Sports, in brief

World Athletics, the body that runs track and field, held its first Ultimate Championship in Budapest from Friday to Sunday. It packed 28 events into three evening sessions. [1][8]

The prize fund was $10m, the most ever offered at a single track and field event. Each winner took $150,000, second place $75,000 and third $40,000, and every athlete who competed was paid. [1]

The reason is television. Olympic and World Championship audiences pass a billion, and one year in every four has neither event. [2]

There were no heats and no limit of three athletes per country, the rule the Olympics uses. Places went by world ranking, plus invitations chosen by World Athletics. [2][1]

Australia's Nicola Olyslagers, the world high jump champion, finished second. She earned $5,000 more than she was paid for winning the world title last year. [4]

Britain's Jazmin Sawyers took $75,000 for second in the long jump. [9] She told Sebastian Coe, who runs World Athletics, that the money means she can stay in the sport for another year. [5]

Track and field is still far behind tennis. A player who lost in the first round of this year's US Open singles earned $140,000. [4]

The opening night sold out, with 20,557 people in the stadium. Four in ten were visitors from other countries. [10]

Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway won the 5,000m after missing nearly a year with an Achilles injury that needed surgery in February. He came in on an invitation, ranked 40th. [11][10]

Switzerland's Audrey Werro beat the Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson in the 800m. [6] The American sprinter Kenny Bednarek won both the 100m and the 200m, worth $300,000. [8][7]

Athletes raced in national team kit, not their sponsors' kit. Coe says a national vest brings more viewers. [5] Britain's Josh Kerr, who won the 1,500m, said athletes make no money wearing their country's colours. [7]

World Athletics is now reviewing the event, and Coe says the list of events can change. The next edition is in 2028. [5][2]

Why it matters. The next test is World Athletics' review: whether it keeps the $10m fund and the open fields for 2028, and which events it changes. [5][2]

Alexander Zverev of Germany beat the American Ben Shelton 6-3 7-6 5-7 6-2 in the US Open men's final in New York on Sunday. [18] It was his second major title of 2026, after the French Open in June, and it paid $5.5m. [18][17] He was top seed only because Jannik Sinner, the world number one, withdrew with a knee injury. [17][22] Novak Djokovic, chasing a record 25th major title, lost in the first round. [21] No American man has won one of tennis's four biggest tournaments since Andy Roddick in 2003. [19]

Why it matters. The US tennis body rebuilt the way it trains young players in 2008 and is still waiting for a men's champion. [19] Shelton was the first Black American man in the New York final since Arthur Ashe in 1972. [20]

Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan beat Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus 6-4 5-7 6-2 in the women's final on Saturday. [23] She becomes world number one on Monday, ending Sabalenka's 99 weeks in a row at the top. [23] Rybakina had withdrawn from a tournament in Cincinnati with a left ankle injury, and she did not touch a racket for seven days before the US Open. [24] In the first set she landed only 27% of her first serves and still won it. [25][23] The title paid $5.5m. [23]

Why it matters. She ended Sabalenka's run of 19 straight wins at the US Open, where Sabalenka had won the last two titles. [23] Rybakina now needs only the French Open to have won all four of tennis's biggest tournaments. [24]

The American Christian Harrison and Britain's Neal Skupski won the US Open men's doubles on Saturday, beating Germany's Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz 6-4 7-6. [27] It was their second major title this year. They won the Australian Open in January when they had played only one tournament together before it. [27] They did not drop a set in New York. [27] Harrison had eight operations between 2009 and 2018, including two on his thigh bone, and gave up most singles play because of them. [27]

Why it matters. Only two other teams since 1968 have won the US Open doubles without losing a set. [27] Skupski lost the 2025 US Open and French Open finals with a different partner. [27]

Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes won Formula One's first race at Madrid's new Madring circuit on Sunday, his eighth win of the season. [13] Lando Norris of McLaren, the reigning world champion, started first and led by six seconds. [12][14] On lap 14 of 57 a stopped car brought out a virtual safety car, a period when every driver must slow down. [12] The drivers behind Norris changed tyres while it lasted and lost little time. [12] Norris was already past the pit lane entrance. He stopped a lap later at full speed and came out fifth. [13]

Why it matters. Antonelli now leads his Mercedes team-mate George Russell by 81 points. [14] McLaren's team boss said stopping at this track without the slow-down costs 27 seconds, and Norris wants the rule changed so it treats every driver alike. [13]

Drivers said the new Madring track leaves almost nowhere to overtake, and several asked for changes after Sunday's race. [16] Norris said two corners should be removed. [16] Ollie Bearman of the Haas team said it does not take a genius to design a track for overtaking. [15] No driver was asked for feedback while it was designed. [15] Madrid has a 10-year contract to host the race, on a circuit built largely around an exhibition centre. [16] Ferrari's team boss Fred Vasseur said the organisers had asked teams about overtaking during the weekend and are keen to make changes. [16]

Why it matters. Madrid is tied to the race for ten years, so a dull track is its problem as much as the sport's. [16] Gabriel Bortoleto called it a faster Monaco but as boring as Monaco, the street race long criticised for processions. [15]

NFL teams averaged 50.1 points a game in the season's first week going into Sunday night. That was on course to be the highest since the league merged with its rival in 1970. [28] The Chicago Bears beat the Carolina Panthers 59-37, 96 points in all, a record for a season opener. [28][29] Ten teams scored 30 points or more. [28] Twenty-one teams changed the coach who runs their attack before this season. [28]

Why it matters. The old record for an opening week was 49.4 points a game, set in 2012. [28] Carolina spent heavily on two linebackers when players were free to change clubs, then gave up the most points in the club's history. [29]

Kyler Murray left his first game for the Minnesota Vikings in the first quarter on Sunday with a concussion. He was hurt by a hit from Green Bay safety Javon Bullard. [31] Murray signed a one-year contract in March after seven seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. [31] Carson Wentz replaced him. J.J. McCarthy, the Vikings' main starter in 2025, was the emergency third choice. [31] The Vikings still beat the Packers 39-22. [28]

Why it matters. Bullard was penalised 15 yards for unnecessary roughness on the play. [30] Minnesota signed Murray for one season only, so each game he misses uses up part of the only year it paid for. [31]

Daniel Jones played for the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, 280 days after tearing his right Achilles tendon. [32] The Colts had re-signed him in the spring on a two-year, $88m deal. [32] They lost 41-23 to the Baltimore Ravens. Jones threw for 166 yards, his lowest in any full game for the club. [32] He said afterwards that it was just not good enough. [32] Baltimore's Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson combined for five touchdowns. [30]

Why it matters. The Colts' head coach and general manager are both under pressure. [32] Whether Jones becomes the club's long-term quarterback depends on how he plays and whether he stays healthy. [32]

The Cincinnati Bengals beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 33-27 on Sunday. [33] Tampa Bay lost three fumbles in the first half, and each led to a Bengals touchdown. [33] The Bengals rebuilt their defence this year. They pay Boye Mafe $20m a year, and he forced a late fumble with a sack. [33] Safety Bryan Cook, on $13m a year, forced another. Linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. ran one fumble back 27 yards for a touchdown. [33]

Why it matters. Nearly every expensive new signing and top draft pick in Cincinnati's defence made a big play. [33] Tampa Bay's rookie Josiah Trotter returned a Joe Burrow interception for a touchdown, and the Cincinnati defence still held the lead. [33]

The Arizona Cardinals beat the Los Angeles Chargers 26-14 away on Sunday, in Mike LaFleur's first game as their head coach. [34] Before the season, a projection by The Athletic gave Arizona 4.4 wins, the fewest in the league. [34] A blocked punt set up a touchdown pass from Jacoby Brissett, and an interception of Justin Herbert sealed it. [34] Mike McDaniel, a much-watched hire to run the Chargers' attack, saw it score 14 points. [34][28]

Why it matters. Arizona's general manager did little to strengthen a defence that fell apart late last season, betting on better health instead. [34] That defence forced two turnovers and kept the Chargers scoreless in the fourth quarter. [34]

The Baltimore Ravens beat the Indianapolis Colts 41-23 but lost two wide receivers to injury. [35] Zay Flowers hurt his hamstring again after five catches for 150 yards and a touchdown in the first half. [35] A month earlier he had signed a four-year, $140m extension. [35] Rookie Ja'Kobi Lane was ruled out with a wrist injury. That left Baltimore three healthy receivers, one of them mainly a punt returner. [35]

Why it matters. Flowers had recently missed two weeks with the same hamstring injury. He was not listed as injured before the game. [35]

The United States beat France 97-79 on Sunday to win the women's basketball World Cup for a fifth straight time. [36] The US has won 36 World Cup games in a row, since losing to Russia in a 2006 semi-final. [36] It trailed France by 14 points in the first half, its biggest deficit in the tournament since that 2006 loss. [36] Breanna Stewart scored 22 points and was named the tournament's best player. [36] Spain beat the hosts Germany for bronze. [38]

Why it matters. France finished second, its best result ever at the event. [36] Thirteen French players played in the WNBA, America's professional women's league, this season. [37]

Enric Mas won the Vuelta a Espana, cycling's three-week race around Spain, on Sunday. It was his first win in one of the sport's three big tours. [39] He had finished second in the Vuelta in 2018, 2021 and 2022. [40] Tadej Pogacar, the favourite, crashed out on stage eight while leading Mas by 3 minutes 50 seconds. [40][41] Mas beat four-time winner Primoz Roglic by 2 minutes 15 seconds. [39] Overall times were not counted for the final lap in Granada, after riders said the course was dangerous. [39][41]

Why it matters. Mas is the first Spaniard to win the race since Alberto Contador in 2014. [39] He took the leader's red jersey only after Pogacar crashed, then dropped Roglic on the climbs of stage 20. [41]

India's women beat Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the Asia Cup final in Dubai on Sunday, their eighth title in ten editions. [43] They would not take the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi. He heads the Asian Cricket Council and Pakistan's cricket board, and he is also Pakistan's interior minister. [43][42] The ceremony was cut short just before the trophy would have been handed over. [43] India's men did the same after beating Pakistan in last year's final. [43]

Why it matters. India and Pakistan fought a brief military conflict last year, and they now meet in cricket only at multi-nation events on neutral ground. [43] They could meet again at the Asian Games in Japan later this month. [43]

England beat Pakistan by eight wickets at Edgbaston on Saturday to win the Test series 3-0. It was their first series win in 19 months. [44] Joe Root was back as captain after Ben Stokes retired from international cricket. [44] The England board sacked Test coach Brendon McCullum this summer. [45] Interim coach Marcus Trescothick now hands over to the New Zealander Stephen Fleming. [44] Pakistan changed seven players after the second Test and sacked their coach, Sarfaraz Ahmed. [44]

Why it matters. Fleming's first job is a three-Test tour of South Africa in December and January, against much stronger opposition. [44] Fast bowler Ollie Robinson took 21 wickets in the series. [44]

By the second day of the final Test, England's batters had passed 50 runs 21 times this summer and turned only one into a century. [46] Ben Duckett's 113 against New Zealand was that one. The rate is the lowest ever for an England home summer of six or more Tests. [46] Jordan Cox made three half-centuries at number three against Pakistan, standing in for the injured Jacob Bethell. [47] When Bethell returns from knee surgery, one of Cox, Emilio Gay and Dan Lawrence will have to make way. [44]

Why it matters. Trescothick said a team may no longer need a specialist opening batter, because players switch between formats so often. [48] Fleming, who missed the Pakistan series, is coming to England to start planning for South Africa. [48]

Texas beat Ohio State, then ranked first, 24-23 in Austin on Saturday after trailing 23-3. [49][50] It was the largest fourth-quarter comeback ever to beat the top team in the AP poll, the weekly ranking voted by sports writers, according to Sportradar. [50] Quarterback Arch Manning, booed early in the game, led three touchdown drives of 12 plays or more. The last came with 25 seconds left. [49] Texas rose to first in Sunday's poll. [50]

Why it matters. Ohio State dropped out of the top five for the first time in two seasons. Oregon fell 15 places to 21st after losing to a team that had lost 21 in a row against top-division opponents. [50] Michigan, which beat Western Michigan a week ago only after a second was put back on the clock, returned to the poll at 19th. [50]

Valencia, the Spanish football club, sacked head coach Carlos Corberan on Sunday. A fourth league defeat in a row had left them bottom of the table after five games, with a single draw. [51] They also parted with their chief of football, Ron Gourlay. [51] Corberan's successor will be the club's 18th permanent head coach since 2012. [51] Under their Singapore-based owner Peter Lim, fans protest regularly and money for new players has been tight. [51]

Why it matters. This is Valencia's last season at the Mestalla, their historic ground. Relegation would mean opening their long-delayed new stadium in Spain's second division. [51]

Manchester City beat Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford this weekend while playing with ten men. [52] Phil Foden was sent off after 23 minutes for kicking out at Bruno Fernandes. [52] Erling Haaland's goal after an hour looked offside. VAR, the video referee, found him onside because of where a United defender's foot was. [52] City have 12 points from their first four games. [52]

Why it matters. About 500 fans protested outside the ground against United's ticket policy. [52] Nearly 700 season ticket holders had to appeal to keep their seats after a crackdown on ticket touting. [52]

Liverpool drew 0-0 at home with Fulham, 67 hours after beating Atletico Madrid in the Champions League. [53] Against Atletico their players sprinted a combined 2.3 miles. Against Fulham they managed 1.4 miles, the lowest under manager Andoni Iraola. [53] Iraola said there was a lack of freshness, with only about 60 hours between the two games. [53] His style asks players to run hard in both attack and defence. [53]

Why it matters. The fixture list gets harder from here, with more games away from home squeezed together by November. [53]