Arozarena sorry after expletive-laced comments about Mariners teammate Raleigh at WBC

Randy Arozarena says he has apologized to his Seattle Mariners teammate Cal Raleigh after an incident at this month’s World Baseball Classic.Arozarena was representing Mexico against Raleigh’s USA when the teams met at the WBC on 9 March. Raleigh ignored Arozarena’s offer of a handshake during an at-bat, a move that angered the outfielder. In a later interview, Arozarena said Raleigh could “fuck off” and “go to hell.” Raleigh downplayed the incident, saying “we’re good friends and we’ll continue to be good friends”

England’s McCullum told to improve relations with counties after Ashes review

Brendon McCullum has been told he must improve relations with the counties after being backed to stay on as England coach despite this winter’s 4-1 Ashes defeat.The Guardian revealed the day after England’s T20 World Cup exit three weeks ago that McCullum would continue, a decision that will be confirmed on Monday by the England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive, Richard Gould, and managing director of men’s cricket, Rob Key.Gould and Key will also outline the details of the ECB’s post-Ashes review and the reasons for keeping faith with McCullum following England’s humbling in Australia.As reported earlier this month, key to McCullum’s survival has been the New Zealander’s agreement to adopt a more rigorous approach to training and preparation during the World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, where a midnight curfew was introduced, a change of approach that will be expected to continue.In addition, the ECB has made clear to McCullum that more effort should be made to build good relationships with the counties, many of whom feel marginalised by the coach’s approach to selection

Serena Williams courts drama once again as game of ‘will she won’t she’ goes on

As was often the case in Serena Williams’s unparalleled tennis career, her time at the French Open in 2009 was far from straightforward. Her gritty performance in a third-round win against Spain’s María José Martínez Sánchez that went the distance was quickly overshadowed by a gamesmanship row after Martínez Sánchez refused to admit that one of Williams’s shots had struck her body, not her racket, before going back over the net. The point should have been awarded to the American.An unimpressed Williams immediately protested to opponent and umpire. Then, once it became clear the point was a lost cause, she comically suggested Martínez Sánchez should probably not approach the net again

Naomi Osaka casts doubt on tennis future after swift defeat in Miami opener

Naomi Osaka has said she does not intend to continue competing if she frequently loses first-round matches after suffering a disappointing 7-5, 6-4 defeat to Australia’s Talia Gibson in her opener at the Miami Open.Osaka, who received a first-round bye as the 16th seed in Miami, moved sluggishly in an error-strewn performance and was outplayed by the talented 21-year-old Gibson, who will play Iva Jovic in the next round.A question on Osaka’s plans for the upcoming clay court season prompted the 28-year-old to reflect on the difficulties of juggling motherhood with her goals as a tennis professional. Osaka, who said she would play an abbreviated clay season starting at the Madrid Open, is not sure if she can be the best mother possible while pursuing those goals.“I feel like this also is a dilemma for me,” Osaka told reporters

Josh Kerr surges to world indoor gold and makes ‘night night’ gesture at rival

Brilliance and controversy are never far apart when it comes to Josh Kerr. It is what makes him such a compelling athlete. And after storming to a thrilling world indoor 3,000m title here in Torun, the Briton was quick to apply a sharp twist of the knife.As he crossed the line, Kerr made NBA star Steph Curry’s famous ‘night night’ celebration, putting both hands against his cheek to signify that he had put his opponent – in this case the Olympic 1500m champion Cole Hocker – to sleep.In fairness to Kerr, his American rival had made the same gesture after beating him last month at the Millrose Games – which made revenge when it mattered all the sweeter

‘It’s an excuse’: New York Giants’ Cam Skattebo says CTE and asthma are ‘fake’

New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo is facing backlash after dismissing both chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and asthma as “fake” during a recent podcast appearance.Speaking on the Bring the Juice podcast, the 24-year-old was asked whether he believes CTE – a degenerative brain condition linked to repeated head trauma – is real. Skattebo called it an “excuse”, agreeing with the host before making a similar claim about asthma.“Yeah, asthma’s fake too,” Skattebo said, adding at one point that people should “just breathe air”.The comments have drawn criticism given the scientific consensus around both conditions