Sports News Roundup: Evans dismisses Djokovic's U.S. Open concerns; Athletics ex-boss stands trial for taking bribes and more

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Evans dismisses Djokovic's U.S. Open concerns over COVID-19 protocols

Britain's Dan Evans believes Novak Djokovic's concerns about players having only one member of their support staff at the U.S. Open does not apply to the majority of the field and compromises should be made when action resumes. The U.S. Open organizers are assessing safety measures for the tournament scheduled to begin on Aug. 31 without spectators after the COVID-19 pandemic stalled the season in March.

Athletics ex-boss stands trial for taking bribes to clear Russians of doping

Lamine Diack, the former head of the governing body for world athletics, was at the heart of a corruption scam that saw Russian athletes pay six-figure sums to have their names erased from doping lists, prosecutors told a French court on Monday. Wearing a dark grey suit, Diack, 87, who led the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) from 1999 to 2015, stood before the French judges on the first day of trial as charges of corruption, money laundering and breach of trust were read out.

Tennis: At tournaments 'extra-security to make sure I belong', says Townsend

American world number 73 Taylor Townsend said the tennis world is not a united place when it comes to racism and she gets extra-attention from security at tournaments while others breeze through. "Even in the tennis world it is not a united place," Townsend said in a Tennis United video posted on YouTube. "We lose our identity of who we are because there can only be one.

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.

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.

Russian high jumper Shustov receives four-year doping ban

Russian high jumper Alexander Shustov, the 2010 European champion, has received a four-year ban for anti-doping violations, the country's athletics federation said on Monday. Shustov, who retired from competition in 2017, has been suspended until 2024 for "use or attempted use of a banned substance or prohibited method" in a ruling by the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) last week, the federation said.

Bubba Wallace appears to faint after race

NASCAR Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace said he was good Sunday night, hours after he appeared to faint following the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. After cameras caught Wallace collapsing in his crew members' arms following the conclusion of the race, Fox interviewed him while he was seated along pit road, and he appeared to begin to faint again live on camera.

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.

NASCAR: Harvick prevails to continue dominance at Atlanta Motor Speedway

Kevin Harvick added to a sizable list of good memories at Atlanta Motor Speedway when he won Sunday's Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at the 1.5-mile oval in Hampton, Ga. The victory was the third for the Stewart-Haas driver at Atlanta -- the site of his very first NASCAR Cup Series win way back in 2001.