Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the upcoming Miami Open due to a right shoulder injury, meaning the Serbian is set to drop out of the world’s top three.
The 38-year-old last featured in a gruelling three-set defeat against Jack Draper in the fourth round of Indian Wells.
He appeared physically exhausted by the conclusion of that two-and-a-half-hour encounter with the defending champion.
This latest physical setback ensures the six-time tournament winner will miss the second half of tennis’ prestigious ‘Sunshine Double’.
Ranking slide and Draper defeat
Failing to defend the significant ranking points earned from his run to last year’s final guarantees a slide down the global standings.
Germany’s Alexander Zverev is now in prime position to overtake the former world number one after advancing to the Indian Wells semi-finals.
Reflecting on his recent on-court struggles in California, the veteran admitted his frustration.
“[I have] a bitter feeling right now, losing a match like this,”
Novak Djokovic
“But proud of myself for fighting and really giving it all on the court. That’s for sure.”
“I lost to a great player, and it was really such an even match throughout the entire two-and-a-half hours.”
Focus shifting to European clay
The Belgrade native has deliberately played a heavily reduced schedule in recent years to ensure peak condition for Grand Slams.
Prior to his recent Californian appearance, the 24-time major champion had not competed since losing the Australian Open final to Carlos Alcaraz in January.
His absence from the Miami main draw, which commences on Wednesday 18 March, points towards a return to action at the Monte-Carlo Masters in early April.
Last year in Florida, the legendary right-hander was narrowly beaten in the title-decider by Czech youngster Jakub Mensik.
The Premier League is on the verge of securing a fifth Champions League qualification spot for next season, but faces a decisive week of European fixtures to hold off Germany and Spain.
This coveted additional place stems from Uefa’s European Performance Spot system.
The format grants an extra berth to the two nations whose clubs collectively perform best across all three major continental competitions.
England currently leads the coefficient rankings ahead of the Spanish and German top flights, but a poor round of recent results has left the door open for their rivals.
English clubs face uphill European battles
None of the six English representatives in Europe’s premier competition managed to win the first leg of their last-16 ties.
Arsenal secured a hard-fought draw, while Liverpool suffered a narrow away defeat to Turkish giants Galatasaray.
Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur all face monumental tasks after suffering heavy losses that left them with three-goal deficits.
Villa shine as others stumble in secondary tournaments
In the Europa League, Aston Villa are well placed to advance after securing a 1-0 victory away to French side Lille.
Nottingham Forest have significant work to do after falling behind against Danish outfit Midtjylland.
Meanwhile, Crystal Palace’s Conference League hopes hang in the balance following a goalless home draw with AEK Larnaca.
Germany wait to capitalise on any slip-ups
Third-placed Germany remain effectively 33 points behind the English contingent but still have five of their original seven clubs active.
Bayern Munich are virtually guaranteed a quarter-final place after comfortably dispatching Italian side Atalanta.
However, the remaining Bundesliga teams lack first-leg leads, meaning this week’s return fixtures will be pivotal in determining which domestic league claims the ultimate prize.
The World Anti-Doping Agency has dismissed reports suggesting it is rewriting rules to ban United States government officials, including Donald Trump, from attending the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Proposals to sanction nations for unpaid financial contributions have reportedly been discussed by the global doping watchdog.
Washington has withheld its annual dues since 2023 following a dispute over the handling of a doping case involving Chinese swimmers.
Financial dispute and potential sanctions
The United States currently owes approximately $7.3m in arrears for the previous two calendar years.
Draft proposals suggested a tiered sanctioning system for non-paying nations, which could theoretically exclude government representatives from major sporting events.
Such a prohibition would prevent the incoming US President, Vice President J.D. Vance, and members of Congress from attending global showcases.
However, agency spokesman James Fitzgerald strongly refuted the narrative that these discussions are directly targeting the new American administration.
‘Entirely misleading’ claims
Fitzgerald stated that conversations regarding how to manage governments withholding funding have been ongoing since 2020.
The Montreal-based organisation further clarified that any newly introduced measures would not be applied retroactively to upcoming tournaments.
This means the 2026 World Cup, the LA 2028 Games, and the 2034 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City would remain unaffected by the proposed regulatory updates.
Despite these assurances, American authorities maintain a steadfast position regarding their financial boycott of the international testing body.
Sara Carter, director of the US Office of National Drug Control Policy, emphasized that their funding freeze is tied directly to demands for institutional reform.
“In spite of WADA’s increasing threats, we continue to stand firm in our demand for accountability and transparency from WADA to ensure fair competition in sport.”
Relations between American regulators and the global anti-doping authority plummeted earlier this year after it emerged that multiple Chinese swimmers were cleared to compete despite returning positive tests for a banned substance.
American Cameron Young has birdied the penultimate hole to narrowly beat English teammate Matt Fitzpatrick and claim the £3.4m top prize at The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass.
Young dramatically conquered the iconic island 17th hole to shatter his playing partner’s hopes of lifting the prestigious trophy.
The 28-year-old then secured his landmark victory with a composed two-putt for par from just under ten feet on the 18th green.
Fitzpatrick agonisingly missed an eight-foot par putt on the final hole that would have otherwise forced a thrilling three-hole playoff.
A rivalry rooted in mutual respect
Despite the devastating final-hole defeat, the British major champion secured a solo second-place finish worth more than £2m.
The tense final-round battle was played out in front of a raucous crowd, with both competitors having to ignore occasional jeering from outside the ropes.
However, the intense pressure did not affect the clear camaraderie between the two New York Golf Club TGL teammates.
Fitzpatrick was full of praise for the eventual champion despite missing out on the biggest financial payday of his career.
“I love Cam, he’s such a nice guy and he’s so laid back,” Fitzpatrick told broadcasters following his narrow defeat.
Young credits comfortable pairing for success
The American victor was equally complimentary about his English counterpart after clinching the lucrative Florida tournament.
Young admitted that navigating the treacherous final holes was made significantly easier by walking the fairways alongside a familiar face.
“He is an excellent playing partner, very polite, very kind and enjoyable to talk to,” Young remarked.
“We had every right to both be nervous and found ourselves in some tricky spots, but I feel like for the both of us it was a comfortable one.”
Looking ahead to the major season
The Players Championship is widely considered golf’s unofficial fifth major due to its consistently stellar field and notoriously difficult course layout.
Fitzpatrick, who famously secured his maiden major at the 2022 US Open, will now look to channel this impressive form as the highly anticipated major season approaches.
Ireland head coach Andy Farrell will soon hold discussions with the Irish Rugby Football Union regarding his long-term future following a successful Six Nations campaign.
Speculation surrounding the 48-year-old’s position intensified during the tournament amid recent links to Premiership side Saracens.
The English club recently released a statement dismissing reports that suggested they had offered the former dual-code international a coaching role after the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
Focus turns to impending negotiations
Following a resounding 43-21 victory over Scotland, attention has firmly shifted back to the manager’s contract situation.
The Wigan native reiterated his commitment to the national setup while humorously noting the immense pressures of elite management.
“We’ve already spoken about having a conversation, and that won’t be too far away, so we’ll see how that goes,” Farrell said.
“You know that I love this, but there’s all sorts of stuff that needs to be talked about.”
Building momentum for the Nations Championship
Despite retaining the Triple Crown with four wins from five matches, the Irish squad narrowly missed out on the overall championship title to France.
The coaching staff are now tasked with priming a 35-player group for the inaugural summer Nations Championship.
This upcoming tournament features high-profile fixtures against Australia, Japan, and New Zealand.
In order to guarantee selection, the head coach expects his team to replicate their dominant international form upon returning to their provincial clubs.
“We’ll see what the momentum is when the lads go back to their provinces now,” he added.
“People have to grow through this, and the lads who have had a sniff of it, it’s up to them to keep competing to show they’ve learned some lessons.”
The Asian Football Confederation has not received official notification of Iran withdrawing from the upcoming World Cup, despite claims from the country’s sports minister that participation is impossible.
Team Melli have qualified for the expanded 48-team tournament, which is scheduled to take place across the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer.
The Middle Eastern nation are slated to play two group-stage fixtures in Los Angeles and a third match in Seattle.
Political tensions cast doubt over participation
Uncertainty surrounding the team’s involvement intensified following recent geopolitical escalations in the region.
Iran’s sports minister recently stated it would be impossible for their squad to travel after joint United States and Israeli airstrikes targeted Tehran.
Those military actions resulted in the death of the Islamic Republic’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
US President Donald Trump addressed the situation last week, stating the Iranian squad was technically welcome to attend the global showpiece.
However, the American leader added that it might not be appropriate for the players to travel for the sake of their own life and safety.
Fifa faces potential replacement headache
AFC general secretary Windsor John addressed the growing speculation during a press briefing in Kuala Lumpur.
It’s a very emotional moment. Everybody’s saying a lot of things.
At the end of the day, it’s the federation who should decide if they’re playing, and as of today, the federation has told us that they are going to the World Cup.
They are our member, we want them to play. You know, they qualified… so we hope that they will solve their issues, whatever it is, and be able to participate.
An official withdrawal by the Asian powerhouse would be the first instance of a nation pulling out of the modern tournament.
Such a late departure would present world governing body Fifa with an urgent logistical crisis to find a suitable replacement team.
The summer competition is scheduled to run from 11 June to 19 July.
Istanbulspor defender Baran Alp Vardar has died at the age of 20 following a long battle with cancer, the Turkish club has announced.
The highly-rated centre-back came through the academy system at the Istanbul-based side.
He made his top-flight debut earlier this year, registering three appearances for the first team during the 2023-24 campaign.
However, the young prospect was forced to put his professional career on hold to undergo extensive medical treatment for his illness.
‘Profound grief over the loss’
The TFF First League club confirmed the tragic news on Sunday via a social media statement.
We are experiencing profound grief over the loss of our footballer, our dear Baran Alp Vardar, who has been undergoing cancer treatment for some time.
Baran Alp, with his character, loyalty to his team-mates and cheerful smile, will always be remembered.
Club officials added that his departure at such a young age had deeply wounded everyone associated with the team.
A funeral service for the former academy graduate will take place at the Beylikduzu Mevlana Mosque on Sunday afternoon.
Turkish football unites in mourning
Tributes have poured in from across the sporting community following the devastating announcement.
Super Lig giants Galatasaray expressed their sorrow and extended heartfelt condolences to the player’s family.
May Allah grant mercy to the deceased; we extend our condolences to his family, loved ones, and the Istanbulspor community.
Rivals Fenerbahce released a similar statement echoing those sentiments and wishing the young defender peace.
A challenging domestic campaign
The tragic loss comes during a difficult season on the pitch for the deceased defender’s club.
They currently sit 14th in Turkey’s second tier, having accumulated 39 points from 31 matches.
The squad must now begin the heartbreaking process of navigating the remainder of their schedule while coming to terms with the death of their team-mate.
Arsenal are awaiting vital injury updates on Jurrien Timber and Martin Odegaard ahead of a defining week in their pursuit of an unprecedented quadruple.
The Premier League leaders extended their advantage at the summit with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Everton.
Late strikes from Viktor Gyokeres and Max Dowman, who became the youngest scorer in Premier League history, secured the points.
Mikel Arteta’s side now require just 16 points from their remaining seven league fixtures after title rivals Manchester City drew at West Ham.
Timber concern clouds vital week
Attention now shifts to a Champions League last-16 second leg against Bayer Leverkusen, followed by Sunday’s Carabao Cup final against Manchester City.
However, preparations have been disrupted after Timber was forced off late in the first half against the Toffees.
The Dutch defender received on-pitch treatment before being surprisingly replaced by Cristhian Mosquera.
He is now considered a major doubt for both crucial cup fixtures at the Emirates Stadium and Wembley respectively.
Captain nearing crucial comeback
Arsenal have been without club captain Odegaard since he provided an assist in last month’s resounding north London derby victory over Tottenham.
The Norwegian playmaker has missed five matches across all competitions with a persistent knee problem.
Leandro Trossard also sat out the weekend victory having sustained a knock against Mansfield.
The Belgian international did participate in training before the first-leg trip to Germany, raising hopes of an imminent return.
When questioned on the availability of his captain and Trossard, the Arsenal manager remained cautious.
“We will have to wait and see, speak to the doctors on whether they are involved or not.”
Long-term midfield absentee
While Arteta hopes to welcome back key attacking personnel, his midfield options remain restricted.
Spanish international Mikel Merino remains sidelined after undergoing surgery last month on a serious foot injury.