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ROME (AP) — Italian Open organizers are supporting tennis players who are urging a boycott unless the Grand Slam tournaments improve their prize money. Angelo Binaghi, the president of the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation, is also campaigning to turn the Rome event into a fifth Grand Slam.The players have targeted the coming French Open for reducing players’ share of revenue to an alleged 14.3% — compared to the 22% at ATP and WTA events like the Italian Open this week.Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff were among players this week threatening a boycott of the Slams if they don’t start receiving more compensation.“The players have our full support,” Binaghi said. “It’s scandalous that we’re required by the ATP to share a bigger cut of the revenues with the players and the four Grand Slams hand out a smaller cut.“It’s shameful and creates competitive disparities, too, because the four nations (that organize the Slams) have a huge amount of money to invest in their technical sectors that other nations don’t have,” Binaghi added. “I want to blow apart this monopoly.”Italian Open prize moneyIt should be noted that the Italian Open has offered less prize money for women than men for years. The total men’s prize money this year in Rome is $9.6 million while the women’s prize money is $8.3 million.But next week the women’s champion in Rome will earn 1.055 million euros — slightly more than the 1.007 million euros handed out to the men’s winner.Fifth Grand SlamFor more than a year, Binaghi has been campaigning to turn the Italian Open into a fifth Grand Slam alongside the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open — upending a century of tennis history.With Jannik Sinner dominating at No. 1 and three other Italians in the men’s top 20 rankings — No. 10 Lorenzo Musetti; No. 12 Flavio Cobolli and No. 20 Luciano Darderi — Italian tennis is booming.Italy has won the Davis Cup for three straight years and the Billie Jean King Cup — the women’s team event — for the last two years.So Binaghi, who took over the federation a quarter century ago when it was nearly bankrupt, wants to take advantage of the boom for his Grand Slam dream.“We’re experiencing a stretch of tennis in Italy that will be tough to repeat, because it also needs to be considered in comparison with the Italian soccer debacle,” Binaghi said, referring to how Italy failed to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup.Foro Italico running out of roomBesides tradition and scheduling issues, Binaghi faces another major obstacle toward making the Italian Open bigger: There’s little room for expansion at the Foro Italico.“We’re open to organizing a (fifth Grand Slam) anywhere in Italy — on any surface,” Binaghi said.Work on a retractable roof for Campo Centrale is slated to start immediately after this year’s Italian Open and be ready for the 2028 edition.Capacity for the revised stadium will increase from 10,500 to 12,400.The Italian Open is hoping to pass 400,000 ticket sales this year, while the French Open last year had a total attendance of nearly 700,000.“If we’re going to aim big, we shouldn’t focus exclusively on the Foro Italico, because there are a lot of issues here in terms of transport and temporary venues,” Binaghi said.So would Binaghi be willing to move the tournament away from the Foro and its statue-lined courts?“These days, the beauty factor is just added value; it’s not decisive,” he said. “The people don’t come to see the statues anymore. They come to see Sinner, Musetti, (Jasmine) Paolini and the other Italian players.”The Italian Open wanted to add a mixed doubles tournament this year on the weekend before the singles events start but ATP and WTA rules wouldn’t allow it because the Madrid Open ends those days.Sinner favored to end droughtWhile Jasmine Paolini earned Italy the titles in both women’s singles and doubles (with partner Sara Errani) last year, Sinner is an overwhelming favorite this year to become the first Italian man to win at the Foro since Adriano Panatta 50 years ago.Apart from the Olympics, the Italian Open and French Open are the only big titles in tennis that Sinner hasn’t won and his top rival, Carlos Alcaraz, is out of both tournaments due to a right wrist injury.Binaghi said if Sinner raises the trophies in Rome and Paris, “maybe I should step down.“If it happens,” Binaghi said of Sinner winning those two titles, “we’ll take stock of all the opportune and logical consequences.”

Sri Lanka’s government has taken control of the country’s cricket board, saying it is a temporary measure designed to pave the way for “structural reforms”. “All administrative functions of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) will be temporarily brought under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, effective today,” the ministry said on Wednesday.A committee will be appointed shortly “to address the current issues in cricket and implement structural reforms”, it added. SLC is the country’s wealthiest sporting body but has been plagued by allegations of corruption and mismanagement. The world governing body, the International Cricket Council, suspended Sri Lanka for two months in 2023-2024, citing political interference in the running of the national board. Four-time SLC President Shammi Silva resigned on Tuesday, along with his entire committee, after the government intervened. Sri Lanka made an early exit from the T20 World Cup, which it cohosted with India in February-March.

The national teams competing in the event in the ​United States, Mexico and Canada will see their preparation ⁠money rise from $1.5 million to $2.5 million.Amid widespread complaints about the cost of tickets and transportation related to World Cup games, FIFA announced on Tuesday (April 28, 2026) that it will ​hike the money received by all 48 teams participating this summer by ‌15%.

Lakshya Sen fought hard but went down in three games to world No. 7 Li Shi Feng, leaving India trailing 0-1 against China in their final Group A tie of the Thomas Cup Finals on Wednesday (April 29, 2026).

Mumbai Indians finds itself staring at an all-too-familiar mid-season abyss. Two wins in seven games, a churn of combinations and a campaign yet to find rhythm — the five-time champion heads into Wednesday’s (April 29, 2026) clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Wankhede Stadium with its back firmly against the wall.For MI, it has been a season of nearly there and abrupt collapses. The batting has flattered to deceive, the bowling has oscillated between incisive and erratic, and the constant shuffling — as many as 20 players used — has prevented any sense of continuity. The absence of Rohit Sharma due to injury has only compounded matters, while Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya are yet to hit their straps.There is, however, a flicker of hope. The arrival of Will Jacks offers balance, particularly against a line-up stacked with left-handers. The visitor, on the other hand, has found clarity in roles. Its top-order has been assertive, middle-order effective, and the bowling unit has improved with every passing game. The Hyderabad outfit arrives not just with points on the board, but with momentum and a fit-and-raring captain Pat Cummins, who looked good in his maiden appearance. At the Wankhede, where run-fests are more the norm than exception, the contest could well be decided in the PowerPlay.MI’s inability to set the tone early — both with bat and ball — has hurt it repeatedly. Against an SRH side that thrives on fast starts, that phase assumes even greater significance. If Head, the sleeping giant, wakes up in tailor-made conditions, the visiting outfit could deal a virtual knockout blow to MI. As it is, MI is in quest of rediscovering consistency or risk slipping out of contention. For SRH, it is about consolidating a strong position.

FIFA cleared the disciplinary records of players who have one yellow card after the three-game group stage so they start the knockout phase afresh.An extra amnesty for yellow cards — wiping player disciplinary records twice during the expanded tournament in North America — was proposed to a meeting on Tuesday (April 28, 2026) of FIFA’s ruling council. Later, FIFA issued a statement confirming the change.At the World Cup, players must serve a one-game ban if they are shown a yellow card in two different games, but single yellow cards were cancelled at previous tournaments after the quarterfinals stage. That ensured no player would miss the final through suspension just because of getting a yellow card in the semifinal. The expanded 48-team World Cup format, with an extra round-of-32 knockout stage, led to a FIFA review aimed at helping keep players on the field.