America’s Coco Gauff has approved the selection of the former world number one Serena Williams in the list of The Times Most Influential People in the world. The 43-year-old is often regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of women’s tennis in the singles category in the Open era.
Gauff, who is now regarded as one of the best players in the world in women’s tennis along with the likes of Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka, Poland’s Iga Swiatek and America’s Jessica Pegula, is currently taking part in the Stuttgart Open where she cemented her spot in the quarterfinal after beating Germany’s Ella Seidel in straight sets with a score of 6-1, 6-1. Talking after the match, the reigning world number four approved the selection of Serena in the list of 100 most influential people on the planet
"Most influential people of all time, I mean, that's an incredible accomplishment that she definitely deserves," said Gauff as quoted by Tennis.com. "She probably influenced millions, and I'm one of them. Not only in tennis but worldwide, just to be strong women and especially women of color. It's well-deserved. I wasn't surprised when I saw that. Her photos looked really good."
Serena retired from professional tennis in 2022 in order to give more time to her family. She finished her illustrious career with 23 Grand Slam titles, which is the most by a women’s player in the singles category in the Open era. The 43-year-old lifted the Australian Open and Wimbledon on seven occasions each. Her first major title was the US Open in 1999 where she defeated former world number one Martina Hingis in the final in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 7-6. Her last major title came in 2017 when she lifted the Australian Open after beating her sister Venus Williams in the final in straight sets with a score of 6-4, 6-4.
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The Green Bay Packers entered the training camp excited over what second-year running back MarShawn Lloyd can do on the field. After playing just one game in 2024, Lloyd comes across as someone with the potential to surprise, even though he’s going to be playing behind established star tailback Josh Jacobs. However, Lloyd went down with a non-contact injury during practice on Monday, forcing the Packers to keep him sidelined on Tuesday. The initial thought was that Lloyd suffered the injury after taking a hit from cornerback Nate Hobbs. Jacobs not worried about Green Bay Packers second-year RB’s status The good news for Lloyd and the Packers is that it doesn’t seem that the former USC Trojans star’s injury will put his availability for Week 1 of the 2025 season in jeopardy, with Jacobs providing a reassuring take on his fellow running back. “He’s going to be alright, man,” said Jacobs of Lloyd, per John Miller of NBC26. “He’s not about to miss much time. I don’t really know the extent of his injury, but I know it’s not nothing major so he’s going to be alright.” The 2025 NFL season can essentially be viewed as a rookie year again for Lloyd, as injuries to his hip, hamstring and ankle punished his body in 2024. That’s not to mention the appendectomy he had just when he was about to return to the field. In any case, Jacobs is very much capable of handling the touches in Green Bay’s rushing attack, though it wouldn’t hurt the Packers to have another reliable weapon to share the load with him. In 2024, the former Alabama Crimson Tide star turned 301 carries into a total of 1,329 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns.
As Trey Hendrickson prepares to end his holdout, it's time for the Cincinnati Bengals to meet their star edge-rusher halfway. On Tuesday, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that Hendrickson plans to end his holdout amid a prolonged contract dispute by reporting to Bengals camp on Wednesday despite still seeking an extension. "Reporting to camp stops the $50,000 per day fines and also serves as a good-faith gesture to try to jumpstart negotiations," Schefter wrote. Hendrickson is owed $18.7M in 2025. Last season, Hendrickson led the NFL in sacks (17.5). He originally signed a four-year, $60M contract with the Bengals during 2021 free agency and later signed a one-year extension in July 2023 to keep him Cincinnati through 2025. With no guarantees beyond this upcoming season and the edge-rusher market exploding recently, Hendrickson certainly has a valid argument to demand an extension. Meanwhile, Cincinnati has few (if any) good reasons not to reward their best defensive player. Hendrickson, 30, has been one of the league's most prolific pass-rushers since joining the Bengals. Former agent Joel Corry, writing for CBS Sports, brushed aside concerns about a potential drop-off in production while pointing to Pittsburgh Steelers edge T.J. Watt's recent contract extension. As Corry noted, Watt, who became the league's highest-paid non-quarterback when he agreed to a three-year, $123M extension earlier this offseason, is roughly two months older than Hendrickson. "Hendrickson also accounted for 48.6% of Cincinnati's sacks last season while Watt was responsible for 28.8% of Pittburgh's," Corry wrote. On Monday, Schefter shared that the main sticking point in Hendrickson's contract dispute is guaranteed money, with the Bengals hesitant to provide any guarantees beyond 2025 on a potential three-year deal. As productive as Hendrickson has been for the Bengals — his 57 sacks since 2021 only trail Watt and Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett — the front office should be doing everything in its power to ensure he finishes his career in Cincy. Hendrickson ending his holdout is the first step to the sides reaching a resolution. The next is the Bengals giving him an extension commensurate to his production.
The Boston Bruins have been under pressure to retool after a disappointing season, and now a potential blockbuster move could shake the entire NHL. A major trade proposal has surfaced that could send a star goaltender to the Edmonton Oilers, a move that would give them the elite presence they've lacked in net while forcing Boston closer to a rebuild. The deal being floated by multiple outlets would send Edmonton's current starter, Stuart Skinner, along with Matthew Savoie, Beau Akey, and a 2028 first-round pick to Boston, while the Oilers land a goaltender capable of changing their Cup window overnight. Edmonton's push for a franchise goalie could reshape the Western Conference and challenge the Dallas Stars' path to the Cup If this trade goes through, the Oilers would instantly address one of their biggest weaknesses, setting up a showdown with teams like the Dallas Stars, who already see Edmonton as one of their toughest rivals. Boston, on the other hand, would fully commit to a rebuild, pairing Joonas Korpisalo with Skinner in what could be one of the NHL's weakest tandems, likely boosting their draft lottery odds in one of the most hyped draft classes in recent memory (NHL.com). An insider noted, "They weren't the only ones who had inquired about Swayman, but yes, I was told they poked around." That comment shows just how wide the interest is for this level of goalie talent (Heavy.com). I think this kind of trade would completely shift the balance of power in the West, making Edmonton even more dangerous for teams like Dallas, who could end up facing a vastly upgraded Oilers team in the playoffs. If Boston truly embraces a rebuild, moving their top goaltender could be the first domino in a massive roster overhaul, something that could shake the market for weeks.
The New York Mets, despite plenty of ups and downs, have been one of the best teams in all of Major League Baseball so far this season, but they know they will need to stay healthy in order to stay at the top of the NL East and make a push for a World Series. On Tuesday night, the Mets suffered a significant injury. During the fourth inning of a critical series against the San Diego Padres, star outfielder Juan Soto fouled a ball off of his foot and was pulled from the game with a foot contusion. After the game, Soto gave an optimistic update on the status of his foot, via SNY. “I think it’s gonna be good,” Soto said. “I think it’s gonna be good. We’ve just got to get the swelling down. Whenever the swelling is down, I think we’re gonna be fine. X-rays are negative, so it’s a good sign. We’ve just got to wait for the swelling to come down and go back to where I’m at.” Soto also addressed his pain level after the game, after appearing to be in a world of hurt when he went down on the field originally. “It’s actually numb,” he said. “I don’t feel anything right now. It’s getting a little stiff but we’re gonna see in the morning how it goes.” Soto has been finding his stride of late for the Mets after some rocky moments earlier in the season, so New York will want to have him back in the lineup as soon as he can possibly get out there. For the season coming into Tuesday, Soto had racked up 25 home runs and 62 RBI. He was hitting just .249, but was still an on-base machine with an MLB-leading 84 walks. The Padres went on to beat the Mets very comfortably in a 7-1 blowout on Tuesday night, but New York still sits in the top spot in the NL East by a half-game over the Philadelphia Phillies. The Mets and Phillies are two of the best teams in baseball, so the health of a player like Soto can go a long way toward deciding who comes out on top.