Aziz Behich’s strike in the 1-0 victory over Japan has all but ensured the Socceroos’ qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Here are the five quick hits from Thursday night’s World Cup qualifier in Perth. 1. Understrength Japan still slick With a World Cup berth already secured, Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu selected a heavily rotated squad for his side’s final …

“Lord forgive me, the Sinner is back,” read a pair of T-shirts, complete with AI-generated religious imagery, worn by two exuberant women sporting orange wigs in a crowd of thousands that had amassed outside the Foro Italico’s stadium court an hour before festivities began. Their joy was reflective of a jubilant night in Rome as Jannik Sinner marked his return …

British tennis star Emma Raducanu is looking for a new coach for the eighth time in her career after parting ways with Vladimir Platenik. The Slovakian coach replaced Raducanu’s longtime mentor Nick Cavaday, but lasted just two weeks before being let go in the trial period. Cavaday has left a major hole in Raducanu’s camp since stepping down due to health reasons …

Sam Kerr will not be disciplined by Chelsea in the fallout from her court case in London, with the English club’s manager offering a glowing testimonial and vote of support for the Australian captain. Coach Sonia Bompastor said on Thursday that she was happy Kerr had been acquitted of causing racially aggravated harassment of a police officer and added that …

The three-month doping ban handed to Jannik Sinner has been slammed as far too lenient by many in the tennis world, with Australian Nick Kyrgios again leading the backlash. Kyrgios declared on Saturday that “fairness in tennis does not exist” upon learning of Sinner’s settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) after testing positive to banned steroid clostebol. WADA had originally …

Sam Kerr’s trial started uncomfortable conversations about anti-white racism and forced the world to consider the complexities of power, celebrity and discrimination. On January 30, 2023, two individuals claimed to have been racially discriminated against: a white British police officer and a famous, brown-skinned sportswoman. One of these claims would be prosecuted, forming the subject of a criminal charge and …

American 10th seed Danielle Collins will be remembered for her post-match gesture to Melbourne’s parochial crowd, than her second-round victory over Australian qualifier Destanee Aiava. Collins, who was a beaten finalist to Ash Barty in 2022, was tested by the unfancied Aiava in a 7-6(7-4), 4-6, 6-2 win. But the talking point of the night came after match point, when …

Anyone who suggests Generation Z lacks respect for the past hasn’t met Mirra Andreeva. A rising star on the WTA Tour, the 17-year-old Russian doesn’t shy away from admiring the greats of tennis, in particular Steffi Graf and Martina Hingis. As role models in the game go, it’s hard to beat a pair of former world number ones. Graf won …

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah admits the club are still “far away from any progress” on a new contract and he is in his “last six months” at the club, with his current deal due to expire in the summer. However, he refuses to be “concerned or stressed” by the situation and is determined to enjoy what could be his final six months …

Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios has doubled down on his public scorning of players caught with performance-enhancing drugs in their system, regardless of the explanation for it. This year alone, the No.1 ranked player in the world in both men’s and women’s tennis have had banned substances found in their system. In October, Jannik Sinner was cleared of any wrongdoing despite testing positive for …