Reuters Sports News Summary

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs. Golf: Asian Tour targets September return in South Korea

Golf's Asian Tour said on Sunday it is planning to resume its 2020 season in September with the Shinhan Donghae Open in South Korea as governments around the region move to loosen measures aimed at containing the spread of the novel coronavirus. The $1.181 million tournament will tee off in the South Korean city of Incheon on Sept. 10, with back-to-back events in Taiwan and Japan lined up in the following weeks, said the governing body for men's professional golf in Asia. Athletics: AIU says suspended Naser missed four tests as she pleads innocence

World 400 meters champion Salwa Eid Naser was provisionally suspended for registering four "whereabouts failures", the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said on Sunday. The Bahrain athlete, who won gold at the World Championships in Doha last year, pleaded her innocence despite being suspended by the AIU on Friday for failing to make herself available for anti-doping tests. Impossible to play under U.S. Open's COVID-19 protocols, says Djokovic

World number one Novak Djokovic has said participating in the U.S. Open would be an impossible task due to the "extreme" COVID-19 protocols in place for the tournament at Flushing Meadows. The U.S. Open, scheduled to begin on Aug. 31, will be the first Grand Slam to be played after the COVID-19 pandemic suspended the season in March. The French Open was postponed to September while the Wimbledon championships was canceled. Boxing: Mayer positive for COVID-19, will miss Tuesday's fight

Boxer Mikaela Mayer tested positive for the coronavirus and will miss her scheduled junior lightweight bout on Tuesday against Helen Joseph. The 10-round bout was scheduled to be one of the featured fights on the Top Rank card at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. McGregor announces his third retirement on Twitter

Former two-weight UFC champion Conor McGregor has announced on Twitter that he is retiring from the sport for the third time, citing a lack of exciting options as the reason behind his decision to quit. "Hey guys I've decided to retire from fighting. Thank you all for the amazing memories! What a ride it's been!" the 31-year-old Irishman said, adding a picture of him and his mother and promising to buy her a dream home. Soccer: Manchester City's Sterling backs anti-racism protests

Manchester City's England soccer international Raheem Sterling has backed anti-racism protests in Britain after the death of unarmed black man George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis. "The only disease right now is the racism that we are fighting," he told the BBC in an interview to be broadcast on Monday. "Just like the (new coronavirus) pandemic, we want to find a solution to stop it. NFL: Redskins' Peterson vows to kneel during national anthem

Washington Redskins running back Adrian Peterson said he will kneel during the national anthem this season to protest racial injustice, and he doesn't plan to be the only player to do so. Peterson made his feelings known to the Houston Chronicle in the aftermath of the comments made by New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who said that players were "disrespecting the flag" by kneeling during the anthem. Brees later apologized for his comments. Mouratoglou targets new fanbase with innovative league

Patrick Mouratoglou, the long-time coach of Serena Williams, feels tennis needs to reinvent itself and hopes his new league will make the sport more attractive and engaging for a younger generation. The Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS), which kicks off in France next Saturday, will have three top-10 players from the men's ATP Tour in Stefanos Tsitsipas, Matteo Berrettini and David Goffin, joining seven others to compete in a round-robin format over five weeks. NASCAR can do more to address racial injustice, its president says

Bubba Wallace, NASCAR's only African-American driver, wore a black T-shirt with the words "I Can't Breathe" and Steve Phelps, the Series president, promised the sport would do more to address racial injustice before the start of a Cup race on Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway. With crowds filling the streets of cities around the world to protest the killing of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody, Phelps delivered his message to 40 drivers who brought their cars to a stop on the front straight of the empty speedway before taking the green flag. Russell wins again to lead virtual F1 grand prix series

Williams driver George Russell completed a hat-trick of esports wins on Sunday to knock Ferrari's Charles Leclerc off the top of Formula One's virtual grand prix standings with one race remaining. The Briton, who failed to score a point on the real racetrack last year in an uncompetitive car after winning the 2018 F2 title, led from pole to chequered flag on the simulated Baku circuit.