Browsing: dream

The difficulty of playing your way onto the PGA Tour is well known. But what about the steep financial costs of pursuing your PGA Tour dream? We have a clear window into that reality thanks to Korn Ferry Tour pro James Nicholas.

The 29-year-old Yale grad, who hails from New York City, is one of hundreds of elite pros trying to graduate to the big leagues. In 2025, he played in 26 Korn Ferry Tour events, finishing 64th in the standings.

That was good enough to keep his KFT card for 2026, but not enough to make it to the PGA Tour.

But Nicholas is also a burgeoning social media star, with popular Instagram and YouTube accounts.

And in his latest Instagram post, Nicholas gave a transparent look into his costs and earnings from a long year of pro golf.

Over 11 made cuts on the Korn Ferry Tour, Nicholas pulled in $173,507. Add to that $43,544 for a T61 finish at the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont, bonuses and a small amount from the Minor League Golf Tour, and Nicholas earned a total of $255,058 on the course in 2025. That figure does not include sponsorships.

But most revealing were his costs. From travel expenses (AirBnbs, rental cars, flights, etc.) to caddie pay, coaches, trainers and even his YouTube crew, Nicholas’ total costs broke down to about $150,000 for the year.

All in all, he played well enough to end the year with a net gain of over $100,000.

You can check out a full breakdown of Nichols’ expenses and earnings below.

James Nicholas’ golf expenses for 2025

Caddie

$58,000

Accommodations

$27,747

Flights

$17,036

YouTube team

$13,100

Food

$12,809

Coaches

$5,855

Rental Cars

$4,661

Entry Fees

$4,600

Trainer

$2,650

Miscellaneous

$3,601

Locker and club repair

$850

Equipment and apparel

Free

Total expenses

$150,909

James Nicholas’ 2025 on-course earnings

Korn Ferry Tour

$173,507

U.S. Open

$43,544

Minor League Golf Tour

$1,711

Bonuses

$35,900

Total earnings

$255,058

As Pratika moved up through the age groups, she caught the attention of former India player Deepti Dhyani, who became her coach.

“I saw her play a few drives and realised she had the capabilities. Most state-level players have talent; the challenge is transforming it for professional cricket. That’s where we as coaches step in,” Deepti says.

“She stood out because whenever you asked her to work on something, she would tick every box, even if you weren’t watching.”

Deepti also emphasised fitness, something Pratika had embraced since childhood.

“We often think gym work means building bulky muscles, but it’s really about staying injury-free. Thankfully, Pratika understood that well and worked on her fitness seriously,” says Deepti.

Even as cricket became her focus, Pratika didn’t neglect her studies. She pursued a degree in psychology, which helped her understand the mental side of the game.

“She was in ninth standard when she got interested in psychology, so she decided to study it in college,” says her father.

“In cricket, psychology plays a major role. When you’re batting, trying to read what a bowler is thinking or why they’ve set a certain field, it helps you dissect situations better. It’s been really useful for her.”

It’s that out-of-the-box thinking which gives Pratika a useful skill off the field: she can solve a Rubik’s cube.

“It has an algorithm to it,” Pratika said, in a social media video. “The centre pieces don’t move, so you need to move everything around those.”

Easy, or so Pratika makes it seem.

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C.M. Punk (artist Grant Gould © PWTorch)

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At WWE Crown Jewel we had what many are calling – and Iâ€m on their side – the Match of the Year, at least in WWE. It was the face of a previous version of WWE in John Cena against the same from TNA in A.J. Styles.

These were “The Guys†the company, including any storylines, merchandise, or media presence. Both have grown to become classy acts who are confident in who they are as characters and were able to deliver a crowd-pleasing match that paid tribute to both careers that are winding down.

Many other characters have left WWE to “Cross the Line†to TNA, or made the switch from the smaller company to the true big league. There were matches we saw that we never thought weâ€d get, especially after A.J.â€s debut. There were some matches that were left on the table, though, that we havenâ€t yet seen, or will not get the opportunity to, but it was fun to come up with five dream matches roughly from 2001-2014 era TNA vs WWE.

The Motor City Machine Guns vs. The Usos

The best home-grown TNA tag team vs. who I think is the greatest tag team of all time. The energy of the performers, the fans in the area, and the moves within the match alone could be off the charts in front of the right audience.

The story: Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley have been around as a tag team longer, and have succeeded in every promotion theyâ€ve been involved with, and still have the athleticism to wow an audience. As for the Usos, while Jimmy and Jey have not been a tag team as long, or had titles outside of WWE, theyâ€ve defended for years against the best of the best at a high level. Who is the better team?

Outcome: Usoâ€s in a match of the year contender

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Kurt Angle vs Dolph Ziggler / Nic Nemeth

While we technically had this match, we also had previously seen John Cena vs. A.J. Styles. Itâ€s about the build this match, as Nemeth is a world class mat wrestler with an incredible list of accolades, but in pro wrestling, heâ€s a guy who was known for selling and having tremendous matches through his amazing talents in telling a physical story.

There was a wrestling machine inside of the former Dolph Zigglar that could have come out. Kurt was able to turn that wrestling machine to a new dial when in TNA, and became an incredible well-rounded performer. I would have loved to see an entire program between these two, bringing that out of Nemeth.

Story: Kurt, returning to WWE, takes shots at Dolph about needing to tighten up and not be so involved with silly nonsense. Challenge him to a wrestling match and ask if Dolph can find the serious side of himself again.

Outcome: after losing the first two matches, the second an even more narrow loss than the first, Zigglar works himself up to one more match where he is able to get a clean win over Kurt, legitimizing Dolph for a new title run.

Samoa Joe vs. C.M. Punk

We did get this match in AEW, but it was tainted with backstage drama. These two made each other IWC famous. It was harder to learn about independent wrestling in the early 2000s. You had to know what sites and forums to go to online or you could read the newsstand wrestling magazines or an insider newsletter such as PWTorch.

Anyone who was involved in that scene knew a couple of names before ever getting a television debut, and those were Samoa Joe and C.M. Punk. The ROH trilogy between them sold a lot of DVDs for a small independent wrestling company. Wrestling fans of that generation were not used to seeing a one-hour Broadway, let alone two in a row for these performers.

They were showing they had the raw skills to hang with the established television stars, and it was going to be a matter of time before each would end up amongst them. They each chose different paths, as C.M. Punk, who had previously had a run in TNA, decided to try to make it in the larger and more “big show atmosphere†of WWE, where he was going to have to work his way up through the developmental program.

Samoa Joe, however, become a featured player on TNA television right away. While I watched Impact as often as I could in that era, I was hooked and started spending on a few PPVs at a time where that was tough to justify. Both became respective world champions, but to see them clash with the lights and storytelling ability WWE could provide or a Punk and Joe TNA reunion, much like the Hardys and Dudleys just had could blow the roof off.

Story: I kind of like the TNA return route. Joe could make an appearance about how successful his run was and list legendary opponents; Punk could come out to say that he was only as successful as he was because Punk decided to go to the big leagues and he let Joe run TNA. Major heel heat for Punk on this match.

Outcome: Joe wins clean as a babyface. Punk had the better career and can afford a loss to his friend.

ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…

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Abyss vs. Cactus Jack

We got Mick Foley in TNA, but this was far from what Foley was known for. Itâ€s unfortunate that this man who gave us fans too much of himself doesnâ€t get to have the big comeback matches. He had a couple, but seeing wrestlers learn how to have good matches into their 50s and even 60s shows the difference in how Foley sacrificed himself.

Abyss was obviously influenced as a character, but also as a performer by Cactus Jackâ€s work. The master of the death match from two different eras clashing at peak was the dream I wish Foley had been healthy for and would love to have seen this match happen in a WWE ring. Not enough people got to enjoy Abyss.

Story: Mick Foley comes back for a special appearance and is attacked by a deranged Abyss (essentially what they did to get Bray Wyattâ€s Fiend character over). Triple H tries to get ahold of Foley to apologize, but hears nothing back. After a couple of weeks with no word, Triple H only hears from kids and wife that theyâ€ve never seen him like this and he wonâ€t even verbalize himself to his family. Then, when Abyss is about to win a match in an underhanded way, Cactus Jack arrives to interfere, and set up a match between the two.

Outcome: Cactus wins as a conquering hero.

Sting vs. Undertaker

Itâ€s the match we all wanted, and the biggest dream match left on the table from the hot ’90s era – unless youâ€d make the Hulk Hogan vs Steven Austin argument. For a fan who watches the product in a similar way that I read comic books, these are the obvious two. Dark and brooding, but many times the conciseness of the promotions they were in.

The WCW years created an aura, and when Sting said he would rather go to the underdog brand than WWE, it added to it. To have finally seen Sting and Undertaker at a WrestleMania is what we wanted, but instead we got heartbreak.

Story: Icon vs Icon, baby! All we need would be a face off, one to point at a sign, and the other to nod.

Outcome: Undertaker keeps the streak I wish heâ€d never lost.

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Where do I go?

That was the question Steven Stamkos asked himself for most of last season, both on and off the ice.

Stamkos knew the answer in Tampa, where he arrived in 2008 as a fresh-faced teenager and left in 2024 as an icon. He also knew that no amount of preparation would make his transition from Tampa to Nashville any easier. He had to live it.

So perhaps it should not have been so surprising that Stamkos and the Predators struggled in their first season together. The future Hall of Famer scored the second-fewest goals per game (0.33) of his 17-year career, and the Predators were out of the running for a playoff spot by Christmas.

“It affected him,†Predators coach Andrew Brunette said about Stamkos†move to Nashville. “He tried to grind through it.â€

“When youâ€re in one place for so long and you change and things donâ€t go well, thereâ€s always different emotions,†Stamkos said last week. “Honestly, I think just coming into training camp this year was day and night compared to where I was last year, in terms of just mentally.â€

Expectations around the Predators skyrocketed last year after they signed Stamkos (as well as Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei) on the first day of free agency. Nashville, which made a surprise playoff appearance in 2023-24, was a popular dark-horse pick to win the Stanley Cup following its off-season haul.

This season, however, most prognosticators expect the Predators to be back in the draft lottery. (General manager Barry Trotz poked fun at the changing narrative when training camp opened, saying, “We proved the experts wrong two years in a row, and weâ€re hoping to make it three.â€)

“There (were) a lot of external and internal expectations with some of the moves that we made, and (it) didnâ€t go as planned,†Stamkos said. “That just snowballed. I think without the weight of that, maybe that can help our group a little bit. Just go out there and play and not pay attention to what anyone else is saying.â€

The 2-0-1 Predators, who visit the Maple Leafs on Tuesday, are off to a much better start than a year ago, when they lost their first five games in regulation. Stamkos, who is 18 goals from 600 for his career, has one assist and six shots on goal through three games. (Nashville has points in its first three games for the first time in 10 years.)

Stamkos has no shortage of motivation after last season, but in case he needs more, Hockey Canada did not invite him to its Olympic orientation camp in August. Through no fault of his own, Stamkos, 35, has never represented his country at the Winter Games. He suffered a broken leg in November 2013, which prevented him from playing in Sochi, Russia, in February 2014, and the NHL did not participate in 2018 and 2022. (When the league opted out of the Beijing Olympics four years ago, Stamkos was in the midst of a career-best season, which he finished with 106 points.)

“I probably shouldâ€ve played (in) three Olympics already and didnâ€t get a chance to,†Stamkos said. “Itâ€s almost like, ‘Jeez, is this thing never meant to happen?â€â€

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For someone as accomplished as Stamkos, a two-time Stanley Cup champion and one of the greatest goal scorers in league history, his lack of Olympic experience is a glaring omission on his resume.

It will take an unlikely series of events for Stamkos to end up in Italy, so his focus is on helping the Predators become competitive again.

“(The Olympics are) the one bucket-list thing that I havenâ€t been able to do,†Stamkos said. “You have to play your way there. So with how last year went, thereâ€s no freebies in camps like that. You look at the talent that Canada has. I canâ€t be one (whoâ€s) complaining about not getting an invite there because of the season that I had. … Iâ€m not putting any extra stress on that. I want to go out there and just play better than I did last year. If that gets (me) in the mix, great, because it would be a dream come true.â€

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Four hundred forty-three times before, J.P. Crawford had crossed home plate as a member of the Seattle Mariners. But never quite like this.

This time, as Crawford approached the plate in the bottom of the 15th inning of ALDS Game 5 against the Detroit Tigers, he paused. Rather than rush across the plate to confirm the run scored as soon as possible, he slowed and looked down at the white pentagon in the dirt that had seemed like an impossible destination for both teams over the previous five hours. He held both arms in the air, helmet in hand, savoring the magical moment he was about to unlock.

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Then, he took a step and scored.

[Get more Seattle news: Mariners team feed]

Driven in by a hard-hit single to right field by Jorge Polanco with the bases loaded, Crawford represented the winning run for Seattle in its jaw-dropping, stomach-churning, hair-pulling, history-making, series-clinching 3-2 victory over Detroit to advance to the American League Championship Series for the first time since 2001. Polancoâ€s walk-off hit was the final act in a contest loaded with unforgettable sequences that combined to produce a postseason clash for the ages.

“We’ve talked about the fight all year long,†Seattle manager Dan Wilson said afterward. “To go 15 innings tonight, 15 rounds, so to speak, and to come out on top — that sure feels good.â€

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It took 4 hours, 58 minutes for the Tigers and Mariners to play 15 innings — the longest winner-take-all game in postseason history. Fifteen pitchers combined to throw 472 pitches, with the highest pitch count belonging to Tigers starter Tarik Skubal, whose 99 pitches produced 26 whiffs and 13 strikeouts in one of the more spectacular playoff pitching performances in recent memory — and one that somehow faded into the background as the ultra-close contest continued deep into the night.

“I feel like I pitched three days ago, if I’m being honest,†Seattle starter George Kirby said postgame.

Skubalâ€s sensational outing was the headlining performance in a game dominated by pitching on both sides; the two teams combined to hit .163 (16-for-98) while striking out 37 times. Before Polancoâ€s hit enabled Crawfordâ€s right cleat to touch home plate, just four runs had been mustered over the first 14 and a half frames, all of which required their own extraordinary sequences to come to be.

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Seattle struck first in the second inning courtesy of Josh Naylor, who reached out and poked a 100.2-mph sinker from Skubal well off the outside corner down the left-field line to put himself into scoring position. And while it was Naylorâ€s strength that enabled an extra-base hit on such a ridiculously uncomfortable-looking swing, it was his speed that shined next — or, perhaps more accurately, his baserunning acumen. Despite ranking as one of the slowest players in baseball, according to Statcastâ€s sprint speed, Naylor has become a basestealing fiend in 2025, frequently taking advantage of opponents who underestimate his willingness and ability to swipe bags.

And knowing that runs would be difficult to come by against Skubal — and recognizing that T-Mobile Park with the roof closed was far too loud for Skubal to hear his teammates alerting him that the runner was getting such a gigantic lead — Naylor took off for third and nabbed it successfully, making him a perfect 20-for-20 on stolen bases as a Mariner. Mitch Garver then drove in Naylor with a sacrifice fly that put the Mariners up 1-0 in the second inning.

Meanwhile, Seattle starter George Kirby was cruising in the early going, but he arrived at a predictable pivot point in the sixth inning, with Tigers slugger Kerry Carpenter coming to the plate with a runner on second after Javier Baez led off with a double. Carpenterâ€s home run against Kirby in Game 1 — his fifth against the pitcher in 11 plate appearances to that point — plus two more hits already in Game 5 ensured that Wilson called on lefty reliever Gabe Speier to handle Carpenter in this scenario.

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And that matchup promptly backfired, as Carpenter drilled Speierâ€s second pitch deep to center field for a stadium-silencing, two-run homer that made it 2-1 Detroit.

With Skubal still in the game — having struck out eight of 10 hitters since Garverâ€s sac fly, including a postseason-record seven in a row — the prospect of scoring another run with just four innings left seemed awfully daunting for Seattle. But Skubal left it all on the table in the sixth. His final pitch of the game was also his hardest: 100.9 mph right down the middle to blow away Cal Raleigh for his 13th strikeout. Skubal roared as he bounced off the mound toward the dugout.

“After the fifth, I checked in on him how he was doing physically and emotionally, and we both knew that he had one left,†Detroit manager A.J. Hinch said postgame. “He emptied his tank and obviously was emotional coming off the mound, and I think that signals exactly where we were in the game. He gave us everything he could.â€

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With that, Skubalâ€s night was over.

For everyone else, it was only just beginning.

As soon as Skubal departed, Seattle conjured a rally in the seventh against Detroit reliever Kyle Finnegan. A Polanco walk plus another Naylor hit put Polanco in scoring position for … Leo Rivas?

On his 28th birthday and with zero postseason plate appearances to his name — not to mention just 197 in the regular season — the switch-hitting utility infielder was called on to pinch-hit against lefty reliever Tyler Holton. Holton had entered after the Mariners announced lefty slugger Dominic Canzone would be pinch-hitting for Garver, but Wilson opted to burn Canzone and instead tab Rivas for the high-stakes spot and the chance to be the unlikeliest of heroes.

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And Rivas delivered. He smacked the second pitch from Holton into left field for a game-tying single, sending the crowd into euphoric disbelief while simultaneously (and unknowingly) settling the game into a stalemate of epic proportions.

Over the next seven-and-a-half scoreless innings, a stunning carousel of pitchers cycled through the ballgame for both teams, ranging from traditional high-leverage arms (Will Vest, Matt Brash, Andrés Muñoz, Eduard Bazardo) to versatile swingmen (Troy Melton, Keider Montero) to full-blown starting pitchers (Logan Gilbert, Jack Flaherty, Luis Castillo). All of these pitchers had already been asked to cover pivotal innings in this series against these same hitters, yet all of them were up to the task of continuing their efforts in a sudden-death scenario.

All of them, until Tommy Kahnle in the bottom of the 15th, put up zeroes.

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“It felt like it was a pretty quiet game, from an opportunity standpoint, until we got into extras,†Hinch said, “and then there were runners everywhere, and there were double plays, and thereâ€s caught stealing, and there’s bunts, and there’s guys picking up each other on errors or misplays.â€

Tigers closer Vest carved through the middle of Seattleâ€s lineup with ease. Gilbert, who starred for Seattle in his Game 3 start just three days earlier, made his first relief appearance since his sophomore year of college and provided two scoreless innings. Melton, Detroitâ€s Game 1 starter, was touching 100 just two days after throwing three scoreless innings in relief in Game 4. Bazardo, whoâ€d already pitched for the Mariners in the first four games of the series after 73 appearances in the regular season, recorded eight outs, two more than he had in any outing all year. Tigers starter Flaherty has barely pitched out of the bullpen in his career, and he delivered two hitless frames, navigating around three walks. Castillo, Seattleâ€s Game 2 starter, made his first relief cameo since he was in A-ball nearly a decade ago — and earned the win.

While Detroitâ€s cavalcade of hurlers led by Skubal unquestionably did their part, Seattleâ€s pitching staff was ever-so-slightly better, and their collective effort to preserve the tie and set the stage for Polancoâ€s walk-off will be remembered as one of the great triumphs in franchise history.

“You can’t say enough about the bullpen and two starters we had up there in the bullpen, just taking the ball and just running with it and not wanting to come out of the game, wanting to keep throwing pitches, keep throwing innings,†Wilson said postgame. “… They don’t want to leave the ballpark until they win. And tonight was that.

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“They didn’t want to leave the ballpark until they won, and they made it happen.â€

It was Crawford, though, who began the sequence that ensured the Mariners didnâ€t need to throw any more scoreless innings. He led off the bottom of the 15th with a single against Kahnle, scooping a 3-2 changeup into right field for his first hit of the game. Kahnle then plunked Randy Arozarena with his next pitch to move Crawford into scoring position. After a Raleigh flyout allowed Crawford to advance to third, Julio Rodriguez was intentionally walked to load the bases, with Detroit seeking a double play from Polanco after theyâ€d wiggled out of jams in the 12th and 13th.

But Polanco stayed on the changeup from Kahnle and laced it into right field for the game-winner, allowing Crawford to take the 90-foot journey home.

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“It was bound to happen at some point,†Kirby said later. “The more you keep letting us into the game, especially at home, you know, we’re going to find a way.â€

As Seattleâ€s longest-tenured player, Crawford knows as well as any what his winning run meant. His acquisition from Philadelphia via trade in December 2018 was a critical one in a series of transactions that marked the start of a rebuild. Crawford is the only current Mariner who endured the non-competitive lows of the 94-loss 2019 season. He raised his national profile by winning a Gold Glove in 2020, but the team was still quite bad. 2021 marked a huge step forward, as the team won 90 games, but their minus-51 run differential was a sobering indicator that the club was miles away from being a real contender.

In 2022, Crawford got his first taste of the spectacular highs and devastating lows of postseason baseball. Seattle ended its dreaded playoff drought and even won a wild-card series against Toronto, but the Mariners were emphatically swept out of the ALDS by the rival Astros. Their season ended in a game eerily similar to Fridayâ€s thriller: an epic marathon of prolific pitching in which scoring seemed impossible until one swing from Jeremy Peña delivered the ultimate gut punch in a 1-0 loss in 18 innings.

But this time was different. It had to be. After coming up painfully short of qualifying for the postseason the previous two seasons, the Mariners aggressively assembled a roster worthy of returning to baseballâ€s premier month. Urged in August by franchise icon Ichiro Suzuki to not take an opportunity like this for granted, the Mariners surged in September en route to their first division title since Ichiroâ€s rookie season in 2001 and home-field advantage in the ALDS — an advantage that proved vital as Seattle leaned into its core strength and pitcher-friendly ballpark while tossing 15 nearly flawless innings to punch its ticket to the ALCS.

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Four wins against the top-seeded Toronto Blue Jays now separate the Mariners from a place they’ve never been before. For all the ups and downs Crawford has experienced in his seven years as Seattleâ€s shortstop, they represent merely a fraction of this franchiseâ€s tortured history as the only major-league team that has never even appeared in the World Series, much less won one.

It was 30 years ago that Edgar Martinezâ€s iconic walk-off double defeated the Yankees to send the Mariners to the ALCS for the first time. That Martinezâ€s walk-off sustains as the premier franchise highlight in nearly a half-century of existence is a testament to the magic of the moment — and a reflection of how little Seattle has accomplished in three decades since. Several superstars have come and gone, with feats of individual brilliance and a few formidable ballclubs along the way. But only rarely has the World Series been remotely within reach. The ‘95 team faltered in the championship round. Back-to-back trips to the ALCS in 2000 and ’01 produced the same result. And then, a drought — thedrought. Sure, 2022 was a salve of sorts, but it was nowhere close to the ultimate prize.

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But in toppling the Tigers and advancing to Toronto — Game 1 is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET Sunday at Rogers Centre — the 2025 Mariners have arrived at a special opportunity. Their five grueling games against Detroit served as a reminder that nothing comes easy this time of year — and evidence that Seattle has the talent and resilience to succeed in these pressure-packed postseason affairs.

What happens next for the Mariners in their quest to finally reach the Fall Classic remains to be seen. But in emerging victorious on Friday — and giving the Seattle crowd a night to remember — they made sure that elusive goal is still within reach.

“That was an incredible win for them, which means it was an incredible loss for us,†Hinch said. “But I wish them well in the next round. They earned it, and that was an epic game.â€

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Novak Djokovic battled past a spirited Zizou Bergs 6-3, 7-5 on Thursday to reach the Shanghai Masters semi-finals for a 10th time, setting up a clash with surprise package and the world No 204, Valentin Vacherot.

In challenging conditions, Djokovic was made to work harder than the scoreline suggests by his Belgian opponent, who registered more winners than the four-time champion but was undone by unforced errors.

“First encounter with Bergs, a great guy. Obviously a lot of firepower in his game. He played a good game,†Djokovic said. “I was a little bit too passive. Just very challenging conditions these days for all the players. Just trying to stay alive on the court and glad to overcome this hurdle.â€

In the opening set, Bergs showed remarkable resilience by saving five set points to frustrate Djokovic, before the Serbian finally closed it out with an unreturned serve. The second set proved even more gruelling, with both players serving well but treating the crowd to breathtaking rallies that left Djokovic hunched over his racquet on several occasions.

The highlight came during one extraordinary rally where the fourth seed gave Bergs five golden opportunities to seal the point with overhead shots and volleys at the net, only to somehow emerge victorious and bring the crowd to its feet. Djokovic eventually sealed victory on his third match point, advancing to face Vacherot in what promises to be an intriguing semi-final clash. “Amazing story for him. This tournament has taken out top players of the world … itâ€s really impressive what heâ€s doing,†Djokovic said on his next opponent.

Vacherot pulled off a huge upset, stunning the 10th seed, Holger Rune, 2-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4 to become the second-lowest ranked player ever to reach an ATP Masters semi-final. The Monegasque qualifierâ€s remarkable run will see him crack the top 100 next week after spending half of last year sidelined with injury, but even playing in Shanghai was a question mark when he arrived.

Valentin Vacherot after defeating Holger Rune. Photograph: Andy Wong/AP

“I didnâ€t even come as a qualifier, I came as an alternate. I wasnâ€t sure to even play the qualifier,†Vacherot said. “Coming back from six months out is always not easy. You cannot just come back and win tournaments right and left. Youâ€ve just got to fight your way through a little bit.â€

Vacherotâ€s stunning journey in Shanghai, which now includes wins over four seeds, looked doomed early on as Rune raced through a physically demanding opening set while the underdog felt his “lungs were screamingâ€. But the tide turned dramatically in the second-set tiebreak when Vacherot produced a stunning backhand crosscourt winner to take a 5-4 lead.

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Rune crashed his next shot into the net and could only watch as Vacherot fired a forehand winner down the line on set point to level the match. Rune struggled physically in the decider, requiring the trainer twice to massage his leg. Vacherot then capitalised to complete a memorable victory in a contest lasting a minute shy of three hours.

“It would mean a lot to play at least one of the guys of the ‘Big Three†in my career,†Vacherot said on playing Djokovic. Vacherotâ€s cousin, Arthur Rinderknech, is also in the quarter-finals, with the Frenchman set to play Félix Auger-Aliassime on Friday.

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  Emily KeoghOct 8, 2025, 07:36 PM ET

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  Based in London, Emily Keogh is ESPN’s women’s soccer correspondent, specializing in the WSL and UWCL

LEIGH, England — Manchester United are not fussed about being called underdogs. Their plan is to win as many games in the UEFA Women’s Champions League as possible, and their debut fixture could not have gone much better, being the only Women’s Super League (WSL) team to claim an opening day win thanks to captain Maya Le Tissier.

WSL champions Chelsea were held to a 1-1 draw by FC Twente in the Netherlands, continuing their streak of poor execution in the final third, while on Tuesday title holders Arsenal lost 2-1 to OL Lyonnes, the team they defeated in last season’s semifinal.

Manchester United, however, secured a 1-0 win over Valerenga on their debut in the competition, with the skipper netting from the spot to get their campaign underway.

There was really only one person who the fairytale moments could happen to, and that’s Le Tissier. Having joined the club in 2022, she has become one of the most vital players for United, making 71 consecutive starts in the WSL, the most of any player in the league, and leading the charge as the captain since last season.

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The romanticism of the Champions League is not lost on Le Tissier either. Having dealt with the crushing disappointment of losing in the qualifiers to Paris Saint-Germain in 2023, to the elation of overturning their deficit to defeat SK Brann to reach the competition proper, the 23-year-old has ridden all of the emotions.

“This is where you want to be, playing in the Champions League. It meant the world to us. It’s been a long, well my four years, for Tooney [Ella Toone] she’s been here like 10 years or something,” Le Tissier said after the game. “We’ve worked hard to get here; we deserve to be here so to get the first win is something we wanted to do and so to do it tonight we’re very happy.”

Le Tissier would have dreamed what this moment would feel like, what it would mean to lead her team out in the Champions League, like she did for the most recent FA Cup final. She was visibly moved at full-time, in tears and being consoled by teammates as she did a lap of appreciation for the travelling fans. There are likely plenty of other emotions tied to Le Tissier’s tears, linked to her disappointment that her England career has far from reflected her domestic record and capability.

It takes a special player to keep such a composure at the back to lead United to a defensive record last season and keep a clean sheet in the opening continental match, yet she has only eight caps for England to show for it. Having missed out on a place at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and being confined to the bench for the 2025 Euros, there are slimming arguments as to why Sarina Wiegman won’t play Le Tissier. Though the England coach says she sees the Guernsey native as a right-back, the Manchester United captain is arguably the most in-form center back that England have, with captain Leah Williamson out with injury, vice-captain Millie Bright’s place contested after her Euros withdrawal and Lotte Wubben-Moy failing to earn many minutes at Arsenal.

Maya Le Tissier was instrumental in getting Manchester United’s UWCL campaign off to the perfect start on Wednesday. Molly Darlington/Getty Images

Le Tissier will be key at keeping United in with a chance of reaching the playoffs. Not only her composure to keep other teams out, but her leadership in guiding, keeping the team calm and rejuvenating them at half time if they are trailing.

They’ve been eased in by playing Valerenga first, a team who featured in the group stage last season but are vastly separated from the resources and financial backing that a club like Manchester United has. They should have defeated them comfortably, and they did for the most part.

Though they are classed as underdogs, yet to experience a full run in the competition and battling with a thin and injury-stricken squad, it has not fazed United. They are not paying attention to the labels that are being thrust on them, with their focus being on winning as many games as possible to finish in the top 12 teams to earn a place in the playoffs.

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This will have been arguably the best chance United will have to get points on the board ahead of their opponents. It is early days, yes, but United are two and three points ahead of their WSL counterparts, comfortably seated in the playoff midtable section. All points will be crucial with the new format already throwing up upsets and dropped points, so United could not have asked for a better debut.

There are areas for concern, though, ones that have plagued them consistently and ones that will be exploited against teams that are merciless and clinical. United have struggled to convert their chances this season. They’ve created more than most clubs, registering plenty of chances but their execution has been a miss. Of their 16 shots, seven were on target, a complete gulf compared to Valerenga’s two, with one on target.

What will be a concern is the lack of ruthlessness to put away more than one chance will not carry them through against the opponents they’re yet to face in the competition. A narrow lead against Atlético Madrid next week will not give them much breathing room against a team who slotted six past St. Pölten in their opening game. After that, they’ll have to grapple with giants PSG, VfL Wolfsburg, OL Lyonnes and Juventus, all who will force Manchester United into defending with their lives and needing to take every opportunity they’re given.

Though the points gained ahead of Chelsea and Arsenal will likely even out as the competition progresses, those extra points could be difference when it comes down to securing a place in the playoffs or going home empty handed.

There’s plenty still for this side to navigate; international midweek travel, intense competitive two-game weeks, and the struggle to keep their already thin squad fit and healthy. Still, Manchester United have sent a statement that they are here to compete in the competition and not cower at the bottom of the table like many predicted them to do.

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“Big” Bronson Reed has opened up about his experience being managed by the legendary Paul Heyman, calling the partnership a “dream come true.” Reed and Heyman were officially paired on-screen in May of this year when Reed was revealed as a member of the dominant faction, The Vision, alongside World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins and Bron Breakker.

The alliance has elevated Reed to the main event scene on Monday Night Raw, and in a new interview, he discussed how much he values the opportunity to learn from one of the greatest minds in the history of the wrestling business. Speaking on the Battleground Podcast, the Australian powerhouse, who grew up as a huge fan of ECW, explained what it means to have Heyman in his corner.

“Honestly, for me, you know, I was a huge wrestling fan and specifically ECW. So itâ€s a bit of a dream come true for me. If I could have asked myself five years ago: ‘Who would you want to be managing you as a pro wrestler?†I would pick Paul Heyman. He is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to this business. So I feel like, if anything, I sort of make sure to pick his brain as much as possible because that just helps me with my career.â€

He is scheduled to face Roman Reigns this Saturday, October 11, at the WWE Crown Jewel Premium Live Event in Perth, Western Australia. The highly personal grudge match will be contested under Australian Street Fight rules, giving the hometown star a potential advantage. The match is a rematch from their encounter at Clash in Paris, which Reigns won, but was followed by a post-match attack from Reed and The Vision that left Reigns needing to be stretchered out of the arena.

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John Cena wishes an alternate universe existed where he and Andre the Giant could have faced each other.

Along with his WWE retirement tour, Cena has been appearing at Fan Expo conventions this year and taking part in Q&A sessions with fans. One of those events took place in Chicago this summer with the video being uploaded to YouTube this week. A fan asked Cena who he would choose to face in the main event of WrestleMania if he could go back in time and pick anyone from wrestling history.

“Just selfishly, Andre, because he was like the measuring stick,” Cena responded. “The folklore behind Andre the Giant is mythical, in both physical as his presence but also in like the folklore of the fraternity of the brotherhood of wrestling, especially the WWF territory. I’m sure it’s across the world, because Andre was a global phenomenon. But, selfishly, yes, that would be the one: Andre the Giant.”

Cena competed in his last-ever WrestleMania earlier this year, defeating Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 41. Cena later dropped the title back to Rhodes at SummerSlam.

There are only five WWE appearances remaining before Cena retires. Next up is a trip to Australia for Crown Jewel: Perth this Saturday, where Cena will face off against an old rival in AJ Styles.

Cena’s last match will be held in Washington, D.C. on December 13 on WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event. It’s expected that Gunther will be his final opponent.

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Torrie Wilson has a few dream scenarios sheâ€d get on board with regarding an in-ring return.

Wilson recently spoke with WrestleZoneâ€s Matt Black and reflected on her career in the pro wrestling industry. Wilson appeared at WWE Evolution 2 last month and continues to be a popular figure among fans. When asked who sheâ€d like to compete against if WWE approached her for a comeback match at an event like WrestleMania, Wilson said a few names came to mind.

“Oh my gosh! Well, first of all, there could be a lot of scenarios that I would get excited about. But I mean, I love Rhea Ripley. So, that will be like a dream. It will never happen. Thatâ€s why I am saying itâ€s a dream,†Wilson explained. “You get older and things hurt a lot more. And the only way I would want to do something like that is by giving it my all. And going and training and making sure it was like, I want to surprise people, right? But I donâ€t know that I have it in me, as far as my body holding up to do that.â€

She emphasized that these were dream matches, noting that they would never happen, but said Rhea Ripley was at the top of her list. Wilson also named Bianca Belair, Tiffany Stratton and Chelsea Green, but said she could “go on and on†about the WWE womenâ€s roster.

Torrie Wilson says back issues make her question returning to the ring

Torrie Wilson previously told Shakiel Mahjouri of SHAK Wrestling that she doesnâ€t think the door is ever closed on pro wrestling. However, Wilson said she was concerned about lingering back problems being an issue.

“I feel like if youâ€ve ever been in wrestling, the door is never completely closed,†Wilson said. “People ask me a lot like, ‘Do you have another match in you?†And Iâ€m like, ‘Yes, of course.†If something awesome came along, how would I not have that in me?

“It would take a lot more preparing on my end because I wouldnâ€t want to go back and do something like that didnâ€t make people go, ‘Oh, wow. She is an athlete.†I would want to make myself proud. But at the same time, I like golfing, playing tennis, and working out, and my back issues are not going away anytime soon.â€

Read More: WWE Superstar Currently Asking An Outrageous Price On Cameo

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