A clue was caught on camera. Would the interviewee be Manchester City manager in five or six years? “Absolutely not,” smiled Pep Guardiola. He proved true to his word. But, in Prime Video’s A Beautiful Obsession, a last glimpse into the City dressing room in the Catalan’s reign revealed some unexpected sights: City losing every week, Guardiola emotional and befuddled by the loss of his powers. It became a time of farewells, some bitter, some sad, some sudden, some drawn out.
In particular, there is the breakdown of Guardiola’s relationship with Kyle Walker, manager finding his captain culpable for goals, the right-back feeling it was wrong to blame him. “You don’t understand, Kyle,” exclaimed an exasperated Guardiola after the December 2024 loss at Anfield. “You keep saying my name, every meeting in every f****** thing. Every f****** meeting, it’s my name,” replied the defender.
Pep Guardiola waved goodbye to Manchester City at the end of last season (PA Wire)
Two weeks later, in the Manchester derby, Guardiola warned Walker at half-time to be wary of balls over the City defence. One then led to Amad Diallo’s winner for Manchester United. Walker only played three more times before his City career came to an abrupt end, the right-back eyeing a move abroad, his manager omitting him.
There are other images of everything falling apart. The injured Rodri sat in the dressing room in a hoodie with the slogan “the Untouchables” after City slid to another loss; or Kevin De Bruyne, after the 4-0 home demolition by Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs, walking in and saying “f****** soft, guys”.
Central to it all, there is Guardiola, confounded by the sight of an all-conquering side in relegation form. “If I am the problem, you have to tell me,” he begged his players, voice welling up. After another game, he said: “Make me feel you are here, f****** hell, it is a f****** good team, a f****** good club. Now we have to do more because we are in a mess.” Strangest of all, perhaps, comes after defeat to Juventus when he tells his players he still loves his ex-wife but the passion between them is gone; whether Cristina Serra hoped that such details would be revealed in team-talks is sadly unrecorded.
All of which nevertheless is a welcome antidote to some of the more sanitised footballing documentaries, particularly those produced by City themselves chronicling their successes. But Kevin MacDonald, director of The Last King Of Scotland, understood there is something more interesting in watching the serial winner lose. City tasted victory in 33 games of the 2024-25 season and 30 of them are not featured. The first episode draws heavily on City’s autumnal meltdown of nine defeats in 12. The four episodes, it should be noted, contain no mention of City’s 115 charges; although, perhaps, because nothing changes.
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But there are plenty of other developments. Characters are written out of the drama brutally; but some with more regret. “It kills me,” Guardiola said of the decision to release De Bruyne at the end of his contract. Chief executive Ferran Soriano added: “Kevin spoke to Pep and he understood the message but was sad about it. He really doesn’t want to go.” The midfielder goes further than before in underlining that, partly for family reasons, he wanted to stay.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola (middle) fell out with Kyle Walker (PA Wire)
A 4-0 defeat to Tottenham was a galling experience for Pep Guardiola and his squad (Getty)
The task of rebuilding City occupies much of the club’s attention. Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak admits that the club did too little in the transfer market during the summer of 2024, an approach Guardiola had then endorsed. “We paid a price,” he said.
They paid in a different way afterwards: by buying more players. The challenge of replacing De Bruyne is documented. City ran 43 metrics on their software to look at prospective signings, to find No 10s with a similar profile. They alighted on Rayan Cherki, despite concerns about his character. “The information on Cherki was not so positive,” said sporting director Hugo Viana. “There was this idea he was chaotic.” Viana and his predecessor Txiki Begiristain investigated, saying the only negative reference they got about the Frenchman came when he was young, and Guardiola spoke to the playmaker on a video call to persuade him to sign.
Manchester City were not certain they should sign Rayan Cherki (PA)
It proved Guardiola’s final year. “I had energy that I will not have any more,” he admitted in his belated explanation to his players. Even before then, there are a couple of clips which set up the ending and, indeed mean Guardiola was considering quitting even around the time in November 2024 when he signed his last contract.
Former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola considered quitting the club far sooner (PA Wire)
“To lose five six seven in a row, that doesn’t happen to me,” he said. “I said to the club, ‘maybe it’s over’.”
It wasn’t yet but Al Mubarak was accustomed to his manager contemplating his own departure. “Pep was the boy who cried wolf,” he said. And eventually City reached the point where “this time he is actually the wolf” and where, former director of football Txiki Begiristain felt, Guardiola had to discover what comes next. “He needs rest and he needs to see there is a life after football,” said his former Barcelona teammate. “If he knows only football and football people, he will be on the same rollercoaster he has been living.” Sage advice, perhaps particularly as another recent documentary showed the rival who never found that other life: Jose Mourinho.
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:: A Beautiful Obsession launches exclusively on Prime Video in UK & Ireland 19 August 2026
ARDMORE, Pa. — Andy Whaley couldn’t believe his eyes. Standing at the back of Merion East’s soaked 15th green, he smiled and laughed as his son, 22-year-old Jack Whaley, raised the Havemeyer Trophy after conquering the best amateur field in the world.
“Did I ever think he could win the U.S. Amateur? No. Did I ever think he’d win it this year? Absolutely not,” Andy Whaley told GOLF with a laugh as his son did the post-win media car wash.
Andy and his wife, Kerry, were scheduled to fly home on Saturday night. “That tells you how confident we were,” Andy Whaley said with a chuckle. Instead, Andy Whaley, carrying his son’s bag for the first time in five or six years, changed his flight and set out to walk Merion for a final day with his son.
This week’s U.S. Amateur at Merion was golf watching in its purest form. The famed golf course opened its doors to the world’s best amateurs and local crowds flocked by the thousands to walk its fairways, raid the pro shop and watch the best amateur golf has to offer. It was a week for the true, dyed-in-the-wool golf fans who appreciate and understand what the game has always been about.
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It was fitting that, during a week about Merion, the Hugh Wilson design outside Philadelphia remained the main star throughout the week. The world’s best amateurs — Preston Stout, Miles Russell, Tyler Watts and others — all either failed to make it out of stroke play or made an early match play exit. This week was about getting to see Merion, one of the game’s great cathedrals, without it being overrun by giant buildouts and throngs of fans. It was just the world’s best ams and fans who wanted to soak in good golf at a place steeped in history. It was about the magic and mystique of a place we rarely see.
But as Jack and Andy Whaley made their way through the bracket, knocking off the last mid-am and then the Merion favorite Carter Loflin, a different story emerged. One with a meaning far greater than golf or trophies or cathedrals. A story as old as time, but one that never gets old.
That of the bond between fathers and sons.
Jack Whaley
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Andy Whaley might say he didn’t think Jack Whaley could win the U.S. Amateur, but he always believed his son would achieve his golfing dreams. Andy first got Jack into golf as a 4-year-old, when he’d take him to the Pete Cowen Golf Academy in Rotherham, England. Andy would buy Jack a lollipop after every practice at the Academy. As fathers tend to do for their sons, Andy Whaley did everything he could to allow young Jack to play golf. Money was tight back then for the Whaleys. Jack didn’t get his first new set of irons until he was 16. When Andy bought his son a new 60-degree wedge when Jack was 12, he dipped into his savings, telling his son that he had worked hard and he deserved it.
“At 12 years old, I don’t understand, but now when I look back at it, I really do appreciate the things he sacrificed for me,” Jack said on Saturday at Merion. “He’s my hero. I want him to see me play well and watch me succeed.”
On Saturday night, after Jack Whaley beat Loflin on the 18th hole, he opened up about how he felt he had disappointed his dad during a stretch of golf from 12 to 17 that saw him rack up missed cut after missed cut. Jack felt that he was stealing from his dad, who was footing the bill for his golf dreams. But Andy Whaley only wanted one thing for his son on the course — enjoy it.
“He’s voiced it, so he clearly felt that that was the case,” Andy Whaley said as the celebration commenced. “But it never ever crossed my mind. It was just about giving your son the opportunity to have fun. If ever, if ever I thought he wasn’t enjoying what he was doing, then that would’ve been difficult to keep it going. I’ve seen him miss cuts. And he’s missed a cut, and we’re having a sandwich after on the patio and having a beer and a chat with the other parents, and he’s not moping; he’s out on the putting green with the other guys who have made the cut, just having fun. You think, well, you’ve missed the cut, but you’re alright if you’re having fun. That’s what mattered. It’s why we’re here.”
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“To have a dad that’s that supportive of someone who’s almost — almost looks as if I was failing, was just amazing,” Jack Whaley said on Sunday night about his dad’s influence on his golf journey. “A lot of parents would have just given up, and I know a lot of parents that have given up. He’s not one of them, and he’s the guy that will back me for everything.”
Jack Whaley blossomed during a gap year before college. He planned to work hard on his game, and if he didn’t feel like he was getting better, he was going to hang it up. No college golf, no chasing pro dreams, that was that. But he improved and played well enough to finally crack the World Golf Amateur Rankings. He went to NAIA Dalton State and won five times in two years, including the 2025 NAIA individual title, and won the Nicklaus, Palmer, Player, and Mickelson awards. Then he transferred to Florida State as Andy continued to watch his son do what he always knew was possible, as long as Jack’s cup and soul were full on the course. Like all good fathers, Andy Whaley just wanted his son to find joy in life, whatever that entailed. Nothing more, nothing less.
“We’ve always felt that he could be an elite golfer, but you just don’t know where you can get to,” Andy Whaley said. “We’ve looked at each season, we’ve looked at how he’s performed and we’ve look at this season and gone, ‘Right, this season was better than the last season. So we’re still headed in the right direction.’ We don’t know how far that will take us. But the theory being that if you keep improving until you just can’t improve anymore then you are where you are. As long as you’re having fun along the way, as long as you’re enjoying what you’re doing. If it becomes a job and it becomes a chore and it’s becoming hard to get out of bed in the morning to want to do it, then maybe it’s not for you. He’s always, well, the last seven or eight seasons that escalation has been there. We’re still escalating. We’re still scaling the ladder.”
That ladder brought Jack and Andy Whaley to Merion this week. Jack didn’t know if he’d be in the field, but as some top amateurs turned pro, he slipped inside the top 100 in the WAGR rankings and booked a ticket to Merion and told Andy he wanted him on his bag. The Merion experience started with Jack Whaley shooting 2 over through the first two days, which landed him in a 16-for-11 playoff to get into match play. Whaley nearly holed his shot on the par-3 13th and tapped in a birdie to advance. He beat Jackson Ormund in the Round of 64, dispatched Bowen Mauss in the Round of 32, took care of Christian Cavaliere in the Round of 16, handled Adam Bresnu in the quarterfinals, and outlasted Loflin to reach the championship match against Jay Leng Jr.
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Andy Whaley has always shared a mantra with Jack: Drive forward, see where you go and just have fun
On Sunday, at famed Merion, Jack and Andy arrived with their eyes forward and calm nerves after a hectic semifinal Saturday. The job was clear. After 18 holes, Jack trailed Leng by two, but he never felt like he was in trouble. Andy had a front-row seat to the biggest day of his son’s life. But it was easy for Andy to be caddie Andy and not dad inside the ropes. He caddied for Jack a lot when he was younger. Then, they butted heads, needing a “250-meter rule” because Andy says that if he was closer than 250 meters and Jack hit a bad shot, then it was his fault.
“It’s Dad’s fault, you know, and that’s all right, that’s what I’m here for,” Whaley said, recalling those times he carried the bag as Jack struggled.
But Sunday was different.
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“We’ve been through some good days and some bad days,” Andy Whaley said. “Today just felt mellow. He was good. He was good. We both knew we got a job to do. Focus on the job. Focus on what we need to do out on the course. There’s a lot of people come to watch good golf, so we needed to give them some good golf. … It has been surreal.”
Whaley quickly flipped the script on Leng during the afternoon 18. He won four straight holes to take a 2-up lead as the rain started to pour. A birdie at No. 10 moved him to 3 up, and then Jack and Andy Whaley reached the 15th hole, still with a three-hole advantage, knowing they were close to a place they never imagined.
Whaley bombed his drive over the right fairway bunker and then hit his approach to some 10 feet. When Jack and Andy arrived at the green, they looked at their destiny and liked what they saw.
“I will admit that when we stood behind it, we did fancy it a little bit. We did like it. There wasn’t much in it. We did like it,” Andy Whaley said with a glimmer in his eye, a laugh and a big smile as the sun set on soggy Merion.
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Andy placed the bag on the back of the green, planning to go to 16. But Leng missed his birdie putt, and then Jack Whaley, who once thought about quitting golf to stop wasting his dad’s money, settled over the biggest putt of his life with his dad watching. Jack Whaley took the putter back smoothly and sent the ball right into the middle of the cup. He unleashed a mighty fist pump and then turned to Andy and embraced his father, the two crying as the rain continued to pummel Merion.
Jack Whaley celebrates his winning putt at Merion
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“When it dropped, I just roared,” Andy said. “I screamed my bloody head off. … It’s surreal. I can’t believe it.”
“I think it was amazing,” Jack Whaley said of his championship-winning week with his dad on the bag. “I think, from the hours that my dad has taken me to practice and all the different golf lessons he’s taken me to, it feels like it was all worth it. Now he can actually see me happy and I can see him happy coming off the golf course, which is really good. I’m very proud of myself for this week.
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“I wouldn’t be here without him. Everything is for him.”
As the Whaleys celebrated on Merion’s 15th green, Andy Whaley beamed as his son snapped photos with every fan remaining at Merion. He took some himself, but mainly, Andy Whaley just smiled and laughed in awe. What he saw, however, was not the U.S. Amateur champion or a likely Walker Cupper. It was his son, who handled himself in the manner that Andy and Kerry always wanted him to. It was the pride of a father who saw his son becoming the type of man he had always hoped for; the good golf is just extra and only registers because it fills still brings a smile to Jack’s face.
“The pride of what he has achieved, for me, I like how he’s gone about it,” Andy said as his son took a photo with a young kid on the green. “Just the kind of guy he is and always will be, I hope. The pride in what he achieved is tremendous. But the pride in how he behaves and how he does it overrides it.”
As the crowds started to disperse, the stage belonged to the Whaleys. A cathedral of the game that is synonymous with Bobby Jones and Ben Hogan now also belongs to Jack Whaley. No matter what the future holds, no matter if golf breaks his heart or not, Jack Whaley and Merion will forever be linked. Nothing can steal the joy the week has brought.
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“Whenever anything is happening at Merion, I’m sure that clip will pop up,” Andy Whaley said of his son’s winning putt, the giant smile of a proud parent still stretched across his face. “That’s incredible. Just the opportunity to come and play here is magical. That will do for starters. And then to come and compete against the best in the world and be successful is just the icing on the cake. This is a seriously iconic place, and to go out there and test yourself against the best in the world is just epic.”
Late college basketball coach Jim Valvano once said: “My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person: He believed in me.”
Such has always been the story of fathers willing to put their sons on their shoulders, giving them every chance to be all they could dream of. Not to be rich or famous or powerful, but to be happy and kind and to live a full life.
And so there was Andy Whaley watching his son’s crowning moment, beaming from ear to ear and laughing with anyone who came by to congratulate him on his son’s win and for the man that the son he raised has become.
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Then, Andy Whaley, still wearing his red USGA bib, wiped his eyes and started to follow his son and the rest of the crowd toward the Merion clubhouse, his son, Jack, having just answered the most important question of all.
“Of course he’s still having fun,” Andy Whaley said.
That’s all that’s ever mattered to Dad. Jack wanted to give his father more to repay him for an invaluable gift.
On Sunday at famed Merion, a magical week ended with both father and son getting their wish.
If sporting an athletic look is the on-course vibe that appeals most to you, Nike is likely a familiar brand in your closet.
A decade after exiting the ball, club and bag side of the golf business, the Swoosh has remained synonymous with some of the game’s biggest names, partnering with World Nos. 1 and 2, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy on the men’s side, and Nelly Korda and Michelle Wie West on the women’s side.
While we recreational players can’t necessarily ensure the same result as the pros when we try to replicate their equipment specs, we can certainly strive emulate their look as closely as possible by seeking out the apparel and footwear we see them wearing on Tour. And after Scheffler’s impressive performance at the FedEx St. Jude, we’re shining the spotlight on his Nike Victory Pro 4 spiked golf shoes, which you can buy at PGA TOUR Superstore.
These sneaker-style shoes have a chunkier athletic vibe. They’re casual yet clean, and are available in several colors, none of which are flashy. Instead, they have a simple, comfortable, go-with-everything appeal.
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In terms of technical attributes, the Nike Victory Pro 4’s feature “Fly Wing” — a design enhancement that connects the upper and midsole to increase lateral stability, enabling the wearer to better utilize ground forces to generate speed and power through impact. A nine-spike traction pattern helps provide grip where you need it.
Given Scheffler’s performance this year — 2 wins, and 12 total top-10 finishes thus far in 2026 — it’s clear the shoes are an important cog in Scheffler’s on-course gear machine. But unlike his TaylorMade Qi4D 7.8-degree driver, which may prove a bit difficult for the average recreational player to flush off the tee, Scheffler’s Nike shoes are refreshingly accessible.
Check them out in detail below, and click on the link to order your pair now.
Shop Scottie Scheffler’s Nike Victory Pro 4 golf shoes
Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan celebrates after a match against Magdalena Frech of Poland on day seven of the Cincinnati Open at Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 17, 2026 in Mason, Ohio. Emilee Chinn/Getty Images/AFP
Elena Rybakina needed two hours on court plus two one-hour rain interruptions to defeat Magdalena Frech 6-4, 7-6 (7/2) on Monday and reach the fourth round of the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Masters.
The second-seeded Kazakh admitted she struggled to close out a match which dragged on for much of the afternoon.
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The players were forced off court after nine games of the first set and again in the seventh game of the second.
Upon the second return at the start of a week when rain is repeatedly forecast, two-time Grand Slam champion Rybakina was unable to wrap it up on three match points against the Frech serve in the 12th game.
With the Pole holding serve, the match went to a tie-breaker, where the seed finally got the job done on her fourth chance to get off court barely 10 minutes before more weather arrived.
“It was a crazy day, to be honest, coming out every time into clouds and humidity,” Rybakina said. “I felt that I was on top of the ball in the tie-break, but it was a difficult one.
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“I had the opportunities on the three match points but when you are tired it’s difficult to keep concentration.
“I’m happy the tiebreak went my way, I just tried to win as many points as I could.”
Former world number one and defending champion Iga Swiatek was able to go through hours before the poor weather, turning the tables after losing the first set to defeat Maria Sakkari 4-6, 6-1, 6-1.
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The Polish seventh seed, who won the Toronto title last week, improved to 6-4 over her Greek opponent, heading to the changing rooms after dropping the first set and returning as if another player.
Swiatek, winner of six Grand Slam titles including the US Open four years ago, only lost two more games after her remarkable turnaround.
The seventh seed needed two hours to complete her reversal in form, saving seven of eight break points while breaking Sakkari five times. The Greek hit the net with a return on Swiatek’s first match point.
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‘Lacked precision’
“It’s hard to analyze this match,” Swiatek said. “I was playing good in the first set but I lacked precision, I was playing too much to her.
“After that I wanted to push her and not give so many opportunities. I’m happy it started working in the second set I played a bit better.
“She made mistakes and the momentum changed a little bit.”
Swiatek moved into a match against Diane Parry, winner of an all-French battle with Lois Boisson 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.
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In the men’s draw, Thiago Tirante maintained his pace after ousting Novak Djokovic in the second round with the Argentine advancing past Spain’s Martin Landaluce 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/4) to reach the third Masters round of 16 in his career.
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Roland Garros finalist Flavio Cobolli came from a break down in the deciding set to defeat Alexander Blockx 7-5, 4-6, 7-5 and avenge a loss to the Belgian in Monte Carlo.
Kyle Walker accused Pep Guardiola of picking on him and blaming him for everything in a dressing-room row as their relationship as Manchester City captain and manager broke down.
And Guardiola told Walker he did not understand and to accept more responsibility as skipper of the side during City’s awful autumn of 2024.
City’s 2-0 defeat to Liverpool in December 2024 came during a spell of nine losses in 12 games, the worst run of Guardiola’s career.
And he turned on right-back Walker in an argument after the match, saying: “You don’t understand, Kyle.”
Walker replied: “Pep, you keep saying my name, every meeting in every f***ing thing. Every f***ing meeting it’s my name.”
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In the argument, shown in Prime Video’s forthcoming documentary A Beautiful Obsession, Guardiola responded: “Maybe it’s because you are captain.”
The Catalan is also seen warning Walker about balls over the City defence at half-time in the Manchester derby in the same month – and before one led to a Manchester United winner.
Walker only played three more games for City before telling Guardiola he wanted to look for a move abroad.
He joined AC Milan on loan for the rest of the 2024-25 season before getting a permanent deal to Burnley last summer.
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Whereas Walker had been elected City captain by his teammates, Guardiola appointed Bernardo Silva as skipper in the summer of 2025.
:: A Beautiful Obsession launches exclusively on Prime Video in UK & Ireland 19 August 2026
Head coach Kevin O’Connell chatted with the media after the game for about ten minutes. Consider what he had to say about the roster’s collective health: “Obviously, Jamal Adams with a right knee. Initial exam does not look good […] Caleb Tiernan had a left ankle. And then Max Brosmer had a right thumb.” Per O’Connell, Brosmer tried to get back into action but Minnesota opted to play things cautiously.
O’Connell explained toward the end of the presser that rookie safety Jakobe Thomas was held out due to “back stiffness, soreness.” On a positive note, the Vikings’ skipper explained that the rookie safety is still doing individual work at practice, further suggesting that the injury isn’t debilitating (as stiffness and soreness suggest).
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The 4 Vikings Injury Notes After the NYG Game
A specific play underscored why the Minnesota Vikings desired veteran safety/linebacker Jamal Adams, at least from the perspective of the on-field criteria. Check out the tackle for loss:
In the play above, Mr. Adams is doing basic Mr. Adams things: making a terrific play on the other side of the offensive line. He’s exploding through the B gap while sifting through the eye candy provided by the Giants to tackle the runner almost immediately after the hand off. In that moment, Adams offers a tantalizing glimpse of what he could have offered the Minnesota Vikings.
Dec 28, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; New York Giants guard Jon Runyan (76) and Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Jamal Adams (33) react in the second quarter at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images – Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Unfortunately, Adams isn’t going to be available for the 2026 season.
The terrible news from Ian Rapoport: “#Vikings defender Jamal Adams, who was carted off in yesterday’s preseason game, was diagnosed with a season-ending knee injury, source says. His season is over before it began.”
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Off the field, the veteran is awesome. Look for him to be a shepherd in the 2026 season despite not being able to play.
Brosmer, thankfully, appears to be sorting through what appears to be a minor problem. The Minnesota Vikings are not immune to passer troubles, leading to abundant caution. Expect him to get back into action before too long so long as the x-ray doesn’t reveal something totally unexpected.
Meanwhile, there’s some uncertainty surrounding Tiernan. The rookie offensive tackle raised pessimism when getting drafted due to his short arms; he raised optimism due to his great feet. Per PFF, the kid struggled in his NFL preseason debut, finishing off with a very poor 28.2 grade. Did the ankle ailment slow the young fella?
Dec 25, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Max Brosmer (12) looks to pass the ball against the Detroit Lions in the first quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
Finally, note the issue with Thomas.
The rookie boasts excellent size — 6’1″ & 211 pounds — and a soft-spoken demeanour that hides his on-field snarl. Playing it safe with ailments is par for the course for the Vikings. What makes his injury a touch more notable is the season-ending injury to Jamal Adams. Losing the veteran shifts a bit more emphasis onto the rookie.
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Is a cluster of talent consisting of Josh Metellus, Jay Ward, Theo Jackson, and Jakobe Thomas good enough? Other in-house options consist of Tavierre Thomas, Kahlef Hailassie, and Jacob Thomas (not to be confused with Jakobe).
Next up for the Minnesota Vikings is a pair of joint practices against the Baltimore Ravens on Wednesday and Thursday. On Saturday, the second preseason game will take place inside U.S. Bank Stadium.
Ayush Shetty produced one of the biggest wins of his young career, stunning world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi in a pulsating three-game contest at the BWF World Championships.
Playing against the top-ranked Chinese shuttler in first round, 21-year-old Shetty displayed remarkable composure throughout the deciding game to prevail 21-14, 13-21, 21-19 and send the Indian crowd into raptures.
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Shetty dominates first game
Shetty made an impressive start against the heavily favoured Chinese opponent, taking an 11-5 lead in the opening game. The Indian showed confidence during the extended rallies and repeatedly forced Shi into errors.
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Shi appeared frustrated as the game progressed, frequently expressing his disappointment after losing points. Shetty, meanwhile, continued to attack and made excellent use of his smashes, particularly when forced into awkward positions.
The Chinese star did produce some spectacular attacking shots of his own, finding gaps on Shetty’s left side that even the diving Indian struggled to cover. But Shetty held his nerve during a tense exchange of smashes late in the game to take the opener 21-14.
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Shi Yu Qi responds
The world No. 1 showed why he occupies the top spot in the second game, making a quick start and taking an early two-point advantage. His clever use of drop shots disrupted Shetty’s rhythm and helped him regain control of rallies.
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Shetty continued to fight through long exchanges and produced several impressive winners from difficult positions. However, Shi entered the interval with a narrow lead and maintained his advantage after the break.
The Chinese shuttler looked far more composed than he had in the opening game and eventually levelled the contest by taking Game 2, 21-13.
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Shetty keeps his nerve in decider
The deciding game began with both players showing signs of fatigue, but Shetty delivered a spectacular smash at 2-2 that electrified the home crowd and appeared to shift the momentum in his favour.
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The Indian quickly established a five-point advantage, capitalising on several errors from Shi around the net. Shetty also continued to dominate the longer rallies and reached the interval with a commanding 11-5 lead.
He then moved further ahead with a brilliant run of five consecutive points. At 17-9, however, Shetty required medical attention on court, giving Shi an opportunity to fight his way back.
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The Chinese player capitalised on Shetty’s growing fatigue, cutting the deficit to 18-14. Shetty recovered his serve at 19-15 and moved to match point, but Shi refused to surrender and reduced the gap to 20-16.
The drama intensified as Shetty appeared increasingly tired and gifted three successive points to Shi, leaving the score at 20-19.
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But the Indian held his nerve when it mattered most. He won the decisive final point to complete a stunning 21-19 victory in the third game and knock the world No. 1 out of the BWF World Championships.
For Shetty, it was a statement victory that underlined his emergence as one of India’s brightest badminton prospects.
According to a report from NFL Media, Tyson will miss approximately two months due to a hamstring injury sustained during a training-camp practice last week. Tyson has been consulting with specialists and could begin the season on injured reserve as he rehabs from the injury.
Tyson has a history of hamstring issues dating back to his time at Colorado and Arizona State, but the NFL Media report stated that this appears to be a new injury unrelated to his prior ailments.
“I think my understanding of this one, any player that was put in his situation where your foot slips and you get shoved from behind, this has nothing to do with Jordyn’s history,” Saints coach Kellen Moore said at the time, via ESPN. “Any player in that situation probably has the same diagnosis coming out of this.”
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The injury is a huge blow for the Saints, who selected Tyson with the No. 8 overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft. The rookie was expected to team with star wideout Chris Olave to give second-year quarterback Tyler Shough a high-level duo to attack defenses in the passing game, and he was shining throughout New Orleans’ training camp.
Who fills Tyson’s spot?
In Tyson’s absence, No. 2 receiver duties likely fall to DeVaughn Vele, who served in that role after the Saints traded Rashid Shaheed to the eventual-champion Seattle Seahawks at midseason. Vele caught 25 passes for 293 yards and two touchdowns last year, with 20 of those grabs and 254 of those yards coming in the final five games of his season.
The Saints also have Tyson’s fellow 2026 draftees Bryce Lance (fourth round) and Barion Brown (sixth round) on the roster to provide depth behind Olave and Vele. It’s possible that one of them could emerge and earn a real role in Tyson’s extended absence, which could last into October.
It’s also possible that the Saints could dip into the free-agent market for wide receiver help. Former Chargers wideout Keenan Allen remains a free agent, for example, and he caught 108 passes for 1,243 yards and seven touchdowns in 2023 under Moore, who was the Chargers’ offensive coordinator at the time.
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Allen is 34 years old now, though, and coming off a season where he averaged a career-low 45.7 receiving yards per game in his return to L.A. He wouldn’t be the most inspiring option to replace Tyson on the depth chart, but he could help the Saints hold down the fort until the rookie returns, if they choose to go in that direction.
There’s also the trade market potentially available to them. There’s been speculation that Patriots receiver Kayshon Boutte could be available, given New England’s newfound depth at the position after the team traded for A.J. Brown and signed Romeo Doubs. Boutte is reportedly having a standout camp, however, and that could make the Pats more reluctant to give him up in a trade.
Either way, the most likely course of action is for the Saints to let Tyson’s injury heal and hope he returns at full strength around a month into the NFL season. Still, it’s a rough way for Tyson to begin his NFL career, given how good he was reportedly looking during training camp.
President of the Los Angeles Lakers Jeanie Buss speaks during a banner unveiling ceremony for the Los Angeles Lakers 2020 NBA Championship before the game against the Houston Rockets at Staples Center on May 12, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. Harry How/Getty Images/AFP
LOS ANGELES — The Buss family has voted to sell its 17.8% minority ownership of the Los Angeles Lakers to new majority owners Josh Kushner and Bob Iger, ESPN and The Athletic are reporting.
The decision Monday by the six children of late owner Jerry Buss will end the family’s 47 years in an ownership role with the 17-time NBA champion franchise. The move also appears to end Jeanie Buss’ tenure as the Lakers’ governor.
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“We have decided as a family to sell the remaining Buss Family Trust shares to the Bob Iger group as part of the ongoing transaction,” the Buss family said in a statement issued to ESPN. “We love the Lakers, Laker fans and will continue to support Los Angeles, but it is time to use this opportunity to move on and exit gracefully while we still can.”
Jeanie Buss, the Lakers’ governor since Jerry Buss’ death in 2013, led the family’s decision to sell a controlling stake in the Lakers to Dodgers owner Mark Walter last year at a valuation of $10 billion.
Not all of the six Buss siblings — Jeanie, Jim, Johnny, Janie, Joey and Jesse — were in favor of the deal despite retaining their family trust’s minority ownership stake, and Joey and Jesse were fired from their front-office jobs with the team last November.
The siblings have been in frequent conflict since their father’s death, with Jeanie firing Jim from his job as the Lakers’ head of basketball operations in 2017, followed a week later with a lawsuit against her brothers amid an attempt by Jim and Johnny to oust Jeanie from her role as the Lakers’ controlling owner.
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Walter, who is under federal investigation for tax issues, abruptly reached a deal earlier this month to flip the Lakers to Kushner and Iger at a valuation of $12.5 billion, another record for a pro sports team. Venture capitalist Kushner and former Disney CEO Iger reportedly bought about 65% of the team from Walter, but will now own about 83% of the Lakers — and Jeanie Buss apparently will no longer be able to serve as their governor.
She had been allowed to keep the role at least through 2030 under the deal with Walter, and Iger said last week that the new group planned to honor that arrangement — but governors are required to control at least 15% of team ownership.
Jerry Buss was a chemist and real estate investor who bought the Lakers, the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings and the Forum arena from Jack Kent Cooke in 1979 for $67.5 million. The Lakers quickly entered a renaissance in which they became known for their flashy “Showtime” style of play while winning five NBA titles between 1980 and 1988 behind Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
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While the NBA and professional sports became increasingly more corporate, the Lakers remained essentially a family business despite their massive profile and steady success. Jerry Buss and the Lakers have employed many of the basketball world’s greatest players and coaches of the past five decades, and Kobe Bryant led the Lakers to five additional championships between 2000 and 2010 before LeBron James added the 17th in 2020.
The sale agreement still must be approved by the NBA’s board of governors, and the process could take months.
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Manchester United have had a largely fruitful summer transfer window thus far, but could be left rueing missing the opportunity to sign one talent who is burning bright with Barcelona
Manchester United may be kicking themselves at passing up on signing Karim Adeyemi this summer, with the forward impressing with Barcelona. The Reds were linked with the 24-year-old over the course of the January transfer window, but ultimately opted not to make a move.
The German international racked up an impressive tally with Red Bull Salzburg immediately after penning professional terms with the club in 2018, managing 33 goals and 24 assists from 94 appearances before he was snapped up by Borussia Dortmund in 2022.
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Adeyemi managed a further 36 goals and 25 assists in 125 appearances for Die Schwarzgelben, as a number of European giants began to pay attention. While Adeyemi was valued at around £70million in January, Barcelona ultimately managed to secure him for just £26.5m last month after playing a successful waiting game.
However, that could come back to bite the Reds, should Adeyemi continue to impress in Catalunya. Barca enjoyed a 5-2 win over FC Basel on Sunday, as they worked to put the final touches on their pre-season preparations.
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And Adeyemi managed his first goal and an assist for the Blaugrana during the contest, as football fans worldwide lick their lips at the prospect of the damage the forward can do in La Liga and the Champions League this season.
Worldwide media were quick to shower Adeyemi with praise for his individual and team performance against Basel, with SPORT labelling the talent as the ‘star’ of the fixture as Marca claimed he had ‘particularly stood out.’
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Social media was also ablaze with compliments directed toward Adeyemi. One user wrote on X: “How on earth did we convince Dortmund to let Adeyemi come for just €22M???”
Another added: “He arrived quietly but could spring a surprise. Karim Adeyemi,” while a third said: “Adeyemi is far from an average player. A player who single-handedly took a team like Dortmund to a UCL final is consider elite for me.
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“And a quick reminder: he’s just 24yr. His output is pretty impressive. 30+ G/A averaging Saka’s best szn, and he never played for an elite team.”
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A fourth opined: “Man, I’ve always believed in Adeyemi, but I never knew he had this in his locker. What a player!”
A fifth also explained: “A preseason match against Basel certifies nothing, due to the level of the opposition, but one can appreciate, in Adeyemi, the spark, the will to hurt, a certain degree of skill in the dribble, the intent of the pass and the shot.”
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