Yankees end Red Sox’s season again with Wild Card sweep

Alexandra Eala was named to the 2026 TIME100 Next list, becoming the only tennis player included in the magazine’s annual selection of emerging figures shaping the future. The Filipina was recognised in the Innovators category, with 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal praising her progress and character in an accompanying tribute.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by IMG Tennis (@imgtennis)

“One of her greatest strengths is precisely her ability to listen, learn, and keep improving,” he wrote. Nadal also described Eala as “warm, approachable, and humble”, crediting her for staying grounded despite the attention surrounding her rise. The Spaniard, who oversaw her development at his academy, said she still has considerable room to improve after winning her first WTA Tour title in Washington and reaching the world’s top 20 this year. He also revealed that Eala was the first player he shared a court with after retiring, having accepted her invitation to practise after several months away from tennis. Besides Eala, other athletes named to the list were basketball players Tyrese Maxey and Olivia Miles, footballers Naomi Girma and Folarin Balogun, American football quarterback Arch Manning and Indian cricketer Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.

The Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) will race in China for the first time next year after organisers included the country in the 2027 calendar. The Shanghai International Circuit will host the season finale, marking WorldSBK’s first visit to Asia since 2023, when Mandalika staged the Indonesian round for the third consecutive season.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by WorldSBK (@worldsbk)

China’s inclusion comes as its motorcycle manufacturers expand their presence in the championship’s supporting classes. QJMOTOR, ZXMOTO and Kove are competing across WorldSSP and WorldSPB this season, with Chinese brands already enjoying success in the paddock. Kove became the first Chinese manufacturer to win the WorldSSP300 riders’ championship when Spain’s Benat Fernandez secured the title in his rookie season in 2025. ZXMOTO followed with a successful debut in WorldSSP this year, as France’s Valentin Debise claimed multiple victories after giving the Chinese manufacturer their first wins with a double at Portimao in March. The Chinese round will give local fans the chance to watch WorldSBK, which features racing versions of commercially available motorcycles, on home soil. The championship has previously held rounds in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan and Qatar, but has never raced in China since its inaugural season in 1988. The addition will broaden WorldSBK’s reach beyond a calendar currently dominated by European venues. Phillip Island in Australia is the only round outside Europe on the 2026 schedule. Fans can watch WorldSBK live on SPOTV NOW.

Nicolo Bulega will become the 10th WorldSBK champion to race full-time in MotoGP’s premier class when he joins in 2027. The Italian secured his first WorldSBK title at Cremona on Sunday, just weeks after his move to the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team was confirmed. Bulega will partner Fermin Aldeguer at VR46 next season as MotoGP enters a new era with 850cc engines and Pirelli tyres. The move marks a return to familiar territory for the 26-year-old, who spent several seasons in Moto3 and Moto2 before leaving the Grand Prix paddock at the end of 2021. He rebuilt his career with Ducati, winning the WorldSSP title in 2023 before stepping up to WorldSBK. Bulega has also gained experience on MotoGP machinery, making two appearances for Ducati while deputising for the injured Marc Marquez in 2025 and helping develop the manufacturer’s 2027 bike. He will not be the only WorldSBK champion on the 2027 MotoGP grid as three-time winner Toprak Razgatlioglu will enter his second season with Pramac Yamaha. It will be the first time since 2012 that at least two WorldSBK champions have raced together in MotoGP, when Colin Edwards and Ben Spies competed for NGM Mobile Forward Racing and Yamaha Factory Racing respectively.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Pramac Racing (@pramacracing)

Scott Russell was the first WorldSBK champion to later race full-time in the premier class, moving to the 500cc World Championship in 1995, two years after winning the Superbike title. Troy Corser and John Kocinski followed shortly, while Troy Bayliss, Neil Hodgson and James Toseland were among those to make the move during the 2000s. There were also riders such as Alvaro Bautista and Sylvain Guintoli making wildcard or replacement appearances in MotoGP after their WorldSBK triumphs, but they did not return to the premier class full-time. Meanwhile, Bulega still has unfinished business in WorldSBK, with two rounds remaining in Portugal and Spain before he turns his attention to MotoGP. Having won 26 races this season, he has the chance to surpass Bautista’s record of 27 victories in a single WorldSBK campaign. Motorsport fans can watch MotoGP and WorldSBK live on SPOTV NOW.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team (@vr46racingteam)

Rider	WorldSBK Championship(s)	Full-Time MotoGP Premier-Class Career
Scott Russell	1993	1995-96 (500cc)
Troy Corser	1996, 2005	1997 (500cc)
John Kocinski	1997	1991-94, 1998-99 (500cc)
Troy Bayliss	2001, 2006, 2008	2003-05
Colin Edwards	2000, 2002	2003-14
Neil Hodgson	2003	2004
James Toseland	2004, 2007	2008-09
Ben Spies	2009	2010-12
Toprak Razgatlioglu	2021, 2024, 2025	2026-27
Nicolo Bulega	2026	2027

TWICE star Tzuyu will record an official theme song for a collaboration between Williams Formula 1 team and Japanese anime DAN DA DAN. Williams announced on Monday that the Taiwanese K-pop singer will lend her voice to an original song created specifically for the crossover project.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Atlassian Williams F1 Team (@williamsf1team)

Tzuyu, who has been a member of TWICE since the group's debut in 2015 and launched her solo career in 2024, will also feature in a music video for the track. “I am truly honoured and excited to be part of this collaboration with Atlassian Williams F1 Team and DAN DA DAN, and to perform the official theme song,” the 27-year-old said. “Bringing together the worlds of Formula 1, anime, and music makes this project unique, and I believe this collaboration will deliver something truly exciting and memorable for audiences worldwide.” The Williams and DAN DA DAN partnership was launched at the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka earlier this season. It has since expanded to include the Sector Zero fan platform and exclusive merchandise, while a special DAN DA DAN-inspired Williams Formula 1 car was displayed at Anime Expo in Los Angeles in July. Tzuyu will also join Williams at the upcoming Singapore Grand Prix, where the collaboration will feature through special activities and merchandise at the team's fan zone.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by DAN DA DAN Anime EN (@anime_dandadan_en)