Reuters Sports News Summary

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. Motor racing-Belgium's place on F1 calendar still open, says Domenicali The Belgian Grand Prix's Formula One future after Sunday's race is yet to be decided but reports of its demise may be premature, the sport's chief executive Stefano Domenicali indicated on Wednesday.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Motor racing-Piastri playing dangerous game, says former champion Villeneuve

The Oscar Piastri saga will provide fantastic fodder for Formula One's hugely popular Netflix series "Drive to Survive" but the young Australian is playing a dangerous game, former Formula One world champion Jacques Villeneuve has warned. Despite having yet to appear on the Formula One starting grid, the highly-rated Piastri has been at the centre of a dispute involving McLaren and Alpine for the 21-year-old's services next season.

Rugby-Argentina make three changes for New Zealand test

Argentina coach Michael Cheika has made three changes to his starting line-up for Saturday's Rugby Championship test against the All Blacks from the team that thrashed Australia 48-17 in their last outing. Two of the changes and an overhaul of the bench were forced by Cheika's decision to leave front-row forwards Francisco Gomez Kodela, Agustin Creevy and Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro as well as winger Juan Imhoff out of the squad for the New Zealand trip.

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.

Golf-McIlroy reached out to Smith amid LIV speculation

Rory McIlroy reached out to Cameron Smith after the Australian's British Open triumph to make sure he did not agree to join LIV Golf without hearing about the PGA Tour's plans for change. Smith has been linked to LIV since his victory news conference at the British Open when he reacted angrily when asked about it and has refused to deny reports he has agreed to join the breakaway series.

Golf-LPGA trio set world record in par-three challenge

Americans Jennifer Kupcho and Alison Lee teamed up with South Korean Kim A-lim to set a Guinness World Record with six pars or better on the same par-three hole in three minutes, the LPGA said on Wednesday. The record-setting moment, during which the trio played an alternate-shot format, was set on Tuesday at the 17th hole at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club in Canada, site of this week's CP Women's Open.

Soccer-Resumption of football shows Ukraine hasn't given up, says Zinchenko

The return of competitive football to war-torn Ukraine plays a vital role in showing the rest of the world that people have not given up and are trying to carry on with their lives, Arsenal defender Oleksandr Zinchenko said on Wednesday. The Ukrainian Premier League restarted on Tuesday on the country's Day of National Flag, another show of resistance following Russia's invasion in February which brought a premature end to last season's championship.

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.

Motor racing-Belgium's place on F1 calendar still open, says Domenicali

The Belgian Grand Prix's Formula One future after Sunday's race is yet to be decided but reports of its demise may be premature, the sport's chief executive Stefano Domenicali indicated on Wednesday. The 2023 calendar is due to be published in October and is set to feature a record 24 rounds, with a question mark hanging over old favourites like Belgium's race at Spa-Francorchamps.

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

The PGA Tour's top golfers have committed to competing against each other on a more regular basis 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.