45 stories
24-year-old Briton Sonay Kartal defeated Jelena Ostapenko 7-6 (11/9), 7-6 (7-5) and became the lowest-ranked finalist in the history of WTA 1000 tournaments. She is returning after a six-month break due to a stress fracture of the spine.
Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (world No. 26) defeated tournament top seed Alexander Zverev 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 in the semifinal of the Shanghai Masters and advanced to the final, where he will play either Daniil Medvedev or Rafael Jodar.
Real's coach Jose Mourinho said that if he were in Vinicius Junior's place, he would have left the club this summer due to the abuse and racist insults. The Brazilian is suspended for four matches and will miss the Clasico on October 25, despite a new contract until 2032.
Australia's rugby team lost to New Zealand 21:43 in Sydney a week after a 19:50 defeat in Auckland. Head coach Les Kiss called the result unacceptable but expressed optimism ahead of the home 2027 World Cup.
Hong Kong favourite Ka Ying Rising lost for the first time in his career, finishing second in the Sydney race The Everest on a soft track. The mare Tempted, ridden by Chad Schofield, took victory and the Aus$7 million prize.
Paris 2024 Olympic judo champion Diyora Keldiyorova will compete at the Aktau Asian Open 2026 in Kazakhstan — her first competition in two years. She will enter her usual category, up to 52 kg. In total, 25 judokas will represent Uzbekistan, and the tournament concludes on October 18.
Game 4 of the MLB playoff series between the Cleveland Guardians and Tampa Bay Rays was postponed to Saturday after heavy rains flooded Progressive Field. The Guardians lead the series 2-1, and four games in four days are now possible.
In EuroLeague Round 6, Turkish clubs claimed victories: Beşiktaş beat Bayern 95:87, having let slip but held on to a 28-point lead, while Anadolu Efes won away against Žalgiris 85:70. The game of the day — Barcelona lost to Olympiacos 100:105.
FIFA has ordered the Spanish federation to partially close the stadium at its next friendly match and fined it $20,000 for discriminatory chants directed at Muslims during the friendly against Egypt on March 31 at the RCDE Stadium in Barcelona.
Real Madrid on Friday demanded the immediate resignation of La Liga president Javier Tebas from his posts as league president and vice-president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation. The reason was Tebas's remarks comparing the club's leadership methods to those of Joseph Goebbels, propaganda minister of Nazi Germany. The club called the statement 'absolutely intolerable' and accused Tebas of systematic attacks, as well as calling for a reform of the refereeing system in connection with the Negreira case.
The opening round of the Champions Cup began with a minute's silence for 31-year-old Lions player Hiron Andrews, found dead in a hotel. Defending champions Bordeaux-Bègles traded ten tries with the hosts in a dramatic match in Gloucester and drew 36-36.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, who entered the 2026 season as the top favorites and contenders for a third straight MLB title, lost four games in a row to the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series. The Brewers reached the World Series for the first time in 44 years. The collapse is attributed to a cold offensive line, Ohtani's injuries, and the roster's age.
French club Troyes has dismissed sporting director Jocelyn Blanchard with immediate effect. The decision came hours after a report that the prosecutor's office opened a judicial investigation against the 54-year-old former footballer. Earlier, several female club employees, according to L'Est Eclair, filed complaints over his inappropriate behaviour and sexist remarks; an internal investigation is being conducted by City Football Group.
The league sent a memorandum to its sportsbook partners banning certain bet types and parlays that appeared in federal cases over fixed games. The ban covers tip outcome bets, player miss bets, and 'unders' for low-minute players. New integrity measures are also being introduced, including training led by Charles Tillman and AI monitoring of bets.
Novak Djokovic has accepted an invitation to the ATP 500 tournament in Basel, which will take place in late October 2026. The 39-year-old Serb, ranked 11th in the race to the ATP Finals in Turin, will play there for the first time since 2011. Only Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz have so far secured qualification for Turin.
The BCCI announced India's squads for the New Zealand tour: 5 T20s, 5 ODIs and 2 Tests. Rishabh Pant is included in the Test squad with a fitness-clearance caveat due to a strain, Jasprit Bumrah will play only in Tests. Shubman Gill has been appointed captain of the Tests and the first three ODIs, with Shreyas Iyer leading the last two.
Ecuadorian climber Richard Carapaz, Olympic champion and Giro d'Italia winner, has signed a two-year deal with the Swiss team NSN Cycling, formerly known as Israel-Premier Tech. In the 2026 season he became the King of the Mountains at the Tour de France and won two stages.
Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta praised striker Viktor Gyökeres for his 'incredible will and determination', despite the 28-year-old Swede not yet scoring a single goal this season and not starting a single Premier League match. Arteta also gave updates on the injuries of Zubimendi and Hincapié.
