Reuters Sports News Summary

Reuters Sports News Summary

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Tennis-U.S. Open unfolds amid a new era for players' mental health

Players' mental health is in focus as the U.S. Open kicks off Monday, after four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka led the charge for her fellow athletes this year. The 23-year-old withdrew from the French Open after being fined and threatened with expulsion for refusing to attend media conferences, which she said had an adverse impact on her mental health, and disclosed she had suffered from depression for years.

Tennis - Andreescu hoping her return to U.S. Open marks a return to form

Bianca Andreescu scripted a U.S. Open fairytale in 2019 when she won the Grand Slam event as a teenager playing in the main draw for the first time. If the Canadian, now 21, were to repeat that script this year, it would be an even bigger shock. Injuries and a pandemic have combined to put the brakes on what some had predicted would be a meteoric rise to tennis super stardom.

Motor racing-Verstappen leads Williams's Russell in dramatic Belgian GP qualifying

Red Bull's Max Verstappen mastered the treacherous conditions at a rain-soaked Spa-Francorchamps track to seize pole position from surprise star George Russell in a crash-interrupted qualifying session for the Belgian Formula One Grand Prix on Saturday. The Dutchman lapped the seven-km track in one minute 59.765 seconds.

Tennis-U.S. Open says fans must have proof of COVID vaccine for entry

Tennis fans 12 years or older will be required to show proof of a COVID-19 vaccine in order to attend the U.S. Open, tournament officials announced Friday, just three days before the main draw was set to begin. The New York City mayor's office on Friday mandated proof of vaccine to enter Arthur Ashe Stadium, where the major puts on its primetime matches, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) said.

Soccer-Solskjaer defends Jones from Ferdinand criticism

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer defended Phil Jones after former teammate Rio Ferdinand criticised the 29-year-old earlier this week. Jones, who has spent an injury-hit decade at the club, played in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Burnley earlier this month -- his first game since featuring in last year's FA Cup third round tie against Tranmere Rovers in January.

Bills WR Isaiah McKenzie gets vaccinated after fine

Two days after Isaiah McKenzie was fined nearly $15,000 for violating the NFL's COVID-19 protocols, the Buffalo Bills wide receiver shared an image on social media showing he had received his first vaccine shot. McKenzie shared the image in an Instagram story with the caption, "For the greater good."

Soccer - Ronaldo set to complete Man United return after day of high transfer drama

Manchester United capped a day of high-transfer drama by agreeing a deal for Cristiano Ronaldo to return to the club, after rivals Manchester City had a reported change of heart. The transfer is subject to the agreement of personal terms, visa and a medical, but the 36-year-old appears set to leave Juventus to re-join the club where he won eight major trophies between 2003-2009.

Two Afghan athletes arrive in Tokyo for Paralympics

Two Afghan athletes arrived in Tokyo on Saturday to compete in the 2020 Paralympics after one of them made a video appeal for help to leave Kabul so she could take part in the Games. Zakia Khudadadi, a Taekwondo athlete, and track athlete Hossain Rasouli were evacuated from the Afghan capital a week ago and landed in Tokyo on a flight from Paris, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) said in a statement.

Tennis - Djokovic faces now-or-never moment at U.S. Open

Novak Djokovic hesitated to call the U.S. Open a now-or-never moment, but the history-hunting Serb noted on Friday that an opportunity for a calendar year Grand Slam could be one of them. The fact that only two male tennis players - Rod Laver and Don Budge - have ever achieved the feat underscores just how rare such moments are.

NFL-League wants COVID-19 vaccine mandate, as players' vaccination rate hits 93%

The National Football League said on Thursday it has made clear it wanted to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for players, as it reported a nearly 93% inoculation rate, despite assertions from the players' union the league had not proposed such a step.

NFLPA President JC Tretter, who plays for the Cleveland Browns, told ESPN this week that the NFL did not enforce or even discuss making vaccines a requirement to play this season, despite mandating inoculations for staff and coaches.

Source: Dev Discourse