Sports News Roundup: Justin Verlander tosses 6 no-hit innings in Astros' win; Serena's massive on-court earnings have no rival and more

Since turning professional in 1995, Williams has amassed a mind-boggling $94.6 million in prize money, more than twice as much as the second name on the list, which happens to be her older sister Venus, with $42.3 million. Tennis - U.S. Open readies for Serena Williams retirement party Serena Williams will take her final bow on tennis's biggest stage at Flushing Meadows but the U.S. Open is unlikely to provide a fairytale finish for one of sport's most fascinating figures.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Golf - Woods and McIlroy to play in Monday night virtual golf league

Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have agreed to participate in a Monday night "tech-infused golf league" featuring six teams of three PGA Tour players competing at a custom-built venue starting in January 2024, TMRW Sports announced on Wednesday. The league, which will be run in partnership with the PGA Tour, was billed as a first-of-its-kind experience for golf as each two-hour event will be held on "a data-rich, virtual course complete with a tech-infused, short-game complex.

MLB roundup: Justin Verlander tosses 6 no-hit innings in Astros' win

Justin Verlander hurled six no-hit innings and Alex Bregman provided insurance with a seventh-inning homer as the Houston Astros topped the visiting Minnesota Twins 4-2 on Tuesday. Verlander (16-3) allowed just one baserunner, and that came when Nick Gordon struck out but reached on a wild pitch with one out in the second inning. He fanned 10, moving past Pedro Martinez and Max Scherzer into 13th place on the all-time strikeouts list with 3,161.

Tennis - Serena's massive on-court earnings have no rival

Serena Williams enters her final U.S. Open as a long shot to take home the trophy but her title as the biggest earner in the history of women's tennis will remain for many years to come. Since turning professional in 1995, Williams has amassed a mind-boggling $94.6 million in prize money, more than twice as much as the second name on the list, which happens to be her older sister Venus, with $42.3 million.

Tennis - U.S. Open readies for Serena Williams retirement party

Serena Williams will take her final bow on tennis's biggest stage at Flushing Meadows but the U.S. Open is unlikely to provide a fairytale finish for one of sport's most fascinating figures. Tennis has been preparing for this moment for a while, watching as Williams transitioned from champion, to mother, wife, entrepreneur and finally tennis part-timer but in some ways her decision seemed to catch everyone off guard. Even Williams herself.

Cricket-Players body flags talent drain from international game to T20 leagues

The head of the global cricketers union (FICA) warns the drain of talent from the international game to Twenty20 leagues is a bigger concern than ever and the official 2023-2027 calendar will do nothing to address the issue. Mushrooming T20 leagues have turned cricket's labour market on its head, presenting a scenario where players can earn significantly more from these gigs than they possibly can from international cricket.

Tennis - U.S. Open up for grabs after surprising year in women's tennis

Opportunity knocks at the U.S. Open as the final Grand Slam of the year rolls into New York after a season full of surprises on the women's side of the game. The year began with world number one Ash Barty's stunning decision to retire after winning her home Australian Open in January and will end with 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams joining her on the sidelines.

Tennis - Top-ranked Swiatek must overcome U.S. Open ball concerns

Iga Swiatek is the favourite to win this year's U.S. Open where the balls being used for women's matches could possibly give the Polish world number one more trouble than any opponent she faces at the year's final Grand Slam. Swiatek recently hit out at the U.S. Open balls, suggesting the lighter ones used for women's matches are tougher to control than those used by her male counterparts and therefore present a disadvantage to harder-hitting players like herself.

Golf - PGA Tour overhauls schedule, player compensation amid LIV threat

The PGA Tour's top golfers have committed to playing against each other 20 times next year while the bonus pool for players who positively impact the game was doubled to $100 million, Commissioner Jay Monahan said on Wednesday. The changes represent the PGA Tour's most serious response to the threat posed by the Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf series that launched in June and has lured some big-name players away from the U.S.-based circuit with staggering sums of money.

Tennis - Raducanu hoping for spectacular sequel in New York

Emma Raducanu's fairytale staged against a backdrop of New York's skyscrapers catapulted the British teenager's career into the stratosphere but reality has hit home in the past 12 months. Her charge from obscurity to the U.S. Open title as a 150th-ranked qualifier still feels barely credible, even as the 19-year-old returns to Flushing Meadows as reigning champion.

Tennis - Belarusian Azarenka withdraws from "Tennis Plays for Peace" Ukraine aid exhibition

Belarusian twice Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka has pulled out the "Tennis Plays for Peace Exhibition" to raise humanitarian aid for Ukraine given the sensitivities of the Ukrainian players, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) said on Wednesday. With the U.S. Open set to begin on Monday, the tournament long initiative was to launch on Wednesday - Ukraine Independence Day - with the exhibition event at Louis Armstrong Stadium that would include women's world No. 1 Iga Swiatek, Rafa Nadal, John McEnroe and others.