(NEW YORK) — Tennis star Naomi Osaka is reacting to her early exit from the U.S. Open with a message focusing on pride and motherhood.
Osaka suffered a loss in the second round of the U.S. Open in two straight sets to Czech Karolína Muchová on Thursday.
“Honestly I had typed out a whole caption about how I’m disappointed with myself etc but I’ve been sitting here playing with my daughter and I realized that I couldn’t be more proud of myself,” Osaka wrote on Saturday.
“I gave birth to such an amazing human and I played the US Open? A win is a win,” she continued. “Sure it didn’t work out this time but I have faith it will eventually. Thank you NY 🖤 see you next time.”
Osaka shared photos from the tournament featuring white bows on her outfit along with a video of singer Rihanna saying, “I remember thinking, she can beat me but she can not beat my outfit.”
In a press conference after the match, Osaka opined on her loss saying, “Honestly, if I get past the disappointment, I feel pretty proud of myself to have gotten that many opportunities while still feeling like I could have played much better.”
Prior to Thursday’s loss, the tennis star earned her first top-10 win in four years, beating former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko 6-3, 6-2 in the first round of the U.S. Open on Tuesday, advancing to the second round.
Osaka first announced her pregnancy in January of last year, before sharing the arrival of her child in an Instagram post in July of last year.
Naomi Osaka says ‘I don’t feel like I’m in my body’ in candid post after Cincinnati Open loss
In January, Osaka opened up about her postpartum journey in an interview with Glamour.
“Having a baby completely destroys your pelvic floor,” she said. “I was shocked, because I couldn’t get up out of my bed.”
Johnny Gaudreau #13 of the Columbus Blue Jackets celebrates a goal during the third period of the game against Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena on November 26, 2023. (Photo by Jaylynn Nash/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — Columbus Blue Jackets star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother were killed Thursday night when they were riding bikes and struck by a driver suspected of being under the influence of alcohol, according to police in New Jersey.
“The Columbus Blue Jackets are shocked and devastated by this unimaginable tragedy,” the NHL team said in a statement. “Johnny was not only a great hockey player, but more significantly a loving husband, father, son, brother and friend. We extend our heartfelt sympathies to his wife, Meredith, his children, Noa and Johnny, his parents, their family and friends on the sudden loss of Johnny and Matthew.”
Johnny Gaudreau, 31, and Matthew Gaudreau, 29, were cycling in Salem County, “close to the fog line of the roadway,” when they were hit from behind by a driver who was trying to pass another car, according to New Jersey State Police.
The driver, 43-year-old Sean Higgins, had been trying to pass a slower-moving sedan and SUV in front of him in the northbound lanes, so he moved to the southbound lanes and passed the sedan, police said. Higgins was trying to re-enter the northbound lane “when the SUV in front of Higgins moved to the middle of the roadway, splitting the north and south lanes to safely pass” the cyclists, police said.
Higgins then allegedly tried to pass the SUV on the right, and that’s when he struck the brothers, according to police.
Higgins, who was “suspected of being under the influence of alcohol,” is charged with two counts of death by auto, according to police.
“Johnny played the game with great joy which was felt by everyone that saw him on the ice,” the Blue Jackets said. “He brought a genuine love for hockey with him everywhere he played from Boston College to the Calgary Flames to Team USA to the Blue Jackets. He thrilled fans in a way only Johnny Hockey could. The impact he had on our organization and our sport was profound, but pales in comparison to the indelible impression he made on everyone who knew him.”
Gaudreau, a winger, won the Hobey Baker Award in 2014 as the best player in college hockey. He was also a finalist for the Calder Trophy, given to the league’s best rookie, in 2013-14, and named to the All-Star Game in 2015. He played nine seasons for the Calgary Flames before joining the Blue Jackets before the 2022-23 season. He had 12 goals and 48 assists last season.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement, “While Johnny’s infectious spirit for the game and show-stopping skills on the ice earned him the nickname ‘Johnny Hockey,’ he was more than just a dazzling hockey player; he was a doting father and beloved husband, son, brother and teammate who endeared himself to every person fortunate enough to have crossed his path.”
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Thursday’s sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INTERLEAGUE Cincinnati Reds 10, Oakland Athletics 9 Baltimore Orioles at L-A Dodgers (TBA)
AMERICAN LEAGUE L-A Angels 3, Detroit Tigers 2 Texas Rangers 2, Chicago White Sox 1 Toronto Blue Jays 2, Boston Red Sox 0 Houston Astros 6, Kansas City Royals 3
NATIONAL LEAGUE Milwaukee Brewers 6, San Francisco Giants 0 St. Louis Cardinals 4, San Diego Padres 1 Miami Marlins 12, Colorado Rockies 8 N-Y Mets 3, Arizona Diamondbacks 2 Philadelphia Phillies 5, Atlanta Braves 4
TOP-25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL (24)NC State 38, W. Carolina 21 (11)Missouri 51, Murray St. 0 (22)Kansas 48, Lindenwood (Mo.) 3 (12)Utah, S. Utah (TBA)
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Wednesday’s sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INTERLEAGUE Houston Astros 10, Philadelphia Phillies 0 Oakland Athletics at Cincinnati Reds Washington Nationals 5, NY Yankees 2 Atlanta Braves 5, Minnesota Twins 1 Baltimore Orioles 4, LA Dodgers 6
AMERICAN LEAGUE Cleveland Guardians 7, Kansas City Royals 5 Seattle Mariners 6, Tampa Bay Rays 2 Texas Rangers 3, Chicago White Sox 1 (GM 1 Doubleheader) Detroit Tigers 3, LA Angels 2 Toronto Blue Jays 3, Boston Red Sox 0 Texas Rangers 4, Chicago White Sox 3 (GM 2 Doubleheader)
NATIONAL LEAGUE Chicago Cubs 14, Pittsburgh Pirates 10 St. Louis Cardinals 4, San Diego Padres 3 Milwaukee Brewers 5, San Francisco Giants 3 Colorado Rockies 8, Miami Marlins 2 NY Mets 5, Arizona Diamondbacks 8
WOMEN’S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION Indiana Fever 84, Connecticut Sun 80 Washington Mystics 74, Chicago Sky 70 Seattle Storm 85, Atlanta Dream 81 Minnesota Lynx 89, Phoenix Mercury 76 Los Angeles Sparks 94, New York Liberty 88
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER Columbus Crew 1, Philadelphia Union 0
Gymnast Simone Biles of the U.S. displays her three gold medals and silver medal while Jordan Chiles displays her gold and bronze medals won during the women’s artistic gymnastics competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Aug 5, 2024. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — Simone Biles is standing behind Team USA teammate and fellow gymnast Jordan Chiles after the bronze medal Chiles won in the floor exercise final at the 2024 Paris Olympics was stripped from her by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, following a challenge by Romania.
Speaking to People in an interview published Monday, Biles said she has been doing everything possible to support Chiles amid the fallout from the medal controversy earlier this month.
“We’ve been FaceTiming, texting, just being girls,” Biles told the outlet. “I did talk to her on one of the days, and I was like, ‘You know what, Jordan, you have to feel all these feels. Don’t let these emotions stop you. This will be the healthiest way to get all of this out.'”
Initially, Chiles finished fifth in the individual floor exercise at the Paris Games, only to be moved up to the bronze medal spot when her coaches appealed the scoring of one of the elements in her routine. The change moved her up from fifth to third, leaping over two Romanian gymnasts — including Ana Barbosu, who had already begun celebrating her bronze medal finish.
The International Gymnastics Federation awarded Barbosu third place after the Court of Arbitration for Sport voided the appeal made by Chiles’ coach at the event, with CAS saying Chiles’ score was “raised after the conclusion of the one-minute deadline.” In saying the challenge came too late, the CAS reinstated the incorrect 13.666 score.
Biles told People on Monday that “at the end of the day,” Chiles is “still that girl” and she will continue to support and seek justice for her.
“We saw what you did,” Biles said of her teammate. “And it’s an unfortunate circumstance because something like this has never happened before and it’s truly a shame, but we wish all three girls could get the medal and unfortunately in gymnastics that’s not the case.”
She continued, “Do we think they did the correct procedures to come to this ruling? No. That’s really why we want that justice for Jordan and why we’re going to keep supporting her and uplifting her.”
Meanwhile, Chiles has since broken her silence regarding the dispute, sharing her disappointment in a statement posted on Instagram on Aug. 15.
“I have no words,” she wrote in part at the time. “This decision feels unjust and comes as a significant blow, not just to me, but to everyone who has championed my journey.”
(NEW YORK) — Ahead of an exciting opening night for the 144th U.S. Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, New York, on Monday, the last American man to win the singles title on that court, Andy Roddick, received a special honor from the USTA Foundation for all of his work as a philanthropist and role model.
“It’s kind of humbling to get an award for philanthropy in the house of Arthur Ashe, in the tennis center of Billie Jean King,” Roddick told ABC News’ Good Morning America on Tuesday after accepting the Serving Up Dreams Award. “I have always said I don’t think tennis gets enough credit for its absolute icons — the people on [its] Mount Rushmore speaking out for social change, doing something bigger than themselves.”
Roddick founded his eponymous foundation in 2000 at just 17 years old with a mission of improving the lives of children and families, to keep kids learning so they can succeed, especially during times when statistics show they’re typically most at risk and falling behind.
“When your heroes do stuff, you fall in line, and all of a sudden you’re doing tennis clinics when you’re young just because Andre Agassi does it, and he set the precedent,” the 41-year-old Grand Slam winner said. “Out of school time matters in a huge way — summer learning loss in lower socioeconomic areas is a big, big deal. So, a parent not having to decide to leave work early to go pick up their kids for their own safety is a big, big deal.”
The Austin, Texas-based tennis stalwart added, “The award is great, I’m happy for our team, but I’m most happy for our kids.”
Tennis legend Andy Roddick shares US Open predictions
Roddick, who won the US Open in 2003, also reflected on the dynamic pool of next-generation American talent who are taking the court over the next two weeks in Flushing with big names like Ben Shelton, Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, Sebastian Korda and Tommy Paul.
“Specifically with the American men, as we currently stand, we have 25% of the Top 20 men [in the world rankings]. That’s a big deal,” he said. “Five in the Top 20 on the men’s side, five in the Top 20 on the women’s side.”
“It seems like they have kind of this healthy jealousy where they all get along, they all respect each other, they all support each other. But also, I feel there’s a little bit of FOMO if someone makes a run to the semis,” he said of the aforementioned singles stars. “I hope someone breaks out in a big way.”
Andy Roddick weighs in on Jannik Sinner doping case
Italian tennis star Jannik Sinner was not suspended from the US Open, despite twice testing positive for steroids, which has drummed up lots of opinions from current and former players, including Roddick.
“There’s a little known Italian player, Marco Bortolotti, who went through the exact same thing two months ago,” he began. “The most recent precedent with the similar circumstances — they found no fault, no negligence. That’s just the way it goes.”
He continued, “People are talking about it’s unfair. It would have been unfair had he gotten a different ruling than someone who was 350 in the World and 110 in the World in Doubles. I don’t think he would put everything at risk for something that didn’t benefit him. It was one billionth of a gram. He’s either the dumbest person on Earth or we should believe him on merit.”
‘Served with Andy Roddick’ takes show live on the road
Roddick also hosts the podcast “Served with Andy Roddick,” breaking down all things tennis with a fresh spin and proceeds going to the Andy Roddick Foundation.
During the US Open, the podcast, presented by Chase, is popping up at the rooftop of Pier 17 for live shows open to Sapphire Reserve members, which is slated to include tennis super fan Seal as a guest on Wednesday.
“He’s a massive, massive tennis fan, and he’s like my energy guru,” Roddick said. “Tennis is largely ignored outside of the live events, so [it’s] just a friendly place to get content on a normal Tuesday.”
For local fans who want to get in on the action, there are also opportunities to book a rooftop tennis clinic with Roddick through Chase experiences.
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Tuesday’s sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INTERLEAGUE Philadelphia Phillies 5, Houston Astros 0 Washington Nationals 4, NY Yankees 2 Oakland Athletics 5, Cincinnati Reds 4 Atlanta Braves 8, Minnesota Twins 6 Baltimore Orioles 3, LA Dodgers 2
AMERICAN LEAGUE Kansas City Royals 6, Cleveland Guardians 1 Boston Red Sox 6, Toronto Blue Jays 3 Texas Rangers 0, Chicago White Sox 0 (Suspended) Detroit Tigers 6, LA Angels 2 Tampa Bay Rays 3, Seattle Mariners 2
NATIONAL LEAGUE Chicago Cubs 9, Pittsburgh Pirates 5 San Diego Padres 7, St. Louis Cardinals 5 Miami Marlins 9, Colorado Rockies 8 San Francisco Giants 5, Milwaukee Brewers 4 NY Mets 8, Arizona Diamondbacks 3
WOMEN’S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION Dallas Wings 93, Las Vegas Aces 90
Legendary American baseball player Babe Ruth of the New York Yankees hits a home run in the third game of the World Series against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, Chicago, October 1, 1932. It was during this game that Ruth gestured with his bat before hitting a home run giving birth to the legend of the ‘Called Shot.’ (Photo by B. Bennett/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — More than seven-and-a-half decades after his death, Babe Ruth made history again when a jersey he was wearing during his famous “called shot” home run plate appearance was auctioned off over the weekend for $24.1 million, the highest price ever paid for a piece of sports memorabilia.
The winning bid for the Great Bambino’s No. 3 New York Yankees road jersey came in at nearly double the price paid for what is now the second most expensive sports collectible — a mint condition Topps 1952 Mickey Mantle baseball card auctioned in 2022 for $12.6 million, according to Heritage Auctions, which handled the Ruth jersey sale.
“This is essentially the Mona Lisa, it’s a very mythical moment that crosses over not only in baseball history but American history, pop culture history,” Chris Ivy, Heritage Auctions’ director of sports auctions, told ESPN. “We’re still talking about it 100 years later, which is one of the reasons why I think it’s the most significant piece of sports memorabilia in the world.”
The name of the person who won the bidding war for Ruth’s flannel jersey was not disclosed. The price includes a 20% buyer’s premium, Heritage Auction said.
On Oct. 1, 1932, during Game 3 of the World Series at Wrigley Field, Ruth gestured to the centerfield wall before crushing a Carlie Root pitch into the bleachers for a three-run homer, the most famous of the 729 homers he hit during his career. The Yankees won the game 7-5 and went on to win the World Series, sweeping the Cubs the next day.
It was the last World Series Ruth played in.
“To me, it was the funniest, proudest moment I had ever had in baseball,” Ruth acknowledged after the game. “I jogged down toward first base, rounded it, looked back at the Cub bench and suddenly got convulsed with laughter. You should have seen those Cubs. There they were — all out on the top step and yelling their brains out — and then [I] connected and they watched it and then fell back as if they were being machine-gunned.”
The last time the Ruth “called shot” jersey was put on the auction block was in 2005, when it sold for $940,000, but that was before it was authenticated as the jersey the Sulton of Swat was wearing when he hit the epic home run, according to Heritage Auction.
“The most ironclad assurance of authenticity is delivered in photographic format, with industry-leading photo matching authenticators MeiGray supplying three photographs of Ruth in the October 1, 1932, World Series Game Three at Wrigley Field wearing this jersey,” Heritage Auction said in its auction catalog.
The auction house said the letter “Y” in “New York” on the jersey “demonstrated to be in perfect alignment with the buttons and curve of the front placket.”
“Other unique attributes utilized in the matching include a small notch on the left side of the ‘N’ in ‘NEW,’ a bend in the bottom of the ‘E’ and a slight tilt in the middle peak of the ‘W,'” the auction house said.
The authentication sent the jersey’s value skyrocketing. Before the auction, Ivy said the bidding was poised to go as high as $30 million.
Ivy told ESPN that a dozen people on the company’s mailing list were expected to bid $15 million to $20 million for the jersey. He said the auction house’s client list runs the gamut from attorneys up to sports team owners.
“This stuff is a great conversation starter as opposed to, you know, buying more IBM stock, investing in real estate,” Ivy said. “A lot of people feel like they were kinda maxed out on those things.”
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Sunday’s sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INTERLEAGUE Arizona 7, Boston 5 NY Yankees 10, Colorado 3 St. Louis 3, Minnesota 2 Philadelphia 11, Kansas City 3 LA Dodgers 3, Tampa Bay 1 Oakland 4, Milwaukee 3 Seattle 4, San Francisco 3
AMERICAN LEAGUE Cleveland 4, Texas 2 Toronto 8 LA Angels 2 Detroit 9, Chi White Sox 4 Houston 6 Baltimore 3
NATIONAL LEAGUE Washington 5, Atlanta 1 Miami 7, Chi Cubs 2 Pittsburgh 4, Cincinnati 3 San Diego 3, NY Mets 2
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE PRESEASON Tennessee 30, New Orleans 27 Denver 38, Arizona 12 Washington 20, New England 10
WOMEN’S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION Las Vegas 77, Chicago 75 Dallas 113, Los Angeles 110
Alex Morgan and Brianna Pinto talk about the groundbreaking National Women’s Soccer League Players Association contract in an appearance on “Good Morning America” Aug. 22, 2024. — ABC News
(NEW YORK) — Soccer stars Alex Morgan and Brianna Pinto are speaking out after The National Women’s Soccer League and the NWSL Players Association agreed to a historic new contract Thursday.
Both Morgan and Pinto were both on the NWSLPA’s bargaining committee.
“It was an honor to be in the room for the bargaining. I was one of five current NWSL players that were present and it helped the league put names to faces and see our true humanity,” Pinto told “Good Morning America.” “I think that made it ever present about the demands that we were putting on the league.”
The contract will extend the players’ current one to 2030. Among its pioneering conditions, it will eliminate a draft, offer players free agency, and let players consent to trades.
“This is such a groundbreaking contract for us. It’s really never happened in any American sports league,” Morgan said.
“Not having a draft, although exciting in the moment, to be able to choose where you want to live, where you want to play, with all considerations of reproductive rights, tax laws, culture and facilities and everything within a team in a state that’s provided, it’s so important for the player to have that power back and to be able to choose,” the San Diego Wave forward continued.
That prospect of choice, including free agency, is one that Pinto said players have supported for a long time.
“I think this is such a massive accomplishment for our players because it allows the clubs to make the decision to provide a professional environment that appeals to players all across the world,” Pinto, a midfielder for the North Carolina Courage, said. “We’re really excited about the newfound agency over getting to choose where you play, because this is something that players have been looking forward to for years.”
Once the new agreements go into effect, all contracts will be guaranteed, a condition that mirrors those of other professional sports leagues and one which Pinto said was vital.
“That is important to us because it protects you from situations that are outside of your control, whether that be a health condition, an injury or a dip in on-field playing performance, you will be guaranteed that you have your contract through the end of your term,” Pinto said.
Another key aspect of the new contract is the expansion of parental leave and family building benefits.
“I’m really proud of this part of our contract,” Morgan, who is also a mom of one, said. “We’re able to now travel with our children and bring [a] child care provider, but also look at future planning as well for our families, and that’s providing players with access to fertility clinics and a lot of other resources that weren’t available to us before.”
“These are sort of things that you don’t see in men’s leagues,” Morgan added. “And so, we had to think outside of the box and look at protecting and supporting moms as much as possible because I didn’t want to choose – back in 2019, I was at the height of my career and I didn’t want to choose to keep playing soccer or be a mom. I wanted to be able to do both – and so, to be a part of this and actually have a say in this contract that is so groundbreaking, I’m really proud of.”
Morgan said the new contract will empower the league’s rising and star players and could serve as an example for other professional sports leagues.
“I think that what we’re doing is making changes that puts a little bit of the power back in the players. And I can definitely see some other leagues looking towards NWSL and seeing how we attained benefits within our contract and how they could do that,” she said.
“There’s leagues that have been around for 50 or 100 years that haven’t been able to attain the things that we have in our contract and we’re only in our 12th year of the NWSL, so it’s pretty incredible what we’ve been able to achieve and and I hope this does kick start a little bit more of putting a little more freedom and choice back at the players’ hands.”
In a statement, NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman applauded the significant contract agreement.
“Given our vision to be the best league in the world, we determined that this was the right time to align with global standards and achieve long term labor peace. This CBA gives us agency over our business and gives the players agency over their careers,” Berman said. “Our new agreement revolutionizes the game, raises standards, and innovates the business. On behalf of our Board of Governors, I want to thank our players and their representative leadership at the NWSLPA for working together to make this possible.”
Pinto emphasized that the league and players’ agreement is a collective victory.
“Overall, we learned that when the players win, we all win, so we’re super excited about this accomplishment,” Pinto said.
