Serena Williams began her final US Open run on Monday, beating Danka Kovinić 6-3, 6-3 in front of a record crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

At times she looked like vintage Serena, and the dominance was a dramatic turnaround from tournaments in Toronto and Cincinnati, where Williams fell in the second and first rounds, respectively. When asked afterward, Williams — who announced in early August her plans to retire from tennis — said that this tournament feels different from those previous.

“I was really emotional in Toronto and Cincinnati and it was very difficult,” she said. “It’s extremely difficult still because I absolutely love being out there and the more tournaments I play the more I feel I can belong out there.

“That’s a tough feeling to have and to leave knowing the more you do it the more you can shine. But it’s time for me to evolve to the next thing. I think it’s important because there’s so many things that I want to do.”

But before she moves on, though, Williams has to close out the US Open. She got off to a great start Tuesday, taking a 2-0 lead in the first set before Kovinic battled back to take a 3-2 lead. From there, Williams took the final four games.

Vintage @serenawilliams pic.twitter.com/WjqzUo6ABK

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) August 30, 2022

In the second set, she was even more dominant and extended her undefeated streak in the first round of the US Open. She is now just the fourth woman in the Open era, alongside Martina Navratilova, sister Venus Williams and Kimiko Date, to win US Open matches as a teenager and in their 20s, 30s, and 40s.

The two played in front of a sold-out crowd. The night session attendance of 29,402 sets an all-time record for opening night.

“I always feel so comfortable on this court,” Williams said in her on-court interview afterward. “When I step on the court I just want to do the best I can. The crowd was crazy. It really helped me pull through.”

Calling the reception “overwhelming,” Williams said it was a feeling that she’ll “never forget.”

Williams will next play world No. 2 Anett Kontaveit in the second round.

“At this point, honestly, everything is a bonus for me,” Williams said. “I think every opponent is very difficult. I’ve seen that over the summer. The next one is even more difficult. It’s good that I was able to get this under my belt.

“I’m just thinking about this moment. I think it’s good for me just to live in the moment now.”

Just before the final event of the 2025 Tour, the LPGA raised the stakes for pro women's golf, announcing this week that the governing body is expanding both player paydays and live broadcast coverage for the 2026 season.

For the first time in the sport's history, the LPGA's upcoming 76th Tour will see every round of every tournament broadcast live in the US.

The Tour will also add 50% more camera equipment —  including slow-motion and drone cameras — than used in this year's tournaments, with most 2026 LPGA action airing live on the Golf Channel or CNBC.

"For us to finally get our shot at having live TV and for people investing in our product out here has been amazing," US star and world No. 2 Nelly Korda said on Wednesday. "I can't wait to see where it's going to go."

Even more, next season's total prize money will reach $132 million across the Tour's 33 tournaments, a record-high sum after five major events raised their purses by a cumulative $3 million.

There will also be more financial commitment across the board, with 12 events on the 2026 LPGA Tour featuring elevated purses and more than 15 guaranteeing a minimum payout for all players — even those who miss the cut.

"I'm incredibly proud of what we've built, and even more excited about where we're headed," said LPGA commissioner Craig Kessler. "Coming off our 75th anniversary season, we wanted a calendar that gives our athletes great stages, better flow, and even more opportunity — and I think 2026 delivers that."

LPGA season wraps with this week's 2025 CME Group Tour Championship

Though the LPGA is already planning for its 2026 campaign, the final event of the 2025 Tour kicked off on Thursday, as this year's top 60 points-getters teed off in the CME Group Tour Championship.

Featuring 28 of the 29 event champions this year as well as every world Top 25 player, the 2025 Tour's grand finale will see the sport's best battling for the lion's share of the $11 million purse in Naples, Florida.

Leading the field is the aforementioned US standout Korda as well as 2024 CME Group Tour champion and world No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul and New Zealand's two-time winner No. 5 Lydia Ko.

An impressive eight LPGA rookies also made the cut to enter the elite end-of-season tournament, including Japan's No. 3 Miyu Yamashita and England's No. 10 Lottie Woad.

How to watch the 2025 CME Group Tour Championship

The 2025 LPGA Tour will finish with Sunday's final round at the CME Group Tour Championship.

While ESPN+ will stream featured groups throughout the four-day tournament, the first three rounds will air live on the Golf Channel before Sunday's finale shifts to NBC and Peacock.

Orlando Pride VP of soccer operations and sporting director Haley Carter is stepping down, departing the 2024 NWSL champions to pursue other opportunities, the club announced on Tuesday.

Carter joined the 2024 Shield-winners in January 2023, ushering in arguably the most successful era for the Orlando club thus far by bringing in top talents like striker Barbra Banda, defender Emily Sams, and former Liga MX star Lizbeth Ovalle to help the Pride climb the NWSL standings.

"We'd like to extend our gratitude to Haley for her contributions to the Pride over the past three years," Orlando owner Mark Wilf said in a statement. "Haley played a key leadership role with our club, positioning the Pride among the NWSL's and world's elite clubs."

"I'm beyond thankful to Mark Wilf and the entire ownership group for giving me the opportunity to be part of this club and for their unwavering support throughout my time here," said Carter.

Carter will continue working with the Pride during its transition period as the club searches for its new sporting director.

"We have begun a diligent and methodical search for a new soccer leader who will have the opportunity to work with a championship-caliber roster and coaching staff," said Wilf, before promising that the Pride will "continue its trajectory of success."

Reigning PWHL champions Minnesota will be back on the ice on Friday, when the Frost opens the league's 2025/26 season — and their own three-peat title quest — against the Toronto Sceptres in St. Paul.

"Right now, we're not worried about championships," Frost head coach Ken Klee said prior to this week's puck drop. "We're worried about the process, how we're going to prepare every day, how we work, how we're going to get better. To me, that's how you win."

The back-to-back Walter Cup winners have continuity on their side after the Frost protected captain Kendall Coyne Schofield and alternate Lee Stecklein from the offseason expansion draft benefitting the league's two newest teams.

Early points will also be key this season, as the PWHL preps for an extended pause starting in late January to allow international talent to compete in February's 2026 Winter Olympics.

As for Toronto, the Sceptres are seeking revenge in Friday's opener, starting their season against the team that knocked them out of the 2024/25 PWHL Playoffs.

"We're wanting to win the Walter Cup," said Toronto GM Gina Kingsbury. "I think every year that has to be the goal. We're going to play hard for our fans and to represent the city of Toronto."

How to watch the first game of the 2025/26 PWHL season

The puck drops on the 2025/26 PWHL season when the Toronto Sceptres visit the Minnesota Frost at 7 PM ET on Friday, airing live on FDSN and YouTube.

The top-ranked UConn Huskies are gearing up for their stiffest competition yet in the 2025/26 NCAA basketball season, as the defending national champions welcome the No. 6 Michigan Wolverines to Mohegan Sun Arena on Friday.

Both teams enter the game with undefeated records and a ranked win under their belts, with the Huskies taking down No. 21 Louisville in their season-opener before Michigan dramatically humbled No. 24 Notre Dame last weekend.

"Based on what I've seen from Michigan, they will be, for sure, the best team we play this year by a long shot at this time in the season," said UConn head coach Geno Auriemma.

While UConn arrives armed with national talents like last season's Freshman of the Year Sarah Strong and the 2025 Final Four's Most Outstanding Player Azzi Fudd, rising NCAA basketball star Michigan will look to prove they can hang with college basketball's big dogs.

"They are all incredibly unselfish — they don't care who scores," longtime Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico said of her squad. "The really good teams like UConn and South Carolina are the same way."

"Connecticut is really, really good," she added. "Our kids want to compete against the best. I always have a stomachache when those games are on our schedule."

How to watch No. 6 Michigan vs. No. 1 UConn on Friday

The Huskies will tip off against the Wolverines at 8 PM ET on Friday, with live coverage airing on FOX.