Djokovic considers skipping U.S. Open

Top-ranked Novak Djokovic is thinking of skipping the U.S. Open — if it is played — and instead returning to competition on clay ahead of the rescheduled French Open.

Djokovic said the restrictions that would be in place for the Grand Slam tournament in New York because of the COVID-19 pandemic would be “extreme” and not “sustainable.”

“Most of the players I have talked to were quite negative on whether they would go there.” he said.

“For me, as things stand, most probably the season will continue on clay at the beginning of September.”

Basketball

Brian Shaw played and coached under Phil Jackson with the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA. That experience makes Shaw uniquely qualified for his new position as coach of a new NBA G League team launched for elite players coming out of high school who view this as an alternative path to the NBA. These players will earn at least $125,000 for a five-month contract.

Colleges

Three UCF football players tested positive for COVID-19 after returning to campus for voluntary workouts last week.The three Knights players are in isolation for two weeks. Multiple student-athletes at Boise State University have also tested positive for COVID-19 after some teams returned to the Idaho campus for workouts..

Boxing

Shakur Stevenson stopped Felix Caraballo with a body-punch knockdown in the sixth round Tuesday night in the first major boxing event held in North America since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Stevenson (14-0, 8 KOs), the WBO featherweight champion, dominated his non-title bout against the Puerto Rican veteran.

Outdoors

Six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan and the crew of his 80-foot fishing boat hauled in a 442.3-pound blue marlin at the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament held annually off the coast of Morehead City, N.C. It’s the sixth-largest marlin caught so far during the tournament, which boasts a $3.3 million overall purse.