Sports News Roundup: Interesting to see if Djokovic can regain momentum; Brickyard 400 to run without fans and more

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Interesting to see if Djokovic can regain momentum, says Evert

Novak Djokovic had built up a real head of steam before the COVID-19 pandemic shut the tennis season down and it will be interesting to see if the world number one can regain that momentum, 18-times Grand Slam champion Chris Evert has said. The 33-year-old was on a 21-match unbeaten run before the season came to a halt in early March, winning the ATP Cup with Serbia, an eighth Australian Open title and a fifth Dubai Tennis Championships crown.

Brickyard 400 to run without fans

The July 4 weekend races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway will be held without spectators. It marks the second holiday weekend at Indy affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The Indianapolis 500, traditionally run on Memorial Day weekend, was moved to Aug. 23, when fans are expected to be in attendance.

Hamilton back on track next week in Mercedes F1 test

Six-times Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton will be back on track at Silverstone next week for the first time since February as Mercedes gear up for the start of the delayed Formula One season. Mercedes said on Twitter that Hamilton will be in his title-winning 2018 Mercedes W09 car on Wednesday, with teammate Valtteri Bottas driving on Tuesday, to practice protocols for the July 5 Austrian opener.

Tennis: Players will always feel at risk without vaccine, says Ram

Athletes will not feel 100% safe until a vaccine for the novel coronavirus is available and the U.S. Open should only proceed if all qualified players are able to travel to the Grand Slam, American doubles specialist Rajeev Ram has said. Professional tennis was suspended in early March as countries went into lockdown to contain the spread of the virus and the season will not resume until early August.

Sochi open to Russian F1 race double-header

Russian Grand Prix organizers said on Thursday they were open to hosting two back-to-back races in Sochi this season to help Formula One flesh out a calendar reduced by the COVID-19 pandemic. The sport has already scheduled two double-headers at Austria's Spielberg circuit and Silverstone in Britain in July and August respectively on an initial eight-race European schedule.

Players' union concerned over heightened injury risk

Players may be at an increased risk of injury as professional sports rush back into action following the coronavirus stoppage, a global union representing 85,000 athletes said on Thursday. Some soccer leagues in particular have condensed a large number of fixtures into a short space of time in an attempt to complete the season.

Nadal says he would not travel to U.S. Open in present circumstances

Ordinarily, Rafa Nadal would likely be closing in on a 13th French Open title this week. Instead, he is home in Mallorca trying to make sense of a world that feels anything but normal. Tennis is on hold until at least the start of August because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and while there have been positive noises about the prospects of the U.S. Open taking place, followed by the French Open, Nadal served a dose of reality.

Japan to explore 'simplified' Games, says Tokyo governor

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said on Thursday it may be necessary to stage a "simplified" Olympics next year due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and that organizers were already discussing possible changes. Koike's comments came after the Yomiuri newspaper reported that various options, such as mandatory coronavirus testing and having fewer spectators, were being considered by organizers.

Drew Brees apologizes for kneeling comments

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees issued a lengthy apology on Thursday for comments he made about kneeling protests being disrespectful to the American flag that drew criticism on social media. Brees was asked during an appearance on Yahoo Finance's On the Move on Wednesday about the possibility of players protesting against racial injustice by kneeling during the anthem when the NFL's 2020 season kicks off in September.

Weightlifting: Federation plagued by decades of corruption, says investigation

The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) was plagued by decades of corruption orchestrated by autocratic former president Tamas Ajan, said Richard McLaren after he led an independent investigation into the governing body. McLaren, the Canadian law professor whose findings in July 2016 led to Russia being banned from all international athletic competitions, including the Rio Olympics, told reporters on Thursday that the IWF was rife with corruption.

(With inputs from agencies.)