Alcaraz beats Djokovic at the US Open and now meets Sinner for the 3rd Grand Slam final in a row
NEW YORK (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will meet for the third Grand Slam final in a row when they play for the U.S. Open title. And the No. 1 ranking will be on the line Sunday, too. Current No. 2 Alcaraz defeated 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic 6-4, 7-6 (4), 6-2 in the semifinals Friday, before No. 1 Sinner eliminated No. 25 Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. Alcaraz is seeking his sixth major title and Sinner his fifth. Both have won the U.S. Open once, with Sinner's trophy coming last year. Alcaraz beat Sinner at the French Open in June, and Sinner won the rematch at Wimbledon in July.
Jalen Carter awaits discipline from the NFL, which made sportsmanship a priority
The NFL made it clear before the season that sportsmanship would be a point of emphasis. Jalen Carter provided the first example of misconduct. Now, he awaits discipline from the league. A fine is expected and even a suspension is a possibility, though Carter’s contrition after the game helps his case. With tens of millions watching the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles facing the rival Dallas Cowboys, Carter spat on Dak Prescott six seconds into the league’s opener on Thursday night. The 24-year-old defensive tackle was ejected from the game, forcing the Eagles to play without their best defensive player.
Spit spat: Jalen Carter's ejection from Eagles' opener was latest saliva-driven dismissal in sports
Jalen Carter's ejection from the NFL season opener in Philadelphia landed him on an infamous list of spitting incidents in sports. The Pro Bowl defensive tackle for the Eagles was dismissed six seconds into the game after he spit at Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. Major League Soccer had a case earlier in the week when Inter Miami forward Luis Suárez spit toward a Seattle Sounders staff member during a postgame scuffle at the Leagues Cup final. Terrell Owens and Bill Romanowski in the NFL and Roberto Alomar in Major League Baseball are some of the others on the list.
Chiefs draw more fans in Brazil but some supporters disappointed Taylor Swift nowhere to be seen
SAO PAULO (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs’ red and white dominated in the stands at NeoQuimica Arena on Friday night during their season-opening game against the Los Angeles Chargers. Though even some of the local supporters couldn’t hide their frustration that Taylor Swift was nowhere to be seen after days of anticipation in Brazil. Several Chiefs players talked about a growing support base for the team in Brazil, and these fans were the clear majority among the more than 47,000 in attendance. Meanwhile, the Chargers, who were the designated home team, were jeered as they came on the field.
Herbert outduels Mahomes to help the Chargers beat the Chiefs 27-21 in Brazil
Justin Herbert threw for three touchdowns, leading the Los Angeles Chargers to a 27-21 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Friday night in Sao Paulo. The win snaps a seven-game losing streak against the Chiefs. The game, streamed on YouTube, marks the NFL's second in South America. Herbert's performance includes a crucial 19-yard run late in the game. The Chiefs struggle to make big plays in the first half, trailing 13-6. Injuries impact both teams, with the Chiefs losing receiver Xavier Worthy early and the Chargers' Denzel Perryman leaving in the third quarter.
MLB's regular season enters its final 3 weeks. Here's a look at the playoff picture and awards races
Major League Baseball's 2025 season has seen unexpected parity among teams. While big spenders like the Dodgers and Yankees are playoff-bound, they haven't dominated as expected. The Milwaukee Brewers, with a modest payroll, are the only team with a shot at 100 wins. Playoff races are heating up, with clear contenders in both leagues. The Yankees, Blue Jays, and Tigers lead the American League, while the Brewers and Phillies top the National League. Awards races are tight, with Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani leading MVP odds. Managerial changes could follow the season's end, adding intrigue to the final weeks.
Sinner beats Auger-Aliassime at the U.S. Open and faces Alcaraz for a 3rd Grand Slam final in a row
NEW YORK (AP) — Jannik Sinner has overcome a mid-match lull before retaking control for a 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Felix Auger-Aliassime in the U.S. Open semifinals. Friday night's victory moved Sinner closer to becoming the first repeat men’s champion in New York since Roger Federer took five trophies in a row from 2004-08. The No. 1-seeded Sinner, a 24-year-old from Italy, will face No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz, a 22-year-old from Spain, on Sunday, making them the first men in tennis history to meet in three straight Grand Slam finals within a single season, according to the ATP. The No. 1 ranking will be at stake, too.
Novak Djokovic won't give up on trying to win a 25th major title after another semifinal loss
NEW YORK (AP) — Novak Djokovic says he wants to keep striving to claim a record 25th Grand Slam singles title, but it's hard to compete with someone as talented and young as Carlos Alcaraz in best-of-five-set matches. The 38-year-old Djokovic lost to the 22-year-old Alcaraz in three sets in the U.S. Open semifinals on Friday. There was a moment, albeit a brief one, that Djokovic appeared to be making a match of it, up 3-0 in the second set. But Alcaraz soon regained control. It was the fourth time in four Slam events in 2025 that Djokovic reached the semifinals — and fourth time he exited in that round.
49ers star Christian McCaffrey questionable for season opener after calf injury
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco 49ers star Christian McCaffrey is questionable for the season opener after injuring his calf at practice. Coach Kyle Shanahan said McCaffrey got hurt on Thursday and didn't practice Friday. His availability for Sunday's game at Seattle will be a game-time decision. McCaffrey missed most of last season's training camp with a calf injury and later had knee issues. If he can't play, the 49ers will likely rely on Brian Robinson, who recently joined the team. Receiver Jauan Jennings is set to play after missing training camp with a calf injury and contract dispute.
College Sports Commission reveals it mistakenly overstated worth of approved NIL deals by $40M-plus
The College Sports Commission sent out a correction, saying it had overstated the amount of name, image, likeness deals it has cleared by more than $40 million in a data set it had previously made public. The commission blamed a clerical reporting error in data provided by Deloitte, which helped create the platform called NIL Go. The most jarring of the errors: The total value of deals cleared was $35.42 million instead of the $79.8 million previously announced. The $79.8 million is the total amount of all deals in the system, including those that are still pending.
