Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch passed away at the age of 41, NASCAR confirmed on Thursday.
The news broke just hours after Busch’s family announced that he had been hospitalised due to a severe illness and would miss the upcoming Coca-Cola 600 race weekend.
Busch was one of the defining figures of modern NASCAR, winning Cup Series titles in 2015 and 2019 while becoming the all-time winningest driver across NASCAR’s three national series with 234 victories.
He remained a full-time Cup Series driver in 2026, with his most recent race win coming in 2023.
Beyond his success in the Cup Series, Busch also dominated in NASCAR’s Xfinity and Truck Series, cementing his legacy as one of the most versatile and prolific winners the sport has ever seen.
Tributes quickly poured in from across the motorsport world following news of his passing, as teams, drivers and fans remembered one of NASCAR’s biggest stars.
Jorge Martin: From Heaven to Hell
Coming into the season as the reigning World Champion, the Spaniard endured a nightmare year, as injury derailed his debut campaign with Aprilia
Cristiano Ronaldo finally won his first Saudi Pro League title as Al Nassr were crowned 2025/26 champions following a 4-1 victory over Damac on the final day of the season.
The Riyadh giants, who had led the standings for much of the campaign, needed to match or better Al Hilal’s result to secure the crown, and they did just that in emphatic fashion.
Ronaldo delivered when it mattered most, scoring twice in the second half after Sadio Mane and Kingsley Coman had given Al Nassr a comfortable lead.
Morlaye Sylla briefly pulled one back for Damac, but the Portuguese superstar struck in the 62nd and 80th minutes to put the result beyond doubt.
Al Hilal, meanwhile, kept up their side of the battle with a 1-0 win over Al Fayha courtesy of Sultan Mandash, but it was not enough to deny Al Nassr the title.
The triumph ended Al Nassr’s seven-year wait for a Saudi Pro League crown and marked a major milestone for Ronaldo, who had been chasing domestic league success since joining the club from Manchester United in January 2023.
It was also the 41-year-old’s second trophy with Al Nassr after helping them lift the Arab Club Champions Cup in 2023.
Former Formula One driver David Coulthard was left impressed after taking Formula E’s next-generation Gen4 car for a test run on the streets of Monte Carlo.
The 13-time F1 Grand Prix winner got behind the wheel of the all-electric single-seater, which is set to make its competitive debut next season and is expected to become the fastest Formula E car ever built, during the Monaco E-Prix weekend.
The two-time Monaco Grand Prix winner said the acceleration and driving characteristics of the Gen4 machine delivered a completely different experience around the iconic street circuit.
“That is the most acceleration I’ve ever had at Monte Carlo and I won here twice,” said Coulthard.
“I’ve got to say, imagining where I’ve just driven it to where the actual [Formula E] drivers will take it, these guys are about to experience something that no one has ever experienced in racing.
“You cannot really compare between Gen4 and Gen3, state-of-the-art for its time, but just the movement of the car, a lot more loose on the rear, having the permanent four-wheel drive… Every exit is an acceleration like you’ve never experienced.”
One of the standout moments for Coulthard came through Monaco’s famous tunnel, where the sudden burst of speed left even the veteran racer stunned.
“First time through the tunnel, it was like a scene from Star Wars where everything goes warp speed,” he added.
“I’ve been through that tunnel thousands of times [but never have I experienced] the lights doing that.”
The Gen4 car marks a major step forward for Formula E, featuring permanent all-wheel drive, improved performance and significantly quicker acceleration as the championship looks to push its technology to a new level.
Coulthard’s glowing review added to the growing buzz around Formula E, which recently also saw F1 world champion Lando Norris reveal his interest in getting involved in the future.
Five players set to feature in the 2026 A-League Grand Final were named in the Professional Footballers Australia's (PFA) A-League Team of the Season, underlining the quality on show ahead of this Saturday’s title decider.
Sydney FC goalkeeper Harrison Devenish-Meares, who received the most votes from his peers and was named team captain, was joined by teammate Paul Okon-Engstler in the 18-man squad.
Auckland FC, meanwhile, had three representatives in the starting XI with Golden Boot winner Sam Cosgrove, Jesse Randall and Francis de Vries.
Premiers Newcastle Jets were the best-represented club overall with seven players selected, including starters Mark Natta, Max Burgess and Clayton Taylor, while Mark Milligan was named as the head coach following the club’s historic campaign.
Adelaide United contributed Ethan Alagich and Panagiotis Kikianis to the starting XI, while Melbourne City’s Nathaniel Atkinson, Aziz Behich and Marcus Younis also earned recognition.
Melbourne Victory star Juan Mata rounded out the midfield selection after an impressive debut season in the A-League.
Notably, Mata and Cosgrove were the only players in the Team of the Season from outside Australia and New Zealand, giving an international touch to an otherwise trans-Tasman-dominated squad.
Alexandra Eala will lead Southeast Asia’s challenge at Wimbledon after the Filipino secured direct entry into the women’s singles main draw for the 2026 Championships.
Ranked 38th on the entry list, Eala headlines a small Southeast Asian presence at the All England Club, joined by Indonesia’s Janice Tjen and Thailand’s Lanlana Tararudee in the women’s singles main draw.
Thailand could yet add another representative, with Mananchaya Sawangkaew listed among the women’s alternates and still in contention for a late call-up.
That brings Southeast Asia’s total representation across the singles entry and alternate lists to four, with women’s tennis once again carrying the region’s hopes on one of the sport’s biggest stages.
Eala, in particular, will arrive with growing expectations after her steady rise on tour, as the 21-year-old continues to establish herself as Southeast Asia’s leading player in the women’s game.
This year’s Wimbledon singles fields will otherwise feature many of tennis’ biggest names, with defending champions Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek returning to headline the men’s and women’s draws respectively.
However, the Championships will be without Carlos Alcaraz, who withdrew after failing to recover in time from a wrist injury.
