Looking to become the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam, Carlos Alcaraz eased into the second round at the Australian Open on Monday with an imperfect but entertaining 6-1, 7-5, 6-1 victory over Kazakhstan’s Alexander Shevchenko.

The the 21-year-old Spaniard and four-time major champion showed flashes of brilliance but also made several unforced errors in his opening match in Melbourne.

‘Honestly, the first match of the season you never know how it’s going to be. I had the confidence to think that I was going to be good, but you never know,’ he told reporters afterward.

‘I’m just really happy with the level that I played, with everything I’ve done today. But I really want to be better in the next round.’

AUSTRALIAN OPEN STORYLINES: Coco Gauff ‘confident’ in bid for second Grand Slam title

The tournament’s No. 3 seed is still fine-tuning a new service motion that he adopted in the offseason, but he found his range with some devastating winners to dispatch Shevchenko, who’s ranked No. 77 in the world.

He’ll face Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka in the second round.

Australian Nick Kyrgios upset in short-lived return

Nick Kyrgios’s long-awaited return to the Grand Slam stage proved something of a letdown as Briton Jacob Fearnley sent the ailing home hero out of the Australian Open first round in straight sets on Monday.

A capacity crowd packed John Cain Arena for Kyrgios’ first match at Melbourne Park in three years, hoping the tennis showman could shrug off an abdominal strain to battle through.

Most left deflated as Kyrgios went down swinging in a 7-6 (3), 6-3, 7-6 (2) defeat, with the injury hampering his serve and movement.

Kyrgios said this loss may have been his last singles match at the Grand Slam eventKyrgios said this loss may have been his last singles match at the Grand Slam event, given his growing frustrations with injury.

‘Realistically I can’t see myself playing a singles match here again,’ the 29-year-old told reporters.

‘It’s hard. When you’re competing for the biggest tournaments in the world and you’re struggling to win sets physically, it’s pretty tough.

Novak Djokovic rallies past young American

Novak Djokovic was rattled early on by inspired American teenager Nishesh Basavareddy but rallied for a four-set victory Monday to keep his bid for an 11th Australian Open title alive into the second round.

Basavareddy, making his Grand Slam debut, made Djokovic look every one of his 37 years as he tore around Rod Laver Arena mixing clean winners with some beautifully deft drop shots.

The 19-year-old had the crowd on its feet when he broke for 4-3 in the first set with a sizzling backhand return, again when he fought off two break points to hold for 5-3, and a third time when Djokovic dumped a backhand into the net to cede the set.

But the 24-time major champion took control in the second set and outlasted his young opponent 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.

Djokovic hasn’t lost in the first round of a Grand Slam event since the 2006 Australian Open when he lost to American Paul Goldstein – who coincidentally is Basavareddy’s collegiate coach at Stanford.

‘This kind of match is always tricky, playing against someone who has nothing to lose,’ Djokovic said. ‘He handled himself really well and I’m sure we’ll see plenty of him in the future.’

Coco Gauff

Coco Gauff is hoping that coming through a tough first round clash with former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin on Monday will hold her in good stead for the rest of the tournament.

The third seed was given a solid workout by 2020 champion Kenin in blazing sunshine on Rod Laver Arena but extended her lengthy winning streak to reach the second round with a 6-3 6-3 victory.

‘Honestly, when I saw the draw, I was like, it’s not a great first round. She’s one of those people that she can play great tennis,’ Gauff said.

Gauff pounced to break her fellow American for a fourth time in the match and secured her 10th straight singles victory when Kenin sent a wild forehand well wide of the tramlines.

Doping in spotlight as Jannik Sinner wins first match

Jannik Sinner launched his Australian Open title defense with a 7-6 (2), 7-6 (5), 6-1 win over Nicolas Jarry on Monday in a match that put the players’ contrasting doping cases in the spotlight.

World No. 1 Sinner, who avoided suspension after failing two drug tests last March, was given a good battle on a sun-drenched Rod Laver Arena by the big-serving Chilean who was banned for 11 months in 2020 for doping.

In the lead-up to the match, Jarry had told Chilean newspaper La Tercera that he wished he had ‘the same support’ as Sinner from tennis authorities following his own failed tests.

Sinner remains under a doping cloud, however, with the World Anti-Doping Agency seeking a ban of up to two years at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. A hearing has been set for April.

The saga has taken little toll on the Italian’s tennis; his defeat of world No. 36 Jarry was the U.S. Open champion’s 16th win in succession and 15th at the hardcourt Grand Slams.

Add another line to Jayden Daniels’ sterling resume from his debut NFL season.

The rookie quarterback led the Washington Commanders on a drive for a last-second field goal that secured a 23-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday night in the wild-card round of the NFC playoffs, marking the first postseason win for the franchise in 19 years. The drought was the third-longest in the NFL, trailing only the Miami Dolphins (24 seasons) and the Las Vegas Raiders (22). 

After getting the ball back with less than five minutes remaining and the game tied, Daniels and running back Austin Ekeler guided the Commanders on a 10-play, 51-yard drive to set up a 37-yard field goal by Zane Gonzalez that bounced off the upright and through for the final advantage.

Daniels, who threw for 268 yards and two touchdowns on 24-of-35 passing, became just the fourth rookie quarterback in NFL history to win his first career playoff start on the road. 

Washington was the only lower seed to topple a hosting team in this weekend’s five games. The Commanders will face the top-seeded Detroit Lions in the divisional round on Saturday, with the Philadelphia Eagles set to take on the winner of Monday night’s contest between the Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings.

All things Commanders: Latest Washington Commanders news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

Daniels and Washington appeared to be in a bind when, trailing 17-13 early in the fourth quarter, the offense’s long drive was stonewalled despite the unit having a first-and-goal from the Tampa Bay 1-yard line. But after linebacker Bobby Wagner recovered a fumble by Baker Mayfield, Daniels delivered on a fourth-and-2 play by finding Terry McLaurin for a 5-yard touchdown. 

The No. 2 overall pick and overwhelming favorite for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year was bloodied after a big hit from Buccaneers cornerback Zyon McCollum in the second quarter left him with a cut to his right cheek, but he remained in the game.

This story has been updated with new information.

With the Washington Commanders’ 23-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday night, the 2025 NFL bracket and schedule has come into full view.

The Commanders are the lowest seed remaining in the playoffs. BetMGM had them and the AFC South champion Houston Texans as three-point underdogs going into Wild Card Weekend. Now both will face their conference’s top seeds Saturday.

Oddsmakers expect tonight’s wild card game could also come down to a field goal. The final team into the divisional round will be decided in Glendale, Arizona, where the NFL moved the game between the Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings because of the wildfires in California. Game coverage begins at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN

Printable 2025 NFL playoff bracket and divisional matchups

Can’t view our graphics? Click here to see them.

How NFL playoff format works

After this weekend’s games, the records of the remaining four teams in each conference determined how the divisional championships set up:

No. 1 seed hosts the lowest remaining seed.

The next highest remaining seed hosts the other wild-card weekend winner.

Odds for NFL’s divisional games

BetMGM’s initial betting lines for next weekend’s games are set. A plus before the number signifies the amount a bettor would win on a $100 bet. A minus signifies the amount a bettor must bet to win $100.

Odds for AFC divisional games

Houston Texans (+340) at Kansas City Chiefs (-450) favored by 8 points

Baltimore Ravens (-105) at Buffalo Bills (-115) favored by 1 point

Odds for NFC divisional games

Washington Commanders (+400) at Detroit Lions (-550) favored by 8.5 points

Best offenses and defenses of the 2024 NFL season

The Chiefs finished the regular season with the league’s best record, but did so with the lowest scoring differential among the top playoff teams. They outscored their opponents by just 59 points. Their 38-0 loss to end the season didn’t help, but less than a third of the NFC-leading Detroit Lions. Both the Lions and the Bills scored more than 500 points this season – a milestone only the Dallas Cowboys hit in 2023.

In his first season back in the NFL, head coach Jim Harbaugh turned up the Los Angeles Chargers’ defense, cutting their ‘points against’ to 301 – almost than 100 points fewer than 2023 and leading the league in the category. The five-seed Chargers fell to Texans in opening game of Wild Card Weekend. Interestingly, the 10-7 Texans scored exactly as many points as they gave up this season.

Final NFL standings for the 2024 season

PHILADELPHIA – A.J. Brown doesn’t have a Goodreads account or belong to a book club. The Philadelphia Eagles wideout does enjoy flipping pages for pleasure, however. 

He also wants everybody to know something about his habit, which FOX broadcast cameras captured in the second half of his team’s 22-10 victory Sunday over the Green Bay Packers in the NFC wild-card round: It’s genuine, and Brown isn’t doing it for attention or to send any sort of negative subliminal message. 

That required some explanation given the title of the book he was reading, “INNER EXCELLENCE: Train Your Mind for Extraordinary Performance and the Best Possible Life” and the under-the-surface drama that’s brewed all season long regarding an inefficient Eagles passing attack. 

“I like to read a lot,” Brown said after the game. “My teammates see me reading a lot. I try to read two books a month.” 

Author Jim Murphy released the book in 2020 and is a mental skills coach who has worked with baseball players, Olympic athletes and top-level golfers, according to his Amazon author page. 

All things Eagles: Latest Philadelphia Eagles news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

The pages of Brown’s book are worn, with highlights and underlines for passages he enjoys revisiting. 

“You will find as you take this journey with me,” one annotated passage from Murphy reads, “that your best moments will always come from a clear mind.” 

Moro Ojomo, the Eagles’ second-year defensive lineman, recommended the tome to him at the beginning of this season. 

“That’s a book that I bring every single game. My teammates call it ‘the recipe,’” Brown said. “That’s the first time y’all got me on camera. It’s got a lot of points in there. It’s a lot of mental parts about it. I mean, the game’s mental.” 

Brown took to social media to make sure everybody else understood. 

“This game is 90% mental and 10% physical for me,” he wrote on X. “I bring it to every game and I read it between each drive. I use it to refocus and lock in despite what may transpire in the game, good or bad. People tend to create controversy when they don’t know the truth.” 

x.com

Brown said he likes to think of himself as somebody who can do everything and anything, and the book helps him center himself at the height of his performance. He goes back to the book every drive, he said, whether he catches a touchdown or drops a pass. 

Some of the book’s messages, per Brown, include: 

If you have a clear mind, then nothing else matters, negative or positive. 
Be willing to take risks.  
If you are humble, you can’t be a “bear” to others. 

“So no matter what happens,” Brown said, :”like in the game or whatever happens, just stay free.” 

Wide receiver Jahan Dotson, who caught the game’s first touchdown, told USA TODAY Sports that he sees Brown reading in the locker room after every game. Quarterback Jalen Hurts, however, disputed that notion. 

“I’ve never seen him read,” Hurts said. “I’ve seen the book in his hands. Everybody has a different thing and finds their flow in different ways. That’s how he chooses to do it.” 

But left tackle Jordan Mailata backed up Brown’s claim that he brings the book with him to the bench every time he took the field this season. 

“He does that every game. … It’s a mindset book,” Mailata said. 

“Y’all just don’t see it,” Brown said with a smile without revealing how the book returned to his locker after the game if he didn’t bring it back himself (an Eagles equipment staffer takes care of that for him). 

The books Brown typically thumbs through are mindfulness and self-help books, he said. 

“I’m not really into fiction,” he said. 

Never one to hide his feelings but typically good-natured, Mailata had a theory for why this was suddenly a postgame topic among the media gathered in the Eagles’ locker room. 

“It’s because there’s nothing else to report, there’s nothing else to report about,” Mailata said. “Now we’re talking about him reading a book on the sidelines. He’s been doing it all year. Let’s not start drama.” 

Brown made it clear that was not his intent. He wasn’t frustrated by the fact he had one catch on three targets for 10 yards. The second-team All-Pro, despite missing four games in 2024, said he would have to watch the tape for his evaluation of the passing game in Hurts’ return from a concussion that cost the quarterback most of the final three games of the regular season. The offense played well at times, Brown said, but could be better. 

In December, veteran defensive end Brandon Graham caused a stir by giving his interpretation about the relationship between Hurts and Brown. But after beating the Pittsburgh Steelers on Dec. 15, both said it was overblown and that the two – friends from their youth – were solid. 

Brown, the former Tennessee Titans standout who was acquired by the Eagles prior to the 2022 season, has been nursing a nagging knee injury over the past few weeks and didn’t practice Thursday before returning fully Friday. Brown said he wanted to be out there Sunday for his teammates and feels that he’s turning a corner health-wise.

“In the pursuit of extraordinary performance, it’s easy to succumb to anxiety or pressure, because so much is out of your control,” Murphy writes in “Inner Excellence.” 

Perhaps that’s why Brown has it highlighted.

PHILADELPHIA – In a playoff game that won’t garner many reruns on NFL Network, the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Green Bay Packers 22-10 Sunday in the NFC wild-card round. 

Dallas Goedert bullied his way to a 24-yard touchdown in the third quarter and the Eagles defense contained Jordan Love, Josh Jacobs and a depleted Green Bay receiving corps to pave the way for victory. 

Neither quarterback played inspiring ball. For Philadelphia, Jalen Hurts completed his first six passes but missed his next seven and finished 13-for-21 with 131 passing yards and five rushes for 37 yards in his return after missing the last two games (and most of a third) with a concussion he suffered against the Washington Commanders on Dec. 22.

Love, who tossed two interceptions, had to rely on Jacobs and tight end Tucker Kraft in the passing game, as Romeo Doubs and Jayden Reed exited with injuries while Christian Watson was lost for the long term last week against the Chicago Bears. 

The smoke from the pregame fireworks display hadn’t even cleared and the Eagles already had the Packers on their back foot. Oren Burks popped Packers returner Keisean Nixon on the opening kickoff and the Eagles took over at the 28-yard line after a review that appeared to show Nixon had regained possession. Saquon Barkley immediately ran for 16 yards with a bounce to the outside and a spin to move into the red zone.  

All things Eagles: Latest Philadelphia Eagles news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

Two plays later, Hurts had all day to throw and he stood and fired to Jahan Dotson, who ran wide open in the back of the end zone for a touchdown lead 99 seconds into the game. According to NFL’s Next Gen Stats, he had 6.75 seconds to throw, the longest time to throw on a touchdown pass from a clean pocket this season. No Packers pass rusher got within 2.5 yards of him. 

On the first play of the second quarter, Love threw deep for Dontayvion Wicks, who was running a go route up the right sideline. Eagles cornerback Darius Slay, however, was running step for step with him, and the ball fell into his breadbasket for the easy interception. It was Love’s first turnover in 409 plays. He didn’t have to wait nearly as long for his next one, when he didn’t see All-Pro linebacker Zack Baun dropping back in coverage to corral an interception before halftime. Love threw a third interception to Eagles rookie cornerback Quinyon Mitchell in the final two minutes to seal the result.

Packers kicker Brandon McManus entered 20-for-21 on the season since signing with the Packers in October but pushed a 38-yard field goal right, and Green Bay came up empty on a 13-play drive that went 37 yards and took 7:37 off the clock. 

Between turnovers, penalties and typically subpar special teams play, the Packers beat themselves as much as the Eagles beat them. But the defense performed admirably, as the first-half touchdown surrendered came on the short field. 

The injury bug also kept biting them. Left guard Elgton Jenkins left early with a shoulder injury and backup defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt departed with a lower leg ailment. Then Doubs went down in the end zone after Love threw precariously to him in double coverage, and Reed exited with a shoulder injury later in the frame. Center Josh Myers was also carted off late in the fourth quarter.

The first time Green Bay threatened came following a defensive pass interference call on Mitchell to move into the red zone. Love targeting Malik Heath and Bo Melton on consecutive plays in the end zone, both attempts hitting their outstretched hands respectively and falling incomplete, symbolized the Packers’ uphill battle. McManus hit from 26 yards away to make it 10-3 with 5:46 left in the third quarter. 

The temporary salvation for the Packers’ offense was success rate on third down. Philadelphia, meanwhile, started 1-for-7 before Hurts found DeVonta Smith for 28 yards on third down in the third quarter to jumpstart a touchdown drive that made it 16-3 – Eagles kicker Jake Elliott missed the extra point – and ended with Goedert stiff-arming Packers cornerback Carrington Valentine three separate times to bully his way for a 24-yard catch-and-run into the end zone.

On the final play of the third quarter, Jacobs (18 carries for 81 yards) did not let six different Eagles making contact with him impede his way to the goal line, where he almost stuck the ball over before his knee hit the ground for a touchdown. After officials initially ruled it a touchdown, replay ruled him down shy of breaking the plane. He punched it in on the next play and the extra point made it 16-10. 

Barkley had some space early but went away from running the ball in the second quarter. That changed with three straight runs to him to start the second half. But Hurts took a sack on second down and the Eagles handed it off on third and long to incite some boos from the Philly faithful. 

Elliott connected on field goals from 30 and 32 yards in the fourth quarter to provide some breathing room. 

The Buffalo Bills are back to the divisional round of the NFL playoffs for the fifth consecutive season.

Running back James Cook powered the Bills’ offense early before Josh Allen helped the team break away in the second half of a 31-7 win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

The Bills will play host to the Baltimore Ravens next weekend in a matchup of the league’s two leading MVP candidates in Allen and Lamar Jackson. In the other AFC contest, the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs will face the Houston Texans.

Cook rushed for 120 yards on 23 carries on the day. He was the early offensive focus of a methodical attack, as his 5-yard touchdown early in the second quarter punctuated a 13-play, 81-yard drive.

Buffalo logged 210 yards on 44 rushing attempts overall as its defense stood stout after allowing a touchdown on the opening series.

All things Bills: Latest Buffalo Bills news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

In the second half, however, Allen took the reins. Late in the third quarter, he found running back Ty Johnson on a dazzling 24-yard scoring strike in the back of the end zone that made it a two-possession game. The seventh-year signal-caller surpassed Hall of Famer Jim Kelly for the most postseason passing touchdowns in franchise history, finishing the game with 23.

Allen, who finished with 272 yards on 20-of-26 passing, connected with Curtis Samuel on a 55-yard catch-and-run in the fourth quarter for his second score of the day.

The Broncos, who ended the NFL’s second-longest active postseason drought by becoming the final team to clinch a berth in Week 18, briefly showed a glimmer of hope in the opening minutes of the game. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix found former Oregon teammate Troy Franklin for a 43-yard touchdown pass on the first series. But Denver was largely stifled the rest of the way, failing to score again and netting just 224 total yards on the day.

Buffalo will be seeking to reach the AFC championship game for the first time since the 2020 season after being knocked out in the divisional round in each of the last three years.

In the Bills’ Week 4 meeting with the Ravens, Baltimore dashed to a 35-10 win.

NBA basketball will return to Los Angeles after games were postponed due to raging wildfires in the area.

The Lakers and the Clippers will host games at their respective venues just days removed from fires that claimed the lives of 24 people. The Lakers play home games at Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles, while the Clippers’ home is the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.

Lakers coach JJ Redick is among the thousands impacted by the fires, having lost his rental home in the Pacific Palisades. The Palisades Fire has proven to be the most destructive of the multiple fires, responsible for burning over 23,000 acres, according to Cal Fire.

When will the Los Angeles Lakers play next?

LeBron James and the Lakers are scheduled to host Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs on Monday at Crypto.com Arena.

“I pray this nightmare ends soon!” James shared on his official X (formerly Twitter) account.

The Lakers had games against the Charlotte Hornets and the Spurs postponed last week.

When will the Los Angeles Clippers play?

Norman Powell and the Clippers will host the visiting Miami Heat on Monday.

The Clippers will have three games over a four-day period after not playing for four days. The Clippers had a game scheduled against the Hornets postponed over the weekend.

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The Green Bay Packers started the season by losing to the Philadelphia Eagles and finished the season the same way.

Green Bay lost 22-10 against the Eagles in the wild-card round of the NFC playoffs. Philadelphia controlled most of the game in what was the Eagles’ second win of the season over the Packers. The two teams previously met in Week 1 in Brazil.

The Packers’ loss means the offseason has arrived for Jordan Love and company. What’s next for the Packers as they prepare for the 2025 season? USA TODAY Sports explores.

Packers key free agents 2025

Josh Myers, C

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

Myers started 16 games and played 1,008 snaps. He’s a durable center with an established rapport with Jordan Love. He allowed one sack and 29 pressures this season, per Pro Football Focus.

Isaiah McDuffie, LB

McDuffie’s 97 tackles ranked second on the team. He also had three tackles for loss and one forced fumble. The linebacker started all 17 regular-season games for Green Bay.

Eric Stokes, CB

Stokes started seven games this year. The reserve cornerback played 54% of the team’s defensive snaps. He allowed 403 yards and gave up three touchdowns.

Packers offseason preview: 3 moves to make

Cornerback

The Packers placed Jaire Alexander on injured reserve due to a PCL injury. Eric Stokes, Corey Ballentine and Robert Rochell are entering free agency so Green Bay needs to add depth at the position.

Defensive end

The Packers’ 35% pass rush win rate ranked 26th in the NFL. Rashan Gary totaled 7.5 sacks but Green Bay lacks consistency on the opposite side along the defensive line.

Wide receiver depth

Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs are entering the final year of their respective contracts. The Packers need some insurance at wide receiver. Earlier in the season, the Packers suspended Doubs for ‘conduct detrimental to the team’ after he was upset with his opportunities. Watson tore his ACL in Week 18, leaving his 2025 status cloudy.

Packers draft needs

Defensive end
Cornerback
Wide receiver

The Packers have seven picks in the 2025 NFL draft.

Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Round 4
Round 5
Round 6
Round 7