Sports
Alcaraz faces Wimbledon star Safiullin in US Open title defense
Carlos Alcaraz will begin his U.S. Open title defense against Roman Safiullin, a dangerous first-round opponent who made an impressive run at Wimbledon while the Spaniard was sidelined by injury.
The main draw for the year’s final Grand Slam was revealed Thursday, setting up a series of intriguing matchups and several potential blockbuster clashes in New York.
The tournament begins Sunday, with Alcaraz entering as the No. 2 seed after missing both the French Open and Wimbledon because of a right wrist injury.
His return to singles competition will come against Safiullin, who reached the fourth round at Wimbledon and knocked off Andrey Rublev and Joao Fonseca before losing to 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic in four sets.
Safiullin has also beaten Alcaraz before. He upset the Spaniard at the 2023 Paris Masters, when Alcaraz was ranked No. 2 in the world.
Alcaraz responded with a victory over Safiullin at the 2024 Paris Olympics, making their U.S. Open meeting a rubber match of sorts.
Alcaraz has played only mixed doubles since his injury layoff, partnering with Serena Williams in an exhibition-style mixed doubles event before the tournament. The lack of singles competition could make his opening test particularly demanding.
A Williams matchup that almost happened
The women’s draw produced one of the most tantalizing what-ifs of the tournament.
Venus Williams, who received a wild card at age 46, was drawn to face Sofia Kenin in the opening round.
The matchup took on added significance because the U.S. Tennis Association had initially held one wild card spot open, leaving the door for Serena Williams to potentially join her sister in New York.
Serena, a six-time U.S. Open champion, returned to tennis this year for the first time since 2022 but decided to compete only in doubles. The USTA subsequently awarded the final wild card to Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion.
Had Serena chosen to play singles, the draw could have produced a first-round meeting between the Williams sisters.
Instead, Venus will face Kenin, while Jessica Pegula could await the winner in the second round. Pegula, the No. 3 seed, opens against Elena-Gabriela Ruse.
Zverev takes top men’s seed
Alexander Zverev is the men’s No. 1 seed after defending champion Jannik Sinner withdrew because of a knee injury. The French Open champion will open against Italian Lorenzo Sonego.
Zverev is positioned for a potential quarterfinal against No. 6 Alex de Minaur.
Other projected men’s quarterfinals include No. 3 Felix Auger-Aliassime against No. 5 Flavio Cobolli, Alcaraz against No. 8 Ben Shelton, and Djokovic against No. 7 Daniil Medvedev.
Several first-round matches stand out.
Arthur Fils, the No. 10 seed, will face Stefanos Tsitsipas, a former No. 3 player and two-time Grand Slam finalist, in one of the tournament’s more compelling opening-round matchups.
Stan Wawrinka, the 2016 U.S. Open champion, will begin his final Grand Slam appearance before retirement against Matteo Berrettini. The 2021 Wimbledon runner-up defeated Wawrinka in four sets at Wimbledon, with every set decided by a tiebreaker.
The winner in New York is likely to face Djokovic in the second round.
No. 23 seed Rublev will meet 2014 U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic, while No. 13 Lorenzo Musetti, who reached the quarterfinals in New York last year, will face British qualifier Arthur Fery. Fery reached the Wimbledon semifinals before losing to Zverev.
Sabalenka begins title defense
Two-time defending women’s champion Aryna Sabalenka will start her campaign against Camila Osorio.
The top-ranked Sabalenka has struggled during the North American hard-court swing leading into the U.S. Open, raising questions about whether she can become the first woman since Serena Williams to win three consecutive titles at Flushing Meadows.
Sabalenka could face Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova, the No. 6 seed, in the quarterfinals.
The other projected women’s quarterfinals are No. 2 Elena Rybakina against No. 8 Iga Swiatek, No. 4 Coco Gauff against No. 5 Mirra Andreeva, and No. 3 Pegula against No. 7 Karolina Muchova.
Rybakina and Swiatek are positioned in the bottom half alongside Gauff and Andreeva, while Pegula and Muchova are in Sabalenka’s half.
Some opening-round matchups remain unsettled because of rain delays in qualifying. The qualifying tournament was scheduled to conclude Thursday, but several matches were pushed to Friday.
Among the players still waiting to learn their opponents are No. 11 Marta Kostyuk and No. 17 Alex Eala.
European football’s governing body is seeking evidence in U.S. courts as it weighs a potential criminal complaint in Switzerland against FIFA President Gianni Infantino over an abandoned plan to sell a multibillion-dollar stake in the governing body’s commercial rights.
UEFA filed a 60-page application in a Manhattan federal court seeking testimony and documents related to FIFA Forward Enterprise, a proposed subsidiary that would have managed commercial rights connected to the men’s and women’s World Cups and the Club World Cup.
According to court filings cited by Reuters and ESPN, UEFA is considering criminal proceedings against Infantino and potentially other FIFA officials and advisers under Article 158 of the Swiss Criminal Code, which covers alleged financial mismanagement.
The proposed transaction called for investors to pay about $4.2 billion for a 20% stake in FIFA Forward Enterprise, which UEFA argues substantially undervalued FIFA’s commercial rights.
The European governing body alleges that Infantino and a small group of advisers and investors developed the proposal over more than a year without consulting FIFA’s Council, the six continental confederations or FIFA’s 211 member associations.
UEFA is seeking evidence from FIFA entities based in Florida, including FIFA (AMERICAS), Inc. and FWC2026 US, Inc., which it says may hold documents and witnesses relevant to how the proposed transaction was developed, structured, valued and approved.
The filing also names Thrive Eternal, an investment vehicle controlled by Joshua Kushner and affiliated with Thrive Capital, as the proposed lead investor. Kushner was part of a group that recently agreed to acquire the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers for $12.5 billion.
UEFA alleges the investment group would have received a permanent financial interest in FIFA’s commercial arm.
The organization also claims the proposed valuation was never subjected to an open bidding process or independently assessed, raising questions about whether FIFA’s commercial rights were being transferred at a significantly discounted price.
Reuters reported that it contacted FIFA and Thrive Capital for comment.
Infantino previously described FIFA Forward Enterprise as a “golden opportunity” to increase funding for football development worldwide. He said the proposal was only a plan and would have required majority approval from FIFA’s 211 member associations as well as authorization from the FIFA Council.
FIFA withdrew the proposal July 31 after it triggered a major backlash among European federations and other parts of the football community.
Investigation and reform
UEFA has continued to challenge the circumstances surrounding the proposal despite its withdrawal.
The organization said its 55 member associations unanimously agreed at an emergency meeting July 30 that they would not participate in FIFA competitions, potentially including the World Cup, unless the plan was abandoned.
UEFA subsequently suspended the boycott threat after FIFA provided written assurances that the project had been “irrevocably and permanently withdrawn.”
That decision cleared the way for European teams to participate in FIFA competitions, including next month’s Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland, which could have been the first major tournament affected by the dispute.
But UEFA said the withdrawal did not end its concerns.
Its members have unanimously instructed the confederation to pursue “every available institutional, political and legal avenue” to push for reforms and place greater limits on the FIFA president’s authority.
UEFA is also demanding an independent external investigation into the failed project, arguing that FIFA should not be responsible for investigating itself.
The European body has questioned why FIFA needed outside investors when it already has billions of dollars in reserves.
“FIFA has currently billions of dollars in reserves. This money belongs to the Member Associations,” UEFA said. “The question is therefore why the FIFA President believed he needed outside investors to expand development funding.”
The legal filing also alleges that FIFA employees complained internally that they had been “deceived” during the development of the proposal and that FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom was excluded from parts of the drafting process.
UEFA argues that FIFA’s statutes give the FIFA Council authority over decisions concerning the promotion and exploitation of the organization’s commercial rights.
Growing opposition
The dispute has added another challenge for Infantino, who is seeking to extend his leadership of world football.
Infantino is currently serving his second term as FIFA president and has said he intends to seek another term in an election scheduled for March 2027. A successful bid would give him a fourth term under FIFA’s current term limits.
UEFA has called for Infantino to resign, while CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation have also joined calls for changes in FIFA’s leadership.
UEFA has warned that it could actively support an alternative candidate if Infantino seeks another mandate.
“Should the current FIFA president nevertheless seek another mandate, UEFA will join forces with its partner confederations to ensure that member associations are offered a credible alternative,” UEFA said, describing its preferred leadership as one committed to “integrity, accountability, development and genuine institutional change.”
Infantino continues to have significant support elsewhere in world football.
The African and South American confederations remain supportive of his leadership, while the Saudi Arabian Football Federation also backed him Thursday.
“At this time, SAFF supports the continued efforts of FIFA President Gianni Infantino and FIFA’s leadership to restore unity across the football family and continue growing the game for the benefit of all,” the federation said.
Beşiktaş will face a demanding mix of Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and Premier League opposition in the Europa League, while Trabzonspor will begin its Conference League campaign against clubs from six different countries after the league-phase draws were held Friday in Monaco.
The draws at the Grimaldi Forum set the European schedules for the two Turkish clubs, with Beşiktaş remaining in UEFA’s second-tier competition and Trabzonspor dropping into the Conference League after its Europa League playoff exit.
Beşiktaş, drawn from Pot 4, was paired with Bayer Leverkusen of Germany, Olympique Marseille of France, Union Saint-Gilloise of Belgium, Celtic of Scotland, Crystal Palace of England, Omonia of Cyprus, Hapoel Be’er Sheva of Israel and Hoffenheim of Germany.
The Black Eagles will host Marseille, Union Saint-Gilloise, Crystal Palace and Hapoel Be’er Sheva at Tüpraş Stadium in Istanbul.
Their four away matches will be against Leverkusen, Celtic, Omonia and Hoffenheim.
The draw gives Beşiktaş several high-profile encounters, particularly against Leverkusen, Marseille and Crystal Palace, while Celtic and Union Saint-Gilloise add further European experience to a challenging schedule.
Beşiktaş reached the league phase after navigating three qualifying rounds, including an aggregate victory over Kauno Zalgiris in the playoff round.
The Europa League league phase features 36 teams, with each club playing eight matches against eight different opponents, four at home and four away. Teams face two opponents from each seeding pot, while clubs from the same national association cannot meet during the league phase.
The opening matchday is scheduled for Sept. 16-17, with the league phase concluding Jan. 28, 2027.
The top eight teams in the standings will advance directly to the round of 16. Teams finishing ninth through 24th will enter two-legged knockout playoffs, while those finishing 25th through 36th will be eliminated from European competition.
The knockout stage will then continue with two-legged ties until the final, which is scheduled for May 26, 2027, at Waldstadion in Frankfurt, Germany.
Trabzonspor drop into Conference League
Trabzonspor will face German club Freiburg, Serbian powerhouse Red Star Belgrade, Finland’s KuPS, Scottish side Heart of Midlothian, Czech club Jablonec and CSKA Sofia of Bulgaria in the Conference League league phase.
Former Beşiktaş player Metin Tekin took part in conducting the draw at the Grimaldi Forum.
Trabzonspor will host Freiburg, Hearts and Jablonec at Şenol Güneş Sports Complex, while its away matches will be against Red Star Belgrade, KuPS and CSKA Sofia.
The draw gives the Turkish club a varied schedule featuring opponents from Germany, Serbia, Finland, Scotland, Czechia and Bulgaria.
Trabzonspor entered the Conference League after losing 5-0 on aggregate to Ferencvaros in the Europa League playoff round.
The Conference League league phase also consists of 36 teams, but each club plays six matches, three at home and three away.
The top eight teams will advance directly to the round of 16, while clubs finishing ninth through 24th will enter the knockout playoffs. The bottom 12 teams will be eliminated.
The Conference League final is scheduled for June 2, 2027, at Tüpraş Stadium in Istanbul, giving Beşiktaş’s home ground another major European occasion.
The venue is also known as Beşiktaş Park and previously hosted the 2026 Europa League final.
Both competitions use UEFA’s Swiss-style league phase, replacing the traditional group-stage format with a single 36-team table.
The system gives clubs a wider range of opponents while maintaining seeding protections during the draw.
The format also creates a heavier schedule, placing additional demands on squads as teams balance European matches with their domestic league and cup commitments.
Bayern Munich kick off their Bundesliga title defense against visitors VfB Stuttgart Friday, with the Bavarians in pole position once more.
With top striker and freshly-crowned European Golden Shoe winner Harry Kane leading their attack, Bayern have also made key transfers to bolster their campaign.
Speedy Germany defender Nathaniel Brown scored on his competitive debut in their 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund in the German Super Cup last week.
Morocco attacking midfielder Ismael Saibari has also joined Bayern, further boosting their front line that already includes Kane, Luis Diaz and Michael Olise.
The status of Jamal Musiala could be a concern for Bayern, however.
The player is suffering from a neurological dysfunction and briefly collapsed in two preseason friendlies, which the club said was a result of a change in medical treatment and that the player had been cleared to compete.
Musiala missed the Super Cup, with coach Vincent Kompany eager to take some of the pressure off his player after the 23-year-old’s condition was made public.
Former Bayern and Germany captain Lothar Matthaeus sees no challengers to the champions’ crown.
“Last year, I said that Bayern would win the title with a lead of at least 15 points,” he wrote in a column this week. “In the end, it was 16. This season, too, the Munich side will finish at least 10 points ahead of the competition.”
Few would bet against Bayern cruising to yet another league title, but Dortmund are banking on two Greek youngsters helping them give the champions a run for their money.
The arrival of 18-year-old striker Konstantinos Karetsas and 23-year-old playmaker Giannis Konstantelias, who has been labelled the greatest Greek talent of his generation, has instantly sparked enthusiasm among Dortmund supporters.
The pair enjoyed strong debuts in the Super Cup loss to Bayern and fans hope they can deliver the goals needed for the Ruhr valley club to challenge for the title.
RB Leipzig, under new coach Martin Demichelis, saw top striker Yan Diomande leave for Real Madrid but they remain in a small group of title contenders along with VfB Stuttgart, who have improved every season under coach Sebastian Hoeness and will also be competing in this season’s Champions League.
Stuttgart reached last season’s German Cup final and finished fourth in the Bundesliga.
Schalke 04’s return to the top division will instantly boost the league’s average attendances with their 62,000 arena expected to be sold out for all home matches.
The Royal Blues, led by veteran Bosnian striker Edin Dzeko, are determined to make a big impact this season rather than just fighting to stay up.
Fresh off a title victory, Russian UFC star Islam Makhachev (30-29) has traded the intensity of an octagon for spiritual visit to Istanbul, Türkiye.
The current UFC welterweight champion traveled Wednesday to the sacred Eyüp Sultan Mosque, located along the shores of the Golden Horn.
The 34-year-old devout Muslim was observed taking wudu or traditional ritual ablution at the courtyard fountain before performing namaz inside the historical mosque.
Speaking on the profound historical and religious significance of his visit, the Dagestani fighter reflected on the heritage of the site with his followers.
“The mosque Abu Ayyub al-Ansari was built in 1458,” Makhachev wrote in Instagram.
“Abu Ayyub al-Ansari was a companion of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). He is especially known for the fact that after the Hijra (the migration from Mecca to Medina) the Prophet (peace be upon him) in Medina was the one who received him in his house.”
Makhachev encouraged his supporters to explore the early history of the faith.
“This companion has a very interesting and significant history in Islam,” he added. “I recommend everyone to familiarize themselves with it.”
Built in 1458 under Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II just five years following the conquest of Constantinople, the mosque complex marks the burial place of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, best known for hosting the Prophet in his home in Medina after the Hijrah in 622.
As the standard-bearer for the Prophet Muhammad, al-Ansari died during the first Arab siege of Istanbul, then Constantinople, in the 670s.
As the initial major mosque project commissioned by the Ottomans in Istanbul, it remains one of the most venerated pilgrimage destinations in the Islamic world.
Turkish Süper Lig giants Fenerbahçe stunned Olympique Lyon 2-1 away Wednesday to qualify for the UEFA Champions League league phase for the first time since the 2008-09 season.
The Turkish side advanced 3-2 on aggregate after the first leg in Istanbul ended 1-1, returning to Europe’s elite club competition.
Fenerbahçe were barred by UEFA from the Champions League for two seasons following the 2011 match-fixing investigation, which prevented the Turkish club from competing in Europe’s elite competition despite winning the 2010-11 Süper Lig title.
The club and former president Aziz Yıldırım were later acquitted in a retrial, while a 2016 prosecution indictment described the match-fixing case as a plot by members of the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), who had infiltrated in Türkiye’s judiciary and police.
Lyon started brightly, with Malick Fofana forcing Fenerbahçe goalkeeper Ederson into a save in the eighth minute with a left-footed effort from outside the box.
The Yellow Canaries gradually settled into the match and registered their first shot on target in the 13th minute, when Oğuz Aydın’s effort from the left side of the box was saved by Lyon goalkeeper Dominik Greif following a pass from Talisca.
The visitors grew increasingly dangerous, with Archie Brown seeing his powerful effort from a tight angle saved by Greif in the 19th minute.
A minute later, Aydın came close to opening the scoring when his deep corner struck the crossbar.
Fenerbahçe took the lead in the 24th minute.
Aydın sent a cross into the area and Vedat Muriqi’s initial header was saved by Greif. The Kosovo international reacted quickly to the rebound and fired into the bottom-right corner from close range.
Fenerbahçe doubled their advantage four minutes later.
Mason Greenwood delivered a cross from a corner and Brown rose to head the ball into the top-left corner from close range.
Lyon came close to reducing the deficit in the 35th minute when Vedat Muriqi’s attempted clearance from a corner struck the post.
Ederson then denied Tyler Morton in the 41st minute, pushing away the midfielder’s powerful effort from outside the box.
Fenerbahçe went into the break with a 2-0 advantage and a 3-1 aggregate lead.
Lyon began the second half with greater attacking intent, putting their Turkish opponents under pressure during the opening 10 minutes.
However, the visitors began to find space on the counterattack, with Aydın firing high and wide from the left side of the box after being set up by Matteo Guendouzi.
Lyon pulled one back in the 61st minute. Ainsley Maitland-Niles found Fofana on the left side of the box and the forward sent a left-footed effort into the bottom-right corner to make it 2-1.
The hosts thought they had equalized in the 64th minute when Lois Openda headed Abner Vinicius’ cross into the net, but the goal was ruled out for offside following a VAR review.
Lyon were denied again when Kail Boudache scored in the 71st minute, but the referee overturned the goal following a VAR review after ruling that Zachary Athekame had fouled Brown during the buildup.
Fenerbahçe looked to restore their two-goal advantage, but Guendouzi’s deflected effort from outside the box in the 82nd minute was saved by Greif.
The Turkish side held on for a 2-1 victory, completing a 3-2 aggregate win and securing their place in this season’s Champions League.
Serena Williams’ return to the U.S. Open after a four-year absence and Carlos Alcaraz’s comeback to competitive tennis after a four-month injury layoff brought cheers, excitement and a wave of nostalgia to Flushing Meadows.
The celebration, however, was short-lived.
Williams and Alcaraz were eliminated from the mixed doubles quarterfinals Tuesday, losing to Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli 5-4 (4), 4-1.
Cobolli had dubbed their opponents before the match “the queen of tennis and the king of now,” a fitting description for a star-studded pairing with eight U.S. Open singles titles between them.
Williams and Alcaraz had thrilled the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd in their opening match, overcoming a slow start to beat Erin Routliffe and Lloyd Glasspool 5-3, 4-1. The fans were firmly behind the high-profile duo throughout the contest.
“I never expected to be back on this court,” Williams said after playing at Flushing Meadows for the first time since 2022. “I never thought this would happen.”
Now, attention turns to whether Williams will make another appearance at the tournament, potentially alongside her older sister, Venus, in women’s doubles.
The Williams sisters have won the U.S. Open twice and captured 14 Grand Slam doubles titles together, making a reunion on the court one of the tournament’s most anticipated possibilities.
Serena, who is back playing tennis at age 44, does not plan to play singles.
Williams, in her latest mixed doubles appearance, hit some vintage shots that looked straight out of her prime. She won the U.S. Open mixed doubles title with Max Mirnyi in 1998.
Early on, she carried Alcaraz, the 23-year-old defending champion who is ranked No. 3 in the world and was clearly rusty in his first competitive action since April 14.
“I think everybody could see: I double-faulted on the first point,” said Alcaraz, who missed the French Open and Wimbledon because of a right wrist injury and wore a sleeve on that arm. “I was really, really nervous. I was out for four months … I almost forget how it feels.”
Fans chanted, “Come on, Carlos!” and “Let’s go, Serena, let’s go!” But the pair was overpowered by Bencic and Cobolli, letting a first-set tiebreaker slip away before being dominated in the second.
Cobolli acknowledged being tight because Williams and Alcaraz were on the other side of the net. Bencic said Williams tried to intimidate her by telling her she speaks Italian better.
“It was surreal to play against Carlos,” Bencic said. “Sometimes I was just standing at the volley or the return, and I was like, ‘How did I end up on this court?’ I don’t really know. Just a huge honor. Obviously, you can feel both of their auras.”
The matches in the first three rounds feature sets played to four games, with a tiebreaker at 4-all and a 10-point tiebreaker instead of a third set. Only the final Wednesday night will resemble a regular match, with traditional sets played to six games.
The champions will receive $1 million in the second year of the new mixed doubles format, which is designed to attract top players.
Joining Bencic and Cobolli in the semifinals are Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils, Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev, and Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik.
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