The Lead

This past weekend, Roger Federer played his final match as a professional tennis player, teaming up with his longtime rival Rafael Nadal in a mostly ceremonial doubles match at the Laver Cup. And, after the match (which they narrowly lost to Americans Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock), Federer was honored with a ceremony that brought him to tears. Now, with Federer's legendary career officially in the books, we’re joined by Christopher Clarey of the New York Times to discuss how the Swiss icon became arguably the most beloved men’s tennis player of all time, what comes next in his career, and how he’ll be remembered in tennis history. 

You can find more of Christopher Clarey's tennis coverage here, and check out his book about Roger Federer here.

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Plus: Shady injury reports, butt punts, and more in an AFC East showdown to remember. And MLB’s youngest team is contending way earlier than anyone expected. 

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The Eagles ran their record to 2-0 with a convincing win over the Vikings on Monday Night Football, and a big reason why was an electric performance from Jalen Hurts. Today, The Athletic’s Zach Berman tells us about Hurts’s evolution from second-round pick that a lot of people doubted, to now becoming one of the NFL’s most dynamic young quarterbacks — and the centerpiece of an NFC contender. Plus, the Internet meme that might tell us everything we need to know about why Hurts is the right guy for the spotlight in Philadelphia.

Follow Zach Berman’s coverage of the Eagles: https://theathletic.com/author/zach-berman/

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On Sunday night, the Las Vegas Aces brought home the WNBA championship – the first in the franchise's 26-year history, and the first major pro sports title for the city of Las Vegas. And the only thing more entertaining than the series might have been the post-game press conference, which included A'ja Wilson telling fans they had to do at least four shots before the championship parade, and Kelsey Plum interrupting questions by dancing with a boom box. Today, Kris Rhim of the New York Times explains how the Aces have gone from a team that has long had all the fun, but often fell short in the playoffs, to a team that became unstoppable -- and the role that first-year head coach Becky Hammon played in that transformation.

More from Kris Rhim: https://www.nytimes.com/by/kris-rhim

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Plus: The Aces bring home the first title ever for Las Vegas. And Aaron Judge closes in history - and a potential triple crown.

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After a summer where he was expected to commit his future to Real Madrid, 23-year-old French superstar Kylian Mbappe instead decided to stay put in Paris, with PSG. And he's off to a red hot start to the new season. The New York Times’ Tariq Panja recently got a rare interview with Mbappe, and he joins us today to discuss the Frenchman’s years as a teenage prodigy, why he decided to stay in Paris (at least for now), and why he wants his legacy to be about more than soccer.

Read Tariq Panja's full story about Kylian Mbappe:

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/06/sports/soccer/kylian-mbappe-champions-league-psg.html

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In the fall of 2001… Sugar Ray was playing on your local radio station, the Patriots were suddenly forced to play their backup quarterback — a guy named Tom Brady — and the movie Zoolander had just come out in theaters. That’s how long it’s been since the Seattle Mariners made the playoffs. Today, The Athletic’s Corey Brock tells us about the rising superstar (Julio Rodriguez) and unsung supporting cast who are powering a Mariners renaissance, and what it would mean to the team — and the city — to have Seattle playing again in October.

Follow Corey Brock’s coverage of the Mariners: https://theathletic.com/author/corey-brock/

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Plus: A new generation of tennis stars announce themselves in Flushing. And the Cornhuskers pay to make Scott Frost go away.

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It's been a rough decade for USC football fans. Their beloved Trojans -- winners of nine national championships -- have missed every single college football playoff since 2014, and have finished in the top ten nationally just once in the past ten years. But now, with 39-year-old Lincoln Riley at the helm, there's a growing sense of optimism. The L.A. Times' Ryan Kartje takes us inside the mind of one of college football's most exciting and creative young coaches, and explains why Riley has inspired a new sense of belief among USC faithful. Plus, a bizarre standoff between USC and its own fans over NIL deals.

Follow Ryan Kartje's USC Football coverage:

https://www.latimes.com/people/ryan-kartje

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The Rams begin their Super Bowl title defense on Thursday night against Josh Allen and the Bills, but to get to this point, they’ve had to navigate an offseason filled with drama. There were concerns that Aaron Donald and Sean McVay might retire (and All-Pro left tackle Andrew Whitworth did retire). Then Von Miller stunned the Rams by signing with the Bills, while Matthew Stafford (and McVay) have had to answer questions about the quarterback’s lingering elbow issue. Today, The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue joins us to break down some of the big storylines following this chaotic/extremely talented team as they get ready to try to run it back. 

Follow Jourdan Rodrigue’s coverage of the Rams: https://theathletic.com/author/jourdan-rodrigue/

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