Carlos Alcaraz opened his run at the Qatar Open with a straight sets victory over Arthur Rinderknech, winning 6–4, 7–6.
The match was Alcaraz’s first since completing the Career Grand Slam at the Australian Open, and the Spaniard maintained his perfect start to the 2026 season. He is now 8–0 for the year and has beaten Rinderknech in all five of their meetings.
Alcaraz edged the opening set before being pushed into a tight second set tiebreak, where he stayed composed to close out the contest. The win sends him into the round of 16 in Doha for the second time.
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After the match, Alcaraz acknowledged the challenge posed by his opponent.
“It was really difficult. Arthur is always a really dangerous player. Nobody wants to play him in the first round,” he said. “I’m happy with the level and happy I got through. There were difficult moments, but I stayed calm, stayed positive and played good tennis.”
Alcaraz will now look to build on a solid opening performance as he continues his run in Doha.
Olympique Lyonnais could only manage a 0-0 draw on the road against Le Havre. Lyon (4th) has fallen behind Marseille (3rd) and is seeing Lille (5th) close in.
In the Premier League, Tottenham stay in the race thanks to an unexpected draw at Liverpool. France finish sixth at the Winter Paralympics. Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka won their titles at Indian Wells. Félix Lebrun makes table tennis history.
Cameron Young’s post-Players press conference was an unexpected delight. Young has always been more interesting than he’s presented outwardly — there’s humor and perspective hiding beneath the beard — but even by those standards, this was a terrific showing. The glow of victory combined with the exhaustion of four days at TPC Sawgrass was an effective combination: Young was honest, direct, thoughtful, insightful. He even grinned a couple times.
I appreciated his forthrightness on several topics, including the specific challenge of executing under the gun down the stretch at one of the hardest, most chaotic finishes in golf.
One example: Just how hard was that tee shot at No. 17? Young offered two interesting details.
“You know, it is really hard. That wind was really difficult, downwind. I just so happened to have the best number you could have possibly asked for. I felt like if I hit just a full hard sand wedge it would carry that bunker by a yard or two, and trying to hit a softer gap wedge would have been a lot more difficult.”
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It shows a certain humility when a winner has the self-awareness to credit good fortune for helping him get across the line.
Another admission: Young gave himself a pep talk before his tee shot at No. 18, tied for the lead with Matt Fitzpatrick, with death to the left and trouble to the right.
“My thought process over that ball is, one, making sure that I’m committed to my line, and two, the overarching thought is I’m going to hit the best shot of my life right here,” Young said. “I don’t know if I can think of one that’s better.”
Sure enough, he pummeled driver 375 yards down the right-center fairway — the longest drive in the recorded history of TPC Sawgrass’ 18th. (Downwind, yes. Still!) Preposterous.
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Cameron Young’s drive at the 18th is the longest hit by any player on this hole in the ShotLink era (since 2004)
“No, honestly I don’t know if I’ve ever had that thought before,” he said. If he’s in a similar situation, I’d recommend he try it.
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Young’s most vulnerable admission was perhaps his most interesting. After his playing partner — and only remaining competitor — Matthew Fitzpatrick missed his par putt at No. 18, Young suddenly had a one-foot putt to win. And he felt something sudden: sheer terror.
Just how nervous was he?
“I was really, really good until I had to make the eight-inch putt on the last hole, and I just about fell apart,” Young said. ShotLink recorded the final putt at 16 inches; we’ll split the difference and call it about a foot. Young struggled to put his ball down after re-marking it.
“I couldn’t get my line to point anywhere near the hole, and I went and hit it anyway, which maybe I shouldn’t have. But it went in, so all is well,” he said.
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Pros have talked about this before, how short putts are the nerviest shot in golf because there’s no good outcome; everyone assumes you’ll make it and it’d be a disaster if you didn’t. Plenty of pros have missed remarkably short putts in similar circumstances. Young would have had company. Still, it showed a certain self-assuredness that Young was willing to admit his fear.
And now all is well indeed. Young is golf’s newest Players Champion, the owner of 4.5 million U.S. dollars, first-time entrant to the top 10 in the world ranking (and first time into the top five, if my math checks out — we’ll see on Monday morning) and certified winner. His future on Tour is secure, at least until the PGA Tour reshapes its future; he’s exempt on Tour through 2031 and he’s exempt into all four majors for the next three years. A year ago this time Young was outside the top 50 in the world. He’s ascendant, in every sense of the word.
One more admission, then: Why doesn’t Young look happier — when he’s playing or even when he’s winning? I wasn’t crazy about this question but I appreciated Young’s answer.
“I think, honestly, if you asked my wife, she would say ‘he’s a very, very happy person.’ And I am. I mean, I love my life, I love my family, I love my job. I couldn’t ask for much more. I’m healthy. I have healthy little children.”
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I enjoyed Young’s perspective there — and his honesty in the answer that followed. I often wonder whether athletes in press conferences find their brains wandering, or racing, and end up saying things they only sort of mean. Young seemed intentional about saying things he did mean. And up front about how exhausting it was to do so.
“Now why am I not happy [right now]? I am,” he said with a laugh. “I don’t know. I’m thinking to answer questions and my brain is very tired after playing that golf course for four days. It takes a lot for me to come up with a reasonable answer. But yeah, I don’t know. I think just generally you’re not going to get a ton out of me, but it doesn’t mean that I’m not, you know, very, very happy to be sitting here with this.”
Bruno Fernandes is having an incredible season for Manchester United but he put a question mark next to his future with an interview he gave in December.
Michael Carrick insists Manchester United have no plans to cash in on Bruno Fernandes and are desperate to keep the 31-year-old as he closes in on another Premier League record at Old Trafford.
Fernandes set up two of United’s goals in a 3-1 win against Aston Villa at Old Trafford to take his tally to 16 assists for the season, only four behind the league record held jointly by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.
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The Portuguese attacking midfielder became just the third United player in the Premier League era to reach a century of goals and assists in the process and is enjoying another brilliant season at the club.
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But his future is in some doubt after an interview he gave in Portugal in December, where he said he felt United wanted to sell him last year but lacked the courage to tell him to go. It has led to questions over what will happen this summer, with Fernandes having a clause in his contract that allows him to join a foreign club for £57million.
The fact that United are on track to return to the Champions League could be enough to convince Fernandes to stay at the club and Carrick clearly doesn’t want to lose him.
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“In terms of the club and moving forward, it’s difficult for me to get involved in too much of that,” he said. “Bruno’s definitely not someone we’d want to lose, I can say that. He’s important for us and he’s definitely one we wouldn’t want to lose.
“Bruno has done it for a long period of time now, in the big moments and making the difference, whether scoring or creating he’s normally around it. Two very different [assists] today.
“He has a really good understanding with Case and working with Jonny [Evans] on the set plays. There’s also the bit you can coach and then there’s a little bit of the players and the understanding. They’ve got a great connection there with that and have done it a few times before, so that was good.
“Then the passing around it, getting in positions where you can play that final pass, and it was one we’ve seen before and then he plays Ben in as well I think after that, so there’s not a lot else to say that I’ve not sat here and said before about Bruno.”
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Carrick is relaxed about whether Fernandes can break the record for assists in a single Premier League season, with eight games remaining to get the four he needs to draw level or the five he needs to take it on his own.
But with eight assists in his last 10 games, he is in form and is arguably the player of the season in the Premier League so far.
“I’d much rather the points and us win than that,” Carrick said of the record, “so I don’t think it’s something you go chasing for, I think it happens naturally anyway, but yeah, if he does, then he’s obviously created goals for us, so we’ll be happy with that.
“I think he’s important for us. He’s playing in positions now where we need to find him and we need to supply him as much as we can for all the team to make the difference, but it’s not just about Bruno.
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“He’s had some really important moments recently, but I think as a team, sharing that responsibility, so it’s not always on one player, I think it’s really important. And then it does make everyone else’s job that little bit easier, so he’s not taking everything on himself, which he shouldn’t and he doesn’t really for us.”
A massive blunder by the Yale Bulldogs’ men’s basketball team in the Ivy League Tournament final wound up costing them a March Madness bid.
It was a thrilling second half that ultimately needed extra time to figure out a champion, as Penn’s T.J. Power nailed a game-tying 3-pointer with one second left to force overtime. It gave the Quakers star 40 points and kept their season alive, as the No. 1 seed Bulldogs were trying to hold off their conference foe.
But the Quakers were able to come away with the 88-84 upset victory, marking the school’s first NCAA Tournament bid since 2018.
Penn Quakers forward TJ Power (12) shoots the ball over Providence Friars guard Jaylin Sellers (2) during the second half at Amica Mutual Pavilion on Nov. 11, 2025.(Eric Canha/Imagn Images)
It didn’t look to be the case, though, as Power made it 86-81 as he nailed two free throws to give him a total of 44 points with just 17 seconds left in overtime. The Bulldogs were expected to start fouling the Quakers intentionally, as to not allow them the opportunity to break the five-point lead Yale owned.
It’s common with at least a three-point lead to foul late in the game, but Yale’s Casey Simmons let Power run down the court and have the chance to tie the game in the final seconds. Power didn’t waste the opportunity.
Using their momentum, the Quakers, fresh off a close win over No. 2 Harvard to advance to the Ivy League Tournament final, outscored the Bulldogs, 13-9, where Power was a key component in the end. Also, Cam Thrower’s three-pointer with 1:59 left in overtime gave Penn a four-point lead that would never be relinquished.
Penn Quakers forward TJ Power (12) goes to the basket against Rutgers Scarlet Knights forward Bryce Dortch (4) during the first half at Jersey Mike’s Arena on Dec. 20, 2025.(Vincent Carchietta/Imagn Images)
As Michael Zanoni nailed both of his free throws with seven seconds left, it iced victory for the Quakers, who will now be focused on No. 3 Illinois after getting into March Madness as a No. 14 seed.
Power, who played at Duke and Virginia before transferring to Penn, finished with 44 points on 14-of-26 shooting, including 7-of-14 three-pointers made. He had 14 rebounds for a double-double, while also dishing out two assists and picking up one steal and one blocked shot.
Thrower finished the game with 19 points, going an efficient 6-of-10 from the field and picking up four rebounds.
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For Yale, they will have to think about the what-ifs until next season – the unfortunate other side of March Madness. That’s especially the case considering Trevor Mullin’s last-ditch heave to win the game hit off the back rim on the other side of the court to confirm overtime was needed for these two rivals.
Penn Quakers forward TJ Power (12) looks to pass during the second half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Jersey Mike’s Arena on Dec. 20, 2025.(Vincent Carchietta/Imagn Images)
Actor Wayne Brady briefly saw some action in a match during All Elite Wrestling’s Revolution pay-per-view on Sunday night in Los Angeles.
Brady’s involvement came during the Zero Hour portion of the pay-per-view. The tag team of Boom & Doom, featuring social media influencer and one part of the “Costco Guys,” “Big Boom” A.J., and Q.T. Marshall, took on The Infantry, consisting of Shawn Dean and Carlie Bravo.
A.J., Liz Claman, Big Justice, and Tony Khan pose on The Claman Countdown preceding the 2024 Fox News All-American Christmas Tree Lighting at FOX Square on Nov. 22, 2024 in New York City.(Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
Shane Taylor, who was aligned with Dean and Bravo, got into Brady’s face as the comedian sat in the front row in the Crypto.com Arena. The two had words with each other before Brady slapped Taylor across the face.
“Now what? Now what?” Brady said, taunting Taylor.
Taylor dragged Brady onto the floor and then got into the face of another influencer, The Rizzler, before he got speared by A.J.’s son, Big Justice.
Wayne Brady performs in concert at City Winery on June 8, 2025, in New York City.(Al Pereira/Getty Images)
The distractions outside of the ring helped A.J. and Marshall gain the upper hand. They won the match that kicked started the pre-show.
As for Brady, he celebrated in the ring with the “Costco Guys” and Marshall. He was asked before the match what his finishing move would be.
“Um, the b—h slap,” Brady said. “Yeah, but it’d be in air quotes. The ‘b—h slap.’”
Wayne Brady speaks at WAYNE BRADY: IMPROV NERDVANA panel during New York Comic Con 2025 at The Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on Oct. 10, 2025 in New York City.(Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for ReedPop)
INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 15: Jannik Sinner of Italy celebrates match point against Daniil Medvedev during their Men’s Singles Finals match on Day 12 of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 15, 2026 in Indian Wells, California. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Jannik Sinner produced one of the most dramatic comebacks at the Indian Wells Open, defeating Daniil Medvedev 7-6, 7-6 and claiming his first title in the California desert.
The turning point came late in the match. Down 0-4 in the second-set tiebreak, Sinner won seven consecutive points to seal the championship.
With the win, Sinner became the youngest player in history to win both hard-court Grand Slams and all six hard-court Masters 1000 titles.
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Speaking after the match, Sinner praised Medvedev and his team.
“First of all I want to start with Daniil and your team. It’s great to see you back playing this kind of level. I know you practice very hard. Keep pushing and I wish you all the best for the rest of the season.”
He also thanked his own team for helping him prepare for the tournament.
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“We came very early to prepare for this. Now it’s even more special holding this beautiful trophy. Thank you for all the support.”
The victory also made Sinner the first man to win consecutive Masters 1000 titles without dropping a set.
With 28 wins in his last 30 matches, the 24-year-old continues to build one of the most dominant runs in men’s tennis.
Draper had been British number one since June 2024 when he took over from Norrie, who had held the position since October 2021 when he won Indian Wells.
The 24-year-old has only played two ranking tournaments since last August’s US Open, having returned from injury in February.
Before the injury, Draper was steadily building his way to the top of the game.
He reached the 2024 US Open semi-finals, won the biggest title of his career at Indian Wells six months later and reached as high as fourth in the world rankings in June.
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The friendly British rivalry with Norrie could help to nudge him back towards the top 10.
“Cam is playing some great tennis,” Draper said.
“He’s been really consistent. I think it’s great for British tennis that he’s back playing really well – a former top-10 player who had a really tough injury with his forearm a couple of years ago.
“I’m really happy for him and his team and if we can keep on pushing each other to play well, that’s only a great thing.”
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Rankings are calculated over a 12-month period, with players effectively defending points they won at the same tournament a year earlier.
Draper’s absence from the tour is the overriding reason why he has lost the British top spot, but Norrie has had an excellent run after falling outside the top 90 in April.
He reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals in July and beat world number one Carlos Alcaraz at the Paris Masters in October.
“I was in a tough spot,” Norrie said. “Just a little bit too much expectation, but I let that go and enjoyed my tennis a bit more, and then suddenly I finished inside the top 30 at the end of last year.”
England host Uruguay on March 27 and Japan on March 31 at Wembley Stadium as part of the 2026 Send Off Series
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The Premier League will pause next week as England return to international duty in the final break before the World Cup. Thomas Tuchel has just two matches remaining to evaluate his players before naming his squad for the tournament in Canada, Mexico and the USA this June.
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The Three Lions secured their World Cup place with a perfect eight-win qualifying run that saw them finish top of their group and arrange another meeting with Croatia in their opening fixture. Before that, England are scheduled to play two friendly fixtures at Wembley Stadium as part of the 2026 Send Off Series, welcoming Uruguay on March 27 and Japan on March 31.
Tickets for both matches went on general sale in December and February respectively, with numerous general admission choices still available alongside more exclusive VIP and hospitality packages. Prices begin at £35 per person on the Wembley Stadium website for a ‘Category 4 – Licensed Standing’ ticket, whilst ‘Category 1’ tickets provide superior views and seating from £80.
VIP and hospitality packages for both fixtures are available from £75 through Seat Unique, offering ‘premium’ seating on Level Two with padded seats and an excellent pitch view. This Taphouse ticket reportedly delivers ‘the ultimate luxury matchday experience’ and grants access to Wembley 2.5 hours before kick-off, alongside premium dining, an M&S Foodhall and comfortable seating in the bar area.
England supporters wanting to splash out can reserve a table in the exclusive Bobby Moore Lounge – featuring premium halfway line seating next to the dugout – from £349 per person. This cost also covers a four-course gourmet meal, inclusive bar, live entertainment and unlimited Laurent Perrier Champagne.
England fans can book their spot at Wembley for the friendly matches against Uruguay and Japan from £75 at Seat Unique.
Comparable perks are offered with the more upmarket Bobby Moore Suite, a VIP package with Level 1 seats positioned behind the dugouts from £395 per person. Nevertheless, tickets are selling quickly and only limited availability remains for selected Bobby Moore packages.
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It’s also worth highlighting that prices can fluctuate from match to match. For those intending to watch from home, both England vs Uruguay and England vs Japan will be broadcast live on ITV1, STV, ITVX and STV Player.
The previous occasion England met Uruguay was during the 2014 World Cup, when two goals from then-Liverpool forward Luis Suarez effectively confirmed England’s group stage exit. Wayne Rooney’s maiden goal of the tournament wasn’t sufficient to prevent their second consecutive defeat as Roy Hodgson’s team ultimately departed early.
England have only encountered Japan three times, with the most recent meeting occurring in 2010 as their final preparation match before travelling to South Africa for the 2010 World Cup. England clinched a 2-1 victory thanks to two Japan own goals.
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England are set to play two additional matches in June, taking on New Zealand and Costa Rica in South Florida as part of their World Cup preparation camp. Details regarding tickets for these fixtures haven’t been announced yet, though supporters can register their interest through The FA here.
India’s T20 World Cup MVP, Sanju Samson, recently shared a hilarious anecdote from the Rajasthan Royals (RR) camp involving the legendary Rahul Dravid and 14-year-old batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Samson recalled Dravid’s meeting with Sooryavanshi ahead of the latter’s IPL debut last season. Sooryavanshi made his IPL debut last season, scoring 252 runs in seven matches for the RR at a strike rate of 206.56, including a rapid 35-ball century (101 off 38 balls) against Gujarat Titans.
Speaking at the Naman Awards, Samson revealed, “I was actually in a meeting at the time. Rahul Sir called him into the room and told me, ‘Sanju, we need to talk to him. He’s just a young kid; we need to guide him on how to go about things.’ So Rahul Sir asked him, ‘Vaibhav, what’s the plan?’ Vaibhav replied, ‘Kuch nahi sir, hume agar pehla mila to hum pehla hi uda denge (Nothing special, Sir. If I get the first ball, I’m just going to smash it)”
Samson’s unique impression of Sooryavanshi sparked a riot of laughter in the hall, with even the usually composed Dravid failing to control himself.
The BCCI felicitated India’s five World Cup-winning teams at the Naman Awards, in a grand celebration of the country’s recent cricketing success.
2026 kicked off with a bang for Indian cricket as India powered to a record 6th U19 World Cup title, thrashing England by 100 runs in the Harare final. Sooryavanshi slammed 175 off 80 balls, while captain Ayush Mhatre chipped in with 53 as India piled up 411/9 in 50 overs. England fought through, but India bowled them out for 311 in 40.2 overs.
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Earlier this month, India won the Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, thrashing New Zealand by 96 runs in the final. Batting first, India posted a massive 255/5, courtesy of Sanju Samson’s 89 off 46 balls and Ishan Kishan‘s 54 off 25.
While chasing, New Zealand were bowled out for 159 in 19 overs, with Jasprit Bumrah starring with 4/15 and Axar Patel chipping in with 3/27.
That triumph follows his world title reigns at featherweight, super featherweight and lightweight. While he was stripped of his WBC lightweight belt after the Lopez win, Stevenson has not ruled out returning to the division.
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Now, WBC super-featherweight champion O’Shaquie Foster has told Fight Hub TV that he needs to ‘put hands’ on Stevenson before hanging up his gloves – the latest verbal jab in an ongoing rivalry.
“If I can fight this dude tomorrow, we would get it in. No questions, no nothing. By the end of my career that’s who I need to put hands on, Shakur for sure. He play like he’s so good and better than everybody. I want to humble him. I will show him.”
Foster first claimed the WBC super featherweight title with a win over Rey Vargas in February 2023, and while he lost it to Robson Conceicao 18 months later, he regained it in their immediate rematch in November 2024.
An unexpected move to lightweight then came in December. Foster was set to defend his belt against Stephen Fulton, but the challenger came in overweight, leading the sanctioning body to make the fight for the interim lightweight belt instead. Foster won it, and wants Stevenson to drop back down to face him.
