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Novak Djokovic rallied to win at the China Open in Beijing, extending his unbeaten record at the tournament. The 31-0 mark covers every match he has played there. Djokovic called the contest one of the best he has been part of, and said the crowd helped him through a tight set. He advances to the next round as he chases another title in a city where he has never lost.
The New York Yankees swept the Boston Red Sox without captain Aaron Judge and will meet the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS. The San Diego Padres beat the Chicago Cubs 4-1 to complete their own sweep and advance to face the Milwaukee Brewers. In England, an independent commission found Manchester City guilty of financial breaches, and the club lodged an appeal while denying wrongdoing. The Football Association warned the verdict has major implications for the integrity of the game.
The San Diego Padres beat the Chicago Cubs twice to win their wild-card series 2-0 and advance to the National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers, who finished with the best record in baseball. It will be the first playoff meeting between the two clubs. The Padres swept the Brewers in San Diego in August and won four of six meetings this season. In the American League, the Rays face the Yankees and the Guardians meet the White Sox, while the Dodgers wait for the Braves-Phillies winner. All four Division Series start Saturday, 3 October.
The New York Yankees began their American League Wild Card Series against the Boston Red Sox without captain Aaron Judge, left off the 26-man roster because of a grade two right calf strain. Judge had been aiming to play and said the team was doing everything to speed his recovery. Giancarlo Stanton, out since 24 April with strained calf muscles in both legs, was included, along with centre fielder Trent Grisham. Elsewhere, the Houston Astros are favoured over the Chicago White Sox, and the Atlanta Braves are slight favourites against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Indiana Fever trail the Las Vegas Aces 1-0 in their best-of-three first-round WNBA series and faced elimination in Game 2 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The Aces won the opener 102-85, shooting 59.4% and scoring 28 points off 17 Indiana turnovers. Caitlin Clark was listed as probable with a back issue and Aliyah Boston probable with a lower-leg problem. Top-seeded Minnesota also faced elimination against New York. Golden State leads Dallas 1-0. A Fever win forces a deciding Game 3 in Las Vegas on Thursday.
Game 1 of the American League wild card series between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox is set for Tuesday, September 29. Both clubs finished the regular season in the top five in team ERA, making it a pitching-first matchup. The Yankees' question is captain Aaron Judge, who missed 84 games with a rib injury, returned in early September and then went back on the injured list with a calf strain after seven games. Judge plans to play but manager Aaron Boone had to make the roster call by the morning of Game 1. In the National League, San Diego opened as a narrow favourite over Chicago and Atlanta is a slight favourite over Philadelphia.
The Cleveland Guardians clinched the American League Central for the third straight season, sealing the division with a win over Kansas City and a Chicago White Sox loss on Saturday. Cleveland takes the No. 2 seed in the AL and a bye through the wild card series, and will host Game 1 of the ALDS on October 3. The regular season ended on Sunday, with the wild card series starting on Tuesday. San Diego and the Chicago Cubs are set for an NL wild card rematch, and game times have been announced. Detroit's Justin Verlander made the final start of his career.
The United States goes into the weekend at Medinah Country Club trailing the International Team 7-3 after Geoff Ogilvy's side swept all five Friday foursomes matches. The Americans had led 3-2 after Thursday's fourballs. Saturday carries eight points, with four fourball matches in the morning and four foursomes in the afternoon, before 12 singles matches on Sunday. The International Team needs eight more points to reach 15 and win the cup for only the second time. The US has won ten straight Presidents Cups and leads the series 13-1-1.
The 2026 Presidents Cup is tight at Medinah Country Club near Chicago, where the United States led 3-2 after Thursday's four-ball matches. Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns won 1-up over Min Woo Lee and Sungjae Im, while rookies Jackson Koivun and Justin Thomas won their match. Friday's foursomes brought Russell Henley and Jacob Bridgeman into the American lineup against Im and Hideki Matsuyama. The US has won ten Presidents Cups in a row and leads the series 13-1-1. Ticket demand has been strong, and the International team is chasing its first win on American soil in the event's history, with four rookies in its lineup.
Tampa Bay has won the American League East for the first time since 2021, holding off the Yankees, who are lined up for a wild-card series against Boston. In the AL West, the Rangers and Astros are still fighting for the division, with the loser taking the last wild-card spot, while the Guardians have edged ahead of the White Sox in the Central. Milwaukee has the National League's best record and a bye, with the Dodgers and Braves in behind. The WNBA regular season ended on 24 September, and the playoffs start on 27 September.