NEW DELHI: Hardik Pandya‘s return to international cricket is poised to face another roadblock, as a late leg niggle derailed his plans at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) and puts the all-rounder on the back foot for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan.TimesofIndia.com reliably learnt that he was ticking the right boxes but the late development could well make him unavailable for selection. The selectors are expected to meet this week to pick the squad for the T20Is starting September 13 in New Delhi and will be soon briefed on the fitness status of players recovering in Bengaluru.“Hardik Pandya was operating at full intensity without any discomfort but he has been advised to pause bowling due to discomfort in the leg. He will resume soon, but the Afghanistan series is too close to reach the required fitness levels. Batting and movement-wise, there wasn’t any significant issue, but the CoE needs to be completely convinced before giving an all-clear,” says a source tracking developments.The 32-year-old has not played a competitive fixture since turning out for Mumbai Indians in the IPL on May 24. Additionally, his last appearance for Men in Blue came on March 8 in the T20 World Cup final. Ever since, he has missed the white-ball assignments at home against Afghanistan and the subsequent tours of Ireland and England. The latest development has further delayed his return to international cricket.It is worth pointing out that Pandya had suffered a late relapse before the ODI series against Afghanistan with a low-grade quadriceps sprain. Even then, he had been at peak fitness and training well before the injury struck.As reported on Monday, all-rounders Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar are progressing well for the Afghanistan series but Jasprit Bumrah remains touch-and-go for those three fixtures. The fast bowler remains on track for the Asian Games.
There has been a lot of speculation about Stephen Curry’s future with the Warriors ever since reports claimed their front office is now focusing on the post-Steph era in Golden State. But the 38-year-old Warriors superstar has reassured their fans that he’s not going anywhere.
Stephen Curry and his wife, Ayesha Curry, recently spoke to Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports and clarified that the rumors are not true, but smartly sidestepped why he’s delaying the contract extension despite being eligible for a two-year, $136.7 million deal.
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“There’s no question I want to be here the rest of my career, and I’m pretty sure that’s going to happen. The deal and the contract stuff will happen at the right time, and we’re not letting it be a distraction from our preparation for the season and the fact that the team we’re coming back with has a lot of familiarity.”
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“Hopefully we can be healthy and just have a chance to show what we’re capable of, myself included, missing so many games last year. So, yeah, the goal stays the same. I want to be here. The extension stuff, we’ll figure that out at the right time.”
“But I’m ready for year 18. It’s kind of crazy that it’s been this long, and I’m still trying to play at a very high level to help us win, and I’ll be able to do my job,” Curry concluded.
This should put to rest all the exit rumors that had started popping up ever since the Warriors missed out on the LeBron James sweepstakes. But while Johnson had asked Stephen Curry if he plans to sign this season, saying that he’s waiting for ‘the right time’ only suggests that he’s only waiting to be eligible for a three-year extension as a free agent next summer.
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Still, there is no certainty on whether Curry will sign that extension deal this summer, as he would become eligible for a contract extension exceeding $200 million in the summer of 2027. But what is certain is that he will stay with the Warriors and does not plan to go anywhere.
The next big question is: how long will Stephen Curry continue playing, now that he turned 38 this year? Johnson asked Ayesha Curry whether her husband, Stephen Curry, has multiple seasons left.
“Of course, Steph is the hardest-working man in the room. He has no days off. He hasn’t stopped since last season ended. He’s ready. He’s ready to get out there. I think we’re going to be in for some fun surprises over the next couple of years,” she said.
Curry is still playing at a high level but spent most of last season on the bench while suffering from runner’s knee. He ended 2025-26 averaging 26.6 points, 4.7 assists, and 3.6 rebounds while shooting 46.8% from the field and 39.3% from behind the three-point line.
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So if Stephen Curry is waiting until the summer of 2027 to sign a three-year deal, that means he plans to play until the summer of 2030, when he would have turned 42. But Curry said last season that he is looking at his career in two-year phases, so he may not have planned that far ahead to 2030.
It might turn out he only signs a two-year extension, as he is eligible for. But one thing is certain: his contract extension is now a question of when, not if.
Manchester United will hope to finish the summer transfer window on a high to leave Michael Carrick with a squad capable of challenging on all fronts this season
Manchester United have just hours left to finalise any transfer deals they have on the table this summer. Michael Carrick has added four players so far, spending almost £150million on new signings.
Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans, Karl Darlow and Carlos Baleba have all joined, with the main plan of rebuilding United’s midfield seemingly complete. A left-back is still a major target for Carrick with Newcastle’s Lewis Hall looking to be off the table.
With the transfer window shutting at 11pm, the Manchester Evening News takes a look at the latest news coming out of Old Trafford.
Balde talks emerge
United are said to remain interested in Alejandro Balde as they look to boost the depth at left-back. Hall had been their primary target, but Newcastle made it abundantly clear that the young defender was not available.
This prompted focus to turn to the Barcelona full-back, with Fabrizio Romano claiming that fresh discussions between the clubs took place in Spain on Sunday. The report indicates that while the £34m asking price is proving a deterrent for United, Barca are willing to sanction the defender’s departure this summer.
Balde was recalled to the squad to face Athletic Club, having been left out of the La Liga curtain-raiser against Elche. However, Hansi Flick has yet to field the defender this season and he could be heading elsewhere before the window closes on Tuesday night.
However, the Spanish giants decided against bringing Rashford back to Spain and he has since rejoined United, featuring in both of their opening Premier League matches against Hull City and Ipswich Town. Speaking ahead of the home victory against the Tractor Boys, Berrada wrote in the matchday programme: “We will have our new signings Andrey [Santos], Youri [Tielemans], Karl [Darlow], Tynan [Thompson] and Carlos [Baleba] here this afternoon.
“We know you will give them all a very warm welcome and get behind them as they begin their Manchester United journey. We’re also very pleased to welcome Marcus [Rashford] back to the team. We believe that they will all help to improve the squad as we compete on multiple fronts.”
Carrick has also spoken highly of Rashford following his display against Ipswich. The United manager said: “He’s adding to the group for us, for sure. I’ve known him for a while, and then he wasn’t here when I’ve come back, and now he is.
“I think he’s making the most of that for us and for him as well, to have the opportunity to be here. He’s one of our own. He’s living his dream, playing here now and trying to be successful and win. Whatever’s gone on, I think part of this club, there’s players that have come back sometimes, or players that maybe were going to leave, didn’t leave.
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“It’s always about what you do next, and what your intentions are. He’s been fantastic since he came back, I have to say, and it was great to see him on the pitch today for us.”
Vikings fan Brian Foss displays his custom Minnesota Vikings logo prosthetic eye while attending the Super Fan Summit Tailgate Party in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin. The event celebrated fan culture and team spirit as supporters gathered ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft festivities. Apr. 25, 2025. Mandatory Credit: Sarah Kloepping-USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin via Imagn Images.
For a minute or two, the Vikings had a lean offensive line, which is quite possibly the worst place for a football team to be lean.
No longer.
GM Nolan Teasley didn’t allow the Vikings to languish with just eight offensive linemen for very long. The new front office executive snagged C Nick Samac and G Trevor Keegan off of waivers. Afterwards, there were five offensive linemen added to the practice squad, pushing the overall tally to north of 2,000 pounds added along the OL. Whoever is working the team cafeteria is going to need to get the grills working overtime.
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The Vikings Added North of 2K Pounds to OL
With the understanding that the roster remains a work in progress, the Vikings now have a 53-man roster alongside most of a practice squad. Consider how things look up front:
Christian Darrisaw
Donovan Jackson
Blake Brandel
Will Fries
Brian O’Neill
Ryan Van Demark
Joe Huber
Nick Sanac
Trevor Keegan
Caleb Tiernan
Keep in mind, folks, that not all ten of these guys are going to be active on Sunday. Very likely, one or two are going to be in street clothes (TE Josh Oliver has been the emergency OL in the past, if memory serves). What’s nevertheless encouraging for the Vikings is that the depth is now where it needs to be.
Minnesota Vikings offensive linemen Donovan Jackson and Christian Darrisaw align at U.S. Bank Stadium, with Sept. 21, 2025 placing the first-half scene in Minneapolis against the Cincinnati Bengals. The two blockers settle in before the snap as Minnesota’s offensive front prepares to handle Cincinnati’s rush during an early home matchup that afternoon. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.
Further improving the depth is the presence of five o-linemen for the practice squad. Teasley signed OT Tristan Leigh, OT Jack Nelson, G Joshua Gray, G Henry Byrd, and C Gavin Gerhardt. Of those names, only Nelson is a newcomer in Minnesota.
Go ahead and do a basic tally for all of the added pounds. The weights for each guy:
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Nick Samac — 317 Pounds
Trevor Keegan — 315 Pounds
Gavin Gerhardt — 310 Pounds
Henry Byrd — 314 Pounds
Joshua Gray — 299 Pounds
Tristan Leigh — 312 Pounds
Jack Nelson — 314 Pounds
Math has never been a strength in my life, but the combined weight of these seven additions and re-additions sits at 2,181 pounds.
Jun 10, 2025; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw (71) practices during minicamp at the Minnesota Vikings Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images.
In a perfect world, the added linemen function as the bodyguards for Kyler Murray, who is stepping into the job of Commander in Chief of the Minnesota Vikings. President Murray needs to be defended at all costs, so the combined effort of the ten offensive linemen on the active roster and five offensive linemen on the practice squad is to see no harm come to the unusually elusive QB1.
So, too, do these guys want to function as bulldozers for the ground game. In what is now a bizarre yearly tradition, Kevin O’Connell is making public promises about running the football. Seeing the large lads do their part by displacing defenders would certainly help the Vikings’ cause.
In Week 1, the Green Bay Packers will be coming to town. The large lads will earn praise aplenty if Murray’s jersey doesn’t get dirty against the NFC North foe.
Stephen A. Smith’s enthusiastic public celebration of Ryan Clark’s new Netflix deal has drawn sharp criticism from a lot of NFL fans. The streaming giant struck a multi-year deal with popular interview show “The Pivot,” which Clark hosts alongside Channing Crowder and Fred Taylor.
According to Boardroom, the new partnership will bring video episodes of the show to Netflix beginning Sept. 8. The full back catalog of the show will be available on the streaming platform while continuing to run on YouTube. New episodes, however, will stream exclusively on Netflix.
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After the news of the deal broke, Stephen A. Smith took to social media with an emphatic message of support for Ryan Clark. The two had worked together at ESPN for more than a decade before the abrupt firing of Clark, who hosted “NFL Live,” by the network in late June.
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“YYYEEESSSSSSSS!!!!!! Hell Yeah! That’s what I’m talking about, Fellas. So Happy for y’all. So proud of y’all. Congrats! @Realrclark25…..you already know, bro! Love ya!!!!” Smith wrote on X.
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However, the reaction from fans to Smith’s post was far less celebratory. This is particularly due to the manner in which Clark was laid off by ESPN in late July amid broader talent cuts. With Smith remaining a prominent face of the network, he felt the heat with a lot of backlash.
A host on online critics question whether Stephen A. Smith’s public backing during the initial firing had been matched by private influence. Others simply highlighted the speed with which the narrative shifted from disappointment over Clark’s exit to cheers for his show’s Netflix deal.
@stephenasmith @Realrclark25 Stephen A. stop faking like you’re happy for them, they are black athletes remember the kind you dislike🙄
@stephenasmith @Realrclark25 Lmao. Just stop, SAS.
@stephenasmith @Realrclark25 @stephenasmith you need to stop with the 🎻 🎻 🎻 act!! This dude disrespected you not in the barbershop, not in the backyard but on NATIONAL TV and now you wanna act like you all are best friends. That’s why you tried to do so many favors for him and take turns kissing ass
@stephenasmith @Realrclark25 He got fired for a reason it’s for his race baiting his absolute rudeness with white host even if he’s your friend he’s not that great stop it
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@stephenasmith @Realrclark25 Nobody gives a dam about the pivot podcast
What Ryan Clark said about his firing on “The Pivot”
There was a lot of speculation in the media and among observers following the layoff of Ryan Clark by ESPN. Following a wave of opinion on the event, the former Pittsburgh Steelers safety set the record straight in the episode of “The Pivot” that followed his dismissal in June.
“Let me put this to bed,” Clark said. “I wasn’t laid off. I was fired. They’re using layoffs as a cover and a camouflage for what they already intended on doing, but there was no cause for it.
“So, because there was no cause for it, you couldn’t just fire me, so you had to wait to the layoff so you could camouflage it and veil it. But here’s the other thing: if I was laid off like everybody else that came out on Tuesday, mine came out on Friday.”
Ryan Clark’s firing gained a lot of attention and backlash because he was said to have been notified of it during a commercial break while he was airing “NFL Live.” Many criticize ESPN’s leadership for that, noting it wasn’t a worthy send-off for Clark after his effort on the show.
After losing part of her leg in a 2023 shark attack, Ali Truwit discovered reserves of strength she didn’t know she possessed. One year later, she was a two-time Paralympic silver medalist. Now she is swimming toward LA28 with a message for anyone facing the seemingly impossible.
(This is part one of a two-part story based on a Forbes exclusive interview with Ali Truwit on August 27, 2026. All quotes are taken directly from a transcript of the interview.)
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There are moments in life when we discover something about ourselves that we never wanted to know. For Ali Truwit, that moment came in May 2023. She had just graduated from Yale, where she had been an accomplished swimmer. Her college career was behind her; As a bright, beautiful student athlete from an Ivy League university she had every reason to be optimistic and excited about the next chapter.
New Haven, Connecticut, United States – July 30, 2023: Gothic architecture is in abundance on the old campus of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut
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Disaster
Then, while snorkeling in Turks and Caicos with her former Yale swimming teammate and close friend Sophie Pilkinton, a shark attacked. Truwit lost her foot and part of her leg. In an instant, the future she had imagined was replaced by a question that was far more immediate:
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What happens now?
Nearly three and a half years later, that question has produced an answer that would have seemed impossible in those dark days following the attack: Truwit soon returned to elite swimming. She became a member of Team USA. She won two silver medals at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. And she created a nonprofit called Stronger Than You Think, a name that is much more than an organization. Ali will tell you it’s a philosophy of her life.
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NANTERRE, FRANCE – SEPTEMBER 5: Alexandra Truwit of Team United States pose for a photo after the Para Swimming Women’s 400m Freestyle – S10 Medal Ceremony on day eight of the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games at the Paris La Defense Arena on September 5, 2024 in Nanterre, France. (Photo by Tom Weller/VOIGT/GettyImages)
Bigger Than Swimming
When I spoke with Truwit on August 27, 2026, she was in Southern California preparing for three races: the 100-meter freestyle, the 400-meter freestyle and the 100-meter backstroke. The conversation was about swimming. But it was ultimately about something much bigger. It was about discovering strength you don’t know you have until life requires you to find it. Before the shark attack, swimming had been a defining part of Truwit’s identity.
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At Yale, she was a distance swimmer. Her specialty included the 1,650-yard freestyle—the swimming equivalent of a mile. When I joked with her about her choice of distance races being suffering events, she laughed. “Yes,” she said. Her mother was also a swimmer and encouraged her to try sprinting.
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“But I was like, my arms just don’t move that fast,” Truwit said.
So she gravitated toward distance. It turned out to be useful preparation for life. Because endurance would become one of her greatest assets. Not just physical endurance.
Emotional endurance. Psychological endurance. The ability to keep moving when the finish line is a long ways off.
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When Swimming Became Something Else
The months after the attack were about survival and rehabilitation. Walking had to be relearned. Her relationship with her body had changed. The future was uncertain. And swimming, the activity that had been so familiar for so many years, momentarily may have seemed like something that belonged to her old life.
Then Truwit did something important. She went back to a swim meet. About three and a half months after losing her leg, she asked her parents to take her to a Paralympic swimming competition. She wasn’t there because she knew what her future would be. She was there to see what might still be possible.
Could she do this? Could she still swim? Could she compete again?
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The answer unfolded one baby step at a time. At the 2024 U.S. Paralympic Trials, Truwit swam the 100-meter backstroke in 1:08.98—faster than her previous best time before the shark attack. The impossible was becoming measurable.
Stronger Than You Think
There is a tendency to describe extraordinary athletes as if they possessed superhuman traits. Truwit’s story suggests something more human. Strength is revealed not when you know you can do something; Sometimes strength means trying when you don’t know.
The first swim wasn’t proof that she would make Team USA. The first race wasn’t proof that she would win a Paralympic medal. The first step with a prosthetic wasn’t proof that she would eventually run a marathon. Each step simply made the next step a little more imaginable. That is the deeper meaning behind Stronger Than You Think. You don’t necessarily discover your strength before adversity. Sometimes adversity introduces you to it.
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The 2024 Paris Olympics
Just one year after losing her leg, Truwit would become a Paralympian.
At Paris 2024, she won silver medals in the 100-meter backstroke and 400-meter freestyle and set American records in both S10 events. The transformation was extraordinary.
NANTERRE, FRANCE – SEPTEMBER 05: Alexandra Truwit of Team United States reacts after winning during the Women’s 400m Freestyle – S10 Heat 1 on day eight of the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games at Paris La Defense Arena on September 05, 2024 in Nanterre, France. (Photo by Fiona Goodall/Getty Images for PNZ)
But the medals were simply the result of Ali committing to a process one baby step at a time. Every rehabilitation session. Every swim. Every difficult morning. Every time she had to confront something that her mind told her might be too hard.
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Keep going.
Learning To Celebrate Little Successes
That lesson is one Truwit now wants other people to understand. During our conversation, she emphasized the importance of celebrating partial success on the way to a larger goal. It sounds simple. But it is one of the most difficult things for high achievers to do.
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We tend to measure ourselves against the final objective. Did we win?
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Truwit’s experience has taught her to notice something else. Progress. The small victories are not distractions from the goal. They are how the goal is reached. Each one creates evidence that another step is possible.
The Marathon
Swimming was not the only place Truwit discovered that she was stronger than she thought. Running became another test. Ten days before the shark attack, she had completed a marathon with her mother. After losing her leg, running again seemed unimaginable. But eventually she learned to run with a prosthetic blade. Then, less than two years after the attack, she entered the New York City Marathon on November 2, 2025.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 02: Ali Truwit runs during the 2025 New York City Marathon on November 02, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/New York Road Runners via Getty Images)
She would finish in 4:14:34.
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And, consistent with the philosophy that increasingly defines her life, the race wasn’t simply about her. She used the marathon to raise approximately $250,000 for Stronger Than You Think. A woman who had once wondered how she would walk again was now running 26.2 miles to help someone else.
Toward Los Angeles
Now Truwit is swimming again. The 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles are less than two years away. For an athlete, that means another training cycle. Another opportunity.
But LA28 represents something more for Truwit.
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The Games will take place in the country she represents, in a region where millions of people will have an opportunity to see Paralympic athletes up close. And Truwit understands the importance of that visibility. Because somebody once had to show her what was possible. Now she has an opportunity to do the same for someone else. When she dives into the pool in Los Angeles, the story will not simply be about a swimmer who lost part of her leg. It will be about an athlete who discovered it is all about how we choose to see our lives including our limitations.
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Time To Train
At the end of our conversation, Truwit was looking forward. Next year’s World Championships will be an important milestone. Then comes more training. More races. More work.
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – SEPTEMBER 21: Ali truwit attends the screening of “Stronger Than You Think” during the 56th Nashville Film Festival at Regal Green Hills on September 21, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images)
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“We’re under two years out now,” she told me. “Time to put my head down and train hard.”
Truwit isn’t promising that everything will be easy. She isn’t claiming that adversity doesn’t hurt. And she also isn’t suggesting that determination magically erases tragedy. She is simply saying: Keep going. Celebrate the little successes along the way. Choose gratitude.
And remain open to the possibility that youare stronger than you think.
This article was originally published on Forbes.com
Bukayo Saka scored the only goal of the game as Arsenal secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Aston Villa.
The Gunners had to work hard for the three points, with Villa defending well for long periods before Saka finally broke the deadlock in the second half.
Saka was one of Arsenal’s best players on the night and received a rating of 8/10 from BBC Sport, alongside left-back Riccardo Calafiori, who also earned an 8 after providing the assist for the winning goal.
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Calafiori was praised for his attacking contribution, while Saka was described as a key player for Arsenal despite the team not being at their best going forward.
Arsenal captain Gabriel Magalhaes also impressed, earning 7/10 as he helped the visitors keep a clean sheet.
Young midfielder Myles Lewis-Skelly continued his strong start to the season with another composed display and was rated 7/10.
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David Raya, Ben White, Cristhian Mosquera, Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz all received 6/10.
Christos Tzolis had a difficult evening for Villa and was given the lowest starting-player rating of 4/10 after struggling to make an impact before being replaced at half-time.
Villa goalkeeper Zion Suzuki, making his debut after his £30m move from Parma, impressed with his passing and earned 7/10.
Boubacar Kamara and 19-year-old George Hemmings also received 7/10 for their performances.
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New Villa signing Nicolas Jackson, who arrived for £65m, was rated 6/10. The forward showed some promising moments but was unable to find the equaliser.
For Arsenal, Eberechi Eze made a positive impact after coming on at half-time and was rated 7/10.
The result gives Arsenal an important three points, while Villa will feel they deserved more after making life difficult for the visitors for much of the match.
With a plethora of options for Australia’s elite short-course gallopers this weekend, Sydney trainer Matthew Smith is keen to capitalise on the opportunities for his top two 1000-metre horses.
Headwall is being prepared to defend his Concorde Stakes title at Randwick. Concurrently, Smith’s preference is to send Way To The Stars to Melbourne to contest the Moir Stakes.
However, Way To The Stars’ eligibility for the $750,000 Group 1 event at Sandown is subject to the prevailing weather conditions.
Following unplaced runs in the July Sprint (1100m) and Missile Stakes (1200m), Way To The Stars showed his form with a victory in a 1045m trial at Randwick last Friday. Smith is hopeful that this recent race fitness will prove beneficial on Saturday.
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“We had a plan with him, give him an 11 and 12 (hundred-metre race) get him as fit as we could and send him down there and see what happens,” Smith commented.
“We might catch some of those out first-up, but he’d need to get the right track condition.
“He’ll probably go if it’s not too wet.”
Way To The Stars, a son of Reward For Effort, has a record of two wins and three placings from ten starts on Soft tracks, but has recorded six of his eight career victories on Good tracks.
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Sandown’s track was rated a Soft 7 on Monday morning. Although no significant rainfall is forecast for Melbourne this week, there is a possibility of showers each day from Tuesday through to race day.
Fair conditions are anticipated in Sydney throughout the week. Smith is excited about Headwall’s return to racing, his first start since winning the $1 million Concorde Stakes last year, which this year will be run at Group 2 level for the first time.
The seven-year-old sustained a pastern injury soon after his last victory, leading to him being sidelined last spring. Nevertheless, he has undergone an extensive preparation for his return and performed well in two trials during August.
“It’s going to be a really good race, but he’s going as good as what he was last year going into the race and he’s been in work for a while, he’s fit and well,” Smith added.
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Betting markets are already heating up for this major sprint contest at online bookmakers.
Racing over 1000 metres is not a completely new distance for Tempted, but the star mare will be tackling it for the first time in a while this upcoming weekend.
The Ciaron Maher-trained four-year-old is set to resume her campaign in the $1 million Group 2 Concorde Stakes at Randwick, which will represent only her second start over the 1000-metre trip.
Her sole previous outing at this distance was a winning debut in a two-year-old fillies maiden at Warwick Farm. Prior to that, her only other race shorter than 1200m was a narrow second place to The Playwright in the 1100m Group 3 Widden Stakes at her second career start.
Eight of her ten subsequent starts have been at 1200m, a distance considered her preferred trip. However, her two trials this preparation, held over 900m and 822m, have led Maher to believe she will possess sufficient sharpness to win this Saturday.
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“She’s a sharp filly, very sharp,” Maher stated.
“It certainly wouldn’t surprise me (if she won), without knowing what’s there but, knowing her, she’s pretty sharp.”
Tempted was one of 20 entries for the Concorde Stakes, with defending champion Headwall, Beadman, Marhoona, and Mazu leading the list of possible rivals.
The Concorde Stakes is the initial step on a path towards the 1200m The Everest for Tempted, who finished second to Hong Kong superstar Ka Ying Rising in last year’s $20 million event, beating all other competitors.
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The daughter of Street Boss has been undefeated since that race, winning the Group 1 Surround Stakes (1400m) and the Group 3 Eskimo Prince Stakes and Arrowfield Stakes, both at 1200m. Maher is keen for her to confirm her status as Godolphin’s leading contender for The Everest.
“I suppose there’s a little bit to take place, we haven’t even run the Concorde yet, so there’s a bit to play out in the three-year-olds as some of them could step out,” Maher commented.
“But she’s very good. I’m rapt with her. Her prep so far has gone smoothly and if she lines up in the sort of form she’s in, I’m sure she’ll run very well.”
Maher indicated that Tempted is likely to target the Group 2 Premiere Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on October 3, following this Saturday’s race, with The Everest to be run a fortnight later. With Tempted resuming over a shorter distance, the online bookmakers are anticipating a strong performance.
Carlos Alcaraz passed the first test of his US Open comeback with a routine straight-sets win over Roman Safiullin.
The Spaniard, back to defend his title after more than four months out with a wrist injury, won 6-4 6-4 6-4 on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Alcaraz, who missed both the French Open and Wimbledon, only had a light tune-up in the mixed doubles with Serena Williams as preparation for the singles at Flushing Meadows.
Carlos Alcaraz had waited a while to celebrate a victory (Seth Wenig/AP)
He double-faulted on his first point in their first match and, still wearing a heavy protective sleeve, he did the same against Safiullin.
But, barring a break of serve at the start of the second set which was quickly retrieved, it was like the 23-year-old had never been away.
He said: “I missed it. I miss the crowd energy, I miss competition. I missed everything. So I’m just really happy that I was able to compete again.”
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On his injury, he added: “There were some doubts in the match, I’m not going to lie. I’ve been thinking about ‘am I going to last the best of five, am I going to last playing four sets, five sets? I don’t know’.
“So I had a little bit of doubt but I tried to forget everything and tried to enjoy and focus on the things that I had to do and improve.
“I was thinking about ‘let’s see what’s going to happen in the match’ so I’m just happy that I won in straight sets and got another win. Physically I felt really well.”
Aryna Sabalenka also got her title defence – and her bid to stay at world number one – off to a solid start.
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The Belarusian, aiming for a third consecutive Flushing Meadows crown, eased into round two with a 6-2 6-4 victory over Colombia’s Camila Osorio.
Aryna Sabalenka is safely through (Seth Wenig/AP)
Sabalenka’s recent run of indifferent form has left Elena Rybakina within striking distance of knocking her off top spot for the first time in 99 weeks.
After completing a rare ‘Sunshine Double’ at Indian Wells and Miami earlier this year, the 28-year-old looked untouchable.
But since then Sabalenka had lost seven of her 24 matches including early exits – by her standards – at the French Open and Wimbledon.
Suddenly Rybakina, who plays 17-year-old American wild card Thea Frodin on Tuesday, is only 434 points behind.
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Sabalenka, defending 2000 points this fortnight, will play Russian qualifier Polina Iatcenko – she of the 53mph second serve which accounted for Mexico’s Renata Zarazua – in round two.
She said: “I’m trying to focus on myself. I’m enjoying my time in New York and I’m ready to go out here and do anything it takes to get the wins. I’m ready for the fight!.”
Last year’s runner-up Amanda Anisimova is also through after a straightforward 6-1 6-3 win over fellow American Ashlyn Krueger.
Meanwhile, American Emma Navarro came through a three-setter held over from Sunday against France’s Lois Boisson – and her celebration quickly went viral.
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As the camera panned round to show her smiling and waving to the crowd, Boisson was angrily smashing her racket to smithereens in the background, the perfect illustration of the agony and ecstasy of sport.
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