Sports
Coco Gauff battles illness, tough opponent, but advances in Madrid
Mar 28, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Coco Gauff of the United States hits a forehand against Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in the final of the women’s singles at the Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images Coco Gauff is not the retiring type.
The third-seed in the WTA’s Madrid Open became another player this week to struggle during a match due to illness and fell behind Sorana Cirstea by a set and a break on Sunday.
The two-time Grand Slam champion vomited as discreetly as possible outside the court area, took a medical timeout and was able to get some relief. She then proceeded to pull out the second set and cruise in the third to defeat the 25th-seeded Romanian 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 in two hours, 21 minutes.
“When I actually threw up on the court, that was like a little bit embarrassing,” said Gauff after the match. ” … I’m someone who doesn’t like to pull out (of matches). I don’t like to do that unless I really feel like I have no other options. So the plan was to always just try to finish, even if it ended up with me just playing just to get through it.”
Gauff recorded her eighth three-set match win of the year, third on tour behind Jessica Pegula (10) and Magda Linette of Poland (nine).
Cirstea, who is retiring at the end of the 2026 season, led 4-3 in the second after breaking Gauff for the sixth time in nine return games. But Gauff broke her opponent at love and captured the set on her second set point against Cirstea’s serve.
Gauff won 36 of 60 third-set points to advance to the fourth round, where she will face No. 13 Linda Noskova. The Czech advanced in a walkover and did not have to face Russia’s Liudmila Samsonova, who is also suffering from the illness.
Polish No. 4 seed Iga Swiatek retired in the third set on Saturday vs. Ann Li, also unable to overcome illness.
Gauff reached the finals of last year’s Madrid Open, but lost to World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) in straight sets.
Another player nearly as hot as Sabalenka –who is 25-1 in 2026 — is Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk, who eliminated No. 5 Jessica Pegula, 6-1, 6-4 in only 73 minutes. Kostyuk has won eight consecutive matches and comes in off a title in Rouen, France.
“I think I’m definitely enjoying playing tennis since I got injured in the Australian Open,” said Kostyuk. “I’m very happy with the progress that we’re making as a team, and I think that’s all that matters.
“I’ve never had such a long winning streak in my career, so we must be doing something right.”
The 26th-seeded Kostyuk produced 20 winners against Pegula, who responded with only nine. She also saved 10 break points.
Kostyuk will face Caty McNally, who edged Czech Katerina Siniakova, 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (2).
In other three-setters, second-seeded Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan rallied to knock off No. 32 Qinwen Zhang of China, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, Karolina Pliskova of Czech Republic upset No. 19 Elise Mertens of Belgium, 7-5, 2-6, 7-6 (3), Austria’s Anastasia Potapova outlasted No. 21 Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 and Argentina’s Sorana Sierra sprinted past Turkey’s Zeynep Sonmez, 0-6, 6-2, 6-3.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Walk-filled third inning helps Pirates beat Reds, snap 4-game skid
Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain (9) tags out Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder Esmerlyn Valdez (55) on his way to second in the third inning between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Saturday, August 1, 2026. Pittsburgh starter Braxton Ashcraft threw five solid innings and Jake Mangum had two hits and a run to lift the visiting Pirates to a 4-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday.
Ashcraft (11-4) allowed one run on two hits with one walk and five strikeouts before a 106-minute weather delay preceded the bottom of the sixth inning.
Bryan Reynolds, Esmerlyn Valdez, Nick Gonzales and Henry Davis finished with an RBI apiece for the Pirates, who snapped a four-game losing streak.
Gregory Soto pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his 14th save. Three Pittsburgh pitchers combined to hold Cincinnati to three hits. The Pirates recorded six hits.
Pittsburgh took a 3-0 lead in the third despite collecting only one hit. Davis drew a leadoff walk from starter Andrew Abbott (5-7), then Mangum singled and Brandon Lowe coaxed a walk to load the bases. Reynolds and Valdez drew consecutive bases-loaded walks to make it 2-0.
Gonzales followed with a fielder’s choice to plate Brandon Lowe and give the Pirates a three-run lead. As a steady rain fell throughout the inning, the grounds crew briefly tended to the mound.
Cincinnati got on the board in the fifth when Jose Trevino opened the frame with an opposite-field homer to right.
The Pirates extended their advantage to 4-1 in the sixth when Davis feathered an RBI single into shallow center, just beyond the reach of a diving TJ Friedl.
The Reds, who were 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position, threatened in the fourth. Sal Stewart was hit by a pitch before being forced out at second on JJ Bleday’s fielder’s choice. Nathaniel Lowe singled to center and, after Noelvi Marte popped out, Bleday advanced to third when no one covered second on Ashcraft’s pickoff attempt. But Eugenio Suarez struck out to end the inning.
Elly De La Cruz lined a rocket to center to open the eighth, but Mangum chased it down and made a leaping catch.
Abbott allowed three runs on three hits while matching a season high with five walks over five innings. He struck out one.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Braves acquire Royals OF Lane Thomas, LHP Bailey Falter
Jul 29, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Kansas City Royals center fielder Lane Thomas (15) hits a single against the Minnesota Twins in the ninth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images The Atlanta Braves added depth on the offensive and pitching sides on Saturday night, acquiring outfielder Lane Thomas and left-hander Bailey Falter from the Kansas City Royals.
In exchange for Thomas and Falter, Atlanta is sending right-hander Lucas Braun and left-hander Carter Holton to Kansas City. According to MLB Pipeline, Braun is the Braves’ No. 8 prospect. Thomas started Saturday’s road game in center field against the host Colorado Rockies, then was lifted in the fourth inning.
Thomas, 30, signed a one-year, $5.25 million deal in the offseason with the Royals and moved into an every-day role when center fielder Kyle Isbel went on the injured list on June 10. From that date through July 20, Thomas hit .262 with seven home runs, 12 doubles, 17 runs and 20 RBIs. For the season, he is hitting .232 with 10 home runs and 37 RBIs in 97 games.
An eight-year veteran, Thomas was a fifth-round pick of the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2014 MLB Draft and debuted with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2017. He also played for the Washington Nationals and Cleveland Guardians before joining the Royals and is a .240 hitter with 86 homers and 291 RBIs over 696 games.
Falter, 29, has only pitched in five games (two starts) this season, going 0-2 with a 13.97 ERA while spending time on the injured list with left elbow inflammation. A fifth-round pick of the Philadelphia Phillies in 2015, Falter is 25-32 with a 4.77 ERA in 119 games (85 starts) with the Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates and Royals over six seasons.
Braun, who turns 25 later this month, was selected in the sixth round by the Braves in 2023 and reached Double-A Columbus in his first full minor-league season in 2024. In 19 games (17 starts) for Columbus and Triple-A Gwinnett this year, Braun went 8-6 with a 3.53 ERA, 82 strikeouts and 27 walks in 94 1/3 innings. Over his minor league career, he is 24-18 with a 3.43 ERA in 77 games (73 starts), posting 421 strikeouts and 113 walks in 414 2/3 innings.
Holton, 23, was a second-round pick of the Braves in 2024 and is 2-2 with a 4.32 ERA in 10 games (eight starts) this season between Augusta in the Carolina League and the Florida Complex League. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2024 and missed the entire 2025 season.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Dallas' Jonathan Sirois (9 saves) comes up big in draw vs. Galaxy
Aug 1, 2026; Carson, California, USA; FC Dallas forward Petar Musa (9) kicks the ball into the face of LA Galaxy midfielder Justin Haak (15) during the first half at Dignity Health Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-Imagn Images Jonathan Sirois made nine saves to help FC Dallas preserve a 0-0 draw against the Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday night at Carson, Calif.
It was only Dallas’ fifth clean sheet, and the first of the season for the 25-year-old Canadian, who returned to the net last weekend when new acquisition Daniel had to depart with a hamstring injury.
Sirois’ performance helped Dallas (7-5-6, 27 points) improve to 2-2-1 five matches into a stretch of nine consecutive away league fixtures during the latest phase of an ongoing construction project at its home stadium.
J.T. Marcinkowski made four stops to keep his second clean sheet and a third for the Galaxy (5-7-7, 22 points), who are winless in their last five.
Los Angeles led 18-16 in shots and 9-4 in efforts on target, but missed a chance to go above the playoff line had it been able to find a goal and earn a third home win of the season.
Sirois’ best moment in the first half came on saves of John Nelson and Marco Reus in the 37th and 38th minutes before Harbor Miller followed with another attempt that missed high of the frame.
He was even busier after the break.
He denied Joseph Paintsil in the 58th minute with a lunging stop to his left, and substitute Kyogo Furuhashi 10 minutes later with a comfortable save from the Galaxy newcomer’s first real involvement in the game.
Then came the dying stages, when the Galaxy finally showed some desperation but could not solve Sirois.
In the 90th minute, he arched back to push Jakob Glesnes’ arcing header over the crossbar for arguably his finest stop of the match.
Just a moment later in second-half stoppage time, he intervened on what may have been an intended cross by Paintsil from the right side of the penalty area, nonetheless providing an important pair of sure hands for the visitors.
After that, he easily handled another effort from Nelson that came in at a catchable height, and punched away Reus’ free-kick service on what was the final kick of the game.
–Field Level Media
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Walk-filled third inning helps Pirates beat Reds, snap 4-game skid
