Serena Williams' Comeback at Queen's Club is Over after Injury to Doubles Partner

FILE PHOTO: Tennis - Queen's Club Championships - Queen's Club, London, Britain - June 10, 2026  Serena Williams of the US during practice REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Tennis - Queen's Club Championships - Queen's Club, London, Britain - June 10, 2026 Serena Williams of the US during practice REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo
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Serena Williams' Comeback at Queen's Club is Over after Injury to Doubles Partner

FILE PHOTO: Tennis - Queen's Club Championships - Queen's Club, London, Britain - June 10, 2026  Serena Williams of the US during practice REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Tennis - Queen's Club Championships - Queen's Club, London, Britain - June 10, 2026 Serena Williams of the US during practice REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo

Serena Williams' much-hyped comeback to professional tennis at the Queen's Club lasted just one match.

The 44-year-old Williams' doubles partner, 19-year-old Canadian Victoria Mboko, was forced to withdraw from the draw on Thursday because of a knee injury she sustained in a singles match against Karolina Pliskova in the last 32 on Wednesday.

In her first professional match since the 2022 US Open, Williams teamed up with Mboko to beat third-seeded duo Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe 7-6 (2), 6-2 at the grass-court event on Tuesday. They were scheduled to face Leylah Fernandez and Laura Siegemund in the quarterfinals.

Williams is set to play doubles at the Berlin Open in Germany next week. Her partner has yet to be announced, The Associated Press reported.

Williams won 23 Grand Slam singles titles — including seven at Wimbledon — before stepping away from the game, saying at the time she was “evolving” away from tennis rather than "retiring."



Man City Boss Maresca: 'I Completely Trust the Club’

(FILES) Manchester City's Italian coach Enzo Maresca is pictured before the UEFA Champions League first round day 1 football match between FC Porto and Manchester City at Dragao stadium in Porto on September 8, 2026. (Photo by Patricia de Melo Moreira / AFP)
(FILES) Manchester City's Italian coach Enzo Maresca is pictured before the UEFA Champions League first round day 1 football match between FC Porto and Manchester City at Dragao stadium in Porto on September 8, 2026. (Photo by Patricia de Melo Moreira / AFP)
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Man City Boss Maresca: 'I Completely Trust the Club’

(FILES) Manchester City's Italian coach Enzo Maresca is pictured before the UEFA Champions League first round day 1 football match between FC Porto and Manchester City at Dragao stadium in Porto on September 8, 2026. (Photo by Patricia de Melo Moreira / AFP)
(FILES) Manchester City's Italian coach Enzo Maresca is pictured before the UEFA Champions League first round day 1 football match between FC Porto and Manchester City at Dragao stadium in Porto on September 8, 2026. (Photo by Patricia de Melo Moreira / AFP)

Manchester City boss Enzo Maresca said on Friday that he had absolute faith in the club after it was found guilty of more than 100 breaches of Premier League financial rules.

In his first press conference since the bombshell announcement last week, the Italian also rejected any suggestion that City's haul of silverware over the past 15 years was now tainted.

"I completely trust the club," said Maresca, who was appointed manager in June but also previously worked at City as part of Pep Guardiola's coaching staff.

"I trust the club because I trust the people and this is also the reason why I joined the club... there is not another club in the world where I would like to be."

An independent commission said that City had arranged "sham" contracts with a number of their commercial partners to artificially inflate revenues and reduce costs by over £900 million ($1.2 billion) over a nine-season period, between 2009 and 2018.

The 10-time English champions, who continue to deny any wrongdoing, are appealing against the judgement.

"The reason why I joined this club is because I completely trust 100 percent the owner, the CEO, the sporting director, all the organization. So I don't have any doubt about that," said Maresca.

"I spoke with the club for sure and we all (have) trust and the right moment to speak about that is when we win this appeal."

The club has won eight Premier League titles, the Champions League and multiple other trophies over the past 15 years.

Maresca rejected the suggestion that those successes were now tainted.

"Absolutely not," said the former Chelsea boss. "I know the effort from the players, from the club, from the manager in that time that was Pep. So I know exactly the effort that the club put to achieve that kind of target."

Guardiola stepped down at the end of last season after a trophy-laden decade at the Etihad Stadium.

City travel to Liverpool on Sunday for their first outing since the guilty verdict, but Guardiola is set to attend their next home game against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday.

"After 10 years here, he can come at any time he wants," said Maresca. "I think it would be nice for him. It would be nice for the fans, for everyone."


European Soccer Leaders Tell UEFA of Unhappiness with Longer 4-game Schedule

08 October 2026, United Kingdom, Manchester: Manchester City forward Erling Haaland arrives at the City Football Academy (CFA) for a training session. Photo: Martin Rickett/PA Wire/dpa
08 October 2026, United Kingdom, Manchester: Manchester City forward Erling Haaland arrives at the City Football Academy (CFA) for a training session. Photo: Martin Rickett/PA Wire/dpa
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European Soccer Leaders Tell UEFA of Unhappiness with Longer 4-game Schedule

08 October 2026, United Kingdom, Manchester: Manchester City forward Erling Haaland arrives at the City Football Academy (CFA) for a training session. Photo: Martin Rickett/PA Wire/dpa
08 October 2026, United Kingdom, Manchester: Manchester City forward Erling Haaland arrives at the City Football Academy (CFA) for a training session. Photo: Martin Rickett/PA Wire/dpa

European soccer federations told UEFA they are not happy with the new extended four-game blocks of international matches that finished this week.

Injured players like Kylian Mbappé missed too many games, Erling Haaland asked to come off in Norway’s fourth match, resources were stretched for coaches in smaller countries and extra demands were made on the time and money of fans and sponsors.

A “disaster,” said one official among multiple federations who spoke to The Associated Press on the sidelines of a closed-doors UEFA meeting Thursday in Berlin. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the confidential debate.

UEFA said it will gather their views to weigh a submission to FIFA about the 16-day block that combined what used to be separate two-game breaks in September and October.

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - JUNE 30: Kylian Mbappe #10 of France during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round Of 32 match between France and Sweden at New York New Jersey Stadium on June 30, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Justin Setterfield/Getty Images/AFP

Still, the four-game early-season block is locked in for four more years on the FIFA-managed calendar for international matches that is finalized through 2030. That year national teams in Europe will play four games between Sept. 23 to Oct. 8. Next year they will be qualifying games for the 2028 European Championship.

Longer international breaks were long-time goal of Euro clubs Fewer but longer breaks for international games have long been wanted by European clubs seeking to limit disruption to their seasons, and cut long-haul travel for their players from outside the continent.

Still, the past three weeks have not been popular with one Champions League club, whose coach led his national team Croatia for two years including at the 2014 World Cup.

“We now have the issue of not only having the occasional player coming back injured, but also the fact you go two or 2½ weeks without any momentum,” Borussia Dortmund coach Niko Kovač said this week. “We’re all starting from scratch now, in a sense.”


Everton Up for Sale after US Owner Says it is Exploring Investment Options

09 October 2026, United Kingdom, Liverpool: A general view of Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock. Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Wire/dpa
09 October 2026, United Kingdom, Liverpool: A general view of Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock. Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Wire/dpa
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Everton Up for Sale after US Owner Says it is Exploring Investment Options

09 October 2026, United Kingdom, Liverpool: A general view of Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock. Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Wire/dpa
09 October 2026, United Kingdom, Liverpool: A general view of Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock. Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Wire/dpa

Premier League Everton is on the market again after US owner the Friedkin Group announced Friday it was exploring investment options and a potential sale.

The Texas-based Friedkin Group only completed its purchase of the club in December 2024, ending the turbulent eight-year reign of former owner Farhad Moshiri.

“We will only entertain interest from parties who we strongly believe will be the right stewards to take the club forward and build on the momentum that has been established,” Everton said in a statement.

The announcement places fresh uncertainty over the nine-time English champion and founding member of the Premier League.

The takeover by the Friedkin Group ended a long-running saga over Everton's ownership, which had seen the collapse of a proposed buyout by the Miami-based private investment firm 777 Partners.

Everton said the group's options included the “potential sale of a controlling interest."

“When TFG became custodians of Everton, the club faced significant financial uncertainty and challenges both on and off the pitch,” the statement read, according to The Associated Press.

"The immediate priority was to provide the stability, investment and support needed to secure the club’s future, including helping to bring the long-promised stadium to completion for its deserving supporters.

“With that foundation now safely in place, the time is right to consider the next chapter for Everton.”

The Friedkin Group has a portfolio of companies in the automotive, entertainment, hospitality, sports and adventure industries including Italian team Roma.

British prime minister Andy Burnham is a fan of Everton and last month attended a game with Canada’s prime minister Mark Carney.