Author: Shekari Philemon

Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the US Open quarterfinals Sunday, beating Tommy Paul 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 at Arthur Ashe Stadium, extending his Grand Slam winning streak to 18 matches and dropping just one set through four rounds of his title defense. He said he was happy with the performance, that he played his game and his style, and that Paul is a talented player whose shots can be difficult to handle. He said he just tried to stay ready. The 23-year-old Spaniard is playing his first tournament since a right wrist injury. He said before the tournament that he would not…

Gael Monfils played his last Grand Slam match Thursday night at Louis Armstrong Stadium, losing to No. 14 seed Learner Tien 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 in the second round of the US Open, ending a career in the majors that stretched across 201 matches and 131 wins, the most by any Frenchman in Grand Slam history. The 40-year-old Frenchman was presented with a framed photograph of himself after the match and watched a video montage of his best US Open moments before addressing the crowd. He said it had been a long ride, that he had been coming to New York…

Alexander Zverev advanced to the third round of the US Open on Thursday night but needed five sets and more than four and a half hours to beat Quentin Halys 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-7 (3), 6-3, a match that concluded at 2.15 a.m. in the second-latest second-round finish in US Open history. The No. 1 seed had hoped for a smoother outing after needing five sets to edge Lorenzo Sonego on Tuesday. Instead, Zverev became the first top-seeded man to play back-to-back five-set matches to start a major in the Open Era, which dates to 1968. He has spent…

Alphonso Smith, a two-time All-America defensive back at Wake Forest who played four seasons in the NFL, has died at 40. Wake Forest announced his death Thursday afternoon after being notified by his family. The school’s release did not include a cause of death. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, contacted Thursday by the Associated Press, said sheriff’s deputies responded to a Pahokee address on Wednesday afternoon in reference to a suicide attempt. The office said an adult male was transported to a hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. Smith appeared to post on his Facebook account Wednesday, writing…

Former Fox Sports analyst Mark Sanchez plans to enter a guilty plea stemming from an October 2025 altercation with a truck driver outside an Indianapolis hotel, according to court records filed Thursday in Marion County Superior Court. The motion asks the court to schedule a hearing for the plea and sentencing. Online records did not specify which charges he will resolve. His jury trial had been set to begin Tuesday and had been rescheduled five times since December. His brother and legal adviser, Nick Sanchez Jr., said in a statement that the development is positive and that they are finalizing…

An internal investigation found that former reporter Dianna Russini’s undisclosed relationship with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel violated editorial standards but did not produce evidence of clear bias in her coverage, according to a report The Athletic published Thursday on its website. Mike Semel, The Athletic’s editorial director for standards and editorial quality, conducted the nearly five-month investigation. He wrote that the relationship was in clear violation of the outlet’s standards regardless of whether it was romantic, and that it should have been disclosed. On the question of coverage, Semel wrote that he found no clear link to…

Ben Shelton beat Hubert Hurkacz 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (3), 7-5 on Wednesday at Arthur Ashe Stadium, reaching the third round of the US Open as the highest-seeded American man in the draw, advancing past a quality opponent in four sets after also needing four sets in the first round. Shelton said being pushed early in a tournament is valuable, describing it as being battle-tested. He acknowledged he could have won the match more efficiently but credited Hurkacz for the level he brought. He said the pressure forced him to clean up things he had wanted to address, and that those…

Aryna Sabalenka arrived at the US Open in struggling form and in danger of losing the No. 1 ranking. She is through to the third round looking ready for a three-peat, dismantling Polina Iatcenko 6-1, 6-1 in 53 minutes Wednesday night in a power display that made her recent difficulties seem distant. Sabalenka said afterward she was happy with her level, happy with her focus and happy to be through the match. The top seed won 15 of 16 points on first serve in the opening set and finished 21 of 28 for the match against an opponent playing in…

Carlos Alcaraz dropped a set for the first time in this year’s US Open on Wednesday night but recovered to beat Jaime Faria 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2, winning eight consecutive games after falling behind early and advancing to the third round of his title defense. Alcaraz said he wanted to be quick about it but acknowledged afterward that playing four sets was actually good for him at this stage of his return, giving him the chance to test himself physically and see how his body responds the following day. He said he tried to stay calm after losing the set…

Kirk Cousins will start the Las Vegas Raiders’ season opener against the Miami Dolphins, first-year coach Klint Kubiak announced Wednesday, making Fernando Mendoza the first No. 1 overall pick at quarterback to not start Week 1 since Baker Mayfield sat behind Tyrod Taylor for the first three games of the 2018 season with the Cleveland Browns. Kubiak described Cousins as having played really good football throughout training camp and the preseason, saying Cousins earned the starting position. He did not address whether Mendoza is expected to play this season. The decision was largely expected. Cousins had been taking the majority…