Author: Shekari Philemon

Roger Federer returned to Arthur Ashe Stadium on Tuesday night for what he billed as one last match for fun, facing longtime rival and friend Andy Roddick in a prime time exhibition in front of a packed house wearing the distinctive RF logo that became synonymous with his 15 years of dominance in men’s tennis. The event was presented as An Icon Returns to New York. The two, Federer at 45 and Roddick approaching 44, played one set of singles in front of fans who came not for the competitive result but for the chance to see both men one…

Deshaun Watson was officially named the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback Monday, and he opened his first news conference as QB1 by walking back the comments he made Saturday when he called fans “disrespectful” for booing him during the team’s second preseason game. He said his emotions got the best of him after the game and that his words were not intended to go at fans, many of whom he credited with supporting him throughout a difficult period. He said he understands the frustration, acknowledging that the organization made a significant investment to bring him back in 2022 and that things…

Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz learned their first-round opponent in US Open mixed doubles Monday night. It is Erin Routliffe and Lloyd Glasspool, a team that includes the reigning women’s doubles champion, who qualified through a grueling two-match day that required match tiebreakers in both wins. The first round and quarterfinals take place Tuesday, with the semifinals and final Wednesday. The winning pair shares $1 million. Routliffe and Glasspool qualified for the main draw through Monday’s eight-team qualifying tournament, winning two matches, each decided in a match tiebreaker. Routliffe previously won the US Open women’s doubles title in 2023 and…

Roger Federer admitted Monday that he is nervous about his tennis. Five years removed from his last match, Federer, who won five consecutive US Open titles, is returning to Arthur Ashe Stadium on Tuesday night, and he does not know how his game will look. Federer, 45, said at a news conference that his last singles set came against Hubert Hurkacz at Wimbledon in 2021, his final Grand Slam match. He said he does not know how things will go, but described a combination of uncertainty and happiness at returning to a place where he accumulated so many beautiful moments.…

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office in Texas announced Monday that its investigation into the death of Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver’s son has concluded with no criminal findings, and the case is now closed. The toddler, who was a few days shy of his second birthday and also named Ed, was found unresponsive in the swimming pool of a home in a neighborhood community north of Houston on June 28. He was transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The Bills confirmed the death Saturday in a statement from general manager Brandon Beane expressing condolences to Oliver…

San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York pleaded no contest Monday to misdemeanor disorderly conduct and criminal tools charges stemming from an arrest in Ohio over the weekend, resolving a case that drew an NFL personal conduct policy review. He was arrested Sunday at 9:35 a.m. at the Wheat Hill Mobile Home Community in East Palestine, Ohio, according to an arrest report filed by the East Palestine Police Department. The department assisted the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force in the arrest. Court records from Columbiana County show York allegedly responded to an undercover advertisement on a website known for prostitution-related…

Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty is believed to have sprained his ankle after being helped off the practice field Sunday, sources told NFL Network, with the team optimistic the injury is not long-term. The Raiders declined to comment. The timeline for Jeanty’s return remains unclear, but sources said the injury is not considered serious. He went down during the team practice period when he dove for a low pass from quarterback Kirk Cousins, landed awkwardly on the turf grass inside the practice facility and could not put weight on his right leg. Teammates took a knee and said…

New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel acknowledged Monday that he does not view his team as a deep roster, and he pushed back on any suggestion his comment was directed at the front office, saying he and the personnel staff are all part of the same decision-making process. Vrabel made the depth assessment after the Patriots’ preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday, when he explained why starters including quarterback Drake Maye and receiver A.J. Brown had not played. He said on sports radio WEEI on Monday that the comment was about the young players the team needs to…

Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz will open their US Open mixed doubles campaign against a qualifier from Monday’s eight-team qualifying tournament, with the draw announced Sunday placing the wildcard pairing against one of the teams still to be determined. Williams is returning to the US Open for the first time since 2022. The six-time US Open singles champion and Alcaraz, who has won the men’s singles title twice, were awarded a wild card into the 16-team mixed doubles field Saturday. The mixed doubles draw is compressed in schedule, with the first round and quarterfinals both on Tuesday and the semifinals…

Coco Gauff defeated Jessica Pegula 6-2, 6-4 Sunday to win her second Cincinnati Open title, completing a dominant week that produced five straight-set victories and produced the first all-American women’s final at the tournament in 56 years. The last time two American women played for the Cincinnati title was in 1970, when Rosie Casals defeated Nancy Richey. The 2026 final came together when Pegula eliminated defending champion Iga Swiatek in the semifinals Saturday and Gauff defeated Sara Bejlek, setting up a fifth career meeting between the two Americans, with the head-to-head now tied at five wins apiece. She raced to…