Sports News Roundup: Tennis-Djokovic best in history, says Nadal; Exclusive-Senior Spanish soccer officials to leave or be fired after uproar over World Cup kiss-source and more

Raducanu, who won her maiden Grand Slam title in New York as an 18-year-old qualifier in 2021, has not played since April, missing the French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open and dropping to number 214 in the rankings. MLB roundup: Corbin Carroll makes rookie history as D-backs roll Corbin Carroll had four hits, scored three runs and stole two bases to help the host Arizona Diamondbacks to a 7-1 win against the San Francisco Giants in the finale of their two-game series on Wednesday afternoon in Phoenix.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Tennis-Djokovic best in history, says Nadal

Rafael Nadal's last Grand Slam win came at the French Open in 2022, but with Novak Djokovic having overtaken his impressive haul of most major titles in men's tennis, the Spaniard conceded the Serbian is the best player in history. Djokovic's recent win at the U.S. Open, his third Grand Slam title this year, took his tally to 24 Grand Slams, two ahead of Nadal's total.

Exclusive-Senior Spanish soccer officials to leave or be fired after uproar over World Cup kiss-source

Between six and nine senior officials of Spain's football federation (RFEF) will be invited to leave their jobs or will be sacked as part of a deal to end a threatened player boycott of the national team, a federation source told Reuters. The move comes after mutinous players said in a statement last week that they would refuse to play for the national team while people who "incited, hid or applauded attitudes that go against women's dignity" remained part of the federation.

Motor racing-Tsunoda gets in a twist over AlphaTauri line-up

Daniel Ricciardo has the advantage over Liam Lawson when it comes to experience, Yuki Tsunoda said on Thursday, as Formula One waits for AlphaTauri to announce which two of the three will race next season. Australian Ricciardo, 34, is currently recovering from a broken hand with New Zealand's Lawson a stand-in for four races so far.

Soccer-Romania FA sanctioned over 'Serbia' chants in Kosovo match

UEFA has sanctioned the Romanian soccer federation (FRF) over pro-Serbia chanting by supporters during a Euro 2024 qualifier against Kosovo last week, European soccer's governing body said on Wednesday. The Sept. 12 match in Bucharest was suspended for 50 minutes after some home fans chanted, "Serbia Serbia" and held up a banner saying 'Kosovo is Serbia'.

Tennis-Raducanu targets comeback next season after injury-hit 2023

Former U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu said it was difficult to watch this year's Grand Slams from the sidelines following wrist and ankle surgeries but the 20-year-old is targeting a comeback next season after dropping outside the world's top 200. Raducanu, who won her maiden Grand Slam title in New York as an 18-year-old qualifier in 2021, has not played since April, missing the French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open and dropping to number 214 in the rankings.

MLB roundup: Corbin Carroll makes rookie history as D-backs roll

Corbin Carroll had four hits, scored three runs and stole two bases to help the host Arizona Diamondbacks to a 7-1 win against the San Francisco Giants in the finale of their two-game series on Wednesday afternoon in Phoenix. Carroll, who also slugged his 25th homer, became the first rookie in major league history to record at least 25 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a season. Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly (12-7) allowed one run and three hits in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out five and walked three.

Motor racing-Suzuka should be great for Red Bull, says Perez

Red Bull should be back to their dominant best in Japan this weekend after suffering their first defeat of the season in Singapore last Sunday, Mexican driver Sergio Perez said. The Formula One champions had won 15 races in a row until then but they return to the figure-of-eight Suzuka circuit with every expectation of wrapping up the constructors' title with six rounds to spare.

Gymnastics-Biles to compete in sixth world championships

Simone Biles is set to compete in her sixth world championships this month after posting the top all-around score at a U.S. qualifying competition, USA Gymnastics said on Wednesday. Biles, a four-times Olympic champion and 19-times world gold medallist, headlines the five-woman team heading to Antwerp, Belgium, where she won the first of her five world all-around titles in 2013 at the age of 16.

Tennis-Federer hopes to captain Team Europe in Laver Cup one day

Roger Federer said he enjoys being a part of the tennis community after his retirement last year and expressed an interest in captaining Team Europe at the Laver Cup, though the Swiss has no immediate plans to replace Bjorn Borg. Federer, who helped Team Europe claim three Laver Cup titles by beating Team World, will be present at this year's edition in Vancouver where a celebration is planned on Friday to mark the first anniversary of his final competitive match.

Baseball-Brewers' Mejia suspended 162 games for positive test

Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher J.C. Mejia was given a 162-game suspension after testing positive for the performance-enhancing substance Stanozolol for the second time in as many years, Major League Baseball said on Wednesday. The latest suspension of Mejia, who last May was given an 80-game ban after testing positive for Stanozolol, is effective immediately, MLB said in a statement.