Belarus’s Aryna Sabalenka reacts as she plays against Japan’s Naomi Osaka during their women’s singles round of 16 tennis match on the seventh day of the 2026 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 5, 2026. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP)

Aryna Sabalenka’s world number one ranking will be on the line at the WTA 1000 tournament in Toronto, where the Belarusian star aims to extend her hard court dominance in the build up to her US Open title defense.

Sabalenka has won 23 of her 24 hard court matches this year, the lone defeat her loss to Elena Rybakina in the Australian Open final.

But she was turfed out in the quarterfinals on the clay of Roland Garros and fell to Naomi Osaka in the round of 16 on the grass courts of Wimbledon.

If Sabalenka fails to reach the round of 16 in Toronto, Kazakhstan’s Rybakina can rise to number one if she lifts the trophy.

Sabalenka has never made it past the semifinals in Canada, which alternates each year between Montreal and Toronto, but she said she was feeling rested and ready to reassert herself after taking time off in the wake of her All England Club exit.

“Clay and grass, I wouldn’t say they were that bad,” she said. “I was trying a couple of things, didn’t go the way that I expected. And now we’re kind of back to basics and I really hope it’s going to work out well.”

Sabalenka had exited Wimbledon saying she wanted to “forget about tennis.”

She did that with a summer holiday on the Greek island of Mykonos.

READ: Aryna Sabalenka, Jannik Sinner lead US Open fields

“I think the rest was much-needed,” she told reporters on Sunday. “I spent there five, six days maybe. I felt much better, I couldn’t wait to get back on court and start working towards my goals for this swing.”

Sabalenka heads a top half of the draw that also includes two-time winner Jessica Pegula, the third seed, 2024 finalist Amanda Anisimova and seventh-seeded Iga Swiatek of Poland.

Former world number one Swiatek, a six-time Grand Slam champion, will be aiming to regroup after slumping to a third-round defeat at Wimbledon.

Rybakina anchors a bottom half of the draw that also includes fourth-seeded Coco Gauff, four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka and newly crowned Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova.

Czech Noskova, who broke into the top 10 after winning her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, is seeded sixth and could face another rising star in the Philippines’ Alex Eala in the third round.

They have met twice already this year, with Noskova winning both times.

Wimbledon runner-up Karolina Muchova is among the notable absentees as she recovers from a minor surgery.

Reigning champion Victoria Mboko of Canada, who thrilled Montreal fans with her run to a first WTA title last year, remains sidelined with the knee injury that forced her out of Wimbledon.

Tricky schedule

The ATP Masters 1000 in Montreal this week has also been hit by high-profile defections, including that of Wimbledon champion Jannik Sinner.

Sabalenka said the scheduling is “tricky” for any player that does well in the grass court season, with the Canadian tournaments followed by a 1000-level event in Cincinnati in a schedule that offers little respite before the US Open begins on August 30.

“If you go far at the grass court (season) you feel really fatigued and you’re not able to pull out any good tennis so what’s the reason of coming when your body is really so much stress,” she said. “It’s very tricky, but this year I didn’t do well so I’m here.”

All 32 seeded players received first-round byes.

Play got underway on Sunday with Japanese qualifier Moyuka Uchijima booking a second-round meeting with Sabalenka with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Spain’s Cristina Bucsa.

Czech Sara Bejlek posted a 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 victory over China’s Wang Xiyu, who was hobbled by a left leg problem, and booked a second-round meeting with Swiatek.

Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams bowed out in the first round, falling 6-4, 6-1 to Uzbekistan’s Kamilla Rakhimova.

Vinicius Jr.’s contract situation remains one of Real Madrid‘s biggest unresolved issues, with negotiations stretching back to the aftermath of the 2025 Club World Cup, shortly after Xabi Alonso took charge.

Indeed, as reported by AS, it was during that period that the player’s representatives held their last face-to-face meeting with the club, when an agreement appeared close before talks unexpectedly stalled.

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Negotiations are now set to resume from that point.

A deal that nearly happened

During that meeting at Valdebebas, Vinicius reportedly made a significant concession on his original salary demands, which had initially been close to €30 million net per season.

Real Madrid also improved their offer, bringing both sides much closer together. Despite the progress, the renewal was never finalized.

Neither party was willing to make the final compromise, leaving an agreement that seemed imminent unsigned.

Still no agreement over renewal. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)

Current salary and new demands

Vinicius is now seeking a salary of around €20 million net per season, an increase of roughly €5 million over his current earnings.

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His existing contract, signed in 2022 and officially announced in October 2023, runs until 2027 and is worth €75 million net over five seasons, averaging €15 million per year.

The agreement was structured progressively. He began on approximately €10 million net per season. His salary rose annually to reach around €18 million in the final year.

The 26-year-old Brazilian also received an additional €2 million per season after winning FIFA’s The Best award, a bonus that would also have been triggered by winning the Ballon d’Or.

Image rights the major issue

While salary remains important, image rights have become one of the biggest sticking points in negotiations.

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Kylian Mbappe controls almost 100% of his image rights, a structure that helps facilitate his overall financial package at Real Madrid.

Vinicius is now looking for a similar arrangement. As one of football’s biggest commercial stars, the Brazilian has endorsement deals with 18 international brands.

Image rights are proving to be an issue. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

These include Nike, Apple, PlayStation, Pepsi, Gatorade, Boss, Visa, Marriott Bonvoy, Havaianas, UNESCO, Clear, Rexona, Omo, Vivo, Prada, Dubai Tourism, and Betnacional.

The winger is also believed to be interested in receiving a renewal bonus, similar in concept to the signing bonus Mbappe received when joining Real Madrid.

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A tense situation

Vinicius’ current deal expires in 2027, meaning that from January he would be permitted to negotiate freely with clubs outside Spain if no renewal is agreed.

As such, Real Madrid are seeking a quick resolution, one way or the other.

The latest information from the Brazilian’s camp suggests his priority remains staying at Real Madrid by signing a new contract.

Having returned to Valdebebas today after his vacation, Vinicius is expected to hold a decisive meeting with Jose Mourinho and Real Madrid’s senior leadership in the coming hours to discuss his future.

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FIFA President Gianni Infantino is under pressure after abandoning plans to sell a stake in the World Cup to private ​investors. Infantino’s plans fell apart after UEFA’s 55-member nations agreed to boycott the World Cup and all other FIFA competitions. CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation also said they opposed the plan. 

As we head towards the 2026 NFL season, I have been ranking the position groups and the head coaches of the NFC North teams. Now we come to the endgame – ranking the four teams for the 2026 season.

Check back on the position rankings through the following links QB, RB, WR, TE, OL, iDL, EDGE, LB, CB, S, HC

NFC North Team Rankings for 2026

To try and get the most unbiased rankings I can I am using all the rankings I’ve done so far to assign points to each team. Teams get points for where they ranked in each of the position rankings given out like this; 

1st place – 4 points

2nd place – 3 points 

3rd place – 2 points

4th place – 1 point 

The point totals have been counted and the NFC North team rankings are decided.

1. Detroit Lions – 34 points

The Lions topped the rankings by four points and look like they have the strongest roster in the division. Of course, this was also the case last season, and Detroit finished last. If the Lions don’t prove that last season was a blip and get back to looking like genuine contenders then Dan Campbell’s position will come under fire.

Detroit is strong right across the roster, with the one area I have reservations about being the offensive line. They’ve lost big players from the OL but they do still have one of the best tackles in the game in Penei Sewell. Add to that exciting playmakers on offense like Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Sam Laporta, as well as great defenders like Aidan Hutchinson, Jack Campbell, Brian Branch, and DJ Reed, and this is a team that should still be thinking Super Bowl.

2. Chicago Bears – 30 points

In Chicago, they will be hoping Ben Johnson can build on the success of his first season as head coach of the Bears. His division title win was built on his offense, particularly a strong offensive line, running backs, and tight ends, in a very similar way to the success he helped bring to Detroit.

Johnson helped get more consistent play out of Caleb Williams and the development of the former first overall pick will go a long way to determining how Chicago moves forward.

My biggest concern for the Bears is up front on the defensive line where the team is going to have to figure out ways to disrupt some good OLs that reside in the division. This is still a good team, though, that will be eyeing a return to the playoffs.

3. Green Bay Packers – 24 points

Despite the big trade for edge rusher Micah Parsons during last season, I sense the Packers are potentially a team on the decline.

There are plenty of good players on Green Bay’s roster but not many very good/great ones outside of Parsons and a strong group of safeties – Xavier McKinney, Evan Williams, and Javon Bullard. A big rushing season from Josh Jacobs will be crucial for the Packers and they need at least one of their WRs to step up and have a big season.

They will be competitive but I don’t foresee playoff football in Wisconsin this season unless they can sneak into a wild card place. With both plenty of experience and a recent run of lots of playoff football, they shouldn’t be completely counted out.

4. Minnesota Vikings – 22 points 

The Vikings have a lot of question marks across the roster. Most notably, QB, RB, CB, S, and the ability of Kevin O’Connell and Brian Flores to get more out of the team than the sum of its parts will again be crucial – particularly on defense where the loss of Jonathan Greenard has left the Vikings lacking in top-end talent.

On offense, Minnesota needs to find consistent QB play to allow Justin Jefferson to take over games and let the rest of the offense come with him. A healthy offensive line would also help after a season that saw the unit decimated by injuries in 2025.

Through all the turmoil of last season, the Vikings managed to win nine games, so I expect them to be competitive again. Making it to the playoffs through a wild card place would constitute a good season.

Proud UK Viking. Family Man. Enjoy writing about my team. Away from football an advocate for autism acceptance.

An Indian court on Monday acquitted the former head of the country’s wrestling federation of sexual harassment and stalking charges brought by female athletes.

Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a former lawmaker from Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), had denied allegations that he groped wrestlers and demanded sexual favors.

What was the reaction to Singh’s acquittal?

Singh’s lawyer Rajiv Mohan said the New Delhi court found “inconsistencies” in witness statements and “contradictions on major issues.”

“I had complete faith that justice would be done,” Singh told reporters after the verdict. “I never considered myself a criminal at all.”

Supporters celebrated outside the court by setting off firecrackers, showering Singh with flower petals and offering him sweets.

Leading female wrestler Vinesh Phogat said the women would challenge the ruling in a higher court and continue their legal fight.

“It took a great deal of courage for us to take to the streets and get a complaint registered against a powerful leader of the ruling party,” she wrote on X.

What is the significance of the case?

The allegations triggered months of protests in New Delhi in 2023, led by prominent athletes including Phogat, Olympic bronze medalist Sakshi Malik and Olympic medalist Bajrang Punia.

Hundreds joined sit-in demonstrations accusing authorities of failing to act against Singh.

Malik later retired from wrestling in protest, while Punia returned one of India’s highest civilian honors.

Delhi police charged Singh in 2023 after sustained pressure from the protesting wrestlers.

A court formally brought charges against him in 2024 over allegations involving five women.

Singh completed his parliamentary term that year and was not selected to run again. The BJP instead fielded his son from the same constituency, which he won.

Edited by: Saim Dušan Inayatullah

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Moses Itauma‘s possible career path has become a lot clearer after he was officially named as the mandatory challenger for a reigning world heavyweight champion.

Itauma is viewed as being the future of the heavyweight division, with the 21-year-old having won all 14 of his professional fights to date, 12 of them coming by knockout.

He has claimed wins over the likes of Dillian Whyte, Mariusz Wach and Demsey McKean, and last time out became the first man to stop former Whyte and Anthony Joshua foe Jermaine Franklin when he earned a fifth round TKO victory.

Itauma is set for his toughest test so far later this month when he takes on Filip Hrgovic at The O2 Arena on August 29, and with a win there, the youngster could now head straight into a world title shot.

That is after the WBA confirmed that Itauma is the mandatory for Murat Gassiev, correcting an earlier mistake where Jarrell Miller was wrongly listed as mandatory.

“The World Boxing Association (WBA) Championships Committee wishes to clarify an inadvertent error in the publication of the July heavyweight rankings, which incorrectly listed Jarrell Miller as the division’s official mandatory challenger.

“The heavyweight division has one official mandatory challenger: Moses Itauma, who currently holds the No. 1 spot in the rankings and has been awaiting his world title opportunity for several months.

“While Miller returned to the ring on April 24 and earned a unanimous decision victory over Lenier Peró in Las Vegas, it is important to clarify that the bout was not a final eliminator. As such, that victory did not make him the WBA’s official mandatory challenger.”

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Gassiev became WBA Regular champion in December with a knockout win over Kubrat Pulev, and after Oleksandr Usyk vacated his unified world heavyweight titles earlier this summer, Gassiev was subsequently elevated to full champion.

It means Itauma now has another avenue for a world title shot, having already been ordered to negotiate with Frank Sanchez for a fight for the vacant IBF heavyweight title.

Levi Wyatt, a former college football standout who played for the Jackson State Tigers and McNeese State Cowboys, has died. He was 23.

Jackson State mourned the loss of the former cornerback on Saturday. Wyatt was a 2024 Preseason All-Southland Conference Second Team selection before he joined the Tigers. He had 12 tackles and four pass breakups in 2025.

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Levi Wyatt #2 of Jackson State reacts against Prairie View A&M during the 2025 SWAC Championship at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson, Miss., on Dec. 6, 2025. (Getty Images)

“The bond of this brotherhood does not end when the game clock expires,” Jackson State said in a statement. “Today, we mourn the loss of our brother, Levi Wyatt. His memory will forever live within the halls of Jackson State football and in the hearts of everyone who shared this journey with him.

“We ask the Tiger Nation to join us in lifting his family and loved ones in prayer during this incredibly difficult time. Rest easy, Tiger.”

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Jacob Bostick No. 11 of the Texas A&M Aggies runs after a reception while defended by Levi Wyatt No. 2 of the McNeese State Cowboys in the second half at Kyle Field on Sept. 7, 2024, in College Station, Texas. (Getty Images)

Wyatt was killed in a car crash in Mississippi early Saturday, according to state officials.

The Mississippi Department of Public Safety said officers in Jackson responded to a report of a car crash just after midnight local time, according to WLBT-TV. Responding officers located two vehicles that sustained damage at the scene.

A Chevrolet Camaro reportedly struck a utility pole.

The Hinds County coroner identified Wyatt as one of the victims of the crash, and he was pronounced dead at the scene, WLBT-TV reported.

Levi Wyatt #2 of the Jackson State Tigers reacts against the Prairie View A&M Panthers during the 2025 SWAC Championship at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium on Dec. 6, 2025, in Jackson, Miss. (Getty Images)

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Mississippi Highway Patrol was reportedly investigating the incident.

Celtic have been drawn against Austrian champions LASK in the Champions League play-off round.

Meanwhile, Rangers will face either Northern Irish champions Larne or Iberia Tbilisi of Georgia in the Europa League play-offs should they defeat Jagiellonia Bialystok of Poland.

And Heart of Midlothian, who dropped down to the Europa League after losing to Sturm Graz in Champions League qualifying, will take on either AGF Aarhus of Denmark or Sabah of Azerbaijan should they defeat Benfica.

Should they lose, the Edinburgh side will face Paide Linnameeskond of Estonia or Rapid Vienna of Austria in the Conference League play-off round.

If Rangers lose, they will meet Jablonec of Czech Republic or RFS of Latvia.

Motherwell will take on Freiburg of Germany should they defeat Finland’s HJK Helsinki.

Meanwhile, Hibernian will take on IFK Gothenburg of Sweden or Gent of Belgium if they oust Shkendija of Macedonia.