The Paris Paralympics crowned its first champions on Thursday, with swimmer Ugo Didier collecting the host nation's first gold in euphoric scenes at La Defense Arena.

Lando Norris played down his chances of pipping Max Verstappen to the Formula One drivers' title on Thursday even though the world champion's unbeatable aura has faded heading into the Italian Grand Prix.

Djokovic, a four-time champion at the tournament and seeking a record 25th Grand Slam title, was leading 6-4, 6-4, 2-0 when Djere called it quits.

In the middle of the afternoon at Flushing Meadows, the searing heat reached 35 degrees Celsius (95 Fahrenheit).

Ruse, ranked 122nd in the world, pulled off the biggest upset of the tournament so far with her win over the eighth-ranked Krejcikova.

Just as for the opening ceremony of the Olympics on the River Seine in July, it took place away from the main stadium for the first time at a Paralympics.

Afghanistan's Taliban government has banned mixed martial arts (MMA), believing it to be un-Islamic, its sports authority said in a statement on Wednesday.

Kung-fu daredevil, Hollywood star and Guinness world-record holder, and now Hong Kong-born actor Jackie Chan is set to be a torchbearer in the lead-up to Wednesday's opening ceremony of the Paralympics in Paris.

Sinner marked his return to the courts for the first time since it was revealed he had failed two drugs tests, coming back from a set and break down to defeat Mackenzie McDonald at the US Open.

Daniel Evans rallied from 0-4 down in the final set to beat Karen Khachanov in the longest match in US Open history on Tuesday, a five-hour, 35-minute epic on court six.

Midnight matches may be popular with fans but not with old campaigner Novak Djokovic, who bemoaned a late night at the start of his U.S. Open title defence on Monday.

Djokovic arrived on Arthur Ashe Stadium for his 40th career night match at the tournament with two gold bags slung over his shoulder in a nod to his recent Olympic success in Paris.

Gauff, seeded third, fired 10 aces and needed just 66 minutes to beat 66th-ranked Gracheva. She saved eight break points -- including two with aces in the final game

Seventh seed Zhengconverted six of her 11 break-point chances during a two hour 20-minute match.

The US Open brings down the curtain on the 2024 Grand Slam season with newly minted Olympic gold medallist Novak Djokovic aiming to add to his cache of major titles after failing to do so since bagging No. 24 at Flushing Meadows last year.

Djokovic, who will once again bid for a record 25th Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows, has been upstaged by younger rivals this season, losing to Jannik Sinner in the Australian Open semi-finals and Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final.

Alcaraz won his first Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows in 2022. He's piled up three more since then, including this year's French Open and Wimbledon.

Djokovic, speaking to reporters as he prepared to defend his US Open title, said players who have bemoaned a lack of transparency in the Sinner case make a valid point.

The Youth and Sports Ministry of Bangladesh yesterday revised a government order (GO) that cut the list of members set to go to the Paris Paralympics, running from August 28 to September 8, following criticism.

A new generation of Paralympians will be joined by seasoned veterans competing in many of the same sensational venues in the centre of the French capital that hosted Olympic sports.