Reuters Sports News Summary

The victory handed Mertens her sixth Grand Slam title while Zhang won her third but the triumph almost never happened, with the Belgian-Chinese pair forced to save three match points in the second round against teenagers Iva Jovic and Victoria Mboko. Report: NFL salary cap rising to as much as $305.7M in 2026 NFL teams were informed on Friday that the 2026 salary cap is projected to increase from 2025's record ceiling to between $301.2 million and $305.7 million, NFL ⁠Network reported.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Tennis-Harrison and Skupski win Australian Open doubles title in first major together

Sixth seeds Neal Skupski and Christian Harrison defeated Australia's wildcard pairing of Jason Kubler and Marc Polmans 7-6(4) 6-4 to capture the Australian Open men's doubles title on Saturday in their first Grand Slam event as a team. The British-American duo's victory at ‌Rod Laver Arena gave Harrison his first Grand Slam title and marked Skupski's fourth in doubles and mixed doubles, though his first outside Wimbledon.

Luka Doncic posts 37-point triple-double as Lakers crush Wizards

Luka Doncic punctuated his sixth triple-double of the season with 37 points, leading three Los Angeles scorers with at least 20 points as the visiting Lakers rolled past the Washington Wizards 142-111 ⁠on Friday. Doncic showed no ill effects from the injury he sustained when falling off Cleveland's elevated court on Wednesday, reaching a triple-double by halftime with 26 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. The guard finished with 13 assists and 11 boards and added three steals.

Olympics-Downhill crash adds to Vonn's long history of hurt

Lindsey Vonn said her Olympic dream was not over despite a downhill crash landing her in hospital on Friday, a week before the start of the Milano Cortina Games, and her painful past lends ​hope to that assertion. The 41-year-old speed queen and golden great of U.S. Alpine skiing has a history of hurt and knows more about comebacks than most.

Tennis-Mertens and Zhang win Australian Open women's doubles crown

Fourth seeds Elise Mertens and Zhang Shuai ‍won the Australian Open women's doubles title on Saturday with a 7-6(4) 6-4 victory over Anna Danilina and Aleksandra Krunic, claiming their first Grand Slam trophy as a duo. The victory handed Mertens her sixth Grand Slam title while Zhang won her third but the triumph almost never happened, with the Belgian-Chinese pair forced to save three match points in the second round against teenagers Iva Jovic and Victoria Mboko.

Report: NFL salary cap rising to as much as $305.7M in 2026

NFL teams were informed on Friday that the 2026 salary cap is projected to increase from 2025's record ceiling to between $301.2 million and $305.7 million, NFL ⁠Network reported. This season, ‌clubs each had a limit of $279.2 million, a $23.8 million increase from ⁠2024. The projected number for next season is a boost of more than $20 million and almost $100 million more than the cap of $208.2 million in 2022, when it first crossed the $200 million barrier.

NTSB: Greg Biffle wasn't flying plane in fatal clash

National Transportation Safety Board investigators say Greg Biffle was not at the ‍controls of his business jet during last month's fatal crash near Statesville (N.C.) Regional Airport, a finding that reshapes early assumptions while raising new questions about cockpit staffing and a cascade of instrument issues. The agency's preliminary report states that Dennis Dutton, a retired airline pilot, flew the airplane ​with his son Jack Dutton seated in the right seat. Biffle, a licensed pilot with extensive experience, was on board but was not the one flying.

Seahawks deny reports team will be sold right after Super Bowl

A week before the ⁠Seattle Seahawks will play in the Super Bowl, the team denied multiple media reports on Friday that it will be up for immediate sale following the title game. Paul Allen owned the Seahawks and the Portland Trail Blazers until his death in 2018. The clubs are currently controlled by his trust under the management of ⁠his sister, Jody Allen. Paul Allen's request was that the teams eventually be sold, with the money going to charity.

Tennis-History awaits as Djokovic and Alcaraz meet in Australian Open final

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz meet in Sunday's Australian Open final with history in the balance, as the Serbian great chases a record 25th Grand Slam title and the Spanish dynamo bids to become the youngest man to win all four majors. Modern men's tennis has not lacked for champions pushing for the next frontier of ⁠greatness but the stakes have rarely been higher in a single match.

Inter Miami sign Mexico national team F German Berterame

Inter Miami signed Mexican national team forward German Berterame to a designated player contract through the 2028-29 season Friday. Berterame, who ⁠had played for Mexican power Monterrey since 2022, will have an ‌extension option in his contract for the 2029-2030 campaign.

Report: Nuggets' Nikola Jokic set to return vs. Clippers

Three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic plans to return to the court on Friday for the Denver Nuggets' game against the visiting Los Angeles Clippers, ESPN reported. Jokic, who officially is listed as questionable for Friday's game, has been sidelined for one month after sustaining a bone ⁠bruise in his hyperextended left knee during the Nuggets' 147-123 loss to the host Miami Heat on Dec. 29. The star center limped off the court in discomfort after injuring ‍his knee in the closing seconds of the first half.

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