During the San Jose State University (SJSU) volleyball team’s scandal-ridden 2024 season, the athletic department received a letter from one of head coach Todd Kress’ former players.

The letter included allegations that Kress attacked her in a hotel room in 1998.

Emails show that SJSU officials acknowledged the receipt of the allegations, thanked the former player for coming forward and apologized for her experiences. Despite this, Kress was never suspended and has continued to serve as the head coach of the women’s volleyball team.

Head coach Todd Kress of the San Jose State Spartans looks on during the third set against the Air Force Falcons at Falcon Court at East Gym on Oct. 19, 2024, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. (Andrew Wevers/Getty Images)

Fox News Digital was given copies of the emails exchanged between SJSU and the former Fairfield player, from an independently verified source. Fox News Digital has independently verified she played at Fairfield under Kress in the 1998 season, but is not disclosing her name.

Fox News Digital submitted a public records request seeking copies of documents with criteria that match the emails exchanged between SJSU and Kress’ former player, but the university formally declined the request, stating “the requested communications implicate substantial privacy interests.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Kress, SJSU officials and the university’s legal counsel that handled the 2024 exchange with a series of questions, but did not receive a response from any of the parties.

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The original letter was written by a woman that played for Kress at Fairfield University in the late ’90s, and sent to SJSU on Oct. 24, 2024.

That first email she sent to SJSU contained the letter with the written allegations against Kress, that was originally sent to Fairfield University. The alleged incident occurred in a hotel after Fairfield’s loss to Clemson in the first round of the 1998 NCAA Tournament in December of that year. She wrote that a teammate asked her to bring her a shirt to Kress’ room.

“I told her I wanted no part of his insanity. I was distraught about the loss and wasn’t interested in his drunken insanity, which was commonplace on trips.”

The former player added that her teammate “promised Todd would not throw water at me or do something juvenile so I reluctantly agreed to bring her the shirt.”

“I knocked on the door and Todd answered. He immediately took caramel from a plastic container and smeared it all over my face and hair. He then forcibly threw me on the bed and held me down. I was in shock. He let go of me and then pulled his pants down and put his back side in my face.

“Astonished… that is the only word I can think of to describe how I felt in that moment… Todd was drunk. I got up and went for the door.

“Todd again grabbed me, picked me up, and threw me into the bathtub where he held me down and threatened to turn on the shower with me laying there to ‘clean the caramel off of my face.’ At this point I was fighting back to get away from him.

“Todd let me get out of the tub, laughing, and then he stood in front of the door blocking my exit. Todd told me he would only let me leave if I took a shot of liquor, which I did only to get him to move away from the door. Once he did, I ran for it. He chased me. I got into my room and although he seemed to be in a rage, he turned and calmly walked out,” the letter alleges.

The former player goes on to allege her teammates “had been drinking with Todd underage.” She also claimed she did not report the incident at the time because she “was scared of losing my scholarship and being the reason my teammates lost theirs.”

Then she revealed why she was coming forward more than two decades later.

“But what is happening now at SJSU is egregious and he only continues to get more bold with each new school, and the complete improper balance of power seems to drive him. He knows very well that young impressionable female athletes are not in a balanced position,” she wrote.

The “egregious” conduct she referred to was regarding Kress’ handling of the trans athlete on SJSU’s volleyball team.

When that letter was sent to SJSU, Kress was in the middle of leading a Spartans team that was near the top of the Mountain West Conference standings. They got there through a few wins and a lot of forfeits from other teams, as SJSU was at the center of a national media controversy over a transgender player. A female teammate had joined a lawsuit claiming she hadn’t been told of that player’s birth sex before joining the team and living together.

Later that day on Oct. 24, 2024, SJSU Athletic Director Jeff Konya responded to the former Fairfield player in an email.

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“I want to acknowledge that I am in receipt of your correspondence and will share it with the proper authorities on the SJSU campus for additional review,” Konya wrote.

More than a week later, on Nov. 4, former SJSU interim Title IX and Gender Equity Officer Peter Lim reached out to set up a meeting with the former player and her attorney.

“Thank you for sharing your concerns about Coach Todd Kress. I am sorry to hear about your experiences. I have reviewed your letter and would like to meet with you to better understand your experiences with Coach Kress. The purpose of the meeting would be to help me assess potential next steps, which may or may not include an investigation into the reported conduct,” Lim wrote.

Three days after that, on Nov. 7, Lim sent another email to the former Fairfield player, thanking her and her attorney for meeting with them.

“I am so sorry about your prior experiences with Todd Kress at Fairfield University. I appreciate the time you took to describe those experiences, the impact those experiences continue to have on you, and the safety threat that you believe he presents to SJSU’s volleyball team,” Lim wrote.

“We are evaluating the information you provided and determining appropriate next steps. If it is okay with the two of you, I would appreciate staying in touch.”

There was no further correspondence between the two parties after that exchange, Fox News Digital has learned.

A split image of San Jose Spartans’ Blaire Fleming and Todd Kress. (Andrew Wevers/Getty Images and Andrew Wevers/Getty Images)

Kress continued to coach and travel with SJSU’s volleyball team, all the way to the final game of the Mountain West Tournament in Las Vegas that year, where their season ended to Colorado State.

Kress coached the team again in 2025. They fell short of the conference tournament with a losing record in 2025.

Kress continues to be the head coach of the women’s volleyball team at SJSU.

A U.S. Department of Education (ED) Title IX investigation into SJSU over the transgender scandal determined that the university allegedly made the decision to not suspend or relieve its head volleyball coach during the team’s 2024 transgender scandal, despite Title IX-related complaints against the coach. The investigation’s findings made no mention of the former Fairfield player and her letter.

However, the investigation did not disclose what those complaints were, and SJSU and the California State University System (CSU) are suing the department to challenge those findings.

ED’s findings, which were provided by SJSU to Fox News Digital in response to a public records request, suggest the school allegedly considered potential media attention that would arise from taking any action against the coach, and the affect it would have on the team.

The findings do not mention the coach by name, but Fox News Digital reasonably believes the figure titled “Coach 2” in the findings to be current SJSU volleyball head coach Todd Kress. The findings specify Coach 2 as the current head coach of the SJSU volleyball team who began his tenure in the 2023, which was the year Kress took over his current position.

“Additional notes indicate the decision to not suspend Coach 2 also included the improper consideration: ‘If we relieve him… [w]e could also spark more media attention…. ‘ University records indicate University officials, including the President of the University, agreed to not suspend Coach 2 because they felt his suspension would unduly disrupt the team,” the findings state.

Kress continues to be the coach at SJSU. He is one of the more accomplished volleyball coaches in NCAA history, currently ranking 21st all-time in NCAA history in wins with 550. But he has only led one winning season for SJSU since arriving in 2023, that being the controversial 2024 campaign with a trans player.

SJSU has faced federal sanctions for an unrelated Title IX violations since 2021. That year, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) found that the university ignored more than a decade of sexual assault and harassment complaints made by female student-athletes against a former director of sports medicine/head athletic trainer.

Beginning in 2009, an athletic trainer subjected female student-athletes to repeated, unwelcome sexual touching under the guise of medical treatment.

The DOJ found that SJSU repeatedly mishandled, downplayed or failed to properly investigate these reports, which ultimately exposed additional student-athletes to harm.

To remedy these violations, SJSU agreed to pay a $1.6 million financial settlement to the affected victims and implement sweeping corrective measures.

SJSU has withheld relevant records and not responded to request for comment

On June 9, 2026, Fox News Digital submitted a formal public records request to San Jose State University seeking copies of the Oct. 24, 2024, complaint letter sent to Athletic Director Konya, the Nov. 1 follow-up email, and the subsequent Nov. 7 correspondence from the university’s Title IX office.

On June 22, 2026, SJSU’s public records office formally denied the request. In a response issued by university legal counsel J. Leah Castella, the school acknowledged the existence of the records but determined they were not disclosable under the California Public Records Act.

“The requested communications implicate substantial privacy interests,” the university’s response stated.

“Disclosure of these records would therefore constitute an invasion of privacy that outweighs the public interest in disclosure. Specifically, these records are being withheld subject to the following exemptions: Personnel Records/Privacy… General Privacy Rights… [and the] Balancing Test. Here, the public interest served by disclosure is minimal and is outweighed by the public interest served against disclosure in protecting substantial and significant privacy rights.”

Following the records denial, Fox News Digital sent a detailed press inquiry to Kress, Konya, Lim and Castella. The inquiry summarized the exact dates, timestamps and contents of the internal records obtained independently by Fox News Digital, and posed a series of explicit questions to the parties, including requests for Kress’ response to the 1998 allegations, details on what specific next steps the Title IX office took following their November 2024 meetings, and whether athletic department officials interviewed current volleyball players regarding their safety.

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The inquiry also questioned university legal counsel regarding the decision to classify the public interest in these safety warnings as “minimal” while the university is actively engaged in a federal lawsuit defending its Title IX compliance within the volleyball program. Fox News Digital has not sought judicial relief on SJSU’s claim.

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Head coach Todd Kress of the San Jose State Spartans looks on during the second set against the Air Force Falcons at Falcon Court at East Gym on Oct. 19, 2024, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. (Andrew Wevers/Getty Images)

As of publication time, neither Kress, Konya, nor any legal or communications representatives for San Jose State University have responded to the requests for comment.

Fox News Digital also reached out to Fairfield University for request for a response to the former player’s letter, but a spokesperson responded, writing, “The university does not comment on former or current personnel matters.”

San Miguel Beer’s Jerrick Ahanmisi shoots during a tune-up game against Magnolia.–PBA IMAGES

MANILA, Philippines–When Jerrick Ahanmisi was acquired by San Miguel Beer from Terrafirma, there’s an impression that the sweet-shooting guard would be a valuable asset for the talent-laden squad eager for another shot at a title.

And Ahanmisi wants nothing more than to prove his worth.

“I want to go out there and still prove to myself and prove to everybody that, not only I belong in the PBA, but I belong to be on this team as well,” Ahanmisi said after performing well in last week’s tune-up game that saw the Beermen edge out the Magnolia Hotshots, 94-92.

READ: PBA: Jerrick Ahanmisi traded to San Miguel after breakout campaign

“Hopefully, this conference is going to be different. And hopefully we’ll be able to contend for a championship,” he added.

San Miguel got Ahanmisi plus Paolo Hernandez from Terrafirma in exchange for Juami Tiongson, rookie Chris Miller and a second round pick in the Season 52 Rookie Draft.

The deal came after Ahanmisi broke out into one of the league’s premier players, averaging 21.3 points in the Commissioner’s Cup that came mostly from shots from both the three-point and four-point regions.

Before the conference started, Ahanmisi won the Obstacle Challenge and Three-Point Shootout events at the PBA All-Star Weekend in Candon, Ilocos Sur.

Ahanmisi actually spent just two conferences with the Dyip after he was let go by the Hotshots in the offseason in order to secure a trade for the rights to Javi Gomez de Liano. Despite his short stint and being in a losing situation, Ahanmisi believes his stay would be beneficial.

“It’s going to help me because I was able to experience a lot on the basketball court,” he said. “The coaches and the management gave me the opportunity to play the way I wanted to play.

“And I was thankful enough that they were able to help me throughout my journey there with Terrafirma. And I just want to make sure that this conference is more of the same.”

Ahanmisi joins a San Miguel side, not just filled with talents, but experience in June Mar Fajardo, CJ Perez, Marcio Lassiter, Chris Ross, Jericho Cruz and Don Trollano.

The Beermen dipped following their Philippine Cup title run, getting the boot in the quarterfinals of the Commissioner’s Cup.

Trainer Gratz Vella has announced Music Time will be set for The Kosciuszko during the Sydney spring carnival, bypassing the Group 1 Golden Rose for three-year-olds.

Vella cited the significant draw of The Kosciuszko for country-based trainers and suggested the Golden Slipper placegetter would be more effective over the 1200-metre distance at Royal Randwick.

“The Kosciuszko is a $2 million race for country horses and that is hard for a battling bush trainer like me to ignore,” Vella told Racing And Sports. “So, we are trying to plan for him to get to The Kosciuszko. We will see how the horse is over the next month and might look at a three-year-old lead-up race.”

Music Time is being aimed at becoming the first three-year-old to win the $2 million The Kosciuszko on October 17, a feature race on The Everest race day.

Currently, he is second in TAB Fixed Odds betting for The Kosciuszko at $8, with Torque To Be Sure the $6 favourite.

In the initial markets for the Group 1 $1 million Golden Rose (1400m) at Rosehill Gardens on September 26, Music Time is available at $26, while Golden Slipper hero Guest House is the $4.50 market leader.

“I just think the Golden Rose might be a bit early for him,” Vella revealed.

Music Time enjoyed a strong juvenile season, winning three of his five starts, including a decisive all-the-way victory in the Group 3 Black Opal Stakes at Canberra.

Following his impressive Black Opal win, connections opted to pay the $150,000 late entry fee for the Golden Slipper. The gelding rewarded them with a fine performance to finish third, earning $425,000.

Vella sent Music Time for a spell after the Slipper, and he has since returned to the stables “bigger and stronger”, according to Racing And Sports.

“He’s been back in a month, he’s grown and put on some weight which is what you would expect,” Vella said. “He’s doing everything right.”

The form from the Golden Slipper, where Music Time finished behind Guest House and Streisand, has been well-supported by the subsequent runs of fourth-placed Campione D’Italia and seventh-placed Fireball.

Campione D’Italia subsequently won the Group 1 ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes, with Fireball securing third place. The two colts then met again in the Group 1 Champagne Stakes, where Fireball narrowly defeated Campione D’Italia.

“The form around Music Time is super,” Vella enthused. “It’s exciting to think what is ahead for him next season.”

For those interested in the upcoming racing action, explore the various betting markets for the race at leading Australian bookmakers.

VikingsTerritory chronicled the main losers from the Minnesota Vikings’ offseason last month; now, it’s time to look at the bright side and identify the winners. You can read about the losers here.

While the purple team didn’t quite go on a spending spree like the 2024 and 2025 offseasons, a handful of clear offseason winners still emerged. Players are ranked in ascending order (No. 1 = player who won the offseason the most).

Dallas Turner Headlines the Summer Momentum List

5. Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins | DL

When the Vikings traded Jonathan Greenard during the draft, it created an opening for another outside linebacker to see playing time in 2026, with most fans assuming the club would draft one or sign a veteran free agent. Minnesota ended up picking Cincinnati linebacker Jake Golday, who was listed as an inside linebacker on most draftboards while signing no major EDGEs from free agency.

Fast forward to OTAs and minicamp, and Ingram-Dawkins evidently plans to switch positions from DT to OLB, or at least be deployed in a hybrid capacity. If the experiment works, he can snatch more snaps throughout the regular season and become an instrumental defender for defensive coordinator Brian Flores.

The Vikings don’t need to sign Von Miller, Jadeveon Clowney, or Leonard Floyd if Ingram-Dawkins is the real deal at OLB.

4. Brian Flores | DC

If Flores fully expected to earn a heading coach job in January or February, then, of course, he didn’t win the offseason. Yet, as Flores’s lawsuit against the NFL continues to tunnel through the legal system, he probably knows a head coaching gig is a long shot.

So, what happened for Flores in the offseason? Only the Vikings’ most defensive draft in franchise history: Minnesota drafted four defensive players in the first three rounds. That marked the most defensive players the team has ever selected in Rounds 1-3 of a single draft.

Before the start of Round 4, interim general manager Rob Brzezinski handed these rookies to Flores:

• Caleb Banks | DT, Florida
• Jake Golday | LB, Cincinnati
• Domonique Orange | DT, Iowa State
• Jakobe Thomas | S, Miami

New toys. Theoretically, all of those could’ve been offensive players. They were not.

3. Justin Jefferson | WR

Jefferson notched 1,048 receiving yards in 2025, with 2 touchdowns. Is that good? Absolutely. Is that good for Jefferson? Absolutely not.

The 27-year-old averages over 1,500 receiving yards over 17 games, so the 1,048 yards last year felt like a letdown and a downturn. Minnesota’s quarterbacks struggled, cycling through J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer. Jefferson experienced no stability, and three passers showcased their limitations.

How did the Vikings respond? By signing Kyler Murray in March, a man who does not have major issues distributing the football to premium playmakers. If the Vikings’ main goal this offseason was to keep Jefferson happy, signing Murray was the best realistic option.

They nabbed Murray for $1.3 million.

Jefferson also has the advantage of fellow wide receiver Jauan Jennings joining the depth chart as the WR3. Jennings is the most promising Vikings WR3 addition in decades and should free up defenders for Jefferson to further cook. If opposing defenses prefer to double-team Jefferson, they must deal with Jordan Addison and Jennings.

2. Blake Brandel | C

Brandel saw action at center in 2025 when Ryan Kelly missed nine games due to concussions. He improved each week, so much so that head coach Kevin O’Connell and offensive coordinator Wes Phillips want to see more. Minnesota could’ve signed about four decent centers in free agency or drafted four in the first few rounds of the draft. It did nothing. Brandel is their man.

Usually, Brandel is in line for jack-of-all-trades duty entering a regular season. He’s that versatile and is suddenly one of the longest-tenured Vikings on the roster. This go-around, Minnesota decided he has the chops to be a starting center.

It’s also worth noting that Brandel’s contract expires at the end of the regular season.

1. Dallas Turner | OLB

Drumroll: After patiently waiting behind Andrew Van Ginkel and the aforementioned Greenard for two seasons, Turner has climbed the depth chart to achieve the role of an undisputed starter. There is no one else on the Vikings’ roster who can limit Turner’s snaps, as was the case in 2024 and 2025.

Former general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah traded the whole kitchen pantry to nab Turner in Round 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft; now it’s time for him to strut his stuff. Turner has played well in his first two seasons, but it always felt abbreviated because folks knew Van Ginkel and Turner had the advantage of depth chart placement.

Those days are over. In 2026, it’s The Dallas Turner Show.

Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker

Christian Lundgaard is on the search for a new team in the NTT IndyCar Series. On Monday, Arrow McLaren announced that Lundgaard will not return to the organization in 2027. This comes after Scott Dixon and Felix Rosenqvist joined McLaren. So, where is Lundgaard likely to go for the 2027 campaign?

Lundgaard has emerged as the “definitive favorite” to replace Dixon in the No. 9 car at Chip Ganassi Racing in 2027, as reported by FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass. This would be an outstanding landing spot for the McLaren driver, who would become teammates with four-time IndyCar Series champion Alex Palou.

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There aren’t many better seats in IndyCar than Chip Ganassi Racing’s No. 9 car, and Lundgaard appears to be the heavy favorite to take it over. It was a very disappointing development for Lundgaard to be pushed out of McLaren; however, he could earn one of the most coveted seats on the IndyCar grid for 2027.

More: Marcus Ericsson linked to Indy 500 winning organization for 2027

This article originally appeared on Motorsports Wire: Christian Lundgaard’s most likely IndyCar team for 2027 revealed

Rain or Shine guard Gian Mamuyac during a game against Barangay Ginebra in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines–Coach Yeng Guiao is hopeful that Rain or Shine can ink up Gian Mamuyac and Andrei Caracut to long-term deals by the time the team’s campaign in the PBA Governors’ Cup comes to a close.

Both Mamuyac and Caracut’s contracts were set to expire this month, but Guiao bared that they were automatically extended until the end of the season-ending conference as per league rules.

“We still have a few things to work on with Mamu and Andrei’s contracts,” Guiao said after the Elasto Painters clobbered the shorthanded Macau Giant Pandas, 139-98, in a tune-up game held Tuesday inside the exclusive Acropolis subdivision in Quezon City.

READ: PBA: Rain or Shine rewards Clarito with fresh three-year pact

Rain or Shine’s Andrei Caracut shoots against Ginebra’s RJ Abarrientos during the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

“But I’m hopeful that we can settle those [contracts] in the next few days or weeks at the most. But because of the automatic extension that the league allows, there’s no problem for this conference.”

Rain or Shine had been holding out hope that the two would remain with the team, especially after coming off a semifinal series loss to Barangay Ginebra in the Commissioner’s Cup.

Mamuyac is said to be receiving offers to play overseas, though Rain or Shine has already laid out a three-year offer in order to keep its elected team captain in the fold.

The Elasto Painters, however, have yet to put out a concrete offer for Caracut, who, apart from his playmaking role, has emerged as one of the team’s most popular players given his social media presence.

READ: PBA: Guiao gives props to Ginebra, proud of Rain or Shine semis stint

“I think both offers are very fair,” Guiao said. “It’s also a three-year contract. So that’s also something that they’re fairly secured with the term of the contract. But it’s really up to them.

“We love Mamu. We love the time we spend together. We think he benefited from us, we benefited from him. I think he won’t be at a disadvantage with our proposal, so maybe they’re already thinking about it.

“Andrei’s details have yet to be straightened out. We have the next four to five months to still be able to do that,” added Guiao.

Rain or Shine opens its third conference campaign on Saturday against Blackwater in Rodriguez, Rizal, and Guiao doesn’t see the uncertainty of both players as a distraction, citing their “professionalism” and being “high-character players.”

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–For the first time in eight years, the National Golf Association of the Philippines (NGAP) will increase its fees for the handicapping system, not for bloated income, but to basically make every golfer in the country a stakeholder, with the funds collected to help finance the National Team and host of world-class events, among others.

Members of the NGAP board of trustees passed this measure in a resolution recently, with the new rate, P100 a month, to be collected starting this month.

READ: PSC, NGAP open golf courses to youth 

It is indeed a far departure from the P500 annually the golf body charged before, but under the leadership of new president Al Panlilio, all stakeholders can be assured that collections from hereon will go directly to all of the NGAP’s undertakings, foremost of them the PH squads and the elite tournaments.

The new leadership is also encouraging all golfers to use the NGAP app, which will also see constant improvements moving forward with the help of the stakeholders as the country’s governing agency for the sport continues to upgrade NGAP services to be in line with the modern times for all of the country’s golfers.

Panlilio, the former Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president, and his board have buckled down to work, appointing people tasked to lead key committees, like Miko Alejandro, who was given the responsibility of overseeing the National Team compositions and how the squads are prepared for major international events.

“We are answerable to the golfing community whenever our national team performs,” Panlilio said. “So we are going to make sure–with the help of every golfer in the country–that they are equipped well and prepped in the best way to represent our country.”

Teaching and coaching will also get a boost from the NGAP, as it will help fund courses that will improve the techniques of those who teach the game, even as the integration of technology into the local golf landscape will also get a shot in the arm, as this will enable golfers without club affiliations to have legitimate handicaps.

“(Your) NGAP is committed to aligning Philippine golf with global standards,” Panlilio wrote in his letter to the PH golfing community. “At the heart of everything we do is a simple goal: to grow the game of golf in the Philippines.”

AB de Villiers on TOI Sports’ Bombay Sports Exchange Podcast (left) and Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers

Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter AB de Villiers has revealed that Virat Kohli tried to convince him not to retire from franchise cricket before he stepped away from the game in 2021.Speaking on TOI Sports’ Bombay Sports Exchange Podcast, de Villiers said Kohli made an effort to change his mind, but he had already decided it was the right time to move on. “Yes. He tried,” de Villiers said when asked if Kohli tried to stop him.The South African great retired from international cricket in 2018 after helping his team beat India and Australia at home. He continued playing franchise cricket, including for RCB in the Indian Premier League (IPL), before retiring from all forms of the game in 2021.“I walked away from international cricket exactly when I wanted to (2018). We had beaten India and Australia at home, and I left on a high.”“Then I decided I’d continue playing a few T20 tournaments, travel the world with my family, take them to the IPL, to England for the Blast, to Australia for the Big Bash and a few other tournaments. When I finally felt ready, I called it a day (from franchise cricket as well, in 2021).”De Villiers said retiring from the IPL was not a sudden decision and that he had been thinking about it throughout his final season.“It took time. That thought stayed in my mind throughout the final season or so. Eventually, I simply went up to Virat and said, ‘I’m done’,” de Villiers said.De Villiers also spoke about the pressure of playing in front of packed crowds at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium, where fans chanted his name.“That can be draining as well. Those moments also bring sleepless nights. It’s not all sunshine and roses. There are difficult moments too. The expectations and pressure you put on yourself can sometimes become suffocating. I’ve spoken about that before. I’m incredibly proud of what I achieved. But before big matches, I’d often struggle to sleep. I’d be so focused on making an impact for the team that I found it difficult to simply be myself. So it wasn’t always easy,” De Villiers said on TOI Sports’ Bombay Sports Exchange Podcast.Reflecting on life after retirement, he said the joy of success does not last long, even for the biggest players.“Of course, I miss those moments. When everything clicked and the crowd helped me enter that zone, it was an incredible feeling. But success disappears very quickly. Every champion will tell you the same thing. You win the biggest trophy, and an hour later you’re already asking yourself, “Now what?” Then your attention shifts immediately to the next trophy. You’re never fully satisfied with those achievements. Having said that, I can now look back at those memories with enormous gratitude.“