Sports

Wimbledon’s draw puts Alcaraz against Fognini in the first round. Coco Gauff faces Yastremska

LONDON (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz will begin his bid for a third consecutive Wimbledon championship and put his career-best 18-match winning streak on the line by facing the volatile Fabio Fognini in the first round at Centre Court when the tournament begins Monday. The singles brackets for the grass-court Grand Slam tournament were set in Friday’s draw. Possible men’s quarterfinals include Jannik Sinner against Lorenzo Musetti, and Novak Djokovic against Jack Draper. The potential women’s quarterfinals include No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka against Madison Keys, and No. 2 Coco Gauff against Iga Swiatek. Gauff’s first-round opponent is Dayana Yastremska.

An 84-game season is among the changes coming to the NHL as part of the new labor deal

An 84-game season is coming to the NHL as part of an extension of the collective bargaining agreement. The league and the Players’ Association are on the verge of reaching a deal to extend the CBA. It is expected to be announced as later Friday before the first round of the draft. Extending the regular season from 82 to 84 games is expected to also come with a reduction in exhibition play. The maximum length of contracts getting shortened and a playoff salary cap being implemented are among the other changes.

Dybantsa, Peterson, Boozer headline list of top lottery candidates for 2026 NBA draft

BYU signee AJ Dybantsa and Kansas recruit Darryn Peterson are the headliners when it comes to looking at potential NBA lottery candidates for the 2026 draft. The 6-foot-9 Dybantsa has been a favorite to be the No. 1 overall draft pick as the top-ranked recruit for ESPN, On3 and Rivals. Peterson is a 6-5 combo guard who headlines 247Sports’ recruiting rankings. Duke signee Cameron Boozer, Tennessee’s Nate Ament and North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson are all potential one-and-done picks with high-end pro potential. Other names to watch include Kentucky’s Jayden Quaintaince and Alabama’s Labaron Philon as sophomores returning to the college ranks.

Claims of Verstappen having ‘conversations’ with Mercedes could overshadow Red Bull’s home race

The idea of Max Verstappen joining Mercedes would have seemed outlandish when he fought Lewis Hamilton in the contentious title decider in 2021. Now it’s the hot topic in the Formula 1 paddock. The build-up Friday to the Austrian Grand Prix was dominated by comments made the day before by Mercedes driver George Russell to British broadcaster Sky Sports. Russell has yet to get a contract extension for 2026 and seemed to suggest that Verstappen and Mercedes were in talks.

Kara Lawson has always been a basketball trailblazer and has a legit chance to lead USA squad in LA

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Kara Lawson has always been a basketball trailblazer and now the Duke women’s coach has a legit chance to lead USA to another gold medal. She has already guided the Americans to a 3-on-3 gold medal and now has a legit chance to lead the USA’s 5-on-5 squad in Los Angeles. Lawson has always wanted to be a coach since she was a little girl growing up in Virginia. She thought it might be at the high school level as the WNBA didn’t exist and college coaching wasn’t something she strived to do. Fast forward 37 years and she’s leading the U.S. team at the AmeriCup that begins this weekend. Lawson credits playing at Tennessee and learning under Hall of Fame coach Pat Summitt as a big reason for her recent success on the sidelines.

NCAA considering proposal to allow college athletes, staff to bet on professional sports

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The NCAA is considering a proposal to allow athletes and staff to bet on professional sports while maintaining strict bans on college sports betting. The Division I Council introduced the idea, which requires approval from Divisions II and III. The NCAA says this shift reflects the rise of legalized gambling and aims to focus enforcement on college sports integrity. Current rules already ban betting on NCAA sports, with severe penalties for violations. Officials argue this approach could better address gambling issues among athletes.

NFL suspends Justin Tucker for first 10 weeks of the season for violating personal conduct policy

NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL has suspended former Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker for the first 10 weeks next season for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. The league announced the punishment Thursday. It takes effect on Aug. 26, which is roster cutdown day, and Tucker is eligible for reinstatement on Nov. 11. He is a free agent after the Ravens released him last month in the aftermath of reports that he was accused of inappropriate sexual behavior by massage therapists. A five-time All-Pro, the 35-year-old Tucker has played his entire 13-year career with Baltimore. He’s considered one of the best kickers in NFL history, although 2024 was his worst season.

Tampa Bay Rays’ Wander Franco convicted of sexually abusing a child and gets a suspended sentence

PUERTO PLATA, Dominican Republic (AP) — Suspended Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco has been found guilty of sexually abusing a child. A Dominican Republic court handed him a two-year suspended sentence Thursday. Franco was accused of having a relationship with a 14-year-old girl and transferring money to her mother for consent. He was found not guilty of sexual and commercial exploitation against a minor and human trafficking. Prosecutors sought a five-year prison term for Franco and a 10-year sentence for the girl’s mother, who was also found guilty and will serve her full term. Major League Baseball said it would conclude its own investigation later. Franco’s baseball career remains on hold amid ongoing legal issues.

Judge, Ohtani elected to start in All-Star Game as top vote-getters

NEW YORK (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani and the New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge have been the first players picked for the July 15 All-Star Game at Atlanta’s Truist Park, elected as starters by fans. Judge led the major leagues with 4,012,983 votes in the first round of fan balloting and the outfielder was picked for his seventh American League start in eight All-Star Games, though he missed the 2023 game because of a sprained right big toe. He also was the leading vote-getter during the first phase in 2022 and last year. Ohtani topped the NL and was second in the big leagues with 3,967,668 votes, becoming the first designated hitter to start in five straight All-Star Games.

Barry Bonds will be getting a statue outside the Giants’ ballpark, team CEO says

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Barry Bonds will be getting a statue outside the San Francisco Giants’ home stadium where he set baseball’s career home run record. Giants President and Chief Executive Officer Larry Baer said Thursday during a radio interview in San Francisco that Bonds is certainly deserving of a statue and that one is on the radar. Baer didn’t have any details of when that would happen. Bonds played for San Francisco the last 15 of his 22 big league seasons, hitting 586 of his 762 career homers while with the Giants from 1993-2007. He set the single-season MLB record with 73 homers in 2001, and hit his record-breaking 756th homer to pass Hank Aaron in a home game on Aug. 7, 2007.