Arnav Vijay Paparkar plays a backhand against Joshua Craze of Great Britain during their Boys’ Singles first round match on day six of The Championships Wimbledon 2026 on July 04, 2026 in London, England. (Photo/Getty)

Arnav Paparkar took the quieter route. He climbed the ladder one step at a time, starting with lower-level international tournaments in India before moving through the Asian circuit and eventually into the higher levels. The 18-year-old began playing Grand Slam junior events this year, in his final season in the category, and improved with each tournament. On Wednesday, that steady rise reached a landmark moment as Paparkar became the first Indian in 36 years to reach the Wimbledon boys’ singles quarter-finals, since Leander Paes lifted the title in 1990.The 6ft 1 inch Indian, ranked No. 19 in the junior rankings, dispatched Japan’s Ryo Tabata 6-2, 6-1 in 52 minutes to book his place in the quarter-finals, where he will face American qualifier Jordan Lee. Paparkar will be looking to turn the tide against Lee, having lost both of their previous meetings, including their most recent clash at the J300 Roehampton in June.Yuki Bhambri, who won the junior Australian Open in 2009, reached the US Open quarterfinals that same year and remains the last Indian before Paparkar to reach a junior Grand Slam quarter-final. Tabata, who had beaten Paparkar twice before, including once after the Indian had led 5-2 in the deciding set and held five match points, was not at his best physically. As the match wore on, he struggled with his serve and eventually stopped extending himself in his court coverage.“That match was in my head. I was like, I cannot lose like that again. I’m much better now mentally, a lot calmer… I tell myself, it’s ok, it’s just a tennis match,” a beaming Paparkar said.Paparkar was aware of the Japanese player’s physical struggles.“I realised that he was struggling with his serve, but also sometimes players feel better in the course of a match, so I just was focussed on what I could do in the match,” he added.Paparkar produced another impressive serving display, firing eight aces and winning 23 of 25 points on his first serve. His fastest delivery of the day came at 208 km/h in the second set, while the average speed of his first serves was 196 km/h.The Indian has two training bases, at home in Pune, where he works with Hemant Bendre, and at the Soto Academy in Spain, where he trains under Nigel Beavers. Paparkar credits Bendre with helping improve his serve by tweaking his action.“If you see now my swing is slower and fuller, my coach told me in April that it was better to work on that now as it would prevent injuries,” he said. “It has given me a better rhythm and that has led to more consistency.”

Norway’s preparation for their World Cup 2026 quarter-final against England has been disrupted again after the squad switched hotels in Miami just one night after checking into their previous accommodation.

The players reportedly complained to the team’s management about noise and disruption from the road outside their original hotel as well as a nearby construction site.

An official complaint was made to World Cup organisers Fifa and the Norway squad were moved out of the Dalmar Hotel in Fort Lauderdale within two-and-a-half hours.

The hotel fiasco follows an illness that has run through the squad since Sunday with Norway manager Stale Solbakken revealing that the affected players were recovering.

Norway are having an exceptional World Cup. They qualified for the tournament for the first time in 28 years and swept through the group stages losing only to France in their final group match having rested a bunch of their first choice starters.

They then defeated Ivory Coast 2-1 in the round of 32 before an Erling Haaland brace saw them nip past five-time world champions Brazil by the same scoreline.

That victory has sent them into the quarter-finals for the very first time in their history and they are readying to take on England for a place in the final four on Saturday night.

The switch in hotels now means the Norway squad have re-located to a venue near to the Hard Rock Stadium where the quarter-final will take place.

Truls Daehli, the Norway team’s logistics manager, said: “It is brutal having to move but we are satisfied with the new place and everyone is happy now. Some people might fear that this will affect the players, but it was the players who wanted this more than anyone else.

“We have strong people in our support team and managed to move in two-and-a-half hours. The process of changing hotel is not ideal but we wanted to take action as soon as possible. Having a good atmosphere is most important.

“We are going to stay for a week in Miami and we have now been for six weeks in the United States and we are going to play in the biggest match in Norwegian history.

“We have avoided cabin fever so far and don’t want any risk of it now. Fifa have accepted that we must move to another hotel.”

Fifa agreed to pay for 50 rooms plus security at Norway’s new hotel, with the Norwegian FA obliged to pay extra charges to cover the upgrade demanded by players.

The Pac-12 enters its first season as a revamped league and needs to tell its own story to help shape its future.

Why didn’t they hold media days this year, and is that a mistake?

On today’s episode of Locked On College Football, Spencer McLaughlin and ‘Locked On Mississippi State’ host Jaron Spoor discuss a big matchup for HC Jeff Lebby.

A Week 2 showdown with Minnesota is not a game Lebby can afford to lose.

Barry Odom had a rough first season with Purdue and does not have high expectations going into this Fall.

Will the Boilermakers be anything but a bottom dweller?

00:00 PAC 12 media rights controversy

05:05 Discussion on Power 4 media days
07:31 Conference media days discussion
11:46 Mississippi State’s tough schedule
13:18 Coming up short again in 2025
18:55 Discussion on Purdue’s football prospects
19:55 Barry Odom’s roster improvements
24:40 Discussing Big Ten coaching changes
27:31 Purdue’s athletic director transition

/ @lockedoncollegefootball  

Russia has moved closer toward having a full team with its national flag and anthem at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

The International Olympic Committee on Tuesday provisionally lifted a suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee and advised Olympic sports bodies to end a three-year program where Russian athletes had to be vetted for permission to compete as neutrals.

The IOC said the timing was because qualifying events are starting for the L.A. Games, and “the need to offer equal access to these competitions to all athletes.” 
The move, which also signals a return for Russia in team sports, had been expected since the IOC advised two months ago that athletes from Belarus, which was Russia’s ally when its military invasion of Ukraine started in 2022, should be allowed again to compete with their full national identity.

“We don’t want to hold athletes accountable for the actions of their governments,” IOC president Kirsty Coventry said at an online news conference after she chaired an executive board meeting.

A two-time Olympic gold medalist swimming for Zimbabwe, Coventry said it was a fair decision and noted: “I wouldn’t be sitting here if I had to pay the price when my country was going through things and being sanctioned.” 
Ukraine’s sports minister Matvii Bidnyi questioned why the IOC altered its rules when in the war “nothing changed. The situation became even worse.” 
Russia unleashed waves of missiles and drones at Ukraine early Monday, killing at least 22 people.

“So we don’t understand it,” Bidnyi told The Associated Press in an interview Tuesday. “In this day, when all of Ukraine (is) in a day of mourning, when our flags was a little bit lower because of so many people, our peaceful citizens was killed yesterday at night.” 
The IOC also reiterated its “solidarity with the Olympic community of Ukraine” and ongoing financial support.

Barriers remain 
The IOC’s guidance to reintegrate Russians in international events is not binding for the governing bodies of individual sports.

“Our country’s return to the Olympic family is a green light for international federations to restore the rights of our athletes,” Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyaryov said Tuesday.

Track and field is not following suit.

Asked about the IOC’s decision, World Athletics referred the AP to its decision last week maintaining a ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes in its international events.

In soccer, FIFA and European body UEFA have continued to exclude Russia in competitions such as the World Cup and Champions League, avoiding likely chaos because teams from other countries would refused to play those games.

Russian athletes and teams likely will face issues getting entry visas from some countries hosting sports events.

Russia’s return 
Among top-tier Olympic sports, swimming’s governing body World Aquatics lifted its restrictions on Russian athletes in April.

The ROC was suspended in 2023 when the Russian Olympic body incorporated regional sports councils from occupied regions of eastern Ukraine. But the IOC said “the ROC confirmed that it does not, and will not, conduct any activities in these territories.” 
Ukrainian minister Bidnyi described this promise as “just fake and empty words.” 
Just 32 athletes from Russia and Belarus competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics as approved neutrals.

The Russian team in Los Angeles could now be closer to the more than 300 athletes sent to the Tokyo Olympics held in 2021. That squad returned with 71 medals including 20 titles.

Athletes still monitored 
To be approved for neutral status, Russian athletes had to show no links to state military and security agencies. They also should not have publicly supported the war in Ukraine.

The IOC will continue to monitor social media posts by Russian athletes, Coventry confirmed, citing the “role models” requirement in the Olympic Charter.

“That is strong enough leverage that we would need at any time in order to decide who would be willing and deserving to come to any Olympic Games,” she said.

IOC official James Macleod said the Olympic body gets referrals from Ukraine about problematic social media posts by Russian athletes: “Those are always taken into consideration.” 
In a statement Wednesday, the Australian Olympic Committee said it wants the IOC to ensure “a level playing field in competition” given Russia’s doping history.

“Russia has had extremely serious anti-doping breaches in the past,” the AOC statement said. “We therefore support the most stringent possible anti-doping controls being in place to ensure all Russian athletes who are returning, some having been out of the system for many years, are fully compliant.” 
Flag, anthem to return in October? 
The IOC did not yet approve letting Russian athletes and teams compete with their flag and anthem. That decision will come “at an appropriate time,” it said.

The next Olympic competition is the 2026 Youth Summer Games in Dakar, Senegal, opening Oct. 31.

The IOC said to “address the lack of confidence in the global sporting community relating to the return of Russian athletes to international competition,” those athletes must give multiple doping controls and be part of a recognized testing program.

The IOC said it will continue to “not organize IOC events in Russia or invite Russian government or state officials to its events.

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Trailing 2-0 with 15 minutes to go, Argentina came from behind to beat Egypt 3-2 in the World Cup round of 16. Argentina will face Switzerland in the quarter-finals.

Entering the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the darling of the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT), the public has done a 180 on Christian Pulisic.

The 27-year-old AC Milan star has been the face of USA soccer since at least the turn of the decade, but the fact is that he was a major disappointment throughout the tournament.

Sure, it did not help that he re-aggravated a calf injury in the opener, which led to him missing the equivalent of roughly two full games, but even when he was on the pitch, he did not make much of a difference. Pulisic then rolled his ankle in the Round of 16 and was subbed out in the second half.

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Christian Pulisic of the United States reacts after Belgium’s third goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between the USA and Belgium at Seattle Stadium on July 6, 2026, in Seattle, Washington. (Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Following the match, Pulisic said he could now “get some rest,” which did not go over well with Americans. That prompted USMNT legend Tim Howard to give him some obvious advice.

“I hope for his sake he isn’t on social media for the foreseeable future,” he said on his “Unfiltered Soccer” podcast with Landon Donovan, followed by a cryptic comment.

“He deserves a rest. Go on holiday…. What I would say about him is when someone shows you who they are, you believe them. I think he’s a nice footballer. I still think he’s the best player on the team. Outside of that, you’d have to ask me very direct questions to which I could give you very direct answers,” he said.

Carli Lloyd, a former United States Women’s National Team star, was also critical of Pulisic.

Christian Pulisic of the United States is consoled by Mauricio Pochettino, head coach of the United States, after being substituted during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between the USA and Belgium at Seattle Stadium on July 6, 2026, in Seattle, Washington. (John Dorton/USSF/Getty Images)

BELGIUM EMBARRASSES TEAM USA BEFORE BREAKING OUT TRUMP’S SIGNATURE DANCE CELEBRATION AFTER FOURTH GOAL

“You rest when your playing career is over. Period.”

Prior to the World Cup, Pulisic said the event was “just another big tournament,” which also prompted backlash.

After the loss, Pulisic said he was “disappointed” in himself but thought he and his team did “good things.”

“I felt really good this summer with the guys and I thought my level was high,” Pulisic said. “Yeah, it’s disappointing. I didn’t quite have the moments I was hoping to and to try to help us to really push and get over this next step of beating a really good team.”

Christian Pulisic of the United States shows dejection after Belgium’s second goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between the USA and Belgium at Seattle Stadium on July 6, 2026, in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

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Pulisic has just one goal in nine career World Cup games. He will be 31 by the time the next World Cup rolls around in 2030 in Morocco, Spain and Portugal.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Jordan Henderson has broken his silence after suffering a freak broken arm during the post-match celebrations of England’s last-16 win over Mexico.

Henderson, an unused substitute in the 3-2 victory at Estadio Azteca, slipped when attempting to leap over an advertising board after the match and landed awkwardly, with medics urgently rushing over to his aid.

His concerned England team-mates gathered around him as he was treated, with Henderson given oxygen before being stretchered away.

The 36-year-old’s father confirmed that Henderson had “completely smashed” his forearm – not just breaking his wrist, as was previously reported – and the Brentford midfielder has now undergone successful surgery.

“Surgery done! Let’s get ready for the big one Saturday,” Henderson posted on Instagram.

“Thank you to all the staff that looked after me at Kansas City orthopaedic institute. Especially the three surgeons who carried out the operation.”

Henderson has now returned to the England camp in Kansas City where he will remain for the remainder of their World Cup campaign, despite being ruled out for the tournament with the injury.

Henderson was not expected to play a significant role on the pitch for England during this World Cup, with his experience instead making him more valuable as a dressing room figure.

He nevertheless did feature for the Three Lions off the bench against Panama to become the first ever England player to play at four World Cups.

England face Norway in their quarter-final clash on Saturday, who beat Brazil to reach the last-eight.

Thierry Henry said his former Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi reminded everyone that he is “not human” after the Argentina captain inspired a dramatic comeback against Egypt, saying the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has a unique ability to raise his game when his team needs him the most. Reacting to Argentina’s 3-2 victory over Egypt in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16, Henry, while speaking on Fox Sports, reflected on his years as Messi’s teammate at Barcelona and said the Argentine’s competitive fire is unlike anything he has witnessed.

“First and foremost, look at him crying, and how much that means to him and to the team,” Henry said, as quoted by Fox Sports.

“It first reminded us that he’s human; he’s human because he missed some penalty kicks, four out of eight. Then it reminds us again that he’s not human!”

Henry and Messi played together at FC Barcelona for three seasons, from 2007 to 2010. During their time together, they helped the club win seven major trophies, including the historic 2009 treble (La Liga, Copa del Rey, and UEFA Champions League).

Henry then recalled a training-ground incident during their time together to explain what motivates Messi.

“I played with him as you just mentioned, and what happens with Leo–don’t wake the sleeping beast inside him! That’s exactly what’s happening, and I’ve seen it up close in training,” he said, according to Fox Sports.

He added, “You know how it can be in training sometimes; when one of the coaches doesn’t want to call a foul, or when the ball goes out, and play continues, and then a goal is scored from it, and Leo wanted that ball called out or as a foul. And when the coach said, ‘The ball didn’t go out, stop complaining, this could happen in a match.’ In the next moment, you look into his eyes and find that he’s completely transformed!”

“He goes and takes the ball, and I was there and witnessed it myself, then he scores three goals in a row; he takes the ball from you and scores straight away, then he snatches it again and scores, then he snatches it and scores again, then he turns around and says: ‘Next time, call the foul.’ And we were all saying: ‘Yeah, yeah, next time we’ll call the foul!’ Because you simply can’t stop him. When he gets into that mood, it’s very hard to contain him,” Henry further added.

Henry said Messi displayed the same mentality against Egypt, refusing to let an earlier penalty miss define his performance.

“And as you know, Zlatan, you’ve been in this situation; this guy, and let’s be honest, it doesn’t always work out–but when his team needs it, he completely elevates his game. We’re talking about a player who played 120 minutes in the last match, and yet he elevated his level, started taking the ball and dribbling past almost everyone to try to change the course of the game… wow,” he said, as per Fox Sports.

The French great admitted that even after sharing the pitch with some of football’s biggest names, Messi continued to leave him in awe.

“In truth, looking at him, I was just remembering the days of playing with him. I played with Zizou and with a lot of great players like Ronaldinho and others, and it’s no shame to say this, but sometimes when he scored some goals and I was on the field with him, I’d take a second or two to process and say to myself: ‘Wow!’ Then I’d remember: ‘Oh, you’re playing now, get back into the match!’ That doesn’t happen to me much, but he’s a unique version of it,” he added.

“Look, we’re here in the Los Angeles area, Culver City or whatever it is, and this scenario is like a Hollywood movie! There are things that feel almost scripted, like a film plot that couldn’t happen in real life, to the point where you’d say the director overdid this storyline! But this guy writes history with his feet,” he concluded.

Messi recovered from his first-half penalty miss to play a decisive role as Argentina overturned a 2-0 deficit. After Yasser Ibrahim’s opener and Mostafa Ziko’s second-half strike put Egypt in control, Cristian Romero sparked the comeback with a header before Messi equalised in the 83rd minute.

Enzo Fernandez then scored the stoppage-time winner to send the defending champions into the quarter-finals against Switzerland.

Messi’s equaliser also extended his remarkable World Cup legacy. The 39-year-old became the first player in history to score in nine consecutive FIFA World Cup matches and took his tally in the ongoing tournament to eight goals, matching Guillermo Stabile’s Argentina record for the most goals in a single World Cup edition, set in 1930.

According to Opta, he also became the first player to score in six successive knockout-stage matches and increased his all-time World Cup record to 21 goals. Despite those achievements, his earlier spot-kick miss made him the first player to miss two penalties in a single World Cup edition (excluding shootouts) and took his career tally of missed World Cup penalties to four, the most by any player.

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Side to side. Corner to corner. Novak Djokovic kept pushing Felix Auger-Aliassime back and forth along the Centre Court baseline at Wimbledon to retrieve one shot after another.

Finally, on the 22nd shot of a grueling rally deep in a fifth-set super tiebreaker, Auger-Aliassime had a forehand in the middle of the court. Under normal circumstances it might have been just the shot he was looking for.

Not this time. Not after five hours of battling with the 39-year-old Djokovic.

Auger-Aliassime, a 25-year-old Canadian with one of the top-rated forehands on tour, had nothing left in his tank. He sprayed his forehand wide to give Djokovic a 9-4 lead. Then both players bent over in exhaustion and leaned on their rackets. Djokovic, while he was bent over, still found energy to encourage the crowd to cheer louder, waving his right arm for more noise.

One point later, the longest quarterfinal in Wimbledon history – at 5 hours and 15 minutes – was finished.

“These,” Djokovic said, “are the kind of moments that I still play tennis for.” 
Djokovic, the seven-time Wimbledon champion, prevailed 7-6 (10), 3-6, 6-3, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4) on Tuesday to set up a semifinal against defending champion Jannik Sinner.

“I’m still able to battle these young guys that have 15 years less than me,” Djokovic said. “I’m able to beat them at the tightest possible scoreline. … In a sense, it is really a nice surprise. But at the same time, I always have the highest expectations for myself.” 
Djokovic continues to break records as he chases a 25th Grand Slam title. He’s reached a record-setting eighth consecutive Wimbledon final four – moving him one ahead of Roger Federer for most consecutive men’s singles semifinal appearances at the grass-court tournament.

“We know, because we’ve seen him so much, but it’s so impressive that he does it time and time again,” Auger-Aliassime said.

The match ended just before the All England Club’s 11 p.m. curfew took effect.

To celebrate, Djokovic raised his arms high and wide and took in the applause as he walked to the net to shake hands with Auger-Aliassime. Then Djokovic performed a little elbows-to-knees dance. He often mentions that his daughter, who was watching in the players’ box, tries to teach him moves.

Later, Djokovic was asked to compare himself with another 39-year-old still performing at the highest of levels: Lionel Messi of Argentina.

“It would be nice to play 90 minutes like him,” Djokovic said of the soccer great.

Rematch with SinnerSinner spent less than half the amount of time on court as Djokovic did when he beat Jan-Lennard Struff 7-5, 7-6 (4), 6-3 much earlier in the day on No. 1 Court.

Sinner beat Djokovic in straight sets in last year’s Wimbledon semifinals; and Djokovic outlasted the Italian over five sets in the last four of this year’s Australian Open.

“I wish it was finals, so I don’t need to worry about how the body will feel tomorrow,” Djokovic said. “I was telling the kids to go to sleep after the fourth (set) but they didn’t want to listen. I’m glad they stayed because it was honestly one of the best matches I was part of on this court in my career.” 
Djokovic does get two days off before Friday’s semifinals.

Medical time outLate in the first set, Djokovic dealt with what appeared to be a lower-leg issue. He took a medical time out and a trainer tested the stability of his left ankle and calf before massaging his calf muscle.

Djokovic had earlier leaned over to stretch his leg by pulling back the tip of his sneaker. He also stretched while standing at the back wall.

There was more stretching the rest of the way, too – especially late in the fifth set.

“It was really anybody’s game in the super tiebreak in the fifth,” Djokovic said.

Djokovic opposes roof closureDjokovic objected to the decision to close the Centre Court roof at 7:40 p.m. after Auger-Aliassime won the second set to level at a set apiece.

Djokovic told Wimbledon tournament referee Denise Parnell that they could squeeze in another set before the natural light faded.

“We can play a whole another set outdoors. We’re an outdoor tournament,” Djokovic said. “You remember the first round? You didn’t close it until like 8:20, 8:30 and now you want to close it at 7:40. Where’s the consistency? 
“You’re so proud of your rules and you’re not sticking to any kind of rules,” Djokovic added.

Gauff ralliesDown a set after untimely double-faults, Coco Gauff rallied past Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 to reach the semifinals here for the first time.

The 22-year-old Gauff became the youngest player to reach the semifinals at all four Grand Slams since Maria Sharapova, who completed the feat at the 2007 French Open, the women’s professional tennis tour said.

Gauff will face 10th-seeded Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic for a spot in Saturday’s final. Muchova, the 2023 French Open runner-up, eliminated Naomi Osaka 7-6 (4), 6-4.

In Gauff’s six previous appearances at the All England Club, she had never advanced beyond the fourth round.

“After seven years playing this tournament it’s finally the first time I can walk on Centre Court and I didn’t feel nervous,” Gauff said.

In the completion of a fourth-round match, second-seeded Alexander Zverez beat Jiri Lehecka 6-4, 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (6) to set up a quarterfinal Wednesday against sixth-seeded Taylor Fritz.