Sports News Roundup: Tennis-Kerber advances, Badosa withdraws at Indian Wells; NBA-Nuggets, Celtics to play two preseason games in Abu Dhabi and more

While the number is modest when compared to other major sporting events such as the World Cup final, it still represents a 10% jump over the 2023 Super Bowl viewership in non-U.S. markets and points to progress in the NFL's drive to expand its international footprint. Tennis-Kerber advances, Badosa withdraws at Indian Wells Three-times Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber beat Petra Martic 6-3 6-4 in the first round of Indian Wells on Wednesday while 2021 winner Paula Badosa withdrew ahead of her first round match with injury.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Cait plus 8: Nine names to know for conference tournament week

Millions were introduced to women's college basketball megastars last March, when Iowa's Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes stormed the Final Four but LSU and Angel Reese flexed to take home the national championship. Ratings and apparel explosions since the landmark moment for the Lady Tigers indicate popularity of the sport is still climbing.

Golf-Woods to serve as vice chairman of PGA Tour Enterprises

Tiger Woods has been named on Wednesday as vice chairman of the 13-member board of directors for the newly formed, for-profit entity known as PGA Tour Enterprises. The board will lead commercial activities related to the PGA Tour and focus on driving fan engagement and growth, as well as developing new media, sponsorship and commercial opportunities.

NFL-Record international audience for Super Bowl indicates NFL growing global presence

A record 62.5 million viewers outside of the U.S. watched the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers in last month's Super Bowl, confirming on Wednesday that the National Football League is making progress in a push to grow its global presence. While the number is modest when compared to other major sporting events such as the World Cup final, it still represents a 10% jump over the 2023 Super Bowl viewership in non-U.S. markets and points to progress in the NFL's drive to expand its international footprint.

Tennis-Kerber advances, Badosa withdraws at Indian Wells

Three-times Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber beat Petra Martic 6-3 6-4 in the first round of Indian Wells on Wednesday while 2021 winner Paula Badosa withdrew ahead of her first round match with injury. German Kerber, who returned to the tour in January after 18 months on maternity leave, beat Martic behind some solid serving on a sunny centre court before rain delayed play in the evening.

Tennis-Medvedev says ready to play as neutral athlete at Paris Olympics

World number four Daniil Medvedev said he was excited about competing at the Paris Olympics and will follow the rules as a neutral athlete after the sport's governing body announced its stance on players from Russia and Belarus on Wednesday. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) said players from the two countries could take part in the Paris Games as neutrals without flags, emblems or anthems.

Tennis-Nadal withdraws from Indian Wells, 'not ready' to compete at highest level

Rafa Nadal withdrew from Indian Wells on Wednesday on the eve of his first-round match, saying he is not "ready to play at the highest level". The 37-year-old Spaniard, who has said he expects to retire after the 2024 season, returned to competition in Brisbane in January after almost a year sidelined with a hip flexor injury, but had to miss the Australian Open with another muscle tear.

Report: Bills to release All-Pro S Jordan Poyer

The Buffalo Bills are releasing All-Pro safety Jordan Poyer in a bid to get under the salary cap ahead of free agency, multiple media outlets reported on Wednesday. Poyer, who played seven seasons with the Bills, carried a cap hit of $7.72 million and a dead cap value of $2 million.

Avs add Sean Walker from Flyers in deal involving 1st-round pick

The Colorado Avalanche acquired defenseman Sean Walker and a fifth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft from the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday. The Flyers received forward Ryan Johansen and a conditional first-round selection in the 2025 draft in exchange, then promptly placed Johansen on waivers. The pick heading to Philadelphia is top-10 protected.

NBA-Nuggets, Celtics to play two preseason games in Abu Dhabi

The reigning National Basketball Association champions Denver Nuggets will face the Boston Celtics in a pair of preseason games in Abu Dhabi this October, the league said on Wednesday. The Nuggets, whose squad includes two-time Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic, and Celtics, who count five-time All-Star Jayson Tatum among their players, will meet on Oct. 4 and Oct. 6 in the third staging of the NBA Abu Dhabi Games.

Boxing-Performance against Fury gives Ngannou confidence ahead of Joshua fight

Francis Ngannou said his strong showing in his pro boxing debut against Tyson Fury has given him confidence ahead of his bout against British heavyweight Anthony Joshua in Saudi Arabia on Friday. Former UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou, who will fight Joshua at Riyadh's Kingdom Arena, made his debut in October, losing via split decision to WBC world champion Fury in a non-title bout.