SPORTS

Players at January's Australian Open will be competing for a record prize pool with organisers Friday announcing a 13 percent boost in the total purse to Aus$86.5 million (US$59.0 million).

Arsenal missed out on the chance to return to the Premier League summit on Thursday, losing 2-0 to West Ham as Tottenham went down in a six-goal thriller at Brighton.

More than two decades after bursting on the scene, the sun is setting on Rafael Nadal's storied career with the Spanish gladiator hoping his creaking body can hold up long enough to see out the season.

In 2023, Sha'Carri Richardson finally came good on the global stage, while Victor Wembanyama quickly left his mark on the NBA and Rachin Ravindra lit up the Cricket World Cup.

Liverpool climbed to the top of the Premier League as Darwin Nunez ended his goal drought to inspire a 2-0 win against Burnley, while Rasmus Hojlund broke his own barren run to cap Manchester United's thrilling fightback to beat Aston Villa 3-2 on Tuesday.

More than 100 yachts set off on the annual Sydney-Hobart race Tuesday, with storms and hail threatening to lash sailors in one of the world's most gruelling ocean events.

The world of Chinese chess is in uproar over rumours of cheating and a bad behaviour scandal that saw the national champion stripped of his title Monday after a victory celebration ended with him defecating in a hotel bathtub.

Pele "would have been sad" at the state of the current Brazilian national team, his son Edinho has told AFP in an interview days before the first anniversary of his death on Friday.

United also announced in a statement on Sunday that Ratcliffe's INEOS company would take control of football operations after years of under-achievement under the Glazer family.

British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe has expanded his sports portfolio by buying a 25 percent stake in Manchester United.

VNG co-founder Le Hong Minh's first taste of international competition was as a gamer for Vietnam at an early e-sport tournament in South Korea.

LeBron James has been involved in various ventures, including media production, investments, and partnerships. He's known for his involvement in entertainment through SpringHill Entertainment, co-founding Uninterrupted, a digital media platform, and engaging in endorsements and partnerships with major brands.

Regarded as one of the best soccer players today, Neymar has built a steady stream of wealth, and his net worth could simply keep on increasing over time.

Liverpool and Arsenal will battle for the Christmas number one spot when they meet on Saturday, each with a golden chance to open up a significant lead over absent champions Manchester City.

Europe's top court dealt football governing body UEFA a scything legal tackle on Thursday, but an attempt by rival Super League promoters to kick off a new competition met a solid defensive wall of clubs and fans.

Cristiano Ronaldo's net worth may be one of the highest when it comes to world athletes, and it is easy to see why.

Kylian Mbappe marked his 25th birthday with a brace as Paris Saint-Germain beat Metz 3-1 in Ligue 1 on Wednesday to reach the halfway stage of the season five points clear at the top of the table.

Chelsea came back from the brink to reach the League Cup semi-finals with a dramatic penalty shoot-out victory against Newcastle after Mykhailo Mudryk's last-gasp equaliser on Tuesday.

Business magazine Forbes has estimated Michael Jordan's net worth at $3B, thanks to the sale of his majority stake in the Charlotte Hornets.

French sports retail giant Decathlon has secretly continued selling clothes in Russia despite officially pulling out in protest at Russia's war in Ukraine, a media report published Tuesday said.

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said Monday that the tickets for the Paris Olympics are "expensive" and pleaded for the families of athletes to be given priority by organisers.

Manchester United travel to the home of bitter rivals Liverpool this weekend desperate to avoid another humiliation but with all the signs pointing to a tough afternoon at Anfield.

In a central Kabul street, the sound of kids playing was once mostly the scuff of a football against concrete.

Kemar Roofe's winner sent Rangers into the Europa League last 16 with a 3-2 victory at Real Betis on Thursday, while Joao Pedro's late strike helped Brighton sink Marseille.

ESPY Nominee and draft pick Gary Chivchyan spent his rookie year with the Los Angeles Clippers G League team for the 2021-2022 season. Chivichyan's second year marked another central turning point to his professional career.

former top commander of Russian-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine, Igor Girkin, went on trial in Moscow on Thursday on charges of extremism for criticising the Kremlin's military strategy towards Kyiv.

Pep Guardiola is hoping to complete his trophy haul as Manchester City manager at the Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia as the Gulf Kingdom shows off its wares in hosting a major international football tournament for the first time.

Manchester United crashed out of Europe as a 1-0 home defeat to Bayern Munich on Tuesday rounded off a miserable Champions League campaign for the Red Devils.

One in five players at this year's Women's World Cup were targeted by online abuse, according to a study released Monday by FIFA and the FIFPRO global players body.