TORONTO (AP) — Serena Williams wore her game face when she stepped out into the stadium for her first match since telling the world she is ready to leave professional tennis.
A couple of days before Serena Williams claimed the 22nd of her 23 Grand Slam singles titles at Wimbledon in 2016, she was asked what she makes of it when people refer to her as one of history's greatest female athletes.
DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Tigers' disappointing season cost Al Avila his job.
Avila was fired as Detroit's general manager on Wednesday, ending a seven-year tenure without a playoff appearance.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Deshaun Watson's debut for the Browns is tentative and subject to change.
The same is true for his first season in Cleveland.
Watson is scheduled to start the exhibition opener — his first game action since 2020 — at Jacksonville on Friday while the quarterback waits to see if the NFL succeeds in keeping him off the field for the entire season.
PHOENIX (AP) — The moment was hilarious because it was so relatable.
Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Rodolfo Castro and third base coach Mike Rabelo stood and stared, mortified, at a smartphone that had mistakenly made its way onto a Major League Baseball field on Tuesday night.
CINCINNATI (AP) — Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is still on the mend from an appendectomy two weeks ago, and there is no timetable for his participation in training camp.
The third-year quarterback, who last season led Cincinnati to its first Super Bowl in 33 years, has been observing practice from a golf cart or scooter.
BOSTON (AP) — Vaughn Grissom was rounding third when it sank in.
He had just cleared the Green Monster for his first big league hit, and he gave himself an emphatic clap before finishing his home run trot.
SEATTLE (AP) — In a clubhouse with little experience of being in a playoff chase, Carlos Santana is the old guy that can be turned to for advice and guidance.
And sometimes he comes up with a clutch hit or two as a reminder he's still pretty good player.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Carlos Vela scored in the third minute and Raúl Ruidíaz's converted a penalty kick in the 73rd minute in the Major League Soccer All-Star team's 2-1 victory over Mexico's Liga MX on Wednesday night.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Perhaps it was only fitting that a violent thunderstorm hit the TPC Southwind right about the time a federal judge in California ruled against a motion that would have allowed three players who cashed in on LIV Golf to play for $75 million in bonus money on the PGA Tour.
HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Jarrett Stidham knows who's the starting quarterback in Las Vegas.
That hasn’t stopped him from performing like an incoming starter for the Raiders.
After all, when you might understand a new offensive system better than anybody coming into training camp, there’s an edge that established confidence.
MONTREAL (AP) — Nick Kyrgios beat top-ranked defending champion Daniil Medvedev 6-7 (2), 6-4, 6-2 on Wednesday in the National Bank Open.
Krygios, the Australian ranked 37th, won last week in Washington for his seventh ATP Tour title.
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Connor Bedard had a goal and an assist and Canada opened play in the postponed world junior hockey championship with a 5-2 victory over Latvia on Wednesday night.
The tournament was rescheduled after being called off Dec.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — An institutional “culture of callousness” led Los Angeles County deputies and firefighters to shoot and share photos of the remains of Kobe Bryant and other victims of the 2020 helicopter crash that killed the Lakers star, his 13-year-old daughter, and seven others, a lawyer for Bryant's widow told a jury Wednesday.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Recently retired test batsman Ross Taylor says in an autobiography released Thursday that he experienced racism during his 16-year career in New Zealand cricket.
Taylor, who is of Samoan heritage, describes racist locker room "banter" and casually racist comments from some New Zealand team officials.
SEATTLE (AP) — New York Yankees sparkplug Matt Carpenter said Wednesday he expects to return this season and won't need surgery on his broken left foot.
Carpenter saw a specialist in Seattle on Wednesday morning before the Yankees' series finale against the Mariners.
KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — A solid innings of 47 by returning captain Kane Williamson and a dashing 33 from 15 balls by Jimmy Neesham propelled New Zealand to a 13-run win over the West Indies in the first of three Twenty20 cricket internationals.
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Magneuris Sierra hit an RBI single in the 10th inning, then doubled home the go-ahead run in the 12th that lifted the Los Angeles Angels over the Oakland Athletics 5-4 on Wednesday for a three-game sweep.
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — There was something about being back in a stadium — with pads on his shoulders and fans in the stands — that caught Carl Lawson a bit off guard.
It was only a practice, with the New York Jets taking the field last Saturday night for their annual scrimmage.
The mysterious death of a high school athlete who spent days helping his fellow eastern Kentuckians clean up from historic flooding has added a new layer of grief to the tragedy.
On Wednesday, Aaron “Mick” Crawford was counted as the 38th person to die as a result of flash flooding that swept away homes and swallowed communities last month in the Appalachian region.
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — The Chicago Bears' standoff with Roquan Smith took another turn Wednesday when the team removed the star linebacker from the physically unable to perform list a day after he went public with a trade demand.
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos now sport the wealthiest owner in the NFL and the league's most diverse ownership group.
Four of the six members of the Walton-Penner ownership group which was welcomed into the NFL fraternity this week, are either women or minorities.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Rowdy Tellez hit a tying homer in the ninth inning and made a key defensive play in the 10th, setting up Willy Adames' game-ending RBI single that gave the Milwaukee Brewers a 4-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday.
CHICAGO (AP) — Nico Hoerner homered to ignite a four-run rally in the seventh inning that sent the Chicago Cubs over power-hitting rookie Joey Meneses and the Washington Nationals 4-2 Wednesday.
Hoerner’s seventh home run ended a shutout bid by Nationals starter Josiah Gray and enabled the Cubs to earn just their second win in 51 games in which they trailed entering the seventh.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Alabama wide receiver JoJo Earle is expected to miss the first month of the season with a broken foot.
Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said Wednesday that Earle sustained a Jones fracture in practice “a couple of days ago”.
NEW YORK (AP) — Francisco Lindor scored three runs, tying a franchise record by crossing the plate in 13 consecutive games, and the New York Mets breezed to their sixth straight win, 10-2 over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday.
HELSINKI (AP) — This time, there were only two goals.
David Alaba and Karim Benzema scored in each half for Real Madrid to win the UEFA Super Cup with a 2-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love believes he has something to prove after producing so-so results while backing up reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers last season.
The 2020 first-round pick from Utah State has looked more comfortable in training camp as he enters his third season.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — When Brett Neilon looks around Southern California’s locker room, the Trojans’ sixth-year center sees a few teammates who were with him all the way from the heights of a Pac-12 title to the depths of this storied football program's worst season in 30 years.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kurt Busch said Wednesday he pushed himself too hard trying to return to NASCAR competition and will miss his fourth consecutive Cup Series race because of concussion-like symptoms.
BOSTON (AP) — The Atlanta Braves called up prized prospect Vaughn Grissom to play second base Wednesday and brought back former Padres closer Kirby Yates from a rehab assignment — nearly two years after he last pitched in the big leagues.
DYERSVILLE, Iowa (AP) — Egypt. Australia. A hot dog place in Pennsylvania. A junior college in Chicago.
If Major League Baseball is looking for another place for a game, oh man, do we have some fun ideas.
DYERSVILLE, Iowa (AP) — David Bell's grandfather, father and brother played in the majors. Bell spent 12 years in the big leagues himself and worked as a coach and front office executive before taking over as manager of the Cincinnati Reds.
ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff is expected to play briefly in the preseason opener before Tim Boyle and David Blough get a chance to compete to be the team’s backup and perhaps seal a spot on the roster.
MIDDLESBROUGH, England (AP) — United States forward Matthew Hoppe joined second-division Middlesbrough on Wednesday from Spanish club Mallorca in search of regular playing time that could earn him a World Cup roster spot.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick says the coming Big Ten television contract with NBC is a “perfect” way for the network to complement its deal with the Fighting Irish.
Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson knows his Demon Deacons must prepare to run their high-scoring offense without quarterback Sam Hartman.
Beyond that, it's unclear how long the veteran will be gone.
COSTA MESA, Calif. (AP) — The momentum Joshua Palmer built up last season with the Los Angeles Chargers has continued through the first two weeks of training camp.
Palmer has emerged as the team’s third wide receiver for when the regular season opens on Sept.
Noah Gragson finally earned a promotion to NASCAR's top level and will drive for Petty GMS next season.
Gragson will replace Ty Dillon in the No. 42 Chevrolet beginning with next season's exhibition race at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
DETROIT (AP) — Shane Bieber pitched seven dominant innings, Oscar Gonzalez drove in two runs and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Detroit Tigers 5-2 Tuesday night for their third straight win.
Bieber (7-6) allowed just four singles and a walk while striking out eight.
WESTFIELD, Ind. (AP) — Parris Campbell keeps answering the same old questions.
Yes, the speedy, versatile receiver feels healthy and, yes, he believes he can finally deliver a long-promised breakout season with the Indianapolis Colts.
SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil insisted that it won't play its suspended World Cup qualifying match against Argentina next month, arguing Wednesday that the risks are too high ahead of the tournament in Qatar.
PULLMAN, Wash. (AP) — Former Washington State football coach Nick Rolovich has filed a claim against the university seeking $25 million for wrongful termination after he was fired last year for refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
A diversity report found the NBA posting nearly across-the-board gains in hiring of minorities and women after a small, one-year dip in its overall grade.
Wednesday’s report card from The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) at the University of Central Florida gave the NBA an overall A grade, with an A-plus for racial hiring and a B-plus for gender hiring.