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Terence Crawford comment could open door to mega £152million Conor McGregor fight deal

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Terence Crawford Conor McGregor

Conor McGregor has been out of action since his UFC 264 trilogy defeat to Dustin Poirier, and recently revealed he won’t be returning to the Octagon until 2025 – so he may explore other avenues

Conor McGregor has teased a jaw-dropping, multi-million dollar showdown with boxing ace Terrence Crawford.

The UFC legend has been out of action since his 2021 defeat to Dustin Poirier, when he suffered a leg break that halted their trilogy fight. Since then, McGregor has been sidelined once more due to a busted toe, which axed his planned UFC return against Michael Chandler earlier this year.

Terence Crawford rechaza pelea con Conor McGregor: “No iba a permitir que me pateara y diera de codazos” - ClaroSports

JUST IN: ‘Can’t Teach You Anything’ – Joshua Told To Fire Ben Davidson

Confirming his absence from the MMA scene until next year in a chat with Ariel Helwani at the high-voltage Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois bout last month, ‘The Notorious’ isn’t just kicking back and relaxing. It looks like he’s hunting for new thrills outside the Octagon while he gears up for his grand comeback.

In a bombshell live stream revelation, McGregor claimed that Crawford turned down a $200million (£152m) mega-deal to face him in an epic crossover duel. McGregor went into detail about the proposed offer, saying: “We were talking back and forth about a two-fight deal. He rings up Crawford in front of me the day after the fights.

“I get on the phone and say ‘Crawford, they’re here talking about you and me [fighting]. Two-fight deal, MMA first, boxing second. I know you have an extensive wrestling background, and balls the size of a Bengal tiger. They’re asking for a fight, it’ll be hundreds of millions on the line. What’s up?’, I said and then he goes, ‘I don’t fancy taking a kick off Conor McGregor ‘, that’s what he said. You have to respect that,” reports the Express.

Boxing champ Crawford has also spilled the beans on his chat with McGregor about a potential two-fight deal – one in the ring and one in the octagon. Recalling the conversation on Bernie the Boxer, Crawford said: “I told Conor, ‘Hell no’. They called me and they offered me the fight and me and Conor got on the phone and started trying to figure something out. And I told him, ‘Man I ain’t getting into no Octagon with you so you can be kicking me and elbow me and s***’.

“He started laughing and s*** and he said ‘Man, I respect it. You respect my sport just like I respect your sport and you understand that if you get in an Octagon you’re going to be at a disadvantage. Just like if I get into the boxing ring with you, I’m going to be at a disadvantage’.”

Despite saying no way at first, it looks like Crawford might actually be open to the mammoth idea after all. McGregor recently teased on Instagram saying: “Big respect to @tbudcrawford! $100million dollars in a fight, 1 in mma, 1 boxing. $200million dollars!” Crawford couldn’t help but drop a hint back, replying with a cheeky: “Tempted,” while giving a shout out to the UFC superstar.

Even though he’s got the wrestling skills that could’ve taken him far in MMA, Crawford decided to chase glory with the gloves instead. He burst onto the scene against Brian Cummings in 2008, clinching a first-round knockout victory. Zooming ahead to 2024, Crawford boasts an impeccable 41-0 record, with 31 knockouts and ten decisions against top fighters like Errol Spence Jr, Kell Brook, and Amir Khan.

His latest triumph was over Israil Madrimov in August, when he claimed the WBA and WBO interim light middleweight titles. McGregor, on the other hand, has had a glittering career in mixed martial arts. He shot to fame in Cage Warriors back in 2011 and 2012, scooping up both the featherweight and lightweight belts, before his UFC debut against Marcus Brimage in 2013 – a match he won with a first-round TKO.

The 36-year-old nabbed the UFC featherweight belt in 2015 by flooring Jose Aldo in a mere 13 seconds, then went on to become a “champ-champ” by beating Eddie Alvarez for the lightweight title the next year. However, he was stripped of both titles due to inactivity and hasn’t reclaimed champion status since.

No newbie to boxing, the southpaw took a swing at the boxing world in 2017, facing off with the legendary Floyd Mayweather Jr in a pro 12-rounder in August 2017, lasting ten rounds against the undefeated champ before a TKO stoppage in “Money” Mayweather’s favour.

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BOXING

‘Can’t Teach You Anything’ – Joshua Told To Fire Ben Davidson

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Anthony Joshua Ben Davidson

Anthony Joshua has been told to leave his trainer, Ben Davidson, following his loss to Daniel Dubois.

Roy Jones Jr. made those comments as Joshua was dropped four times on his way to a fifth-round stoppage defeat. Joshua failed to become a three-time heavyweight champion as Dubois retained his IBF Heavyweight Belt. The victory means that Dubois is now able to face the winner of Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, who fight on December 21.

Joshua had been chasing an undisputed fight since 2019 when talks over the Deontay Wilder fight broke down. Joshua would lose his belts to Usyk, while Wilder did the same to Fury. Joshua now faces some serious question marks moving forward. In his post-fight comments, he confirmed that he would not retire. During his time with Ben Davidson, Joshua was perceived as being back to his best self. He had stopped Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou in his last two fights.

Joshua Told To Fire Ben Davidson | Boxing News

READ: WATCH: Bob Arum Has Bad News For Anthony Joshua

Joshua was fighting more on the front foot. But looking back, it may have been because he was not facing big-name fighters. There is a suggestion that Davidson’s advice let him down. He advised Joshua to use an uppercut, even though he had been dropped numerous times. Joshua took that advice when he landed consecutive right hands on Dubois, followed by an uppercut to leave himself open. Dubois reacted by landing a counter right hand to end the fight. Jones has called on Joshua to leave Davidson for a different trainer with more boxing experience.

“It takes real boxing knowledge to prepare yourself and get better. If you don’t have someone with real IQ and boxing knowledge who has been there and done that, they can’t teach you anything. You need someone who can charter those seas when they get tough. I don’t think Ben Davison has been in enough fights. Ben has done a lot of coaching, but it’s hard when you haven’t been there yourself.

“Some guys get lucky, but it’s very difficult for a coach who hasn’t been there himself. I can’t tell you how to swim through the ocean if I’ve never swam through the ocean before. I’m sorry. It’s nothing against Ben Davison because he’s been good, but when you get in that deep water and you ain’t been in that deep water, that shark invested water, it’s hard for you to tell somebody what it’s like because you’ve never been there,” Roy Jones Jr. said 

The problem facing Joshua is that he has had numerous trainers since leaving Rob McCracken after losing the first Oleksandr Usyk fight. Joshua parted ways as he teamed up with Robert Garcia for the Usyk rematch. Joshua lost that fight as Garcia would then depart. AJ eventually found himself working with Derrick James, who was based in the United States.

There was hope that Joshua could benefit from a change in scenery, as he was in camp with other big names such as Errol Spence Jr, Jermall Charlo and Ryan Garcia. But Joshua’s wins under James were unconvincing. He looked far from his best against Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius. However, Jones could ultimately become a name in that conversation since he has experience training Chris Eubank Jr., but whether that will suit Joshua’s style is anyone’s guess.

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GOLF

Tiger Woods to design second Texas golf course as PGA and LIV Golf merger talks progress

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Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods is set to design a new golf course in Texas as he takes on another project away from the course, with the 15-time major winner also in talks with LIV Golf

Tiger Woods is expanding his design portfolio with a second golf course in Texas, announcing a major new venture.

The 48-year-old golf icon revealed on Thursday that he’s collaborating once more with the Bluejack Ranch brand to create a new course in Aledo, Texas. On their website, Woods expressed his enthusiasm: “I’m grateful for the encore opportunity to reteam with Bluejack National and home-towners Andy and Kristin Mitchell to design a course around this incredibly special property and community.

Tiger Woods dazzled his peers on the golf course. Next up: the boardroom

READ: Tiger Woods’ business empire blitzes his career earnings despite ditching £500m deal

“It’s extremely motivating for me to contribute to the golfing legacy of Fort Worth, and I’m excited to see what we’ll build together. We’ll share more after our next design meeting in Aledo.”

Amidst these developments, Woods continues to be a key figure in negotiations between the PGA Tour and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF) regarding a potential merger with LIV Golf. These discussions have been active for over a year, with Woods playing a pivotal role while simultaneously pursuing other interests.

In addition to his latest design project, Woods is also gearing up to launch a new golf league in January with fellow PGA Tour star Rory McIlroy. The innovative TGL league will showcase 24 leading PGA Tour players in weekly televised games at a purpose-built arena in Florida.

Golf legends Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have teamed up with top golf course designer Beau Welling to revolutionise the game by creating digital holes for a state-of-the-art 1,500-seater arena at SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens. They’re set to light up the stage along with stars such as Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, and Justin Rose.

Woods, juggling a plethora of projects including his involvement in crafting a virtual golf experience for the innovative TGL, promoting his clothing line Sun Day Red, and designing new courses, is carving out less time for traditional golf rounds. He’s running on a light schedule these days with an anticipated appearance at the Hero World Challenge on Dec.5.

While Woods may be entering the twilight of his playing career, he’s been handed the significant role of shaping golf’s future. The PGA Tour, in negotiations with the Public Investment Fund (PIF), saw Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan and Saudi Arabia’s Yasir Al-Rumayyan present a stunning framework agreement last June that remains unsigned, some 18 months on.

According to ESPN, Woods had discussions with PIF representatives in New York recently.

The golf icon has been tight-lipped since giving an update at The Open Championship in July, where he hinted at positive developments, saying: “I can tell you we’re making progress. I can’t tell you more than that just because we’re not going to negotiate on the outside.”

He emphasised confidentiality and optimism about the ongoing dialogues, mentioning: “We’ve got to keep everything at a high level and private, but things are moving and things are changing… There’s a good interchange of ideas and thoughts on how the game could look going forward. It’s just a matter of putting that all together legally.”

“Obviously we have the DOJ with oversight looking into that as well and making sure that we don’t do anything improperly there, as well, but also making sure that all the players benefit from this as well as everyone who’s involved. They want to make money as well. They want to make that return.”

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TENNIS

Novak Djokovic reveals ‘extra motivation’ ahead of Shanghai return as he drops retirement plans hint

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Novak Djokovic Shanghai

Novak Djokovic has expressed that his love for tennis will “never fade away” as he revealed he expects to remain involved in the sport “in different roles” after he retires.

The 24-time major champion also divulged that he will use the chance to win his 100th ATP title as an extra source of motivation at the Shanghai Masters.

Shanghai is Djokovic’s first tournament appearance since the 2024 US Open, where he suffered a surprise third round loss to Alexei Popyrin.

Novak Djokovic's projected path to ATP Shanghai Masters 2024 final

JUST IN: Coco Gauff earns key rankings boost after overcoming nightmare start in China Open win

The 37-year-old Serbian dismantled world No 773 Ioannis Xilas of Greece 6-0, 6-1 in a Davis Cup contest last month in his only match since the US Open.

Djokovic has won a record four titles in Shanghai since the inception of the Masters 1000 tournament in 2009, while he also won his maiden ATP Finals title in Shanghai in 2008. In addition, Djokovic has secured a record six trophies at the China Open in Beijing.

The tennis legend has not played in China since the 2019 Shanghai Masters, with the Asian swing having been cancelled in 2020, 2021 and 2022 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Djokovic claimed his only ATP singles title of the 2024 season — and 99th overall — at the Paris Olympics in August.

Ahead of his campaign in Shanghai, Djokovic spoke about his success in China and the prospect of reaching a century of titles.

“Well, as I’ve mentioned before, China has been a very successful and happy place for me,” Djokovic said in his press conference. “I’ve had great success on the Chinese soil, both Beijing and Shanghai.

“I haven’t been here five years. I just love playing here, love the conditions, love the support that I get, and I also have an extra motivation of trying to go for my 100th title.

“Yeah, I mean, that’s all I can say at the moment. I’m trying to improve daily on my practice sessions. I play a lot of practice points, games, sets, and get to the desired level, because I haven’t been playing too many tournaments lately, so I have some catching up to do with others.

“Again, hopefully I can use that freshness in a way, and also the past experiences and success I had on this court for good success this year in the tournament as well.”

The world No 4 also gave insight into his potential plans for after his playing career when asked to describe how big his love for tennis remains.

“My love for tennis will never fade away,” Djokovic declared. “I have a lot of emotions when I’m playing, and not particularly only in the tournament, but also practice sessions.

“Sometimes it’s not always going your way, but I think my relationship with tennis goes much deeper than a tournament or a year or success or failure, it’s just, you know, a sport that I fell in love with when I was very young, and I still have the love for the sport.

“Even when I retire from professional tennis, I feel like I’m going to stay in tennis, stay involved in, you know, in different roles, because I feel like I owe this sport a lot for what it has been giving to me.”

Djokovic is the No 4 seed at the Shanghai Masters and he will face either Alex Michelsen or Yunchaokete Bu in his opening match.

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TENNIS

Coco Gauff earns key rankings boost after overcoming nightmare start in China Open win

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Coco Gauff

Coco Gauff has earned herself a handy rankings bonus thanks to a hard-fought China Open quarter-final victory on Thursday.

Gauff was not at her best against Ukrainian qualifier Yuliia Starodubtseva and failed to hit a winner throughout the entirety of the first set.

However, the world No 6 was able to rally to defeat the surprise quarter-finalist 2-6, 6-2, 6-2 to reach her first WTA semi-final since the Berlin Open back in June.

China Open: Coco Gauff into quarter-finals as Naomi Osaka retires - BBC Sport

READ: Ahead of Coco Gauff ‘battle’, Naomi Osaka +15 makes another rankings breakthrough

Victory for Gauff means that she has successfully defended all her ranking points in Beijing, having also reached the last four of the event in 2023.

That is a significant boost for the 20-year-old, who fell out of the top five following her fourth round exit at the US Open.

Failure to defend her ranking points in the Chinese capital would have put her at risk of slipping further down, with world No 7 Zheng Qinwen hot on her heels.

However, Gauff, who holds 4,983 in both the official and live rankings, is now guaranteed to be ahead of Qinwen no matter what happens in Beijing.

The Chinese has 4,075 points in the live rankings, and can only move to a maximum of 4,860 points should she win the title at the WTA 1000 event.

Gauff also now has the opportunity to move back inside the world’s top five should she lift what would be the second WTA 1000 title of her career this weekend.

A run to the title would see the 20-year-old move to 5,593 ranking points, ahead of current world No 4 Elena Rybakina and world No 5 Jasmine Paolini.

Rybakina’s semi-final points from 2023 will drop off after her pre-tournament withdrawal, while Paolini was beaten back in round three.

Gauff has also moved closer to breaking a milestone held by Caroline Wozniacki at WTA 1000 events thanks to victory over Starodubtseva.

The American has now reached seven WTA 1000 semi-finals before turning 21, with Wozniacki’s record of eight -since the format was introduced in 2009 – now in threat.

Gauff could potentially be in line to equal the Dane’s record at the Wuhan Open next week, with WTA 1000 events in Dubai and Doha taking place before her 21st birthday next season.

Up next for Gauff in Beijing is the resurgent Paula Badosa, who ended the epic run of home favourite Zhang Shuai in their quarter-final clash on Thursday.

The Spaniard, once ranked as high as world No 2, is set to return to the top 15 no matter what happens in their upcoming semi-final clash, which will take place on Saturday.

Badosa leads the head-to-head between the two 3-2, though Gauff won their last meeting at the Italian Open back in May.

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BOXING

Sebastian Fundora Breaks Silence After Terence Crawford’s Bombshell Allegation

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Sebastian Fundora Terence Crawford

Even though the negotiations are still pending, Terence Crawford and Sebastian Fundora have started their war off-court.

With the Canelo Alvarez fight still in the air for Crawford, the WBA and Interim WBO light middleweight champion decided to switch his attention to the WBO and WBC light middleweight champion, Fundora. The WBO, in late August, ordered a WBO title fight between Crawford and Fundora. Both sides were given a 30-day period to negotiate the fight, with a purse bid looming if they fail to reach an agreement by the deadline.

The minimum bid for this fight was set at $200,000, with Crawford expected to receive a favorable share due to his “Super Champion” status. Since the two parties have yet to reach a deal, a few days ago, the WBO gave them a 10-day extension to reach a deal. If the parties fail to strike a deal, the bout will go to a purse bid, with the fight potentially happening by the end of the year. But before that could even happen, the duo found themselves in a heated argument online, exchanging words, as neither of them wanted to appear as backing out.

Terence Crawford Scores 10-Day Extension For High-Stakes Negotiations

JUST IN: Fury vs Usyk II: ‘You’re About To Feel The Wrath’ – Fury warns Usyk

Talksport editor Michael Benson took to X to reveal an excerpt of a conversation that Crawford had with YouTuber Bernie Tha Boxer regarding Sebastian Fundora. According to Bud, the much-awaited fight is still on the table for him. “That’s a fight on the table,” stated Crawford in a defensive tone. However, The Nebraska resident was aware of his struggle against Israil Madrimov and how lackluster he looked in that fight but warned the 6’6 boxer to not take that fight as a reference.

Crawford had a challenging outing against the former champion from Uzbekistan and it might have been his toughest fight in recent years. According to CompuBox stats, Madrimov’s defense was so solid that Bud threw 158 more punches than his opponent, but only connected with 11 more. And on the other hand, Madrimov threw 10 more power punches than Crawford.

After that, Terence Crawford brought up the rumored sparring session between Fundora and Madrimov to make a shocking claim. “If Fundora’s licking his chops over my performance vs Israil Madrimov, then I should be licking my chops because Madrimov knocked Fundora out in sparring. That’s what I heard,” stated Crawford. Despite the claim from Bud, there exists no confirmed report of the knockout.

So naturally, the Towering Inferno refused to take the disrespect lying down as he quickly shot back with a cryptic message on his Instagram story, sparking the feud even more.

The California resident took to his Instagram Story and replied with a few lines from Ed Sheeran’s Song, ‘Tenerife Sea’. Fundora noted, “We are surrounded by all of these lies And people that talk too much,” insinuating that the claims made by Crawford are “lies” and that Bud is now talking too much.

If the matchup between the two happens, it will be quite exciting to watch Bud Standing figure out an opponent of Fundora’s size and stature. Standing at 6’6 feet, he has an unreal reach and is a natural junior middleweight. It gives him a big power and size advantage over other opponents in the same division.

On the other hand, with a lean physique and normal height, while spending most of his career at 147lbs, it might prove too much for Crawford to figure out. So, fighting against Sebastian Fundora might be tricky for the 37-year-old. There is also the chance that once he takes the Fundora fight, he may have to kiss the Canelo fight goodbye for a while.

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BOXING

Fury vs Usyk II: ‘You’re About To Feel The Wrath’ – Fury warns Usyk

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Tyson Fury Oleksandr Usyk

Tyson Fury warned Oleksandr Usyk that he made a mistake by not knocking him out, stating that he would become a three-time heavyweight champion. 

Usyk defeated Fury to become the first Undisputed Heavyweight Champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999. He dominated the first part of the fight while also finishing strongly at the back end. Fury’s best parts were in the middle rounds when he pushed Usyk on the back foot.

The turning point in the fight came in the ninth round. Usyk landed a big left hand, followed by numerous combinations which buckled Fury. The Gypsy King was bouncing off the ropes as Usyk had him backed up in the corner. Just when the Ukrainian was going to go for the knockout, the referee imposed a standing eight count.

Tyson Fury issues chilling X-rated threat to Oleksandr Usyk as he looks for revenge in December rematch | The Sun

READ: [WATCH] ‘I’ll Get It Like Wilder 2’ – Fury Says He Will KO Usyk

It was very controversial since it prevented Usyk from finishing the fight. There was also an argument that Fury had not walked forward quickly enough, following the count, with suggestions that the fight should have been stopped. In his post-fight comments, Fury refused to accept defeat, stating that Usyk had been given the decision due to Russia’s war with Ukraine.

The Gypsy King also called Usyk an amateur boxer after having rewatched the fight, doubling down on his belief that he had won. Fury’s brother, Shane Fury, later admitted that Usyk had won the fight. Fury’s behavior has shown that he is struggling to accept the defeat.

He was thrown out of a nightclub in Morecambe, in his hometown, after appearing drunk. While he would later post a video showing himself back in the gym, there is doubt whether Fury can mentally overcome this. But his following comments show that he is ready to give it his all, as he had eyes on avenging the loss.

“You had your shot but couldn’t finish the job! Mistake. Now you’re about to feel the wrath of a menace. Gypsy King 2024 is coming for you. December 21 is mine. Me against the world. incoming 3x heavyweight champ,” Fury said

Nevertheless, Usyk does not appear fazed. During the build-up for the first fight, the Ukrainian showed that he would not let Fury get in his head. Fury had repeatedly called him a blown-up middleweight and a rabbit. The Gypsy King even went as far as to state that he would retire from the sport if he came up short. Usyk warned Fury that he would not leave him alone, which later showed in the fight.

He pressed the action from the off, pushing the Gypsy King on the back foot, targeting the head and midsection. Fury could not keep up with the pace. While it is true that Fury slowed down, a large proportion of that was due to the pressure Usyk was exerting.

The Gypsy king will have to change his tactics, something which he did against Deontay Wilder in the second fight. Fury boxed on the front foot and eventually got the American out before the distance. But in doing so, Fury will leave himself open as Usyk is known for being an expert counterpuncher. That has left the fight in a very intriguing place.

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GOLF

Tiger Woods’ business empire blitzes his career earnings despite ditching £500m deal

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Tiger Woods USGA

Tiger Woods doesn’t need to join LIV Golf to supplement his income.

The legendary Tiger Woods may be waning on the course, but he remains one of the richest sportspeople in the world off it. At 48 and plagued by serious leg and back injuries, the American is seldom seen at professional tournaments these days, his appearances confined to Major championships and exhibition events.

However, the legacy of the 15-time major champion has long been cemented, having banked record amounts of prize money since turning pro back in August 1996.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour

READ: Tiger Woods sent vulgar message to golfer at President’s Cup

His career winnings alone amount to more then £90million, with that figure inflated immensely by sponsorship endorsements.

In January this year, one of the most iconic sponsorship deals in world sport was ended when Woods cut ties with Nike after 27 years. The contract was reportedly worth more than £373m, and a previous deal with Gatorade is said to have earned him £75m before the sports drink company ended their association in 2011 following reports of his extra-marital affairs.

But it’s the business ventures of Woods, who according to Forbes is now worth around £824m, that have proved more lucrative than his golf prowess and endorsements. The all-time great has indulged in everything from real estate to clothing brands as his name alone continues to appeal to engross the public.

He is said to have purchased, and later sold, a string of luxurious properties over the years. His own home on Jupiter Island is worth an estimated £40m, having been specially adapted in late 2021 to aid his rehabilitation following the high speed car crash that threatened to curtail his golf career.

A number of the world’s best players also live in his star-studded neighbourhood and based close to his home in Florida is The Woods. The restaurant is owned by the man himself, and boasts of being ‘a destination to celebrate like a champion’.

Inevitably, many of the business ventures of the five-time US Masters champion centre around golf. He owns a course design firm, TGR Design, a golf simulator tool Full Swing, and an indoor mini golf chain called Popstroke.

The latter venture has nine different branches, with 15 more sites reportedly set to open. But fans are also awaiting with intrigue for TMRW Sports, a tech company that Woods launched in conjunction with Rory McIlroy, to start the TGL indoor league, designed to attract a new and younger audience to the sport.

Furthermore, Woods is a shareholder in global real estate development company Nexus Luxury Collection, alongside singer Justin Timberlake. But he’s also in the midst of a legal battle with his clothing line which he launched with TaylorMade this year, called Sun Day Red.

American company Tigeraire, who produce air-conditioned helmets for sportspeople, have filed a notice of opposition to the US Patent and Trademark Office. Their complaints centre around alleged similarities between their logo and that of Sun Day Red.

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TENNIS

WATCH: Serena Williams leaves fans puzzled following joke about relationship to college football player

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Serena Williams

WTA legend Serena Williams was the centre of some controversy following her remarks about a college football player who shares her last name, leading fans to ponder if she was related to the athlete.

Ryan Williams, a 17-year-old wide receiver for the Alabama Crimson Tide, went viral over the weekend after scoring a sensational 75-yard touchdown in their victory over the Georgia Bulldogs. ESPN’s Sportscenter would upload a clip of the play to their official social media account, prompting several fans and celebrities to comment on the play.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion was one of the millions who viewed the clip, and proceeded to compliment the young man in a fashion that suggested familial ties.
Serena Williams

JUST IN: Jannik Sinner’s failed drug tests: Novak Djokovic delivers criticism in verdict on anti-doping appeal

“Honestly this is pretty impressive from my 17year old cousin ha go Cuz!'” wrote Williams after sharing the clip on social media.
Several of Williams’s fans were left confused at the statement, with many not catching on that the former World No.1 was in fact joking.
“Wait what?!?” wrote an incredulous user.
“THAT’S YOUR COUSIN?!?!?! So your whole bloodline are exceptional athletes,” said another.
“Ain’t heard her endorse this man or say a peep ever before this,” wrote another suspicious user.
“cousin cousin or Cousin Cousin,” asked another fan.
However, others were quick to catch onto the joke.
“Ha, everyone knows y’all not related. But ok funny,” wrote a more observant fan.
“Lord help us all with how many think she is being serious here,” expressed another fan.

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TENNIS

Jannik Sinner’s failed drug tests: Novak Djokovic delivers criticism in verdict on anti-doping appeal

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Novak Djokovic Jannik Sinner China Open

Novak Djokovic has given his reaction to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s decision to appeal the “no fault or negligence” verdict reached over Jannik Sinner’s failed drug tests.

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced last month that Sinner would not receive a ban for failing two anti-doping in March after an independent tribunal ruled he was not to blame.

The Italian star tested positive for low levels of clostebol, a banned anabolic steroid, on March 10 and 18 — during and after the Indian Wells Masters.

Novak Djokovic has discussed Jannik Sinner's anti-doping case

READ: Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner sent warning in Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer claim

The tribunal accepted Sinner’s explanation that the substance had entered his body when receiving a massage from his physio, who had used a spray containing the steroid to treat a cut on their finger.

However, it was revealed on Saturday that WADA had appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), seeking to impose a ban of up to two years on the world No 1.

A statement from WADA said: “It is WADA’s view that the finding of ‘no fault or negligence’ was not correct under the applicable rules.

“WADA is seeking a period of ineligibility of between one and two years. WADA is not seeking a disqualification of any results, save that which has already been imposed by the tribunal of first instance.”

In his press conference ahead of the Shanghai Masters, Djokovic criticised the tennis anti-doping system and credited Sinner for how he has performed with the case hanging over him.

“I think it’s quite obvious that we have a system that is not working well,” Djokovic said.

“So, I guess that’s probably something that even the people who are not following our sport are realising.

“There are way too many inconsistencies, way too many governing bodies involved and this whole case is not helping our sport at all.

“I think he has won the three appeals so far, and it must be very tough for him and his team and family.

“It’s impressive what he has been doing, in the whole process of what’s been happening, that he’s playing at such a high level, winning Grand Slam and, you know, winning most of the matches that he plays.”

The 24-time Grand Slam champion also called for a swift resolution to the appeal as he reiterated that the case is not good for tennis.

“Hopefully, we can go back to tennis,” the 37-year-old continued.

“This situation or these circumstances are not positive for our sport, so hopefully we can resolve this case as soon as possible.

“Whatever’s going to happen, at the end of the day, I just wish for it to be resolved as soon as possible. Yeah, that’s all I have to say about that.”

During the China Open, Sinner addressed the difficulty of remaining focused on tennis amid the saga of his anti-doping case.

“First of all, it’s not a situation I would like to be in, it’s very delicate and difficult and also different,” said the 23-year-old Italian.

“The only thing I know is that I try to tell myself that I haven’t done anything wrong, which already puts you in an advantageous position.

“Of course I’ve had sleepless nights during this time and now it won’t be easy again. I’m disappointed to be in this situation again, but I’m just trying to stay focused somehow on my job and try to do my best to be ready for every game I play.

“But yes, it’s a difficult time for me and also for my team. It’s not just me in this alone, but also my team. I’m keeping close the people who I’m fine with and who know me as a person, they know me.”

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