U.S./World Sports category, Page 5
Blaney ready to challenge dominant Joe Gibbs Racing in NASCAR Cup playoffs at New Hampshire
New Hampshire Motor Speedway is back in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs for the first time in eight years, which means Ryan Blaney is back in his happy place. “I love the area itself, and there’s something about the northeast that I really enjoy,” Blaney said. “You get into September,...
Muhammad Ali’s unsigned draft card, a piece of Vietnam-era history, will be auctioned
Muhammad Ali’s refusal to sign his Vietnam-era military draft card upended the boxing champ’s life and added a powerful voice to the anti-war movement. Now that piece of history is coming up for sale. There’s a blank line on the card where Ali was supposed to sign in 1967 but...
Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers is WNBA Rookie of the Year
Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers was a runaway choice for WNBA Rookie of the Year after one of the best debut seasons in league history. Bueckers received 70 of the 72 votes from sportswriters and broadcasters in balloting announced by the league Tuesday. The other two went to Washington Mystics...
Virginia Tech moves forward with an interim football coach and reshaping of Hokies’ athletics
BLACKSBURG, Va. — Virginia Tech is moving forward after the firing of fourth-year football coach Brent Pry, both for the rest of the season under an interim coach and toward a larger reshaping of the Hokies’ athletics operations. Athletic director Whit Babcock spoke to reporters Tuesday without taking questions two...
Many sports fans are unhappy with how much it costs to watch their games, an AP-NORC poll finds
WASHINGTON — For many dedicated sports fans, keeping up with their favorite teams has become a juggling act. Activate an NFL package in August, unsubscribe after the Super Bowl and before the NBA playoffs get underway, then subscribe to the NBA’s service. Grudgingly keep paying the cable bill because it’s...
Texas QB Manning says ‘I’ve got to play better’ after another ragged outing for the Longhorns
AUSTIN, Texas — Arch Manning admits he has to play better than he has so far. The Texas quarterback is playing far below what was expected when he started the season as an early Heisman Trophy favorite and leader of what was then the No. 1 team in the country....
WNBA playoffs begin with star-studded matchups and teams looking for redemption
The WNBA playoffs get underway Sunday with all four series beginning. Minnesota plays Golden State, Las Vegas takes on Seattle, Atlanta faces Indiana and Phoenix goes against New York. While the playoffs will be missing the league’s young stars as Caitlin Clark is sidelined with a groin injury and Angel...
Despite a stumble, Sha’Carri makes the 100-meter final at world championships
TOKYO — Sha’Carri Richardson squeezed into the 100-meter final at track world championships Sunday, failing to get the top-two finish she needed in her semifinal to automatically qualify but earning one of the last two wild-card spots. She stumbled between her fourth and fifth step out of the starting block...
Ricky Hatton, former world boxing champion, dies at 46
MANCHESTER, England — Former world boxing champion Ricky Hatton, who rose to become one of the most popular fighters in the sport, has died. He was 46. Hatton was found dead at his home in Greater Manchester, Britain’s Press Association reported Sunday. Police said they are not treating the death...
Christopher Bell wins at Bristol, completing sweep in first round of NASCAR Cup playoffs for Joe Gibbs Racing
BRISTOL, Tenn. — Christopher Bell seized the victory on a late restart Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway, completing a first-round sweep of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs for Joe Gibbs Racing. Leading the final four laps, Bell finished 0.343 seconds ahead of Brad Keselowski, who was trying to end...
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...
