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Emma Raducanu: British No 1 in line to face Jessica Pegula again following tough Wuhan Open draw

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Emma Raducanu is in line to face Jessica Pegula again after being handed a tough Wuhan Open draw, which includes world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka and Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek.

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British No 1 Raducanu opens her campaign at the WTA 1000 event against American Ann Li, the American world No 47.

She then faces a potential clash with No 9 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova or Canadian Open champion Victoria Mboko.

Raducanu could then get a shot at revenge against Pegula having blown three match points in the second set tie-break against the world No 7 at the China Open in Beijing last week. She then collapsed as the eventual semi-finalist raced through the decider, winning 3-6 7-6 (11-9) 6-0.

World No 32 Raducanu also blew three match points against Barbora Krejcikova at last month’s Korea Open.

Fourth seed Amanda Anisimova is a potential quarter-final opponent.

Ahead of her tournament debut, Raducanu was eager to draw on the positives.

“Yeah, I think it was hard for me. The last two matches that I lost, I had match points in both and it’s not something that’s really happened to me before and then to happen twice in a week was pretty new to get my head around,” Raducanu told a press conference.

“The second match, I found it easier to get over than the first because I know I was playing some better tennis and just improving with my level.

“I feel like I didn’t take too long to kind of dwell on it and just got straight back to work.

“And I do feel like I’m improving and making progress.

“I still see the differences in where I want to go but I know I’m doing good work day-to-day to try and get there.”

Raducanu has been picking up momentum during the hard court swing – having reached the semi-finals at the Citi Open and third round at the US Open and National Bank Open.

The 22-year-old is the only British player already confirmed for the main draw of the WTA 1000 event, with Katie Boulter beaten 3-6 6-4 6-1 by Viktoriya Tomova in qualifying.

Sonay Kartal has opted out of the event following her brilliant run to the quarter-finals of the China Open.

This year’s main draw singles action will begin on Monday, October 6 and will run through to Sunday, October 12.

The Wuhan Open is a prime opportunity for Raducanu to add some extra points to her ranking and boost her chances of being seeded at next year’s Australian Open.

Aryna Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula, Jasmine Paolini and Coco Gauff are the top seeds at the prestigious tournament in China.

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Paige Spiranac’s surprising NFL fandom confession triggers heated debate over loyalty, authenticity, and fan culture

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The 2026 NFL Draft starts Thursday night in Pittsburgh, and the spotlight isn’t only on prospects and front offices. Golf influencer Paige Spiranac has again found herself pulled into NFL conversation, this time for her open support of multiple teams.

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With the Steelers hosting the first round, her long-standing connection to Pittsburgh has resurfaced. But it’s not just about hometown ties. Her broader fandom, which stretches beyond one franchise, continues to draw mixed reactions at a time when fan loyalty is often treated as non-negotiable.

Paige Spiranac roots for 2 NFL teams: Who are they?

Paige Spiranac has never hidden where her loyalties lie, even if they don’t fit the usual mold. She has consistently pointed to her roots while leaving space for other allegiances.

“Both my parents are from Pittsburgh so I’ve been a Steelers ..fan since the day I was born. I also love the Bills. It’s a complicated relationship…Who’s your team?” she previously asked her followers. It’s a candid admission, one that reflects personal history more than calculated fandom.

Still, the reaction has been sharp. NFL culture tends to rew ..

 

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Quiet moments on the course can say a lot about what’s coming next.

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Sometimes the most important work happens when nobody is really watching.
Lexi Thompson was out on the 18th green, working through her putting during a practice round ahead of the Chevron Championship in Houston.

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It’s a simple scene, but it shows the kind of quiet preparation that goes into these big tournaments—getting the feel of the greens, adjusting to conditions, and building trust in every stroke.

These are the small details that can shape how a player starts when the pressure kicks in.

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Predicting what will happen to Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson if LIV Golf collapses

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It looks like LIV Golf is over.

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The Saudi Public Investment Fund has reportedly decided that this league simply isn’t worth the hole it’s burning in their pocket, and they’re pulling funds at the end of 2026.

That gives them less than a year to seek new investment. While CEO Scott O’Neil seems confident, it’s going to be extremely difficult to secure funding for a league that is operating at such eye-watering losses.

So this probably pulls the curtain closed on one of the most turbulent, frustrating, confusing, and ridiculous eras in golfing history. Hopefully, we can all return to some reality after the year is over.

But there is still so much uncertainty surrounding golf’s future thanks to this. Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed saw the signs early and jumped ship, but they did that with some leverage. So what on earth is going to happen to the rest of these players who didn’t take the olive branch when it was offered to them?

Feelings will be hurt, and careers will be ended. Let’s take a look.

Jon Rahm rejoins the PGA Tour

Koepka returned to the PGA Tour under the returning member program, which saw him pay $5 million to charity, accept that he’ll receive no FedEx Cup bonus money, and agree he cannot be a sponsor exemption for the 2026 signature events.

 

That same deal was offered to Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau. They didn’t accept it, but a similar offer will likely be handed out to them again.

 

If LIV Golf folds, Rahm will not hold the same leverage as Koepka did, but he is a bigger star at this stage of his career. Make no mistake, the PGA Tour will want him back immediately.

But Rahm does risk leaving himself without any options at all. Reed didn’t come straight back to the PGA Tour, so he’s spending a year on the DP World Tour first. You’d imagine Rahm would consider doing the same, but it might not be so easy for him.

Rahm is in a feud with the DP World Tour, as the only one of eight players to reject a deal which would have seen him retain his full-time membership. If Rahm agreed to play in six DP World Tour events this year, then he could have played on both LIV Golf and the tour. He did not agree.

For now, his membership is at risk. So, will it be possible for him to spend a season on the DP World Tour like Reed? Maybe not. That makes it all the more likely that Rahm will be back on the PGA Tour the moment LIV folds.

Bryson DeChambeau does YouTube full-time

With DeChambeau, I don’t think it’s as much of a done deal that he returns to the PGA Tour. Not immediately anyway.

He’s been negotiating his contract with LIV, which expires at the end of this season. During these negotiations, he’s made it very clear that he is completely willing to step away from full-time competition and be a full-time YouTuber.

DeChambeau’s channel has over two million subscribers, so he could feasibly do that with all of the money he’s making there.

He was annoyed to see LIV move to a four-day format, so he could commit himself fully to being the content king. It would be a wild thing to do, but it’s also exactly the kind of move you could see the two-time major winner making.

He could qualify for The Open Championship and the US Open, and earn enough points there to play The Masters and the PGA Championship. It’s possible.

He does seem to live for competition, so maybe YouTube won’t quite scratch the itch, but it is on the table for DeChambeau. At least for a year until his suspension expires. Out of Rahm and DeChambeau, the American is absolutely the least likely to take a deal.

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