Stefanos Tsitsipas was not surprised that Nick Kyrgios was suspended from tennis for drugs.

“Pretty much expected, to be honest,” Tsitsipas said. “I am surprised it came so late, though.” Kyrgios was banned earlier this month after he revealed he tested positive for cocaine in June when he was in Spain to play at an event. The Australian could be suspended for four years, though a lighter punishment is expected.

Tsitsipas was asked about Kyrgios on Monday after upsetting No. 10-seeded Arthur Fils in the first round of the U.S. Open.

“I mean, to be entirely honest with you, I knew about this before the announcement. Myself, I knew about it,” Tsitsipas said.

“So what can I tell you? I will just tell you the truth. I knew about all of this before any announcement was made, and when I saw it on social media, I was, like, Here we go.’ I kind of expected it, to be honest.” Tsitsipas and Kyrgios played a fiery match at Wimbledon in 2022, when Kyrgios reached his only Grand Slam final. Tsitsipas blasted a couple shots directly at Kyrgios, intentionally hit a ball into the crowd, and afterward called Kyrgios a “bully.” Kyrgios has largely battled injuries since and said when he was suspended that he had felt “helpless and alone,” though added that “none of that excuses what I did.” Nor did it come as a shock to Tsitsipas.

“I knew that those were things that were happening away from the tennis courts. I will tell you that,” he said. “I’m not going to try and cover up someone that I know the truth for. I’ll consider myself a nice person with everyone, but these were behaviors that I personally heard on the tour and heard other people in that same environment saying those sort of things to me.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan says he is “really keen” to host the proposed Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua fight at Wembley Stadium and has urged promoters to get in touch.

BBC Sport understands Saudi organisers Sela have contacted the mayor’s office in recent weeks about bringing the long-awaited contest to the national stadium.

However, with organisers and broadcaster Netflix understood to favour New York’s Madison Square Garden for a November bout, sources close to the discussions say talks over a London venue have not progressed, with no detailed talks over dates or timings.

“A message to the promoters – we want to host it in London. Talk to us, we’re really keen to have it,” Khan told BBC Sport on Thursday.

Wembley Stadium’s usual curfew is 23:00, although Khan has previously indicated he would support efforts to bring the fight to London.

A late-night fight in London – potentially in the early hours – could mean it draws a larger television audience in the US.

Brent Council, the local authority involved in any approval, has said a potential extension of the curfew would need to be assessed by Wembley’s safety advisory group.

It remains unclear how late that curfew could be pushed back.

“Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury are two great British boxers. Both have been world champions,” Khan said.

“They both recognise and love the fans in this country who have supported them throughout their careers, amateur and professional.

“Wembley has hosted many fantastic events, including bouts involving Tyson and Anthony. We, the fans, want to see them box live in London.”

There is hope that the venue will be finalised within the coming days. Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn has said he wants an announcement this week, with a news conference to follow next week.

The Houston Astros have essentially owned the American League West for a decade now, winning seven division titles, four American League pennants and two World Series championships. However, the Astros’ divisional dominance could be up for grabs, as the organization must manage an aging roster and a likely need for new leadership in multiple positions. 

On Tuesday, a new threat entered the proverbial AL West chat, with a resume that features a championship-winning pedigree across every major sport on two continents.

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Billionaire team owner Stan Kroenke and Kroenke Sports Entertainment (KSE) entered into a definitive agreement on Tuesday to purchase the Los Angeles Angels from the Arte Moreno family for a reported MLB-record $4 billion. The transaction is expected to close in early 2027.

“The Angels are a storied franchise anchored in a great market,” Kroenke said in a statement released by both the Angels and Kroenke Sports & Entertainment. “We look forward to an exciting future with the Angels organization.”

Why should Astros worry about Stan Kroenke?

Kroenke, who owns four franchises across four leagues, will likely bring a fresh perspective to a franchise that’s been moribund and listless. The Angels are on track to miss the postseason for the 12th straight year and have essentially wasted the prime years of two of the best baseball talents of a generation in Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout. 

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Under Kroenke’s leadership, his teams have all won titles in the past five years, including: 

• NFL’s Los Angeles Rams, 2021

• NHL’s Colorado Avalanche, 2022

• NBA’s Denver Nuggets, 2023

• English Premier League’s Arsenal, 2026

A championship standard is now attainable KSE’s as foundation for success, not just an aspirational one. Josh Kroenke, Arsenal’s co-chairman, demonstrated these aspirations when hiring Andrea Berta as the club’s new sporting director. 

“I went to Andrea, and I laid out our championship rings,” Josh Kroenke said to James Benge of CBS in May. “I said: ‘This is what we’re here for. So as we start to shape our thinking, know this is what we’re going for.’ He was looking at them pretty close!”

Could Angels become MLB’s next premier destination?

KSE isn’t simply purchasing a baseball team; they’re buying back into Southern California in an area that’s highly valuable yet wholly undeveloped in Orange County. Kroenke’s institutional knowledge means there is a real possibility of turning an aging ballpark and sports district into another year-round real estate and entertainment engine.

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“The addition of the Angels to the KSE portfolio creates the opportunity for a year-round Southern California calendar of events,” reads a statement from KSE on their future strategy. 

The Angels sit on land-currently owned by the City of Anaheim-that could ultimately be more valuable than the team itself. Angel Stadium sits on approximately 150 acres, with surrounding areas potentially up for grabs. In fact, KSE recently developed SoFi Stadium as the anchor of a 300-acre Hollywood Park entertainment district focused on retail, offices, residences and hotels. 

The Angels’ reputation has suffered greatly under previous ownership, as the squandering of talents like Ohtani and Moreno has coincided with reports of downsizing in scouting, development and organizational resources. KSE’s ownership has continually focused on stadium upgrades, revamped clubhouses, sports science investment and family-friendly facilities for players.

That type of resource commitment is enough to attract marquee players to any organization, but offering a Southern California lifestyle that includes year-round good weather, access to beaches, major entertainment opportunities, and increased endorsement potential can be a big joker in negotiations. 

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“Kroenke’s got a track record of success and winning championships with his teams,” Trout said to reporters on Tuesday. “I’m super excited about it and can’t wait to meet him.”

Just ask the Los Angeles Dodgers about offering such a benefit to free agents. 

Houston’s leadership questions arrive at dangerous time

The Astros already booted their general manager in August, and Joe Espada’s tenure as manager is clearly in doubt. Moreover, Astros owner Jim Crane has already shown hesitancy to spend big, instead relying on a cautious, methodical approach. 

That strategy served the Astros well during their title-winning run, as their roster was stacked with future Hall of Famers and a minor league system stocked with future All-Stars. The club also featured rising stars in various leadership positions that proved to be innovative (and at times, too clever) before moving on to other teams. Playing in a warm-weather city with lucrative tax benefits has always been a plus, but for some, playing in Southern California has an appeal all its own. 

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The AL West includes teams that are either resource-rich but inconsistent, like the Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers, or struggling significantly, such as the Athletics and Angels. In this environment, being consistently competent has been key to success, as the Astros have demonstrated for over a decade. But 2026 has proven how low the bar is for competency. 

“The reality is no AL West team really deserves to reach the postseason this year. All five teams deserve to go home at the end of September,” Yahoo MLB insider Russell Dorsey said in August. “But it doesn’t work that way in baseball. So we all have to resign ourselves to watching maybe the saddest division race MLB has ever seen.”

The Astros have a 138-89 record against the Angels since joining the AL West in 2013, but competency has now landed in Southern California. The Astros should prepare themselves accordingly. 

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This article originally published at Astros’ AL West dominance may face a $4 billion threat in Southern California.

James Toney is clear with who he believes is the current number one pound-for-pound fighter in boxing.

Toney knows exactly what it is like to be viewed as one of the best around, having been at his peak in the mid 1990s, going unbeaten in his first 46 bouts before a loss to Roy Jones Jr in November 1994.

‘Lights Out’ would last compete in 2017 after 92 professional contests, with his stellar career seeing him become a three-division world champion at middleweight, super middleweight and cruiserweight.

While fighters such as Naoya Inoue and Oleksandr Usyk are often mentioned in pound-for-pound debates, it is another man who has reigned at both super middleweight and cruiserweight that Toney feels is the best around.

That is because the American Hall of Famer has told About Boxing that he believes David Benavidez is the current top dog in the sport.

Benavidez has an unbeaten record of 32-0, and having previously been a two-time WBC super middleweight champion, he stepped up to 175lbs in 2024 and became the WBC light heavyweight champion after wins over the likes of David Morrell and Anthony Yarde.

His most impressive win to date arguably came last time out though, heading up to cruiserweight and dethroning Gilberto Ramirez inside six rounds to win the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles.

Benavidez now looks set to return in December against WBC interim champion Michal Cieslak, where the bout could yet be for the full WBC belt due to current champion Noel Mikaelian choosing to face Jai Opetaia rather than ‘The Mexican Monster.’

South African aviation authorities are reviewing a low-altitude flyover by two Airlink passenger planes at an international rugby match in Cape Town last weekend.

The regional airline, meanwhile, said it had canceled another flypast scheduled for Saturday’s rugby test between South Africa and New Zealand in Johannesburg this weekend, citing unfavorable weather.

In a statement, the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) said it was carrying out a “compliance verification” of the August 29 flyover at Cape Town’s DHL stadium to ensure “all safety protocols were adhered to by the crew.”

Footage of the flyby, showing two planes in formation passing over the crowd, was widely shared on social media and prompted discussion about potential safety risks.

According to flight-tracking website Flightradar24, the lead aircraft passed less than 15 meters (50 ​feet) above the top of the packed stadium.

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What did SACAA and Airlink say?

The SACAA said it was analyzing flight data provided by Airlink and would go over additional information requested from the carrier before issuing a report.

The regulator said the airline had made applications for the flyovers, which were approved in line with the requirements for special air events.

Airlink, for its part, said the maneuver had been carefully planned and rehearsed, with safety being “the first consideration at every stage of the process.” 

It said each aircraft had three senior captains on board with a combined 75,000 hours of flying experience.

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Nevertheless, it also recognized what it described as the “valid questions and concerns.”

Airlink Chief Executive de Villiers Engelbrecht said the decision had been made to withdraw plans for this weekend’s stadium flypast in Johannesburg because “the forecast weather points to unfavorable ⁠conditions for a ​safe formation flyby.”

A history of flybys in rugby

Stadium flybys have long been tradition at major rugby matches in South Africa, dating back to the 1995 Rugby World Cup final in Johannesburg, when a Boeing 747 swept overhead before the Springboks faced the All Blacks.

The SACAA said in a statement that South Africa “is ranked seventh globally and first in Africa for our aviation safety standards by the International Civil Aviation Organization.”

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There have been no fatal accidents in its commercial airline operations space for over four decades, it added.

The history of Black rugby in South Africa

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Edited by: Louis Oelofse

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A WWE star recently spoke about the pool of potential opponents for Dominik Mysterio, claiming that the latter had no threat due to his current alliance.

Dominik Mysterio became one of the most hated heels in the business after he parted ways with his father Rey Mysterio on screen. He has recently been active in AAA and is currently the Mega Champion. He has made allies in the promotion, working alongside Omos and El Hijo Del Vikingo in the stable called El Ojo.

In a recent interview with Casino Guru, Omos was asked about Dominik Mysterio. The Nigerian Giant stated that Dominik had no real threats as long as he stood with Omos. He also mentioned how strong El Ojo was, claiming that it was a conglomerate.

“There’s a ton of opponents, you know, but as long as we’re together, I don’t think he has any tough opponents. We’re together in El Ojo, we’re all one, we talk, we’re a bit of a conglomerate. So, I think as long as he has me, there’s no threat.” (H/T: Fightful)

Dominik Mysterio recently spoke about his WWE WrestleMania dream match

According to Dominik Mysterio, facing Seth Rollins in a special match at WrestleMania is something he would enjoy.

Speaking in an interview with Metro Ecuador, Dominik recalled how he had faced Seth Rollins in a street fight for his first match in WWE. He believes that facing Rollins again in a hair vs. hair match would bring things together well. He said he does not have anything to fear.

“As for WrestleMania in Saudi Arabia, my dream would be a hair vs. hair match against Seth Rollins,” he said. “I began my career with him; it was my very first match, so getting to face him in the ring rather than just being his protégé would be a dream come true for me. What do I have to fear?” (translation by Google Translate)

As of now, it remains to be seen what Dominik Mysterio has planned for his future in WWE and the pro wrestling business.