AP National Sports

By RONALD BLUM AP Sports Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The trial of a pair of former 21st Century Fox Inc. executives and a sports marketing company on charges related to the U.S government investigation of corruption in soccer has been postponed to Jan. 3. Hernan Lopez and Carlos Martinez and Full Play Group SA

By PETE IACOBELLI AP Sports Writer DARLINGTON, S.C. (AP) — The NASCAR Cup Series playoff grid is filling up fast. Some drivers are taking aggressive measures to ensure they’re around for the postseason. Joey Logano rammed the back of leader William Byron on the next-to-last lap and went on to win at Darlington Raceway over

By ANDREW DAMPF AP Sports Writer ROME (AP) — Denis Shapovalov overcame a point penalty and a hostile crowd to beat local hope Lorenzo Sonego 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-3 in the first round of the Italian Open. Shapovalov was given a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct after hopping over the net to check a mark

By RONALD BLUM AP Baseball Writer NEW YORK (AP) — A day after calling Yankee Stadium a “Little League ballpark” following Gleyber Torres’ game-winning home run over the right field short porch, Texas Rangers manager Chris Woodward said he regretted his postgame remarks. Woodward had said the 369-foot drive was “a easy out in 99%

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — A Kentucky football player has been charged with drunken driving, university police said. Running back Chris Rodriguez Jr., 24, was arrested Sunday and charged with operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, careless driving and driving without tail lamps, news outlets reported, citing a police citation. A University of

By PAUL NEWBERRY AP Sports Writer ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta United defender Miles Robinson will likely miss the World Cup for the United States after rupturing the Achilles tendon in his left leg during an MLS game. The team announced that Robinson would undergo surgery Monday after an MRI confirmed the worst-case scenario. Robinson was

By TALES AZZONI AP Sports Writer MADRID (AP) — It’s been a quick rise for Carlos Alcaraz. It wasn’t long ago that the 19-year-old Spaniard was playing in youth tennis tournaments and talking about his idols Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. And about his dream of one day making it into the top 10 and

By ANDREW DAMPF AP Sports Writer ROME (AP) — Rafael Nadal likens his body to “an old machine” at the age of 35 and after nearly two decades at or near the top of tennis. A machine that was idle for more than a month recently when the 21-time Grand Slam champion was recovering from

GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany (AP) — Schalke is coming back to the Bundesliga after a year of transformation on and off the field. A humiliating relegation from the top division galvanized one of Germany’s traditional giants to make changes on the field. Then came the war in Ukraine and Schalke cut ties with the Russian state gas

By PAT GRAHAM AP Sports Writer DENVER (AP) — A person familiar with the decision says Denver’s Nikola Jokic has won his second consecutive Most Valuable Player award after a season in which he finished with numbers never before seen in NBA history. The NBA was preparing to make the announcement official in the coming

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has laughed off some barbs from counterpart Pep Guardiola that have inflamed the Premier League title race and says they are heat-of-the-moment comments likely fueled by Manchester City’s painful elimination from the Champions League. Guardiola said in an outburst after City’s 5-0 win over Newcastle that “everyone

By STEVE DOUGLAS AP Sports Writer Everton, Leeds and Burnley are fighting for top-flight survival in England and are being led by the type of manager Premier League teams don’t typically turn to in a crisis. Clubs battling the drop have often defaulted to veteran managers with decades of experience as well as a supposed

ROME (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from this week’s Italian Open because of a right ankle injury following his victory at the Madrid Open. Naomi Osaka later withdrew from the women’s tournament with a left Achilles heel injury. The 19-year-old Alcaraz beat Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic back-to-back in Madrid then defeated Alexander Zverev

By GRAHAM DUNBAR AP Sports Writer GENEVA (AP) — A European soccer fan group has urged UEFA and club leaders to overturn some of the changes to the Champions League due in 2024. The UEFA-recognized Football Supporters Europe group has described other ideas for reform as ”juvenile daydreams.” The FSE stepped up its opposition ahead

MONTAUBAN, France (AP) — French rugby club Montauban says Samoan player Kelly Meafua has died after falling off a bridge in southwestern France. The second-division club said in a statement over the weekend that the 32-year-old player died in the early hours of Saturday after a fall in the Tarn river. Media reports in France

ROME (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from this week’s Italian Open because of a right ankle injury following his victory at the Madrid Open. The Spanish teen beat Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic back-to-back in Madrid then defeated Alexander Zverev in Sunday’s final for his tour-leading fourth title of the year. Alcaraz hurt his

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Cypriot police say six cars were deliberately set ablaze a short distance from the soccer stadium where league leader Apollon Limassol played second-place APOEL Nicosia. Police say the arson attack occurred 30 minutes before the end of Sunday’s match. Apollon won 3-2 to give the Limassol team a four-point cushion over

By MARK GILLISPIE Associated Press CLEVELAND (AP) — Ian Jackson and Johnuel “Boogie” Fland are among the brightest stars in the firmament of high school basketball and now have business deals to prove it. The New York City teens and friendly rivals are cashing in on their name, image and likeness through marketing contracts often