Reuters Sports News Summary

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Boxing-Jake Paul to return in Dubai after year-long absence following broken jaw

YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul will return to the ring on December 24 in Dubai just over a year after ​suffering a broken jaw in his knockout loss to Anthony Joshua, he said on Thursday.

American Paul, 29, will headline the Christmas Eve card, with his ​opponent yet to be announced.

Baseball-Milwaukee brews first World Series title with triumph over Rays

The Milwaukee Brewers captured ‌their first ​World Series title on Wednesday by defeating the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 to wrap up the Fall Classic in five games and end a 57-year championship drought. Milwaukee starter Jacob Misiorowski tossed 5-2/3 shutout innings, while timely hitting silenced the home crowd at Tropicana Field as the Brewers secured the crown in their first World Series appearance in 44 years.

Panthers fire defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero

The Carolina Panthers fired defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero and defensive passing game coordinator Jonathan Cooley on Friday morning. Defensive line coach Todd ‌Wash was named interim defensive coordinator and will call the defensive plays for head coach Dave Canales, the team announced.

Tennis-Zverev finally takes his place at the summit

Alexander Zverev, who spent years waiting for his moment to reach the summit of his sport only for a new golden generation to surge past him, has claimed the honour that long eluded him by climbing to the top of the world rankings. Zverev had long been one of the brightest talents to emerge in the 2010s, but his path, like that of his peers, was largely blocked by the enduring dominance of Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.

Basketball-Dream end schedule nightmare with Game 6 win over Valkyries

The Atlanta Dream ‌beat the Golden State Valkyries 80-69 on Thursday in a matinee performance worthy of primetime billing, forcing a Game 7 in the WNBA Finals and bringing the party atmosphere back after frustration over scheduling issues. A sellout crowd of 17,000 showed up at 12:30 pm ET at State Farm Arena, after conflicts with the Dream's NBA ‌counterparts Atlanta Hawks forced them into a midday, midweek time slot.

Report: Bears QB Caleb Williams fined over cleats again

The NFL has fined Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams for the second time over his choice in footwear, ESPN reported. He drew a $23,882 fine on Thursday for sporting Caddix cleats in the Week 7 win against New England, per the report.

Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark leaving on Jan. 31

Brett Yormark is stepping down as commissioner of the Big 12, effective on Jan. 31, 2027, the conference announced on Friday. Yormark, who became the league's fifth commissioner in 2022, plans to take another job outside of college sports, per multiple reports. The conference plans to launch a national search for his replacement.

Baseball-End of World Series sends MLB into high-stakes offseason as lockout looms

The crowning of the Milwaukee Brewers as World Series champions kicked ⁠off an offseason of ​great uncertainty for Major League Baseball on Thursday, with owners widely expected to lock out players ⁠if they cannot reach a new labour deal before the current agreement expires on December 1. At the heart of the negotiations is the issue of a salary cap that would limit how much MLB's 30 teams can spend on player wages, a system the league feels would address the payroll disparity between big-market and small-market teams. The MLB Players Association considers the implementation of a salary cap as a ⁠non-starter.

Tennis-Djokovic faces ATP Finals battle after loss in Basel

Novak Djokovic missed a big chance to strengthen his push for a place at the end-of-year ATP Finals after a loss to Jan-Lennard Struff at the Swiss Indoors in Basel, leaving the Serb with precious few opportunities to make up ground in the race to Turin. Back in Basel for the first time in 15 years, the ​39-year-old Djokovic fell 6-7(4) 7-5 7-6(5) in the second round on Thursday, his first defeat by German veteran Struff in nine meetings.

Golf-Garcia leaves LIV, targets DP World Tour return and Ryder Cup place

Sergio Garcia has become the latest high-profile player to leave LIV Golf, saying on Thursday that he will ⁠return to the DP World Tour in 2027 while keeping the door open for a potential PGA Tour comeback. The Spaniard follows Jon Rahm, Ian Poulter, Tyrrell Hatton and Graeme McDowell in announcing a departure from LIV, which is attempting to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy under a restructured ownership model after Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund said in April it was cutting funding

Tennis-Rybakina withdraws from Tokyo quarter-finals with neck injury

World number one Elena Rybakina ⁠withdrew ​from the Pan Pacific Open quarter-finals on Friday due to a neck injury, sending Canada's Leylah Fernandez through to the last four via walkover. "Unfortunately, I’ve been experiencing inflammation and pain in my neck, which has been affecting my ability to play at my best," the Kazakh said in a statement on the WTA website.

USMNT star Christian Pulisic inks new deal with AC Milan

U.S. men's national team star Christian Pulisic signed a new deal with AC Milan through 2031, the club announced on Friday. The 28-year-old midfielder, whose current contract was set to expire in June 2027, now is committed beyond the next World Cup.

WTA roundup: Diana Shnaider stages Tokyo comeback

No. 3 seed ⁠Diana Shnaider of Russia rallied to reach the semifinals in Tokyo with a 2-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 comeback win Friday against No. 8 Alexandra Eala of the Philippines at the Toray Pan Pacific Open. The pair combined for 88 winners and saved a combined 16 of 19 break points in a thrilling quarterfinal clash. Shnaider ⁠seized the lead by breaking Eala's serve in the third game of the deciding set and ⁠finished the match in 2 hours and 52 minutes.

Tennis-Medvedev clinches ATP Finals berth by reaching Vienna semi-finals

Daniil Medvedev secured a place at the season-ending ATP Finals for the seventh time after overwhelming Adrian Mannarino 6-2 6-3 to reach the Vienna Open semi-finals on Friday. The 30-year-old Russian, who missed out on the season finale last year after qualifying every year from 2019 to 2024, joined Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz and Ben Shelton in the eight-man field.

Ice hockey-CAS rules that Russia can compete in world championships

The Court of ‌Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled on Friday that Russian teams can ‌compete in next year's men's and women's world championships, overturning International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) decisions to exclude them from its competitions. CAS upheld appeals lodged by the Russian Ice Hockey Federation against ​the IIHF barring its teams from participating in events during the 2026-27 season.