Roger Federer is coming back to US Open four years after retirement, set for two blockbuster matches US Open confirmed Roger Federer's return on Sunday, and he will be joined by three other tennis greats Published on: Aug 24, 2026, 13:25:16 IST Written by Aratrick Mondal Prefer HTon Google Share
Nerves cost us against Australia, but I'm proud of the team: women's hockey coach: Marijne Nerves cost us against Australia, but I'm proud of the team: women's hockey coach: Marijne Published on: Aug 24, 2026, 13:09:14 IST PTI Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Amstelveen
After seventh seed Victor Lai fell in three games to ninth seed Alex Lanier at the 2026 BWF World Championships in New Delhi, the former described the Frenchman as a ‘beast’, lauding his physical fitness and tenacity to go the distance and play the long game
India men’s football team will face Panama in a FIFA international friendly in September, ahead of another friendly against five-time FIFA World Cup winners Brazil in Kolkata on October 3. According to a report by The Times of India, the match between India and the North American side is
Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin has ruled himself out of the running to replace Gianni Infantino, but says he expects a candidate to challenge the Fifa president's leadership in March. Infantino has faced calls to step down after he scrapped a controversial plan to sell off stakes in Fifa's
Norris 'will try everything' to win title in Qatar
Qualifying did not go how Lando Norris wanted it to on the weekend on which he can clinch the Formula 1 drivers' title for the first time.
The Briton said he went into the final session that set the grid for the Qatar Grand Prix feeling "convinced I would have been on pole".
From there, the McLaren driver's chances of winning the race - the result he needs to be absolutely sure of becoming world champion on Sunday - would have been high.
Instead, Norris was beaten into second place by his team-mate Oscar Piastri. If the Australian wins the race - as he did the sprint before grand prix qualifying on Saturday - the title battle goes to the final race in Abu Dhabi next weekend.
There is also Max Verstappen to take into account, a driver who instils such fear in his rivals that McLaren's chief executive officer Zak Brown described the Dutchman as like the villain in a horror movie.
The Red Bull driver starts third, the three title protagonists all together at the front of the grid. The race is indeed set up well.
Norris heads into the penultimate grand prix of the season on the fast and demanding Lusail circuit outside Doha with a 22-point lead over Piastri, and 25 over Verstappen.
The potential scenarios are many, but the basic maths are simple - if Norris wins, he becomes champion; if Piastri or Verstappen do, the race goes on.
Which is why starting second, on the dirty side of the track, from which he is likely to make a less-good start than Piastri and Verstappen, is not exactly what Norris needed.
Norris, who qualified and finished third in the sprint, said: "Yesterday, I didn't really feel like I had the pace for pole. Today, I felt a lot more comfortable and convinced I would have been on pole. But I'm not now. I'm pretty disappointed with myself because of that."
Norris was on provisional pole after the first runs in the final session of qualifying, having edged Piastri by just 0.035 seconds.
Through Turn One on their final runs, Norris believed he had already gained 0.1secs on his previous best, and was feeling good. But the lap went awry at the next corner.
The front of the car lost grip, and kept losing grip, and Norris had to abort to prevent going off the track.
That opened the door for Piastri, who ran thorough it with gusto to take pole by 0.108secs.
"Turn Two, I'm not sure," Norris said. "I don't know if the wind changed a touch or something. I just pushed into a small understeer and that cost me, basically.
"I had to abort. I was going to go off the track. The understeer got worse as I went through the corner. And I damaged a floor yesterday. I didn't want to damage another one today.
"I was confident today that I could have been on pole, but I'm not. That of course makes it a worse feeling.
"But Oscar did a good job, so I can't take anything away from the fact that he's driven well all weekend.
I paid the price for my mistakes. It's still not a bad day. I'm still second. I still felt a lot happier with the car, so I'm definitely feeling better about things. I missed my opportunity to make my life a lot easier (for the race).
Why was Norris so perturbed? After all, he was just a place behind one of his title rivals, and one ahead of the other.
It's because overtaking is so difficult at Qatar, which means that if Piastri gets into the first corner first, he is likely to win the race.
Norris pretty much said as much.
"Probably just the start (is my opportunity), yes," Norris said. "Just the run down to Turn One, but I'm on the dirty side of the grid. So I don't have the highest expectations, but we'll see what we can do.
I probably can't take risks from the dirty side of the grid. I'll make the decision when I arrive into Turn One.
There are few strategy options as well, because of a unique aspect of this race.
Lusail's plethora of long-duration, medium- and high-speed corners place heavy demands on the tyres, and the sharp kerbs make matters worse.
Tyre supplier Pirelli, fearing punctures, has imposed a mandatory maximum of 25 laps usage on any set of tyres, which makes the race a two pit-stop strategy at least.
There is plenty of jeopardy, though. Both Piastri and Mercedes' George Russell - who was second in the sprint and has qualified fourth for the grand prix - suffered tears in their front tyres before the end of the 19-lap sprint.
For Piastri, this race marked a timely return to form after a difficult run of races through the autumn.
He looked like a champion elect when his victory in the Dutch Grand Prix, in addition to Norris' retirement with a fuel-line failure, gave Piastri a 34-point lead in the championship. He had until then been the more convincing McLaren driver this season.
But Piastri has been on the podium only once since then, at the very next race, and a run of grands prix in which he has made mistakes and lacked pace have seen Norris wrest control of the title race from him.
For Piastri - as for Verstappen - really only a win will do tomorrow. Or at the very least they need to beat Norris.
Piastri said: "I've been kind of in that same situation the whole weekend and it's gone well so far.
"So I think I've gained you know a lot of confidence back that when things are in the right place and when I'm in the rhythm that things can happen without needing to do anything special.
So I'm confident we can try and do the same tomorrow. And (I'm) ready for the fight.
As all three pointed out, though, a lot can happen in the 200 miles of a grand prix.
Other cars can cause problems. There can be safety cars, incidents, retirements.
The tyre restrictions mean the race will likely be flat out from start to finish, or as close as it gets. So mistakes are more likely.
For all that the occasional grand prix can be soporific, and for all many drivers expect this one to be, a race can go awry in many more ways than it can go well.
Verstappen, who is competing for his fifth world title while the McLaren drivers seek their first, knows this all too well.
"You never know what happens in a race," he said. "We have a two-stop and also some things are not in your control, right?
"There might be some crazy things that also happen behind you, so you just need to keep everything open.
We'll try everything we can, try to have a good start, then try to look after our tyres a little bit better because the understeer that we have in the car is normally also not good on race pace for that, but we'll try to minimise the damage.
As for how to wind down before the day on which he achieves his lifetime ambition, Norris said he was going to try to relax in his hotel room on Saturday night.
Play some basketball in my room. Actual basketball. I'm going to go home, get a spaghetti bolognese in, play some Counter-Strike, probably lose some Elo (ratings) and then go to bed.
Other than that, he said, he would try to stay away from the media, "go and see my engineers, do some work, prepare the best I can. See what opportunities may arise."
The biggest prize in motorsport is waiting there for someone. Who will grasp it?
Source: BBC
Related Posts: Sports
Barcelona began their La Liga title defence with a commanding 5-0 victory over Elche on Sunday, with Raphinha and Fermin Lopez scoring twice each and Anthony Gordon setting up two goals on his debut. The result comea a day after Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid defeated Espanyol 2-1 with a late winner
11 hours ago
GCT Grand Finale: Praggnanandhaa beats Keymer to stake his claim for finals GCT Grand Finale: Praggnanandhaa beats Keymer to stake his claim for finals Published on: Aug 24, 2026, 09:43:17 IST PTI Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link St. Louis
11 hours ago
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin may have been vocal in his demand for the current FIFA president Gianni Infantino to step down but he has no interest in replacing the under-fire Swiss. Infantino continues to face pressure to leave his position as world football’s governing body chief following
11 hours ago
The French are known for a lot of things but badminton isn’t one of them. Till Sunday, when the country that has never been considered among the top nations even in Europe created history at the 2026 World championships, in more ways than one
11 hours ago
AITA picked them, the government cut them: Why has India’s Asian Games tennis squad been slashed from 12 to 7? The AITA had originally proposed a 12-member squad for for the Asian Games, which included six women. But the list was slashed down to just seven players. Updated on: Aug 24, 2026
11 hours ago
Ashton Jeanty injury update: Is the Raiders RB out for the season? Doctor reveals possible diagnoses; ‘best case…’ Ashton Jeanty was injured after attempting a catch, prompting a tense silence at the Raiders’ facility before his teammates gathered and knelt in prayer. Updated on: Aug 24
15 hours ago
When Liverpool came to Newcastle last August, there was utter jubilation as Rio Ngumoha scored a remarkable 100th-minute winner. They scored late again this time around, through Dominik Szoboszlai's 99th-minute penalty, but it felt more like a sense of relief than joy as they rescued a point
15 hours ago
'Is Sydney Taylor playing tonight?' Chicago Sky guard's slow start vs Fever sparks injury concerns Sydney Taylor was in Chicago’s starting lineup when the Sky hosted the Indiana Fever on Sunday night. Updated on: Aug 24, 2026, 07:32:12 IST By Ojas Jaiswal Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link
15 hours ago
Yet again, the England men's cricket team is picking through the wreckage of a late-night misdemeanour. The latest stain on the game's reputation is a result of pictures of fast bowler Brydon Carse in handcuffs and surrounded by police officers outside a nightspot in Derby
15 hours ago
Jean-Philippe Mateta is arguing the remainder of his Crystal Palace contract is invalid and has taken his case to Fifa. Multiple sources have told BBC Sport the France international has launched an official challenge over the validity of the final 10 months on his Selhurst Park deal
1 days ago
Bangladesh 64: Starc 6-12 & 95: Shanto 31; Starc 4-39, Cummins 3-10, Lyon 3-25 Mitchell Starc took 10 wickets in the match as Australia bounced back from last week's shock defeat by Bangladesh to win the second Test by an innings and 51 runs and draw the series 1-1. Second Test
1 days ago
Jannik Sinner's absence benefits Carlos Alcaraz: What to expect from the US Open champion after his long injury layoff Jannik Sinner is out, but is it premature to call Carlos Alcaraz the US Open favourite after four months away? Updated on: Aug 23, 2026
1 days ago
US Open leaves Stan Wawrinka out in the cold, denying former champion a wild card for his final Grand Slam The US Open has surprisingly denied Stan Wawrinka a wild card for what could be his final appearance at a Grand Slam. Updated on: Aug 23, 2026
1 days ago
India faced the Netherlands in their Pool E match of the ongoing FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026 on Saturday (August 22) at the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen but suffered a 1-3 defeat. India conceded one goal in the third quarter and two in the fourth quarter to go down against the hosts
1 days ago
There is an uncanny resemblance between Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa’s bronze-medal run at the 2011 BWF World Championships and Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand’s campaign at the 2026 edition. Jwala and Ashwini faced the second-seeded Cheng Wen-hsing and Chien Yu-chin as early as the
1 days ago
Runs on the board and rival wickets, is the template that Dhananjaya de Silva will chase when the second Test commences at the SSC Ground on Sunday (August 23, 2026). “It’s about putting runs on the board. That’s what India did [at Galle]. For the first two days they batted and got 460 runs
1 days ago
Serena Williams returns to US Open after four years, joins Carlos Alcaraz for mixed doubles Serena Williams will return to the US Open for the first time since 2022, partnering Carlos Alcaraz in mixed doubles after receiving a wildcard. Published on: Aug 23, 2026
1 days ago
Roberto De Zerbi may have spent close to £400m by the time his Tottenham Hotspur rebuild is complete – but it took just his side's first Premier League game of the season to prove all the money in the world is no guaranteed cure for a losing mentality
1 days ago
Manchester United's fans had endured a bad enough day on the banks of the River Humber when Hull City's stadium announcer gleefully piped up midway through the second half. Two trains back to Manchester from the city centre station had been cancelled
1 days ago
From a shy girl to team mentor, Savita Punia says hockey changed her life From a shy girl to team mentor, Savita Punia says hockey changed her life Published on: Aug 22, 2026, 12:08:49 IST PTI Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Amstelveen
2 days ago
Shubhankar makes cut after spectacular ace at Nexo Championship Shubhankar makes cut after spectacular ace at Nexo Championship Published on: Aug 22, 2026, 12:17:58 IST PTI Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Aberdeenshire , Shubhankar Sharma ended his streak of four missed cuts as he made the
2 days ago
Inter Miami's Lionel Messi has been fined for slapping Philadelphia Union's Quinn Sullivan during their side's Major League Soccer (MLS) 2-2 draw on Wednesday. Messi, 39, slapped Sullivan around the back of the head towards the end of the game as he complained the Union player had elbowed him after
2 days ago
Premier League champions Arsenal will start the new season with some of the nightmares of the previous two as their marquee signing, midfielder Bruno Guimarães, is not part of the squad due to an injury. Guimarães signed for £75 million (Rs. 979 crore) from Newcastle United and suffered a knock
2 days ago
Nostalgia may have enveloped Sairaj Bahutule when he entered the SSC Ground. He would have remembered his last Test played at the same venue in 2001, a game India lost. The Indian spin-bowling coach, though, quickly immersed himself in the nets here Friday (August 21, 2026)
2 days ago
Lionel Messi fined for slapping opponent on the head as Inter Miami-Philadelphia clash erupts into late red-card chaos Lionel Messi was fined by MLS after slapping Philadelphia's Quinn Sullivan on the head as Inter Miami's 2-2 draw desecended into stoppage-time chaos. Updated on: Aug 22, 2026
2 days ago
Double Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra managed to deliver his season’s best performance at the Lausanne Diamond League on Friday but fell agonisingly short of the top spot, as Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Pathirage finished first with a throw just nine centimetres more than his
2 days ago
Why did Nick Chubb retire? Net worth in focus as NFL player ends career at 30 Nick Chubb played for eight seasons in NFL that included seven years with the Cleveland Browns and one with the Houston Texans. Updated on: Aug 22, 2026, 09:25:09 IST By Shirin Gupta Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link
2 days ago
