Sports
Sinner overcomes heat, Struff to advance at Wimbledon
Defending champion Jannik Sinner overcame a spirited challenge from Jan-Lennard Struff and soaring temperatures Tuesday to book his place in a third Wimbledon semifinal, moving one win closer to another Grand Slam final.
The world No. 1 was tested by the 36-year-old German, particularly in the opening two sets, but held his nerve to secure a commanding 7-5, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 quarterfinal victory.
Sinner will face either seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic or Canadian third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime on Friday as he bids to reach the seventh Grand Slam final of his career and his first of the year.
The Italian also passed another important test by coping well with temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) at the All England Club, a notable improvement after previous struggles in the heat, including his dramatic second-round collapse at this year’s French Open, where he squandered a two-set lead and a 5-1 advantage before losing to Juan Manuel Cerundolo.
“Thanks for reminding me,” the four-time Grand Slam champion joked when asked about the heat.
“We worked a lot, especially after Paris, trying to understand what went wrong there.
“In any case, it was a huge test today, but I felt really comfortable physically.
“If it happens again, and I hope not, we know we need to change a couple of things.”
Sinner was beaten by Djokovic in the Australian Open semifinals this year after winning their previous five meetings.
They have met three times before at Wimbledon. Djokovic won the 2022 quarterfinal and the 2023 semifinal before Sinner gained revenge in last year’s semifinal.
“If it’s Novak, I feel like every match is different. Even when I had this small streak with him, I felt like every match has its own story,” Sinner said of potentially facing the 24-time Grand Slam champion.
“In any case, I’m happy to be back in the semis. I’m happy to fight for every ball, then we’ll see.
“He has won this tournament so many times, and he knows exactly how to approach it. I’m looking forward to it.”
If Djokovic loses, Sinner can take confidence from winning his last five matches against Auger-Aliassime, dropping only one set in the process.
Struff started strongly, perhaps buoyed by pushing Sinner in a tight defeat on grass at Halle last month, but fell a set behind after being broken in the 11th game.
Struff carved out a set point in the second set, but Sinner saved it as the match went to a tiebreak.
The top seed quickly moved 5-2 ahead in the tiebreak and clenched his fist in delight when Struff sent a backhand long to give him a two-set lead.
Struff became the oldest first-time men’s Grand Slam quarterfinalist of the Open era by reaching the last eight.
But his resistance ended as Sinner won the final three games to wrap up the match.
Defending champions Türkiye cruised past Hungary in straight sets Monday, securing their third Pool A win at the CEV Women’s European Volleyball Championship in Istanbul.
Türkiye won the sets 26-24, 25-21 and 25-14 at Sinan Erdem Sports Hall, following victories over Slovenia and Latvia.
Melissa Vargas led Türkiye with 24 points, while Zehra Güneş added eight and Hande Baladin contributed seven.
Anett Nemeth was Hungary’s top scorer with 15 points.
Hungary took an early lead in the opening set before Türkiye rallied to edge their opponents 26-24.
Türkiye maintained a narrow but consistent lead in the second set, winning 25-21 to move within one set of victory.
The reigning European champions maintained their momentum in the third set, winning 25-14 to complete a 3-0 victory.
Türkiye will next face Germany on Wednesday as they continue their Pool A campaign.
Arthur Fils won his first ATP Masters 1000 title Sunday, while Coco Gauff beat Jessica Pegula to claim her second Cincinnati Open crown.
Fils, the 21st seed, recovered from a second-set stumble to defeat America’s Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 1-6, 6-0.
The Frenchman started strong, securing an early break to surge ahead 3-0 before Tiafoe managed to hold serve and get on the scoreboard.
He kept up intense baseline pressure, aggressively targeting Tiafoe’s second serve to extract errors and build a 5-3 lead. Finishing the opening set in dominant fashion, Fils served three consecutive aces in a flawless final game.
Tiafoe, competing in his second final in Cincinnati, retaliated with equal force during the second set.
The 28-year-old American broke early in the second game to build a 3-0 advantage, using wide forehands to push Fils off the court.
Even though Fils held serve without dropping a point to get on the board, the 17th-seeded Tiafoe scored another break to lead 5-1 before closing out the set to force a decider.
Fils rapidly took charge in the final set, capitalizing on a surge of backhand errors from Tiafoe to secure two breaks and storm to a 4-0 lead.
The 22-year-old’s overwhelming pace left the American with no answers and Fils capped off a dominant 6-0 final set following an extended rally to capture the Cincinnati title.
“It was tough, because I started very, very strong, and then in the second set I lost a little bit of focus,” Fils said.
“To be able to win one title like this means a lot to me, it’s a lot of training, a lot of things, a lot of sacrifice,” he added.
Coco Gauff claimed her second Cincinnati trophy by outplaying world No.3 Jessica Pegula in a commanding 6-2, 6-4 women’s final.
The 22-year-old American took charge early, converting two breaks and capitalizing on her countrywoman’s double faults to surge to a 5-0 lead in the first set.
Though Pegula, who had eliminated defending champion Iga Swiatek the previous day, managed a love break at 5-2, she couldn’t overcome her poor start against the overwhelming power of the world No.4’s forehand.
Building momentum ahead of the U.S. Open, Gauff raced to an early 3-0 lead in the second set, securing a break in the second game by capitalizing on the 32-year-old’s return errors.
Pegula, coming off a defeat to Alexandra Eala in the Washington Open final earlier this month, held serve at love in the seventh game and subsequently broke back to trim the margin to 5-4.
However, two-time Grand Slam winner Gauff immediately broke back to claim the set at love, sealing her 12th career singles title.
The ball used in Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” goal and his iconic strike score against England at the 1986 World Cup quarterfinals sold for $3.35 million Saturday, Heritage Auctions said.
The Dallas-based auction house sold the ball after experts matched it to photographs taken during the match but the final price fell significantly short of the pre-auction estimate of at least $10 million.
Prior to the auction, Heritage described it as arguably the most famous ball in any sport and said it could become the most valuable football item ever sold.
Maradona earned the phrase “Hand of God” for his opening goal against England when referees missed his left-handed punch past goalkeeper Peter Shilton and allowed the score to stand.
Just four minutes later, the Argentine captain took possession in his own half and wove past five English players, scoring a goal which fans later voted FIFA’s World Cup “Goal of the Century.”
Match referee Ali Bin Nasser of Tunisia, who officiated the match, held onto the ball for 36 years before it was first auctioned in London in 2022 for 2 million pounds ($2.37 million).
Maradona’s shirt from the same match later sold for almost $9.3 million at Sotheby’s.
The recent sale also did not break the record for the most expensive sports ball. Shohei Ohtani’s 50th home run ball from his historic 2024 MLB campaign fetched $4.392 million, including buyer’s premium.
The record for the most expensive piece of sports memorabilia belongs to Babe Ruth’s New York Yankees jersey from Game 3 of the 1932 World Series. Heritage Auctions sold it for $24.12 million, including the buyer’s premium, in 2024.
Turkish Süper Lig giants Trabzonspor announced Monday the arrival of former Liverpool star Fabinho to bolster their midfield.
Ahead of an expected transfer move, Trabzonspor shared a video of the 32-year-old Brazilian free agent aboard a plane on Turkish social media company NSosyal and invited supporters to welcome him at Trabzon Airport.
“Fabinho is coming. We invite all our supporters to the big meeting at Trabzon Airport at 11.30 a.m.,” the club said.
Fabinho also appeared in the video, referring to his anticipated reunion with former Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah.
“A familiar face is waiting for me in Trabzon and I am on my way. For us, everywhere is Trabzon,” he said, using a catchphrase associated with the Black Sea club.
Salah joined Trabzonspor earlier this month after nine seasons at the Premier League side Liverpool.
Liverpool pedigree
Fabinho and Salah played together at Liverpool between 2018 and 2023, becoming key members of the team assembled by German manager Jürgen Klopp.
Fabinho geliyor!
Saat 11.30’da Trabzon Havalimanı’nda tüm taraftarlarımızı büyük buluşmaya bekliyoruz.#FabinhoIsComing pic.twitter.com/LJwhcGOsHC
— Trabzonspor (@Trabzonspor) August 24, 2026
Fabinho joined Liverpool from Monaco in 2018 and established himself as the team’s defensive midfielder, with occasional central defensive duties.
He made 219 appearances and scored 11 goals during his five seasons with the English club.
Fabinho helped Liverpool win the UEFA Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League title in the 2019-20 season, ending the club’s 30-year wait to become English champions.
He also won the UEFA Super Cup, FA Cup and English League Cup with Liverpool.
Before moving to England, Fabinho helped Monaco win the French Ligue 1 title in the 2016-17 season and reach the Champions League semifinals.
The Brazilian left Liverpool for Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad in 2023 and most recently played for the Jeddah-based side.
His expected arrival would add further international experience to Trabzonspor’s squad and reunite him with Salah three years after their partnership at Liverpool ended.
Defending champions Barcelona opened their La Liga season in dominant fashion Sunday, thrashing Elche 5-0 with two goals each from Raphinha and Fermin Lopez.
Earlier in the day, Atletico Madrid fought back to secure a 2-2 draw with Villarreal, managing the stalemate despite playing down a man after Robin Le Normand was red-carded.
Fresh off Real Madrid’s narrow 2-1 win over Espanyol under Jose Mourinho, Barcelona laid down a marker with a dominant victory against Elche.
Karim Adeyemi marked his debut with a goal while another debutant Anthony Gordon contributed a pair of assists, allowing Hansi Flick to smartly managed his squad by benching several key players recovering from the World Cup.
Even with a subdued performance from Lamine Yamal following Spain’s tournament triumph, Barcelona’s emphatic display showed they won’t surrender their crown without a fight.
“Five goals against this team is good, Elche play fantastic football,” Flick told reporters.
“We are really happy that we won 5-0, three points, this is a fantastic start for us. It give us the confidence we need for the next matches.”
Brazil international Raphinha lined up as the team’s No. 9, after Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres left the club, and shone.
Barcelona are still looking for a striker after Atletico Madrid rejected their bid to sign Julian Alvarez.
“I’ll leave that to the president,” said Raphinha, when asked if Barca needed to sign a No. 9. “I am comfortable (anywhere) on the pitch.”
Raphinha opened the scoring for Hansi Flick’s side from a 14th-minute penalty after being brought down by Victor Chust.
Rapid winger Adeyemi, initially struggled on the left wing before finding his rhythm to double the lead before halftime, assisted unselfishly by Raphinha.
In an electric second-half substitute appearance, Anthony Gordon set up Raphinha’s second and provided an assist for Fermin Lopez.
Youngster Xavi Espart then set up Lopez for his second, a sweet redemption after missing Spain’s World Cup triumph due to injury, rounding off a dominant win.
“We ended up feeling good, it was a great game from the team, we’re still getting up to speed and we have to carry on like this,” said Lopez.
“I was really excited to start the season well, it was tough for me (this summer), and I’m happy.”
Flick, Barcelona’s high-pressing defense showed its trademark vulnerabilities at times, but goalkeeper Joan Garcia stood firm to secure a clean sheet with some crucial saves.
Simeone rescues draw, Alvarez returns
In Madrid, Giuliano Simeone rescued a draw for Atletico after penalties from Gerard Moreno and Georges Mikautadze overturned Marc Pubill’s 59th-minute opener for Villarreal.
During the match, Diego Simeone brought on Alvarez as a second-half substitute to a chorus of boos from the home crowd and the forward headed straight down the tunnel alone at the final whistle while his teammates went over to thank the fans.
“It wasn’t Julian’s decision, it was a decision from the club,” said Diego Simeone.
“I think that we all have to be united, Julian is with us in the team, while he’s here we will support him,” Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak told DAZN.
“It’s not a comfortable situation for anyone, I hope it’s resolved and we’re all happy at the end of the season.”
Simeone began with Alvarez on the bench and fans jeered as his name was read aloud by the stadium announcer at the Metropolitano stadium, after his attempt to leave the club this summer amid interest from Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Atletico took the lead just before the hour mark when Spain defender Pubill scored from long range, curling powerfully into the top corner.
Moreno leveled from the penalty spot after Morten Hjulmand clumsily felled Tajon Buchanan.
Simeone then introduced Alvarez for his first appearance of the campaign amidst hostile reactions from the crowd.
Villarreal took the lead with another penalty, with 12 minutes remaining after Mikautadze had been shoved over by Le Normand, who was sent off. Mikautadze took the spot-kick himself and calmly slotted home.
With just five minutes left on the clock, Atletico playmaker Alex Baena set up manager Diego Simeone’s son, Giuliano, to secure the equalizer.
In other La Liga action, Getafe edged past Racing Santander 1-0 courtesy of a late strike from Enes Ünal.
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin said Sunday he would not challenge FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who in turn, cast himself as a champion of smaller footballing nations in his bid for another term.
Nearly four weeks after Infantino dropped his controversial plan to hand 20% of a new FIFA commercial rights entity over to private investors, the fight over who controls the future of world football remains fierce.
European governing body UEFA, backed by the regional blocs for Asia (AFC) and North and Central America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF), has led the opposition and Ceferin suggested that Infantino should stand down.
During an appearance on the “The Rest Is Politics: Leading” podcast, he explained that the choice comes down to two options.
“One option is that he realizes that he doesn’t have the support, and that’s not only a political support of the ones who vote, but the political support of football community, the political support of fans, the political support of the players, former players, coaches.”
“And the second option that he goes to the elections in March, but in that case, I think he will have a candidate against him. I don’t know yet who,” Ceferin said.
Familiar sources reported last week that UEFA, the AFC and CONCACAF were considering a third option, a vote of no confidence in Infantino ahead of the ballot in March next year.
The Slovenian leader confirmed he hasn’t been in touch with Infantino since the dispute broke out, believing his lack of ambition to replace the Swiss official makes his critique more objective.
Smaller Europe nations oppose
Ceferin said the proposal was a greater threat to the sport than the European Super League plan that UEFA successfully fought in 2021, and said opposition was not just from Europe’s bigger nations.
“On one side was England, Germany, who you understand don’t want that, because this money is not so big for them. But on the other side was San Marino … Liechtenstein, ‘We are not for sale,’ they said” Ceferin added.
Infantino has shown no intention of leaving the post he has held since 2016, signaling that he will rely on support from less wealthy national associations in his bid for reelection through 2031.
In a video interview released by FIFA after meeting with Caribbean Football Union (CFU) members in the Dominican Republic over the weekend, Infantino said FIFA has a responsibility to narrow the gap between wealthier and poorer associations.
“We want to grow football in every one of our 211 countries in the world,” he said.
“We need to find investments for all the others, opportunities for all the others. This is about, indeed, finding and giving opportunities, access, and resources to world football.”
“Some, unfortunately, don’t need and they don’t want that others grow, but we need to narrow this gap between the big, big countries and all the others.”
“That’s what we have been trying to do in the last 10 years and also in the last 10 weeks, and what we will be continuing to do in the next years.”
With backing from South American and African blocs, Infantino has sought to marginalize the confederations by appealing straight to individual member countries throughout the crisis
Infantino welcomed in Dominican Republic
CFU forms part of CONCACAF and Infantino said he had been very happy with how he had been received on the sidelines of an under-14 tournament in the Dominican Republic.
CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani had asked Infantino to stay away from the tournament, saying his presence would overshadow the football.
Infantino pointed to the tournament, funded by FIFA development money, as proof of the progress made under his leadership.
Meanwhile, six Nordic members, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and the Faroe Islands, met in Helsinki Sunday and released a joint statement demanding his resignation.
On his podcast appearance, Ceferin rejected claims that Europe was undermining support for poorer football nations and pushed back against attempts to paint UEFA as an entitled elite.
“What I hear is that they play on, you know, arrogant Europe is against us,” he said. “But I think someone should remind him (Infantino) that he is a European and that he was supported by UEFA, which he forgot.”
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