SEATTLE (AP) — Sam Darnold was cast aside by the New York Jets, who drafted him No. 3 overall in ...

SEATTLE (AP) — Sam Darnold was cast aside by the New York Jets, who drafted him No. 3 overall in 2018. The Minnesota Vikings didn’t bring him back after he led them to a 14-3 season but flopped in the playoffs.Now, in his first season with the Seattle Seahawks, he’s Super Bowl-bound.Darnold threw for three touchdowns, the Seahawks’ “Dark Side” defense came up with a critical fourth-down stop, and Seattle advanced to the Super Bowl, beating the Los Angeles Rams 31-27 in an electrifying NFC championship game on Sunday.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>“You can’t talk about the game without talking about our quarterback,” second-year coach Mike Macdonald said. “He shut a lot of people up tonight, so I’m happy for him.”Led by Darnold — an eight-year veteran playing for his fifth team — the Seahawks (16-3) reached their fourth Super Bowl in franchise history and first in 11 years. Seattle lost that most recent appearance to New England, its opponent in two weeks at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.Darnold, who was blown out in his playoff debut last year with the Vikings — by the Rams, no less — played through an oblique injury and completed 25 of 36 passes for 346 yards with no turnovers. Jaxon Smith-Njigba had 153 yards receiving — the second-most in a playoff game in franchise history — and a touchdown on 10 catches.“Can’t say enough about Sam, man,” Smith-Njigba said. “It’s been a great first year. We got one more to go. But for him to overcome what he had to overcome, I’m riding with Sam all day.”The Seahawks needed Darnold to keep pace with Matthew Stafford, who drove the Rams (14-6) into position to take the lead with 4:59 remaining. On fourth-and-4 at the Seattle 6, coach Sean McVay elected to go for it and Stafford’s pass was broken up in the end zone by Devon Witherspoon.“He’s just the heart of our defense,” safety Julian Love said of Witherspoon. “He just is the essence. ’Spoon is it. He plays with just such a raw energy. And we love him for it.”The Rams didn’t get the ball back until there were 25 seconds left, and Puka Nacua was tackled inbounds near midfield on the final play.Stafford threw for 374 yards and three touchdowns, but the Rams were undone by critical errors, including a muffed punt by Xavier Smith in the third quarter. On the next play, Darnold connected with Jake Bobo for a 17-yard touchdown and a 24-13 lead.“That was a tough one,” McVay said.The Seahawks led 31-20 late in the third quarter on Darnold’s 13-yard TD pass to Cooper Kupp, but the Rams got back into the game when Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen was flagged for taunting after breaking up a pass to Nacua on third-and-12, giving Los Angeles a first down.On the next play, Stafford threw at Woolen again, and Nacua beat him in the corner of the end zone for a 34-yard touchdown.“Even though I made a great play, I wasn’t great for my team,” Woolen said, “and I’ve got to be better with that and celebrate with the team.”The Rams forced a punt on Seattle’s next possession and went on a 14-play, 84-yard drive that came up empty thanks to Witherspoon’s pass breakup.Seattle stayed aggressive on its final possession, with Darnold throwing for three first downs to run out most of the clock.Darnold set the tone with his first completion of the game, a 51-yarder to Rashid Shaheed. Four plays later, Walker ran 2 yards for a TD to make it 7-0.Leading 13-10, Los Angeles forced a three-and-out late in the second quarter, but after two straight incompletions by Stafford, the Rams punted the ball back, and it took Darnold just 34 seconds to put the Seahawks ahead for good.Smith-Njigba caught a deep pass from Darnold, absorbed a big hit by Kam Curl and held on for a 42-yard gain. Four plays later, Darnold and Smith-Njigba hooked up for a 14-yard TD that made it 17-13 heading into halftime.“I told my team, I’m going to do whatever it takes. Whatever y’all ask of me, I’m gonna get it done, whatever that might be,” said Smith-Njigba, the NFL’s leading receiver in the regular season. “And that’s what you saw today. You just saw grit, determination, you saw passion out there and you saw a group, a collective, going out there and getting the job done.”McVay would love to have Stafford backMcVay bristled when asked if he expects Stafford to return next season. The 37-year-old is a finalist for his first MVP award after throwing for a league-leading 4,707 yards and a career-best 46 touchdown passes.“I know that if he wants to, he’s still playing at a pretty damn good clip,” McVay said. “I mean, he’s the MVP of the league, and if he’s not, respect for everybody else. But this guy played a level that’s just different.”Bobo finds the end zoneBobo’s touchdown catch was his first since Jan. 5, 2025, which also came against the Rams, and the fourth of his three-year career. He gave all the credit to Darnold.“He’s the best in the world,” Bobo said. “It didn’t surprise anybody in here, I’ll tell you that.”InjuriesRams: WR Jordan Whittington (chest) left in the third quarter. Defensive end Kobie Turner (cramps) also exited in the third.Seahawks: LB Drake Thomas (shoulder) left in the fourth quarter. FB Brady Russell (hand) was injured in the second half and did not return.Up nextRams: Stafford turns 38 next month and has to wonder if this was his last, best chance at a second Super Bowl title.Seahawks: Seek their second Super Bowl title after winning it all in the 2013 season with coach Pete Carroll and the “Legion of Boom” defense.___AP NFL: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nfl">https://apnews.com/hub/nfl</a>

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JANUARY 25: Jaxon Smith-Njigba #11 of the Seattle Seahawks celebrates on stage after the NFC Championship NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Seattle. The Seattle Seahawks won 31-27 against the Los Angeles Rams.

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MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Defending champion Madison Keys has been knocked out of the Australia...

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Defending champion Madison Keys has been knocked out of the Australian Open by fellow American, and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/keys-pegula-podcast-australian-open-08744476e8416418313246e6690e58d1">podcast pal</a>, Jessica Pegula.Pegula, seeded sixth, defeated the ninth-seeded Keys 6-3, 6-4 on Monday at Rod Laver Arena to reach the quarterfinals for the fourth time in Australia.Pegula raced to a 4-1 lead in the first set and took it in 32 minutes. She then broke to open the second set and again surged to a 4-1 lead as Keys struggled on serve. The match ended when Keys hit a forehand into the net.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>"I’ve been playing really well, seeing the ball, hitting the ball really well this whole tournament, and I wanted to stay true to that," said 31-year-old Pegula. "Then just lean into a couple things that I felt like she would do, and I felt like I came out doing it pretty well."When I had the lead I tried to stick with that as much as I could," Pegula added."Even when she got a little rhythm back, I just really tried to focus on what I needed to do and patterns to look out for."Pegula and Keys had played three times previously, and Keys had won the last two. But on Monday it was Pegula that had the upper hand almost throughout on the back of her serve accuracy and few unforced errors.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/australian-open-2025-women-final-keys-sabalenka-9c448968ccd1ef1e3ccc1a068d1808bc">The 2025 champion</a> lamented not taking advantage in the second set when she had chances. But Pegula would not let her."I think she (Pegula) did a really good job from the start of just being the one that was dictating and in charge," Keys said. "I felt like if I didn’t hit a really good ball immediately, she was in charge of the points."I was kind of struggling to kind of get that dominance back," Keys added. "Then I feel like especially in the second set I felt like I had some opportunities to break that I wasn’t super happy with, just kind of quick errors and not playing the best points in big moments."Pegula’s best performance in a major was making the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-open-2024-live-updates-pegula-sabalenka-e2fcc2778a1e9fdee72b3a00b70409b9">U.S. Open final in 2024</a>, where she lost to Aryna Sabalenka. She will face either No.4-seeded Amanda Anisimova or Wang Xinyu next.___More AP tennis: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tennis">https://apnews.com/hub/tennis</a>

USA's Jessica Pegula celebrates victory against USA's Madison Keys in their women's singles match on day nine of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 26, 2026. / -- IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE --

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ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Taylor Heise and Kendall Coyne Schofield scored first-period goals just 12...

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Taylor Heise and Kendall Coyne Schofield scored first-period goals just 12 seconds apart to help the Minnesota Frost beat the New York Sirens 6-2 on Sunday.Katy Knoll added two goals, which included an empty-netter, for Minnesota (6-2-3-3). Grace Zumwinkle and Kelly Pannek each scored a goal, and Abby Hustler had two assists. Maddie Rooney had 25 saves.Kristyna Kaltounkova scored her ninth goal of the season for New York (7-0-2-6), and Anna Bargman scored her second goal this season with six minutes to play.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Heise cut in front of the net, took a pass from Mae Batherson, and flicked a backhand shot into the net to open the scoring 6:12 into the game. Shortly after the ensuing faceoff, a Frost turnover near the center line led to a jailbreak goal by Coyne Schofield that made it 2-0.Coyne Schofield leads the PWHL in goals (10) and points (16).Kaltounkova scored with 1:32 left in the first period to cut the deficit to 2-1.Kayle Osborne stopped 21 shots for the Sirens.Fans at the Grand Casino Arena <a href="https://x.com/jessrmyers/status/2015517451228733561?s=46&amp;t=k9ViX1I2UGQuWELjkV-5Dw">chanted</a> “ICE out now!” and there was a moment of silence for Alex Pretti — the second Minneapolis resident <a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-minnesota-4d1499fc5962ab880f3816259e04bdbf">killed</a> by federal officers this month — prior to the start of the game.<h2>Up next</h2>New York: The Sirens visit Boston on Wednesday.Minnesota: The Frost host Vancouver on Wednesday.___AP women’s hockey: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey">https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey</a>

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LA QUINTA, Calif. (AP) — Scottie Scheffler started his season as though nothing had changed, runn...

LA QUINTA, Calif. (AP) — Scottie Scheffler started his season as though nothing had changed, running off four birdies in a six-hole stretch Sunday to blow past 18-year-old Blades Brown and the rest of the field. He closed with a 6-under 66 for a four-shot victory in The American Express.Scheffler won for the 20th time on the PGA Tour — all in the last four years — to earn a lifetime membership. More indicative of his dominance in the game is winning nine of those 20 tournaments by four shots or more.Scheffler has 20 wins and four majors before turning 30. Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods are the only other players to have done that.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>“Pretty wild,” Scheffler said. “It’s been a great start to my career. It’s been special. I try not to think about that stuff too much. I was just trying to do the things I needed to do to be prepared.”The world’s No. 1 player shared the stage with Brown, who finished high school two weeks ago and played in a Korn Ferry Tour event in the Bahamas that finished Wednesday. He’s the first player to play eight straight days of PGA Tour-sanctioned competition.Whether the fatigue caught up with him or simply the moment — he was trying to become the youngest PGA Tour winner in 95 years — it ended quickly.Brown was one shot behind 54-hole leader Si Woo Kim and one shot ahead of Scheffler heading to the tee at the par-3 fourth on the Stadium Course at PGA West. Five holes later, Brown and Kim both were five shots behind, and Scheffler was putting it into overdrive.Scheffler hit a baby 8-iron to 2 feet on the fourth for birdie and found the fairway on the par-5 fifth. Brown hit his tee shot into the water and had to drop in front of the tee boxes — he close to drop in the dormant Bermuda rough instead of the teeing ground — and then hit a poor wedge that led to double bogey.Brown went 11 holes without a birdie and had two late bogeys that led to a 74. He fell from a tie for second to a tie for 18th, costing him a spot at Torrey Pines next week.“Eight rounds, I know sounds like a lot, but I was having a lot of fun,” he said. “You’re telling me I get to play in a PGA Tour event and to play with Scottie Scheffler and see him win it, that was insane.“I got some things I got to sharpen up, and hopefully we see if we can do what Scottie’s doing.”Jason Day closed with a 64 that moved him up 18 spots to a runner-up finish, along with Ryan Gerard (65), Matt McCarty (68), and Andrew Putnam (68).Kim, who plays often with Scheffler at Royal Oaks in Dallas, also lost his way on one hole. He was two shots behind on the par-5 eighth when he took two shots to get out of a greenside bunker, chipped strong and made double bogey. He missed a 3-foot par putt on the next hole. Kim rallied with three birdies on the back nine to salvage a 72 and tie for sixth.Scheffler never let up. He nearly holed a chip right of the par-5 11th for a tap-in birdie. He hit wedge into 2 feet on the next hole for a birdie, and he headed to the 13th tee with a four-shot lead.His only big blunder was when it didn’t matter, a tee shot into the water on the par-3 17th known as “Alcatraz,” and by then Scheffler had plenty of get-out-of-jail-free cards. He took double bogey to keep the margin from being greater against the strongest field The American Express has had in decades.Scheffler now takes a week off before ending the West Coast with three straight events, starting with the Phoenix Open, where this amazing run began four years ago. He won his first PGA Tour title in a playoff. It hasn’t been that close lately.___AP golf: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/golf">https://apnews.com/hub/golf</a>

LA QUINTA, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 25: Scottie Scheffler of the United States plays his shot from the sixth tee during the final round of The American Express 2026 at Pete Dye Stadium Course on January 25, 2026 in La Quinta, California.

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DENVER (AP) — Drake Maye handled the sloppy, snowy conditions better than the home team and he sc...

DENVER (AP) — Drake Maye handled the sloppy, snowy conditions better than the home team and he scored New England’s only touchdown on a 6-yard keeper, propelling the Patriots to their 12th Super Bowl with a 10-7 win over the Denver Broncos in the AFC championship game Sunday.Maye threw for just 86 yards, but ran for 65 and iced the win with a 7-yard keeper on third-and-5 in the waning minutes to send the Patriots (17-3) to the Super Bowl in Mike Vrabel's first year as coach.The Patriots will play the Seattle Seahawks, who beat the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC championship game, on Feb. 8 in Santa Clara, California.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>“I’m just proud of this team,” said the 23-year-old Maye, who's the second-youngest starting quarterback to reach the Super Bowl, behind only Miami's Dan Marino. “Don’t have many words. Just thankful for this team. Love each and every one of them. It took everybody.”Christian Gonzalez intercepted Jarrett Stidham, starting in place of an injured Bo Nix, with 2:11 remaining for New England’s second takeaway. The first set up the Patriots with a short field and led to Maye’s touchdown scamper that tied it at 7 heading into halftime.With Nix looking on from a suite following ankle surgery Tuesday in Alabama, Stidham made his first start in more than two years. His first completion since the 2023 regular-season finale was a 52-yard dart to Marvin Mims Jr. to the New England 7 that set up Courtland Sutton’s 6-yard touchdown catch.That was Stidham’s highlight as he turned the ball over twice and finished 17 of 31 for 133 yards with the TD.“I was super excited for the opportunity and just hate that we fell short,” Stidham said.New England, which went 4-13 last year under Jerod Mayo, became the third team in the Super Bowl era to win a conference championship with 10 points or less. Buffalo beat Denver 10-7 in the 1991 AFC title game, and Los Angeles beat Tampa Bay 9-0 in the 1979 NFC championship game.Vrabel, who won three Super Bowls as a playmaking linebacker for the Patriots, could become the first person in NFL history to also win as a head coach for the same franchise.“I won’t win it. It’ll be the players that’ll win the game,” Vrabel said. “I promise you, it won’t be me that’ll win it, and I promise you that I’ll do everything I can, and our staff, to have them ready for the game.”The Broncos (15-4) finished one step shy of fulfilling Sean Payton’s preseason prediction of a trip to Super Bowl 60, and he pointed the finger right at himself.He said he regretted his call on fourth-and-1 from the New England 14 in the second quarter when a chip-shot field goal before the snow came in would have given Denver a double-digit lead. Stidham’s throw to running back R.J. Harvey was incomplete and the Broncos' early momentum vanished.“There’s always regrets,” Payton said. “Yeah, I mean, look, I felt like here we are, fourth-and-1. We felt close enough ... So, yeah, there’ll always be second thoughts.”The Broncos were left clinging to a 7-0 lead that was short-lived. Elijah Ponder recovered Stidham’s backward pass at the Denver 12, setting up the tying touchdown two plays later.“I thought I threw it forward and obviously the replay said differently,” Stidham said. “Probably should have just eaten the sack and let (Jeremy) Crawshaw punt the ball and flip the field.”Both kickers missed two field goals in the frigid conditions with Denver’s Wil Lutz and New England’s Andy Borregales wide on long tries just before the snow came in at halftime. Lutz's 45-yard attempt late in the fourth quarter was tipped by Leonard Taylor III.The Patriots’ victory was their 40th in the playoffs, breaking a tie with the San Francisco 49ers for the most in NFL history.It was sunny at kickoff with a temperature of 26 degrees, but by halftime the snowflakes began falling and grounds crews had to use snowblowers to mark the hashmarks and yard lines by the fourth quarter, when it was 16 degrees.“It was a lot of fun out there,” Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II said. “Snow game, for the conference, to go to the Super Bowl — it doesn’t get any better than that. I felt like I was a little kid out there just playing in the snow.”And the Patriots had the most fun of all.“What an atmosphere out here,” said Maye, in his second NFL season. “Battle of the elements. Love this team. How about the defense? I love each and every one of them.”The Patriots have allowed 26 points across three playoff games. The only team to allow fewer points over three playoff games before a Super Bowl appearance was the 2000 Ravens, who allowed just 16 points.After gaining just 72 yards in the first half, the Patriots opened the second half in swirling snow with a 16-play, 64-yard drive that ate up 9 1/2 minutes and ended with a 23-yard field goal by Borregales that proved the difference.Stidham, who was drafted by the Patriots in 2019, made his first start since the 2023 regular-season finale. The Broncos were the only team in the league that didn’t give their backup QB any snaps or handoffs the last two seasons.The Patriots have averaged 18 points per game in the playoffs, the fewest by any team to make the Super Bowl since the 1979 Rams, who averaged 15.“I'll take an ugly win before I take a pretty loss,” Diggs said. "Nobody's satisfied. Happy, but not complacent. We’re blessed to be where we are, but we know there’s more out there for us.”Coming up just short of a trip to the Super Bowl will drive Denver, said Surtain, who suggested: “This is not the last time we’re going to be here. We’re going to just keep on building and getting better.”Nix, who had 11 game-winning drives in his first two NFL seasons, got hurt on Denver’s final drive in overtime against Buffalo last week, and this title game will always be dogged in Denver by the what-ifs.“It (stinks),” linebacker Alex Singleton said. “We’ll remember it for the rest of our lives.”InjuriesPatriots: LB Robert Spillane (ankle) left in the first quarter.Broncos: WR Pat Bryant left with a hamstring injury in the second quarter.___AP NFL: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/NFL">https://apnews.com/hub/NFL</a>

DENVER, COLORADO - JANUARY 25: Christian Gonzalez #0 of the New England Patriots celebrates with teammates after intercepting a pass from Jarrett Stidham #8 of the Denver Broncos (not pictured) intended for Marvin Mims Jr. #19 (not pictured) during the fourth quarter in the AFC Championship Playoff game at Empower Field At Mile High on January 25, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. The New England Patriots defeat the Denver Broncos 10-7.

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MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The NBA postponed two games on Sunday in Memphis and Milwaukee because of t...

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The NBA postponed two games on Sunday in Memphis and Milwaukee because of <a href="https://apnews.com/article/winter-storm-snow-ice-power-outages-7ea143995026e68db42ed1b4aec396cb">the massive winter storm</a> that has made for dangerous travel conditions across much of the U.S.The Dallas Mavericks tried twice to fly to Milwaukee for their game against the Bucks on Sunday night, but conditions didn’t allow it. A decision to postpone was announced a few hours before tipoff. Earlier Sunday, a game between the Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies was postponed about three hours before tipoff.Reschedule dates were not announced.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The Memphis area was experiencing a mixture of snow, sleet and freezing rain that began falling early Saturday morning and continued Sunday morning. South and east of Memphis, freezing rain has collected on power lines and trees, causing widespread outages and blocked roads. Authorities had recommended people stay off the streets as the wintry mix and frigid temperatures caused a refreeze.The Nuggets said they planned to fly out at some point on Sunday, depending on the conditions at Memphis International Airport. They are scheduled to play at home Tuesday against the Detroit Pistons.The Grizzlies are scheduled to play the Rockets in Houston on Monday.An NBA G League game scheduled for Monday between the Memphis Hustle and Stockton Kings in Southaven, Mississippi, was postponed and rescheduled for Feb. 19.At least two college women’s basketball games were postponed: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll">No. 17</a> Tennessee’s visit to No. 18 Mississippi on Monday and Tulane’s visit to Memphis on Tuesday. Reschedule dates were not announced.In men’s basketball, a game featuring Tennessee at <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll">No. 21</a> Georgia was pushed back a day from Tuesday to Wednesday. Purdue Fort Wayne and IU Indianapolis, and Southern Illinois and Evansville had Sunday games postponed without make-up dates announced.The schedule changes come after dozens of games were moved around earlier in the week <a href="https://apnews.com/article/winter-weather-sports-04d69f7bc9f4a303de8a94b5ad14ab1a">in anticipation of the storm</a>.Separately, on Saturday, the NBA <a href="https://apnews.com/article/minneapolis-shooting-wolves-warriors-nba-postponed-60175e238176b61437a43368f17c1cba">postponed a game between the Warriors and Timberwolves</a> to “prioritize the safety and security of the Minneapolis community” after <a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-minnesota-protester-alex-pretti-15ade7de6e19cb0291734e85dac763dc">the fatal shooting of a man</a> by a federal officer in a commercial district less than two miles from where the Timberwolves play.___AP sports: <a href="https://apnews.com/sports">https://apnews.com/sports</a>

MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE - JANUARY 25: Snow is seen outside the arena as the game between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Denver Nuggets has been cancelled due to inclement weather at FedExForum on January 25, 2026 in Memphis, Tennessee.

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ROME (AP) — Canada standout Jonathan David is rediscovering his form with a home World Cup approa...

ROME (AP) — Canada standout Jonathan David is rediscovering his form with a home World Cup approaching.David scored his third goal in four matches and Juventus beat defending champion Napoli 3-0 in Serie A on Sunday.The result meant that Luciano Spalletti got the better of Antonio Conte with both coaches meeting former squads.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Midway through the first half, David chested down a pass over the top from Manuel Locatelli and pushed it in.Three minutes earlier, Juventus midfielder Khephren Thuram had hit the post, and three minutes after the goal the Turin club had another chance when Francisco Conceicao’s shot was cleared off the line by Napoli defender Alessandro Buongiorno.Kenan Yildiz and Filip Kostic added second-half goals for host Juventus.Napoli remained third, three points behind AC Milan, which visited Roma later Sunday. Juventus moved level on points with fourth-place Roma.Spalletti coached Napoli to the Serie A title in 2023, while Conte led Juventus to three straight Italian league titles after also playing for the club.David scored in his Serie A debut for Juventus in August but then had a long drought before rediscovering his form this month with a goal and an assist against Sassuolo and another goal against Cremonese. He also had an assist in Juve’s victory over Benfica in the Champions League on Wednesday.David’s season has also had to weather a coaching change, with Spalletti replacing the fired Igor Tudor in October.Canada is co-hosting this year’s World Cup with the United States and Mexico.Canada is in a group with Qatar, Switzerland and another team still to be determined by European playoffs that include four-time champion Italy.___AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Jonathan David participates in the Serie A 2025-2026 match between Juventus and Napoli in Torino, Italy, on January 25, 2026.

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EDINBURGH, Scotland (AP) — Celtic missed its chance to close the gap on Heart of Midlothian on Su...

EDINBURGH, Scotland (AP) — Celtic missed its chance to close the gap on Heart of Midlothian on Sunday after conceding late to draw 2-2 with the Scottish Premiership leader.Claudio Braga's 87th-minute goal at Tynecastle Park leveled the game and kept first-place Hearts six points clear of the defending champion.But the draw saw Rangers move up to second and within four points of Hearts with a 3-0 win against Dundee.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Hearts is the surprise leader in Scotland in a league that has long been dominated by Celtic and Rangers.Celtic has lost two managers already this term — following the departure of Brendan Rodgers and the dismissal of Wilfried Nancy — and is being led by club icon Martin O'Neill on an interim basis for the second time this season.Yet it remains in contention at the top and looked to pick up a vital win at Hearts when Yang Hyun-jun opened up a 2-1 lead in the 62nd.But the visitors went down to 10 men when Auston Trusty was sent off 15 minutes later.Hearts eventually made the numerical advantage count with Braga's equalizer.Celtic had taken an early lead through Benjamin Nygren, but Stuart Findlay made it 1-1 just after halftime.James Tavernier, Danilo and Djeidi Gassama struck in Rangers' win against Dundee at Ibrox, with two of those goals coming in time added on.___AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND - JANUARY 25: Hearts' Claudio Braga celebrates as he scores to make it 2-2 during a William Hill Premiership match between Heart of Midlothian and Celtic at Tynecastle Park, on January 25, 2026, in Edinburgh, Scotland.

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MADRID (AP) — Argentina defender Juan Foyth has ruptured his left Achilles tendon while playing f...

MADRID (AP) — Argentina defender Juan Foyth has ruptured his left Achilles tendon while playing for Villarreal in the Spanish league and is set to miss the World Cup.Foyth was injured in the 23rd minute of Villarreal's 2-0 loss to Real Madrid on Saturday.Villarreal said Sunday that tests confirmed the injury.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The club said it will "provide further information in due course regarding the surgical procedure he will have to undergo."Recovery time for such injuries can be up to a year, meaning the 28-year-old central defender likely won't be able to play in the World Cup that begins in June.Foyth has had long-term knee and shoulder injuries in the past. He recently had his contract with Villarreal extended until 2029.___AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

VILLARREAL, SPAIN - JANUARY 24: Juan Foyth of Villarreal CF get injured during the Spanish league, LaLiga EA Sports, football match played between Villarreal CF and Real Madrid at La Ceramica stadium on January 24, 2026, in Villarreal, Spain.

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Villarreal's Foyth expected to miss Argentina's World Cup campaign

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Patrick Reed kept everyone at bay and closed with an even-par ...

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Patrick Reed kept everyone at bay and closed with an even-par 72 on Sunday for a four-shot victory in the Dubai Desert Classic, his first European tour title that moves him back into the top 30 in the world for the first time since he joined LIV Golf.Reed also made enough money from the Rolex Series event that it should cover his European tour fines for playing in the Saudi-backed rival league, assuming he can sort out a new LIV contract.“Win early and that will take care of it,” Reed jokingly said Saturday on the topic of European tour fines that LIV Golf no longer pays on the players’ behalf.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Reed revealed he is still negotiating a new contract to play on LIV, which starts on Feb. 4 in Saudi Arabia. The 35-year-old American, who is playing the European tour next week in Bahrain, said he fully expects to be with LIV and a contract may already have been sorted out. His focus was only on golf this week, and he took care of business.Any drama at Emirates Golf Club didn’t last long.Reed seized control with middle rounds of 66 and 67 to build a four-shot lead over David Puig of Spain going into the last day. Reed said he found himself getting too conservative — no birdies, one bogey over the front nine — and the lead was cut in half when the Spaniard made birdie on Nos. 8 and 9.“Instead of just keeping the foot on the gas early, I tried to protect that lead,” Reed said.He said his caddie told him it was a dogfight and Reed responded. The lead remained at two shots after Reed and Puig each started birdie-bogey on the back nine, and then it turned quickly — a birdie for Reed on the par-5 13th and a bogey for Puig.The lead was back to four and Reed coasted from there, finishing on 14-under 274 for his 12th title worldwide — nine on the PGA Tour, one each on the European tour, Asian Tour and LIV. Reed has won two World Golf Championships and the Masters that count toward his European tour tally.Puig, meanwhile, tumbled to a tie for seventh when he was penalized two shots when it was determined he grounded his club in a bunker on the 18th. He closed with a 75, the penalty costing him about 15 spots in the world ranking.Andy Sullivan of England had a 71 to finish alone in second, with Julien Guerrier of France (69) another shot behind.Rory McIlroy was never in the mix from his opening 73. He finished with another 73 to tie for 33rd, his first time to finish out of the top 30 since he missed the cut in the Canadian Open last June.The victory was worth more than just $1.5 million (E1.3 million) to Reed. His move into the world ranking all but assures he will remain high enough to be exempt for all four majors this year.“It’s always nice to lock up the majors,” said Reed, who was not at the U.S. Open or British Open last year. “Any time you go ahead and get a win, it’s special. ... To sit there and have as little amount of events that I’ve played to be in the top 30 is something that shows that my golf game is still where I want it to be.”Reed has been banned from the PGA Tour since joining LIV in 2022. The U.S. tour recently offered a pathway back to LIV players provided they won a major or The Players Championship since 2022. Reed won the Masters in 2018 and would not be eligible.He is an honorary lifetime member of the European tour with his Masters title, and he can stake his claim as perhaps the most global player in golf, willing to travel without the guarantee of big appearance money. But he faces fines when he plays LIV events held the same week as European tour events.“I’d rather just tee it up and play,” Reed said Saturday. “And if it costs me this (or) that, whatever, I’ll go play.”___AP golf: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/golf">https://apnews.com/hub/golf</a>

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - JANUARY 25: American golfer Patrick Reed takes to the course to compete in the fourth and final round of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic 2026 at Emirates Golf Club in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on January 25, 2026.

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Reed wins in Dubai for 1st European tour title

GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany (AP) — Edin Dzeko scored minutes after going on for his Schalke debut to h...

GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany (AP) — Edin Dzeko scored minutes after going on for his Schalke debut to help the team snatch a 2-2 draw with Kaiserslautern in Germany's second division on Sunday.The 39-year-old Dzeko, who joined Schalke in a surprise transfer from Italian team Fiorentina on Thursday, looked like being upstaged by another substitute, Ivan Prtajin, who scored twice after going on in the 61st for Kaiserslautern. Prtajin scored with his first touch – a header from a free kick – then made it 2-0 in the 84th on a counterattack.But Dzeko, who made his hugely anticipated entrance in the 67th, pulled one back with three minutes of normal time remaining and Kenan Karaman got the equalizer in the last minute.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Kaiserslautern coach Thorsten Lieberknecht berated his players on the field for letting their lead slip. The Red Devils dropped to sixth in the 18-team division.It was Schalke's second consecutive draw, but the team remained top, two points ahead of Darmstadt after 19 rounds.More than 1,000 Schalke fans turned up to see Dzeko train on Friday, when he also signed autographs and posed for selfies.Dzeko, who will be 40 in March, became a star at Wolfsburg where he helped the team to the Bundesliga title in 2010. He also won titles with Manchester City (2012, 2014) and Inter Milan (2022, 2023).___AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

25 January 2026, North Rhine-Westphalia, Gelsenkirchen: Soccer, Men, Bundesliga 2, Matchday 19, FC Schalke 04 - 1. FC Kaiserslautern, Veltins Arena: Edin Dzeko (FC Schalke 04) scores to make it 1-2. Photo: Bernd Thissen/dpa - IMPORTANT NOTE: In accordance with the regulations of the DFL German Football League and the DFB German Football Association, it is prohibited to utilize or have utilized photographs taken in the stadium and/or of the match in the form of sequential images and/or video-like photo series.

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Dzeko repays jubilant welcome with goal on Schalke debut

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — American rock climber Alex Honnold ascended the Taipei 101 skyscraper on Su...

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — American rock climber Alex Honnold ascended the Taipei 101 skyscraper on Sunday without any ropes or protective equipment.Cheers erupted from a street-level crowd as he reached the top of the spire of the 508-meter (1,667-foot) tower about 90 minutes after he started. Wearing a red short-sleeve shirt, Honnold waved his arms back and forth over his head.<figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Alex Honnold taking a selfie at the top of Taipei 101 after free soloing the skyscraper. UNBELIEVABLE!!! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SkyscraperLIVE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SkyscraperLIVE</a> <a href="https://t.co/czuxYkoVpY">pic.twitter.com/czuxYkoVpY</a>— Netflix Sports (@netflixsports) <a href="https://twitter.com/netflixsports/status/2015255770175307938?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2026</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure>“It was like what a view, it’s incredible, what a beautiful day,” he said afterward. “It was very windy, so I was like, don’t fall off the spire. I was trying to balance nicely. But it was, what an incredible position, what a beautiful way to see Taipei.”<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Honnold, known for his ropeless ascent up Yosemite National Park’s El Capitan, climbed up one corner of Taipei 101 using small L-shaped outcroppings as footholds. Periodically, he had to maneuver around and clamber up the sides of large ornamental structures that jut out from the tower, pulling himself up with his bare hands.The building has 101 floors, with the hardest part being the 64 floors of the middle section — the “bamboo boxes” that give the building its signature look. Divided into eight, each segment has eight floors of steep, overhanging climbing followed by balconies, where he took short rests as he made his way upward.Honnold’s free solo climb of the iconic building in Taiwan’s capital city was broadcast live on Netflix with a 10-second delay. The ascent, originally scheduled for Saturday, was delayed for 24 hours due to rain.<figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
"What a day in Taipei." Alex Honnold after successfully taking on the first Dragon during his free solo of Taipei 101.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SkyscraperLIVE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SkyscraperLIVE</a> NOW on Netflix! <a href="https://t.co/gQQMNHUMVx">pic.twitter.com/gQQMNHUMVx</a>— Netflix Sports (@netflixsports) <a href="https://twitter.com/netflixsports/status/2015236499755974918?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2026</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure>Having a cheering crowd was unusual and a bit unnerving at first for Honnold, whose climbs are usually in remote areas.“When I was leaving the ground, you’re like oh it’s kind of intense, there’s so many people watching,” he said. “But then honestly, they’re all wishing me well. I mean basically it just makes the whole experience feel almost more festive, all these nice people are out supporting me and having a good time.”The climb drew both excitement and concern over the ethical implications of attempting such a high-risk endeavor on live broadcast.Honnold isn’t the first climber to ascend Taipei 101, but he is the first to do so without a rope. French rock climber Alain Robert scaled the building on Christmas Day in 2004 as part of the grand opening of what was then the world’s tallest building.

TOPSHOT - US rock climber Alex Honnold raises his arms from the top of the Taipei 101 building after he successfully free soloed the landmark skyscraper without ropes or safety gear in Taipei on January 25, 2026.

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Alex Honnold caps ropeless climb of Taipei skyscraper

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — TikTok influencer and top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka is having to work he...

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — TikTok influencer and top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka is having to work her way through some rising teenager stars in her bid for a third Australian Open title in four years.Sabalenka held off 19-year-old Vicky Mboko 6-1, 7-6 (1) at Rod Laver Arena on Sunday to advance to a quarterfinal match against 18-year-old Iva Jovic.The 29-seeded Jovic overwhelmed Yulia Putintseva 6-0, 6-1 in 53 minutes at John Cain Arena, the so-called People's Court, and she secured a spot in the last eight of a Grand Slam for the first time.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The young American has been getting some good advice from 24-time major winner Novak Djokovic during the tournament. Djokovic said he's happy to help an up-and-coming star with Serbian heritage.Jovic made it clear last year that she wanted a chance to play the World No. 1. Now she'll get the chance.Sabalenka, who has joked about waiting for a formal invitation to partner Djokovic in mixed doubles at a major, breezed through the first set in 31 minutes against Mboko but had some difficulty in the second.Mboko saved match points and played well enough to beat many players, but not the two-time Australian Open champion.“What an incredible player for such a young age,” Sabalenka said of Mboko. “It’s incredible to see these kids coming up on Tour. I can’t believe I say that. I feel like I’m a kid!“She pushed me so much, and I’m happy to be through,” Sabalenka added in her on-court TV interview.Sabalenka led the second set 4-1, and then failed to convert three match points while leading 5-4. Mboko slowly took momentum and forced a tiebreaker only for Sabalenka to dominate.It was the 20th straight tiebreak victory for Sabalenka.“I try to — not to think this is a tiebreak and play point by point,” said Sabalenka, who won back-to-back titles in Australia in 2023 and ‘24 before losing last year’s final to Madison Keys. “I guess that’s the key to consistency.”Sabalenka said playing the morning match at Melbourne Park came with some challenges, including shadows and bright sun.“Don’t get me wrong, I like to play the first match, but the tricky part, at some point the sun goes right into your serve point. It’s kind of like tricky. You can break the serve,” she said. “That’s what actually happened. Two breaks that she got, it was on the side when I was facing the sun. Yeah, I didn’t deal that good with the serve. She did an incredible job serving on that side.”Jovic and Mboko were scheduled to play doubles together later Sunday on Kia Arena against fourth-seeded Elise Mertens and Zhang Shuai.Jovic trusting her instinctsAfter her singles win — when she broke Putintseva's serve six times and led 6-0, 4-0 before she dropped serve herself — Jovic said she'd just concentrate on her own game when she faced Sabalenka.She saved two break points in the opening game of the match against Putintseva and was dominant throughout. She had her 31-year-old rival chastizing herself during the changeovers and practicing shots trying to work out ways to get back into the match.When Jovic hit a crosscourt forehand winner to convert another break in the second set, Putintseva tossed her racket toward the ball, trying to make a connection.“I feel great. Really glad to get through,” Jovic said. “Obviously the scoreline is favorable. I felt like if I let her come back a little bit, it would become a dog fight.”As for her progress from here, Jovic said she's going to trust her instincts.“I know how hard I've worked,” she said. “I’m just trusting everything is going to happen like it should.”___More AP tennis: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tennis">https://apnews.com/hub/tennis</a>

Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka reacts after a point against Canada's Victoria Mboko during their women's singles match on day eight of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 25, 2026. / -- IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE --

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Top seed Sabalenka ousts Mboko to reach Aussie Open quarters

LA QUINTA, Calif. (AP) — Blades Brown looked well beyond his 18 years under increasing attention ...

LA QUINTA, Calif. (AP) — Blades Brown looked well beyond his 18 years under increasing attention Saturday. He finished with three straight birdies that left him tied with world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, both of them one shot behind Si Woo Kim going into the final round of The American Express.Kim had a 6-under 66 and the advantage of playing La Quinta Country Club as the wind finally arrived in the Coachella Valley. Scheffler and Brown were on the Stadium Course at PGA West, the most difficult even in calm conditions. Each shot a 68 in a much different fashion.Brown, from Nashville, Tennessee, was playing his seventh consecutive round after arriving from a Korn Ferry Tour event in the Bahamas. That didn’t stop him from playing “paper, scissors, rock” with a young fan and then holing a 25-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th, and then following with a 45-foot birdie on the 18th.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Scheffler caught the worst of the wind — the fan turned on when he was on the second hole — and had two bogeys, which can be a lot for him. He was on the verge of ending with another until holing a 25-foot par putt that swirled in on the last turn.Kim was at 22-under 194, with Scheffler and Brown right behind. They all will be part of the final group Sunday on the Stadium Course.The teen is the most compelling. For a sport that has 165 years of championship golf behind it, the records can be a little messy. Brown could become the youngest winner in nearly a century, probably longer.Charles Kocsis won the Michigan Open in 1931 at 18 years, six months — a couple of months younger than Brown — but that tournament was regarded as a regional event. Young Tom Morris won his first British Open in 1868 at age 17.Regardless, it would be phenomenal feat, and that’s without the road here. He tied for 17th in the Bahamas in a Korn Ferry Tour event that ended Wednesday, got on a private jet to reach California and got to his hotel about 14 hours before his tee time.Tired? Not at his age, and not with this opportunity in front of him.“I feel great,” Brown said. “I got another opportunity to see what we can make happen tomorrow. Got another 18 holes and, yeah, should be fun.”The other two guys in the final group should have plenty of fun, too. Scheffler helped get Kim a membership at Royal Oaks in Dallas, and they are regulars on the weekend game. They competed plenty in the month leading to The American Express.Scheffler confirmed Kim beat him the last time they played by adding, “Yes, I gave him back a little of his money.” Point taken, Scottie.It was PGA West some 13 years ago that a 17-year-old Kim made it through the last edition of the old Q-school, having to wait until he was 18 to join the PGA Tour. He was 21 when he captured The Players Championship, one of his four tour victories.And he’s become a favorite of most players.“Have you ever spent any time with him? He’s hilarious,” Scheffler said.Sunday might be all business, and they all know enough about this tournament not to get wrapped up in the final group. Scores have been low even in a difficult wind.Former U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark, who can go low without notice, and Eric Cole each shot 66 at La Quinta and were two shots behind. Another shot back was Tom Hoge, who had a 65 at La Quinta. Nine players in all were separated by four shots.The most curious of the lot is Brown, who turned pro last year when he was still in high school. He received a sponsor exemption to The American Express for the second straight year.“I’m 18 years old playing on the PGA Tour. How awesome is that?” Brown said. “ finished high school about two weeks ago, so it’s nice to have that burden off my back, but I’m really looking forward to tomorrow.”___AP golf: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/golf">https://apnews.com/hub/golf</a>

LA QUINTA, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 24: Si Woo Kim of South Korea reacts on the sixth green during the third round of The American Express 2026 at La Quinta Country Club on January 24, 2026 in La Quinta, California.

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Kim leads American Express by 1 over Scheffler, Brown

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — Keaton Wagler scored a career-high 46 points, making nine 3-pointers,...

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — Keaton Wagler scored a career-high 46 points, making nine 3-pointers, as No. 11 Illinois beat No. 4 Purdue 88-82 on Saturday.Wagler, a freshman guard, shot 13 for 17 overall, 9 of 11 from 3-point range and 11 of 13 on free throws. David Mirkovic added 12 points and eight rebounds for the Illini (17-3, 8-1 Big Ten).<figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
An ALL-TIMER from Keaton Wagler at Purdue 46 PTS 13-17 FG 9-11 3PT FG 76.5% FG<a href="https://t.co/nMjJN1ffWR">pic.twitter.com/nMjJN1ffWR</a>— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheFieldOf68/status/2015194756142235848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2026</a>
</blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure>Braden Smith led the Boilermakers (17-3, 7-2) with 27 points and 12 assists. Trey Kaufman-Renn added 12 points for Purdue, which lost its second consecutive game.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The Illini hit 18 of 38 3-pointers while Purdue was 7 of 19.Wagler had 24 of the Illini’s 39 first-half points, including the first 14.Smith's 3-pointer cut Illinois' lead to 82-80 with 45 seconds left. Wagler answered with a jumper with 18 seconds left, and after Smith made two from the line to again make it a two-point game, Wagler hit two to make it 86-82 with 9.3 seconds left. Purdue then turned the ball over.Purdue shot 63% percent in the opening half compared to 43% for Illinois. However, the Illini countered that by hitting 9 of 21 3-pointers while the Boilermakers were 3 of 8 on 3-point shots.Illinois played without reserve center Jason Jakstys, who was out with an injury. Illini coach Brad Underwood previously announced guard Kyle Boswell., who averages 14.3 points, will be out at least a month with a fracture bone in his right hand.Up nextIllinois: Hosts Washington on Thursday.Purdue: At Indiana on Tuesday.___Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up <a href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.apnews.com%2Fnewsletters&amp;data=05%7C02%7CCBrunt%40ap.org%7C8df6ab035b1f4de3c01a08de0a97ede9%7Ce442e1abfd6b4ba3abf3b020eb50df37%7C1%7C0%7C638959844822965571%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=Or%2FtJTtQZH7eHG4Y1GKmHu84ZWj7Fs6R%2FilQiV7psdQ%3D&amp;reserved=0">here</a> and <a href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fapnews.com%2Fap-newsletters&amp;data=05%7C02%7CCBrunt%40ap.org%7C8df6ab035b1f4de3c01a08de0a97ede9%7Ce442e1abfd6b4ba3abf3b020eb50df37%7C1%7C0%7C638959844823014310%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=iTqrnUxlXLXRNnDGV6jz4I8pRlYdtPXEV10zoGol7hM%3D&amp;reserved=0">here</a> (AP mobile app). AP college basketball: <a href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fapnews.com%2Fhub%2Fap-top-25-college-basketball-poll&amp;data=05%7C02%7CCBrunt%40ap.org%7C8df6ab035b1f4de3c01a08de0a97ede9%7Ce442e1abfd6b4ba3abf3b020eb50df37%7C1%7C0%7C638959844823041874%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=HLI1QyxBqafoRX8H2%2Bfy0Oyps5i8Ni5DR1meXWzz6C8%3D&amp;reserved=0">https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll</a> and <a href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fapnews.com%2Fhub%2Fcollege-basketball&amp;data=05%7C02%7CCBrunt%40ap.org%7C8df6ab035b1f4de3c01a08de0a97ede9%7Ce442e1abfd6b4ba3abf3b020eb50df37%7C1%7C0%7C638959844823055604%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=dFdKtCtRLLHutq5c72qVXUIuXMWahKjjU6ZP4r%2FnLLI%3D&amp;reserved=0">https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball</a>

EVANSTON, IL - JANUARY 14: Illinois Fighting Illini guard Keaton Wagler (23) controls the ball during a college basketball game between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the Northwestern Wildcats on January 14, 2026, at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, IL.

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Illinois knocks off No. 4 Purdue behind Wagler's 46-point outburst

PARIS (AP) — Monaco kept a rare clean sheet but could not score in a 0-0 draw at Le Havre in Ligu...

PARIS (AP) — Monaco kept a rare clean sheet but could not score in a 0-0 draw at Le Havre in Ligue 1 on Saturday.Mid-table Monaco leaked goals in losing seven of the past eight league games, and hammered 6-1 at Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday. The club’s Ultras have stopped encouraging the players during games and want chief executive Thiago Scuro to leave amid reported concerns over last summer’s transfer deals and physical preparation.The performance was more disciplined this time but Monaco’s injury problems mounted.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Central defender Wout Faes, who only just joined on loan from Leicester as cover for <a href="https://apnews.com/article/salisu-monaco-acl-injury-84191c7683ddeae350190503abba20ae">Mohammed Salisu</a>, limped off with a left ankle injury in the 29th minute. He was replaced by former Tottenham and Bayern Munich defender Eric Dier, who was injured and replaced by Jordan Teze in the 70th.

LE HAVRE, FRANCE - JANUARY 24: Wout Faes of AS Monaco injured on the pitch during the Ligue 1 McDonald's match between Le Havre and Monaco at Stade Oceane on January 24, 2026 in Le Havre, France.

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LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Colombia relief pitcher Jean Herrera tested positive for an anabolic...

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Colombia relief pitcher <a href="https://www.mlb.com/player/jean-herrera-691545?stats=career-r-pitching-minors&amp;year=2025">Jean Herrera</a> tested positive for an anabolic steroid in a case announced Friday, six weeks before the World Baseball Classic.Herrera tested positive for stanozolol — the steroid most famously used by sprinter Ben Johnson at the 1988 Seoul Olympics — in a sample taken in out-of-competition testing in November, the <a href="https://ita.sport/news/the-ita-notifies-baseball-athlete-jean-herrera-malambo-of-an-apparent-anti-doping-rule-violation/">International Testing Agency said in a statement</a>.The agency said “a mandatory provisional suspension has been imposed on the athlete,” who has the right to request an analysis of his B-sample.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The pitcher was once in the Arizona Diamondbacks farm system and played for Colombia last March in qualifying for the 2026 World Baseball Classic.Herrera pitched one inning of relief in an <a href="https://www.mlb.com/gameday/colombia-vs-china/2025/03/03/790384/final/box">8-1 win over China</a> played in Tucson, Arizona.Colombia opens the WBC on March 6 against Puerto Rico, which hosts their five-nation pool that includes Canada, Cuba and Panama. The United States and Japan are the other co-hosts of the tournament.___AP MLB: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mlb">https://apnews.com/mlb</a>

PHOENIX, AZ - MARCH 13: A detail shot of the Team Colombia hats on the bench prior to Game 5 of Pool C between Team Colombia and Team Great Britain at Chase Field on Monday, March 13, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona.

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Dropping Erling Haaland worked out just fine for Manchester City.  The Premier League's most fear...

Dropping Erling Haaland worked out just fine for Manchester City.The Premier League's most fearsome striker and top scorer was relegated to the bench on Saturday after scoring just one goal in his previous eight games, and City responded to back-to-back defeats with a 2-0 win over last-placed Wolverhampton.Omar Marmoush and Antoine Semenyo, playing as high wingers in a tweaked tactical setup, scored first-half goals for City. It was Semenyo's third goal in four games since joining from Bournemouth in an $87 million deal and he also hit the crossbar in the second half.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Marc Guehi started after completing his move from Crystal Palace on Monday and helped to shore up City's defense that was creaking in alarming losses to Manchester United and Bodo/Glimt over the past week.Haaland entered as a substitute in the 73rd minute but didn't have a clear-cut chance. He is likely to return on Wednesday for City's vital Champions League game against Galatasaray — unless, that is, Guardiola liked what he saw against Wolves without his star player."The energy was really good in the first half," Guardiola said. "The last 20-25 minutes were a bit flat but, considering the amount of games, it was a good result and hopefully we can take good energy for our game on Wednesday."Second-placed City moved four points behind Arsenal, which hosts Manchester United on Sunday.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - JANUARY 24: Antoine Semenyo of Manchester City celebrates with teammate Rayan Cherki after scoring his team's second goal during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Etihad Stadium on January 24, 2026 in Manchester, England.

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SPINDLERUV MLYN, Czechia (AP) — Mikaela Shiffrin earned a place on the podium of a World Cup gian...

SPINDLERUV MLYN, Czechia (AP) — Mikaela Shiffrin earned a place on the podium of a World Cup giant slalom for the first time in two years Saturday, finishing third in the last GS before the <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics">Milan Cortina Olympics</a>.The race was won by defending <a href="https://apnews.com/article/winter-olympics-giant-slalom-womens-sara-hector-3eaa00654e24717109fe4f3d075b1c83">Olympic champion</a> Sara Hector, who held on to her opening run lead for her first victory since January 2025.“You always have to keep working, it’s so many strong girls as you can see today,” the Swedish winner said in a course-side interview. “I am super happy that in the end I crossed the finish line first. That’s a really cool feeling.”<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Shiffrin, the 2018 Olympic GS gold medalist, trailed Hector by 0.23 seconds and the American shared the podium with second-placed teammate Paula Moltzan, who was 0.18 off the pace.Shiffrin holds the women’s record for most career World Cup GS wins with 22 but hadn’t had a top-three result in the discipline in 11 events since coming runner-up at a race in Slovakia in January 2024.Six days later, she <a href="https://apnews.com/article/shiffrin-crash-world-cup-downhill-d7d9233c6efe8052b5fc86463b3a2f52">crashed in a downhill</a> on the course that will be used for the Olympics next month and then didn’t compete in GS again until the start of the 2024-25 season.In November 2024, she sustained a puncture wound to the right side of her abdomen and severe damage to her oblique abdominal muscles in a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/mikaela-shiffrin-ski-racing-9419a205cb7eedf13e787594bb7e1d38">crash at her home GS</a> in Killington, Vermont, and subsequently suffered from lingering post-traumatic stress disorder.This season, Shiffrin racked up three fourth places before ultimately returning to the podium Saturday, three weeks before the Olympic race in Cortina d’Ampezzo.Moltzan, who’s chasing her maiden career win, got her third podium of the season, leading a strong showing by the U.S. team, with Nina O’Brien in fifth and AJ Hurt in eighth.In the opening run, Hector edged out Camille Rast of Switzerland by 0.02 seconds, with GS rankings leader Julia Scheib of Austria 0.26 back in third.Rast dropped to fourth, while Scheib skied out in the final run.Overall World Cup champion Federica Brignone, who made a strong return to racing from a nine-month injury layoff on Tuesday, and her Italian teammate Sofia Goggia, the 2018 Olympic downhill champion, sat out the event in Czechia, with a weekend of speed racing coming up in Switzerland next week ahead of their home Olympics.A slalom on the same hill is scheduled for Sunday.___AP skiing: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing">https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing</a>

Third-placed US' Mikaela Shiffrin celebrates on the podium of the Women's Giant Slalom event of FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup in Spindleruv Mlyn on January 24, 2026.

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Shiffrin earns 1st giant slalom podium in 2 years

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Jannik Sinner was limping and trying to stretch out cramps in his arm...

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Jannik Sinner was limping and trying to stretch out cramps in his arms and legs, and had just gone down a break in the third set when the extreme heat rules kicked in at the Australian Open.Play was suspended for several minutes while the roof was closed on Rod Laver Arena on Saturday afternoon, and the two-time defending Australian Open champion returned a revitalized man.He won five of the next six games to take the third set against No. 85-ranked Eliot Spizzirri enroute to a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 third-round victory that highlighted a dramatic contrast of intense light and shade.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>“I struggled physically today. I got lucky with the heat rule,” Sinner said, agreeing that the cooler indoor conditions suited him much more than the energy-sapping heat of the first two sets. “As the time passed, I felt better and better.”Reflecting on his state at 3-1 down in the third set, after he’d dropped as many service games in this match as he did in winning the entire 2025 tournament, the No. 2-seeded Sinner said he was just trying to survive until a longer break.“It started with the legs. Got to the arms. I was cramping a bit all over,” he said. “This is the sport. This is an area I know I need to improve.“Tennis is a very mental game. I tried to stay as calm as possible. I’m here to fight, to play every point the best possible way.”He’ll next play fellow Italian Luciano Darderi, who beat No. 15 Karen Khachanov 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.Three Italian men advanced to the round of 16, with No. 5 Lorenzo Musetti beating Tomas Machac 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 in a match on John Cain Arena that also had to be briefly halted — in the fifth set — to close the roof.Play was suspended on outside courts for at least three hours in the mid-afternoon Saturday under the extreme heat rules at the Australian Open.The temperature was around 35 degrees Celsius (95 Fahrenheit) when the extreme heat policy was invoked — in the tournament’s so-called heat scale hit a maximum of 5. The forecast was for a maximum temperature of 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).An earlier start than usual on Day 7 and hot weather were no worries for defending champion Madison Keys and her fellow American Jessica Pegula in their morning matches. The ninth-seeded Keys beat Karolina Pliskova 6-3, 6-3 in the opening match on Rod Laver Aren, while sixth-seeded Pegula defeated Oksana Selekhmeteva 6-3, 6-2 in the first match at Margaret Court Arena.Next up for the two Americans, and podcast pals, is a fourth-round encounter against each other.“I served well, and overall I give myself a full pat on the back for that,” Keys said of her win. “It gives yourself a boost when you can find your best tennis, trust your game and try to do the right things.”There was an all-American encounter on Saturday as well — fourth-seeded Amanda Anisimova beat Peyton Stearns 6-1, 6-4 to advance to the Round of 16.___More AP tennis: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tennis">https://apnews.com/hub/tennis</a>

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 24: Jannik Sinner of Italy celebrates the victory in the Men's Singles Third Round match against Eliot Spizzirri of the United States during day seven of the 2026 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 24, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia.

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'Lucky' Sinner overcomes cramps, heat to keep 3-peat bid alive

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