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The 2024 US Open is set to take place without Rafael Nadal, with the Spaniard closing in on retirement.

The 22-time grand slam champion is coming towards the end of an incredible career, and as he winds down, he’s decided to withdraw from the US Open.

The Spaniard recently competed at the Paris Olympics and formed a dream doubles duo with Carlos Alcaraz.

However, Nadal was to have no Olympic glory, as he and Alcaraz failed to make it to a medal match.

And with the last grand slam of the year approaching, Nadal has elected to skip this one, with Mackenzie McDonald taking his place.

Why is Rafael Nadal not playing at the US Open?

Nadal was initially on the entry list for the men’s singles at Flushing Meadows.

He was set to enter as ranked player at No.9, but earlier in August, he announced on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he wouldn’t be competing.

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
2018 French Open Tennis Tournament – Rafael Nadal of Spain and Novak Djokovic of Serbia while playing a tie break doubles exhibition match against Simone Halep of Romania and Alexander Zverev of Germany on Court Philippe Chatrier during a packed Children’s Day at Roland Garros before the start of the 2018 French Open Tennis Tournament at Roland Garros on May 26th 2018 in Paris, France. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)

He said: “I have decided not to compete at this year’s US Open a place where I have amazing memories.

“I will miss those electric and special night sessions in NYC at Ashe, but I don’t think I would be able to give my 100% this time.

“Thanks to all my U.S. fans in particular, will miss you all and will see you another time.”

So, it’s clear that Nadal doesn’t feel he would be able to do himself justice if he were to compete in this year’s US Open.

Despite withdrawing from the US Open this year, Nadal indicates he will return to America.

This doesn’t mean he will make the US Open next year, but he should play in at least one more US-based tournament before retiring.

Since winning the last of his 22 grand slam singles titles in New York, Nadal has only played at Flushing Meadows once.

A hip injury in 2023 robbed him of that whole season, while a muscle problem in January earlier this year saw him miss the hard-court campaign and Wimbledon.

However, despite all these injuries, Nadal has yet to decide when to retire.

He’s set to play in the Laver Cup in Berlin and might make a decision after that.

But what is clear is that the US Open will miss Nadal’s presence.

Speaking about the Spaniard pulling out, US Open Tournament Director Stacey Allaster said: “We wish him all the best and look forward to having him back at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.”

Certainly, they and tennis fans around the world will hope to see Nadal back at the US Open one last time, but that is far from guaranteed.

Angel Reese is currently around the mid-way point of her rookie year with the Chicago Sky. Despite her brief tenure with the squad, there’s no denying that she’s already formed solid bonds with her teammates — both past and present.

One particular player who Reese grew close to early on in the 22-year-old’s rookie year is Kysre Gondrezick, who, incidentally, was waived by the Sky early in the season.

On Sunday, Gondrezick shared a photo of herself with Reese during a recent meet-up, which prompted an emotional reaction from the former LSU superstar.

“love you & miss you pookie 🥺💋” Reese wrote.

Angel Reese

Reese, who is currently averaging 13.6 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game, joined the Sky in April after she was selected as the No. 7 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft. Gondrezick was waived on June 28, which means that the two were teammates for barely two months.

Despite their brief time together with the Sky, however, it is clear that these two formed quite a friendship on and off the court. They may no longer see each other every day in practice, but there’s no denying that their relationship is the type that is able to survive the test of time and distance.

There’s humor, and then there’s Simone Biles‘ humor. Frankly, it’s unmatched, and the other girls don’t stand a chance.

Simone has been living her best life since her fantastic run during the 2024 Paris Olympics. She finally got to see other Olympic athletes compete, hung out with Elmo and even unexpectedly started a funny meme just for being herself.

The meme took over social media, with people finding all kinds of ways to use a moment where Simone turned her head and appeared startled by something to their advantage. Simone seemingly knows about her head-turning meme being a thing with the internet because she recreated it for a TikTok with Netflix, and it’s glorious.

Watch the 2024 Paris Olympics FREE on Fubo.

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Simone Biles provided the social media world with one of the most iconic memes from the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

A video of Biles darting her attention toward the camera while stretching before an event went viral on social media. And now, the all-time great Olympian is poking fun at herself for that popular clip.

Biles recently shared a TikTok video recreating the viral moment with several hilarious captions:

“Hearing someone on their couch has comments on the routine.” “When the drink he ordered starts looking like the drink I should’ve ordered.” “Can I just say something.” “When someone mentions women’s sports.” “The vault when it sees her coming.”

Simone Biles

Take a look at the video here:

Biles added to her all-time great trophy case with yet another stunning Olympic performance in Paris. The American gymnast took home four new Olympic medals, including gold in the team finals, All-Around and Vault.

Today’s Sports Highlight in History:

In 2000, Tiger Woods wins the PGA Championship in a playoff over Bob May, becoming the first player since Ben Hogan in 1953 to win three majors in one year. He’s the first player to repeat as PGA champion since Denny Shute in 1937.

JUST IN: Major League Baseball player tells hilarious story of how his manager let him play 27 holes with Tiger Woods

On this date:

1921 — Molla Bjurstedt Mallory beats Mary Browne, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 to win the U.S. women’s national tennis title at the Germantown Cricket Club in Philadelphia.

1931 — Helen Wills Moody beats Eileen Bennett Whitingstall 6-4, 6-1 to capture the women’s title in the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association championship.

1944 — Robert Hamilton upsets Byron Nelson in the final round 1 up to win the PGA Championship.

1960 — Holland’s Hairos II, driven by Willem Geersen, wins the second International Trot at Roosevelt Raceway before a record crowd of 54,861.

1990 — George Steinbrenner steps down as NY Yankee owner.

Tiger Woods

1995 — Monica Seles completes a remarkable first week back in tournament tennis, routing Amanda Coetzer 6-0, 6-1 to capture the Canadian Open. Her 74 games sets a tournament record for the fewest played by a champion.

SEE MORE: Today in Sports History: Tiger Woods becomes the youngest player to compile 50 PGA Tour wins

1999 — 7th Athletics World Championships open at Seville, Spain.

2003 — The U.S. wins the women’s overall team gold medal at the gymnastics world championships. It is the first gold for the Americans — men or women — at the biggest international event outside the Olympics.

2004 — Michael Phelps matches Mark Spitz’s record of four individual gold medals in Olympic swimming by winning the 100-meter butterfly. He edges teammate Ian Crocker to win his fifth gold medal. Shortly after winning his seventh medal of these Olympics, Phelps gives up his spot in the medley relay to Crocker.

2006 — Tiger Woods wins the PGA Championship for a five-shot victory over Shaun Micheel and his 12th career major. He becomes the first player to win the PGA twice on the same course, having done so at Medinah in 1999.

2008 — Usain Bolt of Jamaica breaks the 200-meter world record, winning in 19.30 seconds at the Beijing Games. He is the first man since Carl Lewis in 1984 to sweep the 100 and 200 at an Olympics.

2012 — Augusta National invites former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and South Carolina financier Darla Moore to become the first female members since the club was founded in 1932.

2016 — Allyson Felix and LaShawn Merritt anchor the 4×400 relay teams, and the U.S. exits the final night of action at Olympic Stadium with 31 medals — its most in a non-boycotted Olympics since 1956. The U.S. women’s basketball team beats Spain 101-72 for a sixth straight title.

2018 — Alabama becomes the second team to be ranked No. 1 in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 poll for three straight seasons. The preseason AP poll started in 1950 and since then only Oklahoma from 1985-87 had started No. 1 in three straight years.

2023 — FIFA Women’s World Cup Final, Stadium Australia, Sydney: Spanish captain Olga Carmona scores the only goal of the game as La Furia Roja score a 1-0 win over England.

RELATED: Lee Westwood hit back at Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods and savaged PGA Tour star after LIV move…

There’s no doubt that Claressa Shields is one of the greats in the sport. Her achievements outweigh most names in the community, and in fact, she recently won a title in a fifth weight class, becoming the heavyweight champion. But Andre Berto and Andre Ward feel she still doesn’t receive the kind of respect, notoriety, and money she deserves.

JUST IN: Claressa Shields KOs Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse in 2nd round, winning 4th and 5th titles…

You see, the thing is, Shields has always been very outspoken about the things she has done in the sport. Be it her two Olympic medals, or her undisputed status in two weight classes, she never misses an opportunity to boast about herself. This doesn’t sit well with everyone and don’t forget everyone has haters as well, meaning she receives a lot of hate online. And in the face of such an instance, while appearing in the All The Smoke Fight podcast of late, the Andre duo defended Shields against her haters.

CLARESSA SHIELDS

And Claressa Shields responds in agreement

Berto emphasized his support for Shields while recognizing her achievements in the sport, stating, “I believe that she continues to feel like she has to do more and more to continue to try to gain any type of real respect.” He noted that Shields has branched out into MMA, rapping, and YouTube, not just out of passion but to create more buzz around her, “because she feels like she needs to.”

Despite these efforts, Berto argued that Shields still isn’t receiving the love, recognition, or sponsorships she deserves. He pointed out that Shields feels other female athletes, who she doesn’t believe are on her level, “continue to get” the recognition she’s working hard to achieve. Berto speculated that this disparity could stem from her background or the way she speaks—whatever the reason, he suggested it’s an issue that needs to be addressed.

Championing Shields’ success, Berto asked pointedly, “What else does she need to do to get those real dollars, those real endorsement dollars?” During the same conversation, Andre Ward added his perspective on the criticism Shields faces online, saying, “I’m not standing for the blatant disrespect to this young lady from these grown men.

Later that day, clips from the podcast began circulating on X, catching Shields’ attention. She responded passionately, “Yeah! Cause wtf wrong with yall ni**as!!!” Nevertheless, Shields remains committed to proving she’s the best in women’s boxing, upholding her title as ‘The GWOAT.’

Anthony Joshua twice came up short to Oleksandr Usyk, but the Matchroom founder says he still wants to avenge those losses.

JUST IN: How much Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will earn from heavyweight fight…

Matchroom founder Barry Hearn tells Sky Sports that his company has a responsibility to deliver a big British fight between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury — who is currently scheduled to rematch Oleksandr Usyk while Joshua is lined up to face Daniel Dubois. But while Fury is focused on Usyk, Hearn says Joshua also has an eye on the Ukrainian who beat him in back to back fights between 2021-2022.

OLEKSANdr usyk VS TYSON FURY

“He wants to beat Usyk,” Hearn said. “Because the first fight he had with Usyk, frankly he came out second best. He went away, he regrouped, he learned, he studied and he still got beat in the second fight. That’s why he got so disappointed in the second fight.”

SEE MORE: Francis Ngannou to make long-awaited MMA comeback against 6ft 8in giant after boxing defeats to Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua…

Hearn would continue by characterizing Joshua as a special type of athlete who is motivated by much more than money, and it’s his competitive spirit that drives him to try to reach boxing’s mountaintop once again.

Anthony Joshua and  Daniel Dubois

“These people want to win and they want a legacy. I don’t think Anthony Joshua will sleep at night until he is unified.”

Joshua, however, mustn’t get distracted from the task at hand as a loss to Dubois could likely ruin the prospects for him getting the fights he’s looking towards. Joshua and Dubios will go head-to-head on September 21 at Wembley Stadium while Fury and Usyk rematch in December, and should everything go according to Matchroom’s plans, there will be another big fight for Joshua to come thereafter.

RELATED: Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury 2 – Carl Froch makes huge retirement claim regarding heavyweight rematch…

Former Major League Baseball outfielder Jeff Francouer shared a Tiger Woods story from back in the 2005-06 timeframe when Woods was an absolute menace on the golf course and arguably the biggest name in pro sports.

“I’ve met President Bush and Obama and I was not nearly as starstruck as when I met Tiger Woods for the first time,” Francouer told ESPN’s Tim Kurkjian on his podcast Great Game or What.

Atlanta Braves Manager Bobby Cox used to allow his players to play golf during spring training. One day, they had a 1 p.m. spring training game against the New York Yankees. Francoeur was 22 and had just been named a starter. He was in no position to ask for a day off from training camp. But he didn’t have to because Cox came over to him during stretching and informed him that star pitcher and golf fanatic John Smoltz had an afternoon tee time at 1:50 with Tiger.

“I’m like, I’m fine, Bobby, I’m ready to play,” said Francoeur, 40, a right fielder who played on eight different MLB teams and serves as a TV analyst for the Braves these days. “He goes, ‘No, I’ll make you a deal.’ He said, ‘After your first at-bat today, run through first base and kind of rub your ankle like you hurt it, right?’ He’s like, ‘In two days we’re going to Bradenton.’ You need three starters to play on a road trip. And he’s like, ‘I hate Bradenton’s infield. I don’t want to get any of the guys hurt. So if you go to Bradenton, I’ll let you play with Tiger,’” Francouer recounted that Cox told him.

Tiger Woods

As instructed, the right fielder grounded out in his first at-bat and ran to first base rubbing his ankle in front of an estimated 12,000-13,000 fans in Orlando.

“Bobby, he waddles out there and he checks on me,” recalled Francoeur before pulling him from the game as a safety precaution. “I run inside, literally throw my golf clothes, didn’t shower, and I get to the golf club and they’re on the first fairway. So I hit my tee shot, we end up playing 27 holes and around 4:30 my wife sends me (a text) that there was an update that said Francouer day to day with a high ankle sprain.”

The things professional athletes did to tee it up with the one and only Tiger Woods.

Angel Reese continues to shine in her stellar WNBA rookie campaign by notching another record on Sunday.

Despite the Chicago Sky losing, 68-86, to the Phoenix Mercury, the former LSU star recorded her 20th double-double this season. Reese led the Sky in points and rebounds, with a 19-20 performance in their losing effort.

In doing so, Reese became the fastest player to achieve 20 double-doubles in a single season in WNBA history.

Her road to the feat included 15 straight double-doubles, during which she averaged 15.3 points and 13.2 boards per game. Despite the hot stretch ended in July, she continues to fill the stat sheet with 13 games left in the regular season.

However, while Reese tallied double-doubles in both meetings with the Mercury, the Sky has lost both meetings against Phoenix.

Reese tallied 15 rebounds and 11 points against the Mercury on August 15 – a game that Chicago lost 85-65.

While Reese is winless against Phoenix this season, rival and fellow rookie Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever is 3-0 against Brittney Griner, Diana Taurasi and Co.

Reese and the Sky will have one more chance to get one over Phoenix when they meet at Wintrust Arena on September 15.

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese 

With the curtains soon to be drawn on their first WNBA season, Clark and Reese are in a tight race for the Rookie of the Year honor.

Clark also got busy on Sunday and broke the record for most assists by a rookie in WNBA history.

The former Iowa Hawkeye – who came into the game with 223 assists this season – added nine more to her tally and shattered the record with 12 games left before the playoffs.

The previous record was held by Ticha Penicheiro – who served up 225 assists in 1998 with the Sacramento Monarchs.

In their clashes so far this season, Clark and the Fever have gotten the best of Chicago, leading 2-1 in the regular season series. They will meet one more time before the playoffs on August 30.

The Fever are currently seventh in the league and third in the Eastern Conference with a 13-15 record. Meanwhile, the Sky hangs behind them in both standings at 11-16.

  • Swiatek has won 8 of her last 10 matches against Sabalenka
  • Can the World No.1 continue the winning streak in Cincinnati?
  • Watch Iga Swiatek vs Aryna Sabalenka live streaming

    Iga Swiatek vs Aryna Sabalenka Preview

    Iga Swiatek has won three straight against Aryna Sabalenka and an 8-3 record in the head to head. This should be a great match with the winner to reach the final in Cincinnati.

    Stats

    • Iga Swiatek has won in 3 sets in 2 of her last 3 matches.
    • Iga Swiatek has won 8 of her last 10 matches against Aryna Sabalenka.
    • Aryna Sabalenka has lost 6 of her last 9 matches against Top 10 players.

    HTH

    Iga Swiatek is 8-3 against Aryna Sabalenka, winning the previous three encounters.
    They have met twice this year, both on clay, Swiatek winning 7-5 4-6 7-6 in the Madrid Open final and 6-2 6-3 in the Italian Open final.

    Iga Swiatek Stats

    Nationality: Poland
    Age: 23 (31 May 2001)
    Height: 5’9″ (1.76m)
    Plays: Right-Handed
    World Ranking: 1
    Career High: 1 (April 2022)
    WTA Tour Titles: 22
    2024 WTA Tour Titles: 5
    Grand Slam Singles Titles: 5 (4 French Open, US Open)
    Cincinnati Open Best Result: Semi-Finals (2023)

    Iga Swiatek Form

    Iga Swiatek is 55-6 this year, winning the Qatar Open and Indian Wells Open on hard courts alongside the Madrid Open, Italian Open and French Open on clay.
    The World No.1 exited early at Wimbledon and was on track at the Olympics before a semi-final defeat to Qinwen Zheng. She won the bronze medal match, thrashing Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 6-2 6-1.
    The Pole beat Varvara Gracheva 6-0 6-7 6-2 in her opening match in Cincinnati before showing Marta Kostyuk no mercy, winning 6-2 6-2 in 70 minutes.
    Swiatek got past Mirra Andreeva 4-6 6-3 7-5 in the quarter-finals, winning 63% of her 2nd serves and saving 2/3 break points.

    Aryna Sabalenka Stats

    Nationality: Belarus
    Age: 26 (5 May 1998)
    Height: 5’11” (1.82m)
    Plays: Right-Handed
    World Ranking: 3
    Career High: 1 (September 2023)
    WTA Tour Titles: 14
    2024 WTA Tour Titles: 1
    Grand Slam Singles Titles: 2 (2023, 2024 Australian Open)
    Cincinnati Open Best Result: Semi-Finals (2018, 2022, 2023)

    Aryna Sabalenka Form

    Aryna Sabalenka is 37-11 this year, reaching the Brisbane International final and winning the Australian Open.
    The World No.3 reached finals in Madrid and Rome, beaten by Iga Swiatek on both occasions.
    The Belarusian was last seen in Toronto, beating Yue Yuan and Katie Boulter in straight sets before a 6-4 6-2 quarter-final defeat to Amanda Anisimova.
    Sabalenka hasn’t lost a set in Cincinnati, defeating Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-3 6-4, Elina Svitolina 7-5 6-2 and Liudmila Samsonova 6-3 6-2.
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