U.S./World Sports category, Page 4
Dillon, Larson feeling optimistic at Bristol with NASCAR Cup playoff eliminations looming
Austin Dillon and Kyle Larson have the same goal — reaching the second round of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs — but divergent paths to get there at Bristol Motor Speedway. Entering Saturday night’s 500-lap cutoff race at the treacherous short track in Tennessee, Dillon is on the verge of...
Denny Hamlin advances in NASCAR playoffs at Gateway
MADISON, Ill. — Denny Hamlin won from the pole position at World Wide Technology Raceway, playing the strategy perfectly to lead the final 25 laps in his series-high fifth victory this season. With his 59th career win, Hamlin advanced to the second round of the Cup Series playoffs and joined...
Carlos Alcaraz beats rival Jannik Sinner at the U.S. Open for a 6th Slam title and the No. 1 ranking
NEW YORK — Carlos Alcaraz reasserted his superiority over Jannik Sinner with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory Sunday in the U.S. Open final — the third Grand Slam tournament in a row where these elite, young rivals met to decide the champion — for his second trophy at Flushing...
Playoff pressure is on for Joey Logano, other NASCAR Cup Series stars
No one has been more successful in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs than Joey Logano, who has won three championships since the introduction of three-race elimination rounds in 2014. But it’s rarely been easy for the Team Penske star, who knows the pressure that many title contenders will be feeling...
Aryna Sabalenka defeats Amanda Anisimova for 2nd consecutive U.S. Open title and 4th at a major
NEW YORK — Aryna Sabalenka did not make many mistakes — well, until near the end — despite not sacrificing any power, and outplayed Amanda Anisimova for a 6-3, 7-6 (3) victory in the U.S. Open final Saturday, making her the first woman to win the tournament in consecutive years...
Chip Ganassi Racing’s 17th title proves to be record-breaking journeyVideo
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Chip Ganassi has only one business — he’s not a car dealer, he’s not backed by private equity money — the Fox Chapel native focuses only on racing. And in 35 years, he’s proved to be good at his chosen profession. Alex Palou closed the IndyCar season...
Alcaraz, Sinner set to meet in men’s U.S. Open final
NEW YORK — Carlos Alcaraz was about to start a series of TV interviews to discuss the way he used his youth, athleticism and creativity to beat the much more accomplished, but also much older, Novak Djokovic, 6-4, 7-6 (4), 6-2, in the U.S. Open semifinals Friday. First, though, Alcaraz...
Trump to attend U.S. Open men’s final, marking another trip to a major sporting event
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump will attend Sunday’s men’s final of the U.S. Open, returning to a tournament he once frequently attended for the first time in a decade. The White House confirmed the visit Thursday night. Trump is expected to make a daytrip to New York and return to...
Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka beats Jessica Pegula in U.S. Open semifinalsVideo
NEW YORK — On Aryna Sabalenka’s first chance to end her U.S. Open semifinal against Jessica Pegula for the chance to play for a second consecutive trophy, the defending champion dumped what should have been an easy overhead into the net, then stared at the ground. On Sabalenka’s second chance,...
Bjorn Borg says his prostate cancer is in remission after 2024 operationVideo
NEW YORK — Tennis great Bjorn Borg reveals in the last chapter of his upcoming memoir, “Heartbeats,” that he was diagnosed with an “extremely aggressive” prostate cancer, and he told the Associated Press it is in remission after an operation in 2024. “I have nothing right now. But every six...
Caitlin Clark to miss rest of Fever’s season because of right groin injuryVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — Caitlin Clark will miss the rest of the Indiana Fever’s season because of a right groin injury. “I had hoped to share a better update, but I will not be returning to play this season,” Clark said in a statement. “I spent hours in the gym every day...
Amanda Anisimova upsets Iga Swiatek at the U.S. Open after 6-0, 6-0 loss to her in Wimbledon’s finalVideo
NEW YORK — Amanda Anisimova upset Iga Swiatek 6-4, 6-3 in the U.S. Open quarterfinals Wednesday, less than two months after losing to the six-time Grand Slam champion in the Wimbledon final by a 6-0, 6-0 score. The No. 8-seeded Anisimova reached her third major semifinal and first at Flushing...
NBA says it will open investigation into report that Clippers broke cap rules with Kawhi Leonard dealVideo
LOS ANGELES — The NBA said Wednesday that it will investigate if a $28 million endorsement contract between Kawhi Leonard and a California-based sustainability services company allowed the Los Angeles Clippers to circumvent league salary cap rules, following a report by journalist Pablo Torre. The probe will focus on ties...
Venus Williams’ U.S. Open ends with loss in doubles quarterfinals
NEW YORK — Venus Williams’ first Grand Slam tournament in two years ended Tuesday when she and Leylah Fernandez lost in the U.S. Open women’s doubles quarterfinals to the top-seeded duo of Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova 6-1, 6-2. When the match finished after 56 minutes in Louis Armstrong Stadium,...
Carlos Alcaraz beats Jiri Lehecka to reach U.S. Open semifinals, Jessica Pegula also wins
NEW YORK — Carlos Alcaraz finger-wagged the crowd, beat Jiri Lehecka to the net and cruised into the semifinals at the U.S. Open. The second-seeded Spaniard beat Lehecka 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 in the quarterfinals on Tuesday, making some highlight-reel shots and putting his hand to his ear afterward to encourage...
Michael Jordan’s NASCAR team fights for charter status amid explosive lawsuit
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Two NASCAR teams, one owned by NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, on Tuesday argued to a federal judge why the organizations still should be issued a preliminary injunction to be recognized as chartered organizations until their antitrust suit against the stock car racing series is finished....
Briscoe, JGR, Toyota all make big statements at Darlington Raceway to start the NASCAR playoffs
DARLINGTON, S.C. — Chase Briscoe made a big statement Sunday night with his second straight Southern 500 victory that he’s a serious contender for the NASCAR Cup Series title. Briscoe’s team, Joe Gibbs Racing, and his manufacturer, Toyota, also made statements at Darlington Raceway that this postseason would not be...
Naomi Osaka and Iga Swiatek roll into the quarterfinals at the US Open
NEW YORK — Naomi Osaka and Iga Swiatek rolled into the quarterfinals at the U.S. Open, showing off what once made each of them the top-ranked women’s tennis player in the world. Osaka dominated Coco Gauff, 6-3, 6-2, in their highly anticipated showdown Monday in Arthur Ashe Stadium. Swiatek rallied...
Chase Briscoe wins 2nd straight Southern 500 to advance to 2nd round of NASCAR playoffsVideo
DARLINGTON, S.C. — Chase Briscoe held off Tyler Reddick at Darlington Raceway on Sunday night to win the Southern 500 for the second straight year and advance to the second round of the NACAR Cup Series playoffs. Briscoe, in his first season with Joe Gibbs Racing, took the lead early,...
Jessica Pegula is back in the U.S. Open quarterfinals after a 4th-round romp, will face Krejcikova
NEW YORK — Jessica Pegula is back in the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam tournament, which used to be her roadblock. The way Pegula is playing at this U.S. Open, it may be just another stop on the way back to the final. The No. 4 seed rolled into the...
Carlos Alcaraz uses some behind-the-back magic to reach the U.S. Open quarterfinalsVideo
NEW YORK — Carlos Alcaraz hit a behind-the-back shot at the U.S. Open to win a point in a 7-6 (3), 6-3, 6-4 victory over Arthur Rinderknech on Sunday that made the Spaniard the youngest man in the Open era to reach 13 Grand Slam quarterfinals. “Sometimes, I practice it....
Piastri wins Dutch GP after Lando Norris breaks down in a key moment for F1 title race
ZANDVOORT, Netherlands — Oscar Piastri steered clear of trouble to win the Dutch Grand Prix on Sunday after teammate Lando Norris’ Formula 1 title chances took a heavy blow when his McLaren broke down. Norris was chasing Piastri late in the race when the British driver reported a “funny” smell...
Tennis fashion is exploding at the US Open. Luxury brands want in
NEW YORK — Before New York Fashion Week kicks off in Manhattan, some of the incoming brands are making an early first stop elsewhere — out in Queens, on the blue hard courts of the U.S. Open, where play continues through next weekend. Just four days separate the two crosstown...
Coco Gauff vs. Naomi Osaka is next at U.S. Open
NEW YORK — Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka set up a high-profile showdown between two past title winners in the U.S. Open’s fourth round with victories Saturday. “Everyone will be watching,” Venus Williams said. “That’s what tennis needs.” Their meeting Monday, with a quarterfinal berth at stake, is a rematch...
Jelena Ostapenko apologizes for what she said to Taylor Townsend
NEW YORK — Jelena Ostapenko apologized on social media Saturday for telling Taylor Townsend she had “no education” after losing to her at the U.S. Open earlier in the week, explaining that she intended to call out Townsend for what Ostapenko perceived as poor tennis etiquette. Ostapenko, the 2017 French...
