The latest updates from Flushing Meadows on day five
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It feels rather odd saying this, given that Osaka is a two-time former US Open champion, but she’s something of a wildcard contender this fortnight, having not won a title since 2021. But over the past year she’s been building momentum, after returning from her maternity leave in 2024, and there were plenty of green shoots on the grass at Wimbledon, where she beat Aryna Sabalenka en route to the quarter-finals. And Osaka has started strongly today, leading Siniakova 3-1 and serving at 40-15. Make that game, as the 13th seed’s pace is too much for the Czech to handle.

Swiatek is serving for the first set at 5-3. And on her second set point, at her advantage, she takes it, when Podoroska prods a return wide. After starting with three holds to love, the set got closer, but the eighth seed found a way through and she’s skipping to the back of the court to start the second set. She looks up for this – and most importantly, more confident than she has done for so much of this year.

Sabalenka made quick work of Iatcenko in the second round, while Tiafoe, Tsitsipas, Pegula and Muchova were among the other notable winners

And Nakashima breaks too – he’s hitting it hard off both wings and I wonder if he’s in the process of finding a new level. The first few times I watched him, I thought he had a bit of something and, real talk, I thought he’d be better by now than he is. But I really like what I’m seeing from him and, as we know, progress isn’t always linear.

It’s a good start for Medvedev, Gorzy – who saved five match points in round one – tamely ceding serve to 15.

Fery could not repeat his Wimbledon odyssey as he lost in the first round to Musetti, while Fritz, Rybakina and Andreeva advanced in straight sets and Cobolli fought back to win in five

Nothing’s going Cobolli’s way at the moment, as he thwacks his own leg with his racket while trying to hit the ball, as he’s taken to deuce once more on his serve. He recovers to get to his advantage, but then balloons another errant forehand well long, before finally getting on the board to reduce his deficit to 3-1.

It was also a day when Stan Wawrinka played his final grand slam match, Carlos Alcaraz made his return from injury and Aryna Sabalenka, after a shaky summer, started her title defence with a comfortable victory.

Manchester City spent £190m on two deadline-day signings while Tottenham brought in two Chelsea players, but Everton’s Folarin Balogun move collapsed

A lot of people are highly invested in people moving companies and changing jobs. You do not get this with accountancy or waste management.

In case any players do not get a move today and are desperate to get out of their club, there are options. Not all country’s celebrate deadline day on 1 September, so there is still hope of heading off to Turkey or Portugal.

England, France, Germany, Italy, Spain – 1 September

Argentina, Netherlands - 2 September

Scotland - 3 September

Turkey - 4 September

Russia - 10 September

Brazil - 11 September

Portugal - 15 September

UAE - 28 September

Saudi - 12 October

Director Joe Pearlman says he expected Real Madrid manager to ‘try to manipulate us’ in making of Netflix series

Even in the hyperreal world of football, there are few characters more compelling, more polarising, or more everything than José Mourinho, the best and worst of public him on full display in a new three-part Netflix series. “It reminded me how good he was,” says Joe Pearlman, who directed Mourinho, and the actual Mourinho is, believe it or not, keen to communicate the same. As he puts it in the show: “I look, you look, I see more than you.”

Making documentaries, though, is often about taking people to the places they’re most skilled at avoiding. “I knew the interviews were going to be very intense,” says Pearlman, “and he was going to try and control the narrative and manipulate us. Everything bad is everyone else’s fault and everything he’s done is validated by winning. Because that’s all that’s important.”

• Action, news and reaction on opening weekend

• 10 things to look out for at Glasgow 2026 | Mail Rob

I posted the Ramsay-Peaty report from last evening a few minutes ago, an d he’ll need to have recovered quickly, as he goes in the 50m breaststroke heats in this morning’s sesh. Back with the weightlifting final, meanwhile, Mboya goes for 115kg … and it’s up, but Chananbam of India just about gets there with 116 and takes the lead.

Our first netball match is over, Scotland beating Wales 56-47; they lost to NZ yesterday, but will hope to finish second in Pool B. In Pool A, England beat Norther Ireland 83-34, while Australia thumped Tonga 99-38.

⚽ Latest World Cup news as tournament comes to close
⚽ Player guide | Golden Boot | Follow on TikTok | Mail us

Back to the action on the field, or rather slightly adjacent to it. A lacklustre “closing ceremony” in which Tom Cruise was drowned out by the crowd got proceedings under way in New Jersey. A half-time show no one asked for filled the gap in the middle that didn’t need to be plugged. And finally, having kept his physical distance all tournament, US president Donald Trump tried to steal the show just as the curtain was falling.

“I think I heard a match commentator say that the last team that beat Spain was Scotland. Does that mean Scotland have won the World Cup?!” asks Peter Oh.

Our writers reacted to all the news ahead of the 2026 World Cup final between Spain and Argentina

Watching England against France – though, of course, defensive intensity was lower – it was still noticeable how dangerous Saka and Marcus Rashford were on the counter. Had Tuchel sent them on against Argentina soon after England scored, Lionel Scaolini’s men would’ve had to respect it and might well have feared it, forced, at the very least, to leave defenders back to mark them, while their own team would’ve had out-balls and a serious threat, meaning when they cleared their lines, it wouldn’t have simply been to face yet another attack.

It find it strange that, given his team struggled for control and also to break down tight defences, Tuchel didn’t give Mainoo a single second on the pitch – and seemed to have decided as much by the Panama game, when he brought on Henderson in preference. England desperately lacked midfield balance, control, poise and craft, a problem that eventually cost them – and is the main reason I’d have given them little chance of beating Spain had they made the final. Anderson and Rice are fine players, but given Bellingham is essential, I’d want only one, with the trio completed by a more technical and cerebral type – which needn’t be Mainoo, he was just the only one in the squad.

⚽ Latest news in aftermath from dramatic day in Atlanta
⚽ Tuchel takes blame | Player guide | Golden Boot | Mail us

Thomas Tuchel had already shown this week he’s not someone who is prone to mere pleasantries after a game. The head coach shouldered the blame for England becoming too passive after taking the lead against Argentina, but at the same time said he had “no regrets”.

I don’t believe so much in an English thing and a curse or whatever. It’s repeating itself in different moments. It’s different coaches, different players, different situations.

What cost us today was that we were not active enough in any structure. I can understand these discussions are out there and of course a million coaches after the game know it better. You can discuss this with a million coaches. I have to make a decision on the pitch. It’s how I analyse the match and I take the responsibility.

⚽ All the latest news from a huge World Cup Wednesday
⚽ Spain reach final | Player guide | Golden Boot | Mail us

Over the next three hours – and when I’m subbed off thereafter – we’ll reflect on France 0-2 Spain, and look forward to England v Argentina. England v Argentina in the semi-finals of the World Cup, oh my complete and utter daze days.

Greetings one and all. Anyone got any plans for later?

The preparations for the semi-finals gathered at a pace, while Slaven Bilic is back in charge of Croatia

I mean, just look at him.

In which regard, here are some words on the great man.

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So what of our match? Zverev has played really well in his last two matches, the best I’ve ever seen him play on grass, and his on-court confidence is higher than ever before. His serve and backhand are always sensational, but his forehand is much improved, likewise his volleying; if he maintains he level, he’s got a chance.

Sinner, though, is just the better player – by a way – and, after a forcing his way to early wins, including coming from 2-1 down in round one, he turned it on in the semi, wiping Djokovic off the court. He has no weaknesses, so beating him is a problem: Zverev will have to serve lights out, hope the match goes long, and Sinner’s body lets him down. Otherwise, the consistency of the Italian’s hitting makes him an overwhelming favourite.

Fery’s magical run ends with crushing defeat by Zverev
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What a walk this is, through the corridor and history, down the stairs, past the trophies and by the board; there goes the fear again.

Aha, here they come…

Updates from Wednesday’s last-eight action in SW19
Arthur Fery: the wildcard carrying GB hopes | Mail Katy

Centre Court (1.30pm BST)

Marta Kostyuk (Ukraine, 12) v Jasmine Paolini (Italy, 13)
Flavio Cobolli (Italy, 9) v Arthur Fery (GB)

Quarter-final action, under way in SW19 from 1pm (BST)
Wildcard Fery extends Wimbledon fairytale | Mail Tanya

Now a love hold for Struff, who’s started pretty well and leads 3-2 He looks confident, but he’s not yet been put under pressure and I wonder if he can offer more testing returns. Even if he needs to stand back to give himself a better look at Sinner’s serve, he has to try and dig into it rather than hope e can struggle to a tiebreaker.

Nana Sinner appears to have been busy knitting Jannik’s top; that, or Nike have rinsed him with gear yet again.

Updates from Monday’s play at the All England Club
Osaka stuns Sabalenka | Sinner through | Mail Daniel

“I feel like I still cannot process this happening,” says Kostyuk, also noting how hot it is. “The longer you stay on this surface, the worse you feel.” She adds that the court wasn’t easy given the heat and wind, especially against an opponent on a roll having played 17 consecutive matches on grass – more than Kostyuk in her entire career. So it was very difficult and she still can’t believe it.

She was struggling to break the whole match so is really happy with the last two service-games she faced, and then thanks the crowd for their contribution.

All the latest news from Thursday’s live action at SW19
Order of play | Sinner battles past Borges | Mail Daniel

At 4-3 in the second, Shnaider makes 0-40, Sansonova saving the first break point with a forehand ushered to the corner and the second with a serve out wide and clean-up. But when a return, thudded flat and close to the baseline, arrives, the response falls long, and the French Open finalist will now serve for a decider at 4-6 5-3.

We get going on No1 at 1pm BST, 1.30pm on Centre, but before that, we’ve close matches on 12 and 18. Samsonova is still holding her own against Shanider, who beat Sabalenka – admittedly with help from Sabalenka herself – on her way to the final at Roland Garros, leading 6-4 3-3 and refusing to wilt though her opponent has improved. And Fery – who our commentators reckon has the ability to break the top 20 – trails Virtanen 5-7 4-4. Back with our hidings, though, De Minaur has just served out a 6-2 set to lead Mannarino 2-0.

Updates from Wednesday’s action in SW19
Diary | Mail Katy | Evans hits out at ‘shambles’

Yara El-Shaboury was watching on No 2 Court, and has this quick report:

Naomi Osaka cruised to a second-round 6-3, 6-2 win against the Russian qualifier Anastasia Gasanova. There was little worry for the four-time grand slam champion, whose serves and groundstrokes were stellar as she makes it to the third round at Wimbledon in back-to-back years.

There was a small moment of frustration in the second set, with Osaka stating “What the hell?” after hitting the ball out, which garnered some chuckles from the No 2 Court crowd. She then turned to her team to complain about Gasanova’s grunting but got on with business to win in straight sets.

The Japanese was candid in her on-court interview about her nerves, saying: “​I don’t rate my performance. I have to wait a bit to do that. My current emotion is that I am happy to win. I am glad to do it in straight sets.

“Tomorrow is my daughter’s birthday so I didn’t want to make her get on a plane on her birthday. I will practise a bit in the morning and then maybe take her to the park. She loves making new friends.”

Williams fell just short on her return, Stan Wawrinka said goodbye to Wimbledon for the last time, while there first-round wins for Iga Swiatek, Alexander Zverev and Elena Rybakina, but exits for Ben Shelton and Elina Svitolina

Next no No 3: Alex de Minaur (5) v Roman Andres Burruchaga.

Next on No 2: Otto Virtanen v Ben Shelton (4).

Cam Norrie and Harriet Dart make early SW19 exits
Jack Draper withdraws with injury | Email Billy

Jodar* 2-1 Gill (* denotes server): The Spaniard is playing his first pro-level game on grass but it does not really look like it. A few more good serves and then a final smash down the centre seals his hold.

Jodar 1-1 Gill* (* denotes server): Gill speeds to a 40-0 lead with some big serves and a powerful forehand down the line. Jodar gets back into it to make it 40-15 but the Spaniard’s wild return at game point is well out and Gill gets on the board.