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After Monday’s White House meetings between President Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders, the question remains: is Russian President Vladimir Putin prepared to sit down face-to-face with the Ukrainian leader — and on what terms?

Trump said he had personally called Putin to begin arranging a meeting. The Kremlin, by contrast, offered a more ambiguous response, acknowledging the idea had surfaced but refusing to confirm whether Moscow would accept.

For Putin, any such encounter would carry more weight as theater than diplomacy. ‘Putin would not like to meet Zelensky because he does not even recognize Ukrainian sovereignty,’ Ivana Stradner, Russia expert at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital. ‘The only way that he can be in the room with Zelensky is if Trump facilitates, because Putin wants to show that Russia is equal to the United States… We are giving him that pleasure to feed his population about so-called Russian greatness.’

Ambassador Kurt Volker, who served as U.S. envoy to Ukraine in the first Trump administration, agreed that the Kremlin is unlikely to budge without concessions. ‘Putin is unlikely to accept such a meeting if his pre-conditions are not met,’ he said.

Those conditions are formidable. The Kremlin has already rejected NATO-style security guarantees for Ukraine, while Zelenskyy and European leaders have ruled out surrendering territory. Stradner warned that Putin’s strategy is to test the West’s resolve. ‘Eventually, Putin would challenge Western soldiers on the ground,’ Stradner said. ‘I doubt, as things are today, that any of the Western nations, except maybe the Baltic States or Poland, would be willing to send their kids to die for Ukraine. And Putin knows this.’

The Russian leader, she added, has been emboldened by weak Western responses in the past. She pointed to the 2023 clashes in Kosovo, when ethnic Serbians attacked NATO peacekeepers, injuring 90. ‘What did NATO do? Nothing,’ Stradner said. ‘That was round one. And round two is on the horizon.’

Volker, however, struck a more pragmatic tone. He noted that while Putin may posture at the negotiating table, Russia is grappling with battlefield supply line disruptions and a faltering economy. ‘The real issue will be what happens to Russian supply lines, increasingly targeted by Ukraine, and the Russian economy, which is faltering,’ Volker said. ‘I still expect Putin to go along with a ceasefire in place by the end of the year.’

The White House has tried to box Putin in, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt insisting Tuesday that ‘he has’ agreed to the meeting. ‘Both leaders have expressed a willingness to sit down with each other,’ she said. Still, analysts caution that Moscow’s word is far from binding.

Russia’s foreign minister signaled that a summit was not impossible, but hedged that ‘any contacts involving top officials should be prepared very carefully.’ He also reiterated longstanding Kremlin demands that Kyiv roll back laws Moscow claims limit the rights of Russian speakers.

Maria Snegovaya, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said a meeting would mark a shift but not a breakthrough. ‘So far there’s no clarity, at least in the public space, that the Kremlin is serious about meeting,’ she told Fox News Digital. ‘Even if it still would not necessarily get us closer to an actual agreement, it would signal some willingness toward not trying to avoid provoking or annoying President Trump.’

Snegovaya added that Putin’s calculus is rooted in caution. ‘For over 25 years of his rule, Putin generally avoids attacking a stronger side. He usually goes after the weaker party… Georgia, Syria, Chechnya. I think he would be cautious about going after the will of the European allies, especially if a strong retaliation is promised.’

Putin’s ‘fear’ of Trump may be the last lifeline to end the war, according to Stradner. 

‘He does not trust Europe, he does not respect Europe. When it comes to the US, he despises the United States, but he fears Trump, because Trump is an unpredictable leader, and that’s that’s a nightmare for Putin.’

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Israel took out a terrorist during an airstrike earlier this month who was involved in the abduction of an Israeli man on Oct. 7, 2023, authorities said Tuesday. 

The strike, which occurred in Gaza on Aug. 10, killed Jihad Kamal Salem Najjar, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security agency, announced. 

‘A small part of my closure happened today. Thank you to the IDF, the Shin Bet, and everyone who took part in the elimination of one of the terrorists who kidnapped me on October 7,’ Yarden Bibas said in a statement provided by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. ‘Thanks to you, he will not be able to harm anyone else.

‘Please take care of yourselves, heroes. I am waiting for full closure with the return of my friends David and Ariel, and the remaining 48 hostages,’ he added. 

Najjar was involved in the invasion of the Kibbutz Nir Oz, one of the hardest hit during the deadly Oct. 7 attacks, where Bibas was kidnapped. Bibas’ family was kidnapped separately and was eventually murdered while in captivity. 

He spent 480 days as a hostage before he was released in January. His wife, Shiri, and their two young children, Ariel and Kfir, were killed before their bodies were returned to Israel. 

While in captivity, Bibas was forced to make a hostage film in which he was seen breaking down as Hamas claimed his wife and children had been killed. 

Hamas often uses hostage videos as part of what the IDF calls ‘psychological terror.’

Upon his release, Bibas’ family said that ‘a quarter of our heart has returned to us after 15 long months. … Yarden has returned home, but the home remains incomplete.’

In the aftermath of Hamas’ attack, the Bibas family became a symbol of the terror group’s cruelty. Video footage of Shiri Bibas holding her two red-headed children in her arms went viral across the globe. 

In April, Israel said it had killed Mohammed Hassan Mohammed Awad, a senior commander in the Palestinian Mujahideen terrorist organization and who helped lead ‘several’ attacks on the Nir Oz kibbutz.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

The U.S. isn’t interested in open-ended funding for Ukraine amid ongoing peace talks to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, according to the White House. 

President Donald Trump, who ruled out sending U.S. troops on the ground to support Ukraine, is very ‘sensitive to the needs of the American taxpayer,’ according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. 

‘He made it very clear that we’re not going to continue writing blank checks to fund a war very far away, which is why he came up with a very creative solution to have NATO purchase American weaponry, because it is the best in the world, and then to backfill the needs of the Ukrainian army and the Ukrainian people in their military,’ Leavitt told reporters Tuesday. 

‘So that’s the solution the president has come up with. We’ll continue to see that forward,’ Leavitt said. ‘As for any additional sales, I’ll have to refer you to the Department of Defense.’ 

Congress has passed several pieces of legislation to support Ukraine, totaling at least $175 billion in spending to aid it since February 2022, according to the Council on Foreign Relations.

Meanwhile, Trump approved a deal in July allowing European allies to purchase U.S. weapons, like Patriot missile defense systems, for Ukraine. 

The Trump administration’s defense budget proposal did not allocate any funding to purchase weapons for Ukraine, nor did the House defense appropriations bill passed in July. Even so, the Senate’s version of the measure that the upper chamber is slated to consider later in 2025 includes $800 million toward the program.

Leavitt’s comments echo ones made by Vice President JD Vance, who said Aug. 10 following meetings with European officials in the U.K. that he communicated to European leaders that the U.S. is ‘done with the funding of the Ukraine war business,’ and that European allies must take one greater responsibility in ending the conflict.

‘What we said to Europeans is simply, first of all, this is in your neck of the woods, this is in your back door,’ Vance said in an interview with Fox News. ‘You guys have got to step up and take a bigger role in this thing, and if you care so much about this conflict you should be willing to play a more direct and a more substantial way in funding this war yourself.’ 

On Monday, Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other European leaders at the White House, where they discussed various security measures to prevent Russian aggression against Ukraine again. However, Trump said Tuesday that sending U.S. troops to Ukraine to beef up security in the region was off the table. 

‘The president has definitively stated, U.S. boots will not be on the ground in Ukraine, but we can certainly help in the coordination and perhaps provide other means of security guarantees to our European allies,’ Leavitt said. ‘The president understands security guarantees are crucially important to ensure a lasting peace, and he has directed his national security team to coordinate with our friends in Europe, and also to continue to cooperate and discuss these matters with Ukraine and Russia as well.’ 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Best Buy is launching a third-party marketplace, as it tries to bulk up the variety of merchandise it offers and reverse slower sales.

Starting on Tuesday, shoppers who go to Best Buy’s website and app will see products and brands that weren’t available there before, including more tech-related accessories like custom video game controllers and some nontech items including seasonal decor and sports collectibles.

The company’s online marketplace riffs off those of other retailers, such as Amazon and Walmart, by relying on third-party sellers to stock, sell and ship inventory and taking a cut of their sales in the form of a commission.

“Everything we do is really centered around the customer and their technology needs, and we do see customers actually doing a lot of consumer electronics transactions through marketplaces,” Chief Customer, Product and Fulfillment Officer Jason Bonfig said. “And as a result of that, we need to make adjustments to be where the customer’s at.”

He said Best Buy noticed gaps in its assortment that the new platform will help it fill. For instance, Bonfig said the company didn’t carry batteries for some older cameras or cases for older smartphones. And it didn’t offer some items that complement Best Buy purchases, such as furniture that goes around a big-screen TV or cookware to use with a new kitchen appliance.

Along with adding those items, the marketplace makes it possible for smaller vendors with innovative products to sell on Best Buy’s website when they’re not yet big enough to make or distribute the volume needed for its stores, he added.

Best Buy’s marketplace launches at a time when its business could use a boost. Its annual sales have declined over the past three years as the company contends with a sluggish housing market, selective consumer spending and a decline in device replacements after a spike in tech purchases during the Covid pandemic.

The company cut its sales outlook in May and said it expects full-year revenue to range from $41.1 billion to $41.9 billion. That would be similar to Best Buy’s annual revenue of $41.5 billion in the most recent fiscal year, but below the numbers it posted in the years leading up to and during the pandemic.

Best Buy will share its most recent earnings results and sales forecast on Aug. 28.

Tariffs have complicated the backdrop for Best Buy, too, since the higher duties have added costs for consumer electronics vendors and distracted them from other priorities like research and development that leads to new and innovative products, said Jonathan Matuszewski, a retail analyst at Jefferies. He said Best Buy tends to win sales instead of big-box or online competitors when there’s a leap forward in technology.

With the platform’s launch, Best Buy joins other retailers that have jumped on the trend of introducing or expanding third-party marketplaces. Lowe’s and Nordstrom started marketplaces last year. Ulta Beauty plans to launch its own later this year. And Target said it will expand its existing marketplace, Target Plus.

On Best Buy’s earnings call in May, CEO Corie Barry described the third-party marketplace as one of the company’s strategic priorities for the year. She said that new profit stream “is even more important in this environment” and will provide greater flexibility with the range of items and price points.

Plus, she said the marketplace supports the company’s growing advertising business. Sellers can buy ads for their products, including by paying for better placement in search results.

Marketplaces and the advertising opportunities that come with them tend drive higher profits for retailers, said Justin MacFarlane, a managing director for the global retail group of AlixPartners. Sellers buy, stock and ship products instead of the retailer, and take on both the expense of buying inventory and the risk that they may have to mark down unwanted items, he said.

Yet the business model comes with risks, too, he said. For instance, sellers may not have the same standards as a retailer and it could anger a retailer’s customers if they send products in torn boxes, with missing pieces or days later than expected. And he said retailers can flood their websites with so many different categories, brands and products that they overwhelm customers with choices that seem irrelevant to their company’s identity.

“You get addicted to the growth and more is more until it’s not,” he said.

At launch, Best Buy’s marketplace will have about 500 sellers, Bonfig said. He said the company vetted applicants and whittled them down to the ones who can provide a high-quality customer experience. The sellers must match Best Buy’s return policy, he added.

Customers can return purchases either directly to the seller or to Best Buy stores, he said.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

  • USA Hockey has invited all 23 players from the 4 Nations Face-Off.
  • Twelve players who won world championships gold have been invited.
  • The USA should be a championship threat at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

USA Hockey has invited 44 NHL players to an orientation session, providing an early glimpse of who’s in the mix for the 2026 Olympics men’s hockey team.

The session will be held Aug. 26-27 in Plymouth, Michigan. It will be mostly an administrative and team-building event and there won’t be any official on-ice activity.

USA Hockey said players don’t have to attend the orientation session in order to make the final 25-person roster. That team is expected to be announced in early January. The men’s hockey tournament will run from Feb. 6-22, 2026, as the NHL returns to the Olympics for the first time since 2014.

The invite list includes all 23 players who were on the 4 Nations Face-Off team that finished second to Canada last February. There are 12 players who won a gold medal at the world championships in May. Former Olympians Patrick Kane, Ryan McDonagh, Brock Faber, Matthew Knies and Jake Sanderson will be there.

The USA and other countries have already named their initial six players for the men’s Olympic hockey teams. Here’s who has been invited to Team USA’s orientation camp:

USA Hockey orientation session roster

Goaltenders: Joey Daccord, Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger, Jeremy Swayman

Defensemen: Brock Faber, Adam Fox, Luke Hughes, Quinn Hughes, Noah Hanifin, Seth Jones, Jackson LaCombe, Charlie McAvoy, Ryan McDonagh, Brett Pesce, Neal Pionk, Jake Sanderson, Brady Skjei, Jaccob Slavin, Alex Vlasic, Zach Werenski

Forwards: Matt Boldy, Cole Caufield, Logan Cooley, Kyle Connor, Jack Eichel, Conor Garland, Jake Guentzel, Jack Hughes, Patrick Kane, Clayton Keller, Matthew Knies, Chris Kreider, Dylan Larkin, Auston Matthews, J.T. Miller, Frank Nazar, Brock Nelson, Shane Pinto, Jason Robertson, Bryan Rust, Tage Thompson, Brady Tkachuk, Vincent Trocheck, Alex Tuch

Roster analysis

USA Hockey is showing a lot of loyalty to players who have brought it success – and for good reason. The U.S. entry at the 4 Nations Face-Off was dangerous, falling to Canada in overtime of the championship game as it dealt with several big injuries. The world championships gold was the USA’s first since 1933.

The U.S. roster should be a threat in Milan, particularly in net. Hellebuyck is coming off a rare Hart Trophy/Vezina Trophy double. On defense, Werenski was a Norris Trophy finalist last season and former winner Quinn Hughes was sorely missed at the 4 Nations.

The forward group has plenty of offense (Eichel, Matthews, Connor, the Tkachuk brothers) and grit (the Tkachuks). Keller, who wasn’t on the 4 Nations team, could make the Olympic roster after scoring 90 points last season. Knies, who turns 23 in October, will push older veterans for a spot.

Some names that are missing: Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson, the rookie of the year, and Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko and forward Brock Boeser.

Breaking down the roster

Original six players named

(*-Played in 4 Nations Face-Off)

  • F Jack Eichel, Vegas Golden Knights*
  • F Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs*
  • F Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa Senators*
  • F Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers* (Tkachuk, who’s debating whether to have surgery, won’t attend the camp)
  • D Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks (was injured at the time and couldn’t play in 4 Nations)
  • D Charlie McAvoy, Boston Bruins*

Other 4 Nations players

  • F Matt Boldy, Minnesota Wild
  • F Kyle Connor, Winnipeg Jets
  • F Jake Guentzel, Tampa Bay Lightning
  • F Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils
  • F Chris Kreider, Anaheim Ducks
  • F Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings
  • F J.T. Miller, New York Rangers
  • F Brock Nelson, Colorado Avalanche
  • F Vincent Trocheck, New York Rangers
  • D Brock Faber, Minnesota Wild
  • D Adam Fox, New York Rangers
  • D Noah Hanifin, Vegas Golden Knights
  • D Jake Sanderson, Ottawa Senators
  • D Jaccob Slavin, Carolina Hurricanes
  • D Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets
  • G Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
  • G Jake Oettinger, Dallas Stars
  • G Jeremy Swayman, Boston Bruins

World championships players

  • F Logan Cooley, Utah Mammoth
  • F Conor Garland, Vancouver Canucks
  • F Clayton Keller, Utah Mammoth
  • F Frank Nazar, Chicago Blackhawks
  • F Shane Pinto, Ottawa Senators
  • F Tage Thompson, Buffalo Sabres
  • D Jackson LaCombe, Anaheim Ducks
  • D Brady Skjei, Nashville Predators
  • D Alex Vlasic, Chicago Blackhawks
  • G Joey Daccord, Seattle Kraken

Note: Werenski and Swayman played in both the 4 Nations Face-Off and world championships.

Other players invited to session

  • D Luke Hughes, New Jersey Devils
  • D Seth Jones, Florida Panthers
  • D Ryan McDonagh, Tampa Bay Lightning
  • D Brett Pesce, New Jersey Devils
  • D Neal Pionk, Winnipeg Jets
  • F Cole Caufield, Montreal Canadiens
  • F Patrick Kane, Detroit Red Wings
  • F Jason Robertson, Dallas Stars
  • F Bryan Rust, Pittsburgh Penguins
  • F Alex Tuch, Buffalo Sabres

(This story has been updated to add new information.)

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

  • Former Alabama coach Nick Saban retired in January 2024
  • His former quarterback, Greg McElroy, said in July 2025 Saban could return to coaching
  • Nick Saban is in his second year as an ESPN college football analyst

Whether it was because of the content of his message or the timing of it — in the doldrums of July — Greg McElroy sent shockwaves through the college football world last month when he suggested that his former coach at Alabama, Nick Saban, hadn’t necessarily roamed a sideline for the final time.

It was news to Saban — to put it mildly.

The legendary former Crimson Tide coach, who is entering his second season as a college football analyst for ESPN, dismissed McElroy’s claim at the Nick Saban Legacy Awards in Birmingham, Alabama on Monday, Aug, 18 while poking fun at the quarterback of his 2009 BCS national championship team.

“I don’t know where that came from,” the 73-year-old Saban said. “Greg McElroy played quarterback for us and if he had done something like that when he was a player, he would have gotten his (expletive) kicked.”

McElroy — who also works as an ESPN college football analyst, technically making him Saban’s colleague — said on his radio show on WJOX in Birmingham in July that he heard from a source “very much in the know” that Saban wasn’t done coaching. He added that he wouldn’t have mentioned it publicly if it “wasn’t someone notable” who made the comment to him.

In January 2024, about two weeks after Alabama lost to eventual national champion Michigan in the semifinals of the College Football Playoff, Saban retired after 17 seasons with the Crimson Tide. Saban won seven national championships as a head coach, six of which came at Alabama.

As he prepares for another season as a panelist on ESPN’s “College GameDay,” Saban said he and his wife, Terry, “don’t have any regrets” about the decision to step away.

‘I have been part of a team since I was 9 years old playing little league baseball. I just had a tremendous fear that I would miss it,” Saban said. “That part, I miss. But the working 14 hours per day, the recruiting, the changes that were going through in college football, the challenges that that presented was a little much at my age and the last year I coached.’

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

  • The US Open is revamping its mixed doubles competition, scheduling it before the main draw singles matches.
  • Top players like Djokovic, Alcaraz, Williams, and Osaka are participating in the two-day event.
  • The tournament starts on Aug. 19 and concludes with the final on Aug. 20.

The US Open is going where no Grand Slam has ever gone before with a reimagined mixed doubles competition, turning an event which had become mostly an afterthought at tennis majors into a two-day extravaganza that has attracted many of the sport’s biggest names.

Mixed doubles, a competition only contested at Grand Slam tournaments (the Olympics aside and perhaps an occasional exhibition), normally does not get underway until the second week of the four majors. But in an effort to expand the reach of one of the biggest annual sporting events in the world, the United States Tennis Association opted to shift the event a full five days before main draw singles action gets underway.

That move has allowed many of the stars of men’s and women’s tennis to get on board since the competition will not conflict with singles play. Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe are among the men’s stars who are competing, while Venus Williams, Madison Keys, Naomi Osaka and Iga Świątek highlight some of the top women’s names.

The compact US Open mixed doubles competition debuts Tuesday, Aug. 19 with a full day of matches before concluding Wednesday, Aug. 20 with the semifinals and then the final under the lights in primetime.

Sixteen teams are competing, each featuring one man and one woman, and all will be in action Tuesday for first-round matches. The winners advance to the quarterfinals later in the day. The quarterfinal winners will return for the semifinals Wednesday and the champions will be crowned later that night.

Here is how to follow the US Open mixed doubles event, including the schedule, bracket, how to watch information and results once the matches get underway.

US Open mixed doubles order of play

All times Eastern

Tuesday, Aug. 19

Quarterfinal at Arthur Ashe Stadium

  • Sara Errani/Andrea Vavassori defeated Karolina Muchova/Andrey Rublev, 4-1, 4-5 (7-4)
  • Iga Swiatek/Casper Ruud defeated Caty McNally/Lorenzo Musetti, 4-1, 4-2
  • TBD vs. Taylor Townsend/Ben Shelton, 4:30 p.m. ET
  • Jessica Pegula/Jack Draper vs. TBD, 5 p.m. ET

First round at Arthur Ashe Stadium

  • Caty McNally/Lorenzo Musetti defeated Naomi Osaka/Gael Monfils 5-3 (4-3), 4-2
  • Iga Swiatek/Casper Ruud defeated Madison Keys/Frances Tiafoe 4-1, 4-2
  • Jessica Pegula/Jack Draper defeated Emma Raducanu/Carlos Alcaraz, 4-2, 4-2
  • Olga Danilovic/Novak Djokovic vs. Mirra Andreeva/Daniil Medvedev, 3:30 p.m.

First round at Louis Armstrong Stadium

  • Sara Errani/Andrea Vavassori defeated Elena Rybakina/Taylor Fritz 4-2, 4-2
  • Karolina Muchova/Andrey Rublev defeated Venus Williams/Reilly Opelka 4-2, 5-4(7-4)
  • Taylor Townsend/Ben Shelton defeated Amanda Anisimova/Holger Rune, 4-2, 4-5(7-2)
  • Danielle Collins/Christian Harrison vs. Belinda Bencic/Alexander Zverev, 3:30 p.m.

Wednesday, August 20

Semifinals at Arthur Ashe Stadium

  • TBD vs. Sara Errani/Andrea Vavassori, TBD
  • TBD vs. Iga Swiatek/Casper Ruud, TBD

Jessica Pegula and Jake Draper into the quarterfinals

Jessica Pegula and Jake Draper defeated Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz 4-2, 4-2 to advance to the quarterfinals. The duo will play again at 5 p.m. ET at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Ben Shelton and Taylor Townsend cruise to victory

Ben Shelton and doubles partner Taylor Townsend move on to the US Open Championship quarterfinals after defeating Amanda Anisimova and Holger Rune 4-2, 4-5 (7-2).

Iga Swiatek and Casper Rudd dominate in quarterfinals

Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud advance to the US Open semifinals after defeating Catherine McNally and Lorenzo Musetti with scores of 4-1 and 4-2.

Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori move on

Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori defeated Karolina Muchová and Andrey Rublev 4-1, 4-5 (7-4) to advance in the US Open mixed doubles championship.

Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud move on in mixed doubles

Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud defeated Madison Keys and Frances Tiafoe 4-1, 4-2 in the first round of mixed doubles. They will now return to the court to play Catherine McNally and Lorenzo Musetti in the quarterfinals.

Venus Williams and Reilly Opelka out of mixed doubles

In a match that went to a seven-point tiebreaker, Karolina Muchova and Andrey Rublev defeated Americans Venus Williams and Reilly Opelka in the first round of the US Open mixed doubles championship. Muchova/Rublev will face Andrea Vavassori and Sara Errani on Louis Armstrong Stadium at 2 p.m. ET.

Jannik Sinner and Katerina Siniakova out of mixed doubles

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner and his partner Katerina Siniakova have withdrawn from the US Open mixed doubles championship after Sinner had to retire from the Cincinnati Open due to an undisclosed illness. As a result, Belinda Bencic and Alexander Zverev will now face Americans Danielle Collins and Christian Harrison at 3 p.m. ET on Louis Armstrong Stadium.

Naomi Osaka and Gael Monfils lose mix doubles match

Catherine McNally and Lorenzo Musetti defeated Naomi Osaka and Gael Monfils 5-4, 4-2 in the first round of mixed doubles action.

Venus Williams and Reilly Opelka begin mixed doubles match

American Venus Williams and Reilly Opelka have started their first-round match against Karolina Muchova and Andrey Rublev at Louis Armstrong Stadium.

Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori defeated Elena Rybakina/Taylor Fritz

Italy’s Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori swiftly defeated Elena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz with scores of 4-2, 4-2 in the first round of the US Open mixed doubles competition.

US Open mixed doubles play begins

The first two matches are getting underway with Naomi Osaka/Gael Monfils facing Caty McNally/Lorenzo Musetti in Arthur Ashe Stadium, and Elena Rybakina/Taylor Fritz taking on Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori in Louis Armstrong Stadium.

When is US Open mixed doubles 2025?

The 2025 US Open mixed doubles competition begins Tuesday, Aug. 19 and concludes the night of Wednesday, Aug. 20 with the championship match. Matches get underway at 11 a.m. ET on Tuesday at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, New York.

Stream the 2025 US Open on Fubo

How to watch US Open mixed doubles 2025: TV and streaming

All times Eastern

Tuesday, Aug. 19

  • TV: 11 a.m.-1 p.m., ESPN2
  • TV: 1 p.m.- 5 p.m., ESPN News
  • Streaming: ESPN+ and Fubo

Wednesday, Aug. 20

  • TV: 7-10 p.m., ESPN2
  • Streaming: ESPN+ and Fubo

US Open mixed doubles bracket 2025

Teams listed in order of draw

  • No. 1 Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper
  • Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz
  • Olga Danilovic and Novak Djokovic
  • Mirra Andreeva and Daniil Medvedev
  • No. 3 Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud
  • Madison Keys and Frances Tiafoe
  • Naomi Osaka and Gael Monfils
  • Caty McNally and Lorenzo Musetti
  • Katerina Siniakova and Jannik Sinner
  • Belinda Bencic and Alexander Zverev
  • Taylor Townsend and Ben Shelton
  • No. 4 Amanda Anisimova and Holger Rune
  • Venus Williams and Reilly Opelka
  • Karolina Muchova and Andrey Rublev
  • Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori
  • No. 2 Elena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz

US Open mixed doubles 2025 format

Each match (other than the final) are best-of-three sets, and each set is first team to win four games. Unlike singles matches, there will be no-ad in games that reach a score of deuce (40-all), meaning that the winner of the next point wins the game. If each team has won four games in a set, a tiebreak will be played.

If the teams split sets, a 10-point match tiebreak will be played in lieu of a third set. The first team to win 10 points, with an advantage of two or more points, will win the match.

In the final, the first team to win six games wins the set, and the first team to win two sets wins the championship. If the teams split sets, a 10-point match tiebreak will be played in lieu of a third set.

US Open mixed doubles 2025 prize money

  • First round: $20,000
  • Quarterfinals: $100,000
  • Semifinals: $200,000
  • Runner-up: $400,000
  • Champion: $1 million
This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Following another exciting college softball season, the NCAA is doubling the number of teams it will seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

However, to protect teams from having to travel too much for regionals, the 1-32 seedings will not be straight up to protect 400-mile geographic proximity parameters and avoid same-conference matchups in the regionals.

The No. 1-4 national seeds will play seeds Nos. 29-32; however, an adjustment will be made if it pairs two conference opponents who are scheduled to meet one another. There will not be a seeding for the rest of the 64-team field.

National seed buckets

Here’s a look at how the national seed matchups will be determined, based on the No. 1-32 seed rankings:

  • National Seeds 1,2,3,4 – 29, 30, 31, 32
  • National Seeds 5, 6, 7, 8 – 25, 26, 27, 28
  • National Seeds 9, 10, 11, 12 – 21, 22, 23, 24
  • National Seeds 13, 14, 15, 16 – 17, 18, 19, 20

How the 2025 NCAA Softball Tournament would be impacted

If the 2025 NCAA Tournament followed the seeding based on the 1-32 ranking, this is how the field would have looked:

  • No. 1 Texas A&M vs. No. 32 Arizona State
  • No. 2 Oklahoma vs. No. 31 UCF
  • No. 3 Florida vs. No. 30 Cal
  • No. 4 Arkansas vs. No. 29 FAU
  • No. 5 Florida State vs. No. 28 Kentucky
  • No. 6 Texas vs. No. 27 Virginia
  • No. 7 Tennessee vs. No. 26 Liberty
  • No. 8 South Carolina vs. No. 25 Stanford
  • No. 9 UCLA vs. No. 24 Georgia
  • No. 10 LSU vs. No. 23 Ohio State
  • No. 11 Clemson vs. No. 22 Nebraska
  • No. 12 Texas Tech vs. No. 21 Auburn
  • No. 13 Arizona vs. No. 20 Mississippi State
  • No. 14 Duke vs. No. 19 Ole Miss
  • No. 15 Alabama vs. No. 18 Oklahoma State
  • No. 16 Oregon vs. No. 17 Virginia Tech

Future NCAA Softball Tournament changes

According to Softball America, the NCAA Committee will continue to examine other issues when it meets in November. Here’s a look at other changes currently under consideration:

  • Extending practice times at both the regional and super regional tournaments
  • Increasing the NCAA postseason squad size to 25.
    • Currently, the number of student-athletes who are eligible to play in a postseason game is 22.
    • If the committee adopts an increase, it would allow for more student-athletes to be listed on the lineup card and participate in the game, and teams that have an official NCAA roster larger than 25 would STILL be permitted to travel their entire roster; however, only 25 would be eligible to participate in the competition.
    • This would NOT include an increased financial commitment from the NCAA.
  • Continuing to explore the extension of the NCAA regional tournament from a three-day schedule to a four-day schedule.
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The Fighting Irish made it official on Aug. 19 and the redshirt freshman will make his first career start against Miami in Week 1.

It was a long battle for the starting spot between Carr and Kenny Minchey, which had continued into the first few weeks of fall camp. The two players were buried in the depth chart last season, but the departure of last season’s starter Riley Leonard and backup Steve Angeli transferring to Syracuse left the job open between Carr and Minchey.

Both players had been splitting first team reps in practices as head coach Marcus Freeman hadn’t publicly stated which player was leading the race. The two players play contrasting styles with Carr more of a pocket passer and Minchey a dual-threat option. Now, Carr will start the season as QB1.

The grandson of hall of fame Michigan coach Lloyd Carr, the Saline, Michigan native was the No. 45 overall recruit and sixth-ranked quarterback in the 2024 recruiting class, according to 247Sports. When he announced his commitment to Notre Dame, Carr was believed to the starter-in-waiting and a likely multi-year quarterback for the Fighting Irish.

Carr made one appearance in 2024, coming in the blowout victory against Purdue in Week 3. The Fighting Irish went 14-2 last season, appearing in the national championship game for the first time this century. It was also the first College Football Playoff appearance since 2020.

Carr will take over the starting job as Notre Dame is again a College Football Playoff favorite. It starts the season No. 5 in the US LBM Coaches Poll as it returns one of the best backfields in the country in Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price. The first game of the season at No. 10 Miami is on Aug. 31.

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Boxer Julio César Chávez Jr. was deported from the United States and entered a prison in the northern Mexico state of Sonora, according to the country’s national arrest registry.

Chávez had been arrested in the U.S. in July and Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed on Tuesday, Aug. 19 that the 39-year-old had been deported to Mexico.

A former middleweight world champion, Chávez was arrested July 2 in Southern California and then detained by ICE, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Mexican prosecutors allege he acted as a henchman for the Sinaloa Cartel, which Washington designated a foreign terrorist organization earlier this year. Chavez Jr’s lawyer and family have rejected the accusations.

Mexico’s national arrest registry showed that he was arrested at a checkpoint in the border city of Nogales and transferred to a federal institution in Sonora’s capital of Hermosillo.

Chávez is a Mexican citizen and was being processed for expedited removal from the United States after his arrest, according to DHS, which said Chávez has an active arrest warrant in Mexico for his involvement in organized crime and trafficking firearms, ammunition, and explosives.

His arrest came four days after losing a high-profile boxing match to celebrity boxer Jake Paul.

Chávez, the son of legendary Mexican fighter Julio César Chávez Sr., held the WBC middleweight title in 2011 and 2012. He was critical of immigration raids in Los Angeles.

In August 2023, Chávez entered the country legally with a B2 tourist visa that was valid until February 2024.

Chávez was on a scooter by his home in Studio City, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, when he was detained by ICE agents, according to the Associated Press, which also reported Chàvez would appear in court Monday.

In January 2024, Chávez was arrested in Los Angeles on charges of felony gun possession charges after police said they found him in possession of two AR-style ghost rifles, according to ESPN and the Los Angeles Times.

He pleaded not guilty to the gun possession charges and agreed to enter a residential treatment program, according to those reports. Court records indicate Chávez was granted pretrial diversion. As of the last progress report on June 18, he was still in the program, said Greg Risling of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s June 25.

In its press release, DHS stated former President Joe Biden’s administration allowed Chávez to reenter the country in January and paroled him into the country at the San Ysidro port of entry in California.

Chávez Jr. says ICE immigration raids ‘scared me’

Chávez trained in Los Angeles before the fight against Paul and addressed the immigration raids that triggered protests in the city’s downtown.

‘It even scared me, to tell you the truth, it is very ugly,” he told the Los Angeles Times for a story published June 23. “I don’t understand the situation, why so much violence. There are many good people and you are setting an example of violence to the community.”

He also addressed federal agents wearing masks and not identifying themselves while targeting workers who appeared to be immigrants, according to the Los Angeles Times.

“Seeing children left alone because their parents are grabbed,’’ Chávez said. “… That is common sense, we are people and we are going to feel bad when we see that situation.’’

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