U.S./World Sports category, Page 101

The PGA Tour and European tour have agreed to work with Saudi backers of LIV Golf to decide how defectors to the rival league can return and what kind of punishment they should face, according to a framework agreement obtained by The Associated Press. The agreement also said the for-profit...

LONDON — Andrea Gaudenzi has been re-elected as the chairman of the ATP men’s tennis tour, with the second term running through 2026. The ATP announced the news on Tuesday. Gaudenzi, a former professional player, started the job in January 2020. Under Gaudenzi, men’s tennis introduced a 50-50 profit-sharing formula...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Whenever Music City comes up on the NASCAR schedule, texts fly to see who’s spending an extra day or two in town to enjoy all the options. After another successful race this weekend at Nashville Superspeedway in nearby Lebanon, work continues in the hope of bringing NASCAR...

SAO PAULO — Marta has won the world player of the year award six times but has never won the Women’s World Cup in five previous attempts with Brazil. That’s something she and the team want to change. Marta has been recovering from a knee injury but the 37-year-old striker...

ROME — Longtime captain Sara Gama was left off Italy’s squad for the Women’s World Cup purely “for technical-tactical and physical” reasons, coach Milena Bertolini said Monday. Gama was a surprising omission when Bertolini announced a preliminary 32-woman team for the July 20-Aug. 20 tournament in Australia and New Zealand....

Carlos Alcaraz replaced Novak Djokovic at No. 1 in the ATP rankings on Monday, meaning the 20-year-old Spaniard is expected to have the top seeding at Wimbledon. Alcaraz, the reigning U.S. Open champion, is coming off the first grass-court title of his career, which he won Sunday by beating Alex...

MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Timberwolves have kept center Naz Reid off the market by agreeing to terms on a three-year, $42 million contract that comes with a player option after two seasons. The deal was struck Sunday night and confirmed Monday by Reid’s agents, Sean Kennedy and Jeff Schwartz of...

EASTBOURNE, England — Elena Rybakina withdrew from the Eastbourne International citing a virus illness on Monday, a week before she’s due to defend her Wimbledon title. Eastbourne, where Rybakina was seeded No. 1, made the announcement before her scheduled first-round match. Rybakina withdrew last month from the French Open, also...

The United States will be playing for an unprecedented three-peat at this year’s Women’s World Cup. It won’t be easy for the No. 1 team in the world. Co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, the quadrennial tournament for international soccer’s most coveted trophy kicks off July 20 and features an...

MANCHESTER, England — A year after winning Euro 2022, England is out for more at the Women’s World Cup. The Lionesses, playing under coach Sarina Wiegman, won their first major title last year by beating Germany in the final at Wembley Stadium. And they will be among the favorites to...

TOKYO — Futoshi Ikeda guided Japan to the Women’s Under-20 World Cup title in 2018, and last year his team was the runner-up to Spain — reversing the outcome from the final four years earlier. Ikeda has moved up to coach Japan in this year’s Women’s World Cup in Australia...

LEBANON, Tenn. — Ross Chastain has been criticized as reckless and too aggressive, a driver seen as giving no respect and not deserving any from competitors. His hard-driving style paid off Sunday night as Chastain held off Martin Truex Jr. to win the Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway, his first...

MANCHESTER, England — Former Tour de France champion Egan Bernal is returning to cycling’s biggest race for the first time since his life-threatening crash at the start of last year. The 26-year-old Colombian climber was selected Monday in the eight-man Ineos Grenadiers squad that will compete at the three-week Tour,...

SAN ANTONIO — As Victor Wembanyama took the stage for his first news conference inside his new home arena, he couldn’t help but notice an accessory the San Antonio Spurs commissioned for the occasion. It was a replica of the Eiffel Tower — made from Legos. Hundreds of them. Wembanyama...

CROMWELL, Conn — Growing up in New England, Keegan Bradley says he wasn’t invited to the big junior events that youngsters from Florida got to play. That made it all the more special for the Vermont native to win in front of a New England crowd. Despite a shaky finish,...

OMAHA, Neb. — LSU center fielder Dylan Crews, projected to be the No. 1 pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the amateur draft next month, was honored as the winner of the Golden Spikes Award on Sunday as the top amateur baseball player in the country. Crews, the SEC Player...

OMAHA, Neb. — After being overshadowed all season by the best pitcher in college baseball, Ty Floyd basked in the spotlight Saturday night. He earned it. Floyd struck out a career-high 17 for the most in a College World Series game in 51 years and Cade Beloso hit the tiebreaking...

LEBANON, Tenn. — Chase Elliott prefers to view a very challenging season as opportunity, not pressure. The 2022 Cup Series champ who won a career-high five races last year taking the regular season title sits 27th in the points standings as NASCAR returns from the lone break in its 38-race...

Nick Novak will see if a Dream can come true. The former Franklin Regional and Pitt-Johnstown basketball standout who played seven years professionally overseas plans to play in “The Basketball Tournament” with the DuBois Dream, a semi-pro team in the Premier Basketball League. Novak also played in the event in...