CNN – Sports

By Dan Kamal, CNN Imagine you’re an NHL goaltender and you have the duo of Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin bearing down on you. No day at the beach, right? Or is it? Actually, it will be two days at the beach when the league convenes in Sunrise, Florida, on February 3 and 4 for

By Matias Grez, CNN An NFL fan has started an online petition to allow the mother of Travis and Jason Kelce, Donna, to perform the coin toss ahead of Super Bowl LVII. It is gaining significant traction ahead of the February 12 showdown, closing in on 35,000 signatures — which would make it one of

By George Ramsay, Victoria Butenko and Lindsay Isaac, CNN Allowing athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete at the Paris Olympics could lead to a large-scale boycott and render the Games “pointless,” Poland’s sports minister said on Thursday. The remarks come after Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia accused the International Olympic Committee (IOC) of advancing

By Jack Bantock, CNN Few tuning in to watch the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on Thursday will have been surprised to learn that former Real Madrid star Gareth Bale is good at golf. After all, the Welshman made no secret of his love for the game throughout a glittering soccer career that he called time

By Ben Morse, CNN Both Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts spoke to the media on Thursday as they recognized the significance of being the first two Black quarterbacks to start in the same Super Bowl. Almost exactly 35 years after Doug Williams became the first Black quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl with

By George Ramsay, CNN It’s little wonder Gary McKee has been nicknamed “marathon man.” He ran one every day last year. Were McKee to go through the process of getting his superhuman feat of endurance and perseverance ratified, it would comfortably be a Guinness World Record. That currently stands at 106 days of consecutive marathon

By Matias Grez, CNN LeBron James is now just 63 points away from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time NBA scoring record after putting up 26 points in the Los Angeles Lakers‘ 112-111 win over the Indiana Pacers. The 38-year-old also recorded seven rebounds and seven assists, while teammate Anthony Davis scored a game-high 31 to go with

By Mayumi Maruyama, CNN Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios has avoided a criminal conviction despite pleading guilty to assaulting his former girlfriend, CNN affiliate Nine News reported on Friday. Appearing at Canberra Magistrates Court, the 27-year-old tennis player admitted to shoving his ex-girlfriend, Chiara Passari, after an argument outside her apartment on January 10, 2021,

By Sammy Mngqosini, CNN Australia and New Zealand’s soccer federations say they are “disappointed” about Saudi Arabia’s reported sponsorship of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The two countries will co-host the global showpiece from July 20 until August 20 and claim FIFA did not consult them about this sponsorship. New Zealand Football issued a

By Jill Martin, CNN New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft told CNN on Thursday that he wants Tom Brady to sign a one-day contract and officially retire as a Patriot. “Not only do I want it, our fans are clamoring for it,” Kraft said. “To us, he is always has been and always will be

By Alasdair Howorth, CNN The legend of “King Kazu” took another turn as Kazuyoshi Miura joined Portuguese second division club Oliveirense on loan from J-League club Yokohama FC, just a month shy of his 56th birthday. The former Japan international will enter his 38th season as a professional soccer player in his sixth country, having

By Jacob Lev, CNN National Football League executive and Pro Football Hall of Famer Bobby Beathard has died at the age of 86 following a lengthy illness, the Hall and two teams announced on Wednesday. Beathard passed away at his home in Franklin, Tennessee, on Monday, according to the Washington Commanders. His son Casey told

By Celina Tebor, CNN A rare Kobe Bryant jersey from the basketball star’s sole MVP season is going up for auction — and it could sell for up to $7 million. An iconic photo of Bryant grabbing his jersey after clinching a 14-point lead against the Denver Nuggets during the 2008 NBA playoffs has been

By Ben Church and Ben Morse, CNN From a nearly forgotten sixth-round draft pick to the greatest quarterback — if not NFL player — ever, Tom Brady’s storied career has been nothing short of remarkable. But, after all the ups and down, it all came to an end on Wednesday after he announced he would

By Amy Woodyatt and Laura Ly, CNN A 22-year-old high school assistant basketball coach who allegedly posed as a player to take part in a junior varsity game has been fired, along with the rest of the coaching staff. Churchland High School received a report last month that a member of the junior varsity (JV)

By Alasdair Howorth and Wayne Sterling, CNN Sean Payton will join the Denver Broncos as head coach after they agreed compensation with the 59-year-old’s former team, the New Orleans Saints, according to reports from ESPN and NFL Network. Payton was under contract with the Saints, despite stepping down last season and was working as a

By Matias Grez, CNN LeBron James made history at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday by becoming the oldest player in NBA history to record a 20-point triple-double, per OPTA Sports. The 38-year-old finished with 28 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists in the Los Angeles Lakers‘ crucial 129-123 overtime win against the New York Knicks,

By Alasdair Howorth, CNN Less than six weeks after the national team’s remarkable performance at the World Cup, Morocco finds itself at the center of world soccer as it hosts the FIFA Club World Cup. Since 2005 the Club World Cup has been held annually, featuring the six winners of each continent’s equivalent to Europe’s

By Jack Bantock, CNN Golf has had many rivalries — Jack Nicklaus vs. Lee Trevino and Tiger Woods vs. Phil Mickelson to name but two — but few have the drama and intrigue that is defining the current feud between Rory McIlroy and Patrick Reed. McIlroy pipped Reed to victory in an enthralling finish to

By Ben Church and Amanda Davies, CNN Former tennis player and captain of the US Davis Cup team Patrick McEnroe says Novak Djokovic could win another “four or five” grand slams before he retires. The Serbian equaled Rafael Nadal’s record for most men’s grand slams after winning his 22nd title at the Australian Open on

By Jill Martin, CNN The ATP Tour announced Tuesday that there will be no disciplinary action taken against Alexander Zverev after an investigation found insufficient evidence to substantiate published allegations of abuse. In October 2021, the ATP, the governing body for men’s professional tennis, said it was launching an investigation after domestic abuse allegations were

By George Ramsay, CNN For Doug Williams, the first Black quarterback to start and win the Super Bowl, watching the NFL Conference Championship games on Sunday was an emotional moment. Almost exactly 35 years after he won the Super Bowl with the then-Washington Redskins, Williams happily watched on as Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts led

By Wayne Sterling, CNN Bobby Hull, hockey Hall of Famer and Stanley Cup champion, died Monday at 84, the Chicago Blackhawks announced. “The Chicago Blackhawks are saddened by the passing of Blackhawks legend Bobby Hull, a superstar for our franchise between 1957 and 1972,” the Blackhawks wrote in a statement. “Hull is part of an

By Ben Church, CNN As the saying goes, it’s the hope that kills you as a soccer fan — just ask Ryan Reynolds. The Hollywood actor experienced the full spectrum of emotions on Sunday as he watched Wrexham — the club Reynolds co-owns with Rob McElhenney — draw 3-3 against Sheffield United in a thrilling

By Sammy Mngqosini, CNN Former New Zealand rugby player Campbell Johnstone became the first All Black to come out publicly as gay, in an interview with TVNZ’s Seven Sharp on Monday. Johnstone — who played three Test matches for New Zealand, including two against the British and Irish Lions in 2005 — said he told

By Matias Grez, CNN The fallout from the egregious no-call in the final second of Saturday’s game between the Los Angeles Lakers game and the Boston Celtics shows no sign of ending, with the official NBA Referees Twitter account admitting to the error on Sunday “Like everyone else, referees make mistakes,” the union wrote. “We

By Jacob Lev and George Ramsay, CNN The Empire State Building was lit in green and white to celebrate the Philadelphia Eagles’ victory in the NFC Championship game on Sunday — a decision that’s sparked a bit of a backlash in the Big Apple. The Eagles advanced to the Super Bowl for the first time

By Aimee Lewis, CNN For almost two decades, we have become accustomed to Novak Djokovic winning grand slams. But seeing the world No. 1 sobbing on the floor as he celebrated his Australian Open victory with his family and team was a first. He would later say he had “emotionally collapsed.” The straight sets win

By Michelle Watson and Kevin Dotson, CNN University of Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett was arrested early Sunday in Dallas for public intoxication, according to the Dallas Police. Just after 6 a.m. CT, police officers responded to “reports of a man banging on doors,” near the 1600 block of Tribeca Way, Dallas Police said in a

By Issy Ronald, CNN Blink and you would have missed it. But the tennis and K-pop worlds collided on Roger Federer’s Instagram, of all places, as he posted a picture of himself with the K-pop stars Blackpink in Paris. “My kids said this was a definite IG post,” the 20-time grand slam winner commented and

By Aimee Lewis, CNN The result was familiar, the ease with which it was achieved somewhat of a surprise. The historic implications of this match certainly did not shackle Novak Djokovic as the Serb beat Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets to win a 10th Australian Open title and a record-equaling 22nd grand slam. After securing

By Issy Ronald, CNN LeBron James was left hunched on the court in frustration after referees missed a foul on his attempted game-winning layup, and the Los Angeles Lakers succumbed to a 125-121 overtime loss against the Boston Celtics. With the game tied at 105 and less than three seconds on the clock, James drove

By Homero De La Furente and Hannah Brewitt, CNN The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the San Francisco 49ers, 31-7, on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, to advance to Super Bowl LVII. The Eagles scored on their first possession and didn’t look back in the rout of the 49ers. The 49ers were momentarily left without

By Ben Morse, CNN It all comes down to this. With history and a spot at the top of the world rankings on the line, Novak Djokovic faces Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Australian Open men’s final on Sunday. The winner will be named the new world No. 1; it’ll be a first for Tsitsipas but

By Issy Ronald, CNN Star quarterback Patrick Mahomes will start for the Kansas City Chiefs when they face the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday, despite suffering a high ankle sprain last week. The 27-year-old had been expected to play after he was listed as a full participant in practices all week

By Don Riddell and Alasdair Howorth, CNN When Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney took control of lower league soccer club Wrexham AFC in 2021, it was widely assumed that it was the Hollywood stars who would be bringing the magic. Two years on, however, this isn’t just a story about the A-listers generously sprinkling stardust

By Issy Ronald, CNN Mo Salah was Liverpool’s figurehead, his goalscoring prowess the capstone of a team accustomed to winning trophies. But, like the rest of his team, Salah is “suffering” this season because of the constant disruption to Liverpool’s attack, scoring just once in his last six appearances, manager Jurgen Klopp said in a

By Aimee Lewis, CNN Belarusian-born Aryna Sabalenka defeated Elena Rybakina in three sets to win a thrilling women’s Australian Open final Saturday, becoming the first player competing under a neutral flag to secure a grand slam. Amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, tournament organizer Tennis Australia required Russian and Belarusian players to compete as neutrals.

By Jill Martin and George Ramsay, CNN Novak Djokovic said his father, Srdjan, had “no intention” of supporting any kind of “war initiatives” after being filmed with a group of Russian supporters at the Australian Open. Djokovic reached his 10th Australian Open final on Friday after defeating American Tommy Paul in straight sets. Ahead of

By Ben Church and Matt Foster, CNN The Carolina Panthers’ decision to overlook Steve Wilks and appoint someone else as their new head coach points to a “legitimate race problem in the NFL,” the former interim coach’s attorneys say. The NFL franchise announced Thursday that Frank Reich will take up the reins as the franchise’s

By Ben Morse and Al Goodman, CNN Vinícius Jr. scored against Atlético Madrid in Real Madrid’s 3-1 Copa del Rey quarterfinal victory on Thursday after an effigy of the star was hanged from a bridge in Madrid prior to the match. Álvaro Morata gave Atlético a first-half lead, but Rodrygo’s stunning equalizer sent the quarterfinal

By Ben Morse, CNN As British two-tone band The Specials once sang: “You’ve done too much, much too young.” That brings us to the ages — 27, 26, 24 and 23 — of the starting quarterbacks this weekend in the NFL conference championship round of the playoffs. There’s no 45-year-old Tom Brady. There’s no 39-year-old

By Zayn Nabbi and Angus Watson, CNN The Australian Open told CNN it has “briefed and reminded” players and their entourages about the tournament’s “policy regarding flags and symbols” on Thursday after video emerged on Wednesday of Novak Djokovic’s father, Srdjan, pictured at a demonstration with fans holding Russian flags, voicing his support for Russia.

By Ben Church, CNN Damian Lillard was locked in on Wednesday, exploding for a season-high 60 points on just 29 shot attempts and 10 free throws, to help the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Utah Jazz 134-124. Only two players in NBA history, Karl Malone and James Harden, have scored 60 points in a game

By Matias Grez, CNN Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka will face off in Saturday’s Australian Open final after both women came through their respective semifinals in straight sets. Rybakina powered her way past two-time champion Victoria Azarenka, winning 7-6 6-3 in just over an hour and 40 minutes, while Sabalenka ended the dream run of

By Sammy Mngqosini A human rights group has accused motorsport’s governing body, the FIA, of “suppressing drivers’ freedom of speech,” following a ban on political statements ahead of the new Formula One season. On Tuesday, the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) questioned the governing body’s commitment to human rights in a letter addressed

By Ben Church, CNN With its popularity soaring and games increasingly moving to online platforms, chess appears to be ushering in a new era. The increase in interest has culminated in the launch of a revamped online competition which will be the richest chess circuit in the game’s history. This year’s Champions Chess Tour will

By George Ramsay, CNN LeBron James moved to within 177 points of the NBA’s all-time scoring record as the Los Angeles Lakers were beaten 133-115 by the Los Angeles Clippers. James scored 46 points in the losing cause but in the process made history as the first player to hit 40 points against every franchise

By Matias Grez, CNN Novak Djokovic continued his scintillating form at the Australian Open, brushing aside world No. 6 Andrey Rublev in straight sets to reach the semifinals. It was yet another near-perfect display of tennis from the 35-year-old, as he continued his seemingly inevitable march towards a record-equaling 22nd grand slam with a 6-1

By Matias Grez, CNN Tommy Paul beat fellow American Ben Shelton in a hard-fought match at the Australian Open to reach the first grand slam semifinal of his career. Few would have expected either of these men to reach the quarterfinal stage in Melbourne, but Paul’s experience told as he won 7-6 6-3 5-7 6-4

By Sammy Mngqosini, CNN Seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton has detailed the “traumatizing” racist abuse which he says he suffered at school during an episode of the ‘On Purpose’ with Jay Shetty podcast released on Monday. “School was the most traumatizing and most difficult part of my life. I was already being bullied at

By George Ramsay, CNN A local lifeguard in Hawaii was the surprise winner of the prestigious Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational — dubbed the “Super Bowl of surfing” — after beating off competition from some of the sport’s biggest names. Luke Shepardson took approved breaks from his lifeguarding duty at Waimea Bay to compete in

By Don Riddell and George Ramsay, CNN Uprooted from its home in Ukraine’s Donbas region in 2014, soccer club Shakhtar Donetsk is accustomed to the change and upheaval brought about by war having played at stadiums around the country for close to a decade. But even by Shakhtar’s standards, the events that have unfolded since

By Jack Bantock, CNN Just two weeks after retiring from football, Gareth Bale has confirmed he will be back competing with a ball at his feet next month — albeit a much smaller one. A well-known golf enthusiast, the Welsh icon is set to tee off at the PGA Tour’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in

By Matias Grez, CNN Victoria Azarenka produced a brilliant display of tennis to dispatch world No. 3 Jessica Pegula and reach the Australian Open semifinals. The two-time Australian Open champion, now ranked 24th in the world, rolled back the years to beat Pegula, one of the most consistent players on the women’s tour over the

By Alasdair Howorth, CNN The Los Angeles Lakers have added Rui Hachimura to their roster after completing a trade for him from the Washington Wizards in exchange for Kendrick Nunn and three second-round picks. The power forward’s move comes off the back of a frustrating year in Washington, which has seen him come off the

By Matias Grez, CNN Rising stars from the United States feature prominently in the men’s side of the draw at the Australian Open, making up three of the eight players ithat reached reached the quarterfinals in Melbourne. According to the ATP, it’s the first time since 2000 — when Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Chris Woodruff

By Sammy Mngqosini, CNN The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) is facing allegations of sexism and discrimination according to a BBC Wales Investigation program set to air on Monday. In a short video published by the BBC on Monday ahead of the full program airing at 3 p.m. ET, Charlotte Wathan, the former general manager of

By Jack Bantock, CNN Sunday was the start of Lunar New Year, the Year of the Rabbit. In the golfing calendar, it marked a continuation of the year of Jon Rahm. The Spaniard edged American rookie Davis Thompson to clinch a one-shot win at The American Express in La Quinta, California, sealing his second successive

By Matias Grez, CNN Novak Djokovic was in imperious form once again as he cruised past Alex de Minaur in straight sets to reach the Australian Open quarterfinals. The world No. 5 produced some stunning tennis throughout the match, winning 6-2 6-1 6-2 in just two hours and seven minutes as De Minaur had no

By Jacob Lev, CNN Sal Bando, a former four-time Major League Baseball (MLB) All-Star and three-time World Series champion, has died at the age of 78, the league announced on Saturday. “It is with a heavy heart the Bando family is sad to announce the passing of their husband and father, Sal,” who on Friday,

By Hilary Whiteman, CNN Former Australian tennis star Jelena Dokic has hit back at online trolls she says have bombarded her with negative comments about her body at the Australian Open. In an Instagram post on Monday, Dokic, who is working as a commentator for CNN affiliate 9 at the event, said the “‘body shaming’

By Ben Church, CNN Jessica Pegula, the daughter of the owners of the Buffalo Bills, says Damar Hamlin’s incredible recovery has inspired her performances during this year’s Australian Open. Pegula qualified for the last 16 with a straight sets victory against Marta Kostyuk on Friday and will face either Victoria Azarenka or Zhu Lin for

By Aimee Lewis, CNN And then there were none. Felix Auger-Aliassime’s fourth-round loss at the Australian Open means none of the stars of Netflix’s new tennis documentary ‘Break Point’ have made it through to the second week in Melbourne. Such poor showing from the series’ stars has led to talk of a ‘Netflix curse’ as

By Kevin Dotson, Jacob Lev and Hannah Brewitt, CNN After the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles beat the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Giants respectively, all eyes were on the remaining Divisional Round matchups Sunday, with the Buffalo Bills facing the Cincinnati Bengals and the San Francisco 49ers hosting the Dallas Cowboys. The Bills