Venus Williams hasn’t won a singles tennis match since July 2025. The seven-time Grand Slam champion and former women’s No. 1 is currently 611th in the WTA rankings and 46 year’s old, but she is in the main draw of the 2026 US Open, thanks to a wild card.
“I get a lot of joy out of being different or unexpected or bucking the system,” she told Vogue earlier this year. “I find that thrilling.”
Nevertheless, her invitation to play in the women’s singles of the US Open raises a fundamental question: How do wild cards work?
The power of the organizers
A wild card allows a player to participate in a tournament even if their current ranking doesn’t warrant it. Organizers can use wild cards to promote young players, facilitate comebacks—or bring in big names.
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Williams’ case is supported by her extraordinary career. She won two of her seven Grand Slam titles at the US Open and her name alone still sells tickets.
‘The most effective tool for developing young talent’
In a statement to DW, the German Tennis Federation (DTB) described wild cards as “one of the most effective tools for developing young talent.”
It was something that offered youngsters with “experience at the highest international level—experience that cannot be fully replicated through training or competing at lower-tier tournaments.”
Venus and Serena Williams won the women’s doubles at Wimbledon in 2008Image: Corinne Dubreuil/ABACAPRESS/IMAGO
However, the DTB also noted: “In our view, there is no automatic priority given to either ‘big names’ or up-and-coming players. The deciding factors are the specific situation and the tournament’s objectives.”
In addition to sporting criteria, factors such as “a tournament’s appeal or marketing potential could also play a role,” the DTB explained. However, there must “always be clearly added value for the tournament and the sport.”
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Mixed reactions from the tennis world
After Venus received a wild card for the Miami Open in March despite being on a losing streak, former world No. 1 Yevgeny Kafelnikov was critical.
“I have incredible respect for Venus Williams’ achievements. Multiple Grand Slam singles champion, world No.1, but it’s time,” he told the Hard Court podcast. He also argued that wild cards would be better used to help younger players in their development.
Andy Roddick, former US Open winner and world No. 1, disagreed.
“You can save all of your ‘she shouldn’t get a wild card.’ If you won five Wimbledons, seven majors, you’re part of the most iconic tennis family in history, this is a win for the tournament at Washington DC, the city of Washington DC,” Roddick said on his Served podcast ahead of last year’s DC Open.
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Andy Murray also pushed back against criticism regarding his wild cards back in 2021. After everything he had been through and contributed to the sport, he “shouldn’t have to justify why I should get wild cards,” said the three-time Grand Slam winner.
Venus’ sister, Serena, received a wild card for Wimbledon this year at the age of 44. The 23-time Grand Slam champion had not played a singles match in nearly four years prior to that. She lost in the first round. (Both Venus and Serena have also been granted a wild card to compete in the US Open women’s doubles.)
Wawrinka’ frown turned upside down
Stanislas Wawrinka, who is retiring after this season had hoped for one final appearance at the US Open – but was initially denied a wild card. It was bitterly disappointing for the now 41-year-old Swiss, who is ranked 127th in the men’s rankings but won the tournament in 2016 – one of his three career Grand Slam titles. However, after the slightly higher ranked American, Patrick Kypson, withdrew due to injury, the organizers extended an invitation to a delighted Wawrinka.
“I’m incredibly excited to accept the wild card for the 2026 US Open and look forward to competing in front of the fans in New York once again,” he said in a statement.
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Stan Wawrinka had originally been passed over for a wild card for the US OpenImage: Matthieu Mirville/ZUMA/IMAGO
Tatjana Maria has also experienced just how unpredictable wild card decisions can be. The German won the WTA 500 tournament at London’s Queen’s Club in 2025, defeating four top-20 players along the way. A year later, the defending champion didn’t receive a wild card, with all four invitations going to British players.
“I was pretty sure I’d get a wild card—or at least I hoped so, since I won here last year,” Maria said.
She wound up having to go through the qualifying rounds—and won both of her matches to make it into the main draw.
Two bagels and 20 double faults
There was also a bizarre case in Kenya earlier this year. At the International Tennis Federation (ITF) World Tennis Tour W35 tournament in Nairobi, 21-year-old Egyptian player Hajar Abdelkader received a wild card. The World Tennis Tour is a developmental series for the WTA Tour.
Abdelkader lost to Germany’s Lorena Schaedel 0–6, 0–6 in a match that lasted just 37 minutes. She won just three points and committed 20 double faults.
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The ITF described her performance level as “unacceptable.” Tennis Kenya admitted that she shouldn’t have been granted a wild card. The ITF announced plans to review its procedures and consider establishing a minimum sporting standard for wild cards.
A better solution?
The US Open itself has found a way to tie wild cards more directly to sporting criteria. In the US Tennis Association’s “Wild Card Challenge,” players accumulate world ranking points over several weeks; the leader at the end secures a spot in the main draw. Carol Young Suh Lee clinched a main-draw women’s singles wild card for this year’s tournament, while J.J. Wolf did the same on the men’s side.
Running coaching app Runna is partnering with Loughborough University to bring academic
sports science more deeply into the algorithms that underpin its personalised training plans.
Uefa is pursuing criminal legal proceedings against Fifa and its president Gianni Infantino over the now scrapped plan to sell off stakes in the World Cup and its other competitions to private investors.
Documents seen by BBC Sport show an application has been made by European football’s governing body requesting access to evidence and documents for use in proceedings in Switzerland against both the embattled president himself and Fifa.
In the application, Uefa claims that Infantino engineered the plan in order to enrich himself and the potential private investors.
“In truth, it was a vehicle for Infantino and that small circle to acquire a permanent stake in and otherwise profit from Fifa’s most valuable assets to the detriment of Fifa, its members, and other parties within the football family,” Uefa’s application says.
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“Infantino pushed the plan through internal Fifa approval only days earlier at a hastily convened meeting where a limited number of Fifa’s management officials and employees – some of whom had never heard of the plan – were given mere hours to sign off on an unprecedented multi-billion dollar scheme.”
Uefa also claims that the valuation of the stakes to be sold were not independently verified and would have been offered too cheaply.
Uefa’s application adds: “Under the terms Infantino announced, those investors stood to acquire a permanent financial interest in Fifa’s commercial arm for $4.2bn, implying an absurdly low enterprise value of only approximately $20bn, a figure that was neither the product of an open, competitive auction, nor tested by any independent valuer.”
In the application, Uefa is applying to a court in Florida – where the businesses Fifa operated in order to deliver the 2026 World Cup are based – in an attempt to access files to be used to pursue the criminal charges in Switzerland at a later stage.
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Uefa claims that its 55 member nations would have potentially been harmed by the sell-off plan, and that it may pursue criminal proceedings against other Fifa officials.
“Uefa and other interested parties are preparing to bring criminal claims in Switzerland against Infantino and possibly other Fifa officials and advisors for criminal mismanagement,” the application states.
“The secretive structuring, valuation, financing, and marketing inflicted direct and concrete injury on Fifa’s reputation, governance authority, and commercial relationships to the detriment of Fifa as well as its 211 members, including Uefa’s 55 member associations.”
Uefa insists that the plan was concocted without the knowledge of them or other key stakeholders in football, and that it had been long in development.
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The applications says: “On July 28, 2026, without consulting the Fifa Council, Uefa, or any of the other confederations, or any of the 211 Fifa member associations, Infantino, purportedly acting on behalf of Fifa, publicly announced a plan to place the commercial rights to the men’s and women’s World Cups and the Club World Cup into a new subsidiary: Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE).
“That announcement by Infantino was the public unveiling of a plan that he and a small circle of co-conspirators had conceived and reportedly been developing in secret for more than a year.”
India, featuring 11 World Cup debutants, will face a stern test against a side that has already beaten it twice in practice matches before the tournament. India’s semifinal hopes were dashed on Sunday after a goalless draw against Australia in their final second-round pool match, where they needed a win to progress.
The three-day break, however, has given Sjoerd Marijne’s side time to recover from the disappointment and refocus on the final challenge.
After an entire offseason of assuming that Tua Tagovailoa would win the quarterback competition – if only by default – we are now in crunch-time and Tagovailoa simply hasn’t performed well enough to earn the QB1 title.
That’s not a great sign for Penix’s Week 1 readiness, but the third-year QB told reporters yesterday that he will be ready for the season opener physically and mentally – if he stays on track.
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If it seems like Penix is taking a long time to fully recover from his third career ACL tear, you’re not wrong. Penix told the media that the surgery he underwent was different this time around, which is one of the reasons why it’s taken longer.
This was not only Penix’s third ACL tear, it was the fifth season-ending injury he’s suffered since he started his college career at Indiana back in. Therefore, it makes sense that the doctors would try a different procedure. On the bright side, this was only Penix’s first ACL tear on his left knee.
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This lack of certainty at the quarterback position between Tua and Penix has some fans calling for undrafted rookie Jack Strand to start. And while Strand has played well in the preseason, his goal right now should just be to make the team.
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Penix was injured during a Week 11 game against the Carolina Panthers. Last season, he finished with 1,982 passing yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions.
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Falcons vs. Colts: Photos from Saturday’s preseason game
Aug 22, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Goodson (25) celebrates with Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Chris Blair (19) after running for a touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts during the first half at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
(Robert Goddin, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Falcons vs. Colts: Photos from Saturday’s preseason game
Aug 22, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Goodson (25) celebrates with Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Chris Blair (19) after running for a touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts during the first half at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
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(Robert Goddin, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Falcons vs. Colts: Photos from Saturday’s preseason game
Aug 22, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Goodson (25) celebrates with Atlanta Falcons guard Corey Levin (62) after running for a touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts during the first half at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
(Robert Goddin, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Falcons vs. Colts: Photos from Saturday’s preseason game
Aug 22, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce (14), Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (17) and Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen are seen prior to the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
(Robert Goddin, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Falcons vs. Colts: Photos from Saturday’s preseason game
Aug 22, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner (1) is seen prior to the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
(Robert Goddin, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Falcons vs. Colts: Photos from Saturday’s preseason game
Aug 22, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Atlanta Falcons tight end Nick Muse (87) runs after a catch against Indianapolis Colts linebacker Bryce Boettcher (50) during the first half at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
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(Robert Goddin, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Falcons vs. Colts: Photos from Saturday’s preseason game
Aug 22, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Riley Leonard (15) throws a pass against the Atlanta Falcons during the first half at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
(Robert Goddin, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Falcons vs. Colts: Photos from Saturday’s preseason game
Aug 22, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Goodson (25) runs past Indianapolis Colts linebacker CJ Allen (53) for a touchdown during the first half at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
(Robert Goddin, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Falcons vs. Colts: Photos from Saturday’s preseason game
Aug 22, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Goodson (25) runs past Indianapolis Colts cornerback Rob Carter Jr. (39) for a touchdown during the first half at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
(Robert Goddin, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Falcons vs. Colts: Photos from Saturday’s preseason game
Aug 22, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Goodson (25) runs for a touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts during the first half at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
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(Robert Goddin, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Falcons vs. Colts: Photos from Saturday’s preseason game
Aug 22, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Goodson (25) runs for a touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts during the first half at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
(Robert Goddin, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Falcons vs. Colts: Photos from Saturday’s preseason game
Aug 22, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Goodson (25) runs for a touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts during the first half at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
(Robert Goddin, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Falcons vs. Colts: Photos from Saturday’s preseason game
Aug 22, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Atlanta Falcons safety Sydney Brown (29) tackles Indianapolis Colts running back Seth McGowan (20) during the first half at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
(Robert Goddin, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Falcons vs. Colts: Photos from Saturday’s preseason game
Aug 22, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Chris Blair (19) catches a pass against Indianapolis Colts cornerback Mekhi Blackmon (29) during the first half at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
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(Robert Goddin, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Falcons vs. Colts: Photos from Saturday’s preseason game
Aug 22, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; An Indianapolis Colts cheerleader performs against the Atlanta Falcons during the first half at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
(Robert Goddin, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Falcons vs. Colts: Photos from Saturday’s preseason game
Aug 22, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Vinny Anthony II (86) runs against Indianapolis Colts safety Jonathan Owens (38) after a catch during the first half at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
(Robert Goddin, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Falcons vs. Colts: Photos from Saturday’s preseason game
Aug 22, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Atlanta Falcons tight end Nick Muse (87) runs after a catch against Indianapolis Colts linebacker Bryce Boettcher (50) during the first half at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
(Robert Goddin, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Falcons vs. Colts: Photos from Saturday’s preseason game
Aug 22, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Goodson (25) celebrates with Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Chris Blair (19) after running for a touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts during the first half at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
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(Robert Goddin, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Falcons vs. Colts: Photos from Saturday’s preseason game
Aug 22, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Riley Leonard (15) warms up prior to the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
(Robert Goddin, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Falcons vs. Colts: Photos from Saturday’s preseason game
Aug 22, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. (5) warms up prior to the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
The Dallas Wings have learned to win without Azzi Fudd in the lineup over the past week, extending their winning streak to three games with an 18-point victory over Portland Tuesday night.
Fudd, a former UConn women’s basketball star, has been sidelined since Aug. 7 and was ruled out for the season last Wednesday, undergoing an arthroscopic procedure on her right knee to address continued soreness. Wings coach Jose Fernandez provided an update on Fudd’s surgery and recovery after Tuesday’s win.
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“Azzi Fudd had a great procedure,” Fernandez said. “She’ll be back with the team after the World Cup break.” Fernandez’s comments refer to the fact that her surgery was conducted outside of Dallas – Fudd will not return to action for the Wings this season.
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Fudd’s season-ending surgery continues a string of significant injuries to her right knee, dating back to her standout high school career. The young shooting guard has torn her right ACL on two separate occasions and also picked up injuries to her MCL and meniscus.
Her first absence came under fairly innocuous circumstances against Golden State Aug. 7, as Fudd suffered from soreness during pre-game warmups and was removed from the starting lineup out of an “abundance of caution.” Fudd was featured in full 5-on-5 scrimmages the following week during Wings practice, but she never returned to the rotation before receiving her season-ending prognosis.
Dallas posted just a 1-4 record during Fudd’s first five games out of the lineup, struggling mightily from beyond the arc and only managing to secure a six-point victory over the bottom-feeding Toronto Tempo. The Wings have looked much improved on this week’s Pacific Northwest road trip, defeating the Seattle Storm and Portland Fire by a combined 40 points to clinch a spot in the WNBA Playoffs.
Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President Ibrahim Musa Gusau and General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi have resigned from their positions amid a major shake-up at the football governing body.
Sanusi confirmed the development, saying reports that he and Gusau had resigned were true.
The resignations come weeks before the NFF elective congress scheduled for September 27 in Lafia, Nasarawa State, where a new Executive Committee is expected to be elected.
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The leadership change follows growing pressure on the NFF after a number of setbacks involving Nigeria’s national teams, including the Super Falcons’ failure to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The federation has also faced questions over its administration and the handling of a ₦17 billion Federal Government intervention fund approved to settle outstanding payments involving Nigeria’s national teams.
Reports also indicate that some other members of the NFF Executive Committee have stepped down, although reports differ on the exact number of officials who have resigned.
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At the time of reporting, the NFF had not released a full official statement confirming all the reported resignations.
The latest development could have a major impact on the planned September 27 elective congress and the future leadership of Nigerian football.
A female WWE star has said that she could help Logan Paul reach the next level in the ring. The YouTuber-turned-wrestler has impressed with his in-ring skills since he debuted in 2022.
He has grown as a performer for the company after signing a deal to be a full-time star. Paul has already held the US and tag team championships in WWE. While some fans have criticized him for being an outsider, his ability in the squared circle has hardly been questioned.
Thanks for the submission!
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Now, veteran WWE star Nattie wants to see him train at the Dungeon to dial in his wrestling skills. Speaking on TMZ Sports’ Inside The Ring, Nattie praised Logan Paul for showing up on RAW despite still recovering from a triceps injury. She then talked about wanting to see him at the Dungeon, saying he was a student of the game.
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“I was saying this to TJ, I would love to get Logan in the Dungeon, because I think that he’s actually more than people realize, I think he’s a student of the game. I think he wants to be really good,” she said.
Nattie said she believes The Maverick has a lot more to offer, and training in the Dungeon will take him to the next level.
“I think he really wants to get this. I would love to get him in the Dungeon with Jacob (Fatu), Montez (Ford), (Angelo) Dawkins, Liv (Morgan), with our Dungeon family, and for him to really dial in. I think he’s got so much to offer, but we could really dial in his wrestling for him, and really help him to get to that next, next level,” she added.
Logan Paul mocked former WWE Superstar
Logan Paul recently dropped an update on his recovery on his YouTube vlog. In the vlog, he was shown paying a visit to Dr. Jeffrey Dugas, who has helped many WWE stars with their injuries.
At his clinic, there were quite a few photo frames of the stars he has treated, and one of them was of Tommaso Ciampa. Ciampa left WWE at the start of this year after spending a decade with the company.
Logan Paul took up the frame and then started to mock Ciampa. He said that he has no job and said that he wasn’t in his line of work. When it was suggested that Ciampa is working with AEW, the Vision member dismissed it, saying if it isn’t with WWE, it doesn’t matter.
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If you use quotes from this article, please credit TMZ Sports’ Inside The Ring and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.
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Since 2022, Scottie Scheffler has put together the kind of lengthy stretch of excellence rarely seen in the history of pro golf. For the better part of four seasons, he’s been No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
His first PGA Tour victory came at the 2022 WM Phoenix Open, and he’s added 20 more Ws since, including four majors.
But while it may seem like Scheffler plays his best on the game’s biggest stages, he might be even more dominant when he’s at home in Dallas, Texas.
Gary Woodland on Scheffler’s dominance: ‘I’ve never beat Scottie in Dallas’
A true golf and competition junkie, Scheffler regularly plays money games with fellow Dallas-area pros at Royal Oaks Country Club. Kim and Woodland, along with American Ryder Cupper Sam Burns, often serve as Scheffler’s opponents.
In fact, it’s thanks to Scheffler that Kim joined Royal Oaks in the first place.
The World No. 1 shared the tale at last week’s BMW Championship.
“[Si Woo Kim] stopped me in the locker room one day, he’s like, ‘Hey, you’re a member at Royal Oak?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah. Like what’s up?’ And he’s like, ‘Can you help me join?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, of course I can. And it’s Royal Oaks by the way.’ He called it Royal Oak,” Scheffler revealed.
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The two became fast friends, regular practice buddies and frequent competitors in money matches.
“He’s always been so popular in the locker room and he’s really fun to be around. He likes playing, he likes to go out and compete,” Scheffler said last week. “It’s great to have as part of our games at home a guy that I see out here week-to-week. He’s got one son, he’s a family guy, and he’s just really easy guy to be around. He’s really popular in the locker room.”
While he admitted he does play money matches with Kim at Royal Oaks, Scheffler declined when asked to confirm that he’d never lost to Kim at home.
“I’ll let him answer,” Scheffler said.
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On Tuesday at the Tour Championship, Kim didn’t quite say he’d never beaten Scheffler, but he did admit to losing lots of money, though he did so with a joke and without confirming any numbers.
“I can’t say how much I lost [to Scheffler], but I think I’m paying for his second son, all the diapers,” Kim joked at East Lake.
Fortunately, Woodland provided a lot more of the dirty details in his own press conference on Wednesday. Woodland said that he, Scheffler and Kim are “gambling every day for sure” when at home practicing at Royal Oaks.
The 2019 U.S. Open champion then added that while Kim is getting a lot of attention for always losing to Scheffler at home, he has officially never beaten Scheffler in their money matches.
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“Unfortunately, Si Woo’s getting a lot of hard grief losing to Scottie. I’ve never beat Scottie in Dallas,” Woodland revealed. “He asked me if I just hand him money every time he sees me. Fortunately, that’s been the case.”
Then Woodland provided a glimpse into why Scheffler is “so hard to beat” at Royal Oaks.
“He’s hard to beat there. Right before we went to Memphis, he parred the last — I was giving him a hard time that he couldn’t handle the pressure. He parred the last three holes and shot 60 one day,” Woodland explained. “Si Woo, that didn’t work out for Si Woo and I. He’s hard to beat out here. He’s really hard to beat in Dallas.”
He continued: “We play 100 a hole, and Si Woo and I like to press sometimes, but that doesn’t work out well either. I’ve had to go to the ATM a couple times playing him in Dallas. Trust me, I’m surprised he hasn’t said it. He likes to remind me of it.”
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While it may seem like Scheffler never loses on the PGA Tour, that might literally be true at Royal Oaks.
There’s something quietly brewing in Iowa City, and it might be happening right under your nose.
The Hawkeyes soccer program has enjoyed the most successful multi-year stretch in its history in the last three years. They advanced to the NCAA Tournament three consecutive years in a row (2023 – 2025) for the first time in program history. In 2023 they won the Big Ten tournament title. In 2024 they advanced to the NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen for the first time ever. And in 2025 the Hawkeyes reached a milestone by climbing to No. 5 in the national rankings, marking the highest rank in program history.
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Dean Ward joins Iowa for the 2026 season as the new head coach, after 12-year head coach Dave DiIanni departed Iowa to take the head coaching job at Michigan. Dean is originally from Birmingham, England. As is common in the UK, Ward grew up immersed in soccer, as his father was a coach and he played competitively until his early 20s. Ward brings nearly two decades of collegiate coaching experience to Iowa. Most recently Dean was at Xavier, where they were Big East Runners-Up the last two seasons, and won the Big East Tournament last year. During his two-year stint at Xavier, Ward compiled an impressive 31-9-6 record.
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While prior coach Dilanni’s teams were known for their defensive identity, Ward favors an aggressive, attacking philosophy where the style of play is more fluid and players are empowered to be creative. The Iowa players have described Ward’s leadership style as highly collaborative and transparent. The transition has been described by the returning players as “seamless” and have called out that his calm demeanor on the sidelines has helped instill confidence.
Typically, a coaching change triggers a mass exodus into the NCAA transfer portal. However, the Hawkeyes have demonstrated incredible team unity. The core player leadership gathered immediately after DiIanni’s departure and made a collective pact to stay. Defender Lexy Griffin said, “We all just banded together in the locker room saying we’re here for each other, we’re here to play for each other. We’re not necessarily here for a coach; we’re here for the school.” 17 key players from the 2025 roster chose to stay in Iowa City rather than transfer (the maximum roster limit for an NCAA Division 1 college soccer program is a hard cap of 28 players).
Iowa has returning star power for 2026, highlighted by second-team All-Big Ten midfielder Sofia Bush and star forward Berit Parten (who is back fully healthy after being limited by injuries in 2025). Veterans Millie Greer, Lucia Englund, and Sara Batchadji return to anchor a defense that allowed only 23 goals the prior year. A watch item for this year’s team is the goalkeeper, as last year’s phenomenal keeper has graduated. Thus far, freshman keeper Braelynn Galt has earned the start in all four of Iowa’s games, and to date has only allowed three goals.
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Iowa is off to a good start, going 3-1 overall, with their one loss to #11 Wake Forest in an early season away game. Next up is Iowa State in Ames on Thursday, August 27, then back home vs. Kansas State on Thursday, September 3 at 7:00 pm, and vs. Missouri State Sunday, September 6 at 1:00 pm. They open their Big Ten schedule on September 10 at Minnesota. If afternoon games better suit your schedule, they routinely play games on Sundays at 1:00 in Iowa City, and you can find their full schedule on the Iowa Athletics website (hawkeyesports.com).
Games are free, as in FREE. And no, that is not a typo. If you wish you can bring a lawn chair or blanket and sit on the grassy knoll instead of in the stadium. The concession stand & restrooms are open during games at the adjacent Iowa field hockey stadium. The University of Iowa Soccer Complex is located at 2665 Prairie Meadow Drive with free parking adjacent to the stadium.
Women’s sports has seen explosive growth in the last six years. Many fans began to tune in to Iowa women’s basketball for the first time when Caitlin Clark came on the scene. Megan Gustafson’s jersey hangs from the rafters, and sadly many never came to see her play in person. If you haven’t been tracking Iowa soccer, don’t let this be a missed opportunity. I’ll be back with more articles as the season progresses.
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