BOXING
Jul 13 — New York, USA: Hamzah Sheeraz produced a statement performance in his US debut, stopping Edgar Berlanga in the fifth round at Louis Armstrong Stadium, bolstering his case for a future clash with undisputed super-middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez.
It marked Berlanga’s first stoppage loss—his only previous defeat was a points decision against Canelo. Sheeraz had previously battled to a disputed draw with Carlos Adames in a WBC middleweight title bout.
Jul 11 — New York, USA: Somali-British boxer Ramla Ali claimed a narrow points victory over Brazil’s Lila Furtado in an eight-round bout on the undercard of Taylor-Serrano III.
Ali edged the fight by scores of 77–75 (twice) and 78–74, although many observers—including commentator Andre Ward—felt Furtado’s relentless pressure had done enough to sway the result after the early rounds.
Ali boxed sharply in the second round, landing a clean right hand that nearly floored Furtado, but the Brazilian responded with aggression, pressing forward with body attacks and forcing Ali into uncomfortable exchanges.
Despite suffering a bad cut over her left eye in the final round, Ali held firm to improve her record to 10–2 (2 KOs). Furtado drops to 11–3 (2 KOs). “All respect to Ramla Ali, but she didn’t win that fight,” said Ward during the broadcast on Netflix’s YouTube channel.
CRICKET
Pataudi Trophy | Jul 3–14 — England spinner Shoaib Bashir has been ruled out of the remainder of the Test series against India after suffering a broken finger on his left hand during the third Test at Lord’s.
The injury occurred on July 12, day three of the match, when the 21-year-old attempted a return catch off his own bowling. Despite the setback, Bashir bowled on the final day and claimed the last wicket to seal England’s dramatic 22-run victory.
With two Tests remaining, England now face the task of finding a replacement. Bashir, who has taken 10 wickets in the series at an average of 54.10, is scheduled to undergo surgery later this week.
“It’s very disappointing for us as a team and for him,” said captain Ben Stokes, praising Bashir’s determination to both bat and bowl despite the injury. “To finish that game off was written in the stars.”
Potential replacements include Rehan Ahmed, Liam Dawson, and Jack Leach, while all-rounder Jacob Bethell has also been mentioned—though head coach Brendon McCullum has previously downplayed that option.
England lead the five-match series 2–1 heading into the fourth Test at Old Trafford, starting July 17.
TENNIS
Jul 17 — Tunisian tennis star Ons Jabeur has announced a temporary break from the sport, withdrawing from both the Montreal Open and the US Open.
The 30-year-old, once ranked world No. 2 but now 71st, revealed in an emotional social media post that she has been grappling with burnout after years of playing through injuries and personal struggles.
“For two years, I’ve sacrificed everything—playing through pain, overcoming obstacles—but I’ve lost the happiness tennis once gave me,” wrote the two-time Wimbledon finalist, who retired from this year’s tournament during a scorching first-round match. “This sport is beautiful, but now I need to heal, breathe, and remember who I am off the court.”
Jabeur is the only top-100 player to withdraw from the US Open, underscoring her commitment to taking a meaningful break.
Wimbledon | Jul 5 — Third Round · Court 12
E. Alexandrova def. Z. Sönmez (6–3, 7–6): Zeynep Sönmez, 23, delivered a spirited performance at Wimbledon 2025, exiting in the third round with a straight-sets loss to 20th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Ranked world No. 84 and unseeded, Sönmez showcased her talent and resilience against the higher-ranked Russian. By reaching the third round, she became the first Turkish woman in 75 years to advance this far in a Grand Slam singles event—a milestone last achieved by Bahtiye Musluoğlu at the 1950 French Open.
Sönmez secured her historic berth with a tight 7–5, 7–5 win over China’s Xinyu Wang in the second round.
FOOTBALL
Transfers – Premier League | Jul 1 — Sunderland have signed Senegal midfielder Habib Diarra in a reported club-record £30 million deal from Strasbourg.
The 21-year-old, who scored against England in a friendly at the City Ground in June, has signed a five-year contract with the Black Cats. Diarra made 31 appearances for Strasbourg last season, helping them secure a seventh-place finish in Ligue 1 and a spot in European competition for only the second time in 20 years.
EFL Championship | Jul 4 — Leyton Orient have broken their club transfer fee record to sign Oxford United midfielder Idris El Mizouni.
The Tunisian international joins on a three-year deal, returning to Brisbane Road where he previously spent two seasons on loan from Ipswich Town.
El Mizouni played a key role in Orient’s 2022–23 League Two promotion campaign and featured regularly the following season, prompting Oxford to sign him permanently last summer. He made 28 appearances for the newly promoted Championship side but has now been allowed to move.
On the same day, Orient also signed Reading full-back Michael Craig for an undisclosed fee.
