Yunchaokete Bu, of China, hits the ball during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis tournament, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Vera Nieuwenhuis)

NEW YORK–China’s Bu Yunchaokete produced one of the US Open’s most surprising results so far on Wednesday, drubbing rising Spanish star Rafael Jodar in straight sets.

Bu, ranked 124th, needed less than two hours to take down 12th-seeded Jodar, 6-2, 6-1, 6-1 in one of the most one-sided scorelines of this year’s championships.

A native of Xinjiang, Bu lost in the final round of qualifying, but was granted a spot as a “lucky loser” when Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis withdrew with an injury.

Bu had finished his warmup Tuesday morning ahead of a planned flight that evening when he found out he could play. Now he’s in the second round against American Michael Zheng, a two-time US collegiate champion.

“It’s nothing you can lose with a lucky loser,” Bu said after the match, describing his approach as “enjoy the crowd and enjoy the court and play one of the best players in this year.”

Rafael Jodar, of Spain, returns the ball to Bu Yunchaokete, of China, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

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The victory over Jodar was Bu’s first at the Grand Slam level after he went winless in six previous tries.

“If I have to win my first match like this, I’m okay with the loss five, six times before,” he said. “So yeah, that’s great.”

He has spent much of 2026 in Challenger tournaments, a lower level from the main ATP Tour, winning two such events, both on grass.

Bu said he has worked to add more aggressive play to his game after originally developing a heavy-hitting style suited to clay courts after a period training in Spain.

Bu described Britain’s Andy Murray as a tennis hero but also expressed admiration for Li Na, the first Chinese player to win Grand Slam singles titles.

“We have a lot great player in women’s side, but men’s side is not that much,” said Bu, who reached a career high ranking of 64th.

For Jodar, the match was a disappointing US Open debut in a year that began with the 19-year-old ranked 165th.

“He played better than me, and that’s the reason why he won today,” Jodar said in a brief availability after the match.

Nico Paz could inherit Argentina’s iconic No.10 shirt after Messi, but one condition must first be met/ Image: Instagram

Lionel Messi’s retirement from international football has left Argentina with one of the most difficult shirts in world football to fill. The No.10 has belonged to Messi for years after previously carrying the legacy of Diego Maradona, and the player reportedly chosen to inherit it is one of Argentina’s brightest young talents. Nico Paz has emerged as the reported successor to the iconic shirt, but there is one important condition attached to the plan.

Nico Paz reportedly chosen to inherit Messi’s No.10

According to ESPN Argentina, Argentina have already identified Paz as the player they want to hand Messi’s No.10 shirt to, although the decision is tied to Scaloni’s future with the national team.The 21-year-old attacking midfielder has previously worn No.18 during his 11 appearances for Argentina, but he could now take on the number associated with two of the country’s greatest-ever footballers.ESPN Argentina insider Federico Bueno reported that the plan has already been decided internally and is being taken seriously.“If Scaloni renews as Argentina’s coach, which is expected to be negotiated in the coming months, the No. 10 shirt will go to Nico Paz. This has already been decided internally and is being taken very seriously,” Bueno said.That means Paz’s succession of Messi is not yet unconditional. Scaloni’s contract situation must first be resolved, with the 48-year-old expected to negotiate a new deal in the coming months.Scaloni has been Argentina’s head coach since 2018 and oversaw the side’s run to the 2022 World Cup title in Qatar before taking them to the 2026 World Cup final. If he agrees to continue in the role, Paz is reportedly set to become the next No.10.

Why Paz has emerged as the choice

There are more established names within the Argentina squad who could have been considered for such an iconic shirt, including Enzo Fernandez and Alexis Mac Allister, but the reported succession plan points towards Paz as the player viewed as capable of leading the next generation.Paz, 21, was born in Spain but is the son of former Argentina international Pablo Paz. He came through the Real Madrid academy and made eight first-team appearances for the Spanish giants before leaving for Italian club Como in 2024.His development in Serie A has accelerated under former Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas, with Paz establishing himself as one of the most exciting young attacking players in European football.He has made 77 appearances in all competitions for Como, scoring 19 goals, while his performances have repeatedly fuelled speculation that Real Madrid could bring him back to the Bernabeu.A return to Madrid has reportedly been tipped in virtually every transfer window since his departure, underlining how highly the Spanish club continues to regard the player it developed.For Argentina, however, his development has taken on a different significance.Paz has already earned 11 senior caps and is now being considered for a role that carries considerably more weight than simply becoming another attacking option in the squad.

Messi leaves behind an enormous legacy

Whoever takes the No.10 will inevitably be compared with Messi, even if Argentina’s next generation has no realistic way of reproducing what the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner achieved.Messi departs the national team as a former world champion, having captained Argentina to glory in Qatar in 2022, and as the country’s long-standing No.10 and leader.He leaves after 207 international appearances, having built a legacy that also places him as the second-highest goalscorer in World Cup history.

Argentina’s Lionel Messi (10) cries at the end of the World Cup final soccer match between Spain and Argentina in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

His decision came after Argentina’s defeat to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final in New Jersey, with Messi making clear that he felt his international journey had reached its natural conclusion.“It was a decision that hurt – and still hurts deep down – but I understand that the time has come,” Messi said in his retirement statement.“I swear to you that I always gave it my all – not just in these last few years when we won everything, but before that too; I always fought and left everything on the field for this jersey, to bring you joy and make you feel proud to be Argentine through football.”“Time is running short, chapters come to a close, and this is one that hurts me deeply. I love, have loved, and will always love being part of the national team.”“I’ve given everything I had; I have nothing left to give, and besides, there are some great young players coming up who deserve to be here.”

A huge shirt for Argentina’s next generation

The significance of the No.10 means Paz would not simply be inheriting a squad number.Argentina’s shirt has already carried the weight of Diego Maradona, who famously wore it during his World Cup-winning campaign in 1986, before Messi created his own extraordinary chapter in the number.That makes the decision to give it to a 21-year-old a significant statement about how Argentina view Paz’s potential.The Como playmaker is still at an early stage of his international career, with only 11 appearances to his name, and he has never been expected to simply replace Messi as a player. Instead, the reported decision reflects the belief that he can become one of the central figures in Argentina’s post-Messi era.There is still one hurdle before that succession can happen.Scaloni’s future must first be settled. If the World Cup-winning coach agrees a new contract, the reported plan is for Paz to move from the No.18 he has worn during his early international career into Messi’s iconic No.10.For now, that remains a reported internal decision rather than an officially confirmed shirt change. But if Scaloni stays, Paz appears set to become the young Argentine entrusted with carrying the most famous number in the country’s football history into its next era.

Heavy rain at the US Open forced Katie Boulter’s second-round fixture against Karolina Muchova under the roof of the Louis Armstrong Stadium, as wet weather threatened the tournament schedule for a second straight day.

The shift to the prestigious arena, named after the iconic jazz musician, brought no joy for the British number one. She suffered a severe 6-1 6-0 defeat in under an hour, marking the worst grand slam loss of her career.

Boulter, 30, had opened the match brightly by breaking Muchova’s serve in the very first game and forcing another break point during the Czech’s second.

ossHowever, Muchova — a runner-up at Wimbledon earlier this year — soon asserted complete control over the contest, leaving Boulter unable to secure another game.

In a bruising 58-minute encounter, the Briton lost seven service games out of seven, committing 21 unforced errors while managing a total of just four winners.

Britain’s Jan Choinski made it to day four at the US Open, but was still a first-round casualty.

The towering German-born 30-year-old was beaten in straight sets by fellow beanpole, Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp.

Getting to the first Wednesday at Flushing Meadows is usually a notable achievement for a British player.

But Choinski’s stay at the tournament was only extended after his first-round match was pushed back by the rain in New York.

A handful of players were already through to round three by the time Choinski took to the court, but he was soundly beaten in the big-serving battle 6-3 6-1 7-6 (5) in just under two hours.

Choinski is coached by his girlfriend Sophia, who was shouting encouragement from his players’ box.

He said: “She always tries to help me, tries to keep me positive, for sure.

“In the first set it was quite good, I had some chances but from that point it got tough.

“The guy was playing aggressively and she just keeps me fighting and motivated. But in a match like that it’s quite tough.”

Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe walks on the pitch during the La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Malaga in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Kylian Mbappe was reportedly among 26 wealthy and high-profile individuals whose addresses and personal information were found by French investigators during an investigation into an alleged kidnapping plot. The Real Madrid and France star was said to have been one of several potential targets identified on mobile phones seized from an 18-year-old suspect who was allegedly continuing to run a criminal organisation from prison. The list reportedly also included a rapper, a Chinese businessman, jewellers and a Turkish meat trader.

Mbappe among 26 alleged targets

According to French newspaper Le Parisien, investigators discovered the addresses of 26 wealthy individuals on two mobile phones seized from the 18-year-old suspect, identified as Clément L.Mbappe was reportedly among the names on the list, alongside a rapper and several wealthy businessmen. Those other alleged targets included a Chinese businessman, jewellers and a Turkish meat trader, with investigators reportedly finding information that could have been used to identify or locate them.The discovery came as authorities investigated the activities of the teenager, who allegedly continued directing a criminal organisation despite being held in prison.The case therefore concerns an alleged plot rather than a kidnapping that was carried out. Investigators are now seeking to determine how far the organisation had progressed, whether any of the potential targets were actually approached or monitored, and what each person under investigation allegedly did.Mbappe’s inclusion is nevertheless particularly striking given his status as one of the most recognisable footballers in the world and his position as Real Madrid and France’s captain.

Suspect allegedly ran gang from his prison cell

Clément L was already in pre-trial detention in connection with allegations of pimping and organised robbery when investigators discovered that he was allegedly continuing to issue instructions from inside prison.According to Le Parisien, prison guards seized two mobile phones from him. Investigators then examined their contents and reportedly found information relating to the 26 alleged targets.The teenager was allegedly operating on Snapchat under the alias “Lester Z”, using the phones to communicate and issue instructions to people outside the prison.A source close to the case told Le Parisien that the contents of the phones were particularly revealing.“Two phones were seized by prison guards, and their contents were highly revealing,” the source said.The same source added: “He also wanted to go after a rapper and the footballer Kylian Mbappe.”The investigation reportedly began after authorities were looking into a separate robbery at a luxury watch shop in Neuilly-sur-Seine last April.Clément L had already been identified as one of two men allegedly involved in the attack on the watchmaker, which had led to his detention over armed robbery.The discovery of the phones subsequently opened a much wider line of investigation into the alleged criminal organisation and its potential plans.

What happened when the teenager was questioned?

During questioning, Clément L reportedly rejected the suggestion that he was the mastermind behind the alleged operation.He also asked to be released from solitary confinement, but that request was refused and he was ordered to remain there while the investigation continues.The teenager reportedly dropped out of school during the first year of a vocational qualification in cooking. He told investigators that he wanted to resume his education and eventually become a chef.Despite those claims about his future plans, he remains in pre-trial detention as authorities investigate the much more serious allegations surrounding the criminal organisation.His alleged accomplice has meanwhile been released under judicial supervision. That individual was challenging the measure on Wednesday before the Versailles investigating chamber.The investigation must now establish precisely how the alleged kidnapping operation was organised, how much preparation had taken place and whether the information found on the seized phones translated into concrete plans against any of the 26 people named.

First Published: Sep 02 2026 | 9:30 AM IST

Ronald Acuña Jr. hit a three-run homer to become the fastest player in major league history to reach 200 home runs and 200 stolen bases, and the Atlanta Braves beat the Washington Nationals 9-0 on Wednesday.

Sean Murphy homered for the third time in five games, a three-run shot in the sixth inning that broke a scoreless tie in a game that was interrupted by a 1-hour, 25-minute rain delay in the fourth.

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Acuña followed with a drive to left-center in the seventh, his 14th of the season, to make it 6-0. He needed 904 games to reach the 200/200 club. Alfonso Soriano set the previous record at 929 games in August of 2006 while playing for the Nationals against the Braves.

Acuña stole the 225th base of his career and 20th of the season, swiping second after his leadoff single in the sixth against Riley Cornelio (2-2), who struck out the next two batters. After Michael Harris II was walked intentionally, Murphy took Cornelio deep to left.

Acuña led off the fourth with a single off Nationals starter Brad Lord. A walk and an error loaded the bases before it started raining. When play resumed, Cornelio came in and retired Murphy and Mike Yastrzemski to escape the jam.

Grant Holmes needed only 26 pitches to retire the first nine Nationals before the delay. Dylan Dodd worked a scoreless inning and Elieser Hernández (2-0) pitched the next three, allowing two hits, including James Wood’s two-out single in the sixth for Washington’s first hit.

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Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz left in the fourth inning after taking a foul ball off his mask.

Up next

The Braves will start LHP Chris Sale (13-9, 2.06) on Friday at Philadelphia opposite Phillies LHP Cristopher Sánchez (16-4, 2.52) in the opener of a four-game series. The Nationals begin a series at the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday.

First Published: Sep 02 2026 | 9:46 AM IST

Moses Itauma came up short in his quest for greatness on Saturday, suffering the first defeat of his career. Now, one Hall of Famer has urged the 21-year-old to part ways with his training team, led by Ben Davison, blaming poor preparation for the loss.

Itauma was outclassing Filip Hrgovic early on in their vacant IBF heavyweight title bout at the weekend, looking to be too sharp and too smart for his Croatian dance partner from the get-go.

However, it soon became clear that Itauma was running out of steam and that his gas tank was inferior to the experienced underdog Hrgovic, who was able to pounce on the vulnerable youngster in round nine and close the show.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, two-division world champion Tim Bradley, who was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2023, told Itauma to ditch Davison and his coaching team for ‘not getting him ready for the fight’.

“Your team is wack. Moses Itauma, fire your damn team, they didn’t have you ready for this s**t. They didn’t have you ready mentally, they didn’t have you ready tactically, at all. Yeah, they had some technical s**t that you had to do, you could have handled that yourself, but they didn’t get you ready.

“Conditioning-wise, physically, they didn’t get you ready at all, s**t! You weren’t six rounds, you weren’t going nine rounds, you were going 12 hard rounds. People were saying, ‘oh, he is inexperienced, he has only been six rounds’, bulls**t. 

“Heavyweights get ready inside of the gym, most fighters get ready inside of the gym. When I first started doing training and boxing professionally, I’m running five to eight miles, I am going four rounds but I am building for that 12 rounds – that is how you train, you build for the long haul.” 

Bradley then went on to advise Itauma on how he should prepare moving forward, suggesting that the 21-year-old should train with four-minute rounds in order to build up his stamina.

“Adopt them four-minute rounds, bro, it will show you how to damn pace yourself. Four-minute rounds ain’t no joke, 30 seconds rest, that is what you have got to do to get your s**t ready.”

“His corner was sorry as hell too. Your preparation was trash for this fight, straight up trash, throw that s**t in the trash, bro. You need a whole new team, they failed you, you have got too many yes-men around you.”

Itauma has already requested a rematch with Hrgovic, but it seems as though the latter will instead be made to take on Cuba’s Frank Sanchez in his first defence of the heavyweight throne.

Who runs college football? Can Indiana repeat as national champions? Which team is ready to make the leap? And is LSU officially college football’s new villain?

The 2026 college football season is here, and the biggest questions in the sport are waiting to be answered.

FOX Sports lead college football analyst Joel Klatt has plenty of thoughts. On the latest episode of “The Joel Klatt Show,” Klatt tackles 10 burning questions heading into Week 1, including which teams can actually win it all.

Klatt’s Thoughts: “I think this is the biggest question in college football. … The last three National Championships have come out of the Big Ten: Michigan, Ohio State and Indiana. But it’s been even more than that because, for so long, the SEC dominated. They were the premier conference in college football by a wide margin. They won everything. … It was also that way in the NFL Draft, every single year, it was the SEC with the most players drafted in the first round … Over the last few years, we’ve seen the shift happen, not just at the top winning the championships, but also in the records in these bowl games, and, last year, in the first round of the NFL Draft.

“In the last three seasons, the SEC is 0-4 against the Big Ten in the College Football Playoff. … Every single metric you used to hear about and, candidally, the ones that matter, these games that matter, the first-round draft picks, the elite talent, the Big Ten has overtaken the SEC. … I predict that the Big Ten is going to win another championship this year.”

Klatt’s Thoughts: “This is an emphatic ‘Yes.’ Indiana is a powerhouse right now. Curt Cignetti, I think, is the best coach in college football. That was proven last year. That roster was not as expensive as all the rosters that they were beating in the College Football Playoff. … Cignetti retained all of his staff. This is the one thing that I think is going to be hard to wrap your minds around. They were 16-0 and national champions last year, and the conversations that I’m having with people around the program at Indiana is that they’re quietly ahead of where they were each of the last two years right now with this team. There is a chance this is a better team. …

“Josh Hoover is further along in the offense and with his comfort in the offense than Fernando Mendoza was last year or Kurtis Rourke was two years ago. That’s something that they point to. The offensive line is further along. … Their front seven on defense might be better than last year, and this was one of the best defenses in college football.”

Klatt’s Thoughts: “I think the quarterback class is outstanding. You’ve got Dante Moore, Arch Manning, CJ Carr, Julian Sayin, Darian Mensah, Jayden Maiava, Sam Leavitt and John Mateer. It is littered with guys who could potentially become that guy in college football … Oh, by the way, I haven’t even mentioned the guy who is widely considered the best skill position player we’ve seen in college football, maybe in our lifetimes, but certainly in over a decade in Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. The potential is limitless for college football this year.

“It could be an unbelievable year, and the guy that grabs the sport and brings it down and becomes the face of the sport is going to be the one that plays the best in high-leverage moments and on big stages. That’s what it becomes, and that guy’s ultimately going to be the Heisman Trophy winner. … My pick to win the Heisman Trophy is Jeremiah Smith.”

Klatt’s Thoughts: “I think that [new defensive coordinator] Will Muschamp is going to have a huge impact on this season because if he fixes that defense, then, yes, Arch, Sark and Texas can raise their ceiling, but that’s really where it lies. It’s not with Arch and Sark. It’s with Will Muschamp, the offensive line and the defense. Those are the areas for Texas that have got to change. Obviously, they have a difficult schedule. They’ve got that Ohio State game. They’ve got to play at Tennessee. They’ve got Red River [Oklahoma]. They’ve got Ole Miss. They’ve got three road trips in November: Missouri, LSU and Texas A&M.

“So this schedule is daunting. There’s no doubt, but they are one of the more talented teams in the country. And if they run it and play good defense, then they could easily win a national championship.”

Klatt’s Thoughts: “Eric Morris at Oklahoma State. He goes from North Texas to Oklahoma State and takes a bunch of his guys with him. Does it remind you of anybody? Yeah, this is exactly what Curt Cignetti did when he went from James Madison to Indiana, and they popped right away and went to the College Football Playoff. Bob Chesney, now going from James Madison to UCLA. Now, I think it will be much more difficult for UCLA than it would be for Oklahoma State because I think the Big Ten is more difficult than the Big 12, but this is a guy who has a quarterback in Nico Iamaleava, and they can increase their win total drastically right away. This is a really good coach.

“I also feel the same way about James Franklin at Virginia Tech. James is a hell of a football coach. At Penn State, his only problem was that he couldn’t get all the way to the mountaintop, but, man, he’s a great climber. He built a really solid program at Penn State. He did a great job there, couldn’t get to the mountaintop, and now he’s at Virginia Tech, and I think he will immediately make them better. Those are guys I think could elevate their programs right away.”

Klatt’s Thoughts: “I’ve got seven teams that can absolutely win a national championship this year. They’ve got the roster and everything that you need. … Oregon, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Georgia, Indiana, Texas, Miami: I won’t be surprised at all if any of them win the national championship. It’s what makes the sport great this year, by the way. I think that’s a deeper, more eclectic list than we’ve had maybe ever in college football, but easily in multiple decades.”

Klatt’s Thoughts: “They’re absolutely the villain. … Now, you have the SEC actively against LSU and Lane Kiffin [the Tigers have been trying to add players who appeared on NFL rosters in training camp to their roster]. … There’s no doubt in my mind that he’s the villain in college football …

“It would be the shock of all shocks to me if they came together from a chemistry perspective to run the table, win the SEC and win the national championship. It is a different equation now. I think it takes more than talent and a great offensive mind to go and win a national championship. It takes everything. You’ve got to have chemistry, depth, experience and togetherness. All these things are really hard to build. That’s what it takes. Do they have that? I don’t know.”

Klatt’s Thoughts: “Maybe it’s BYU out of the Big 12? In the Big Ten, I look at USC, Michigan, Penn State and Washington trying to level themselves up. These teams are very good teams, but you got to prove to me that you can potentially beat one of the top dogs. In the SEC, you got Alabama, LSU, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, and all these different teams. My money would be on three teams that I think have the talent, coaching and potential to actually go up there and beat one of these top-tier teams in these conferences. In the Big Ten, that’s USC and Michigan, and in the SEC, it would be LSU, just because of that talent, but we’ll see about the chemistry.”

Klatt’s Thoughts: “How about Texas Tech and Ole Miss taking the next step? … I would not have told you at this point last year that Indiana had the roster or the chemistry or the experience or any of that to go win a national championship, and they did. Maybe that’s the case for Texas Tech? They beat up on teams that they should and lost to the best team that they faced in Oregon last year. Everyone’s overlooking Ole Miss because Lane Kiffin left. What if they galvanize around Pete Golding with their great quarterback, Trinidad Chambliss, and they move forward and win the SEC? Maybe they just run roughshod over college football, and they become this year’s 2025 Indiana.”

Klatt’s Thoughts: “It’s absolutely ‘Yes.’ For all the things that aren’t perfect in this sport, all of these changes, however hard they have been to swallow, to watch and work through, have made the sport better. There’s been more engagement than ever with college football. …

“Whatever you think about NIL and whatever you think about the transfer portal and whatever you think about the mess that is college football right now from a governance standpoint, these changes, however hard to swallow, have made the sport incredible. We’ve got great teams. We’ve got talent all over the country, and we have every single part of this country represented with high expectations and expectations all the way at the top, as high as winning the national championship. That makes it great. We’ve got great quarterbacks and players. This could be an epic season of college football.”