Category: 6. Sports

World number two Swiatek looked to be cruising as she led her Dutch opponent by a set and a break but stumbled before eventually seeing off the 66th-ranked Lamens 6-1, 4-6, 6-4.

“It wasn’t an easy match. I did some mistakes,” said Swiatek.

“I felt like it depended on me and if I made mistakes or not, sometimes I did. I probably got a little tight in the second set.

“But the third set is a reset. You’ve got to start from the beginning and I knew I could play a little more precisely, so I just tried to do that.”

Swiatek, the 2022 US Open champion, has won 16 of 17 matches following titles at Wimbledon and Cincinnati. She goes on to play Russian 29th seed Anna Kalinskaya for a spot in the last 16.

Ekaterina Alexandrova, Beatriz Haddad Maia and Linda Noskova were among other women’s seeds to advance.

Sinner is back in action later on Thursday as he takes on Alexei Popyrin, the Australian who inflicted a shock defeat on Novak Djokovic at last year’s tournament.

The Italian has won his last 22 matches on hard courts at Grand Slams and said he felt fully healthy again after dealing with illness last week in Cincinnati.

He is trying to become the first man to repeat as US Open champion since Roger Federer won five in a row from 2004-2008.

It is the longest run without a successful men’s title defence of any Grand Slam tournament in the Open era.

Sinner will be hoping to join Lorenzo Musetti in the next round. The Italian 10th seed matched his best US Open run as he blew past Belgium’s David Goffin.

Russian 15th seed Andrey Rublev beat American wild card Tristan Boyer in four sets. He advances to a last-32 tie with Hong Kong’s Coleman Wong.

Wong, a 21-year-old qualifier, extended his New York fairytale with a 7-6 , 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 win over Australian Adam Walton.

The 173rd-ranked Wong had already made history earlier in the week by becoming the first man from Hong Kong to win a Grand Slam singles match.

Alexander Zverev plays Britain’s Jacob Fearnley after Coco Gauff kicks off the night session on Arthur Ashe against Croatia’s Donna Vekic.

The third-seeded Gauff stumbled through her opening match and admitted the build-up to the tournament had been “mentally exhausting” after shaking up her coaching team.

Twice former US Open champion Naomi Osaka takes on American Hailey Baptiste after making an encouraging start in her first Grand Slam as a seeded player since 2022.

Wimbledon runner-up and eighth seed Amanda Anisimova plays 19-year-old Australian Maya Joint under the lights on Louis Armstrong.

mw/rcw

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Badminton World Championships medallist one week, kinesiology university student the next.

That’s exactly what Canada’s Victor Lai is experiencing, after the 20-year-old part-time student and part-time badminton player produced a second stunning upset in a week at the 2025 BWF World Championships in Paris to become Canada’s first ever world medallist in the sport.

Having already defeated 11th seed Lu Guangzu in the round of 32, Lai went one better on Friday to knock out the 2021 world champion and ninth seed Loh Kean Yew, winning 22–20, 21–18 in straight games.

With losing semi-finalists receiving bronze medals, it means Lai will leave the French capital to return to Toronto’s York University next week as a history-maker for Canada. No badminton player representing the country has previously reached a World Championships semi-final in any of the sport’s five events.

“I start school next week,” Lai laughs when Olympics.com asks him about returning to Canada after a successful run at these World Championships, a month after he reached the fourth round at the World University Games in Germany.

For someone whose global experience has been limited to BWF World Tour Super 300-level events and below — “I’ve played one [Super] 500 before but that’s it,” Lai confirms — it’s been a run to dream of.

So much so that it has Lai considering his future options. Most of the players he’s faced this week are professionals, either training under national team set-ups or independently, without having to worry about a second job or other commitments.

“School can always take a pause,” he says. “I’m part-time so depending on how much I can handle [balancing] school and badminton, I’ll see.

“For sure [it gives me pause for thought], that’s something that’s going to be on the mind and just excited for tomorrow to give it my best again.”

‘Tomorrow’ brings a semi-final contest against what would be the biggest scalp of all, if he can pull it off: world number one Shi Yuqi of People’s Republic of China.

“I think just my training this year, I’ve had blocks of training on end, 5-6 weeks, that helped me build up physically,” Lai explains of his success this week.

“Before this season, my physical was not up to par and it’s still not up to par, at least I can compete with the top guys. I don’t have the power, strength, of those other guys, but I think I make up for it with my mental and my skills.”

Now that he’s proven he can hang with “those other guys”, there are new things to get used to.

Lai was stopped by multiple outlets in the media mixed zone after his match, including by Chinese media who asked him questions in Cantonese, a language Lai understands thanks to his family’s background from Hong Kong China.

“It’s something I’m not used to,” Lai acknowledged of the media attention. But it’s one thing Lai will become accustomed to, especially if he continues his remarkable run up the world rankings.

The Canadian began the year ranked 99th in the world, and entered the World Championships ranked 50th. After his exploits in Paris, he is looking at a big jump once more.

“Actually, at the beginning of the year, my goal was just top 50,” he shares.

Mission accomplished, he isn’t setting himself a new target this year. “Now I’ve reached it… just the pressure’s gone. I can just go out there and enjoy myself and do my best [every game].”

36 teams from across the continent will learn their fate on Friday afternoon, as the draw is made for the 2025/26 Conference League.  
 
This is the second year of the revamped tournament, which saw a brand-new league phase. ECA played a crucial role in the development of the tournament, ensuring our Member Clubs were central in the decision-making process of the new format. 
 
This season, 94% of clubs participating in the Europa League are ECA Members.  
 

Which Teams Qualified for the 2025/26 UEFA Conference League? 

 
All 36 teams reached the tournament via play–offs, but there was plenty of drama. Here is a closer look at some of the teams who have qualified.  
 
Having lost two consecutive Conference League finals, Fiorentina will be targeting the competition’s crown this season. It wasn’t easy for the Italian side in their play-off game against Polissya Zhytomyr. Veteran striker Edin Džeko scored an 89th winner to help La Viola wrap up a 3-2 win on the night and a 6-2 aggregate victory.  
 
Ħamrun Spartans made history becoming the first ever Maltese club to reach the Conference League group stage. Midfielder Vincenzo Polito was the hero, scoring the vital goal as the Spartans edged out Latvian side RFS 3-2 on aggregate.  
 
Mileta Rajović scored in extra-time to hand Legia Warszawa a memorable 5-4 aggregate win over Scottish side Hibernian. Having gone all the way to the quarter-finals of last season’s competition, the Polish side will be hoping for a similar successful European campaign.  
 
Lausanne registered the biggest shock of the play–off round as former Arsenal youngster Nathan Butler-Oyedeji scored the only goal to knock out Beşiktaş. This will be the first time the Swiss team has played in European competition since reaching the group stages of the 10/11 UEFA Cup.  

 
2025/26 UEFA Europa League – How Did Qualification go? 
 
All 36 teams qualified for the tournament via a play–off route:.  

Armenia: Noah 
Austria: SK Rapid 
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Zrinjski 
Croatia: Rijeka 
Cyprus: AEK Larnaca, Omonoia 
Czechia: Sigma Olomouc, Sparta Praha 
England: Crystal Palace 
Finland: KuPS Kuopio 
France: Strasbourg 
Germany: Mainz 
Gibraltar: Lincoln Red Imps 
Greece: AEK Athens 
Iceland: Breidablik 
Italy: Fiorentina 
Kosovo: Drita 
Malta: Hamrun Spartans 
Netherlands: AZ Alkmaar 
North Macedonia: Shkëndija 
Poland: Jagiellonia Białystok, Lech Poznań, Legia Warszawa, Raków Częstochowa 
Republic of Ireland: Shamrock Rovers, Shelbourne 
Romania: Universitatea Craiova 
Scotland: Aberdeen 
Slovakia: Slovan Bratislava 
Slovenia: Celje 
Spain: Rayo Vallecano 
Sweden: Häcken 
Switzerland: Lausanne-Sport 
Türkiye: Samsunspor 
Ukraine: Dynamo Kyiv, Shakhtar Donetsk 
 

When Is the Draw? 
 
The draw for the league phase will take place on Friday, August 29. It will take place at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco and will be streamed live UEFA’s website at 13:00 CET. 

 
Where is the Final?  

The final will be hosted at Leipzig’s RB Arena on 27 May 2026. 

Sam Kerr will return to the football pitch in style.

The Chelsea and Australia striker and her apparel sponsor have released her first pair of signature boots.

Kerr has not played a competitive match since rupturing her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in January 2024, though did return to training at the start of this calendar year.

“I’m really excited,” Kerr told Wide World of Sports. “I still can’t believe it, honestly, every time I see [the boots] or talk to someone about them. Not many people have been allowed to see them. Some of my family haven’t seen them — my little cousins are dying to see them.”

Since her injury at a warm weather training camp in Morocco almost two years ago, Kerr became a mother – her son, Jagger, was born in May 2025.

The two-time Olympian, who is the captain of the Australian national team known as the Matildas, is aiming to be back for the start of the domestic season in September 2025.

Six-time reigning Women’s Super League champions Chelsea begin the campaign on 5 September against Manchester City at Stamford Bridge.

2025 US Open – Coco Gauff digs deep for victory spurred on by Simone Biles

Safely into the third round of her home Grand Slam, it has been a tournament for Gauff defined by her serve. The two-time Olympian brought in a biomechanics coach to aid her struggles, improving from her first-round win though still seeking improvement.

The world number three committed eight double faults, seven of which came in the opening set where she was broken on four occasions. After seeing Biles in the stands, the second set marked clear improvement: zero break points suffered, just one double fault and a first serve percentage of 77 per cent.

“It was honestly her first Olympics, I think it was in Rio [2016], that’s the one that sticks to my memory the most,” Gauff said in her post-match press conference. “She’s the greatest, one of the greatest female athletes. It’s her and Serena [Williams] for me, on my Mount Rushmore of athletes.

The third seed continued, “I think everything she went through on the mental side of things of the sport, something that I followed closely and tried to learn from. So to see her there tonight gave me a reminder that I needed. I was lucky, I actually just came from talking to her so I was able to tell her that in person.”

Indeed, Gauff and Biles had the chance to meet in the bowels of Flushing Meadows after the match, a special moment in what had been a memorable night for both women.

Biles congratulated Gauff in person, telling her [via the US Open], “Of course, I had to [come], you’ve been popping off lately! Gymnastics is so different so I just wanted to scream, ‘Go Coco!’ but then they were like, ‘Maybe not right now’ and I was like ‘Got it’. But no, congrats! I love watching you, everything you do.”

World no. 3 Gauff told the 11-time Olympic medallist, “You’re such an inspiration. Like seriously what I said in the interview, I was thinking about that literally. My mom did gymnastics on a way lower level than you, and so she was like, ‘If I can focus on that, then you can do that.’ You’re such an inspiration, seriously. Thanks for coming,”

Next up for Gauff at the US Open is 28^th seed Magdalena Fręch, as the 2023 US Open champion continues her pursuit to retain her concrete jungle crown.

USA head coach Sione Fukofuka has rolled the dice for this must-win clash, making nine changes as he seeks a combination of power and pace to unsettle the strong-looking Wallaroos. The biggest call? It has to be dropping three-time Olympian Alev Kelter. Elsewhere wingers Cheta Emba and Erica Coulibaly will have to step up and deal with Australia’s lightening edges. 

For Australia, it is all about getting the job done against opponents that have caused them plenty of trouble, including a high-scoring defeat in last year’s Pacific Four Series. Winger Desiree Miller already has three RWC 2025 tries to her name and will be one to watch, while co-captains Emily Chancellor and Kaitlin Leaney continue in the absence of injured Siokapesi Palu.

Kick-off: 19:30 BST, Saturday, 30 August

Venue: York Community Stadium, York

If you are heading to York for the match, and indeed the weekend, head here now to get all the lowdown on her home town from England star Ellie Kildunne. 

How to watch: Grab you last-minute tickets here now. 

Or check out our Global Guide to the TV options in your area. 

USA team

USA’s key player: There is plenty of pressure on Emily Henrich’s shoulders but the 25-year-old showed last week she is more than capable of handling it. Strong in defence and full of power, she and Ilona Maher will provide plenty of questions for Australia’s midfield. Expect straight running and big collisions. 

Australia team 

Australia’s key player: USA are not the only ones boasting plenty of power, with second-row Michaela Leonard set to win her 40th cap – just the third Wallaroo to reach such a mark. A formidable athlete and a former skipper, Leonard will be out to stamp her authority on this momentous fixture. 

Recent head-to-heads: 

Pacific Four Series 2025: AUS 27-19 USA

Pacific Four Series 2024: USA 32-25 AUS

Friendly July 2023: AUS 58-17 USA

What they said: 

USA head coach Sione Fukofuka: 

“There was always going to be some changes. Unfortunately we had a couple of players ruled out through injury this week. We wanted to find a little bit of a balance, and last week gave us more information that we wanted to take through to this week. It’s a must-win game so we’re going to try and make some clear decisions around our opposition.

“She’ll (Alev Kelter) still be a part of the team. The players we selected will allow us to play as best we can, and Lev will push back into that selection frame for Samoa.

“Looking at the stats from last week, I think we were in the top three, top four teams in terms of our ball movement. So we are physical, and we’re going to own that and go forward first, but using the ball and being able to shift to the edges is a clear strategy that we want to go after.”

USA captain Kate Zackary: 

“Today, we played a bit of volleyball and it is that reminder to have a bit of fun. That’s why we started. It’s for community, it’s for friendship and things like that.

“There was a little girl last week who was wearing my jersey, even though she’s an English fan. You want to show up to a World Cup and you want to see two teams battling it out. You want people to fall in love with both teams, the players, the individuals, but the sport, and then they take that hunger to their rugby club.” 

Australia head coach Jo Yapp: 

“The focus is about us, we’ve done a lot coming into this competition around our try lines and try line defence and generally our collision dominance.

“We’ve not changed anything around the structure and the focuses of our week, because as soon as you start changing things like that in a big game it makes players pretty anxious.”

Australia captain Emily Chancellor: 

“It’s a different group this time (to RWC 2021) and a different experience but there’s going to be a point in the pool where you’ve got to perform to secure that spot [in the quarter-finals] and if we can do that in game two instead of game three it would be a really great place for us.

“I take confidence knowing we were able to perform in those moments against Scotland and Wales last World Cup. But we can’t sit in the past, we’ve got to focus on the present and the team we’ve got here and now.

“We haven’t changed much, we had a conversation as a team and playing group to reiterate the fact it is an opportunity to secure a quarter-final position. We didn’t want to take for granted that everybody knows that is the reality. That’s not us putting pressure on us, that’s us believing that if we play the way we know we can, and every individual does their job to the best of their ability, we can come out on top.”

The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) has unveiled a 35‑player preliminary squad for the upcoming SAFF U‑17 Championship, marking the first step toward finalizing the Green Shirts’ roster for the regional competition.

Announced on Friday, the list features a mix of emerging talents from across the country, reflecting the federation’s efforts to strengthen youth‑football pathways. Players will undergo training camps and assessment sessions before the final squad is trimmed for the championship.

The 2025 SAFF U‑17 Championship will be the 10th edition of the tournament. Pakistan have been placed in Group B alongside defending champions India, Bhutan, and the Maldives. After falling in the semi‑finals last year, this squad will hope to bring a second title to the country in its sixth appearance.

Pakistan’s Preliminary Squad for SAFF U-17 Championship:

Pakistan will aim to make a strong impact, with the selected players not only competing for places in the final squad but also staking their claims for future call‑ups at U‑20 and senior levels.

The final squad announcement is expected in the coming weeks after a rigorous training camp.

The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) has unveiled a 35-member preliminary squad for the upcoming South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) U-17 Championship.

The announcement marks an important step in Pakistan’s preparations for the regional tournament, as the young footballers gear up to represent the country on the international stage.

The preliminary squad includes the following players:

Khalil Jibran, Adil Ali Khan, Waheed Aslam, Ali Khan, Nadeem Hussain, Muhammad Alam, Muhammad Masood, Muhammad Zubair, Sumra Maher Ahmed, Mustafa Israr, Muhammad Awais, Farhad Ullah, Azizullah, S.M. Abbis Raza, Shahid Anjum, Zulqarnain, Haroon Rasheed, Saad Tiwana, Abdul Samad, Hamza Yasir, S. Shahrum, Burhan Tareen, Muhammad Talha, Abdul Rehman, Hasnain Wali Raza, Samar Razzaq, Shahzaib Nawaz, Muhammad Abdullah, Muzammil Ahmed, M. Abdullah Iram, Abdullah Hussain, Mansoor Ahmad, Muhammad Awais, Ibrahim Asif, and Muhammad Essa.

The PFF has emphasized that this selection reflects its continued commitment to nurturing grassroots football and providing opportunities for young athletes to shine at the international level.

From August 20 to 24, the 2025 IFSC Asian Youth Championships were held at the Guizhou Caihu International Climbing Center in Guanshanhu District, Guiyang, China.

The IFSC Asian Youth Championships 2025 provided athletes with both a competitive platform and an environment for cultural exchange and collaboration while Guiyang, with its refined organisational capability and high-quality facilities, reaffirmed its role in hosting international climbing events.

There were over 211 young climbers from 14 Asian countries and regions competing at U17 and U19 levels across the three disciplines: Speed, Lead, and Boulder.

In the final medal tally, Japan led the way with six golds, eight silver, and five bronze medals, followed by China with three golds, three silver, and three bronze.

South Korea, Indonesia, and Thailand also delivered impressive performances, each adding their distinct flair to the competition.

Full results can be found here