by Tanish Prabhu
US Open: Djokovic stunned, Alcaraz makes a statement on return
As if things couldn’t get any more unpredictable this year, four-time US Open champion Novak Djokovic has been knocked out of the tournament on day one in five sets against Mariano Navone.
The Argentine looked comfortable from the beginning, with Djokovic struggling to keep himself together mentally and physically. He sustained an ongoing back injury prior to the tournament and to add further problems, Djokovic had an unfortunate moment where he threw up and truly felt emotional as his body could no longer handle itself and he lost all control but managed to hang on till the fifth set knowing that he was not going to win, as the game was played in extremely scorching conditions in New York. The last time Djokovic exited early was in the Australian Open in 2006, but his body seems to have sent a message that his competitive side maybe over at 39 after he was seen cramping as well.
Russian Danni Medvedev started his tournament off strong with a three-set win against
Frenchman Hugo Gaston while Alexander Bulbik is through to round two after his win against JJ Wolf in four sets. Carlos Alcaraz returned to professional tennis with a big win in three sets as he proceeds to round two. Despite being out with a wrist injury for most of the year, the
Spaniard didn’t lose touch at all and comfortably won his game. On the other hand, Stan Warwinka bid goodbye after losing in three sets to Matteo Berrettini. Wawrinka got handed a wild card but couldn’t win in round one and is now officially retired from the sport after a successful and glittering career.
England claim Test series win against Pakistan
Home series win in 2026 ticked off for England after a rough start to the summer of cricket, England comfortably won the test series 2/0 at Lords against a weakened Pakistan side.
Pakistan came into the series with expectations of winning a test match in England again, but this isn’t the same team as 2016. This isn’t the same team that was led by Misbah Ul Haq and a bowling attack led by Mohammed Aamir and Yasir Shah, who proved to the world why they were the number 1 test team. This is a team that has no game awareness, tactics and poor management. A team with talented players but are not ready at international level. Muhammed Abbas returned to Pakistan’s team after ten years, a much better upgrade and more experienced than Shaheen Shah Afridi, who at one point was a promising bowler. Abbas has played 38 tests with over 100 wickets and finally claimed his first five wicket haul at Lords. A player like Abbas should have played more than just 38 games, with his county stats more than promising [889 wickets] and has plenty of experience in England. But the rest of the team didn’t look like a proper international team who were there to win and England found their weaknesses and their tactics easily.
Pakistan Cricket Board announced that they dropped seven players from the team and sacked their bowling coach Umar Gul and Head Coach Sarfaraz Ahmed after the loss at Lords, and are now replaced by Ashley Noffike and Mike Henson, with the final test match of the series only days away. It really is a broken system.
Argentina dethrone Netherlands at Women’s Hockey World Cup
Argentina have ended the Netherlands’ dominance of women’s hockey, defeating the threetime defending champions 3–1 in a penalty shootout after a 1–1 draw to win the 2026 FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup.
The final, played at a packed Wagener Hockey Stadium in Amstelveen on Saturday, produced a tense battle between two of the sport’s most successful nations. The Netherlands were appearing in their ninth consecutive World Cup final and were chasing a fifth straight title on home soil. Argentina, however, held their nerve when it mattered most to secure their third World Cup crown and their first since 2010. The opening half was tightly contested, with both teams sharing possession and creating limited opportunities. Netherlands goalkeeper Cristina Cosentino was forced into action early, producing an important save to deny Pien Dicke following a dangerous solo run. The hosts gradually began to gain control and finally broke the deadlock just before half-time. With only 51 seconds remaining in the second quarter, the Netherlands won their first penalty corner of the match.
Yibbi Jansen, who finished the tournament as the leading scorer with eight goals, stepped up and fired her drag-flick into the left side of the net to give the Netherlands a 1–0 lead. Argentina refused to panic despite falling behind. The South Americans created several opportunities from penalty corners during the third quarter but were unable to find an equaliser. Their persistence eventually paid off in the final period. With six minutes remaining, Argentina earned another penalty corner. The initial attempt was not cleanly converted, but
María Granatto reacted quickest to the rebound and fired the ball home to level the scores at 1–1. Neither side could find a winner during the remaining minutes, sending the World Cup final to a penalty shootout. Argentina proved more composed under pressure, converting three attempts while restricting the Netherlands to just one successful effort. The 3–1 shootout victory sparked celebrations among the Argentine players as they reclaimed the world title. Goalkeeper Cosentino was central to Argentina’s triumph and was named Player of the Match following her performance. The victory also provided revenge for Argentina after the
Netherlands defeated them 3–1 in the 2022 World Cup final and in the gold-medal match at the
Tokyo Olympics. Argentina’s latest triumph is their third Women’s Hockey World Cup title, following previous victories in 2002 and 2010. The Netherlands had won every World Cup since Argentina’s 2010 triumph and had established themselves as the benchmark of the sport.
Injury rules India star Neeraj Chopra out of the Asian Games
Neeraj Chopra’s remarkable career has been built on Olympic glory, world titles and recordbreaking throws, but the Indian javelin star has had his share of battling the injuries.
The latest setback came in August 2026, when Chopra suffered an ankle ligament tear during training, forcing him to end his season and withdraw from the upcoming Asian Games in AichiNagoya, Japan. The injury also rules him out of the Diamond League Final and the World Athletics Ultimate Championships. The timing was particularly frustrating for Chopra. Just days before the injury, the two-time Olympic medalist had thrown a season best 88.05 meters at the Lausanne Diamond League, signaling that he was beginning to rediscover his best form after a difficult period. He finished second in Lausanne and had qualified for the Diamond League Final before his latest injury brought his season to an abrupt end.
Chopra’s injury struggles are not new. In 2019, he underwent surgery on his right elbow to remove bone spurs. The operation forced him to miss the World Championships that year and kept him away from international competition for an extended period. His return in 2020 proved to be the beginning of another remarkable comeback. Chopra returned to competition in January and immediately produced a throw of 87.86 meters in South Africa, securing the Olympic qualification mark for Tokyo.
The recent ankle injury, Chopra announced that he had suffered the ligament tear during training shortly after the Lausanne competition. Following discussions with his medical team and doctor, he decided to withdraw from the remainder of the season and focus on rehabilitation. The decision is a major blow to India’s hopes at the Asian Games. Chopra had won the men’s javelin gold medal at the previous two editions and was expected to be one of India’s biggest medal contenders in Japan. His absence also highlights the physical demands that come with competing at the highest level of javelin. The event requires explosive movement, speed and significant force through the legs, hips, back and throwing arm, making injury management particularly important for elite throwers.
