Category: Sports News

Italy’s Serie A Stadiums Reduced to Max 5,000 Capacity to Curb COVID-19

ROME—The 20 clubs in Italy’s top soccer league Serie A voted on Saturday to reduce stadium capacity to a maximum 5,000 for two rounds of fixtures in January, in a bid to help fight the country’s rising COVID-19 cases. Two club officials attending a remote meeting confirmed to Reuters that the new restrictions will be…


Osaka Pulls out of Melbourne Semi-Final

MELBOURNE—Top-seeded Naomi Osaka pulled out of her Melbourne Summer Set 1 WTA event semi-final against Veronika Kudermetova on Saturday, citing the intensity of recent games as cause for her withdrawal. “Sad to withdraw due to injury from my match today, my body got a shock from playing back to back intense matches after the break…


Durant Says He Won’t Lobby Nets’ Irving to Get Vaccinated

NEW YORK—Kevin Durant reiterated Friday that he won’t lobby teammate Kyrie Irving to get vaccinated against the coronavirus so he could be eligible to play in all the Brooklyn Nets’ games. In fact, he won’t even ask his close friend why he refuses to get the shot. “I told him how important he is and…


Djokovic Given Vaccine Exemption After COVID-19 Infection Last Month, Court Documents Show

Novak Djokovic’s lawyers filed court papers Saturday in his challenge against deportation from Australia that show the tennis star tested positive for COVID-19 last month and recovered, grounds he used in applying for a medical exemption to the country’s strict vaccination rules. The No. 1-ranked Djokovic was denied entry at the Melbourne airport late Wednesday…


Djokovic Given Vaccine Exemption After COVID-19 Infection Last Month, Lawyer Says in Court Documents

Novak Djokovic’s lawyers filed court papers Saturday in his challenge against deportation from Australia that show the tennis star tested positive for COVID-19 last month and recovered, grounds he used in applying for a medical exemption to the country’s strict vaccination rules. The No. 1-ranked Djokovic was denied entry at the Melbourne airport late Wednesday…


Djokovic Given Vaccine Exemption After COVID-19 Infection Last Month: Lawyer

Novak Djokovic’s lawyers filed court papers Saturday in his challenge against deportation from Australia that show the tennis star tested positive for COVID-19 last month and recovered, grounds he used in applying for a medical exemption to the country’s strict vaccination rules. The No. 1-ranked Djokovic was denied entry at the Melbourne airport late Wednesday…


Paul Has Triple-Double, NBA-Leading Suns Top Clippers 106–89

PHOENIX—Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns have turned into some of the league’s best closers. It’s a big reason they’ve reached 30 wins before any other team in the NBA this season. Paul had a triple-double with 14 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists, and the Suns improved to 25–0 when leading after three quarters…


‘I Can Feel It’: Djokovic Sends Thanks for the Support

The top men’s tennis player in the world, Novak Djokovic, spent Orthodox Christmas in an immigration detention hotel in Australia on Friday as he sought to fend off deportation over the country’s COVID-19 rules and compete in the Australian Open. Djokovic received calls from his native Serbia, including from his parents and the president, who…


New York Times Acquiring Subscription-Based Sports Site The Athletic in $550 Million Cash Deal

The New York Times Company is set to acquire subscription-based sports site The Athletic, the company announced on Thursday. In a statement announcing the deal, the Times said it was acquiring The Athletic for an all-cash purchase price of $550 million and expects to close the deal in the first quarter of 2022. The Athletic, which was founded…


Maui Musings: Finau Happy to Be Back and Feels He Belongs

KAPALUA, Hawaii—Tony Finau has been in Hawaii long enough to become a motivational speaker. For football, not golf. Finau arrived three weeks ago to spend time with his wife’s family near the North Shore on Oahu. His good friend, an assistant football coach at Kuhuku High School, asked Finau to speak to the Red Raiders…