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Ashley Williams, a longtime ally of former President Joe Biden, met with House investigators behind closed doors for nearly six hours Friday as Republicans probe allegations the Democrat’s top aides hid his mental decline.

A source familiar with the transcribed interview told Fox News Digital Williams said she did not ‘recall’ various things ‘an untold number of times.’

‘Examples include she could not recall if she spoke with President Biden in the last week, if teleprompters were used for Cabinet meetings, if there were discussions about President Biden using a wheelchair, if there were discussions about a cognitive test, if she discussed a mental or physical decline of President Biden, if she ever had to wake President Biden up and how she got involved with his 2020 campaign,’ the source said.

Williams told House investigators Biden is fit to be president today, the source said. 

In addition to whether senior aides covered up Biden’s alleged decline, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., is looking into whether any presidential orders were signed via autopen without the former commander in chief’s knowledge.

Any allegations of wrongdoing so far have been denied by the ex-president’s allies.

But Republican investigators have pointed to Biden’s disastrous June 2024 debate and subsequent revelations in the media that there were more concerns from Biden’s inner circle about his fitness for office than previously known.

Williams, however, argued he was in command of himself during that debate, the source said.

The former White House aide said nothing to reporters when entering or leaving the committee meeting room for her voluntary interview.

Fox News Digital reached out to Williams’ lawyers for their account of events inside the room.

It was a staff-led meeting, but Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, briefly stopped in for just under 30 minutes to show ‘solidarity’ with the witness, the progressive told reporters afterward.

‘I do think that it is important that I show up because if they are going to make allegations about the former commander in chief, egregious allegations they continue to wage, I want to make sure that I’m in the room to correct the record because a lot of times they like to mischaracterize things,’ she said.

When asked by Fox News Digital if the interview was still ongoing as she exited, Crockett answered, ‘It’s still going. I’m leaving early. I’ve got to get to another thing.’ 

The source who spoke with Fox News Digital said Crockett had come in during the GOP’s questioning session and did not ask any questions herself. Fox News Digital reached out to her office for a response.

Williams is a longtime Biden ally whose time with the Democrat goes back to assisting second lady Jill Biden during the Obama administration, according to a 2019 profile of Biden staffers.

Williams later worked for Biden’s 2020 campaign and presidential transition team. She served as his trip director before being hired by the White House as deputy director of Oval Office operations and a special assistant to the president.

Williams ended her White House tenure as deputy assistant to the president, senior advisor to the president and director of strategic outreach, according to her LinkedIn page.

Notably, the social media page also says Williams still works for the ex-leader as senior advisor in the Office of Former President Joe Biden.

She was subpoenaed by the House Oversight Committee last year during Republicans’ investigation into Biden’s cognitive health, but GOP investigators say the former White House blocked her from giving any information.

The Democratic staffer is the third person to appear before committee investigators in recent weeks.

Former Biden White House physician Kevin O’Connor appeared for a sworn deposition Wednesday after being subpoenaed by Comer.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever look to bounce back from a disappointing loss in the star’s return from injury.

Clark was held to 10 points in the Fever’s 80-61 loss to the Golden State Valkyries at home on Wednesday, in addition to recording six assists and five rebounds. She shot 4-of-12 from the field and made 2-of-5 3-pointers in the loss, which marked her first game back in the lineup after being sidelined five games due to a left groin injury.

‘It felt good to be out there,’ Clark said, noting it’s ‘going to take me a second to get my wind back. There’s not anything that can replicate a true game. … I was trying to play shorter stints, but sometimes it’s almost harder to sit on the bench and come in the game. It’s kind of finding a balance of that. Just trying to get my legs under me.’

The Fever’s schedule doesn’t get any easier with a matchup against the Atlanta Dream on Friday, July 11. The Dream may have lost three of their last five games, but Atlanta (12-7) enters the matchup with the fourth-best record in the league and has a 2-1 head-to-head advantage over the Fever (9-10) this season, winning the last matchup 77-58 in Atlanta on June 10. Clark was ruled out of that contest with a left quad injury.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Fever’s matchup against the Dream Friday:

What time is Indiana Fever vs. Atlanta Dream?

The Indiana Fever host the Atlanta Dream at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Friday, July 11 at 7:30 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on ION.

How to watch Indiana Fever vs. Atlanta Dream: TV, stream

Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Indianapolis)
TV: ION
Live stream: Fubo (free trial)

Stream Fever vs. Dream on Fubo

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber believes the FIFA Club World Cup this summer has been an “absolute terrific success,” and has set the stage for an exciting World Cup 2026 next summer.

Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain and English Premier League standouts Chelsea will play in the Club World Cup final on Sunday, July 13, at MetLife Stadium.

Garber will attend the final – his sixth of the tournament after attending games in Miami, Atlanta and Philadelphia and both semifinal matches at MetLife Stadium in the last week.

“The Club World Cup was the story this summer in sport. And I think I’m pleased to see that three of our teams were part of that story,” Garber told USA TODAY Sports on Friday, July 11.

“I think it did what it was intended to do – to launch something new, take some risk, show some courage, and then set the stage for 2026, which will be another example of soccer and football at its very best. I think the 2026 World Cup will be the most spectacular event in the history of our country.”

Three MLS teams – Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, the Seattle Sounders and Los Angeles FC – participated in the first-of-its-kind tournament, featuring 32 of the best soccer clubs in the world.

While Seattle and LAFC were unable to win any of their three group-stage matches, Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami helped clinch the first win by a North American club against a European side when they beat FC Porto in Atlanta on June 19.

“The beauty of the Club World Cup is our teams had an opportunity to stand and go toe to toe with the top teams in the world,” Garber said.

Garber said there have been at least 3 million people who attended soccer matches this summer, watching either the Club World Cup or the Concacaf Gold Cup this summer.

MLS games have also been ongoing following the group stages in both tournaments, and Garber believes another “half a million” people are expected to attend Leagues Cup matches when the tournament between MLS and LIGA MX clubs from Mexico begins later this month.

“I think all of us at MLS for a generation now have been trying to build what we call ‘a real soccer nation’ – a country that has strong understanding of the sport, and supports their local clubs, supports their national teams, comes out and passionately celebrates like the rest of the world.

“I think Club World Cup was a great platform to tell that story. I thought it was fantastic. I hope to see it come back,” Garber added.

Despite rumors the U.S. could host the Club World Cup again in 2029, there’s no decision yet on where the next edition of the tournament will be played.

FIFA saw 2.4 million fans attend Club World Cup matches with an average of 38,000 fans, and 21 of the 62 matches already played saw at least 50,000 fans. While empty seats were a major storyline, the tournament used NFL-sized stadiums instead of solely soccer-specific stadiums to host more fans.

MLS – which is celebrating its 30th season in 2025 – helped FIFA promote and market the event, while seven MLS training facilities hosted club practices, and four of the league’s soccer-specific stadiums hosted select matches during the tournament.

“I think it’s been a great, proud moment for everybody that’s involved in soccer here in the United States. We showed the world that this country is a soccer nation with passionate fans, and spectacular stadiums, and a knowledgeable fan base,” Garber said.

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Amanda Serrano, the star women’s boxer of Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), was not impressed with the social media influencer after their first meeting, said Nakisa Bidarian, Paul’s business partner.

It happened in 2020 when Serrano fought on the undercard of Paul’s pro boxing debut, according to Bidarian.

“She tried to shake Jake’s hand,’’ Bidarian told USA TODAY Sports. “Jake gave her a fist bump. She later told us she was offended.’’

But Paul meant no offense with the fist bump, Bidarian said.

“He was actually very sick,’’ Bidarian said. “We didn’t realize he had COVID. It hadn’t been announced yet that COVID was a thing, but Jake was very, very sick.

“And so, fast forward from there.’’

(Paul’s pro boxing debut came in January 2020.)

Serrano signed with MVP in September 2021, and her visibility and bank account quickly grew. She will make more than $2 million when she fights Taylor for the third time, according to Bidarian.

Serrano’s success with MVP has given the company credibility with other top women fighters – 20 who have joined Serrano at MVP.

“Listen, Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian and MVP have changed my life completely,’’ Serrano said on ‘The Breakfast Club’ podcast June 10. “They have changed the sport of female boxing, and I am super proud to be part of that.’’

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I hear it often, from countless coaches, and some university and conference administrators, too: If only college football operated more like the NFL, that would fix some so-called problems facing the sport.

They’re looking at this backward.

One of college football’s many beauties is that it doesn’t masquerade as an NFL imitation or Triple-AAA football. Even in this era of paid athletes, college football remains distinct from the NFL. It should steadfastly protect that identity, rather than surrender it amid a foolhardy desire to mimic the pros.

At least one high-ranking conference commissioner, the Big 12’s Brett Yormark, appreciates college football’s need to remain intentionally divergent from the NFL. That’s true, Yormark says, of how college football should operate its postseason.

Conference commissioners are embroiled in an ongoing debate about the future shape and structure of the College Football Playoff. Two models have been socialized most.

In one corner is the Big Ten-backed auto-bid plan that would reduce the selection committee’s role and award 13 of the 16 playoff spots as automatic bids, preassigned to conferences based on historical clout. Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti drew inspiration from professional leagues while cooking up this playoff plan. Petitti’s quest for play-in games is ripped from Major League Baseball’s old playbook of a play-in round for wild-card teams.

In the other corner is Yormark’s favored 5+11 playoff model that would preserve and expand the selection committee’s role in choosing and seeding the bracket. Five automatic bids would go to conference champions, leaving 11 at-large bids to be picked by the committee. The Big 12 and ACC back this plan, and the SEC has shown interest, too.

TOP 25: Ranking the best college football quarterbacks

The NFL, of course, would never allow a committee to choose its playoff – but that shouldn’t influence how college football models its postseason.

“We do not need a professional model, because we are not the NFL,” Yormark said at Big 12 media days. “We are college football, and we must act like it.”

Yormark nailed it. The NFL assigns playoff bids based off division standings, and wild-card selections go to teams with the best records. No committee is needed, because the NFL is neatly confined to 32 teams, divided evenly into conferences and divisions of equal size. Every team plays each divisional opponent twice during the regular season. The league fosters parity through the NFL draft, a salary cap and collective bargaining.

College football features none of this NFL structure, and it won’t soon feature any of this structure. So, why should its postseason structure draw inspiration from a professional league it doesn’t resemble?

Answer: It shouldn’t.

“There is nothing in sports like college football,” Yormark said, “and we must protect what makes it special and do what’s right for the fans of the game.’

To be clear, the selection committee does not form college football’s lifeblood. A playoff didn’t even exist until 2014. The sport’s backbone is formed by rivalries, pageantry and stadium atmospheres that hit differently than the NFL.

The committee becomes useful, though, in choosing a playoff field. Unlike the NFL’s tidy structure, the FBS features more than 130 programs in conferences of varying sizes competing for one prize. Just consider the Power Four conferences and Notre Dame, and you’re already at 68 teams – more than twice the NFL’s size. Many schools play only half the teams in their own conference during the season. Schedules vary wildly in terms of difficulty.

When we’re left with a 10-2 team from one conference and a 9-3 team from another, the committee helps separate the wheat from the chaff.

We engage in heated debates about whether the committee makes the right selections, just as we do for March Madness. Those debates are an asset to college sports, not a hindrance that requires a playoff with a stacked deck.

Yormark says he’s “doubling down on” his preference for a 5+11 model that would preserve the committee’s role.

“I have a lot of faith in the selection process,’ the Big 12 commissioner said. ‘They are doing a full audit of the selection process to figure out how they can modernize and contemporize and how they use data and how certain metrics.”

Amid that audit of the committee, it’s worth questioning whether a sitting athletic director should chair the group. Anointing an athletic director as the committee’s point-person creates, at the least, the illusion of bias.

But, if the alternative to a selection committee choosing most of the field is the Big Ten’s auto-bid plan that would stack the deck for the two most powerful conferences, before the season starts, then put me down in favor of the committee.

The process is messy. It’s controversial. It’s captivating. It’s subjective. And it’s brilliantly unique and necessary to college sports.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.

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It’s an honor being bestowed upon about 75 of the game’s greatest players in this 2025 season, even if ‘All-Star’ is a bit further down on the résumés of future Hall of Famers like Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw.

But some of the names on the All-Star Game rosters may not stand the test of time.

With the requirement that every MLB team have a representative, sometimes the ‘best’ players on bad clubs end up sharing the spotlight with the likes of Judge and Ohtani. Other times, it’s a worthy player whose first-half success proves to be nothing more than a three-month anomaly in the long arc of baseball history.

But those guys will forever be All-Stars. And they deserve to be remembered as such.

Here’s a look at some players from this millennium who elicit a certain ‘that guy was an All-Star?’

2000: Mike Bordick, Orioles

The man who moved Cal Ripken Jr. to third base in 1997, Bordick was a useful player in the 1990s with Oakland – but had a career .670 OPS entering his 11th year. Then 34, Bordick went on a heater to start the 2000 season with seven home runs, 29 RBIs and a .352/.365/.682 slash line in April, ultimately entering the break with a .303 average and .856 OPS. He was traded to the Mets at the deadline and reached the World Series with New York before signing back with Baltimore as a free agent at the end of the year.

Also random: James Baldwin (White Sox)

2001: Joe Mays, Twins

Entering his third season, Mays was 13-26 with a 4.84 ERA. But in 2001, Mays went 17-13 and led the American League with a 143 adjusted ERA. He helped the Twins pull off a 16-win improvement from 2000-01, laying the groundwork for the club’s four AL Central titles in five years starting in 2002.

Also random: Jeff Nelson (Mariners), Paul Quantrill (Yankees) and Mike Stanton (Yankees). It was a big year for AL setup men.

2002: Robert Fick, Tigers

These were grim days in Detroit, with the Tigers only losing 106 games in 2002 before making a run at the record in 2003, finishing with 119 losses. Fick, formerly a catcher, had transitioned to right field and was hitting .290 with 40 RBIs at the break as Detroit’s only All-Star.

Also random: Damian Miller (Diamondbacks), Junior Spivey (Diamondbacks)

2003: Lance Carter, Rays

We’ve arrived at the first ‘good reliever on bad team’ on this list. Carter had a 2.72 ERA and 12 saves on June 23, but proceeded to give up nine earned runs over his next four outings, entering the All-Star Game at 4.05. Carter finished 2003 with a 4.33 ERA and 26 saves, and made 105 appearances over the next three seasons for the Devil Rays and Dodgers, playing his last MLB game in 2006.

Also random: Mike MacDougal (Royals), Shigetoshi Hasegawa (Mariners)

2004: Ken Harvey, Royals

Played just 271 MLB games but was hot at the right time, batting .305 in the first half as the representative of the 104-loss Royals. Probably wouldn’t have been an All-Star had Carlos Beltran (who won fan voting) not been traded to the Astros in June.

Also random: Dan Kolb (Brewers), Jake Westbrook (Cleveland), Johnny Estrada (Braves)

2005: César Izturis, Dodgers

A very fine infielder and Gold Glove winner! Izturis led shortstop fan voting late in the process and was hitting .345 on June 1, but went cold in June and entered the break with a .660 OPS, struggling through injuries. He underwent Tommy John surgery later in the year.

Also random: Danys Báez (Rays), Felipe López (Reds)

2006: Gary Matthews Jr., Rangers

Matthews had a 12-year career but 2006 was the only year he ever topped 3 WAR (5.2), batting .313 with an .866 OPS. A former top prospect, Matthews parlayed his big year (and one of the greatest catches in baseball history) into a five-year, $50 million deal with the Angels at the age of 32.

Also random: Derrick Turnbow (Brewers), Mark Redman (Royals)

2007: Gil Meche (Royals)

We’re not here to say bad things about Gil Meche, who averaged 30 starts from 2003-2008 and was a workhorse in the aughts. But in the first year of a five-year, $55 million contract with Kansas City (the largest in franchise history until 2016), Meche was elected as the Royals’ lone representative with a 5-6 record and 3.84 ERA.

Also random: Hideki Okajima (Red Sox), Takashi Saito (Dodgers)

2008: Kosuke Fukudome, Cubs

Signed to a four-year, $48 million contract prior to the 2008 season, the Japanese import hit a dramatic home run on Opening Day for his new team – but didn’t really do much after that. Fukudome won the fan vote as a rookie and spent five years in MLB, posting an above-average .359 OBP in 596 games.

Also random: George Sherrill (Orioles), Aaron Cook (Rockies), Corey Hart (Brewers), Nate McLouth (Pirates)

2009: Jason Marquis, Rockies

The right-hander enjoyed a 15-year career for nine different teams and won his spot at the 2009 game in St. Louis with 11 wins in the first half. Coming off his All-Star campaign, Marquis signed a two-year, $15 million deal with the Nationals, resulting in one of the most random regional sports network hype-commercials of all time, which still circulates on social media 15 years later.

Also random: Zach Duke (Pirates), Edwin Jackson (Tigers), Ryan Franklin (Cardinals)

2010: Ty Wigginton (Orioles)

We do not tolerate Ty Wigginton slander in these parts. The man who averaged 476 at-bats from 2003-2012 with seven different teams was selected as Baltimore’s only All-Star in 2010 with a .252 average and .768 OPS (with 45 RBIs) prior to the All-Star break.

Shoutout to Ty Wigginton.

Also random: Evan Meek (Pirates), Hong-Chih Kuo (Dodgers), Omar Infante (Braves)

2011: Gaby Sánchez, Marlins

A top prospect in the mid-late aughts, the first baseman had a .302 career average in the minors but was never able to find the same consistency in the majors. He won his spot as the Marlins’ lone 2011 representative with 13 homers and 50 RBIs before the break.

Also random: Kevin Correia (Pirates), Jair Jurrjens (Braves), Ricky Romero (Blue Jays)

2012: Bryan LaHair, Cubs

LaHair may be the most random All-Star of all time. He debuted for the Mariners in 2008 but didn’t play again in the majors until 2011 with the Cubs, finishing his career with just 195 MLB games. And this wasn’t a charity case with the Cubs needing a representative in 2012. LaHair truly earned his spot, posting an .883 OPS with 14 home runs and 30 RBIs in 231 at-bats before the break. But he tailed off in the second half (.202 average in 109 at-bats) and never played another big-league game after his All-Star campaign, ending up in Japan the next season.

Also random: Ryan Cook (Athletics), Billy Butler (Royals), Matt Harrison (Rangers)

2013: Domonic Brown (Phillies)

One of the top prospects in baseball, Brown struggled through 147 games (.236 average, -1.5 total WAR) in the majors from 2010-2012 – but seemed to flip the switch in 2013, racking up 23 homers and 67 RBIs in the first half for Philadelphia. He managed just four more homers and 16 RBIs after the break, though, and was let go by the Phillies after the 2015 season, never playing another MLB game.

Also random: Grant Balfour (Athletics), Edward Mujica (Cardinals), Everth Cabrera (Padres), Marco Scutaro (Giants)

2014: Alfredo Simón, Reds

The right-hander joined the rotation after two strong years in Cincinnati’s bullpen (2.78 ERA in 99 games) and immediately thrived as a starter, going 12-3 with a 2.70 ERA in the first half.

Also random: Devin Mesoraco (Reds), Henderson Alvarez (Marlins)

2015: Jose Iglesias, Tigers

Nearly a decade before Iglesias emerged as a Latin pop star with a hit single that got a Pitbull remix, he was a glove-first shortstop who regularly produced a decent batting average and crushed left-handed pitching. He was hitting .314 at the All-Star break with a .364 OBP – but only had one home run and 15 RBIs entering the game.

Also random: Héctor Santiago (Angels), Brock Holt (Red Sox)

2016: Michael Saunders, Blue Jays

Batting .298 with 16 homers, 42 RBIs and a .923 OPS in the first half, the 29-year-old Saunders finally looked to be living up to the potential he displayed as a top Mariners prospect. But he hit .178 the rest of the way in 2016 and only played one more year in the majors.

Also random: Steven Wright (Red Sox), A.J. Ramos (Marlins)

2017: Yonder Alonso, Athletics

The seventh overall pick in 2008, Alonso projected as a big-time power hitter but that never materialized – until his age-30 season. Alonso, who grew up in Miami and attended the University of Miami, timed his big year perfectly with the 2017 All-Star Game at Marlins Park.

Also random: Jake Lamb (Diamondbacks), Jason Vargas (Royals), Chris Devenski (Astros)

2018: Mitch Moreland, Red Sox

A strong-side platoon king and Gold Glove winner, Moreland had 46 RBIs in the first half for a 108-win Boston team that won its fourth World Series title in 15 years. He went on to hit a huge three-run homer in the Fall Classic off Dodgers reliever Ryan Madson, prompting a tweet from President Donald Trump about manager Dave Roberts’ bullpen management.

Also random: Ross Stripling (Dodgers), Mike Foltynewicz (Braves), Jed Lowrie (Athletics), Scooter Gennett (Reds)

2019: David Dahl, Rockies

The 2012 first-round pick momentarily looked to have a bright future at Coors Field after years of injuries, but got hurt a few weeks after the All-Star Game and didn’t play again in 2019. Injuries continued to pile up and the Rockies non-tendered him after the 2020 season.

Also random: Daniel Vogelbach (Mariners), John Means (Orioles), Tommy La Stella (Angels)

2021: Joey Wendle, Rays

A versatile infielder and good ballplayer who had a nice 2018 rookie campaign, Wendle was hatting .275 with a .786 OPS at the break to earn himself an invite to the game in Denver. Was traded after the 2021 season and was designated for assignment twice in eight days in May 2024.

Also random: Andrew Kittredge (Rays), Alex Reyes (Cardinals)

2022: Santiago Espinal, Blue Jays

A (very) late injury replacement, the Toronto second baseman had a .711 OPS in the first half.

Also random: Jose Trevino (Yankees), Garrett Cooper (Marlins)

2023: Josiah Gray, Nationals

One of the key pieces coming from the Dodgers in 2021’s Max Scherzer/Trea Turner deal, Gray was chosen as the Nationals’ lone representative with a 6-7 record and 3.41 ERA at the break. Only made two starts in 2024 due to injury, and the 27-year-old is currently rehabbing after Tommy John surgery.

Also random: Geraldo Perdomo (Diamondbacks), Bryce Elder (Braves)

2024: David Fry, Guardians

One of the more unlikely All-Stars through the years, Fry has struggled with injuries this season and is hitting .143 in 63 at-bats.

Also random: Willi Castro (Twins)

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World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz will play for a third consecutive Wimbledon title after a four-set semifinal win over American Taylor Fritz.

Alcaraz earned the 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (8-6) victory in a match that lasted two hours and 49 minutes.

Alcaraz showed a dominant serve throughout the contest, winning 88% of his first serve points and allowing Fritz to break him just once during the match. While the American’s break came at an opportune time and allowed him to win the second set, the Spaniard responded by winning a whopping 94% of his service points in the match’s critical third set.

‘This is my dream – stepping on these beautiful courts and playing tennis in the most beautiful tournaments in the world,’ Alcaraz told reporters. ‘That’s all I try to think at every tournament and why I try to bring the joy to the courts.’

Fritz battled hard in the fourth set and had multiple set points in their tiebreaker after earning a mini-break over Alcaraz. Nonetheless, the 22-year-old staved them off, re-took control of the match and battled back to win the set and deny the American his second-career major final appearance.

Now, Alcaraz will look to become the 17th man to win at least three Wimbledon singles titles in the event’s 148-year history. The 22-year-old will play face Jannik Sinner in the final.

Alcaraz has beaten Djokovic in the Wimbledon finals in back-to-back seasons but sports a career record of 3-5 against the Serbian star. The five-time major winner has had more consistent success against Sinner, logging an 8-4 career record against him and upsetting the top-seeded talent in five sets in the final at the 2025 French Open.

Meanwhile, Fritz’s defeat continues the ignominious drought of American winners in the men’s singles draw at Wimbledon. Pete Sampras was the last American man to win Wimbledon. He did so in 2000, with a four-set win over Australian Patrick Rafter.

Since then, an American has only made the grass-court Grand Slam final three times, with the last being Andy Roddick in 2009. And no American man has won a major since Roddick’s victory at the 2003 US Open.

This story was updated with hew information

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David Gergen, who worked for four presidents, including Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, before becoming an academic and political TV pundit, has died. He was 83. 

Gergen died in a retirement home in Massachusetts on July 10, his son said, according to several outlets. 

The Washington, D.C., veteran had been suffering from Lewy body dementia, his son said. 

Those who knew and admired Gergen took to X to express their condolences. 

Former California first lady Maria Shriver wrote on X: ‘David Gergen was total professional and a really kind man. My thoughts are with his family. He loved politics and he loved being in service to this country.’

‘RIP, Mr. Gergen,’ CBS reporter Robert Costa wrote. 

Former Democratic Tennessee Congressman Harold Ford, Jr. wrote: ‘We lost a good one, a really good one – RIP, my friend David Gergen

Gergen came up with the line that then-candidate Reagan said in the 1980 election: ‘Are you better off than you were four years ago?’ according to The New York Times. 

He later said of the line: ‘Rhetorical questions have great power.’ 

Of his time with the Nixon administration, Gergen told the Washington Post in 1981, ‘I was young, and I was too naive. It hardened me up a lot. It was an extremely difficult experience emotionally, in terms of belief in people.’ 

After leaving public office, Gergen worked as an editor and columnist, as well as for the conservative American Enterprise Institute and the liberal Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He was also a commentator for PBS, CNN and NPR. 

‘To say that I rely on him is an understatement,’ Reagan’s White House Chief of Staff, James A. Baker III, told The Washington Post in 1981. ‘He’s the best conceptualizer, in terms of communications strategy, that we have.’

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Venus Williams is planning to return to professional tennis later this month for the first time in more than a year.

The 45-year-old has accepted a wild-card invite to compete in the women’s singles draw at the 2025 Mubadala Citi DC Open beginning July 19 in Washington, D.C., tournament organizers announced on Friday, July 11.. It will be the first professional singles match for the seven-time Grand Slam winner since the Miami Open in March 2024, when Williams lost in the first round. She last appeared at the DC Open in 2022.

‘There’s something truly special about D.C.: the energy, the fans, the history,’ Williams said in a statement. ‘This city has always shown me so much love, and I can’t wait to compete there again.’

It seemed Williams might make a return to professional tennis earlier this year when the BNP Paribas Open announced she had received a wild-card entry into the main singles draw at the 1000-level WTA tournament in Indian Wells, California in March. But Williams later clarified she had not actually committed to play in the event.

Williams is currently listed as an ‘inactive’ player on her WTA website profile page. She hasn’t played in a Grand Slam event since Wimbledon in 2023, when she lost in the first round after suffering a knee injury. Williams announced in 2011 she had been diagnosed with Sjögren’s Syndrome, an autoimmune disease.

‘She has inspired people around the world with her accomplishments on the court and her visionary impact off the court,’ said Mark Ein, chairman of the Mubadala Citi DC Open. ‘I know how much it means to our D.C. fans and community to be able to watch her compete in person this summer.’

Williams won Wimbledon five times during her career, most recently in 2008, and also has two U.S. Open titles since first bursting onto the scene as a professional more than 30 years ago.

Defending French Open champion Coco Gauff, Wimbledon finalist Amanda Anisimova, Jessica Pegula, former U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu and four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka are among the other notable commitments for the women’s singles portion of the 2025 DC Open alongside Williams.

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Late June into early July marks an off time for NFL players. There’s a break between mandatory minicamps and when players report back to team facilities for training camp.

We’re weeks away from the start of what will be a six-month grind for most and a seven-month marathon for the playoff contenders. That makes now a good time for players to relax and/or spend their time on passion projects.

Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews leaned into the latter today.

Andrews has long been outspoken about living with Type I diabetes after being diagnosed as a child. He’s become a spokesperson for Dexcom, a company that manufactures continuous glucose monitoring systems to help those with diabetes monitor their insulin levels.

Dexcom and Andrews’ partnership includes ‘Dexcom U’ – a Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) program specifically for college athletes with diabetes. They hosted a camp today in Baltimore as part of Dexcom U Signing Day.

This is the fourth year of the event but was the first time the NIL program hosted a nationwide open call for athletes to join its roster.

This year’s class of athletes has yet to be announced.

Last year’s class included collegiate athletes competing in soccer, steeplechase, water polo, football, lacrosse, basketball and beach volleyball.

Andrews’ appearance at the Baltimore camp also included a game of head, shoulders, knees and ball against some of the athletes there.

Andrews isn’t the only current NFL player with Type I diabetes. Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Adonai Mitchell, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Noah Gray and Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Chad Muma are some of the other notable players.

Baltimore’s training camp kicks off on July 15 for the rookies while Andrews and the rest of the veterans will report on July 22. The Ravens open their preseason action against the Colts on Aug. 7.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY