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Alcaraz says completing career Slam his ‘first goal’ | The Express Tribune

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Alcaraz says completing career Slam his ‘first goal’ | The Express Tribune



NEW YORK:

Carlos Alcaraz says winning next year’s Australian Open to seal a career Grand Slam is his main objective after securing a sixth major title in New York on Sunday.

Alcaraz beat chief rival Jannik Sinner 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 to claim his second US Open crown and would become the youngest man to win all four majors if he lifts the trophy in Melbourne next January.

“It’s my first goal, to be honest,” said the 22-year-old Alcaraz, who has not made it past the quarter-finals in four trips to Australia.

“When I just go to the preseasons to what I want to improve, what I want to achieve, Australian Open is there.

“It’s the first or second tournament of the year, and it is always the main goal for me to complete a career Grand Slam, calendar Grand Slam. So it’s going to be great.”

Alcaraz’s compatriot Rafael Nadal holds the record as the youngest man to win all four majors. He achieved the feat at the age of 24 in 2010 when he won the first of his four US Open titles.

“Obviously I’m going to try to do it next year, but if it is not next year, hopefully in two and three and four. So I will try to complete it,” said Alcaraz.

He will reclaim the world number one ranking from Sinner on Monday, returning to the top of the men’s game for the first time since September 2023.

“When you achieve the goals you set up yourself at the beginning of the year, it feels amazing,” said Alcaraz.

“Since I got the chance to recover the number one, it was one of the first goals that I had during the seasons, just to try to recover the number one as soon as possible or end the year as the number one.

“For me, to achieve that once again, it is, as I said, it is a dream. Doing it the same day as getting another Grand Slam feels even better.”

Alcaraz dropped just one set throughout the tournament and continued his recent mastery of Sinner, getting revenge for his loss to the Italian in the Wimbledon final.

“The performance today was perfect,” said Alcaraz’s coach Juan Carlos Ferrero.

Alcaraz and Sinner are the torch-bearers of the current generation, sweeping the last eight majors between them and taking 10 of the last 13. Novak Djokovic has won the other three.

Ferrero knows Alcaraz has the talent to hoover up considerably more silverware in the years to come but is doing his best to ensure his protégé keeps working hard at his craft.

“The potential to win many titles, many Grand Slams, is there, but we take nothing for granted. Nothing is automatic; you have to make it happen,” said Ferrero.

“I don’t think too far ahead. I can’t stop to think about whether Carlos is going to win 20 Grand Slams; you have to take each day as it comes.

“He’s 22 years old; we can’t think he’s perfect, far from it. He has a lot of things to improve on.”



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Jays’ Bichette, Dodgers’ Kershaw on WS rosters

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October 24, 2025

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Jays’ Bichette, Dodgers’ Kershaw on WS rosters


  • Jorge CastilloOct 24, 2025, 11:43 AM ET

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      ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the Washington Wizards from 2014 to 2016 and the Washington Nationals from 2016 to 2018 for The Washington Post before covering the Los Angeles Dodgers and MLB for the Los Angeles Times from 2018 to 2024.

TORONTO — Bo Bichette, who has not played since spraining his left knee in early September, was added to the Toronto Blue Jays‘ roster for the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Blue Jays also included first baseman Ty France on their roster for the first time this postseason. Outfielder Joey Loperfido and right-handed reliever Yariel Rodriguez, who were on the American League Championship Series roster, were not included.

The question is how limited is Bichette.

A two-time All-Star shortstop, Bichette has not played in a game since injuring his knee in a collision with Yankees catcher Austin Wells on Sept. 6. He attempted to return in time for the AL Championship Series but could not run the bases without significant pain the day before the Blue Jays had to submit their roster.

Bichette worked out at second base and faced live pitching Wednesday and Thursday. Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Bichette could play second base, shortstop or serve as the team’s designated hitter. If he is the DH, George Springer would likely move to right field.

A free agent this winter, Bichette had a rebound season after posting a .598 OPS in 81 games in an injury-plagued 2024 campaign. The homegrown star, 27, finished second in the majors with a .311 batting average and hit 18 home runs with 94 RBI and an .840 OPS.

Without him, the Blue Jays have played Andres Gimenez, their regular second baseman, at shortstop in the postseason with Isiah Kiner-Falefa getting most of the starts at second base.

Los Angeles added right-handers Edgardo Henriquez and Will Klein while dropping lefty Alex Vesia and righty Ben Casparius. The Dodgers said Thursday that Vesia was not with the team in Toronto because of a family matter.

Former closer Tanner Scott was not added. The left-hander was dropped from the National League Division Series roster following surgery on Oct. 8 to remove of an abscess from an infection on his lower body.

Clayton Kershaw, who was left off the Dodgers’ wild-card series roster and did not pitch in the NL Championship Series, is on the World Series roster. Kershaw has said he plans to retire after this season.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.



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Shan Masood given additional role as Consultant International Cricket

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October 24, 2025

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Shan Masood given additional role as Consultant International Cricket


Pakistan captain Shan Masood addressing a press conference head of the first Test against England at the Multan Cricket Stadium, October 6, 2024. — APP

LAHORE: Pakistan’s Test captain Shan Masood has been appointed as Consultant International Cricket and Players’ Affairs, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Friday.

The announcement was reportedly first made by PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi at a recent luncheon for the Pakistan and South Africa teams, also attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The cricket board has now made the official announcement in a brief statement; however, it did not disclose Masood’s responsibilities in the new role.

The 36-year-old has featured in 44 Tests for Pakistan, captaining the national side in 14 of those games.

Under his leadership, Pakistan defeated England 2-1 last year, their first Test series win against England on home soil since 2005.

The Pakistan Test captain’s appointment came a month after the PCB suspended its Director of International Cricket, Usman Wahla, over delays in handling a crucial communication to the International Cricket Council (ICC).

According to the sources, Wahla was removed from his post after he failed to promptly forward an official letter concerning the Asia Cup handshake controversy, which sparked heated debate across the cricketing world.

Sources said that the PCB leadership grew frustrated over the delayed response, ultimately leading to Wahla’s suspension.

The PCB had lodged a formal complaint with the ICC and Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), seeking the removal of match referee Andy Pycroft from the Asia Cup 2025.

The complaint stemmed from the widely publicised incident during the Pakistan-India fixture in Dubai, where both captains skipped the traditional pre-match handshake — a move reportedly directed by Pycroft.

In its letter, the PCB argued that the referee’s decision undermined the spirit of cricket and contravened the MCC’s long-standing laws.

“No handshakes were exchanged before or after the match, which is a direct violation of the game’s traditions,” the letter read. It further alleged that Pycroft had “failed to fulfil his responsibilities as match referee” and breached the ICC Code of Conduct.

The issue was resolved after the PCB confirmed that Andy Pycroft had apologised to Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha and the team manager.





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Grateful Ducks: Oregon’s Grateful Dead uniforms top best Week 9 threads in college football

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October 24, 2025

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Grateful Ducks: Oregon’s Grateful Dead uniforms top best Week 9 threads in college football


Oregon brings the heat with its uniforms every week, but few of its many combinations have a backstory like the threads it’ll be wearing in Week 9 against Wisconsin.

On Sunday, Oregon unveiled its “Grateful Ducks” uniforms, a tribute to the famed band the Grateful Dead.

The Grateful Dead have a deep connection to the Ducks’ home city of Eugene — the band played at Autzen Stadium 10 times between 1974 and 1994. Over the summer, Oregon announced that the stadium theme — a “tie-dye out” — for the school’s Week 9 game against the Badgers would honor the band.

Fittingly, the Ducks’ uniforms this week will draw upon similar themes. At first glance, the Grateful Ducks threads look like a simple enough black-and-green Oregon combination. But the details are both plentiful and aesthetically excellent.

Most notably, the green numbers and the trademark “O” logos on the helmet contain tie-dye patterns. The jersey shoulders contain distinct patches that mix the school’s colors with the band’s “Steal Your Face” motif. Inside the collar and on the back of the helmet is a line of the Grateful Dead’s “dancing bears” — swapping in ducks for the bears.

Oregon isn’t the only school bringing out memorable threads this week, though. Here are the top uniforms from around the college football world in Week 9:

A great uniform can be elevated to another level with a memorable reveal, with New Mexico achieving such a feat this week.

The Lobos’ Week 9 throwback uniforms are aesthetically incredible — turquoise jerseys coupled with gray helmets featuring a simple red Zia emblem, which is found on the state flag of New Mexico.

But New Mexico’s reveal video was every bit as good as the uniforms themselves. Lobos coach Jason Eck and several players drove around Albuquerque in their riff of the movie “Gone in 60 seconds.”

Miami will ditch its usual color scheme of orange, green and white against Stanford for a new look: camouflage.

The Hurricanes’ “Honor and Support” threads mark a tribute to those who have served in the military. Details include a camouflage pattern on the jersey and an American flag patch on the sleeves, with pale green pants. A black helmet also features the school’s classic “U” logo in camouflage coloring.

It’s homecoming weekend for Mississippi State, and it is pulling out a slick uniform combination for the occasion.

The highlight comes on the helmets, which feature the school’s interlocking “MSU” motif on a maroon background for the first time this season. The lids will be paired with a traditional combination of jersey and pants — a maroon jersey and gray pants, with white accenting throughout.

They didn’t bring Florida International any good luck in a 45-26 loss to the Kennesaw State on Tuesday, but the Panthers’ Week 9 threads were still extremely slick.

FIU pulled out its Vice uniforms for the matchup with the Owls, a look that adds a number of bold neon highlights to a black base. The uniform’s helmets include neon pink face masks, a neon blue and pink panther logo on the helmet and a 305 area code on the front of the helmet, with the “0” represented by a panther.





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