General Sports 3 Days

Last updated: May 22, 2026, 11:54 AM ET

Tennis & Boxing Turmoil

Top players protested prize money at the French Open by limiting media duties to 15 minutes, a move echoing tournament director Amelie Mauresmo's stance that the prize pool will not change this year despite the backlash. The protest, joined by Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, and Jannik Sinner, highlights growing tensions over revenue sharing in Grand Slams. Meanwhile, Jannik Sinner opened his career Slam bid against a French wild card, while Emma Raducanu faced a tricky clay-court test against Argentine specialist Solano Sierra. In heavyweight boxing, unified champion Oleksandr Usyk explained his motivation ahead of his fight against kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven, whom promoter Eddie Hearn described as "not a normal man" facing a "mountain to climb."

Rugby Union Roundup

In women's rugby, England captain Meg Jones and Ireland's Aoife Wafer earned Six Nations shortlist nods, while Gloucester Hartpury lost two World Cup winners as captain Zoe Aldcroft and Tatyana Heard depart. Ulster prepared for a historic final against Montpellier, boosted by the return of winger Robert Baloucoune named in the starting lineup. Head coach Richie Murphy demanded total fight from his squad, with centre James Hume embracing the chance to end a 20-year trophy drought. In Wales, Cardiff dismissed excuses for their URC play-off clash with the Stormers, while the Ospreys and Scarlets remained unsigned on the new Professional Rugby Agreement.

Basketball Briefs

The NBA playoffs saw the Knicks mount an 18-point surge to take a 2-0 Eastern Conference finals lead over the Cavaliers. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander starred with 30 points as the Thunder leveled their series with the Spurs, a victory fueled by the fit-over-flash additions of Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso finalizing their championship roster. Sam Presti's blueprint for OKC prioritized player happiness, a strategy now favored to deliver another title. In the WNBA, the Fever received a warning for omitting Caitlin Clark from an injury report, though she later was named Indy 500 Grand Marshal. The Sky faced a season-ending loss with Rickea Jackson's torn ACL, while the Liberty's early success prompted roster recommendations.

Motorsports & Cycling

NASCAR was rocked by the death of two-time champion Kyle Busch, who was hospitalized with a severe illness before missing the Coca-Cola. Kevin Harvick, meanwhile, was voted into the Hall of Fame. In Formula, Max Verstappen hinted at a prolonged stay as engine rule changes promise a "back to normal" racing product, while Lewis Hamilton dismissed retirement talk. The Giro d'Italia saw Filippo Ganna dominate the time trial by nearly two minutes, and Alec Segaert claimed his first Grand Tour stage. The Tour Down Under will pioneer joint men's and women's events on the same course.

Cricket & Other Sports

Ireland lost their star opener Paul Stirling to a calf injury before a Test against New Zealand. Afghanistan's women's refugee team announced an England tour in their quest for international recognition. In T20 cricket, England began their series with a win led by Alice Capsey's 74* and Lauren Bell's 2-23. The IPL saw wonderkid Vaibhav Sooryavanshi blast 93 off 38 balls to boost Rajasthan Royals' playoff hopes. At the Ice Hockey World Championship, Great Britain suffered a 4-1 loss to hosts Switzerland and a 5-0 defeat by Hungary. In athletics, the "Steroid Olympics" Enhanced Games announced a London debut, while Olympic skeleton gold has sparked a surge in interest.