Serena Williams withdrew from the Australian Open on January 5, 2018 and announced she would not defend the title she won while pregnant.

The American had kept secret the fact she was expecting her first child as she swept to a 23rd grand slam title in 2017, defeating sister Venus 6-4 6-4 in the final.

Williams gave birth to daughter Alexis Olympia in September of the same year and ultimately decided to delay her return to the big stage.

Williams had played an exhibition match on December 30 in Abu Dhabi against Jelena Ostapenko, testing out her fitness in a 6-2 3-6 10-5 defeat, and that prompted her decision to sit out the new year’s first grand slam.

She said: “After competing in Abu Dhabi I realised that, although I am super close, I’m not where I personally want to be.

“My coach and team always said only go to tournaments when you are prepared to go all the way.

“I can compete, but I don’t want to just compete, I want to do far better than that and, to do so, I will need a little more time.”

Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said: “The true champion Serena is has been demonstrated in the Herculean efforts she has made over the past few months in her desire to play the Australian Open.

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“Serena transcends the sport in the way she approaches all aspects of her life and consistently gives her all in everything she does.

“It was never going to be good enough for her to just compete, she wants to give herself the best chance to win.

“I’ve been in constant contact with Serena and her team and know this is why she has pushed it and pushed it until the eleventh hour to make her final decision.

“We all wish her the very best and I look forward to seeing her back on court this year, and can’t wait to welcome her back to the Australian Open in 2019.”

Williams went on to reach four more grand slam finals but did not win another title before retiring in 2022.

Sahith Theegala birdied seven of his final nine holes to take a one-shot lead after the first round of the PGA Tour season in Hawaii.

The American’s nine-under-par 64 in The Sentry event leads a group of five players, including major champions Collin Morikawa and Jason Day, plus FedEx champion Viktor Hovland.

Colombia’s Camillo Villegas and South Korean Sungjae Im are also on eight under, with world number one Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele and Jordan Spieth among those a shot further adrift.

On a day of low scoring, Theegala reached the turn at three-under-par before six consecutive birdies catapulted him into the last – another at the last, giving him the top spot on his own after a bogey at the 16th.

Morikawa made six birdies and an eagle in his 65, while Hovland birdied seven of his last 10 holes.

Matt Wallace was the top English performer in the 59-strong field – made up of last year’s PGA Tour winners and top 50 in the FedEx Cup standings – with a 68, one better than Tyrell Hatton and Matt Fitzpatrick.

Tommy Fleetwood opened with a 70, while Justin Rose came home in 31 after going out in 40 to be two under.

David Warner has said he is “relieved” to be reunited with his baggy green Australian cricket cap midway through his final Test match.

The opener issued a public plea for the cap’s return on Tuesday after it went missing in transit from Melbourne ahead of Australia’s third Test against Pakistan at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

The search for Warner’s “baggy green” has made headline news in Australia, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese joining the calls for its return.

The 37-year-old revealed it had been found in an Instagram post on Friday.

He said: “I’m pleased and relieved that I have got my baggy back in my hands.

“Any cricketer knows how special their cap is and I’ll cherish this for the rest of my life.

“Very grateful to all those involved in locating it: the Qantas team, the freight company, the hotel and our own team management.

“It’s a load off my shoulders going into the last couple of days; I really appreciate it, so thank you all.”

Cricket Australia said it was uncertain about the circumstances in which Warner’s cap, along with a back-up, were returned.

In his initial appeal, Warner described the cap as “sentimental to me” and that the backpack which it was in had been taken from his luggage.

Warner was out for 34 in the first innings of the Sydney Test, his 112th and final red ball appearance for his country.

At a press conference on Monday, Warner announced he was also retiring from one-day cricket, but would still be available for the T20 format.

Everton boss Sean Dyche called for a “tidying up” of VAR following the controversial decision which saw Dominic Calvert-Lewin shown a straight red card late on in the goalless FA Cup third-round tie at Crystal Palace.

Nathaniel Clyne went down wincing following a sliding tackle by Calvert-Lewin, who appeared to catch the Palace defender’s shin with his studs.

Referee Chris Kavanagh went to review the incident on the pitchside monitor and decided the contact was enough to dismiss the Toffees striker, who was sent off for the first time in his career.

Dyche said: “It seems a bit confused at the moment. I said recently, we had another one, where I said I don’t know who is refereeing which. I am a fan, (but) I definitely think we’re all aware it needs tidying up.

“I thought it was getting tidied up, and then it seems to have stepped back a bit. I remain a fan at this stage,  but it is beginning to test my patience even,  because I look at the obvious offsides which I think is fair, that should be there, some of the others I’m going well, what’s got a chance now of being let play and what’s got a chance of being called, but we don’t actually know.”

Earlier, Dyche had lamented the decision to turn to VAR in the first place, suggesting the calls throughout the contest had perhaps been inconsistent after an Everton penalty shout went unanswered.

He told ITV: “If you want to slow-mo everything, then you have got to slow-mo everything – you can’t just have it one for one and one for the other.

“At the end of it is minor contact. In live time, he doesn’t give everything, then you slow it down – and everything looks worse on slow-mo, we all know that.”

Dyche revealed he had not ruled out appealing the decision, saying: “I’ll double-check the process.

“Yet again it’s one of them risk-and-reward things. Is it worth it, is it not worth it. I don’t think anyone knows what’s going to happen with these decisions now.

“We’ll see, we’ll analyse it, we’ll get an outside view and then we will decide.”

Palace boss Roy Hodgson could understand his counterpart’s frustration, but stopped short of criticising the decision to dismiss Calvert-Lewin.

He said: “I mean Sean comes from a type of football, was brought up in a type of football where those sort of challenges were pretty commonplace and they weren’t punished if people got the ball.

“We now live in a slightly different world I think, and that is if you go into challenges with a straight leg and you have a bit of intent behind it, there’s a risk.

“There was definitely no malicious intent from Calvert-Lewin, there’s no question of that, not from seeing it back, it’s just a situation of an interpretation these days of a challenge, and the interpretation unfortunately can be that if you’re straight-legged and your foot is off the ground as you go into a challenge it can be deemed a red card.

“So have I got sympathy for him? Yes I have.”

Ilkay Gundogan scored a stoppage-time penalty to give Barcelona a 2-1 win at Las Palmas and close the gap at the top of LaLiga.

After Barca saw defender Joao Cancelo forced off early on with a knee injury, Munir El Haddadi put the Canary Islanders ahead against his former club.

Ferran Torres equalised soon after the restart before Gundogan slotted in a dramatic late winner from the penalty spot after being pushed over by Daley Sinkgraven, who was shown a red card, to leave Barca seven points behind leaders Real Madrid and Girona.

Brazil forward Vitor Roque was named on the bench after Barcelona received league clearance on the 18-year-old forward’s 40million euro (£35m) move from Athletico Paranaense.

There was an early injury worry for Barca when Cancelo was forced off for some treatment on a knee problem. Although the Portugal defender came back on, he did not last long and was replaced by Andreas Christensen.

Las Palmas soon took the lead in the 12th minute when former Barca striker El Haddadi swept in a low cross from fellow Blaugrana old boy Sandro Ramirez.

Barca looked for a swift response as defender Alejandro Balde got clear down the left, but his ball into the penalty area was cleared behind.

Sandro tested Barca keeper Inaki Pena with an angled drive at the near post following another fluid counter attack by the hosts.

Las Palmas continued to press, with Pena first making a smart save from Javier Munoz’s rising drive before Sandro’s deflected effort from the rebound hit the base of the post.

There was a slight delay at the start of the second half as the bottom of the goal net which Barcelona would be attacking needed some repairs.

Barca threatened when Raphinha fired over from the edge of the penalty area.

The equaliser eventually came in the 55th minute when the ball took a couple of fortuitously defections through the Las Palmas penalty area and fell to Torres, who slotted into the bottom corner.

Frenkie De Jong fired straight at Las Palmas goalkeeper Alvaro Valles after being set up by the busy Gundogan.

Barca boss Xavi made a change for the closing 20 minutes, as Robert Lewandowski was replaced by Joao Felix and Lamine Yamal came on for Raphinha.

Las Palmas went close when Mika Marmol glanced a header wide from a corner before Roque was handed his Barca debut in the 79th minute, coming on for Torres.

Just when it looked like Barca would have to settle for a point, Las Palmas substitute Sinkgraven bundled over Gundogan at the far post as the midfielder looked to head the ball in – and was shown a straight red card.

Gundogan picked himself up and took the resulting penalty himself to calmly slot in a stoppage-time winner before Roque stabbed a late chance wide from six yards.

Everton boss Sean Dyche hit out at the “slow-mo” VAR decision which saw Dominic Calvert-Lewin shown a straight red card late on in the goalless FA Cup third-round tie at Crystal Palace.

Nathaniel Clyne went down wincing following a sliding tackle by Calvert-Lewin, who appeared to catch the Palace defender’s shin with his studs.

Referee Chris Kavanagh went to review the incident on the pitchside monitor and decided the contact was enough to dismiss the Toffees striker, who was sent off for the first time in his career.

Dyche, though, was again unimpressed by the VAR intervention.

“I think slow-mo shows a different picture,” he told ITV Sport.

“If you are going to slow-mo things, then you are going to have to slow-mo the penalty on Beto or what could have been a penalty.

“(Joachim) Andersen has got his arms clearly around him, cupping his body. He goes down and it is not given.

“So if you want to slow-mo everything, then you have got to slow-mo everything – you can’t just have it one for one and one for the other.

“At the end of it is minor contact. In live time, he doesn’t give everything, then you slow it down – and everything looks worse on slow-mo, we all know that.”

Dyche said Everton would consider whether to appeal the red card, but felt his side had put up a decent display in the circumstances.

“There is a lot of satisfaction,” the Everton boss said.

“I thought we were back up to the performance levels we have shown this season, particularly away from home. Even when we went down to 10, the mentality was good.”

Ange Postecoglou has talked up Tottenham’s chances of FA Cup success and insisted he is driven by adding another trophy picture to his collection.

Spurs exited the Carabao Cup at the first hurdle in August after a penalty shoot-out loss at Fulham and face more Premier League opposition in a domestic cup on Friday night.

Burnley are the visitors in the FA Cup third round and Postecoglou, who has won silverware with South Melbourne, Brisbane Roar, Australia, Yokohama and Celtic, is eager to create new memories in England’s historic cup competition.

“From my perspective it’s an opportunity for us to try to win a competition and for a club of our stature that has to be the ambition every year, that you go into every competition with the aim and the hope of winning some silverware,” Postecoglou said.

“I love winning. It is what I have done all my career. I don’t say that dismissively and I don’t have (pictures) on the ceiling, but that’s what drives me.

“Every year I start the year hoping there is a picture by the end of the year of me with a team lifting a trophy.

“That is what I have tried to do my whole career and I have got plenty of evidence of that, so that’s what my intent is here. I don’t have to visualise it – it’s what I do.”

Postecoglou’s sentiments will be music to the ears of Tottenham supporters who have craved silverware with no trophy win since 2008.

While Spurs reached the Champions League final in 2019, their home dressing room only has pictures of club successes like the 1961 double-winning side or the eight teams who inspired FA Cup glory, most recently in 1991.

Postecoglou added: “The people who have had success at this football club are rightly honoured.

“If you walk around the home dressing room, those are the only pictures we have got up there, teams and individuals that have won things because we know how important they are to this football club.”

Spurs have been hit by more absentees this month with captain Son Heung-min away at the Asian Cup with South Korea Pape Sarr and Yves Bissouma in Africa Cup of Nations action for Senegal and Mali respectively.

Postecoglou was happy to play down any controversy ahead of next weekend’s trip to Manchester United, who have been allowed to keep goalkeeper Andre Onana until that fixture, and also refuted claims these tournaments could put Tottenham off signing Asian or African players in the future.

“I don’t think it’s fair or unfair,” Postecoglou commented on Onana’s delayed link-up with Cameroon.

“Not bothered at all what other clubs do.

“We’ve got a generational player (Son) from Asia that’s been representing our club. If we lose him every four years for five weeks, I think it’s a real small price to pay.

“I love international football, I think it’s important. The tournaments they are going to now are significant tournaments.

“You’ve got to understand these guys, this is where they were brought up. This is where a lot of who they are today comes from and when they go and represent their country, it’s not just another game of football for them.

“I’m sure Sonny and Pape would have loved to have been here with us but it doesn’t diminish what they do there.”

Brendan Rodgers revealed Celtic once came close to signing Declan Rice as he highlighted the precarious nature of January transfer deals.

Rodgers hopes to add to his squad early in the month but added a note of caution in the tale of England midfielder Rice, who moved from West Ham to Arsenal in a £105million deal in the summer.

Rodgers has previously spoken of the need to sign players who can make an instant impact with most of the club’s summer signings still to establish themselves in the team.

The Celtic manager, whose first spell in Glasgow came in 2016-2019, said: “The club will do absolutely everything we can to support what we need and what the team needs.

“There is lots of work going on in the background, and I’m pretty sure that in this early period of the month, we can have some joy and get one or two in. Ideally you’d want to get them in (early).

“Deals can be complicated and things that might have been there for three or four months can fall away. That’s always the challenge – it only takes one injury to (affect) a player who was lined up to come in.

“I remember when I was here the first time, we spent about three months looking for Declan Rice to come in.

“Declan was all set to come in and then all of a sudden they (West Ham) had an injury, he stayed and got in the team and the rest is history. That’s not the club’s fault – it’s just the way it goes.

“We have a number of positions we want to prioritise. There are other positions where we won’t be able to do anything until the summer, I know that. But what I do know is that we want to improve the squad and the club are very happy to support that.”

Rodgers is looking to reduce the size of his squad this month but that process is subject to external influences as well.

“I have regular dialogue with players but still we obviously have to wait and see as well because some players may want to go out but, if we don’t get the players in that we need, then I have to ensure the squad is as strong as it possibly can be for the second part of the season,” he said.

Crystal Palace and Everton will replay their FA Cup third-round clash after their Selhurst Park encounter ended in a goalless draw.

The Toffees were down to 10 men after Dominic Calvert-Lewin was shown red for a challenge in the 79th minute of a contest that began under a south London downpour.

Those who braved the rain took in a largely uneventful first half that ended with a single shot on target for the visitors and none for the hosts.

Palace could not capitalise on the extra-man advantage through nine minutes of stoppage time, the visitors suffering a second-half blow when Dwight McNeil was carried off on a stretcher after sustaining what appeared to be a lower-leg injury.

Both Sean Dyche and Roy Hodgson fielded strong line-ups ,with three changes for Everton and two enforced swaps for Palace with Ghana international Jordan Ayew having already departed for the Africa Cup of Nations.

Teenage summer signing Matheus Franca made his long-awaited first start the hosts in place of  Michael Olise, back on Hodgson’s injured list with a hamstring issue sustained after netting twice in the Eagles’ 3-1 victory over Brentford.

It was Ayew’s replacement, Jeffrey Schlupp, who was the first to get a shot away, ultimately a simple save for Joao Virginia inside three minutes, and there were little in the way of chances as the contest entered its 20th minute.

Arnaut Danjuma, who had previously fired into the side-netting, came closer with his second attempt which Dean Henderson managed to turn behind with a good save.

Franca later found himself the sole blue shirt amidst a sea of grey, eventually taking a big hit from James Tarkowski to earn Palace a free-kick from a dangerous central position just outside the penalty area, wasted by Eberechi Eze who skied his attempt into the Holmesdale Stand.

Palace had their best opportunity to take the lead when Eze laid off to Jefferson Lerma, who might have taken more time, instead rifling a shot just over as half-time approached.

Everton enjoyed a spell inside the Eagles’ final third after the break, but it was Palace who had the better chances to break the deadlock, first through Eze then Lerma’s nodded effort, both saved by Virginia.

Calvert-Lewin sent a low effort straight at Henderson past the hour mark and a trio of Toffees corners shortly followed, Amadou Onana coming closest on the third but nodding high.

If anyone looked closer to an opener it was Everton with the slight edge, Henderson punching away McNeil’s chipped ball, then again denying Danjuma.

Hodgson’s side were emerging from a significant injury crisis when they beat Brentford, and there were more worrying scenes for the hosts when Nathaniel Clyne went down wincing following a tackle by Calvert-Lewin, who appeared to catch the Palace defender’s shin with his studs.

Referee Chris Kavanagh consulted the pitchside monitor, deeming the contact enough to dismiss the striker before James Garner skied a good chance.

Things went from bad to worse when McNeil was forced off with what appeared to be a lower-leg injury when he landed awkwardly after jumping over his team-mate whilst defending a corner and was eventually carried off on a stretcher.

Hodgson made several late changes, but none were able to make the impact needed.

Away from the Cleveland Cavaliers this season to work on his mental health, veteran point guard Ricky Rubio has announced that he will no longer play in the NBA.

The 33-year-old Spaniard went into detail Thursday with a post on X about his decision to end his NBA career.

“July 30th was one of the toughest nights of my life,” said Rubio, who didn’t report to Cleveland’s training camp this season.

"My mind went to a dark place. I kind of knew I was going on that direction, but I never thought I wasn’t under control of the situation. The next day, I decided to stop my professional career.

“One day, when the time is right, I would love to share my full experience with you all so I can help support others going through similar situations.

"Until then, I would like to keep it private out of respect for my family and myself, as I’m still working on my mental health. But I’m proud to say I’m doing much better and getting better everyday.

“I wanted to post this message for you today because my NBA career has come to an end.”

The Minnesota Timberwolves selected Rubio with the fifth overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, and he began his career in the 2011-12 season en route to earning First-Team All-Rookie honors.

Rubio also played for the Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns and Cleveland, averaging 10.8 points, 7.4 assists and 4.1 rebounds in 698 career games.

“It all started in June 2009, draft night in New York. What a dream,” he said. “After playing 12 years in the league, with all its up and downs, I have collected lots of good memories and great relationships.

“Minnesota, Utah, Phoenix and Cleveland. Wow. Thank you!”

Red-faced Sunderland chiefs have apologised for a “serious error in judgement” after a bar at the Stadium of Light was decorated in the colours of arch-rivals Newcastle ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup derby.

Fans reacted with fury when images emerged on social media on Thursday of the Black Cats Bar at the Wearside venue with banners proclaiming the messages “Keep the Black and White Flying High” and “We are United”, while Sunderland’s motto “Ha’way the lads” in red had been replaced with the Geordie spelling “Howay” in black.

However, the Sky Bet Championship club later released a statement announcing an immediate review and confirming the bar, which will serve as a corporate hospitality area for visiting fans, would be returned to its previous livery before the third-round tie.

It said: “Sunderland AFC acknowledges that a serious error in judgement was made in relation to Black Cats Bar earlier this afternoon.

“We apologise to our fans for the understandable concern they have fairly voiced in response and this sentiment is shared by the club’s ownership group and board of directors, who have requested an immediate review is undertaken to determine how this process unfolded.

“A direct decision has also been taken by the ownership group and board of directors to return the space to its original state and we once again apologise to our supporters that this was not addressed sooner.”

Tensions were already running high among Black Cats fans after some season ticket holders were moved from their usual seats to accommodate 6,000 travelling Magpies supporters in the stadium’s North Stand.

The latest development sparked fresh anger as the club was accused of laying out the welcome mat for their Tyneside counterparts.

Long-standing fanzine A Love Supreme said on X, formerly Twitter: “At a complete loss for words. What on earth are the club doing?!?!?!

“Let’s hope the players don’t roll over and let the Mags tickle their tummy like the club have.

“Don’t think the club realise how much of a mistake decorating the stadium with Newcastle stuff is. Any good will they’ve developed from the results on the pitch/ getting us back into the Championship could genuinely be completely gone especially if we lose on Saturday.”

The eagerly-anticipated fixture will be the first time the north-east neighbours have met since a 1-1 Premier League draw at St James’ Park in March 2016, with the clubs having taken very different paths during the intervening period.

Sunderland, who had won each of the previous six encounters, spent four seasons in League One after successive relegations from the top flight, while Newcastle have been reinvigorated since being taken over by Amanda Staveley’s Saudi-backed consortium in October 2021.