England captain Ben Stokes has announced his shock retirement from international cricket during the ongoing Test match against New Zealand at Trent Bridge.
The talismanic all-rounder revealed his unexpected decision on Sunday afternoon amid a gruelling physical effort in the field.
News of the departure filtered through the Nottingham crowd before the outgoing star immediately took a wicket during an exhausting 11-over spell.
A theatrical end to a remarkable career
Forcing Zak Foulkes to edge to second slip with his very first delivery after the announcement prompted a rapturous standing ovation.
The 2019 World Cup winner later promoted himself to open the batting, scoring a rapid 30 from 20 deliveries to give the hosts brief hope.
However, that final flourish proved insufficient as the national side failed to chase down a daunting target of 373.
Drawing comparisons with the greats
The charismatic leader draws natural comparisons to former England great Sir Ian Botham for his unique ability to routinely produce match-winning moments.
English cricket will be far worse and less interesting now that the talismanic all-rounder has stepped aside.
Sir Andrew Strauss
Former skipper Nasser Hussain aptly described the departing player as a serious entertainer who consistently delivered box-office performances.
Leaving behind an unmatched legacy
While he did not secure a Test series victory over Australia or India as captain, his tenure completely revolutionised the team’s aggressive approach to the longest format.
His dramatic departure stands in stark contrast to the quiet exit of New Zealand contemporary Kane Williamson earlier this month.
Supporters will now be left reflecting on a catalogue of seemingly impossible feats that defined one of the most compelling careers in modern sport.
Former semi-finalist Denis Shapovalov has retired from his first-round match at Wimbledon after injuring his shoulder in a collision with a courtside barrier.
The Canadian was tied at 7-7 in a second-set tiebreak against Pablo Carreno Busta when he desperately chased down a forehand.
Unable to halt his momentum, he tumbled heavily into the protective sheeting surrounding Court 6.
He immediately pulled up in visible pain, prompting both the umpire and his Spanish opponent to rush to his aid.
Apology to opponent ends match
Following initial treatment from the physiotherapist, play briefly resumed.
The world number 41 played just one more point, netting a forehand to concede the tiebreak 9-7 before calling for further medical assistance.
Realising the extent of the damage, the left-hander opted to abandon the contest entirely.
“Sorry man, I think I f***ed it.”
His dramatic withdrawal gifts Carreno Busta his first-ever victory at the All England Club.
The 34-year-old Spaniard had suffered seven consecutive defeats at the grass-court grand slam prior to this encounter.
Struggles continue for former semi-finalist
This early exit compounds a challenging season for the former world number 10.
He arrived at SW19 having secured only one match win over the past two months.
His grass-court preparation was minimal, featuring an opening-round loss to Marin Cilic in ‘s-Hertogenbosch and a second-round exit to Alex de Minaur at Queen’s Club.
The painful departure is a stark contrast to his remarkable 2021 campaign in London.
During that deep run, he defeated Andy Murray, Roberto Bautista Agut, and Karen Khachanov before falling to eventual champion Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals.
Shapovalov is the second player to retire from the men’s draw on Monday, following Frenchman Luca Van Assche’s withdrawal against Marton Fucsovics with a back issue.
French Open runner-up Maja Chwalinska has been knocked out in the first round of Wimbledon following a shock 2-6 7-5 6-2 defeat by Thai qualifier Mananchaya Sawangkaew.
The 24-year-old Polish player entered the grass-court tournament as the 20th seed after receiving a wildcard entry.
Her elevated status came despite missing the direct ranking cut-off for the main draw at SW19.
This unusual situation arose following her historic run at Roland Garros last month, where she became the first qualifier to reach the women’s singles final.
From Paris fairytale to London early exit
Starting brightly in London, the recent Grand Slam finalist secured the opening set comfortably against her lower-ranked opponent.
However, her momentum faltered against the world number 164, who fought back tenaciously to claim the biggest victory of her career.
Sawangkaew was making her Wimbledon debut and only her second ever appearance in a major tournament main draw.
The Thai competitor previously suffered a first-round elimination against Emma Raducanu at this year’s Australian Open.
A stark contrast in major tournament fortunes
Defeat on the English grass marks a rapid crash back to earth for the former world number 114.
Just weeks ago in Paris, she joined Raducanu as only the second player in the Open Era to reach a major final as a qualifier.
Ultimately, that exhausting clay-court campaign culminated in a straight-sets championship loss to Mirra Andreeva.
She will now have to regroup ahead of the upcoming hard-court swing, while her conqueror advances to the second round at the All England Club.
Former Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals running back Chris Johnson has revealed he was diagnosed with ALS in 2025 during a televised interview on Monday.
The 39-year-old shared the news using a speech-generating device based on recordings of his own voice.
He explained that doctors believe he has a sporadic case of the progressive neurodegenerative disease, as he has no family history of the condition.
‘I chose to fight’
“At first, you’re in shock. Then you realize you have two choices. You can give up, or you can fight. I chose to fight.”
The 2009 NFL Offensive Player of the Year is currently participating in a clinical trial as part of his medical treatment.
His wife, Brittany, noted that they initially mistook his early symptoms of a weakened grip for a football-related nerve injury.
“It’s continued to progress much faster than I ever imagined,” the former player added.
A record-breaking NFL career
Nicknamed ‘CJ2K’, the American football star cemented his legacy in 2009 by rushing for 2,006 yards in a single campaign.
That remarkable season saw him break the NFL’s all-time record for yards from scrimmage with a staggering total of 2,509.
He spent a decade in professional football, starting with six consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons for the Titans before later spells with the New York Jets and Cardinals.
Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk pledged the franchise’s ongoing support, stating his on-field leadership and community impact have permanently written him into the team’s history.
Raising awareness for others
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) attacks nerve cells controlling voluntary muscle movement and currently has no known cure.
By making his diagnosis public, the former running back hopes to highlight the rapid speed at which the disease can impact the human body.
He recalled that just over a year ago he could lift his seven-year-old daughter to blow out her birthday candles, a physical feat he can no longer perform today.
“I want people to know that I’m still me. ALS has changed what my body can do, but it hasn’t changed who I am.”
Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis captured the WBO and WBA super-welterweight titles by stopping the previously unbeaten Xander Zayas in the seventh round at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Saturday.
The 28-year-old dropped his Puerto Rican opponent three times during an explosive encounter to secure a signature victory.
The Philadelphia native entered the ring as the clear favourite but was forced to withstand heavy punishment before ultimately breaking the champion down.
Explosive start and middle-round adversity
The former IBF welterweight champion made an immediate impact, switching to a southpaw stance in the opening round before flooring the 23-year-old with a crisp left hand and follow-up combination.
Despite the early setback, the defending champion rallied fiercely and tested his challenger’s chin repeatedly during a punishing third round.
The undefeated American looked unsteady on his feet as he absorbed sustained attacks, proving his resilience under intense pressure.
Relentless pressure forces the stoppage
A short right uppercut in the fifth round sent the titleholder to the canvas for a second time, significantly shifting the momentum.
The decisive moment arrived in round seven when the challenger buried a vicious right hook into his opponent’s body before landing a clinical one-two combination to the head.
Seeing their fighter taking further damage, the corner motioned for the referee to halt the contest, handing the rising star his 36th professional win.
The defeated fighter nodded and offered a wry smile as he suffered the first loss of a promising 24-fight career.
Crawford unimpressed by new champion
Promoter Eddie Hearn holds lofty ambitions for his latest world champion, who missed out on lucrative welterweight unification bouts against domestic rivals in recent years.
However, recently retired boxing great Terence Crawford took to social media to offer a cryptic assessment of the performance.
Ima keep my comments to myself, but yall get it I hope.
Terence Crawford
The former undisputed champion appeared to be referencing the high volume of clean punches the newly crowned titlist absorbed during the bruising encounter.
The Los Angeles Clippers and the Toronto Raptors are currently engaged in serious trade negotiations regarding a potential return to Canada for All-NBA forward Kawhi Leonard.
These discussions follow the Californian franchise’s reluctance to offer the 34-year-old a long-term contract extension during the current offseason.
Representatives for the veteran forward have reportedly informed rival teams that he is only willing to sign an extension with Toronto if his current employers opt to move him on.
The former San Antonio Spurs standout currently has just the 2026-27 season remaining on his contract, which is valued at $50.3m.
A historic reunion on the cards
A successful agreement would mark a sensational return for the player who famously led the Canadian outfit to their solitary NBA Championship in 2019.
During that historic postseason run, the two-time Finals MVP averaged an outstanding 28.5 points in the decisive series victory over the Golden State Warriors.
He originally joined the Raptors in July 2018, before departing for Los Angeles as a free agent just one year later.
Despite turning 35 next week, the superstar is coming off a stellar individual campaign where he averaged 27.9 points across 65 regular-season appearances.
His impressive form earned him a seventh-place finish in the league’s MVP voting, although his team ultimately suffered a disappointing play-in tournament defeat to Golden State.
Franchise pivot and league investigations
Any departure would represent a significant change in direction for Los Angeles, particularly after president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank expressed a desire to retain their marquee star.
“Our plan is to win with Kawhi,” Frank stated during his end-of-season news conference in April.
“If our goals are aligned, then we’d like to win with Kawhi.”
Complicating matters off the court, the NBA is currently investigating the Western Conference team over potential salary cap circumvention.
This ongoing probe surrounds an alleged funnelling of money to the American forward through a lucrative endorsement deal with green banking company Aspiration.
Both the player and his business adviser, Dennis Robertson, have already been interviewed by independent investigators regarding the matter.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver addressed the legal inquiry prior to the recent Finals, insisting that a conclusion must be reached promptly.
“My instruction to them is we can’t be investigating forever, but at some point, we have to wrap it up,” Silver explained on 3 June.
“But at the same time, the most important thing is that we get it right.”
Cristiano Ronaldo has become Portugal’s all-time leading goalscorer at the World Cup after netting a brace against Uzbekistan to secure his nation’s place in the knockout stages of the 2026 tournament.
The 41-year-old scored twice in a 5-0 rout, taking his overall tally at the global finals to 10 goals.
This achievement sees the Al-Nassr star surpass the legendary Eusebio, who famously scored nine times during the 1966 edition.
It also means the veteran attacker is now the first male player in history to score at six different World Cup tournaments.
Historic milestones for veteran forward
At 41 years and 138 days old, the Portuguese captain has become the second-oldest goalscorer in the competition’s history.
He sits only behind Cameroon icon Roger Milla, who found the net at 42 years and 39 days old.
Roberto Martinez’s side finished second in Group K following draws with DR Congo and Colombia, setting up a last-32 clash against Croatia in Toronto.
Family pride and answering the critics
Following early criticism regarding a slow start to his campaign in North America, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner delivered a defiant message.
“I’m back! Only so they don’t forget… 23 years like this.”
“I’m very happy but the most important thing is the work the team did.”
His mother, Maria Dolores, also expressed immense pride in her son’s enduring legacy on the international stage.
Speaking to world governing body FIFA, she praised his ongoing achievements and thanked supporters.
“I’m proud that my son continues to make history. I want to thank all the fans that have been by your side.”
Oleksandr Usyk has relinquished his WBC, WBA and IBF heavyweight titles, stepping away from his undisputed crown over the weekend to trigger a scramble across boxing’s sanctioning bodies.
The undefeated Ukrainian insists he plans to fight once more, but his decision immediately reshapes the highest echelon of the sport.
His sudden abdication creates a glorious opportunity to sanction lucrative bouts for the vacant hardware.
Kabayel upgraded to WBC champion
Following the announcement, the WBC moved swiftly to elevate their interim titleholder to full champion status.
Agit Kabayel was awarded the prestigious green and gold belt after establishing himself as a formidable and frequently avoided challenger.
The unbeaten German is now expected to headline a massive homecoming title defence under the stars at a domestic football stadium.
Contenders vie for IBF and WBA crowns
The situation regarding the IBF and WBA championships remains significantly more complex as various contenders vie for pole position.
Frank Sanchez cemented his status as the IBF’s number one contender following a stylish victory over Richard Torrez Jr in a recent eliminator.
However, an impending August clash between third-ranked Moses Itauma and fourth-ranked Filip Hrgovic could logically serve as a bout for the vacant IBF championship.
That same late-summer showdown at London’s O2 Arena is also a viable option to contest the empty WBA heavyweight crown.
A new era in the heavyweight division
Although Russian heavyweight Murat Gassiev holds a secondary version of the WBA title, his lower global standing means he will not be automatically elevated.
The two-time undisputed champion’s seismic decision ultimately paves the way for a year of intense shuffling among top-tier contenders.
This widespread fragmentation is expected to culminate next year in a fresh series of unification bouts to crown a new undisputed king.
Having comprehensively defeated Daniel Dubois, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, the former cruiserweight king departs the championship stage with his legacy firmly secured.