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England's Gus Atkinson (centre) celebrates after bowling New Zealand's Matt Henry as England win the Test on the fourth day at Lord's Cricket Ground in London on June 7, 2026. England beat New Zealand by
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Serena Williams of the US during a press conference ahead of the the Queen's Club Championships at Queen's Club, London, Britain, on June 7, 2026. (Reuters) Serena Williams said the chance to play in front of her children was the driving force behind her sensational return to tennis as the American legend played down a potential singles comeback.Four years after appearing to end her glittering career, Williams on Monday announced that she will come out of retirement in the doubles tournament at Queen's Club in west London next week.The 44-year-old's shock return has captured the imagination of the sporting world.Fans lined the practice court to catch a glimpse of Williams at Queen's on Sunday, filming the 23-time Grand Slam champion's every move on their phones, while photographers trained their lenses on the her.For Williams, it is a pair of spectators in particular that fuelled her decision to get back on court.She has two young daughters with husband Alexis Ohanian and is keen for them to see her play in a competitive environment before finally hanging up her racquet for good.Asked why she opted to come back, Williams told reporters at Queen's on Sunday: "For me right now, there are so many elements, you know."It's really about the kids seeing me play. Olympia is a little bit older, Adira is very young. It's components like that."It's also, an athlete is the best thing you can be, in the highest place and having an opportunity to still be able to possibly do that one last time is kind of cool and exciting. And so there is a little bit of that too."Granted a wildcard into the Queen's doubles, Williams and Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko face third seeds Erin Routliffe and Nicole Melichar-Martinez in the first round next week.After competing at Queen's, Williams will take part in the doubles at the Berlin Open from June 15-21.In her first press conference since announcing her return, Williams played down suggestions that she would extend her return to singles competition.But, with Wimbledon looming later in June, she did not completely rule out the possibility of featuring at a tournament she has won seven times. 'NOTHING TO LOSE'"For singles, I can't say yeah and I can't say no. Right now, no. I feel like I probably need to train a little bit more if I want to play singles," she said."We will see if I get there and if not it is not my journey right now."Williams's return comes 31 years after her first professional match.How did one of the most iconic figures in tennis history decide the lure of the court was still too strong to resist?"In December, I was definitely not (coming back). And then I was just talking to a few people. Just chatting about different possibilities, for fun, something a little bit different," she said."Everyone is like, 'What are you thinking?' But it's summer, the kids are out of school, perfect time to get out and have some fun."Williams admitted to missing the tennis lifestyle, but it took a while to finally commit to returning."It wasn't a last minute decision but it was a last minute committment," she said."The biggest thing I've missed is just the atmosphere and the travel. I've played literally my entire life. You kind of take it for granted."So now, there are different things I can try to experience in a different way with my family."Williams has not played since saying she was "evolving away" from tennis after losing to Ajla Tomljanovic in the US Open in 2022.Doubts remain over whether Williams can get anywhere near her all-conquering best, but it is the journey, rather than the destination, that drives her these days."It feels good. I hit with Vicky (Mboko) twice and today I felt a lot better. It's riding a bike up a hill but I'm enjoying the ride," she said."I don't need to win. I've won more than most people have their entire lives. So for me that is not important. It is important I keep reminding myself of that."I don't have anything to prove, I don't have anything to lose and everything to gain." Related Story
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Vaibhav Sooryavanshi can have his parents travel with him on India's overseas tours, the cricket board told AFP on Sunday, a day after the 15-year-old batting sensation earned his first senior international call-up.Sooryavanshi was named in India's T20 squad for the tours to Ireland and England, and the Asian Games, after sweeping the batting honours in this year's Indian Premier League.The left-handed opener is currently in Sri Lanka with the India A squad for a tri-nation series.'His father will be flying down to Sri Lanka today,' said Devajit Saikia, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).'Also, if his parents want to go to England and Ireland with him, then we will make arrangements for their travel. They would be his best support system.'India, the T20 world champions, are scheduled to play Ireland on June 26 and 28 in Belfast before a five-match England series beginning July 1.The Asian Games will be held in Japan in September and October.Sooryavanshi's selection follows a stunning IPL campaign for Rajasthan Royals, where he amassed 776 runs to finish as the tournament's leading run scorer.He struck one century and five half-centuries during the season.He picked the Orange Cap for the leading run-getter, the IPL most valuable player and emerging player prizes.He is line to become India's youngest player, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar, the batting great who made his Test debut aged 16 years and 205 days in 1989.'With his performances, he has almost forced us to pick him,' chief selector Ajit Agarkar said.'Like everyone else that has watched T20 cricket in India, we have got high hopes of him. I think he just has picked himself.'
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Teenager Kimi Antonelli extended his lead in the drivers' world championship with a commanding and nerveless victory for Mercedes ahead of Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton in a protracted, incident-hit Monaco Grand Prix Sunday.It was the 19-year-old Italian's record fifth consecutive victory this season, making him the first Italian to achieve that feat since Alberto Ascari in 1952. It hoisted him 66 points clear of Hamilton in the title race.'The car was a peach today,' he said after becoming the youngest winner of Formula One's classic blue riband event.'An incredible day - one of those when we had incredible pace to give me confidence to push.'In a stoppage-strewn race punctuated by crashes, retirements and a series of penalties, Antonelli came home 6.271 seconds clear of seven-time champion Hamilton with Red Bull's Isack Hadjar third ahead of Oscar Piastri of McLaren.Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad finished a career-best fifth and sixth respectively, while Sergio Perez in 10th scored the new Cadillac team's first point.Hamilton equalled Ayrton Senna's record total of eight Monaco podiums.Four-time champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull suffered an engine failure at the start and retired, as did world champion Lando Norris when his McLaren had battery problems.Antonelli made a perfect getaway. Behind him, Verstappen had a power failure as he attempted to start.'What can I do?' asked Verstappen. 'Just bring it home,' came the Red Bull reply. His problem was diagnosed as engine failure. It was his eighth first-lap retirement.For Antonelli, the youngest-ever pole sitter in Monaco, his dream start enabled a run in clear air to establish a lead of 5.4 seconds by lap 10.Norris had a lap one setback when, after squabbling with Piastri for sixth, he was passed by Pierre Gasly on the outside of St Devote.In the first round of pit stops, Hamilton was one of several drivers given a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit-lane.After revelling in his supremacy, Antonelli came in a second time after 37 laps, easily retaining his lead before Norris's problems ended with a call to retire on lap 46.The young Italian was racing with such ease that race engineer Peter Bonington told him: 'Kimi, fastest lap! No, we don't need them.''No rear brakes'On lap 60, Lance Stroll smacked the barriers at Antony Noghes to prompt a safety car.The race re-started on lap 66 and, as Antonelli pulled clear with Hamilton in pursuit, the luckless Leclerc crashed at the same spot.'I'm not taking the blame for that,' he said. 'It's like I had no rear brakes at all.'That lifted Hadjar into third place before a second red flag suspended the action, with the field called back to wait in the pit lane as the track was repaired and Russell was given a drive-through penalty for failing to serve an earlier time penalty correctly.After a 40-minute hiatus, the action resumed from a standing start.Antonelli held his nerve to lead again with Hamilton second ahead of Russell, who promptly pitted for his penalty and fell to 14th.
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German Alexander Zverev beat Italy's Flavio Cobolli 6-1 4-6 6-4 6-7(5) 6-1 to win the French Open and claim his maiden Grand Slam title on Sunday.World number three Zverev had lost his three previous major finals.The second seed became the first German man to win a major tournament since Boris Becker at the 1996 Australian Open with a win on Sunday after four hours and 16 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier.
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Ahmed Alaaeldin of Qatar battles for the ball with Julio Sibrian of El Salvador during the friendly match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, California. (AFP) Coach Julen Lopetegui was left with plenty to reflect on after Qatar were held to a goalless draw by El Salvador in their final friendly before facing Switzerland in their World Cup opener on Saturday, June 13 in San Francisco. Qatar, ranked 57th in the world, controlled long spells of possession against 101st-ranked El Salvador but once again struggled to convert dominance into clear-cut chances, particularly in the final third. El Salvador grew into the game after the break and carried a greater attacking threat without finding a breakthrough. The draw extends a difficult run of form under Lopetegui, with Qatar managing just one win, three draws, and four defeats across eight official international matches since his appointment in May, 2025. The result follows Qatar’s narrow 1-0 defeat to Ireland in Dublin last month, further highlighting inconsistency in the final phase of preparation. Lopetegui started with the same XI that faced Ireland, with Mahmoud Abunada in goal in a 4-3-3 formation. Pedro Miguel, Boualem Khoukhi, Ayoub Alawi and Homamd AlaAmin formed the defence, while Jassim Gaber, Ahmed Fathy and Issa Laye operated in midfield. The attack was led by Akram Afif in a central role, with Edmilson Junior and Youssef Abdulrazzaq deployed on either flank. Lopetegui also used the opportunity to rotate his squad and assess depth, handing minutes to a total of 19 players, although none were able to make any impact. Based on recent performances, Qatar will need a significant step up in North America if they are to banish the memories of their World Cup debut at home four years ago, when they became the first host nation to lose all three group matches. Under Julen Lopetegui, Qatar have just one win,
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Egypt's Mohamed Salah in action during an international friendly against Brazil at Huntington Bank Field, Cleveland, Ohio, US, on June 6, 2026. (Reuters) France's David Trezeguet and Brazil's Zico and Dunga all left their mark on World Cup history decades ago.In 2026, their names will return to football's biggest stage but this time on the backs of Egyptian players.When the Pharaohs walk onto the tournament pitch this month, several squad members will carry monikers drawn from some of the game's most iconic figures - names first picked up years ago on dusty training grounds, in youth academies and across local leagues.The tradition is rooted in similarities of playing style or appearance and in a football culture that has long embraced legendary names.One standout is Mahmoud Hassan, popularly called "Trezeguet," who plays for Egyptian giants Al Ahly.The 31-year-old winger, who previously had a spell in the Premier League with Aston Villa, made his World Cup debut at Russia 2018 and is now preparing for his second appearance.His nickname was given by youth coach Badr Ragab, who saw in Hassan's style and aerial prowess shades of the French striker who helped France lift the 1998 World Cup and later featured in the 2002 and 2006 tournaments."From his first days... I noticed (Hassan's) resemblance to Trezeguet, both in appearance and playing style," Ragab told AFP."He was strong in the air and scored goals in a similar way, so I gave him the name. I never imagined it would stay with him for so long."The original Trezeguet earned 71 caps for France before ending his international career in 2014.Now, Egypt's own Trezeguet is edging towards a milestone of his own, sitting just short of 100 caps, a mark he could reach should Egypt progress beyond the group stage at the World Cup.The team will face Belgium, Iran and New Zealand in Group G. 'LITTLE ZICO'Brazil's influence is also visible within the Egyptian squad.Mostafa Abdel-Raouf, a midfielder for Pyramids FC, has been known as "Little Zico" since his early days in the game, a reference to one of Brazil's most gifted playmakers.Unlike Hassan's nickname, the origin was more personal than tactical.Abdel-Raouf's older brother, who also played football, was nicknamed Zico because his full name included "Zaki"."When Mostafa started playing, coaches called him 'little Zico' because he was my younger brother," he told AFP.The name stayed with him as he moved through different clubs, he added.The original Zico made 71 appearances for Brazil and played in three World Cups before retiring in 1994.Egypt's 29-year-old Zico is only just beginning his international journey.Called up for the first time ahead of the tournament, he made an immediate impact, scoring on his debut in a friendly against Russia in May. KNOWN AS 'DUNGA' Another Brazilian-inspired nickname belongs to Nabil Emad, known as "Dunga", after the midfielder who captained Brazil to World Cup glory in 1994.The 27-year-old, now playing as a defensive midfielder for Saudi Pro League club Al-Najma, is competing in his second major international tournament after the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.His nickname dates back to his early career, when he was spotted playing in Egypt's second division."I admired the Brazilian player, and Nabil played in the same position with a very similar style," said Wael Habib, a former official at Al Assiouty, now Pyramids FC, who signed him in 2014.Emad went on to establish himself at Pyramids, later joining Egyptian giants Zamalek before moving abroad.In Egypt, such naming traditions are far from unusual.Ragab, who coined the nickname Trezeguet, also handed out other European-inspired names in his youth teams, including "Nedved" for ex-Al Ahly winger Karim Walid, after Czech legend Pavel Nedved.Other players have carried names borrowed from well-known figures, from Al Ahly's Ahmed Ramadan, known as "Beckham", to former Zamalek player Youssef Ibrahim, whose nickname "Obama" set him apart beyond the pitch. Related Story
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Debutant spinner Manav Suthar took three wickets to dent Afghanistan's reply after India declared their innings on 564-8 in their one-off cricket Test on Sunday. Afghanistan were 113-5 at stumps on day two after Suthar had Afsar Zazai caught and bowled for three. Rahmat Shah was unbeaten on 43, with Afghanistan still trailing India by 451 runs at New Chandigarh. Afghanistan pace bowler Mohammad Saleem earlier took six wickets before India ended their first innings in the second session with Washington Sundar unbeaten on 52. A fourth-wicket stand of 169 between captain Shubman Gill, who made 126, and Rishabh Pant (81) was the highlight of the Indian innings after the hosts resumed on 368-3. Afghanistan started on a shaky note when left-arm spinner Suthar dismissed opener Abdul Malik for 16 with his fourth ball in Test cricket on the stroke of tea. "My focus was to bowl in the right areas and back my strengths," said the 23-year-old Suthar. "There was help from the surface, so my idea was to get the landing right." SUNDAR PRAISES SUTHAR His efforts drew praise from fellow spinner Sundar. "We as players who have been playing with him (in domestic cricket) know what he brings to the table and the amount of skills he has. It was a genuine treat to watch," Sundar said. Pace bowler Prasidh Krishna dismissed Sediqullah Atal for 17 before Suthar had Rahmanullah Gurbaz caught at second slip for 12. Shah then attempted to steady the innings with Hashmatullah Shahidi, who was trapped leg before by Krishna for 20. Saleem, 23, struck twice in the morning session and then dismissed Suthar for 28 after lunch to claim his first five-wicket haul in Tests. He consistently bowled at speeds above 140 km/h (86.9 mph) to impress in just his second Test. "What I enjoyed about him was his consistency today," Afghanistan coach Richard Pybus told reporters. "He was just fantastic and held his length." Left-hander Sundar and Mohammed Siraj went on the attack to boost India's total. TWO SIXES IN ONE OVER Siraj hammered debutant left-arm spinner Nangeyalia Kharote for a four and two sixes in one over before he was bowled by Saleem. Saleem earlier broke the stand between Gill and Pant when he had the Indian captain caught behind with a delivery that held its line. Wicketkeeper Pant added 31 runs to his overnight score and was eyeing a century when he was caught at long-off while attempting a big hit off Shahidi. Afghanistan made even harder work of it by repeatedly failing to review borderline decisions. Gill had added just five runs to his overnight score of 103 when he was struck on the pads by pace bowler Azmatullah Omarzai. Afghanistan did not ask for a review after Gill was given not out, but ball-tracking technology showed the delivery would have hit the leg stump. Pant, on 54, also survived the next ball despite ball-tracking showing that Omarzai had caught a faint edge, with Afghanistan again deciding against a review. BRIEF SCORES Afghanistan 113 for 5 (Rahmat 43*, Suthar 3-21, Prasidh 2-27) trail India 564 for 8 dec (Gill 126, Rahul 100, Saleem 6-140) by 451 runs Related Story
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Just days before Mexico hosts the World Cup’s opening match, thousands of people packed the capital’s main thoroughfare Saturday in a bid to set a new record for the largest-ever human wave.The tradition of the wave was popularized in Mexico’s soccer stadiums during the 1986 World Cup to cheer on the home squad, and it has grown into a global phenomenon.Locals rallied to the cause early Saturday, donning national football jerseys and waving flags as they danced to loud music and stretched their arms and legs.Standing in the front row of a crowd stretching two kilometers (1.2 miles) down the iconic Paseo de la Reforma, a wide avenue that runs through the heart of Mexico City, Sally Aviles expressed confidence in a new record.“I say we’re going to break it. There are already so many of us, and we can do it!” said the 31-year-old content creator.“We’ll make it happen because we’ve always done it — at every game, in every stadium.”Joining the crowd were women dressed in lavish gowns and wearing skeleton masks in the style of “catrinas,” iconic figures tied to the country’s Day of the Dead holiday.Members of the La Sonora Santanera orchestra pumped out tropical rhythms while a master of ceremonies guided the mass movement.“Attention! We drop to our knees, bend and spring up as fast as we can. Hands way up!” she shouted.On cue, the front row stood with arms raised and then knelt, while those behind repeated the motion in succession until the entire crowd swayed like swells on an ocean.“I couldn’t miss out on being part of this wonderful event, on showing the world what Mexico is really like — the atmosphere, the love, the unity, the peace,” said Gloria Fragoso, 55, wearing a traditional headdress.Fragoso said Mexico is “more than ready” to welcome fans arriving for the World Cup, which is being co-hosted by Canada and the US.Gang violence has scarred Mexico for years, and authorities have vowed to boost security as the country hosts tournament matches in Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara.Cultural authorities reported on social media later Saturday that the record for the largest human wave had been broken, without providing details.The Guinness World Records is to assess whether or not the record has been broken.
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British Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary David Lammy appears on BBC TV's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg in London, Sunday. (Reuters) BBC TV's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg in London. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will stand if a leadership contest is triggered, a senior minister said Sunday, after media reported Starmer had contacted key backers insisting he would run in any race.This came after popular northern mayor Any Burnham, who is standing in a key by-election this month, said last week he would participate in any leadership race, although none has yet been triggered.Starmer "has been absolutely clear — were there to be a contest — you need 81 signatures (of MPs) to launch a contest — he will be part of that contest," Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy told Sky News on Sunday.The prime minister would automatically be included in any leadership ballot if he wanted to participate.The BBC and The Sun newspaper reported Sunday, citing unnamed MPs, that Starmer has been calling key supporters this weekend to say that if there is a contest he would "fight it".The Sun reported: "Sir Keir has hardened his position and is hellbent on running against Mr Burnham."Labour veteran Burnham is standing to become an MP again in a June 18 vote in Makerfield in northwestern England. If elected, he would be able to take part in a leadership contest.Burnham said on a BBC talkshow Thursday that he would seek to challenge Starmer if he won the by-election and if a race is triggered.He said former health minister Wes Streeting, who resigned last month with an open letter expressing no confidence in Starmer, "seems to have launched a leadership contest. So if that is running, I would seek to join it."The prime minister has repeatedly rejected calls to resign and insisted he wants to stay on as leader of the Labour party after winning a general election in 2024.Starmer told LBC radio station on Friday "I'm not going to walk away", adding he did not want to "plunge our country into the chaos of a leadership fight". Related Story
