U.S./World Sports category
Ryan Preece wins The Clash in sleet and near-freezing temperatures
Ryan Preece outlasted sleet, a wet track and a record number of cautions to win The Clash in near-freezing temperatures at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C. The Wednesday night exhibition was the first victory at the top Cup Series level for Preece, who drives a Ford for RFK Racing....
Doberman pinscher named Penny wins best in show at the 150th annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show
NEW YORK — The dog was Penny. The win was priceless. A Doberman pinscher named Penny won best in show Tuesday night at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, netting U.S. show dogs’ most coveted prize — and giving veteran Andy Linton another win after nearly four decades. Linton got...
James Harden goes to Cavaliers, Darius Garland to Clippers in deal of All-Star guards
James Harden is headed to the Cleveland Cavaliers, with the Los Angeles Clippers agreeing to send the 11-time All-Star back to the Eastern Conference during his highest-scoring season in six years, according to multiple reports Tuesday night. ESPN was first to report the deal was finalized. The Cavaliers are giving...
NASCAR preview: Denny Hamlin’s rollercoaster offseason included lawsuit win, father’s death
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — There’s no telling what version of Denny Hamlin will race this upcoming NASCAR season, which unofficially begins Wednesday night with The Clash, an exhibition race held at grassroots Bowman Gray Stadium in North Carolina. Like most of the NASCAR community, Hamlin has had a rollercoaster of...
Vonn ‘confident’ she will race at Olympics despite ‘completely ruptured’ ACL in left knee
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Lindsey Vonn is “confident” she can compete at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics beginning this week despite the left knee injury she sustained in a crash four days ago. Vonn said on Tuesday she “completed ruptured” her ACL, has bone bruising “plus meniscal damage.” But after...
Speedskater Erin Jackson, bobsledder Frank Del Duca picked as U.S. flagbearers for Winter Olympics
Speedskater Erin Jackson already has made history, as the first Black woman to win an individual gold medal at a Winter Olympics. Bobsledder Frank Del Duca is a sergeant in the Army, hailing from a family with deep Italian roots. They might be the perfect pair to lead the U.S....
LeBron James’ All-Star streak at 22 years as he’s named Western Conference reserve
LeBron James is an All-Star again, extending his record streak of selections. James was a pick for the 22nd consecutive year, one of 14 players who were announced Sunday as reserves for the Feb. 15 midseason showcase that’ll take place at the Los Angeles Clippers’ arena in Inglewood, Calif. James...
NASCAR’s Clash postponed to Wednesday due to historic snowfall in North Carolina
WINSTON, SALEM, N.C. — A bomb cyclone over North Carolina forced NASCAR to push its preseason exhibition to Wednesday night because the snow-covered roads are too dangerous for teams and fans to get to historic Bowman-Gray Stadium. The Clash had been scheduled to run Sunday night and has now been...
Paul George’s drug suspension latest fiasco for 76ers franchise flailing since run to 2001 Finals
PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid had missed yet another game with an injury in a lost season where he struggled with his health and performance for the Sixers. Paul George offered advice to Embiid last year on how to handle the grind of playing through so many injuries; insight from one...
Carlos Alcaraz beats Novak Djokovic to become the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam
MELBOURNE, Australia — Carlos Alcaraz is 22, he’s the youngest man ever to win all four of the major titles in tennis, and he had to achieve what no man previously has done to complete the career Grand Slam in Australia. The top-ranked Alcaraz dropped the first set of the...
Elena Rybakina wins Australian Open by beating No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka for 2nd Grand Slam title
MELBOURNE, Australia — Elena Rybakina finally won her second Grand Slam title with a victory over top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka at the Australian Open on Saturday, and it was something of a testament to quiet achievers. After some tumult at the start of 2025, including the suspension of her coach, Rybakina...
Kon Knueppel is giving former Duke teammate Cooper Flagg a challenge in NBA Rookie of the Year race
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Cooper Flagg entered the season as the overwhelming favorite to win NBA Rookie of the Year. But his old college roommate is giving the No. 1 draft pick a run for his money. Charlotte’s Kon Knueppel is in the midst of the most productive rookie season in...
NASCAR’s Greg Biffle wasn’t flying his plane before crash that killed him and 6 others
WASHINGTON — Retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle was not flying his own jet when it crashed last month, killing him and six others, according to a Friday report from federal safety officials who also concluded that while an experienced pilot was at the controls, no one else on board was...
Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic to meet in Australian Open final after epic semifinal wins
MELBOURNE, Australia — Novak Djokovic finally beat one of the two men who have been blocking his path to an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam singles title when he edged Jannik Sinner in five sets Friday to reach the Australian Open final. Next, he’ll have to beat the other: top-ranked Carlos...
Sabalenka into 4th straight Australian Open final and facing Rybakina again
MELBOURNE, Australia — Not even a point penalty for hindrance slowed Aryna Sabalenka’s run to a fourth consecutive Australian Open final. The top-ranked Sabalenka overpowered Elina Svitolina, 6-2, 6-3, on Thursday night to move within one victory of a third Australian Open title in four years. A rematch of the...
Coco Gauff’s racket-shattering exit at Aussie Open means Aryna Sabalenka will meet Elina Svitolina in semis
MELBOURNE, Australia — A searing hot day turned into a sweltering night at the Australian Open and eventually Coco Gauff let off steam, shattering her racket after a lopsided loss to Elina Svitolina that cost her a place in the semifinals. Day 10 of the season-opening major began with top-ranked...
Ex-FIFA president Sepp Blatter joins those calling for boycott of World Cup in United States
Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter on Monday backed a proposed fan boycott of World Cup matches in the United States because of the conduct of President Donald Trump and his administration at home and abroad. Blatter was the latest international soccer figure to call into question the suitability of the...
Defending champion Madison Keys knocked out of Australian Open by fellow American Jessica Pegula
MELBOURNE, Australia — Defending champion Madison Keys was knocked out of the Australian Open by fellow American, and podcast pal, Jessica Pegula. Pegula, seeded sixth, defeated the ninth-seeded Keys 6-3, 6-4, on Sunday night (Monday morning in Australia) at Rod Laver Arena to reach the quarterfinals. Pegula, who has never...
NBA postpones Grizzlies-Nuggets, Mavs-Bucks games because of winter storm
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The NBA postponed two games on Sunday in Memphis and Milwaukee because of the massive winter storm that has made for dangerous travel conditions across much of the U.S. The Dallas Mavericks tried twice to fly to Milwaukee for their game against the Bucks on Sunday night,...
At 21, Coco Gauff has enjoyed hanging out with emerging teens at Australian Open
MELBOURNE, Australia — Coco Gauff wants those people posing questions to her about the teenagers breaking through at the Australian Open to remember one thing: She’s 21. The 18-year-old Iva Jovic will be playing No. 1-ranked Aryna Sabalenka in the quarterfinals at Melbourne Park. That’s after Sabalenka, a two-time champion...
Demand for World Cup tickets could make resellers big winners
MANCHESTER, England — World Cup ticket prices are at exorbitant levels, yet fans are still queueing up in their millions to attend soccer’s biggest tournament. There is a such an over-demand for the event being staged in the United States, Canada and Mexico this year that FIFA president Gianni Infantino...
Novak Djokovic 1 win away from milestone; Stan Wawrinka makes history at Australian Open
MELBOURNE, Australia — Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka made it a day for the ages at the Australian Open. Djokovic improved to 399 wins in Grand Slam matches with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Francesco Maestrelli on Thursday, making the 38-year-old, 24-time major winner just one shy of becoming...
Record crowds witness Aryna Sabalenka, Carlos Alcaraz, Coco Gauff advance at Australian Open
MELBOURNE, Australia — Another day, another record crowd. Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz advanced in straight sets Wednesday, and the No. 3 seeds — Coco Gauff and Alexander Zverev — also progressed to the third round of the Australian Open. The combined numbers for day and night sessions, 103,720...
No. 1 Indiana tops final AP Top 25 football poll of season as Big Ten’s title run reaches 3 straight
Indiana achieved one more first to end its magical season full of firsts: The national champion Hoosiers are No. 1 in the final Associated Press Top 25 college football poll. After beating Miami in the College Football Playoff title game to cap a 16-0 season that was unprecedented in the...
Novak Djokovic equals 2 all-time records, wins his 100th match at Australian OpenVideo
MELBOURNE — Novak Djokovic had the big stage and a list of milestones he needed to celebrate with his 100th win at the Australian Open. He delivered the kind of performance that showed his rivals and his fans he’s here with a single objective: a 25th Grand Slam title. The...
