Category: 6. Sports

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — France’s Caroline Garcia played the final match of her professional tennis career at the US Open on Monday. Having announced ahead of Roland Garros that 2025 would be her last season on the Hologic WTA Tour, the 31-year-old was defeated by Kamilla Rakhimova in the first round, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.

“Yeah, obviously it’s not really easy to step on the court when you don’t know it’s your last match, or if you win maybe you have another last match,” Garcia told reporters. “It’s kind of a tricky moment. But a lot of emotion before the match, even if I got a lot of emotion out in Roland Garros. But, yeah, it meant a lot for me to play one more time [at the] US Open.”

Garcia made her professional debut in 2007, at the age of 13, on the ITF Circuit in France. She played her first WTA qualifying event at the Paris Indoors in 2010, and her WTA Tour-level main-draw debut came as a wild card at the Australian Open in 2011. That year, still playing as a junior, she was the runner-up to Grace Min in the US Open Girls’ title.

Garcia went on to capture 11 WTA singles titles and reached 16 finals. She won her first in Bogotá, in 2014, defeating former World No.1 Jelena Jankovic in the final. In 2017 she made history as the first player to win the two biggest Chinese events, the Wuhan Open and China Open, in the same year, in back-to-back weeks. Those results propelled her into the Top 10 for the first time.

On September 10, 2018, she achieved her career-high singles ranking of No. 4, but her greatest victories were still ahead of her. In 2022, a banner year, she won the WTA 1000 Cincinnati Open before reaching the semifinals of the US Open, her best Grand Slam singles result. The biggest title of her career followed at the WTA Finals in Fort Worth, where she defeated Aryna Sabalenka in the title match.

Garcia’s 2022 season also included a defeat of World No. 1 Iga Swiatek in Warsaw, and she was the only player to win titles on all three surfaces that year. She closed out the season back at No. 4, her second career Top 10 finish.

Garcia also excelled at doubles, rising as high as No. 2 in the rankings in October of 2016. Her eight titles included rousing wins at her home Slam, Roland Garros, in 2016 and 2022, alongside fellow Frenchwoman Kristina Mladenovic. They were named WTA Doubles Team of the Year at the end of the season.

“Congratulations to Caroline for her outstanding career in both singles and doubles,” said Portia Archer, CEO of the WTA. “Alongside her dazzling game, which captivated fans worldwide, we are thankful for Caroline’s advocacy for her fellow athletes, including her contribution as a member of the WTA Players’ Council. On behalf of the WTA family, I wish her every happiness and success as she flies into the future.”

In 2019, Garcia was a member of the French team that captured the Billie Jean King Cup trophy, and she represented France at the Olympic Games in Rio and Paris. In 2023 she led the WTA Tour with 462 aces.

“It’s kind of weird to say, but I’m very happy,” she said. “It was a great run. … Obviously you can always achieve more, and I was dreaming of achieving more. But I’m very happy and [at] peace with my decision to move forward with my life and close the chapter of being a tennis player.”

She leaves the sport with a main draw win-loss record of 472-365 and career prize money of more than $18.7 million.

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has told his teenage team-mate not to take moments in the spotlight “for granted”.

“It’s a dream debut for him,” Van Dijk told Sky Sports. “I’m very pleased for Rio.

“I’ve said it to him already, it all starts now. He has to keep working hard and stay humble but definitely have to enjoy this because these nights, you can’t take them for granted if you’re in his position.

“I’m sure with the players we have he will be back in training and having a hard session tomorrow again.”

Liverpool boss Slot praised the finishing abilities of Ngumoha, saying: “It was a great goal for a 16-year-old.

“Rio can finish so well for his age. I did hear someone say afterwards in the dressing room he would have taken a first touch, but he is so confident. For his age, he is a really good finisher.”

Ngumoha had Liverpool fans wondering in pre-season if he could be part of the first team this year.

He started a pre-season friendly against Athletic Bilbao on the left wing – and against that calibre of opposition he caught the eye, as he has done all summer.

The teenager scored in just the second minute, running on to a loose ball in his own half before racing forward and curling a fine effort in from 20 yards.

He caused the La Liga side all kinds of problems with his dribbling and trickery.

The 16-year-old left to a standing ovation midway through the second half.

Ngumoha’s performance that day came on the back of an assist against AC Milan and goal against Yokohama F. Marinos in Asian friendlies.

In January, Ngumoha became the youngest player to start a match for Liverpool – aged 16 years and 135 days old – in the 4-0 win over Accrington in the FA Cup.

But that was his only first-team appearance of the campaign and he did not make the bench for a Premier League game until the opening game of this season against Bournemouth.

After the tragic death of Diogo Jota and the sales of Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz, Slot has a senior forward line of Salah, Hugo Ekitike and Cody Gakpo.

Now Ngumoha has made his breakthrough and Liverpool will hope his thrilling intervention at Newcastle is the start of something big.

Virgil van Dijk described Liverpool Rio Ngumoha’s first Premier League appearance as a “dream debut” after the teenager’s dramatic late winner at Newcastle on Monday.

The 16-year-old came off the bench to score deep into stoppage time in Monday’s Premier League encounter at St. James’ Park as the champions snatched a 3-2 victory after 10-man Newcastle had battled back from 2-0 down.

Van Dijk told Sky Sports: “It is a dream debut for him. It was a perfect technique. We stayed calm towards the end as well, tried to find the right solution in order to score a goal, and we did it. I’m very pleased for Rio.”

With his late strike, Ngumoha, who turns 17 on Friday, became the fourth-youngest goalscorer in Premier League history, trailing only James Vaughan, James Milner and Wayne Rooney.

His goal, arriving in the 10th minute of second half stoppage-time, also ranked fourth among the latest goals scored in the competition.

“It was a great goal for a 16-year-old,” Liverpool head coach Arne Slot said. “It was a big chance. He can finish really well for his age. How firm his shot was — you don’t see this often.

“He is so confident and for him to score is not completely a coincidence, for his age he is a really good finisher.”

Liverpool were second best for large spells of the game despite goals from Ryan Gravenberch and Hugo Ekitike, coming either side of the sending-off of Anthony Gordon, putting them into a commanding position.

The game was played in a fervent atmosphere which owed a lot to Liverpool’s failed attempt to sign Newcastle’s unsettled striker Alexander Isak.

Van Dijk said: “Obviously we all know it is a difficult place to come, we all know there was a lot of oil on the fire this week to get, especially, Newcastle fired up.

“For us, we are disappointed to concede from two set-pieces and that shouldn’t happen but, overall, it’s a great three points. We move on and focus on the next one.”

Van Dijk had little sympathy for Gordon, who was dismissed for a challenge on the Liverpool captain.

“I said to him if that’s not a sending off then I don’t understand football. Unfortunately these things happen in football. If he meant it or not, it happened,” the Dutchman said.

Brazil’s highly rated teenager Joao Fonseca beat Miomir Kecmancovic to set up a second-round match against world number 21 Tomas Machac.

Fonseca beat the Serb 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 in two hours and 26 minutes.

The 19-year-old was forced to overcome illness in the third set, first calling the trainer for a medical timeout before rushing to the side of court to vomit into a bin.

“The first round is always a bit more tense and today I felt a bit more sick in the third set,” said Fonseca.

“I didn’t know what happened. I just threw up water. Sorry about that guys, I apologise!”

Elsewhere, world number 17 Frances Tiafoe beat Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka 6-3 7-6 (8-6) 6-3.

American Tiafoe, who has been a semi-finalist at his home Grand Slam twice in the past three years, will face compatriot Martin Damm in the next round.

Denmark’s Holger Rune made heavy work of Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp to record his first US Open win since 2022.

The 11th seed was two sets up with a 4-0 lead in the third set but lost the next four games to gift Van de Zandschulp a route back into the match.

But Rune held his nerve in the tie-break to seal a 6-3 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-2) victory.

Ninth seed Karen Khachanov of Russia came from a set down to beat American Nishesh Basavareddy 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 7-5 6-1, while Russian 15th seed Andrey Rublev eased past Croatia’s Dino Prizmic 6-4 6-4 6-4.

Italian 24th seed Flavio Cobolli beat compatriot Francesco Passaro 7-5 4-6 6-4 3-6 6-3 in an epic lasting three hours 42 minutes.

In contrast, Norwegian 12th seed Casper Ruud dispatched Austrian Sebastian Ofner 6-1 6-2 7-6 (7-5) in under two hours.

Liverpool Snatch Dramatic Late Win Against Newcastle United in Premier League Classic

Liverpool’s teenage prodigy Rio Ngumoha delivered a moment that will be remembered far beyond the banks of the Mersey. His 100th minute winner sealed a 3-2 victory for the Premier League champions against Newcastle United at St James’s Park, a contest that crackled with fury, passion and no shortage of controversy.

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The roar that greeted kick-off inside the ground was full of fire, reflecting the frustrations of a club whose summer has been dominated by Alexander Isak’s desire to leave. Newcastle supporters had demanded aggression with a blunt pre-match banner, and their players obliged. Every tackle and interception was met with roars, particularly whenever Hugo Ekitike, who rejected them to join Liverpool, touched the ball.

Magpies’ Furious Start Undone by Liverpool Quality

For 25 minutes, Newcastle United looked everything their fans wanted them to be. Joelinton, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes controlled midfield, harassing Liverpool into mistakes and leaving Arne Slot gesturing wildly on the touchline. Florian Wirtz, the marquee summer signing, barely had time to breathe.

Yet when Newcastle’s intensity dipped, Liverpool punished them. Ryan Gravenberch found space on the edge of the area, firing low beyond Nick Pope for 1-0. It was harsh on the hosts, but a reminder that champions seize such moments.

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Anthony Gordon then turned the game against his own side with a reckless lunge on Virgil van Dijk. His studs caught the defender’s heel and after a VAR check, referee Simon Hooper produced a red card. Newcastle’s chances of an upset evaporated in an instant.

Seconds after the restart, Ekitike silenced the jeers with a calm finish for 2-0. Yet the match remained alive thanks to Guimaraes, who powered home a header to lift the crowd once more.

Newcastle Fight Back Through Adversity

Even with ten men and injuries mounting, Newcastle United showed defiance. Joelinton departed with a suspected groin issue and Tonali played on despite a damaged shoulder, but still the Magpies fought.

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With time slipping away, substitute William Osula capitalised on a long pass, sliding the ball past Alisson in the 88th minute to level the score. St James’s Park erupted in delirium, the noise reflecting relief as much as celebration.

Ngumoha Delivers for Liverpool

Yet Liverpool were not finished. Deep into stoppage time, the Premier League champions pieced together one last sweeping move. The ball found Rio Ngumoha, aged just 16 and making only his second appearance, who kept his composure to slot the decisive strike.

It was cruel on Newcastle, whose spirit deserved reward, but it underlined the gulf between a club struggling for acceptance among the elite and one firmly entrenched in it. Liverpool, under Arne Slot, look every bit like a side capable of retaining their title. For Newcastle, the summer of discontent has bled into the season, leaving them searching for answers as much as points.

Against the run of first-half play, the Magpies conceded to Ryan Gravenberch’s long-range strike in the 35th minute before Anthony Gordon was sent off following a VAR intervention on the stroke of half time.

Hugo Ekitike’s goal early in the second half made life even tougher for Eddie Howe’s men but substitute William Osula levelled after Bruno Guimarães began an incredible comeback.

However teenager Rio Ngumoha won the game for Liverpool with almost the last kick.

Captain Guimarães had used his matchday programme notes to urge the home support to create a ferocious atmosphere under the lights. “There’s a lot of outside noise around this fixture, but it’s the noise our fans create tonight that’s going to make the difference,” he wrote, and they heeded his call from the first whistle.

The first opportunity of the night fell to Liverpool, with Nick Pope pushing away a shot from Florian Wirtz, but after that it was the home team who largely dominated.

Joelinton almost forced home from an Anthony Elanga cutback, then in the 28th minute, Harvey Barnes’ inswinging cross from the right was met by Gordon – who had scored in this fixture two seasons running – but his header dropped just over the bar.

Seconds later, Gordon came within a whisker of connecting with a low Elanga delivery from the right and at that point, United were pinning the Reds back in their own half.

But out of nowhere, Gravenberch’s low drive whistled past Pope, going in off a post before the goalkeeper even had a chance to move.

Then, just before the break, Gordon raced across the pitch to try and dispossess Virgil van Dijk but was late and caught the Liverpool skipper, with Simon Hooper showing a yellow card. However, that was upgraded to a red after John Brooks, the Video Assistant Referee, advised him to go over to the pitchside monitor.

Not only did that leave United a man down, but it gave Howe even fewer options up front for the remainder of the match and the next three fixtures.

Less than a minute into the second half, Ekitike doubled Liverpool’s advantage – his shot, like Gravenberch’s opener, kissing a post on its way over the line.

But Newcastle battled back as Guimarães outmuscled Milos Kerkez to head Tino Livramento’s deep delivery past Alisson at the Gallowgate End. The noise the skipper had demanded was suddenly even louder than before. Sandro Tonali bravely played on despite a shoulder injury before finally admitting defeat and making way for Lewis Miley, and United were again camped deep in Liverpool territory.

Another blow came when Joelinton was forced off – Jacob Ramsey replaced him, making his bow in black and white – then Fabian Schär suffered a head injury, referee Hooper playing on for several seconds despite supporters and Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson calling for the game to be stopped. That saw Malick Thiaw become the second Newcastle debutant of the evening.

United, feeding off their fervent fans, kept on dealing with whatever was thrown at them.

Osula had also entered the fray as Howe shuffled his pack midway through the second half and he nipped in front of Alisson to equalise with his second Premier League goal.

In 11 minutes of stoppage time, Newcastle pushed for a winner but in the end it was Liverpool who got it as substitute Ngumoha swept home.

Even after that, the noise from the home support continued – the Gallowgate End rising as one to applaud their team’s efforts as the visiting players celebrated.

Bayern Munich close in on Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson, Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo considering leaving Old Trafford, Tottenham face transfer setback with pursuit of Como midfielder Nico Paz.

Chelsea have agreed a deal to loan 24-year-old Senegal striker Nicolas Jackson to Bayern Munich. (Bild – in German), external

England midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, 20, will consider leaving Manchester United in the final week of the transfer window if the club receive a suitable offer. (Talksport), external

Crystal Palace have tabled a £15m offer for Manchester City’s Swiss defender Manuel Akanji, 30. (Sun), external

Manchester United and Denmark forward Rasmus Hojlund, 22, will get a sizeable pay rise should he agree to join Napoli before the transfer deadline. (Gazzetta dello Sport – in Italian), external

Tottenham could be facing rejection from a fourth major transfer target after Como turned down a £50m offer from Spurs for 20-year-old Argentina midfielder Nico Paz. (Mirror), external

Wolves will hand striker Jorgen Strand Larsen a new contract after rejecting a £50m bid from Newcastle but could still be tempted to sell the 25-year-old Norway international if they receive an offer in excess of £75m. (Telegraph – subscription required), external

Strand Larsen is keen to move to Newcastle with the Magpies weighing up another bid, but he is not viewed as a direct replacement for Sweden striker Alexander Isak, 25, who is wanted by Liverpool. (The I – subscription required), external

Newcastle officials, including co-owner Jamie Reuben, have spoken to Isak at the striker’s home in an attempt to convince him to stay at the club and return to Eddie Howe’s squad despite Liverpool’s interest. (Daily Mail), external

Wolves boss Vitor Pereira is keen to bring in Girona’s Czech centre-back Ladislav Krejci, 26, and is also pushing to sign a central midfielder and a versatile forward before the window closes. (Guardian), external

Borussia Dortmund are close to reaching an agreement with Wolves for the signing of 23-year-old Portuguese striker Fabio Silva. (, externalAthletic – subscription required), external

Everton and Scotland defender Nathan Patterson is wanted by Sevilla who are exploring a loan deal for the 23-year-old. (Liverpool Echo), external

West Ham have rejected a bid from Everton for 30-year-old Czech midfielder Tomas Soucek. (Times – subscription required), external

Brazil midfielder Andreas Pereira, 29, will be allowed to leave Fulham this summer. (Teamtalk), external

Roma’s directors will hold a meeting with Liverpool over a deal for Greece left-back Kostas Tsimikas with Marseille also interested in the 29-year-old. (Football Italia), external

Crystal Palace have entered the race to sign Toulouse’s French centre-back Jaydee Canvot, 19, after Aston Villa had a bid rejected. (Fabrizio Romano), external

Bournemouth midfielder Philip Billing, 29, is set to return to his native Denmark and join Midtjylland in a £5m deal. (Times – subscription required), external

Rio Ngumoha came off the bench to snatched victory deep into stoppage time as Premier League champions Liverpool edged past 10-man Newcastle United on an astonishing night at St James’ Park.

Fellow substitute Will Osula’s first top-flight goal looked to have completed a famous comeback by the Magpies, who had Anthony Gordon sent off in first-half stoppage time and trailed 2-0 seconds after the break.

However, Ngumoha’s intervention in the 10th minute of stoppage time denied them a priceless point in the stunning 3-2 win.

The Reds were already leading through Ryan Gravenberch’s 35th-minute strike against the run of play after surviving an early onslaught when Gordon was dismissed for a late challenge on Virgil van Dijk, and Hugo Ekitike’s strike seconds after half-time looked to have killed the game off.

As the travelling fans sang “hand him over, Newcastle£ – a reference to their club’s pursuit of Alexander Isak on a night when Magpies chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan was in the stands – Bruno Guimarães reduced the deficit with a 57th-minute header, and Osula’s late equaliser sparked a frenzied conclusion.

Gordon’s misdemeanour will cost head coach Eddie Howe, who lost Fabian Schär, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton to injury during a pulsating encounter, his services for three games, further depleting his pool of strikers and perhaps further dashing Isak’s hopes of a move during what remains of the transfer window.

In a frenetic start, the hosts exerted early pressure on a Reds defence featuring Dominik Szoboszlai as a makeshift right-back, although it was Nick Pope who had to make the game’s first save, diving to his left to keep out Florian Wirtz’s curled 14th-minute effort.

Alisson Becker was relieved to see Gordon’s header from Harvey Barnes’ 28th-minute cross just clear his crossbar, and Szobozslai did well to take the pace off the striker’s stabbed attempt from an Anthony Elanga delivery to allow his goalkeeper to mop up seconds later.

But it was Liverpool, who had succeeded in taking some of the sting out of the game, who took a 35th-minute lead when Gravenberch’s speculative 25-yard strike, which took a slight deflection of Schar, caught an unsighted Pope flat-footed as it sped into the bottom corner.

Curtis Jones failed to make meaningful contact with Mohamed Salah’s first-time cross three minutes before the break, but his side’s cause was boosted significantly in first-half stoppage time when, after referee Simon Hooper – who was using ref cam – was asked to review of Gordon’s challenge on Van Dijk, he sent off the frontman for serious foul play.

The Magpies’ task grew in difficulty within 23 seconds when Ekitike – the man they tried to sign before Liverpool snapped him up – was allowed time and space to fire home off the foot of Pope’s right post.

Newcastle were simply unable to exert any pressure as a result of their numerical disadvantage, but they gave themselves hope when Guimaraes climbed above Milos Kerkez at the far post to head the excellent Tino Livramento’s cross down into the bottom corner and breathe new life into the contest.

The 11 men became increasingly jittery as Newcastle pushed for an equaliser, and they were undone with two minutes remaining when Osula ran on to Pope’s long free-kick and steered a first-time shot past the advancing Alisson, only for Ngumoha to claim victory at the death.