Chaos erupted Monday at Wimbledon when play halted on Court 1 as No. 4 seed Taylor Fritz and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard were tied after four sets. With the 11 p.m. curfew looming under a Merton Council agreement, officials suspended the match despite only 40 minutes remaining. Fritz, visibly furious after mounting a comeback from two sets down winning the third 6‑4 and the fourth-set tiebreak 8‑6 expressed his frustration, and the crowd booed the decision. Perricard had delivered 33 aces and won the first two sets in tiebreaks . Play will resume Tuesday with the decisive fifth set. (PC: X)

Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa has joined top Esports team Team Liquid ahead of the 2025 Esports World Cup in Riyadh, where chess debuts as a competitive title. Magnus Carlsen, already part of Team Liquid, welcomed him saying, “Whole lot of letters in Praggnanandhaa, but no ‘I’.” Hikaru Nakamura hailed him as a “rare gem.” Praggnanandhaa will compete in the Last Chance Qualifiers. Other Indian chess stars—Arjun Erigaisi (Gen.G), Nihal Sarin, and Aravindh Chithambaram—have also signed with Esports teams. The event will host 200 teams and 2,000 players across 24 titles with a record $70 million prize pool. (PC: The Indian Express)

Wimbledon 2025 has kicked off with record-breaking heat, as the Met Office reported the hottest opening day in the tournament’s history. Provisional data showed temperatures reaching 29.7°C at Kew Gardens, surpassing the previous record of 29.3°C. The scorching heat made conditions tough for players and fans alike on Monday. Organisers implemented additional hydration and cooling measures to support athletes and spectators during the extreme heat. The unusually hot weather follows a broader pattern of high summer temperatures across the UK. The Met Office is continuing to monitor conditions as the tournament progresses over the next two weeks. (PC: PA)

Ayush Shetty, a 20-year-old Indian badminton player, captured his first senior BWF World Tour title by defeating Canada’s Brian Yang 21‑18, 21‑13 in 47 minutes to win the US Open Super 300 in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The towering 6′4″ athlete, world No. 31 and India’s second-ranked man, displayed powerful jump-smashes, stellar court coverage, and tactical precision. Earlier, he stunned world No. 6 Chou Tien Chen in a dramatic semifinal comeback. Trained at the Prakash Padukone Academy, Shetty’s triumph ends India’s tour title drought in 2025 and signals a rising new force in men’s singles. (PC: X & India Today)

Former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin has come to the defense of Shubman Gill following criticism of his leadership in the first Test against England. Responding to growing scrutiny after India’s five-wicket loss at Headingley, Azharuddin stressed that it's too early to judge Gill’s captaincy, noting it was only his first match as leader. He attributed the defeat to a collective batting collapse rather than poor leadership and urged selectors to focus on team balance, especially in the bowling attack. Azhar also called for reduced reliance on Jasprit Bumrah and suggested including spinner Kuldeep Yadav for the upcoming Edgbaston Test. (PC: AP)    

Rishabh Pant’s jubilant somersault celebration after scoring a century against England at Headingley has stirred concern among medical professionals, particularly his orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala. While fans admired the athletic move—reminiscent of his IPL stunts—Dr. Pardiwala called it “technically perfect but unnecessary,” especially considering Pant’s near-fatal car accident in December 2022. The crash left Pant with severe knee injuries, requiring extensive surgery and rehabilitation. His return to Test cricket was hailed as a medical and sporting triumph. However, his surgeon emphasized caution, highlighting that while Pant’s recovery is inspiring, he must prioritize long-term health. (PC: NDTV)  

In a dominant performance at Trent Bridge, India defeated England by 97 runs in the first women’s T20I of the series. Stand-in captain Smriti Mandhana led from the front, scoring a breathtaking 112 off 62 balls—her maiden T20I century. This innings made her the first Indian woman to score centuries in all three international formats: Tests, ODIs, and T20Is. India posted a commanding total of 210/5, their second-highest in T20Is. Debutant spinner Shree Charani impressed with figures of 4/12, dismantling the English batting line-up. England crumbled under pressure and were bowled out for just 113 in 14.5 overs. (PC: Reuters)

India fast bowler Prasidh Krishna has “taken complete responsibility” for his underwhelming performance in the first Test at Leeds, where he conceded over 220 runs across both innings. In the first, he leaked 128 runs in 20 overs at an economy of 6.40 among the worst for an Indian bowler over that span. Although he claimed five wickets, the lengths were off, with pitches, slope, wind, and outfield speed cited as contributing factors. At a press conference, Prasidh acknowledged his inability to maintain ideal lengths and pledged to analyze his shortcomings, improve his control, and significantly reduce his economy next time. (PC: NDTV Sports)

India Women's cricket team posted a commanding 210‑5 in Trent Bridge’s opening T20I vs England, propelled by stand‑in captain Smriti Mandhana’s maiden T20I century. The southpaw blazed 112 off 62, laced with 15 fours and three sixes, reaching the milestone in just 51 balls and becoming only the second Indian woman after Harmanpreet Kaur to score a T20I hundred. Partnerships of 77 (with Shafali Verma) and 94 (with Harleen Deol) anchored the formidable total. England’s bowling fightback saw Lauren Bell snare 3/27. The series continues July 1 in Bristol, before three ODIs from July 16 in Southampton.

Neeraj Chopra has reclaimed the World No. 1 spot in men's javelin throw with 1445 points, according to the latest World Athletics rankings. Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem is fourth with 1370 points. Chopra, who lost the top rank to Anderson Peters in September 2024, surged back with consistent performances this season—his highlights include breaching the 90m mark in Doha (90.23m) and clinching wins in Paris and Ostrava. “Finally, not mine, but the burden is off the shoulders of Indians,” Neeraj told RevSportz. He is currently training under javelin legend Zelezny and will next compete at the Neeraj Chopra Classic in Bengaluru on July 5. (PC: HT)