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May

Rafael Nadal pulls out of French Open, expects ’24 to be last year

Rafael Nadal revealed Thursday that he is pulling out of the French Open because of a lingering hip injury that has sidelined him since January and that he expects 2024 to be the final season of his tennis career. The owner of a record 14 championships at the clay-court Grand Slam tournament will miss it for the first time. He made his debut there in 2005. Nadal, who turns 37 next month, delivered the news of his withdrawal — and future plans — during a news conference at his tennis academy in Manacor, Spain. He stated he does not want to […]

April

Canada through to Billie Jean King Cup finals with 3-2 win over Belgium

Grinding through adversity made a big victory that much sweeter for some of Canada’s top women’s tennis players this weekend. After losing their highest-ranked player to injury and watching a teammate sidelined, the Canadians persevered to earn a 3-2 win over Belgium at a Billie Jean King Cup qualifier in Vancouver. It’s the first time in four meetings that Canada has bested Belgium in the women’s World Cup of tennis competition. “A lot of ups and downs, a total roller-coaster ride,” doubles specialist Gabriela Dabrowski said of the two-day competition. “We thought we were down and out. We weren’t. And […]

March

Bob Bryan replaces Mardy Fish as U.S. Davis Cup captain

One of many highlights of Bob Bryan’s time as half of a record-breaking men’s doubles duo was helping the United States claim the 2007 Davis Cup — the last time the country succeeded the competition. Now Bryan will try to end that drought from the sideline. The U.S. Tennis Association on Monday revealed Bryan’s appointment as Davis Cup captain, replacing Mardy Fish. Bryan’s first matches in charge will come during the group stage matches in September. Bryan and his twin brother, Mike, earned a record 16 Grand Slam championships together, 119 tour-level titles and an Olympic gold medal in doubles, finishing […]

March

Pau Gasol becomes 12th Lakers player to have jersey retired

Pau Gasol, the perfect complementary player to Kobe Bryant, was paid the best compliment possible by his former team: The Lakers retired his jersey. “I mean life goes by pretty fast, right? In the blink of an eye, you can be a kid playing basketball in your school with your buddies, then all of a sudden, you’re realizing your dream,” Gasol said before the Lakers’ 112-103 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night. “But tonight, it really exceeds any dream or expectation that I’ve had because it means so much. And obviously with Kobe up there, it just adds something meaningful and powerful, and sad […]

February

Carlos Beltran, back with Mets, thought ‘no chance’ he’d reunite with team

Carlos Beltran is back with the New York Mets — the same club that fired him just three years ago in the wake of his involvement in the Houston Astros’ cheating scandal. Beltran, set to initiate his new role as a special assistant to Mets general manager Billy Eppler, was asked Wednesday if he ever thought he would work for the franchise again. “No chance,” Beltran responded. “That’s how the world goes around.” Beltran, a nine-time All-Star who spent parts of seven seasons as a standout center fielder for the Mets, spent last season as an analyst for the YES Network but said […]

January

Trevor Bauer becomes free agent after clearing waivers

Trevor Bauer became a free agent Friday when he went unclaimed on waivers, leaving the Los Angeles Dodgers accountable for about $22.5 million owed to the former Cy Young Award winner whose unprecedented 324-game suspension over sexual misconduct allegations was reduced by an arbitrator. Los Angeles designated Bauer for assignment on Jan. 6, the last day to restore him to the roster, after arbitrator Martin Scheinman cut the suspension imposed by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred from 324 to 194 games. The Dodgers placed Bauer on waivers Thursday. Any team could sign the 2020 NL Cy Young Award winner for the major league minimum of $720,000. That would […]

January

Yankees’ Aaron Judge named AP’s top male athlete

Aaron Judge has always stood out. With the imposing size and muscular frame of an NFL tight end or NBA power forward, the 6-foot-7, 282-pound New York Yankees slugger towers over teammates and opponents on the diamond. Never more so than in 2022. After hitting 62 home runs to break an American League record that lasted six decades, Judge has been voted The Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year by a panel of 40 sports writers and editors from news outlets across the country. The outfielder edged Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani, last year’s winner, in voting revealed Friday. Stephen Curry of the NBA champion Golden […]

November

Astros’ Jeremy Pena caps brilliant rookie season with World Series MVP

Over the course of one amazing rookie season, Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena has moved beyond his spring training status as Carlos Correa’s successor. At this point, it might be more accurate to say that Correa, Houston’s longtime All-Star shortstop who departed via free agency this spring, is Pena’s predecessor. Pena capped his amazing debut campaign Saturday by being named MVP of the World Series after the Astros clinched the title with a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. “It has a lot to do with my family, my upbringing,” Pena said. “Shoutout to my teammates as well. They took me in since day one. They […]

May

Klay Thompson has ‘special’ Game 6 performance to lead Golden State Warriors back to Western Conference finals

Kevon Looney reached over Steve Adams to snag the long rebound off Stephen Curry’s missed 3-point attempt. He tossed the ball a few feet to his right to Klay Thompson. In one fluid motion, Thompson caught and shot the ball, good for a 28-foot 3-pointer. That was the shot that brought the Warriors to their 110-96 Game 6 victory over the Grizzlies, sending them back to the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2019. “It’s special,” Thompson said. “I mean, everything we’ve been through the last few years, it’s really an incredible opportunity.” Thompson has a special relationship with Game 6s […]

April

Aaron Judge ‘disappointed’ after failing to reach extension with New York Yankees ahead of Opening Day deadline

Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge, speaking to reporters Friday, expressed frustration at not concluding a long-term contract extension with the club with which he wants to spend the rest of his major league career. “I’m just disappointed because I have been vocal about wanting to be a Yankee for life,” Judge stated after the Yankees’ 6-5 extra-innings win over the Boston Red Sox on Opening Day. “I want to bring a championship back to New York. I want to do it for the fans here. This is home for me. And I’m not getting that done right now. It stinks, but I got a job to […]

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