General Sports 24 Hours

Last updated: September 7, 2026, 7:17 AM ET

US Open Tennis

The US Open's second week is upon us, and the American contingent is making a serious push. Frances Tiafoe and Alex Michelsen have already advanced, and Ben Shelton joined them with a victory late Sunday night, putting three U.S. men into the quarterfinals. Shelton's reward is a blockbuster matchup against defending champion Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday. Shelton hasn't defeated Alcaraz yet, but he has learned from their past meetings. Alcaraz, cruised into the last eight with a dominant straight-sets win over Tommy Paul, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2, continuing his return from long-term injury with a hugely impressive performance. The BBC's match report noted how he made it look easy.

On the women's side, top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka overpowered Taylor Townsend to reach the quarterfinals after some early struggles, emulating Serena Williams by reaching a sixth straight US Open quarter-final. Naomi Osaka also looks formidable again after struggling at times Saturday night, and she'll try to upset Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina on Monday. There are still 10 Americans left in the draw heading into the second week. Meanwhile, Wimbledon is taking notice of the US Open's influencer chaos and plans to ban influencers to avoid similar issues.

College Football Week 1

Week 1 delivered its usual absurdity, from controversial finishes to celebrity-filled debuts. Michigan survived a stunner over Western Michigan 13-12 when officials added time back on the clock, allowing the Wolverines to connect on a Hail Mary. Western Michigan president Russ Kavalhuna told ESPN he didn't think the replay process was correct, but the Big Ten backed the call. It was a gift, but there were other storylines: LSU looks title-ready, and UMass won — college football is back with all the chaos it brings.

No. 9 Ole Miss squeaked by No. 24 Louisville 41-38 when Lucas Carneiro kicked a 48-yard field goal as time expired. No. 4 Notre Dame pulled away in the second half to beat Wisconsin 41-13 at Lambeau Field, with CJ Carr throwing two touchdown passes and Aneyas Williams running for 90 yards and two scores. No. 2 Oregon survived a scare against Boise State, prompting coach Dan Lanning to call the performance a "wake-up call". With most of Week 1 complete, we project the CFP top 12, setting up a massive Week.

The Lane Kiffin era at LSU began with a bang. Despite a week of off-the-field drama, LSU defeated Clemson 51-10 in Kiffin's debut, with Arizona State transfer Sam Leavitt and Wisconsin transfer Dilin Jones combining for four rushing touchdowns. It was a smashing success amid controversy and surrounded by celebrities — welcome to the Lane Kiffin Show. Meanwhile, Pete Golding is officially ready to kick off a new era at Ole Miss, hoping to get out from Lane Kiffin's shadow after two playoff wins. Tennessee honored the late Dolly Parton at its home opener with multiple tributes, and Florida revived its "gator bait" cheer, banned in 2020 over racial concerns. And for the culinary-minded, from UCF's "Pretzel Sword" to Wisconsin's "Badger Bakers," here are college football's top new foods.

Formula 1 & Motorsport

Kimi Antonelli delivered one of the great F1 drives to win the Italian Grand Prix, coming from 19th on the grid to pass Mercedes teammate George Russell with just three laps remaining. The seismic blow to Russell's world championship hopes was described as walking over water for a win that will go down in F1 folklore. The BBC's race report called it a breathtaking victory in an incident-packed race. Ferrari's vintage disaster-class paved the way, as the Italian team's race was effectively over after three laps at Monza. Lewis Hamilton said it is "far too late" for Ferrari to give him priority over Charles Leclerc in the championship fight. BBC Radio 5 Live's Harry Benjamin provides his driver ratings, with Antonelli extraordinary and Gasly having a superb weekend.

In other motorsport, British racing driver Ollie Millroy says he is only alive thanks to a rival who pulled him from the burning wreckage of his car following a crash at the China GT. "I'm only alive thanks to one man", he said. Christopher Bell ended his 33-race winless streak, passing Kyle Larson with 18 laps to go to win the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on Sunday night.

Boxing

Katie Taylor brought the curtain down on her boxing career with a near-flawless performance on an emotional night at Croke Park, beating Flora Pili to become undisputed junior welterweight champion. With the pressure of Ireland's appreciation heavy on her, Taylor cemented her legacy in her final bout. Meanwhile, Thomas Carty's team claim "two illegal blows" and "loose ropes" caused the Irishman to topple out of the ring in a bizarre first-round no-contest against David Allen. Carty was sent through the ropes in the incident. Tyson Fury has sparked more speculation that his all-British heavyweight fight with Anthony Joshua is on the verge of collapse by suggesting he needs a new opponent for November, calling out Usyk instead.

Rugby

Wigan Warriors captain Liam Farrell will retire at the end of the season after a 16-year career in which he has won 18 major honours. The Wigan captain will call it a day after an epic career. Maro Itoje returns to the England set-up after being named in a 36-man training squad for this autumn's Nations Championship matches. A smaller ball is being trialled in women's international rugby union for September and October's WXV Global Series, and it is dividing opinion. England players say the smaller ball makes it "harder to do my job."

Golf

The Irish Open at Doonbeg has a star-studded cast, with Rory McIlroy trying to defend his title and President Trump poised to attend. The BBC previews the event with McIlroy aiming to repeat. Great Britain & Ireland won the Walker Cup for the first time since 2015, capping off a stunning comeback against the Americans at Lahinch. Connor Graham and Josh Hill each won the 18th hole in the final two matches Sunday. Britain's Gemma Stevens claimed the biggest win of her 25-year career with victory at Burghley Horse Trials. England's Paul Casey was beaten by South Africa's defending champion Thriston Lawrence on the fourth play-off hole at the European Masters in Switzerland.

Other Sports

Coco Gauff says she "can't really empathise" with rising Filipino star Alexandra Eala because "she has more pressure than I do." The world number four commented on Eala's situation ahead of the US Open. Team USA survived its toughest test in the women's basketball World Cup in two decades with a 55-52 victory over Italy on Sunday in Berlin, pushing its winning streak in World Cup play to 32 games. Jak Jones claimed the second ranking title of his career by beating four-time world champion Mark Selby 10-6 in the British Open final in snooker. Sophia Dunkley hit 119 as England ended their international summer with a 114-run thrashing of Ireland at Worcester, sweeping the series 3-0. Eilish McColgan returned to competitive action after five months out with a broken toe to win the London Big Half for a fourth time. Belgium's Tim Wellens won the 2026 Tour of Britain as Nils Politt claimed victory on stage five, with GB's Askey finishing second. Wellens takes the title. Finally, Cathy Engelbert's retirement from the WNBA raises the question: what comes next for the league, and is it better off now than when she took over?