Djokovic extends record with his 7th Paris Masters

Novak Djokovic will head to the ATP Finals oozing with confidence. The top-ranked Serb will take on his rivals at the yearend event starting next weekend on an 18-match winning streak, fresh from a 40th Masters 1000 tournament win.

Djokovic, who has not lost a match since his defeat to Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final in July, won a record-extending seventh title at the Paris Masters with a quick and easy 6-4, 6-3 win over Grigor Dimitrov in the final.

• Iga Swiatek gave herself a shot at her first WTA Finals title and the year-end top ranking by eliminating No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 6-2 in a rain-suspended semifinal in Cancun, Mexico. The second-seeded Swiatek, 22, from Poland, will meet the fifth-seeded American Jessica Pegula, 29, today for the trophy at the tour's season-ending championship.

OL Reign, Gotham FC reach NWSL final

There will be a new NWSL champion in 2023. OL Reign will face NJ/NY Gotham FC for the NWSL Championship on Saturday as former U.S. women's national team players Megan Rapinoe and Ali Krieger compete for one final trophy.

OL Reign defeated host San Diego Wave FC 1-0 in one semifinal in San Diego.

Veronica Latsko provided another game-winning goal for the visitors early in the second half.

It will be the third NWSL Championship appearance for coach Laura Harvey and Rapinoe after previously reaching the big event in 2014 and 2015.

NJ/NY Gotham FC booked a spot in the NWSL Championship for the first time after Katie Stengel's stunning goal in extra time earned them a 1-0 win over the reigning champions Portland Thorns.

IN THE MLS PLAYOFFS ❯❯ Defender Logan Ndenbe scored his second career goal with both coming this postseason and Dániel Sallói had an assist and delivered an insurance goal in the second half as Sporting Kansas City eliminated visiting St. Louis City, the top seed in the Western Conference, with a 2-1 victory.

Pitcher Martinez leaving San Diego

Pitcher Nick Martinez became a free agent after San Diego and the righthander declined options for 2024 and 2025.

San Diego turned down options at $16 million annually and Martinez declined options at $8 million a year.

Martinez made $10 million this year, when he went 6-3 with a 3.43 ERA in nine starts and 54 relief appearances in his second season with the Padres.

• Pitcher Kyle Hendricks' $16 million option for '24 was exercised by the Cubs, who also exercised a $6 million option on catcher Yan Gomes.

• Left-hander Sean Manaea opted out of his 2024 contract with the San Francisco Giants, becoming a free agent.

Manaea signed a $25 million, two-year deal last December that included a $5million signing bonus with salaries of $7.5million this past season and $12.5 million for 2024.

Manaea, 31, went 7-6 with a 4.44 ERA over 37 appearances with just 10 starts in his one season with San Francisco.

• Reliever Hector Neris declined his part of an $8.5 million mutual option for 2024 with the Houston Astros and became a free agent. Neris gets a $1 million buyout, completing a $17 million, two-year contract. The 34-year-old right-hander was 6-3 with a 1.71 ERA and two saves in 71 games, his third straight season of 70 or more appearances.

Van Rooyen prevails in Los Cabos, Mexico

Erik van Rooyen made a 16-foot eagle putt on the par-5 closing hole to win the World Wide Technology Championship in Los Cabos, Mexico, a day after Matt Kuchar squandered a six-stroke lead with a late meltdown.

Playing alongside Kuchar at Tiger Woods-designed El Cardonal at Diamante on the tip of Baja California, van Rooyen played the back nine in 8-under 28 in a 9-under 63. He finished at 27-under 261, two strokes ahead of Kuchar and Camilo Villegas.

• Mone Inami of Japan shot a 3-under 69 to win the LPGA's Japan Classic by one shot over Seon Woo Bae of South Korea and Shiho Kuwaki of Japan. It was the first win on the LPGA Tour for the 24-year-old.

Inami finished at 22-under 266 for the four rounds. Seon closed with a 67, and Kuwaki, who shared the lead after three rounds, slipped to a 71 at the Taiheiyo Club in north central Japan.

• Padraig Harrington ran away with the TimberTech Championship in Boca Raton, Fla., for his second PGA Tour Champions title of the year, birdieing six of the first seven holes in a seven-stroke victory.

A shot ahead after opening rounds of 67 and 66 on The Old Course at Broken Sound, Harrington shot a 7-under 64 to finish at 16 under in the second of three Charles Schwab Cup playoff events and final playing of the tournament in Florida.

The Irishman has six champions victories. He's set to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame next year.

Bernhard Langer, the 66-year-old German star with a tour-record 46 victories, tied for second at 9 under with Charlie Wi, who earned a spot next week in the season-season Charles Schwab Cup Championship and wrapped up a full tour exemption for next year. Langer, the winner last year at Broken Sound, had a double bogey on 17 in a 70. Wi closed with a bogey-free 64.

Verstappen wins Brazilian Grand Prix

Three-time champion Max Verstappen led from the start and won the Brazilian Grand Prix in Sao Paulo. Sergio Perez of Red Bull finished in fourth place, distancing himself from Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton in one of the few competitions left this season — a position for runner-up.

Ethiopian sets record at NYC Marathon

Tamirat Tola of Ethiopia set a course record to win the New York City Marathon men's race while Hellen Obiri of Kenya pulled away in the final 400 meters to take the women's title.

Tola finished in 2 hours, 4 minutes and 58 seconds, topping the 2:05.06 set by Geoffrey Mutai in 2011.

Tola pulled away from countrymate Jemal Yimer when the pair were heading toward the Bronx at mile 20. By the time Tola headed back into Manhattan a mile later he was up by 19 seconds and left only chasing Mutai's mark.

The women's race came down to the stretch. Obiri, Letesenbet Gidey of Ethiopia and defending champion Sharon Lokedi were all running together exchanging the lead. Obiri made a move as the trio headed back into Central Park for the final half-mile and finished in 2:27.23. Gidey finished second, 6 seconds behind.