set]," added Bucs coach Bruce Arians. "It seemed like there were five or six records every week.
"Thirteen wins and it hasn't been easy. We've had a lot of guys down all season so I can't say enough about our front office having a great roster."
Novak Djokovic is "pleased and grateful" after winning his court battle to stay in Australia and is focused on defending his title at the first grand slam of the year.
Following days of uncertainty regarding the world number one's participation at the Australian Open, it was ruled on Monday he should be immediately released from detention.
That came after authorities cancelled his visa last week, despite the Serbian being granted a medical exemption that allowed him to enter the country, regardless of his vaccination status.
The Australian Border Force declared Djokovic must fly out of the country on Thursday, sparking the challenge that went in the tennis star's favour on Monday.
However, Australia's immigration minister Alex Hawke could still cancel Djokovic's visa on new grounds, meaning his Australian Open participation is not yet 100 per cent known.
But speaking about the saga for the first time on Monday, Djokovic said he remains hopeful of competing at Melbourne Park next week.
"I'm pleased and grateful that the Judge overturned my visa cancellation," he posted on his personal Twitter account.
"Despite all that has happened, I want to stay and try to compete at the Australian Open. I remain focused on that.
"I flew here to play at one of the most important events we have in front of the amazing fans."
In a follow-up tweet to his 8.9 million followers, Djokovic added: "For now I cannot say more but THANK YOU all for standing with me through all this and encouraging me to stay strong."
Twenty-time grand slam winner Djokovic posted the message at the same time that his family were holding a news conference in Belgrade, which he was expected to join via video link.
Djokovic's brother Djordje confirmed that the 34-year-old has already returned to the practice court ahead of the Australian Open, which he has won a record nine times.
After spending the weekend at a detention hotel in Melbourne as he attempted to defeat the deportation order, Djokovic's mother Dijana accused the local authorities of subjecting her son "to torture and harassment".
Dijana added: "This is his biggest win in his career – bigger than any grand slam."
Djokovic's father Srdjan praised the mental strength of his son and put Monday's verdict down as a victory for a wider cause.
"Over the past few days, it's been very, very difficult for everyone in the world who is free thinking. But he is mentally extremely, extremely strong," he said.
"They took away all his rights, as a human being. He refused to revoke his visa. They gave him no right to prepare his defence for several hours, and they took away his phone.
"Fortunately they gave him back his phone. He contacted his legal team who mounted a fantastic defence, that they could not match.
"This is a huge win for Novak, his family and the free world. He respected everything that was asked of him. He only wanted to go there to play tennis.
"Justice and the rule of law have prevailed. The judge who presided over the case has shown that not for a second was Novak the guilty party.
"The judge was fantastic, he simply respected the facts. He took the only decision that was possible which was to release Novak."
Ons Jabeur made an impressive start to 2022 with a routine win over Astra Sharma at the Sydney Tennis Classic.
Last year's Wimbledon quarter-finalist needed less than an hour to win 6-1 6-3 in her first match of the year and set up a meeting with Petra Kvitova, who has won all three of their previous contests.
There was also a strong performance from Daria Kasatkina, who defeated eighth seed Sofia Kenin 6-4 6-0 to progress.
Fourth seed Anett Kontaveit overcame Shuai Zhang 6-3 6-3 while fifth seed Paula Badosa was a straight-sets winner against 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko.
There was a surprise at the Adelaide International 2 as second seed Elina Svitolina was undone by the brutal serving of Madison Keys.
The American sent down 14 aces and won all but five points on her first serve to triumph 6-2 6-4.
Compatriot Alison Riske also progressed, beating Magda Linette 6-4 6-4, but Shelby Rogers lost to Marta Kostyuk.
Marketa Vondrousova, who had not played since losing in the Kremlin Cup semi-finals to Kontaveit in October, came from a set down to beat Viktorija Golubic.
The fifth seed battled through 5-7 6-4 6-3 in just under two and a half hours and will now face Ana Konjuh in the last 16.
Nick Kyrgios pulled out of the Sydney Tennis Classic due to testing positive for coronavirus shortly before he was due to face Italy's Fabio Fognini.
The Australian had been one of the tournament's major draws as the home favourite but now cannot compete and that has subsequently thrown his Australian Open participation into question.
Fognini took full advantage of the situation as he saw off lucky loser Daniel Altmaier 6-3 7-5 to move into the second round.
There he will be joined by – among others – David Goffin, with the Belgian winning a game for the first time in eight months as he beat Facundo Bagnis 6-4 6-4 after an injury-ravaged 2021.
Fifth-seed Lorenzo Sonego was the highest seed in action and he was made to work hard for his 3-6 6-3 7-5 win over Hugo Gaston, needing almost two hours and 45 minutes to get the job done.
The day's other game saw Jordan Thompson win on home soil, beating Marcos Giron fairly comfortably 6-4 6-2.
At the Adelaide International 2, Tommy Paul came out on top in the battle of the Americans as he cruised to an impressive 6-2 6-3 win over Frances Tiafoe in just 69 minutes.
Local boy Aleksandar Vukic clinched the biggest scalp of his professional career as the world number 156 – a wild card entry for the tournament – beat Alexander Bublik 7-6 (7-5) 6-2.
Arthur Rinderknech and Jaume Munar also progressed, the latter defeating Australia's John Millman.
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