Max Verstappen said after the Singapore Grand Prix that his punishment for swearing in a news conference could speed up his exit from Formula One.
Verstappen, who finished second behind title rival Lando Norris on Sunday, has often said that he is not motivated by having a long career in the competition.
The Dutchman has now gone seven Grand Prix without a pole position and seven without a victory, but did halt his two-race podium drought this time around.
But Verstappen's weekend was dominated by his actions off the track rather than on it, saying the controversy could make his departure from the sport a lot quicker.
"These kinds of things definitely decide my future as well, when you can’t be yourself or you have to deal with these kinds of silly things," Verstappen said.
"Now I am at the stage of my career where you don’t want to be dealing with this all the time. It’s really tiring.
"For me, that is not a way of continuing in the sport, that’s for sure."
On Friday in Singapore, Verstappen was ordered by race stewards to "accomplish some work of public interest" swearing while describing his car’s performance in Baku while speaking in the official pre-event news conference on Thursday.
He staged a protest against the decision by giving short answers in the official post-qualifying news conference.
Verstappen called the penalty "ridiculous" and was backed by Norris and Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton.
"If you can’t really be yourself to the fullest, then it’s better not to speak," Verstappen said.
"But that’s what no one wants because then you become a robot and that’s not how you should be going about it in the sport.
"You should be able to show emotions in a way. That’s what racing is about. Any sport.
"Anyone on the pitch, if they get tackled, or get pushed, or they are not happy with something or there is a frustrating moment, or something they get asked about, it’s quite normal there can be a sort of reaction."
There was also an emotional moment for Verstappen's former Red Bull team-mate Daniel Ricciardo, with the Singapore Grand Prix potentially his final race in F1.
Rumours had swirled in the build up to this weekend's race that the eight-time Grand Prix winner would be replaced at RB by Liam Lawson for the final six races of the season.
The Australian recorded the fastest lap and was voted the driver of the day, but Ricciardo gave his clearest indication that this weekend may be the end of his career in the sport.
Referring to his fastest lap attempt, Ricciardo said: “It was maybe just to have one last crack at doing a fast one, if it is to be it.”
Pushed on whether that meant Singapore may have been his last Grand Prix, Ricciardo replied: “Possibly, I have to acknowledge that.
"It’s been a little bit of a race-by-race situation and I would have obviously loved the weekend to have gone better. It didn’t, so I have to prepared for this maybe being it.
"I do feel, let’s say, at peace with it.
“At some point, it’ll come for all of us… I think also, I tried to get back into Red Bull, it didn’t work out, so then I also have to say, ‘Okay, what else am I ultimately doing here and trying to achieve?’
"Let’s say maybe the fairytale ending didn’t happen, but I also have to look back on what it’s been. Fourteen or so years and I’m proud.
“I think when you’ve experienced the highs of winning, you can only fight for P10 for so long."
Ricciardo was spotted taking his time getting out of the cockpit, the Australian appearing to savour the final moments with the car after a gruelling 62-lap race.
Across his 13-year career, Ricciardo has won eight times, with his latest win coming for McLaren at the Italian Grand Prix back in 2021.
But as he crossed the line for potentially the final time, the Australian struggled to hold back the tears.
“A lot of emotions, because – look I’m aware it could be it, and I think it’s also just [being] exhausted after the race," Ricciardo concluded.
"So it’s like a flood of many emotions and feelings and exhaustion.
“The cockpit is something that I got very used to for many years,” added the veteran of 257 Grand Prix starts, tearing up. “I just wanted to savour the moment.”
Carlos Alcaraz's straight-set triumph over Taylor Fritz ensured Team Europe completed a remarkable final day comeback to lift the Laver Cup in Berlin.
Team World had led 11-7 heading into the penultimate match of the competition, but Alexander Zverev's win over Frances Tiafoe forced a deciding contest.
The Spaniard completed the thrilling turnaround in style, saving three of the four break points he faced to hand Team Europe their first win at the tournament since 2021.
Alcaraz managed eight points for Team Europe during the 2024 edition of the Laver Cup, the most points a player has earned in a single edition of the tournament.
The world number three kickstarted proceedings in the doubles with Casper Ruud, emerging victorious in straight sets 6-2 7-6 (8-6) against Tiafoe and Ben Shelton.
Speaking after his opening game of the day, Alcaraz said his performance was an attempt to imitate the great Roger Federer, who was watching on in the stands.
"I think that one of the best tennis players that made these shots possible was Roger [Federer]," Alcaraz said.
"I have watched him many times and the way he plays these unbelievable shots.
"Sometimes, in some way, I try to imitate him a little bit and that is why I try in every practice and in every match to bring some good shots into the match."
But the pendulum swung back in Team World's favour in the following game, with Shelton downing Daniil Medvedev 7-6 (8-6) 5-7 7-10 to put his side on the brink.
However, Zverev found his groove at just the right time, winning his first match of the week 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 10-5 to set up a nail-biting conclusion.
But on his Laver Cup debut, Alcaraz held his nerve with a commanding 6-2 7-5 display against Fritz to see Team Europe become only the second team in the last six editions of the tournament to win having trailed on the final day.
The Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) has made a significant contribution to the development of cycling in Jamaica by donating JMD$1 million to the Jamaica Cycling Federation. The grant, aimed at boosting the sport’s progress, was used to purchase vital racing and training equipment, including state-of-the-art smart trainers.
The Jamaica Cycling Federation expressed its gratitude for the financial assistance, highlighting the importance of this investment in elevating the sport’s standards. Smart trainers have become increasingly popular in cycling programs worldwide due to their advanced capabilities, which are integral to modern training methods.
“These smart trainers are game changers,” said a spokesperson for the Federation. “They allow riders and coaches to approach training in a more scientific manner, offering features like measuring and tracking energy output, simulating race routes, and even enabling coaches to remotely access training data.”
This technological upgrade not only enhances training efficiency but also opens up new possibilities for coaches to closely monitor and optimize athletes' performance. The equipment's ability to simulate real-world racing conditions and provide accurate data on rider performance will help Jamaica’s cyclists prepare for international competition with cutting-edge tools.
The JOA's donation represents its ongoing commitment to supporting the development of underrepresented sports in Jamaica. “This contribution from the JOA is truly appreciated and confirms the continued support for the growth and development of sports like cycling,” the Federation said.
The equipment is expected to help Jamaica’s cyclists better prepare for regional and international competitions, as the nation continues to push for excellence across various sporting disciplines.
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert re-aggravated an ankle injury in Sunday's 20-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Herbert left after being sacked by linebacker Elandon Roberts midway through the third quarter and was replaced by Tyler Heinicke.
Herbert was uncertain to play in this matchup of 2-0 teams after having his ankle rolled up on in Los Angeles' 26-3 victory over the Carolina Panthers last Sunday. He went through pre-game warm-ups, however, and was deemed good to go.
The score was tied at 10-10 when Herbert exited and the Chargers offence only managed one first down on their final two possessions with Heinicke.
Herbert finished the game 12-of-18 for 125 yards with a touchdown, while Heinicke completed his only two pass attempts for 24 yards, but was sacked three times.
In 13 games last season, Herbert averaged 241.1 passing yards with 20 touchdowns and seven interceptions, but for the run-heavy Chargers in 2024, he entered Week 3 with 274 total passing yards with three TDs and one pick.
Los Angeles averaged 197.5 rushing yards in its first two games, but managed just 61 on the ground against the Steelers.
Lando Norris lauded an "amazing race" as McLaren's Singapore Grand Prix dominance secured a comfortable ending for the winner.
Norris claimed his third win of the Formula One season on Sunday, further closing the gap in the drivers' championship to Red Bull's Max Verstappen.
The Dutchman's lead has now been slashed to 52 points but the defending champion remains the favourite to regain his crown.
That will not take away from another success for Norris, however, with the Briton relishing further success in 2024.
"It was an amazing race," Norris told Sky Sports. "A few too many close calls – I had a couple of little moments in the middle – but it was well controlled, I think, otherwise.
"The car was mega. I could push, we were flying the whole race, and at the end I could just chill. So it was a nice race, still tough, I'm a bit out of breath, but a fun one."
With Verstappen finishing just behind Norris, Oscar Piastri completed a superb weekend for McLaren by coming in third ahead of Mercedes' George Russell.
It could have been a different story for Norris and McLaren, though, with the 24-year-old brushing the barriers on more than one occasion.
"It's not that you are necessarily over-pushing, sometimes it can even be that you are just chilling too much," Norris said of those near-misses.
"Maybe it was a bit of both, I don't know what it is. It's tricky. It's still tough out there and easy to lock the tyres as I did.
"I still pushed, I didn't want to have a one-second lead, I wanted to have the biggest lead possible."
Norris has now equalled Stirling Moss and John Surtees on 24 podiums, meaning David Coulthard (62) and Eddie Irvine (26) are the only Britons to have secured more F1 podium finishes without winning a world championship.
Caitlin Clark lived up to the lofty expectations as one of the most highly touted rookies in WNBA history, and has been rewarded.
The WNBA announced Sunday that the Indian Fever star was unanimously chosen as the league's Rookie of the Year.
After a phenomenal collegiate career, Clark was the first pick of this year's draft and made an immediate impact on the court and also by helping the WNBA gain popularity worldwide.
She broke the league's single-season assist mark with 337 - including a WNBA-record 19 in one game - and scored the most points ever by a rookie with an average of 19.2 per game.
Clark, who finished fourth in MVP voting and was named to the AP All-WNBA first team, also helped lead the Fever to their first play-off berth since 2016.
She is joined on the all-rookie team by Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso of the Chicago Sky, New York Liberty forward Leonie Fiebich and Los Angeles Sparks forward Rickea Jackson.
The honours keep coming for A'ja Wilson.
The WNBA announced Sunday that the Las Vegas Aces star was unanimously chosen as the league's MVP.
This is the third time Wilson has won the award, after also being selected in 2020 and 2022, to become just the fourth player in league history to achieve the feat, joining Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie and Lauren Jackson.
Wilson received all 67 first-place votes to join Cynthia Cooper in the league's inaugural 1997 season to win the award unanimously.
The MVP selection was the latest milestone for Wilson in the past few weeks.
She established the WNBA single-season scoring record on September 11, and four days later became the first player in league history to score 1,000 points in a season.
Wilson finished the regular season with 1,021 points, 451 rebounds and a league-high 98 blocks, for averages of 26.9 points, 11.8 boards and 2.6 blocks.
McLaren enjoyed a brilliant Singapore Grand Prix as Lando Norris closed the gap on Formula One drivers' championship leader Max Verstappen.
Norris led from pole position on Sunday, and never looked likely to let that lead slip as he controlled the race from the off in a statement victory - his third race win of the season.
The Briton, who did have a few brushes with the barriers, ultimately finished 20.94 seconds clear of second-place Verstappen, whose championship lead has now been cut to 52 points, though the Dutchman nevertheless remains the firm favourite to retain his crown.
Oscar Piastri, the victor in Baku last time out, completed a superb weekend for McLaren by finishing third ahead of Mercedes' George Russell, though Daniel Ricciardo did do Red Bull a favour.
In what could well prove to be the final grand prix of his career, Ricciardo - racing for Red Bull's second team - pitted at the end in order to come out on soft tyres and take the fastest lap, which Norris had held.
"Thank you, Daniel," Verstappen said on the team radio when he was informed of the Australian's effort.
Charles Leclerc, who is third in the championship, completed the top five, but it was a day that belonged firmly to Norris and McLaren, who nudged themselves further clear at the top of the constructor standings.
Lewis Hamilton, who had been in the hunt for a record-equalling fifth win in Singapore, crossed in sixth.
Data Debrief: Lights to flag
The driver occupying pole had only won two of the last five races in Singapore (Hamilton in 2018 and Carlos Sainz in 2023), but Norris was in a league of his own this time out.
Norris has now equalled Stirling Moss and John Surtees on 24 podiums, meaning David Coulthard (62) and Eddie Irvine (26) are the only Britons in F1 history to have secured more podium finishes without winning a world championship.
McLaren, meanwhile, have had at least one driver on the podium in the last 14 races, matching their second-best such streak, only behind a run of 19 they managed between Australia 2007 and Malaysia 2008.
Ricciardo did at least steal some of McLaren's thunder. Ten drivers have secured at least one fastest lap in 2024. The last season with at least 10 different drivers to record a fastest lap was 2012 (12).
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Drivers'
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 331
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 279
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 245
Constructors'
1. McLaren - 516
2. Red Bull - 475
3. Ferrari - 441
Carlos Alcaraz slammed the congested schedule in elite-level tennis, with the world number three saying "they are going to kill us".
As a hectic season draws towards a close, Alcaraz is competing for Team Europe at the Laver Cup.
The 21-year-old, who won the French Open and Wimbledon earlier this year and also reached the final of the Paris Olympics, has played 50 matches on the ATP Tour last year.
And the Spaniard feels tournament organisers are not doing enough to protect player welfare.
"Probably they are going to kill us in some way," said Alcaraz, who beat Ben Shelton on Saturday.
"Right now a lot of good players are going to miss a lot of tournaments because of that [injury]."
Alcaraz also suggested he struggles when it comes to motivating himself when the schedule is so congested.
He added: "Sometimes, you don't want to go to a tournament.
"I'm not going to lie – I have felt this way a few times already.
"Sometimes I don't feel motivated at all. But as I've said many, many times, I play my best tennis when I smile and enjoy it on court. That's the best option to keep motivating [myself]."
Alcaraz was in doubles action alongside Casper Ruud on Sunday, before facing Taylor Fritz in the singles.
Beatriz Haddad Maia clinched her first WTA title of the year by fighting back from a set and a break down to beat Daria Kasatkina 1-6 6-4 6-1 in the Korea Open final on Sunday.
Haddad Maia, who produced her second-best major run by reaching the US Open quarter-finals earlier this month, was a distant second-best as she lost the opener 6-1.
Top seed Kasatkina then broke in the first game of the second set but Haddad Maia rallied from there, hitting back in the sixth game then later winning set point against her opponent's serve.
The Brazilian was irrepressible in the decider, winning 100% of her first-serve points (10/10) and saving three break points in a row when Kasatkina did put the pressure on midway through the set.
Haddad Maia made that count by going two breaks up, then served out the contest to love to earn her first title since winning the WTA Elite Trophy in China last year.
Data Debrief: Haddad Maia goes one better
Haddad Maia reached the final of the Korea Open on her tournament debut in 2017, only to go down to Jelena Ostapenko in her first WTA showpiece match – and her last until she won the 2022 Nottingham Open.
A dominant performance on serve got her over the line on Sunday, after her early wobble.
Haddad Maia won 72% of first-serve points to Kasatkina's 63%, also converting four of the five break points she generated.
Argentina coach Felipe Contepomi hailed Los Pumas for combining "beautiful" attacking play with resolute defensive work as they kept their Rugby Championship hopes alive with a dramatic victory over South Africa.
Having won their first four games of the 2024 tournament, the Springboks knew a win in Santiago would have clinched their fifth Tri-Nations/Rugby Championship crown with a match to spare.
They raced into an early lead with tries from Aphelele Fassi and Jesse Kriel, only for Mateo Carreras, Pablo Matera, Joel Sclavi and Tomas Albornoz to go over in response for the hosts.
The visitors later re-established their lead in the second half, only for Albornoz's penalty to put Argentina 29-28 ahead, which remained the final score following a late penalty miss from South Africa's Manie Libbok.
After the win, which preserved Argentina's hopes of overhauling the Springboks in matchweek six, Contepomi said: "The victory could have been a defeat in the last minute.
"Beyond the result, which is obviously welcome, the important thing is what we were able to do at times, which is to impose our game.
"At times it came out and we shot ourselves in the foot, because we gave them an entrance into the game with penalties and unforced errors.
"South Africa are predictable, but it's not easy. You know what they are going to do, but they do it so well that it is very difficult to stop. Every centimetre counts.
"The attacking play is what is easiest to see, or the most beautiful, but I think a lot about our work on defence."
Argentina go to Mbombela for their final game next Saturday, sitting five points behind the world champions in the standings.
"We have many areas to correct," Contepomi said, looking ahead to that rematch. "There are small mistakes that allowed them into the game.
"It's about trying to minimise the ones you can control, the unforced errors. We are going to work on that to continue growing."
The Cleveland Guardians’ rally on the field may have come up short on Saturday night, but that didn’t stop the celebration afterwards.
The Guardians lost 6-5 to the St. Louis Cardinals but clinched their 12th AL Central title since 1995 after the Kansas City Royals were beaten by the San Francisco Giants.
“This is awesome just to see the joy,” Cleveland manager Steven Vogt told reporters after the game. “The result of tonight's game, it matters, but at the end of the day, we need to celebrate this. Any time you get the chance, you win the division, you've got to enjoy every second of it.”
The Guardians (90-66) have spent 170 days in first place this season, the most in the American League and trailing only the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 181 days in the majors.
Jose Ramirez starred in the losing effort on Saturday, hitting his 37th home run and 36th double this season.
Entering the eighth inning, Cleveland trailed 6-1 with their only run coming on a Bo Naylor solo shot.
Ramirez’s homer provided three runs in a fourth-run eighth inning, but the Guardians could never close the gap entirely.
Nick Sandlin gave up four runs in the seventh, but they were all unearned, coming after a Naylor fielding error.
Ivan Herrera and Jordan Walker went deep for the Cardinals. Miles Mikolas gave up one run and four hits in six innings to earn the win.
White Sox on brink of losses record
The Chicago White Sox took one more step toward infamy, tying the American League record with their 119th loss of the season.
Xander Bogaerts, David Peralta and Elias Diaz hit home runs and the San Diego Padres beat the Chicago White Sox 6-2 as the Padres moved closer to securing a post-season berth.
Chicago (36-119) fell into a tie with the 2003 Detroit Tigers (43-119) for the worst season in AL history. The expansion 1962 New York Mets lost 120 games, the most in baseball’s modern era.
San Diego picked up a game in the NL West standings on the Los Angeles Dodgers and now trail by three with seven games to play.
The Padres are currently slotted as the NL’s top wild card team with a three-game lead over the final wild card spot.
San Diego have won seven of their last eight games and have baseball’s best record since the All-Star break at 38-17.
Mets top Phils to stay alive in NL East
Sean Manaea had another strong outing, Brandon Nimmo sparked a three-run seventh inning and the New York Mets beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-3, denying Philly a division-clinching win.
Francisco Alvarez and Luisangel Acuña hit solo home runs early, and Alvarez added a two-run double in the seventh as the Mets collected their 17th win in 22 games.
Manaea won his fourth consecutive decision, allowing three hits and three runs in seven innings’ work. Edwin Diaz got the last four outs for his 19th save of the season.
New York (86-69) remained two games ahead of the Atlanta Braves for the NL’s final wild card spot.
Philadelphia (92-63), who clinched a playoff berth on Friday, needed one more win over the Mets to secure their first NL East title since 2011 but will have another chance on Sunday.
Kyle Schwarber extended his MLB record by hitting his 15th leadoff home run of the season, his 36th homer overall. Nick Castellanos also went deep, but Philadelphia managed just four hits.
The Phillies’ staff issued seven walks in the game, while the Mets’ staff issued none.
Anthony Joshua is likely to call for a rematch against Daniel Dubois, having conceded he "came up short" after he "rolled the dice" in Saturday's bout at Wembley Stadium.
In front of a record-breaking, 96,000 crowd that had been further geed up by a performance from Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher, it was Dubois who turned in a supersonic display on Saturday.
Joshua saw his hopes of clinching the IBF heavyweight title slide away as Dubois dominated from the off, before delivering the knockout blow in round five.
Some pundits suggested this should be the end for Joshua, though the 34-year-old insisted he is not planning on stopping any time soon.
"Credit to him and his team. We rolled the dice of success, but we came up short," he told DAZN.
"You know I'm ready to kick off in the ring, but I'm going to keep my cool, keep very professional, and give respect to my opponent.
"I'm always saying to myself I'm a fighter for life... We keep rolling the dice.
"I had a sharp opponent, a fast opponent and a lot of mistakes from my end, but that's the game."
Promoter Eddie Hearn, meanwhile, claimed Joshua would likely take up the option of a rematch.
"I'm sure he'll exercise that rematch clause, it's a given, it's a dangerous fight because he's growing in confidence all the time but he'll believe he can beat him," Hearn told DAZN.
Dubois, though, will likely want to turn his attention to facing the victor out of Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, with their rematch set to take place in December in Saudi Arabia.
Daniel Dubois does not want his "redemption story" to stop after dominating Anthony Joshua to reclaim his IBF heavyweight title.
Oleksandr Usyk vacated his IBF belt, labelling it as a present for the fight between Joshua and Dubois, the latter taking the title by default.
Dubois left no doubts over the merit of his belt on Saturday, though, delivering a brutal fifth-round knockout blow to Joshua in front of a record-breaking crowd for the all-British clash at Wembley Stadium.
Speaking on DAZN after an impressive triumph, Dubois addressed the record-breaking crowd: "I've only got a few things to say, are you not entertained?!
"It's been a journey and I'm grateful to be in this position. I'm a gladiator, I'm a warrior until the bitter end. I want to get to the top of this sport and reach my full potential.
"Behind the scenes, the work with my dad. I've been on a rollercoaster run, this is my time, this is my redemption story. I'm not going to stop until I reach my full potential."
Tyson Fury and Usyk are set for a Riyadh rematch in December, though Dubois will be waiting in the wings for a shot at the heavyweight pair.
Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn immediately suggested his fighter will seek to activate a rematch clause with Dubois, however.
Whether Joshua can recover from this defeat remains to be seen, having been sent spiralling to the canvas multiple times, including in the opening round.
Joshua appeared to have found a way back into the bout in the fifth, only for Dubois to land a crucial right-hand finisher, much to his understandable delight.
"I am the man," he added to Sky Sports. "A mix of emotions. I can't say too much right now. I'm fighting to get all the glory. To me, I'm the hunter and I need to hunt."
As for his next fight, Dubois is dreaming big, adding: "All of the best, maybe Usyk [for] a big shot at my redemption. Anyone can get it."
Frank Warren echoed Dubois' sentiment, with the Queensbury promoter eyeing another shot at Usyk for Dubois, who lost to the Ukrainian in August last year.
"It was a phenomenal fight and I always felt it would be a [Marvin] Hagler versus [Thomas] Hearns situation," Warren told DAZN. "AJ showed his heart right until the end. It was a brilliant fight.
"I always felt Dubois would do it and he has. It's not a turnaround, it was there. He was a young man and had double fractures in his eyes, he couldn't fight. He hurt him [Usyk], I'd like to see him fight him now but he has to fight Tyson now.
"Everyone here has seen a champion's performance. He's done everything you could ask for. AJ caught him with a shot over there and I was worried. He's a young man and on top of his game, he can improve."
WBO interim heavyweight champion Joseph Parker also put his name into the hat to face Dubois, with Fury and Usyk not set to meet until later this year, which would keep any challenger waiting.
"If he [Dubois] wants to get it on then let's go," Parker said on DAZN immediately after the result.
Francis Tiafoe enjoyed an important Laver Cup victory over Daniil Medvedev on Saturday, with the American thriving on confidence after feeling "like Roger Federer".
American Tiafoe rallied past Team Europe's Medvedev 3-6 6-4 10-5 to send Team World into a 4-2 lead, at least temporarily.
Carlos Alcaraz soon levelled the team series in Berlin with an impressive 6-4 6-4 victory over Tiafoe's fellow American Ben Shelton.
Swiss great Federer was in the crowd to watch Tiafoe's performance, much to the delight of the 26-year-old.
"Honestly I just started having fun. Laughing with my team, laughing with my team over there and here. Just having a bit of fun and started really finding my rhythm," Tiafoe said.
"The courts are obviously much slower than I'm used to playing on, so it's tough playing Daniil on this court. But after the second set, midway into the second and in the tie-break, I felt like I was Roger Federer, honestly."
Tiafoe had lost all five previous ATP Tour meetings with Medvedev but continued his fine form after reaching the US Open semi-finals for the first time, along with making the final in Cincinnati.
"I just have a lot more confidence in myself. I'm having a lot of fun playing the game at the moment," Tiafoe added.
"I'm just trying to play the right way and compete as hard as I can, let the chips fall where they may. I respect everyone, but I'm just not fearing anyone at the moment.
"I'm just going out there, taking it to guys and seeing what happens."
Alcaraz fell on his Laver Cup debut in the doubles alongside Alexander Zverev but responded with a near-perfect singles performance against Shelton.
"I'm really happy to be part of Team Europe in the Laver Cup for the first time," Alcaraz said after his first win in the competition.
"I'm trying to be as [good] a partner as I can, as [good] a player as I can to help my team. I played against Ben, a really powerful player, a really tough one.
"I'm pretty happy because I played a really solid match from the beginning until the end of the match."
Taylor Fritz subsequently restored Team World's lead with a 6-4 7-5 victory over Germany's Zverev, before doubles success followed for Shelton and Alejandro Tabilo.
The Team World pair dispatched Casper Ruud and Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-1 6-2, securing a 8-4 lead for their side heading into the third day of action.
Daniel Dubois claimed an eye-catching victory over Anthony Joshua with a fifth-round knockout in an all-British clash for the IBF heavyweight title.
Joshua was tipped as the pre-fight favourite, aiming to become a three-time heavyweight champion in front of a record-breaking 96,000 crowd at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.
Yet Dubois came out on the top, dominating from the off before catching Joshua with a brutal right-hand blow.
His reward will likely prove to be a clash with Tyson Fury or Oleksandr Usyk, who face off in their December rematch in Riyadh.
With Fury and Usyk watching on, Dubois came flying out the blocks, landing back-to-back jabs before downing Joshua in the first round with a bruising overhand right.
Challenger Joshua survived the count and was saved by the bell, before a further onslaught followed by Dubois resulted in a similar conclusion in the third just as the round ended.
Dubois floored Joshua once more just seconds into the fourth, with brief confusion as the referee waved for a knockdown rather than knockout as the one-sided bout continued.
Joshua appeared to have recovered, landing a few shots in the fifth before overcommitting as Dubois delivered the decisive blow to settle any talk over his IBF title, which was initially handed over by Usyk.
Carlos Sainz acknowledged his crash in Q3 at the Singapore Grand Prix left Ferrari facing an uphill battle, with team-mate Charles Leclerc also seeing his time ruled out.
Sainz crashed at the final corner, losing control of his car before he started a flying lap, while Leclerc exceeded track limits at Turn 2 in a one-lap decider on Saturday.
Leclerc and Sainz will start in P9 and P10 respectively in Singapore on Sunday, with Ferrari currently third in the competitive constructors' championship standings.
Both drivers attributed their poor performance to tyre temperature.
"When we get out of the garage with front tyres that are too cold, then you arrive in the first corner and you lock up, so I don't know what's gone on," said Leclerc.
"I don't have the answer yet, the team don't have the answer yet, but we need to look into it because we paid the price today."
Sainz echoed a similar sentiment as he apologised to the Ferrari team for his crash.
"A very strange one. I clearly underestimated, or overestimated in this case, the grip that I would get from a very cold tyre. I had to do a lot of back off in the last sector to let some cars by," Sainz said.
"I had a big moment. At one point I thought I could save it but then it snapped on me and it was a very unfortunate, very bad accident. Apologies for the team and for everyone, because it's not the way you want to finish qualifying.
"At the same time, this weekend we've been struggling a lot with temperatures, with getting the tyres in the right window, and today was just one of those bad ones."
Rory McIlroy was pleased with a 'solid' bogey-free round of 66 as he sits joint-second on 15 under par, three shots off leader Matteo Manassero, ahead of the final day of the BMW PGA Championship.
McIlroy carded a six-under round with four birdies and one eagle on the fourth, only bettered by leader Manassero's 63 and Billy Horschel's 65, which included a run of seven straight birdies and put him in a tie for second alongside the Northern Irishman.
The 35-year-old, who won the event in 2014, was happy enough with his third round, despite finding the water on 18 and scrambling a par on the scoreable final hole.
He said to Sky Sports: "I had a few chances that I let slip there on the back nine, but I got going out there on moving day, shooting six under par, trying to keep up with Matteo.
"It was another solid day, my lowest score of the week and no bogeys. I know I'm going to need another low one tomorrow to try to catch him.
"I love it here. It would be amazing to get my name on the trophy again."
Manassero, who also tasted success at Wentworth in 2013, was delighted with his round, coming towards the end of a season in which he has returned from the wilderness to play some of his very best golf.
"I have to be honest, one of the best rounds I've ever played," the Italian said afterwards.
"Thinking of the difficult years, to be standing here right now in the lead - it feels amazing."
"My perspective has changed. I'm going to go out and enjoy tomorrow."
Lando Norris "had faith" that McLaren were quick and was rewarded with pole position for the Singapore Grand Prix.
The Brit was quickest in a dramatic qualifying session, crossing the line 0.203 seconds quicker than Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who will start in second.
After tough practice sessions, Mercedes pair Lewis Hamilton and George Russell improved on their performances to finish third and fourth respectively, with Oscar Piastri in fifth.
The times came from a one-lap shootout after Carlos Sainz forced the third session to be stopped as he crashed into the barriers on the final corner of his first lap.]
And Ferrari's day got worse as Charles Leclerc had his lap time deleted for a track limits breach at turn two.
Norris admitted it was a tough qualification session but was pleased to come out on top as he attempts to close the gap to Verstappen in the divers' championship.
"It was tough, especially through qualifying. I was finding it a little difficult to progress much and gain a lot of lap time," Norris said.
"And all of the guys around seemed to get quicker and quicker, so it put me under a bit more pressure, especially with just one lap at the end.
"I had faith we were quick, so I didn't have to over-push and I could just do what I've been doing the whole weekend.
"It was good enough for pole, and I'm happy with that, especially here in Singapore. A good feeling. I've felt good all weekend, I've felt confident, maybe not so much in qualy but we got the job done."
Asked how he felt about the one-lap shootout, he added: "I like it. It gets your heart rate going and it's good fun. My lap wasn't as good as my lap previous to the red flag, so there's always just that little bit more in it.
"But the car's been feeling good and when you have a good feeling car, and you're confident, you can go out and push and get the lap time, so I did the job I had to do today and excited to see what we can do tomorrow."
Verstappen struggled in the second practice session, finishing 15th on the timesheet, but he improved on Saturday to ensure he would start on the front row with Norris.
The Dutchman had been unhappy with his car’s performance on Friday but was feeling more optimistic about his chances on Sunday after qualifying.
"The whole of qualifying went quite well. We managed to improve the car run after run," Verstappen said.
"I'm happy to be on the front row if you look at where we came from yesterday.
"Q3 was tough. Your lap gets, of course, cancelled with the double-waved yellow, then everyone only has one run to do the lap, so you don't want to overdo it. You want to stay within the limit. I'll take second - I'm happy with that.
"Tomorrow is a bit difficult to say. In Singapore, a lot of things can happen, but at least we have a shot at it like this."
Qualifying results
1. Lando Norris (McLaren)
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
3. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
4. George Russell (Mercedes)
5. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
6. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)
7. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
8. Yuki Tsunoda (RB)
9. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
10. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
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