Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez declared his mission for Saturday's trilogy fight with bitter rival Gennady Golovkin is to "finish him off" inside the distance.
After a split draw in their first fight five years ago, Canelo was declared the winner of their September 2018 rematch by a majority decision.
He edged a tight contest 115-113 on two of the judges' cards, with the other judge unable to split the fighters, while many observers thought Golovkin had been the superior fighter.
It means there is unfinished business heading into the long-awaited third fight, which, like the first two, will play out at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Golovkin, now 40 years of age, is a big underdog this time, while 32-year-old Canelo must handle the pressure of being the man expected to reign in the ring.
Speaking to Stats Perform, Canelo said: "I feel great, I'm ready for this weekend, so I can't wait. I'm very excited.
"I was very happy when I won the second fight because I knew I won the first fight, too, so I was really happy."
There is a real dislike between the fighters on a personal basis, with Mexican Canelo open about his disdain for Kazakh Golovkin.
"As a fighter, he's a great fighter, but as a person I don't like him," Canelo said.
The boxing website Boxrec rates Canelo as the pound-for-pound best fighter on the planet, placing Golovkin ninth on that list.
Nothing would give Canelo more pleasure than being able to settle fight three against 'Triple G' without the need for judges this time.
By channelling his personal feelings towards Golovkin into his punching, Canelo is confident of getting the job done.
"It gives you that extra motivation of wanting to win, to go and finish him off basically," Canelo said. "That's what I've been training for and that's what I'm hoping to do on Saturday."
Golovkin carries a 42-1-1 pro career record into the fight, while Canelo is 57-2-2 after slipping up in a light-heavyweight clash with Dmitry Bivol in May, also at T-Mobile Arena.
He narrowly lost on points to his Russian opponent that day, after going up a weight, and is adamant the recent experience of defeat will not hinder him come bell time on Saturday.
"It gives me extra motivation to come back," Canelo said. "Sometimes in boxing you win or lose, but I'm going to come back stronger than ever.
"I did something that I didn't need to do, going up a division, I have no right to go up there, but that's what happens. I lost this, and I need to accept it like a man and come back stronger than ever, and that's what I'll be doing."
Bryson DeChambeau insists he harbours no regrets following his decision to join the controversial LIV Golf Invitational Series.
The 2020 U.S. Open winner became one of the biggest names to join the lucrative Saudi-backed tour in June, later describing his move as "a business decision".
Despite LIV Golf players becoming the targets of hostility when playing at majors and selected events on other tours in recent weeks, DeChambeau remains content with his choice.
"This is the biggest decision, besides choosing my agent, that I've ever made in my entire life," DeChambeau said, ahead of LIV Golf Chicago.
"I couldn't be more happy to be over here, I have no buyer's remorse.
"I have ultimate respect for the PGA Tour and what they've done for my career, as I've said from day one. They've allowed me this opportunity."
While the PGA Tour has reacted furiously to the founding of the new circuit, DeChambeau said in August he was "not worried" by their blanket ban on LIV Golf players, adding: "I think it will get figured out."
The 29-year-old reiterated that belief this week, saying: "I personally believe that over the course of time they will come to a resolution. There has to be, it's only in the best interests of golf down the road.
"What LIV Golf has provided is something new and unique, different. With that being said, there is going to some disruption and people aren't going to like it.
"I respect every single person who thinks it isn't good for the game of golf, I understand it. But I hope they are open-minded enough to go, 'you know what? I'll give this a chance'. If you give it a chance, you might just see something pretty cool.
"I'm a golf fan, first and foremost. I'm going to watch golf wherever it's played with some of the best players in the world, whoever it is. I think down the road that'll change.
"I think that this [LIV Golf] will become something special, even more special than what it is now, and moving forward in the future, I'll still watch other tournaments that I've won and done well at before."
The subject of LIV Golf players appearing at team events such as the Ryder Cup has been fiercely debated since the split, with Rory McIlroy adamant this week none of the circuit's players should be able to feature.
But DeChambeau, who has helped the United States to two victories at the Ryder Cup (2018 and 2021) and one at the Presidents Cup (2019), believes a ban would only serve to harm the tournaments.
"I personally think that the team events are only hurting themselves by not allowing us to play," he added. "Not allowing us to qualify through some capacity, in some facet."
Phoenix Suns vice-chairman Jahm Najafi has called for Robert Sarver's resignation after the majority owner was found to have engaged in racist and sexist conduct at the workplace.
The NBA hit Sarver with a one-year suspension and a $10million fine this week, having interviewed 320 people after allegations emerged of inappropriate behaviour during his 18 years with the Suns.
The league stopped short of issuing a lifetime ban, however, leading four-time MVP LeBron James to declare: "Our league definitely got this wrong."
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Sarver was "on notice" in the aftermath of the ruling, but Najafi does not wish to see Sarver stay on.
In an open letter to the Suns players and staff, Najafi said he had no interest in becoming the next managing partner, but would "work tirelessly to ensure the next team steward treats all stakeholders with dignity, professionalism and respect".
"Due to the NBA's investigation and findings, I have no choice but to speak up on behalf of the hundreds of you that have been impacted by your interactions with Robert Sarver," the letter from Najafi read.
"There should be zero tolerance for discriminatory actions of any level, in any setting, let alone a professional one.
"There is no question that the findings determined that Mr Sarver's lewd, misogynistic and racist conduct had a substantial negative impact on you and has no place in our society.
"Similar conduct by any CEO, executive director, president, teacher, coach or any other position of leadership would warrant immediate termination. The fact that Robert Sarver 'owns' the team does not give him a licence to treat others differently than any other leader.
"The fact anyone would find him fit to lead because of this 'ownership' position is forgetting that NBA teams belong to the communities they serve. Team investors are merely temporary stewards.
"If we, as sports leaders, are not held to the same standards, then how can we expect a functional society with integrity and respect on any level?
"I cannot in good judgement sit back and allow our children and future generations of fans to think that this behaviour is tolerated because of wealth and privilege.
"Therefore, in accordance with my commitment to helping eradicate any form of racism, sexism and bias, as vice-chairman of the Phoenix Suns, I am calling for the resignation of Robert Sarver."
Najafi has been critical of Sarver since the allegations were first reported last November, and is one of three vice-chairmen at Phoenix, where several other minority investors form part of the ownership group.
For the third, and presumably, the last time, Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin will share a ring on Saturday as they fight it out for super-middleweight glory in Las Vegas.
The trilogy tussle at the T-Mobile Arena has a lot to live up to after the previous battles between the pair, in 2017 and 2018.
Alvarez goes into this one as the firm favourite, with few giving the 40-year-old Golovkin much hope, but the tight nature of their previous fights could stir something in the Kazakh.
Ahead of the keenly anticipated showdown, Stats Perform has looked at the state of play in one of boxing's greatest modern-day rivalries.
The trilogy so far
If history is a guide, nobody should be surprised if fight three between these warriors goes the distance.
Both previous clashes, which were contested at middleweight, went all the way. The first ended in a split-decision draw, and the second went down as an Alvarez points win, albeit one that many called into question. Two of three judges gave him the win by a sliver, the other scoring it a draw.
So expect a sense of deja vu this weekend, not least because the fight is being held at the same venue that put on their first two clashes.
Alvarez was given a bizarrely lopsided 118-110 victory by one of the first fight's judges, while another scored it narrowly in Golovkin's favour, and the third as a draw, so perhaps this time the fighters will be eager to avoid any possible lottery on the scorecards.
A victory inside the distance for either man might be the most fitting way of bringing their rivalry to its conclusion.
What's happened since the rematch?
There was inevitably talk of a trilogy fight after Canelo got the better of Golovkin four years ago, but it took until May of this year for confirmation to come through.
Canelo has danced between the divisions, winning title fights at middleweight, super-middleweight and light heavyweight since he last encountered Golovkin in the ring.
Golovkin has fought just four times, and will hope that is sufficient preparation.
Unlike Canelo, he has a 100 per cent record from his fights in the last four years. Canelo was beaten on his last outing, losing to Dmitry Bivol on a unanimous, albeit tight verdict (115-113 with all three judges), when contesting the WBA light heavyweight belt.
Has anything changed in four years?
Ask yourself the same question. Of course, things change. We get older; past a certain point, perhaps we slow down a little; the pandemic put the brakes on most aspects of our lives, for a while at least.
It took a heavy toll on boxing, too, but Canelo and Golovkin have got the buzz back, and one thing that has not changed appears to be the enmity between them.
As Eddie Hearn, chairman of Matchroom Boxing, said on announcing the fight: "These are two men that bitterly dislike each other and want to end this incredible series with a blistering KO."
Canelo is still a young man, at 32, and he carries a 57-2-2 record into the fight, putting his WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO belts on the line.
Golovkin boasts a 42-1-1 career as he steps up to super-middleweight for the first time, but he is very much the veteran, the man that time is most likely to have caught up on since part two of this series.
According to Canelo, Golovkin has been taking on third-rate opponents to extend his career for this payday.
"A knockout, that's what I see," said a confident Canelo in June.
Some juicy shots are being thrown outside the ring, boiling up nicely for ring time.
Patrick Mahomes just about got the better of Justin Herbert on Thursday but expects the Los Angeles Chargers to continue to push his Kansas City Chiefs all the way.
Both the Chiefs and the Chargers are tipped for Super Bowl contention this year in a highly talented AFC West.
Kansas City have won the division six years in a row, but the scale of their task this season was made clear in this meeting with the Chargers, who forced Mahomes to rally from a 17-7 deficit to win 27-24.
Herbert admirably battled a rib injury as he attempted to take down Mahomes, yet the former MVP delivered yet another comeback.
This was the 20th game of Mahomes' career – regular season or playoffs – in which he had been down by 10 points, and he has now converted 11 of those into wins.
Past turnarounds include the Super Bowl LIV success against the San Francisco 49ers when the Chiefs scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, as well as Herbert's NFL debut, when the Chargers lost in overtime early in the 2020 season.
"I think every game [against Herbert] is going to be a lot like this one," Mahomes told Amazon Prime Video.
"In the games I've played against him in the past, we've gone to overtime twice and it's been an end-of-game situation.
"It's going to be games like this, and hopefully I can find a ways to win them and our team can find a ways to win them, like we did today."
Mahomes is the only NFL quarterback with a winning record in games where he has trailed by double-digit points (minimum 20 starts), with Tom Brady next-best at 39-61 (.390).
"I want to go out there and win; I don't care how it looks," Mahomes added. "Tonight was very ugly.
"I'm sure it's not going to have a great film session tomorrow, but we found a way to get a win at the end of the day, and that's all I care about."
Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley says they will learn more about the severity of quarterback Justin Herbert's apparent ribs injury on Friday but is confident he will be OK.
Herbert played through apparent pain in Thursday's 27-24 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs following a series of big tackles on the QB in the fourth quarter.
The Chargers QB still managed to find DeAndre Carter and then Josh Palmer in an impressive drive for a late touchdown but seemed in discomfort and gestured towards his ribs on the sidelines.
Herbert did not appear for post-game media duties, instead going off for an X-ray on the injury, although Staley was confident he would be fine.
"No," Staley told reporters when asked if he was concerned about Herbert's health. "No, because he's Justin Herbert."
Staley added: "You're not going to see a quarterback at any level of football play tougher and do more for their team and will their team to give them a chance more than him.
"There's nobody that can do what he can do, nobody. He showed a lot of guts, he showed us what he shows every day, that we're never out of the fight, and he brought us back and gave us a chance."
Despite that, Staley revealed they anticipate they will learn more about Herbert's health on Friday after a more thorough evaluation.
The Tampa Bay Rays made MLB history with all nine hitters in their starting line-up being Latin American for the first time in their 11-0 blowout win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday.
The feat occurred on Roberto Clemente Day, the official annual date the MLB holds to coincide with the start of Hispanic Heritage Month. The late Clemente is a Hall of Fame outfielder from Puerto Rico, who was a two-time World Series winner and National League MVP.
The Rays hitters did not let him down either, with Yandy Diaz blasting a three-run homer at the top of the second inning to open up a 4-0 lead. Isaac Paredes launched a solo home run in the seventh inning, while he also had an RBI single.
Rays manager Kevin Cash claimed that he did not realise that he had made history with his side's line-up until halfway through the game.
Meanwhile, the defeat is the Blue Jays' second biggest blowout loss this season, leaving them 81-63 but still well placed in the American League Wild Card race.
Carrasco stars as Mets sink Pirates
Clemente's former side, the Pittsburgh Pirates, were brushed aside 7-1 by the New York Mets, for whom Carlos Carrasco starred.
The Mets 35-year-old right-hander tossed down 11 strikeouts across six innings, allowing only four hits, one earned run and two walks. The win was Carrasco's 15th of the season.
Francisco Lindor crushed a two-run homer into the upper deck for his 24th blast of the season, setting a Mets' single-season record for a short-stop.
Pujols' 700 chase stalls with sac fly
The cameras and phones came out with bases loaded in the ninth inning searching for history, but Albert Pujols could only deliver a sacrifice fly in the St Louis Cardinals' 3-2 loss to the Cincinnati Reds.
Pujols is three runs shy of becoming only the fourth player in majors' history to blast 700 homers, but he could not add to his tally, although his sac fly to right allowed Brendan Donovan to get home to halve the margin in the ninth.
Corey Dickerson ground out to end the game as the Reds snapped their six-game losing run, with solo blasts from Nick Senzel and Aristides Aquino.
The Kansas City Chiefs fought back from another double-digit deficit sparked by rookie Jaylen Watson's 99-yard pick six as they won 27-24 over the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday.
Patrick Mahomes produced a patient display, throwing two touchdowns and completing 24 of 35 passes for 235 yards, leading them back from a 17-7 deficit to make it two wins to start the new season.
Justin Herbert was gallant for the Chargers, playing through considerable pain after a series of fourth-quarter hits, to end with three TD passes, completing 33 of 48 passes for 334 yards but with one interception.
That interception came in the fourth quarter with scores locked at 17-17, with Herbert aiming for Gerald Everett on the goalline, only for Watson to clasp it and race away for the game-winning TD.
The Chargers had led 10-7 at half-time, with rookie Alexander Horvath making it two touchdowns in his first two games, before Mahomes' side-arm fastball found Jerick McKinnon for the reply, moving him past Alex Smith for the third-most completions (1,588) in franchise history in the process.
Mike Williams, who had eight receptions for 113 yards, plucked a remarkable one-handed catch under tight coverage from L'Jarius Sneed to put the Chargers up 17-7.
The Chargers were left frustrated after two interceptions were overturned before Mahomes found Travis Watson with a 41-yard pass to score. The Chiefs would pile on 20 unanswered points after rookie Watson made his pick six before Matt Ammendola converted a 32-yard attempt.
Herbert found DeAndre Carter with a late dart before showing poise under apparent duress from a fourth and goal to hit Josh Palmer to make it 27-24. The Chargers confirmed after the game that Herbert would undergo an X-ray.
Serena Williams has paid tribute to retiring 20-time grand slam winner Roger Federer, describing her admiration for him and welcoming him "to the retirement club".
The 41-year-old confirmed on Thursday that he would bring an end to his illustrious playing career after the Laver Cup later this month.
Federer's announcement comes only weeks after 23-time major winner Williams declared her intention to step away from tennis, culminating at the US Open earlier this month where she bowed out in the third round.
The Swiss icon will bow out with 20 major titles to his name, a feat bettered by only two male players – Rafael Nadal (22) and Novak Djokovic (21). Williams sits behind only Margaret Court (24) for women's singles major titles.
"I wanted to find the perfect way to say this, as you so eloquently put this game to rest – perfectly done, just like your career," Williams wrote on Instagram.
"I have always looked up to you and admired you. Our paths were always so similar, so much the same.
"You inspired countless millions and millions of people – including me – and we will never forget. I applaud you and look forward to all that you do in the future.
"Welcome to the retirement club. And thank you for being you @rogerfederer."
Williams has deliberately avoided the use of the word retirement since declaring her intention to 'evolve' away from tennis, meaning the latter comment is of note.
The 40-year-old American has teased at a potential return to tennis, saying on Good Morning America this week that "Tom Brady started a really cool trend", referencing his decision to come out of retirement.
Justin Lower has kicked off the new PGA Tour season in style, shooting a nine-under 63 in the opening round of the Fortinet Championship to lead by two strokes.
Lower posted nine birdies and nine pars in his bogey-free round, bookending his day with birdies on the first and last holes.
Coming into his second year on the PGA Tour, Lower has two top-10 finishes to his name, making the cut in 16 of his 28 events this past campaign.
Alone in second place at seven under is Max Homa, who was part of the late starters able to finish their rounds right before play was halted due to darkness, with some competitors still not completing the 14th hole.
Tied for third place is J.J. Spaun along with two South Koreans, An Byeong-hun and Kim Seong-hyeon, with the trio shooting 66s.
There is a nine-man logjam at five under, which includes veteran Rickie Fowler as he tries to rediscover some form this season, as well as rising talent Sahith Theegala and Argentina's top player Emiliano Grillo.
Also at five under is Robby Shelton, who will resume play with six holes to play with a chance to climb the leaderboard even further before starting his second round.
One shot further back at four under is a group that includes Matt Kuchar and Canada's Adam Svensson, with major champions Hideki Matsuyama and Danny Willett at three under.
Both Lleyton Hewitt and Richard Gasquet used their media availability at the Davis Cup on Thursday to give their respect to Roger Federer after he announced his retirement on social media.
Federer, 41, won the first of his grand slams in 2003 at Wimbledon, and in that tournament it was Hewitt who was the reigning champion after becoming the youngest ever world number one back in 2001.
They came through in the same era, with Federer quickly overtaking the Australian as the sport's top attraction, and he would retain that mantle for over a decade as he and Rafael Nadal began their legendary rivalry.
Reflecting on their time on tour together, Hewitt called him "nearly unbeatable" as he shared his admiration.
"Yeah, he was from my kind of era, I guess," he said. "We were the same age, we grew up together in juniors.
"I knew Roger extremely well and probably saw him slightly different to everyone else as well, because we grew up together. But he was the greatest of that time.
"You know, obviously there are a couple of other guys now that are really putting their hand up, but he went clear easily from a grand slam perspective and really just his win-loss ratio [in the] mid-2000s era, he was nearly unbeatable.
"It was pretty much only Rafa [Nadal] that could get him, especially on the clay. But most of all he's been a great ambassador for our sport.
"I've always said that you don't want to push those guys out of the game too early.
"Everyone wants to talk about retirement. When are they going to retire? You want to hold on to those greats. They've done so many special things for our sport.
"But yeah, obviously, the body – you get to my age and his age now, and it's not easy. He's done everything in the sport that you could ever dream of."
In his own interview, Gasquet shared the sentiment, declaring "there is only one Roger Federer".
"It is a big shock – he is a legend of the game," he said. "It's not easy for anybody, I know it will be a big thing at the Laver Cup. I'm sure it will be wonderful there.
"It's a tough loss for tennis. It will be different after that. It's still tennis, but it won't be the same without Federer.
"I was leading 1-0 against him [head-to-head], I won in Monte Carlo – but after that I lost maybe 20 times. I'm not the only one of course, it was incredible when I got to face him.
"He is a legend of the game, everybody knows it. The technique, the charisma – everything was crazy. There is only one Roger Federer."
The greatest quarterback in NFL history took the opportunity on Thursday to pay his respect to fellow sporting icon Roger Federer after arguably the best player of his generation announced his retirement.
It is hard to imagine anyone will ever eclipse Brady's record seven Super Bowl wins, while Federer's mark of 20 grand slams will also likely stand the test of time as the new generation coming through share them around.
Brady, 45, is four years older than Federer, and gave retirement a go earlier this year before announcing his return 40 days later, so he knows exactly what kind of emotions Switzerland's greatest ever sportsman is going through.
When asked about his thoughts on Federer during Thursday's press conference, Brady shared his admiration.
"Phenomenal," he said. "Just a great player. He is just a great competitor and I think all those guys… we all work so hard.
"We're all just working hard trying to be the best we can be at it, and he had a great run.
"He was great, always respectful of everybody and it meant a lot. He cared a lot. He maximised his opportunities. That's all we can all ask of ourselves."
Marion Bartoli says she feels "a sense of sadness" after Roger Federer announced his retirement from tennis, just weeks after Serena Williams' grand slam swansong.
Federer – a 20-time major champion – revealed on Thursday that he had made the "bittersweet decision" to end his glittering career, with next week's Laver Cup being his farewell tournament.
The announcement comes just over two weeks after Williams made her final slam appearance at the US Open, and 2017 Wimbledon champion Bartoli believes it represents "the end of an era" for the sport.
When asked for her reaction, Bartoli told Stats Perform: "A sense of sadness, obviously, because we lost in the space of two weeks Serena [Williams] and Roger Federer who are basically two of the biggest stars that ever played the game, and two of the greatest who have ever played the game.
"I sense it was the end of an era almost because they have been part of my journey. When I was playing, Roger was obviously at his peak winning a lot of things and then Serena as well and now coming to see both of them taking their retirement almost at the same time.
"I feel like that book is almost closed, and now we are moving to the new generation of players with Carlos Alcaraz and all of them, but Novak [Djokovic] and Rafa [Nadal] are still hanging on.
"A sense of sadness obviously, but then completely understand his decision from what he had to face in the past three years."
Bartoli, who was also runner-up at the All England Club in 2007, thinks there are many players capable of challenging for the major titles in years to come.
Although, she does not see any player dominating tennis in the same manner as the 'Big Three' in Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.
"I think our Alcaraz will very much be in the mix, but I don't think we will see one player being at 20 grand slams in 15 or 20 years, I don't believe it," she said.
"I think those three have been more than even superhuman. They've brought tennis to a level of consistency that, and along with Serena as well, I don't think anyone will be able to replicate that.
"When you see Carlos, he had an amazing US Open, just an incredible achievement. But Novak was not there, Rafa was injured, Roger doesn't play anymore, [Stefanos] Tsitsipas lost in the first round, [Alexander] Zverev can't play.
"It's just a lot of circumstances, and he had to save two match points against [Jannik] Sinner. So I don't see him dominating tennis as Roger did, or Novak did or Rafa did for the next 20 years, I just don't see it.
"I think that the level between each other, it's very close. You don't see a major gap. So I think we'll have maybe Carlos winning one and then Sinner winning one, Zverev finally winning one and then Medvedev winning more.
"It's just going to keep rotating between maybe five or six names, but I don't think will be one name that keeps winning everything."
Phil Mickelson says his name on the lawsuit against the PGA Tour is no longer necessary after the LIV Golf International Series joined its players as a plaintiff.
LIV Golf players accused the PGA Tour of benefiting from operating as a monopoly, while alleging the former tour had improperly suspended the defectors following their decision to join the breakaway league.
Abraham Ancer, Carlos Ortiz, Pat Perez and Jason Kokrak have already withdrawn their names from the lawsuit, with the lawsuit losing four of its 11 original plaintiffs.
Talor Gooch, Matt Jones and Hudson Swafford – three players still on the lawsuit – had sought a temporary order to allow them to compete in the PGA Tour's playoffs but were unsuccessful with their request.
Ian Poulter and Bryson DeChambeau are also among the high-profile names to sue, alongside Mickelson, who may step away from the lawsuit after LIV Golf became involved.
"I haven't done anything yet, but now that LIV is involved, it's not necessary for me to be a part of it," Mickelson said after playing at a LIV Golf warm-up event at Rich Harvest Farms on Thursday.
"I currently still am [part of the lawsuit]. I don't know what I'm really going to do. The only reason for me to stay in it is damages, which I don't really want or need anything.
"I do think that it's important that players have the right to be able to play when and where they want and when and where they've qualified for.
"Now that LIV is a part of [the lawsuit] that will be accomplished if and when they win."
The PGA Tour suspension will mean Mickelson, along with Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed cannot represent the United States in September's Presidents Cup.
Roger Federer ranks among sporting greats such as Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods and Tom Brady.
That was the message from 2013 Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli, who hailed Federer after he announced his appearance at September's Laver Cup would be his last in professional sport.
The 41-year-old won 20 grand slam titles across a legendary 24-year career, only Novak Djokovic (21) and Rafael Nadal (22) can boast more major crowns in men's tennis.
Federer has also won more men's singles main draw matches in grand slam tournaments than any other player in the Open Era (369), leaving behind a magnificent legacy as he prepares to step away from the court.
Bartoli has experienced retirement herself, having called quits on her career after a failed comeback from injury in 2018, and asked by Stats Perform whether Federer was a GOAT – greatest of all-time – Bartoli said: "Yes, he is very much in there – absolutely.
"Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Tiger Woods, Tom Brady, they are people that transcend their sports – they are icons.
"You go in the streets, you say Roger Federer. I'm in Dubai right now [and if] you say 'Roger Federer' everyone would know who he is. And the same for LeBron and Michael Jordan.
"When you transcend your sport and you become an icon and everyone knows who you are, that's when you know you have been one of the greatest of all time across every sport.
"Same for Serena [Williams], you can put Novak and Rafa in there as well. But it's just that amount of fame and that amount of inspiring [the next] generation."
Having spent 237 consecutive weeks ranked as number one, Federer holds the record for the longest such streak in men's singles history after a four-and-a-half-year spell at the summit.
Federer was also present in the top 10 of the men's singles rankings for 750 weeks, an unmatched number for a male player since the rankings were first published in 1973.
Regardless of Federer trailing Djokovic and Nadal for grand slam titles, Bartoli believes the Swiss remains the best of the trio due to his elegant playing style.
"It's very much depending on your own taste in a way. If you like beautiful, elegant, smooth tennis you have to go for Roger Federer," she added.
"Now obviously with Novak having 21 and Rafa having 22 grand slams, if we speak numbers only then you have two players on top of him.
"But I think it's very much a debate because it depends on the style of play you like and, that said, I absolutely love to see Novak play and win.
"I absolutely loved to see Rafa winning again at Roland Garros this year, I think it was one of the most incredible sports achievements that you can possibly witness.
"But in terms of game style, and the way he has revolutionised tennis, I think Roger was the first one. And then they pushed each other to new heights and I think that was really special to see."
While many youngsters look to emulate Federer, Djokovic and Nadal, Bartoli highlighted the importance of Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi, too.
"You can tell how much impact a player [has] when you see a new generation trying to copy your style. I think Pete Sampras had that impact as well as Andre Agassi on the generation of Roger, Rafa and Novak," she continued.
"Roger has had that impact on the new generation with Carlos Alcaraz. So that's why I say that he was really the first one to elevate the game to another level because he brought that dimension of his forehand when he was really almost able to play the ball wherever he wanted.
"I always remember that sentence from Andre Agassi, when he started to play against Roger saying, 'well, I never felt against anybody that I had to play on a 20-centimetre square because that's the only safe spot I can play, which is deep to Roger's back. If I play anywhere, he will take the game away from me'. [Federer] was the first one to [do that] and then obviously Rafa and Novak arrived and sought to change that and they pushed each other to new heights.
"When you have the pinnacle of the 2008 Wimbledon final and all those matches in between them that was just beyond epic for me."
WTA world number one Iga Swiatek thanked Roger Federer for "everything you've done and everything you are for our sport" after the Swiss great announced his retirement.
Federer confirmed on Thursday that he would bring his illustrious playing career to a close after the Laver Cup.
The 41-year-old will bow out with 20 grand slam titles to his name, a feat bettered by only two male players – Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
Swiatek, meanwhile, won her third major title last week, defeating Ons Jabeur in straight sets to clinch the US Open, following her successes at Roland Garros in 2020 and earlier this year.
"I just want to thank you for everything you've done and everything you are for our sport," 21-year-old Swiatek tweeted in response to Federer's announcement.
"It's been a privilege to witness your career. I wish you all the best."
Swiatek followed her post with a goat emoji, signifying that Federer is the greatest of all time.
Chris Evert, a former world number one, also joined the tributes to Federer, tweeting: "He was the epitome of a champion; class, grace, humility, beloved by everyone…and he elegantly mastered the sport like no other…Good luck to you, @rogerfederer don't go too far!"
Martina Navratilova, an 18-time major winner, posted: "What a heartfelt message, full of love, life, hope, passion and gratitude. Which is exactly how Roger played the game we love so much. Thank you thank you thank you, for all the magic!!!"
Emma Raducanu struggled with injury as she slumped out of the Slovenia Open in a second-round 7-5 0-6 6-3 loss to Anna-Lena Friedsam.
The 2021 US Open champion has faced an uphill battle on the WTA Tour this year and suffered another setback in Portoroz, where she was the top seed, playing the latter two sets with her left thigh strapped after a medical time-out.
A recovery looked possible when Raducanu cruised through a second-set bagel, yet the 19-year-old succumbed in the decider.
Raducanu's defeat follows a first-round exit at Flushing Meadows in a dismal attempt to defend her title.
Friedsman's win, meanwhile, secures the world number 213's first appearance in the quarter-finals of a Tour-level event since she lost in the final of the Lyon Open in 2020. It was also her second victory over Raducanu.
Diane Parry will face Friedsman in the last eight, after she overcame Anastasia Potapova, while Katerina Siniakova – who last week completed a career Grand Slam in doubles at the US Open – defeated Jodie Burrage.
Meanwhile, reigning champion Jasmine Paolini overcame a tie-break finale against Kaja Juvan. The Italian fought back to win 5-7 6-2 7-6 (7-5) to stay on course for a successful title defence.
At the Chennai Open, Anastasia Gasanova failed to back up her first-round win over top seed Alison Riske-Amritraj with another success, as Britain's Katie Swan edged her 7-6 (7-5) 6-2.
That sets up a quarter-final clash with qualifier Nao Hibino.
The top two seeds left in the competition, Magda Linette and Tatjana Maria, also progressed on Thursday.
Shane Lowry never considered joining the LIV Golf International Series due to his belief the breakaway league is "bad for the game", suggesting the "ridiculous" prize money throughout golf will alienate fans.
Lowry edged past Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy to win the BMW PGA Championship last week, before labelling his victory "one for the good guys" amid the presence of LIV players at Wentworth.
While the 2019 Open winner criticised the Saudi Arabia-backed circuit in the build-up to that tournament, he attracted criticism earlier this year when he defended his decision to play the Saudi International by declaring; "I'm not a politician, I'm a golfer."
Lowry admitted he was wrong to make that remark, though his main objection to the existence of LIV Golf remains its decisive impact on the sport.
"When I said the 'I'm not a politician' remark, my first thought was 'why did I say that?' It was the wrong thing to say," he told the No Laying Up podcast.
"The thing is, I played the Saudi International for the last three years. So, for me, I would have been very hypocritical if I sat here and said, 'it's about where the money is coming from'.
"Will I go back and play the Saudi International next year? No. But I just think the LIV tour is bad for the game because it is very divisive.
"I am one of the players that thinks LIV should not exist. I don't like the idea of it.
"It is a tough subject for me to talk about because I have never been outspoken. The reason I hadn't is because no one had asked me about it. Rory is outspoken because every day he is in front of the media."
Lowry also believes the huge financial incentives available on every tour could turn fans away from golf, adding: "We are very lucky the corporate world loves golf and that's why we have such great sponsors and that's why we play for a lot of money.
"But I do feel like this is causing a division in the game and it's going to p*** people off.
"People are going to stop watching it. I think the amounts of money that are being thrown around are absolutely disgusting at the minute. I feel all people talk about is money now.
"We play for points now in the FedEx Cup, but I watched the Tour Championship and all the commentators talked about was how much money they're going to win, and I thought, 'will you just talk about the trophy or the title or how many times Tiger [Woods] has won it?'
"The general Joe Soap, the guy who works his nuts off to make 50 grand a year and has to struggle to pay his membership at his golf club and loves the game so much, this probably p***** him off more than anyone."
Anthony Joshua may have needed "two or three" more fights to prepare for Tyson Fury, but his trainer Robert Garcia acknowledged he could not turn down a "big fight".
Garcia joined Joshua's corner to work alongside co-trainer Angel Fernandez before the second defeat to Oleksandr Usyk, who successfully defended his belts in a rematch in Saudi Arabia in August.
The split-decision victory for Usyk had led to expectations of a title unification bout with Fury – but it will be Joshua who faces his compatriot after seemingly accepting terms for a clash on December 3.
The WBC heavyweight title will be on the line after Fury refused to wait to meet Usyk next year, but Garcia would have preferred for the all-British fight to take place at a later date.
"Look, it's a huge fight, it's the biggest fight in the UK and it's a fight that actually needs to happen sooner rather than later," Garcia told iD Boxing.
"Would I prefer it to happen two, three fights from now? Yes, but it's a big fight and it's a big business.
"His management team is very smart when it comes to negotiations and the final decisions, so they'll make the right decision. Personally, I'm not a businessman, I'd rather him take two or three fights before anything huge.
"Anthony took the rematch with Usyk right away, when he could have easily taken two or three fights before that. He took it right away because he wants those challenges too.
"If this challenge is there and he wants to take it, he'll take it. He'll go out and train and we'll do our best job to go out there and win. The fight won't be easy but is it winnable? Yes, we could win that fight."
Fury is unbeaten in his 33 professional fights, winning 32, while Joshua has suffered three defeats in his last five bouts.
With a 'Battle of Britain' on the horizon, Garcia encouraged Joshua to take a trip to the United States for a training camp in a bid to boost his chances of dethroning Fury.
"I haven't talked to him [Joshua] about it [training in the USA], I talked to the management team," Garcia continued. "They all said they would like that, but at the end of the day, it's going to be his decision.
"I think he would do so much better, honestly, training around Jesse Rodriguez, Jose Ramirez and all the young talent that I have. It's not only that he's going to train with them, he's going to compete with them.
"They're going to train together, they're going to push each other and they all want to be better than the other. I think that would help a lot – I would love that."
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