General Sports 24 Hours

Last updated: August 12, 2026, 6:31 PM ET

Tennis

Elena Rybakina mounted a comeback from a set and a break down to defeat Naomi Osaka in three sets in the Canadian Open quarter-final. The victory keeps Rybakina in contention for the title in Toronto.

Cricket

Welsh Fire and MI London were both eliminated from The Hundred after losing their final group matches, ending their knockout hopes. Afghanistan sealed a one-day international series victory over Ireland with a game to spare, posting their record tally in the format. Ellyse Perry hit an unbeaten 62 to lead Birmingham Phoenix to a five-wicket win over MI London.

American Football

Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer has drawn attention this offseason for his heavily muscled arms, sparking debate at Manning Camp about whether quarterbacks can become too swole. A new report details how much a Power 4 starter can earn in college football, based on conversations with general managers and agents. In Arkansas, a high school player unknowingly wore a helmet with a venomous snake inside for nearly an hour during practice. Briton Efe Obada retired from the NFL to pursue his “true calling,” launching a foundation after growing up in foster care.

Basketball

ESPN’s SEC 2026-27 projections outline three possible champions and three teams that could miss the NCAA tournament. Seth Trimble committed to Louisville after a court ruling granted a fifth season of eligibility to his high school class. The NBA Cup 2026 group stage schedule has been released for the fourth annual in-season tournament. Fever coach Stephanie White was booed in Indiana before Tuesday’s win over the Liberty, but she defended her players and received support from Caitlin Clark. The latest WNBA Power Rankings note that time is running out as teams jockey for playoff seeds. The NBA announced its opening week tripleheader on Oct. 20, with the Knicks facing LeBron James and the 76ers.

Athletics

Great Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith won historic 400m gold in Birmingham, becoming the joint-most decorated man at the European Championships over that distance. A feature explores why the women’s 800m world record has stood for 43 years, the longest in athletics.

Swimming

Angharad Evans won her first European Championship gold in the women’s 100m breaststroke final in Paris.

Golf

Rory McIlroy said he is confident he will reach a compromise with the PGA Tour to fulfill his minimum of 15 events to maintain dual membership. The FedEx Cup playoffs start in Memphis with spots in the Tour Championship on the line. Tee times for the first two rounds of the FedEx St. Jude Championship have been released, featuring Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy.

Soccer

The Irish League’s long-term European hopes rest with Larne after Northern Ireland dropped outside the top 50 of Uefa’s coefficient ranking. Croke Park will host its first association football match between two English sides when Manchester United face Leeds in a pre-season game on Wednesday. Former Liverpool head coach Arne Slot confirmed he held talks for the Netherlands managerial vacancy but has pulled out to focus on club football.

Rugby Union

England head coach Steve Borthwick has shaken up his squad, handing first central contracts to Asher Opoku-Fordjour, Alex Coles, Guy Pepper, Jack van Poortvliet and Seb Atkinson. Ospreys have publicly rejected the WRU’s plan to cut a professional team, insisting four sides is the way forward. England’s Red Roses are using smaller balls in pre-season training ahead of the WXV Global Series. Ma’a Nonu, performed a solo haka in response to the All Blacks before his side the Sharks faced New Zealand in Durban.

Baseball

A Texas judge backed the removal of a Tulsa team from the Little League Baseball World Series Southwest Region, keeping it from the title game. Tristan H. Cockcroft highlights late-season fantasy trade targets, including several from the Bronx.

Horse Racing

The horse racing meeting at Ffos Las in South Wales will start about two hours early Wednesday because of the solar eclipse. A horse racing integrity firm is investigating five races at Saratoga and Monmouth Park after unusual betting patterns were detected.

Equestrian

The Great Britain dressage team secured qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics by winning silver at the FEI World Championships in Aachen, Germany.