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Roger Federer Heads To Tennis Hall Of Fame And Says He ‘Had The Best Time’ During His Career

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Roger Federer loved to win, of course, and at the peak of his career almost always did. All those victories and trophies he piled up alone would have made Federer remembered forever in tennis, but they were only part of the reason he enjoyed playing. He liked traveling to tournaments, meeting people and making new friends, whether they were on the other side of the net or sitting in the stands. Only after he finished competing did Federer realize how much that impacted his legacy in the sport.

“I think when you retire, I think I said it before, that there was a lot of talk also about maybe my personality and what I brought to the game overall when I wasn’t on court, which I was a little surprised,” Federer said. “I thought it was about, in the moment, forehands and backhands and saving break points and victories and all that stuff.

“But actually it becomes a little bit, not irrelevant eventually, but it’s about what were you remembered for, how did you behave in the locker rooms or in the corridors or maybe with the media, or with the tournament directors, the ball kids.”

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Federer will have a chance to reflect back on it all Saturday when he is enshrined in the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island.

The 45-year-old from Switzerland, who will be honored along with broadcaster and former player Mary Carillo, said it would be his first trip to Newport. That seemed surprising, given how many places he’s gone for his tennis.

Sure, there was regular stops such as New York and London and Paris for Grand Slam tournaments, but there were also cities like Cape Town, South Africa, for an exhibition match against Rafael Nadal that drew nearly 52,000 fans; or Mexico City, for one against Alexander Zverev that drew more than 42,000.

Those were near the end of his career, when Federer was forced to limit his schedule for health reasons. He hated having to do so, because he liked going too many places, even ones that didn’t host the biggest events.

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“For me, if I look back, that’s kind of what I’m very happy about, that I went through 25 years on tour, and actually felt like I made a lot of friends and a lot of people miss me,” Federer said. “Same with fans. They come up to me and say, ‘What a shame you’re not playing anymore.’

“Then I get a flashback saying it was an amazing time, and I say it every time. I loved it, and it’s a shame I can’t be on the tour anymore. But it was a great, great time and I miss it dearly.”

The fans clearly miss Federer. When he returned to the U.S. Open this week for an exhibition, his first time playing in Flushing Meadows since 2019, the lines of fans waiting to get into Arthur Ashe Stadium resembled a night in the second week of the tournament, not well before it even began.

Federer won five straight U.S. Open titles from 2004-08, during a stretch when he compiled a 247-15 record from 2004-06 and reached a record 10 consecutive Grand Slam finals from 2005-07, winning eight. He went on to win 1,251 matches and 103 tournaments, including 20 Grand Slams.

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“He’s the best I’ve ever played against,” Andre Agassi, Federer’s opponent in the 2005 final, said in a video the U.S. Open showed before Federer took the court Tuesday.

The way he won, with far more flair than some stuffy champions of the past but without the temper tantrums of others, earned him accolades that his skills alone couldn’t. He won the ATP Tour’s sportsmanship award every year from 2004-09, and again from 2011-17, and the fan favorite award every year from 2003-21. Those came while earning prize money of nearly $130.6 million.

Federer hits sometimes with his children — he and wife Mirka are parents of two sets of twins — and tries to attend a few events a year to keep him connected to the sport.

“I’m in a very comfortable place today, but I’m still happy to be out there and being in the tennis world from time to time, because it is the glue to everything that surrounds me still today,” Federer said.

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“I had the best time, had a lot of friends on tour, from players to people who were organizers, et cetera. So I hope that a lot of the players who retire also feel the same way about the game, because I care dearly.”

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)


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Falcons fly past Lynn Vision Gaming at BLAST Open Fall

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28 August 2026

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Nov 5, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Fans bang thunder sticks during the League of Legends World Championships between T1 and DRX at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn ImagesNov 5, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Fans bang thunder sticks during the League of Legends World Championships between T1 and DRX at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

Team Falcons pushed past Lynn Vision Gaming 2-1 on Thursday as Group B play began at the BLAST Open Fall event in Copenhagen, Denmark.

In the other Group B upper-bracket quarterfinals, Legacy toppled FUT Esports 2-0, MOUZ dumped 9z Team 2-0, and IC Esports downed Team Vitality 2-0.

The $1.1 million Counter-Strike 2 event features 16 teams divided into two groups for the double-elimination opening stage. The group winners advance to the playoff semifinals. The group runners-up move on to the playoff quarterfinals as high seeds, while the two third-place teams head to the playoff quarterfinals as low seeds. The remaining teams will be eliminated.

All group-stage matches are best-of-three.

The single-elimination playoffs, which begin Sept. 4 in Porto, Portugal, will feature best-of-three matches in the quarterfinals and semifinals. The grand final on Sept. 6 will be best-of-five.

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The championship team will receive $250,000 ($150,000 for the players, $100,000 for the club) plus three BLAST Frequent Flyer Tokens.

On Thursday, Team Falcons captured Inferno 13-4 before Lynn Vision Gaming claimed Ancient 13-10. Team Falcons closed the series with a 13-9 triumph on Dust II. Russia’s Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov led Team Falcons with 58 kills and a plus-28 kill-death differential. Qihao “C4LLM3SU3” Su topped all-Chinese Lynn Vision Gaming with 48 kills and a plus-5 K-D differential.

Legacy slipped past FUT Esports 13-10 on Ancient, 13-11 on Dust II behind 42 kills and a plus-20 K-D differential from Argentina’s Santino “try” Rigal. Ukraine’s Dmytro “dem0n” Myroshnychenko propelled FUT Esports with 34 kills and a plus-2 K-D differential.

MOUZ manhandled 9z Team 13-4 on Cache, 13-7 on Nuke. Hungary’s Adam “torzsi” Torzsas logged 36 kills and a plus-16 K-D differential for MOUZ. Uruguay’s Franco “dgt” Garcia and Argentina’s Luciano “luchov” Herrera each amassed 23 kills for 9z Team.

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IC Esports bested Team Vitality 13-8 on Anubis, then prevailed 16-13 in overtime on Cache. Arseniy “cptkurtka023” Derevinskiy recorded 43 kills and a plus-13 K-D differential for all-Ukrainian IC Esports. Estonia’s Robin “ropz” Kool finished with 36 kills and a plus-3 K-D differential for Team Vitality.

The upcoming schedule:

FRIDAY

Group A upper-bracket semifinal — Team Spirit vs. G2 Esports

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Group A upper-bracket semifinal — FURIA vs. M80

Group A lower-bracket quarterfinal — DENDELE CS vs. Aurora Gaming

Group A lower-bracket quarterfinal — paiN Gaming vs. Natus Vincere

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SATURDAY

Group B upper-bracket semifinal — Team Falcons vs. Legacy

Group B upper-bracket semifinal — MOUZ vs. IC Esports

Group B lower-bracket quarterfinal — Lynn Vision Gaming vs. FUT Esports

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Group B lower-bracket quarterfinal — 9z Team vs. Team Vitality

BLAST Open Fall prize pool, with money winnings (player prize, team share) and BLAST Frequent Flyer Tokens

1. $250,000 ($150,000, $100,000), 3 BFFT

2. $160,000 ($60,000, $100,000), 1 BFFT

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3-4. $115,000 ($40,000, $75,000), 1 BFFT

5-6. $75,000 ($20,000, $55,000), 1 BFFT

7-8. $50,000 ($10,000, $40,000)

9-12. $32,500 ($7,500, $25,000)

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13-16. $20,000 ($5,000, $15,000)

–Field Level Media

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Surging Guardians return home to face sizzling Royals

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28 August 2026

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Aug 22, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Tanner Bibee (28) prepares to field the ball to first in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn ImagesAug 22, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Tanner Bibee (28) prepares to field the ball to first in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Guardians hit the road last Friday with their postseason hopes slipping.

After two comebacks in last-at-bat victories and seven straight wins overall, they’re back home in a much better position.

Cleveland’s Tanner Bibee (5-13, 3.97 ERA) will oppose Kansas City Royals fellow right-hander Michael Wacha (7-8, 3.49) in an American League Central matchup on Friday night.

Thanks to the longest active winning streak in the majors, Cleveland holds a two-game lead over the Texas Rangers for the AL’s third and final wild-card spot. The Guardians also have pulled within 2 1/2 games of the first-place Chicago White Sox in the division.

“You want to be one of those hot teams going into the playoffs,” Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan said. “And that’s where we want to go.”

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Cleveland wrapped up its trip with back-to-back late rallies at the Los Angeles Angels, winning 8-6 in 10 innings Tuesday and 4-3 the next night.

The finale saw the Angels build a 3-1 lead before Nathaniel Lowe drove in a run in the eighth inning. In the ninth, Kwan doubled home Petey Halpin, and Travis Bazzana hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly.

“We just trusted the plan, believed in each other, and came out on top,” Kwan said.

Bazzana avoided a potentially serious injury earlier in the game while running the bases when Jose Ramirez hit a line drive off his right forearm. The All-Star rookie second baseman was left with a baseball-shaped mark, complete with the ball’s seams.

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Ramirez was credited with a hit, per MLB scoring rules.

“I looked at my arm, and those seams were imprinted from immediate contact, but it feels fine,” Bazzana said. “That was probably the hardest I’ve ever been hit by a baseball.”

Bibee broke a four-game losing streak with six innings of two-run ball at the Colorado Rockies last Saturday, winning 4-3. He is 1-4 with a 4.34 ERA in six outings since July 25.

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The Royals beat Bibee for the first time earlier this season, but he is 4-1 with a 3.53 ERA in 10 career games against them. They have homered eight times off him in their last nine meetings.

Kansas City arrived in Cleveland on a high, having won 10 of its 11 games, including a 13-2 rout at the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday. The surge, however, has come too late for the Royals to make a push for the playoffs.

Jac Caglianone recorded a career-high six RBIs, homered off outfielder Myles Straw, scored three times and went 5-for-6 in the team’s last victory. Carter Jensen also became the first catcher ever to hit five leadoff homers in a season.

“Nobody ever wants to try and hit homers,” Caglianone said. “I am trying to stay within myself and ease up off the gas pedal. Do what you do well, and the results will be there. But you have to buy into that, knowing that your skill set is good enough to play here.”

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Wacha has won both of his starts during the Royals’ hot stretch, beating the Detroit Tigers and the Athletics while giving up five runs over 12 innings. The two-time All-Star also is 2-0 against the Guardians this year, posting a 1.93 ERA in two games.

In his career, Wacha is 4-2 with a 2.35 ERA against Cleveland in 10 starts.

–Field Level Media

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MLB Playoff Push: Blue Jays, Mariners set to clash amid AL wild-card chase

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28 August 2026

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A little over nine months ago, the Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners packed their bags for a return trip to Rogers Centre with the AL West champs leading the American League Championship Series, 3-2.

It set the stage for an epic continuation of Toronto’s playoff run, with George Springer’s Game 7 homer proving the exclamation point on consecutive Blue Jays wins to clinch a berth in the World Series.

But as October approaches once again, the Blue Jays and Mariners find themselves meeting north of the border this weekend for the first time since the ALCS — not as division leaders, but as sub-.500 clubs hoping for a late-season surge back into the playoff picture.

While there is no pennant on the line this time around, the stakes are still plenty high, with both expansion brothers needing every win they can get over the coming weeks.

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Both Seattle (64-70) and Toronto (65-70) entered the season among the favourites to represent the AL in the 2026 World Series, but slumping stars, injuries and general underperformance have shattered those lofty expectations in both cities.

So, as the Blue Jays and Mariners battle it out in Toronto, they will be looking to chase down the red-hot Cleveland Guardians, whose seven-game win streak has allowed them to take sole possession of the third wild-card spot.

Alongside the ALCS rematch, there’s plenty of action that could impact the AL standings this weekend. Here’s a full look at where things stand in the playoff race:

If the post-season started today

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The Guardians entered the week locked in a confusing three-way tie with the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros at 65-66. But Cleveland eliminated the need for any confusion by taking care of business with a three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Angels, going two games above .500 and giving itself a two-game cushion over the rest of the wild-card field.

Beyond the Guardians, each of the Rangers, Blue Jays, Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers all lost their respective series this week and took a step back in the chase. It was perhaps a more discouraging few days for Toronto and Minnesota, who dropped their three-game sets to the Kansas City Royals and Athletics, respectively.

The Baltimore Orioles and Seattle both ended up winning their series against National League clubs but fell short of a sweep, preventing them from keeping pace with Cleveland.

Four burning questions for AL wild-card race this weekend

How do the Blue Jays respond to their Royal disappointment? After Thursday’s 13-2 defeat at the hands of the 60-75 Kansas City Royals, Toronto will need to wipe the slate clean against the Mariners. The good news for the Blue Jays is that the top of their rotation is on turn for the three-game set, with Dylan Cease, José Soriano and Max Scherzer scheduled to start over the weekend. Few pitchers are better positioned to get their team out of a funk right now than Cease, as the Cy Young candidate boasts a 1.48 ERA and 35.2 per cent strikeout rate since the start of July. Ultimately, though, Toronto’s offence will continue to be under the spotlight against Emerson Hancock, Kade Anderson and Bryce Miller in a series that pits the Blue Jays against the only lineup in baseball to have mustered fewer runs this season.

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Can Kansas City keep causing chaos? The Royals have spent August playing spoiler in the AL wild-card picture, and they’ll have the chance to deliver another blow against Cleveland. With series wins over each of the Twins, Tigers and Blue Jays under its belt this month, Kansas City has gone 13-8 over its last 21 games to do away with soft-schedule narratives contenders had hoped to capitalize on. For as well as the Royals have played, they’ll be on the other side of a long stretch of winning this weekend when they host the streaking Guardians. Cleveland’s seven consecutive victories have come against the San Francisco Giants, Colorado Rockies and Angels, so it will be worth monitoring how it fares going forward as its schedule ramps up — starting with the upstart Royals.

Will the Orioles take advantage of a trip to Sacramento? It’s hard to imagine where Baltimore would be without Pete Alonso. The “Polar Bear” has been the driving force in the Orioles’ lineup for most of 2026, but he’s reached a new level this month and is slashing .374/.430/.703 with nine home runs in August. Alonso’s power surge has boosted the Orioles to two straight series wins — a stretch they’ll hope to extend as they visit the Athletics this weekend. It’s the type of series that Baltimore needs to take advantage of, as the A’s have been MLB’s worst team at home this season and are 12-26 in the second half. Sutter Health Park has once again been a launching pad this season, so the Orioles will need their pitching staff to step up and give Alonso and his fellow hitters some support if they are to continue creeping toward the top of the wild-card mix.

Do we see a shake-up atop the wild-card picture? Although they’re holding down the first and second wild-card positions in the AL, this weekend’s series between the Red Sox and Yankees could have significant post-season implications. As the final regular-season matchup between the historic rivals this year, not only could Boston pull even with New York by taking three of four, but it could also clinch any tiebreaker with a series split. As we saw last October, when New York bested the Red Sox in the three-game wild card at Yankee Stadium, home-field advantage can certainly be a factor in such a short playoff series. And with the two AL East clubs seemingly destined for another October meeting, perhaps this four-game set will serve as a playoff preview while they jockey for positioning in the wide-open American League.

Here is what FanGraphs and Baseball Reference are projecting, as of Friday morning, in terms of playoff odds among American League teams battling for post-season spots.

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Tampa Bay’s FanGraphs odds: 100% | Tampa Bay’s Baseball Reference odds: >99.9%

Chicago’s FanGraphs odds: 78.5% | Chicago’s Baseball Reference odds: 95.8%

Houston’s FanGraphs odds: 52.4% | Houston’s Baseball Reference odds: 56.4%

New York’s FanGraphs odds: 100% | New York’s Baseball Reference odds: >99.9%

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Boston’s FanGraphs odds: 98.8% | Boston’s Baseball Reference odds: 99.8%

Cleveland’s FanGraphs odds: 62.7% | Cleveland’s Baseball Reference odds: 58.4%

Texas’s FanGraphs odds: 31.8% | Texas’s Baseball Reference odds: 25.8%

Baltimore’s FanGraphs odds: 12.3% | Baltimore’s Baseball Reference odds: 13.6%

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Toronto’s FanGraphs odds: 9.7% | Toronto’s Baseball Reference odds: 13.0%

Seattle’s FanGraphs odds: 39.4% | Seattle’s Baseball Reference odds: 25.9%

Minnesota’s FanGraphs odds: 11.7% | Minnesota’s Baseball Reference odds: 6.0%

Detroit’s FanGraphs odds: 2.6% | Detroit’s Baseball Reference odds: 5.4%

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Althoff’s spring plans remain undecided for 2024

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42 minutes ago

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28 August 2026

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The well-performed gelding Althoff is currently sitting fourth in the initial markets for the Group 1 Epsom Handicap, although his connections are still contemplating whether he is truly a miler.

The Yulong family-owned five-year-old has achieved wins up to 1400m and finished fifth in the 2024 Callander-Presnell at his sole attempt beyond that distance. He is scheduled to test the 1500m journey again at Rosehill on Saturday in the Wests Group Macarthur Handicap.

Trainer Chris Waller has earmarked next year’s Magic Millions Cup (1400m) at the Gold Coast as Althoff’s main spring objective, but he is keeping an open mind about the rest of the horse’s campaign.

Waller has indicated that the gelding’s showing this weekend will be crucial in determining if they pull stumps and focus on summer racing, or if he gets another chance to prove his worth in a race such as the Epsom.

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“We had (Yulong’s) Mr Zhang up in Sydney and looking at all the horses (this week), and one of the discussion points was that horse,” Waller commented.

“We think he might be a perfect horse for the Magic Millions Cup if we back off him after Saturday.

“A mile could stretch him. But this Saturday is 1500, and if he comes out and wins on Saturday we could think differently.”

A Group 3 placed performer as a juvenile, Althoff did not quite make the grade at three but has arguably returned in career-best form this season. He was a fast-finishing second to Carbonados first-up at Rosehill on August 1 and then delivered an arrogant victory in the Spring Preview (1400m), beating Group 1 performers Attica and Fully Lit.

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Attica is a significant player in Epsom Handicap (1600m) markets at $11, with Althoff backed into $15 for the October 3 showpiece.

Explore the leading betting sites for the upcoming spring carnival.

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Backstage Fear Ahead Of All In: AEW Star Possibly Injured

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56 minutes ago

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28 August 2026

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AEW will host All In: London this Sunday at the iconic Wembley Stadium. The upcoming pay-per-view can potentially be one of the greatest wrestling events of all time. Unfortunately, a popular star has likely suffered an injury ahead of the show.

Kyle O’Reilly locked horns with Nigel McGuinness in the semifinals of the Continental Challenge Cup on this week’s AEW Dynamite. This was an excellent match, which Nigel convincingly won. The Conglomeration member eventually shared a picture of himself on Instagram Story where he had a swollen black eye.

According to Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer, O’Reilly might have suffered a broken orbital bone.

“There was definitely fear of a broken orbital bone. He had a big black eye though. I actually saw it during the match, and then afterwards I was told about that he’s got a big black eye and it was scary,” said Meltzer.

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The severity of the former WWE star’s injury is unknown. Hopefully, we will learn more about this soon. Had he defeated McGuinness on Dynamite, he would have challenged Jon Moxley for the Continental Title at All In. He does not have a match at the upcoming pay-per-view for now.

AEW star Kyle O’Reilly wants to accomplish many things in the Tony Khan-led company

Kyle O’Reilly joined AEW in 2021. In a 2024 interview with Fightful, the former World Trios Champion said that he wants to accomplish many things in the promotion, but he is not in a rush. He also said that he is happy that he is working for such a massive promotion.

“I really just don’t want to take for granted the opportunity to wrestle in a mainstream company and even have matches again. That’s something I was never really sure if it was going to happen. The fact that I get to be back on the road and earning my living and get to wrestle, the only thing I’ve ever really been good at or can at least make a living doing, that’s the most important thing. Big matches and championships, I’m sure they’ll come as long as I stay the course. I’m not going to get too ahead of myself. One match at a time,” he said. [H/T: Fightful]

It will be interesting to see what the future holds for O’Reilly. Perhaps he will win a singles title in the company soon.

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