Rafael Nadal is eyeing up his comeback from a hip injury at next month's Monte Carlo Masters, with tournament director David Massey hopeful the Spaniard will feature.
The 22-time grand slam champion has been struggling with a left hip issue that contributed to his second round exit at the Australian Open in January.
Nadal pulled out of hard-court contests at the Indian Wells Open and Miami Open as he continued to recover from the problem.
He could return on clay, his favoured surface, with Massey optimistic the 36-year-old will be fit in time to feature at the event, which begins on April 8.
"Rafa was the first [player] to be registered," he said in statement. "He really wants to play at the Monte Carlo Masters.
"He is giving himself every chance to take part in the tournament he's so fond of."
Nadal is the event's all-time record title holder, having triumphed on 11 occasions, with an Open Era record streak of eight consecutive successes between 2005 and 2012.
He last succeeded in 2018, with a straight-sets victory over Kei Nishikori, though various disrupted campaigns have prevented him from mounting another successful bid since.
As a key stop in preparations for the French Open, it has helped form the bedrock of his clay court success over the years.
With this year's event at Roland Garros set to start on May 28, Nadal will be out to add to his 14 singles titles there too, having claimed victory once again in 2022 with a triumph against Casper Ruud in the final.
The Formula One season is only one race old and the question is already being asked if anybody can catch Red Bull. Charles Leclerc may already have abandoned that hope for this weekend's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Red Bull coasted to a one-two at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, world champion Max Verstappen prevailing ahead of Sergio Perez to put their history of slow starts to bed in emphatic fashion.
Their superiority was hammered home by familiar troubles for Leclerc, who failed to finish the race due to engine trouble.
Ferrari replaced his control electronics ahead of the race, only to discover the new electronics were to blame for his retirement, meaning they would again need to be replaced ahead of Sunday's race in Jeddah.
Only two sets of control electronics are permitted to be used in a season, and Ferrari being forced to put in a third set will see Leclerc take on a 10-place grid penalty.
Leclerc faces a huge challenge to get on the podium, but Ferrari are set to take updates to Saudi Arabia, with team principal Frederic Vasseur confident they can greatly improve on their efforts in Bahrain, where Carlos Sainz was a distant fourth
"We struggled a bit with the balance over the weekend, it means that we have mega room for improvements on this path with our package," Vasseur said.
"With what we had in Bahrain, I think we had a lot of room for improvement in terms of driveability. For sure we can't be satisfied with the situation, and I want to do a step forward.
"The characteristics of Jeddah are completely different compared to the previous one to Bahrain in terms of grip, in terms of rugosity and layout of the track, so it's completely different story.
"Already it will suit a little bit more to what we have today. And then we'll also bring some updates to Jeddah and I hope that we'll do a step forward."
Red Bull eye F1 first
Verstappen won from pole in Bahrain and, if Red Bull top the timesheets in Saudi Arabia and go on to win with either driver, they will make Formula One history.
No team has ever taken pole and won the race in each of the first two grands prix, but Red Bull appear perfectly equipped to change that with their seemingly sizeable race pace advantage over the field.
And they have recent history of triumphing on Saturday and Sunday at Jeddah. Perez qualified on pole last year before Verstappen prevailed in the race.
Alonso on brink of century
Aside from Red Bull, Aston Martin were the team on the receiving end of most praise in Bahrain as Fernando Alonso scored a podium on his debut with the team.
It was the two-time world champion's 99th in F1. Should he make it 100 in Saudi Arabia, he will join Lewis Hamilton (191), Michael Schumacher (155), Sebastian Vettel (122), Alain Prost (106) and Kimi Raikkonen (103) as the sixth man to achieve the feat.
Alonso is hopeful the car will continue to get better, saying: "Sure, we need to wait for Jeddah, Australia. They are very different tracks, so I'm curious to see if we can keep this form in different circuits.
"But, on the other hand, I think the car that we have now is just a very basic car that we launched and we start the season with this completely new concept.
"I think there is a lot more to come in terms of development with this project, so I'm optimistic for that."
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Drivers
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 25
2. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) 18
3. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) 15
4. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) 12
5. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 10
Constructors
1. Red Bull 43
2. Aston Martin 23
3. Mercedes 16
4. Ferrari 12
5. Alfa Romeo 4
Justin Thomas has labelled the prospect of shorter balls being used in elite tournaments "so bad" and slammed the "pretty selfish decisions" of golf's governing bodies.
The R&A and USGA have proposed a Model Local Rule that would allow organisers and tournaments the option to use a modified golf ball that reduces hitting distance by approximately 15 yards.
Martin Slumbers and Mike Whan, the heads of the respective organisations, confirmed the rule would not be implemented until 2026 but would then be introduced for their elite events – the Open Championship and the U.S. Open.
The plans were first mooted in 2020 to tackle concerns around the ever-increasing distance professionals hit the ball, but Tuesday's announcement has been met with criticism from numerous players.
"My reaction was disappointed and also not surprised, to be honest," two-time major champion Thomas said ahead of the Valspar Championship in Florida.
"I think the USGA over the years has in my eyes – it's harsh – made some pretty selfish decisions.
"I don't understand how this is growing the game.
"For them to say in the same sentence that 'golf is in the best place it's ever been, everything is great, but...' I'm like, well, there shouldn't be a 'but' – you're trying to create a solution for a problem that doesn't exist.
"To me, it's just so bad for the game of golf.
"Some of the great things to me is the fact that you can play the exact same golf ball that I play. I mean, that's cool. For an everyday amateur golfer, it's very unique that we are able to play the exact same equipment.
"I understand that I may have a different grind on a wedge, whatever you want to call it, but you can go to the pro shop and buy the same golf ball that I play or Scottie Scheffler plays or whatever."
Thomas, who is sponsored by ball-manufacturer Titleist, ridiculed the idea that professionals would end up using different balls at different tournaments and even suggested some of the game's stars may ignore the proposals if they were implemented.
"The amount of time and money that these manufacturers have spent trying to create the best product possible, and now you're going to tell them and us that we have to start over," he said.
"If the PGA Tour, PGA of America don't adopt this local rule... two of the four biggest events of the year, we're going to have to use a different ball?
"Why are this group of call it five to 15-handicapped amateurs determining the rules of golf for professional golfers? Or why are they saying that we have to do something?
"So, is it something where down the road, if you want to change something based off of your data that we feel like is pretty biased and incorrect and self-centred to what you believe in, then maybe we'll just create our own, or we'll do our own thing.”
Aaron Rodgers has confirmed his intention for the 2023 season is to play for the New York Jets.
Speculation over the four-time MVP's future has once again dominated the NFL offseason, with the Green Bay Packers star offering no clarity on whether he intended to continue his career.
The Jets are reported to have been involved in ongoing discussions with the Packers over a trade, with Rodgers said to have given New York a "wish list" of players he would like to see them sign in free agency.
And on a Wednesday appearance on 'The Pat McAfee Show' he finally provided that clarity, indicating he is ready to make the move to New York.
"My intention is to play and to play for the New York Jets. I haven't been holding anything up at this point. It's the Packers and the compensation they're trying to get for me," Rodgers said, before accusing the Packers of "digging their heels in".
"The Packers want to move on and so do I. It's just a matter of getting this thing done."
Rodgers rubbished the talk of him providing the Jets with a wish list, which was said to include former teammates Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb as well as Odell Beckham Jr.
"That's not the reality," said Rodgers. "Did they ask me about certain guys, of course. Did I talk glowingly about teammates that I loved? Of course."
He added: "Who wouldn't want Odell on their team?
"I don't have demands, my only demand is for transparency."
Charles Leclerc will receive a 10-place grid penalty at this weekend's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after Ferrari fitted a third electronics control unit.
At the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, Ferrari needed to use a second ECU before Leclerc retired from the race after suffering another problem with the component.
Across a season, drivers are restricted to using just two ECUs and going over the permitted amount results in a grid penalty.
Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur said: "On Sunday, we had two different issues. The first one was on the Sunday morning, when we did the fire up, and the second one was in the race.
"Unfortunately, it was two times the control electronics box and it’s something that we never experienced in the past.
"I hope now it’s under control. We have a deep analysis on this.
"Unfortunately, we’ll have to take the penalty in Jeddah because we have only a pool of two control units for the season."
Leclerc was a dejected figure in Bahrain, where championship favourites Red Bull claimed a dominant one-two with winner Max Verstappen coming in a huge 39 seconds ahead of third-placed Fernando Alonso.
The Ferrari driver, who was third at time of his retirement, described Red Bull as being "on another planet" but Vasseur has no worries about Leclerc's mindset or his team's chances this season.
"It’s obvious Charles is motivated," added Vasseur, who is in his debut year as Ferrari boss.
"We have done one race of 23. He’s full push with the team, trying to get the best for everyone.
"The penalty is not good news, but it’s not the end of the season. Let’s see what happens in Jeddah, and what could be the outcome, even with the penalty.
"But don't imagine for even half a second he could be demotivated.
"He's fully convinced, he's working with us, pushing the team, pushing everybody in a positive way and nothing else."
If Ferrari need to replace any further parts of Leclerc's car in Saudi Arabia, the grid penalty will increase further than 10 grid spots.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and quarterback Baker Mayfield have reportedly agreed to a one-year contract, a move that gives the former number one overall pick another opportunity to prove himself as a starter and the team a veteran presence following Tom Brady's retirement.
Mayfield, who finished last season with the Los Angeles Rams after being released by the Carolina Panthers in December, will earn $8.5million in 2023 according to multiple reports.
The 2017 Heisman Trophy winner is expected to compete with 2021 second-round pick Kyle Trask for a starting position left vacant when the 45-year-old Brady announced in February he was ending his remarkable 23-year career.
It's been a whirlwind past 12 months for Mayfield, who was displaced as the Cleveland Browns' starter last March following that team's trade for Deshaun Watson and ultimately traded to Carolina in July.
He made just six starts with the Panthers while struggling with injuries and inefficient play, and was benched in midseason before later requesting and being granted his release.
Mayfield's performance improved after being claimed off waivers by the Rams, as he completed 63.8 per cent of his passes while throwing for three touchdowns with two interceptions in four starts.
In 12 overall games in 2022, Mayfield finished with 2,163 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions and a 79.0 passer rating that ranked 30th out of 33 qualified quarterbacks.
Mayfield has made 69 regular-season starts since being taken by the Browns with the top overall choice of the 2018 draft and has compiled 16,288 passing yards, 102 passing touchdowns and 64 interceptions along with a career passer rating of 86.5.
The 27-year-old's best season came in 2020, when he threw for a career-high 26 touchdowns and produced a 95.9 quarterback rating while leading Cleveland to an 11-5 regular-season record and a win over the rival Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card round of the AFC playoffs.
Trask has yet to make an NFL start and owns just one appearance, which came in the 2022 regular-season finale. The Florida product completed three of nine passes for 23 yards in relief of Brady in a loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
Darius Slay appeared to bid farewell to the Philadelphia Eagles amid reports he is set to be released.
The five-time Pro Bowl pick, who joined from the Detroit Lions ahead of the 2020 campaign, will depart after three seasons with the Eagles.
Slay was a key member of the Eagles team that reached Super Bowl LVII, and started in the 38-35 defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs in Arizona, making four tackles.
The 32-year-old made 40 tackles and three interceptions across the regular season, and recorded 14 passes defensed, tied for 12th in the NFL.
It looks to have been his swansong in Philadelphia, with reports circulating on Wednesday that Slay's time with the Eagles is coming to an end.
Slay appeared to confirm this news on Twitter, posting: "Nothing but love Philly! Let's see where we [are] heading next."
A second-round draft pick for Detroit in 2013, Slay impressed during his time with the Lions, though he only made two postseason appearances with them, in their 2014 and 2016 campaigns.
He jointly led the NFL for interceptions in 2017, alongside Tennessee Titans free safety Kevin Byard.
Slay's exit will come on the heels of the Eagles keeping hold of other key cornerback in James Bradberry, who reportedly agreed a three-year deal earlier this week after entering free agency.
Philadelphia have also agreed to a one-year deal with Rashaad Penny, with the running back set to make the move from the Seattle Seahawks.
Kamaru Usman claims he is the superior fighter between himself and Leon Edwards as they prepare for their trilogy bout at UFC 286.
The Nigerian suffered just a second career loss against his rival last August at UFC 278, seven years on from winning their first match.
A third encounter is set to take place at London's The O2 on Saturday, with Edwards out to defend the UFC Welterweight Championship he won in Utah.
Despite having lost his crown, Usman suggests he remains the better of the two, and insists both men are aware of his technical superiority.
"He's the champ, and I'll give that to him," Usman told Sky Sports. "But him and I know I will deal with him [on] March 18. I'm better and the world knows it.
"I've never been disrespectful with Leon. If anything, I've been the only guy that has given him respect all throughout his career.
"I'm not going to start [on him] now. He's said a couple [of] things that have offended me, but I'll talk to him about that on Saturday night."
Edwards is just the second British UFC champion, but Usman vows he will have home turf advantage in London among the Nigerian Diaspora.
"My fans, these are my fans," he added. "Everybody keeps saying you're coming to enemy territory, [but] I'm at home. This is London. These are my people here.
"They love me, they tell me all the time they want me to come to London and put on a performance for them.
"I asked for this, I could have waited and done it in Vegas. I love the support. That just goes to show how massive the sport is and how much it's growing.
"I love it, whether they're screaming for me or against me."
Edwards is also claiming homecoming rights however, and is relishing a chance to fight in front of British support just as much as his rival.
"I enjoy the moments," he added. "This is my fifth or sixth main event, so I've been in a main fight before. I understand it's a power fight, but it's the same cage, the same Usman.
"I know it's going to be crazy, but let's not overcomplicate it. It's going to be a packed arena and I get to enjoy it with my family. That's the only difference to me, more friends and family there."
Ellis Genge has called for patience during England's transition under Steve Borthwick, with the prop vowing to deliver a response in their Six Nations finale against Ireland.
The Bristol man skippered the hosts to a miserable 53-10 loss against France at Twickenham last weekend, in their fourth game under the former Leicester Tigers boss.
Borthwick has so far struggled to turn around the squad inherited from Eddie Jones, and against Andy Farrell's Grand Slam-chasing hosts in Dublin, will face another tough test.
But Genge feels Borthwick must have time in order to bed his ideas in with the wider squad, particularly with a Rugby World Cup campaign looming later this year.
"To change the whole mindset within six or seven weeks will be difficult," Genge told BBC Sport.
"Off the back of a seven-year tenure of someone else, it is a tough ask. But it is a challenge we are welcoming with open arms.
"You will see a reaction [against Ireland]. As a team we want to see us fight for each other until the last minute."
England head across the Irish Sea to face a host nation out to claim a Grand Slam triumph on home soil for the first time.
Genge knows it will be a huge day for Ireland, but further vowed England would not roll over despite the weight of potential history against them.
"What an occasion [it is going to be]," he said.
"It would be amazing to be Irish and have England come over and have a Grand Slam opportunity when they [England] have lost by 50 points on the weekend, on St Patrick's Day.
"[It is] a day that is literally made for them. So we are going to turn up, and we are going to fight [to spoil the party]."
Manny Pacquiao is set to come out of retirement for the second time, with a welterweight bout against Conor Benn on the cards.
The Filipino, who announced he was quitting the sport once again in August 2021, looks poised to be the opponent for the Briton's comeback bout.
Benn, who saw a fight with Chris Eubank Jr postponed after he tested positive for a banned substance in October, was reinstated to the WBC rankings earlier this year.
Now Pacquiao, who stepped back after a defeat to Yordenis Ugas in order to run for the Philippines presidency in last year's election, could be his return opponent, per his promoter Sean Gibbobs.
"He retired for a minute to run for President of the Philippines, where he took a respectful third place," he told ESPN.
"After that he felt that his retirement was due to running for president, and now that [he wasn't elected], he wants to fight again and feels like he can do it at the highest level.
"Manny is an all-time great and he feels like he still has a lot of fight left in him and he still wants to compete at the highest level.
"This fight [against Benn] was presented to him by [promoter] Eddie Hearn, and he agreed. [The] ball is in Eddie Hearn's court [but] Pacquiao ready to go."
Widely considered one of the sport's all-time great fighters, Pacquiao held world titles in eight different weight divisions across a 72-fight career, with a 62-8-2 winning record.
He briefly retired in 2016, but returned that same year with a win over Jessie Vargas, and would present a starry opponent for Benn's first fight since April last year.
The Briton remains barred by the British Boxing Board of Control to fight on home soil, with his likely comeback match set to be pencilled in for June 3 in Abu Dhabi.
Hearn acknowledged there were other options for the fight though, adding: "We are in the process of selecting Conor Benn's next opponent and have been in active talks with Manny Pacquiao's team.
"We have had multiple site offers to stage the event and are looking to make an official announcement on Conor's next fight as early as next week."
Christopher Richards Jr shot a final round 74 to win the Trinidad & Tobago Golf Open which concluded at the Magdalena Grand Beach & Golf Resort with the host country sweeping the top three spots on Sunday.
Richards Jr shot scores of 73, 74, 74 and 74 for an overall total 295. His compatriots Gabriel Vanososte (300) and Zico Coriera (306) were second and third, respectively.
Meanwhile, Zandre Roye (317) was the top Jamaican performer placing 11th.
"My performance wasn't my best. It was pretty challenging. I think I learned a lot this being one of the big tournaments early on in the year. I have a few things to work at when I get back to Jamaica but I am excited to see what the rest of the year brings for me," he said.
Wayne Baptiste of Trinidad and Tobago had a combined score of 316 to win the Men’s Senior section ahead of Dr Mark Newnham, who shot a total of 318.
Dave Cameron was sixth with a combined score of 348.
Michael Malone suggested complacency is behind the Denver Nuggets' four-game losing streak.
The Nuggets went down 125-110 to the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday, and are now winless since March 6.
Denver are still hold a four-game lead at the top of the Western Conference, with a 46-23 record for the season, but coach Malone is far from happy.
"Right now we're just in chill mode," said Malone. "And you can't be in chill mode with 13 games to go in the season.
"We've got to try to find a way to get our swagger back. Maybe we've gotten a little soft with success.
"We've been on cruise control for so long, number one in the West since like December 15.
"I just told our players we've gotten away from who we are."
Denver never led on Tuesday after allowing 49 points in the first quarter, going on to concede at least 100 points for the fifth consecutive game. Indeed, they have conceded over 120 in each of their past three games.
"We just dug too much of a big hole and couldn't climb the mountain from there," said Nuggets guard Jamal Murray.
Toronto led 88-64 after Pascal Siakam found the net with eight minutes remaining in the third, before Denver went on a run to cut the gap to 98-92, but they struggled to maintain that momentum in the final quarter.
Malone added: "When you expend so much energy getting back in the game you have nothing left to finish."
The Nuggets remain on the road for their next four games starting with Detroit Pistons (16-54) on Thursday, before a home meeting against the NBA-leading Milwaukee Bucks (50-19) on March 26.
Coco Gauff celebrated her 19th birthday by releasing a newly discovered video of herself singing and dancing at the US Open 11 years ago.
Gauff could not let loose quite the same this week, as she battled through to the Indian Wells Open quarter-finals on Tuesday, coming back in the decisive set to beat Rebecca Peterson 6-3 1-6 6-4.
The world number six will be hoping to remain unbeaten as a 19-year-old when she faces second seed Aryna Sabalenka in California, where a win for the home favourite would have everyone jumping for joy like in 2012, when Gauff was filmed singing and dancing to Carly Rae Jepsen's hit single Call Me Maybe at Flushing Meadows.
"I think that was the only Kids' Day," Gauff recalled.
"But I remembered it because Call Me Maybe was trending, and I knew that video existed.
"I thought that my mom would have it because she keeps track of everything, but it was really my dad who has it, so that's why we never found the video because I never thought to ask him."
An eight-year-old Gauff at the Arthur Ashe Stadium would have had no idea that she would reach the competition's quarter-finals just a decade later, and she is now ranked seventh in the world.
Her rise has continued at Indian Wells, with a last-eight appearance already her best-ever run in the event.
Gauff added: "I just love that video and just the whole full-circle moment.
"Call Me Maybe was the song at that time. Even now I still love when they play it.
"I don't know whose number I was trying to get, I think I was eight years old. But I'm going to use that pickup line now!"
Rocco Lopez delivered three solid days of golf at the Caymanas Golf Club in St. Catherine to emerge atop a Boys 18 and Under group of eight players invited to the national trials for the upcoming Caribbean Junior Amateur Golf Championships scheduled for July 3-8 in the Cayman Islands.
In challenging conditions, Lopez carded two-over-par 74 on opening day, 72, and a one-over 73 on the final day of the trials, for a combined score of 219.
He was the only one to score par with Ryan Lue coming closest when he posted 73 in the second round. Notably, Aman Dhiman was the only golfer other than Lopez, to score in the 70s on all three days. He scored 74 to be joint leader with Lopez on the first day and went on to score 78 and 79 on the second and third day, respectively, to take the runner up spot in the trials.
"Conditions were tough. It was dry, windy, hot but I managed to make fun out of it and I had a good time," Lopez said after achieving victory.
Lue, who was two strokes behind Dhiman, placed third after ending the trials on 15 over par 231, with daily scores of 82, 73 and 76. Trey Williams was fourth spot with scores of 88, 78 and 79.
Noah Azan and Tenny Davis were joint fifth with identical three-day combined scores of 247 each.
According to Alison Reid, the convener for junior golf, the tournament is not the end of preparation. “Everybody goes on practicing. Now it’s even more important because now you have to sharpen up what you have been doing because we want to take the best team to the Caribbean Amateur Golf Championship so they have to keep practicing," she said, adding that she was satisfied with the level of play.
“There was solid golf. Some of them were a little disappointed and thought they could have done better but all in all I think it was good."
The selection committee will meet to select three players plus one reserve player for national duties in July.
The trials for Girls 18 and Under and Girls and Boys 15 and Under and 13 and Under age groups are scheduled for March 24-26 at the Caymanas Golf Club.
Emma Raducanu conceded there is "a long way to go" until she is back to full fitness but remained "proud" of her week at Indian Wells despite her fourth-round defeat to Iga Swiatek.
Raducanu had been plagued by tonsillitis and a recurring wrist injury in the build-up to the tournament that forced her to pull out of a doubles exhibition with Cameron Norrie on the eve of the competition.
The 20-year-old was able to compete in the women's draw, however, and claimed victories over Australian Open semi-finalist Magda Linette and world number 13 Beatriz Haddad Maia before losing 6-3 6-1 to world number one Swiatek on Tuesday.
Raducanu started well but a fourth match in six days eventually caught up with the Brit, who lost the second set comprehensively.
Yet Raducanu is satisfied with her performances in her first tournament appearance since January.
"I'm very proud of myself," Raducanu said.
"I think I had a few good wins earlier against some great opponents. I did two good training weeks in London. They paid off to an extent but ultimately two weeks of training isn't going to cut it against the world number one right now.
"Now it's just about consistent work to physically get to where I want to be. I saw a taste of the level where number one is at physically and how she is at the corners, repetitive, relentless. Yeah, I just couldn't take that."
"I'm looking forward to playing her after I've got more time under my belt."
Raducanu will now return to training as she looks to build on her most impressive set of displays since her remarkable US Open victory in 2021, with the Miami Open next on the cards.
She added: "Physically I feel like that's going to be one of my biggest assets. I think that I'm going to be one of the best athletes on the tour, and that's going to be a big part of my game.
"I would say there is a very long way to go, but I'm definitely starting the right work now."
Reigning champion Swiatek will now face Sorana Cirstea in the quarter-finals.
"I'm always pretty good in defence. I knew that I can't rush it and I can't be not patient, so I just stayed solid and I wanted to choose the right directions," Swiatek said after becoming the sixth player to win 11 or more of her first 12 main draw matches at Indian Wells.
"I always want to finish points as fast as possible if I have a chance, but for sure I know that sometimes it's not going to be possible here."
Iga Swiatek has called for more to be done to help Ukrainian players following Lesia Tsurenko's withdrawal from the Indian Wells Open due to a panic attack.
Ukrainian Tsurenko had been due to face Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka in the third round on Sunday, only to pull out for what had initially been put down to "personal reasons".
She later revealed her decision was down to a panic attack triggered by a chat with WTA chief executive Steve Simon about tennis's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Swiatek offered her full support to Tsurenko and wants more focus to be on Ukrainian players during a hugely challenging period, rather than on Russian and Belarusian players.
"I totally understand why she withdrew. I respect Ukrainian girls so much," said the world number one, speaking after her 6-3 6-1 win over Emma Raducanu in the last 16 on Tuesday.
"If a bomb landed in my country or if my home was destroyed, I don't know if I could handle that and compete.
"You have to really mentally be there to compete every week. So I get that she wasn't ready to do that.
"I feel more should be done to help Ukrainian players. Everything we discuss in tennis is about Belarusians and Russians, if they should be allowed, what's going on with them.
"I don't think that's right. We should focus more on helping Ukrainian players and providing them with everything they need.
"They basically have to take care of all their families, and there's a lot of baggage on their shoulders."
Swiatek, who wears a Ukrainian flag on her cap, called out Anastasia Potapova earlier this week after she wore a Russian football shirt on court at Indian wells.
Potapova, allowed to compete in events as a neutral athlete, sported a Spartak Moscow jersey ahead of her 6-3 4-6 5-7 defeat to Jessica Pegula on Monday.
"To be honest, I was surprised," Swiatek said. "I thought the player realised that she should not, even if she is a fan of the team, show her views in this way at such times."
Top seed Swiatek believes the situation could have been avoided had the WTA set out clear guidelines regarding the highly charged political situation.
"It's a tough situation. It's pretty emotional as I feel like these situations with people wearing Russian football shirts because we didn't have proper leadership," Swiatek said.
"There is a lot of tension in the locker room that is obviously going to be there, because there is a war.
"But maybe there would have been a little bit less [tension] if WTA put some action in place at the beginning to kind of explain to everybody what is right and what is not."
Swiatek resumes her Indian Wells title defence against Sorana Cirstea in the quarter-finals on Thursday.
Giannis Antetokounmpo warned his team-mates not to get ahead of themselves after the Milwaukee Bucks became the first side to clinch a playoff spot.
The Bucks beat the Phoenix Suns 116-104 at Footprint Center on Tuesday to make it 20 wins from their past 22 games and reach 50 victories for the season.
Giannis backed up Monday's 46-point return against the Sacramento Kings with 36 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists in another convincing victory.
Milwaukee are the favourites to land the NBA title, but Antetokounmpo believes there is room for improvement.
"We're in a good place," said Antetokounmpo, whose average of 31.5 points per game this term is the fourth-best in the division. "We've got to keep on learning, staying humble."
Antetokounmpo later added on Twitter: "One game at a time. You can't skip steps."
The Bucks let a 57-48 lead slip in the fourth quarter against the Suns, who were still missing Kevin Durant, but they responded well to make it back-to-back road wins.
"We just mentioned it in the coaches' locker room to appreciate this," Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said.
"Making the playoffs in this league is hard. You should never take anything for granted."
The Bucks are back in action on Thursday with a home game against the Indiana Pacers, who are down in 12th in the Eastern Conference.
Darvin Ham confirmed the Los Angeles Lakers will not risk Anthony Davis against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday.
Davis starred in a 123-108 win over his former team the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday, scoring 35 points while adding 17 rebounds and one assist.
The 30-year-old is enjoying a strong season, with his 26.1 points per game his best average since the 2019-20 campaign – his first in Los Angeles.
Davis has also stepped up in LeBron James' absence. In the eight games Lakers' talisman has missed since February 26, Davis has played seven, scoring 30 or more points on four occasions.
The Lakers are above the play-in line in the Western Conference, but they will have to face the Rockets without Davis, who Ham explained will not be risked in back-to-back games.
"He's not going to play," Ham said of Davis, who missed a large chunk of this campaign due to a stress fracture in his right foot.
"He hasn't been cleared. Even though he's been playing pain-free, we made an organisational decision, starting with our team doctors, to hold him out of back-to-backs.
"It's just one of those things where even though he's playing pain-free, it's still an active injury.
"So we have to monitor it and stick to the plan, as we always have done. And just go out there with our other guys and try to get a W and finish the trip the right way."
With a comfortable 75-40 half-time lead over the Pelicans, Ham would have ideally liked to hand Davis a rest, yet New Orleans fought back to reduce the deficit to 13 in the final quarter.
"It definitely was a thought, but obviously, that's a hell of a ballclub over there that has a lot of pride and they made their push, so having to reinsert him into the game kind of nixed any delusions of grandeur," Ham said.
While frustrated that he will be watching on from the sidelines in Houston, Davis knows it is likely for the best.
He said: "It's tough, especially because each game you want to go out and play.
"But before I even came back, it's something the doctors and the organisation discussed that they thought it would be best for me not to play back-to-backs.
"It's still a stress reaction, and we're doing all the right things to make sure that I'm ready to go and I still need that day break. Obviously it sucks."
Despite their win, the Lakers dropped from ninth to 10th in the West, due to the Oklahoma City Thunder's win over the Brooklyn Nets.
Top seed Carlos Alcaraz moved into the Indian Wells Open quarter-finals after Jack Draper retired down 6-2 2-0 due to an abdominal injury in their last-16 clash on Tuesday.
Alcaraz was in control, winning the first set in 36 minutes before racing to a 2-0 lead inside 10 minutes before the Briton withdrew. Draper had battled the injury in the latter stages of Monday's win over Andy Murray.
Despite that, the Spaniard looked in good touch, setting up a quarter-final meeting with eighth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, who has a 3-0 head-to-head record against him.
"I felt the ball really well. I'm really happy with that part," Alcaraz said. "I would say I returned well, I hit great shots. I finished the match with confidence in my shots, to come into the next round with more confidence."
Auger-Aliassime saved six match points in a dramatic triumph over 17th seed Tommy Paul to reach the last eight, winning 3-6 6-3 7-6 (8-6) in two hours and 48 minutes.
The Canadian trailed 0-40 on serve at 5-6 in the deciding set before winning the next five points. He repeated that feat, down 3-6 in the tie-break, capitalising on his first match point. Auger-Aliassime hit 31 winners for the match, along with 51 unforced errors.
Fifth seed Daniil Medvedev fought back from a set down and a rolled ankle to progress past Alexander Zverev 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (7-5) 7-5 in three hours and 10 minutes.
Medvedev rolled his ankle in the sixth game of the second set, going down in pain but played on, in his longest-ever three-set match. The victory is the Russian's 17th in a row. Zverev committed 50 unforced errors across the match.
The Russian will take on Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the last eight, with the Spaniard winning 6-3 6-4 over Chilean qualifier Cristian Garin.
Jannik Sinner cruised past Stanislas Wawrinka 6-1 6-4 in one hour and 39 minutes to move into the last eight where he will face reigning champion Taylor Fritz. The American won 6-4 6-3 over Hungary's Martin Fucsovics in one hour and 41 minutes.
British 10th seed Cameron Norrie will play 14th seed Frances Tiafoe in the other quarter-final, with the former winning 6-2 6-4 over the higher-ranked Andrey Rublev. Tiafoe won 6-4 6-4 over Alejandro Tabilo in 83 minutes for his 150th career win.
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