ESPN play-by-play broadcaster Joe Buck has agreed to a six-year contract extension worth approximately $108 million, securing his role as the voice of “Monday Night Football” into the next decade, according to sources who spoke to The Athletic under anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the public agreement. The deal increases Buck’s annual … Read more
Outgoing world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka was fined $7,500 for racket abuse after smashing her equipment following a three-set defeat to incoming world No. 1 Elena Rybakina, according to a statement of fines issued by the United States Tennis Association (USTA). Rybakina ended Sabalenka’s title defense with a 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 victory at Arthur Ashe … Read more
Elena Rybakina claimed the world No. 1 ranking at the U.S. Open following a quarterfinal win over Zheng Qinwen, according to match reports. Representing Kazakhstan, Rybakina secured a 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory on Wednesday in New York to overtake Aryna Sabalenka at the top of the WTA leaderboard just days before facing her opponent in … Read more
Professional baseball players are facing a wave of direct harassment, threats, and financial demands from sports bettors, according to a recent anonymous survey of 100 Major League Baseball players across 23 teams. As legal sports gambling proliferates alongside corporate partnerships with major leagues, 81 percent of surveyed players reported being directly confronted or contacted by … Read more
Rafael Jódar, a 19-year-old Spanish tennis player ranked world No. 15, has advanced to the semifinals of the Canadian Open in Montreal, putting him on track to break into the top 10 faster than any player since Boris Becker in 1985. Jódar defeated 22-year-old Frenchman Arthur Fils 7-6(5), 6-3 in the quarterfinals, marking his seventh … Read more
Preseason college football preview publisher Phil Steele found four fake versions of his 2026 magazine listed on Amazon, prompting swift removal of the unauthorized titles following complaints to the retail giant. According to Phil Steele, a customer alerted his office Monday about the supposed uselessness of a smaller edition, leading Steele to search Amazon and … Read more
ATP Tour Generational Takeover at the Canadian Open According to The Athletic, the 2026 Canadian Open in Montreal marks the first ATP Masters 1000 event to feature a quarterfinal field composed entirely of players born in the 2000s. American Brandon Nakashima, age 25, serves as the elder statesman of the group, while Spanish teenager Rafael … Read more
Tennis stars and tournament organizers are rethinking how professional events connect with local communities, as demonstrated at the recent D.C. Open in Rock Creek Park, according to tournament owner Mark Ein and player interviews. Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka organized an impromptu public cookout on a Monday evening, utilizing local food trucks to distribute … Read more
European football associations have agreed to boycott FIFA competitions following the governing body’s controversial proposal to sell ownership stakes in the World Cup to private investors, according to sources with knowledge of a virtual meeting held on Thursday. UEFA Unanimously Rejects Private Investment Plans The 55 national associations belonging to UEFA, the European football confederation, … Read more
ESPN is undertaking a significant restructuring, with reports indicating that lead MLB play-by-play voice Karl Ravech and NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero are among those expected to be let go. These departures follow the dismissal of NFL analyst Ryan Clark, as the network consolidates operations following its acquisition of a stake in NFL Network. Consolidation … Read more