Reuters Sports News Summary

Williams' matches are a magnet for fans but with no spectators allowed onto the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center grounds due to COVID-19 safety protocols, the atmosphere inside a steamy Grandstand was one of relief rather than excitement as the 38-year-old American trudged off following the hard-fought victory.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs. Ovechkin named EA Sports NHL 21 cover athlete

Alex Ovechkin was named the EA Sports NHL 21 cover athlete on Monday, making the Washington Capitals superstar captain just the second player to appear on the game's cover on two occasions. The game is set to be released to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on Oct. 16. Even fastest man alive may not be able to outrun coronavirus

World-record sprinter and eight-time Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt said on Monday he was self isolating while waiting to hear back from the health ministry after taking a coronavirus test this weekend. Jamaican radio station Nationwide News had reported earlier on Monday that Bolt, who holds world records in the 100m and 200m distance, had contracted the virus. Report: Nets have eye on Popovich

Gregg Popovich is on the short list of candidates to be the next head coach of the Brooklyn Nets. Per The Athletic, Popovich's former pupil in San Antonio -- current Nets general manager Sean Marks -- is hoping to lure the five-time championship coach from the Spurs. Popovich has been head coach of the Spurs since 1996 and coached Marks, who later worked in the Spurs' front office. Serena begins marathon with exhausting first step

Serena Williams shook off some COVID-19 layoff rust to grind out a 7-6(6) 3-6 7-6(0) win over Dutch qualifier Arantxa Rus on Monday to move into the third round of the Western and Southern Open. Williams' matches are a magnet for fans but with no spectators allowed onto the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center grounds due to COVID-19 safety protocols, the atmosphere inside a steamy Grandstand was one of relief rather than excitement as the 38-year-old American trudged off following the hard-fought victory. Advertisers scramble for backup plans ahead of NFL season kickoff

With just two weeks to go before the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans kick off the National Football League's 2020 season, advertisers and sponsors are preparing for the worst in case the coronavirus pandemic disrupts or even outright cancels the season. The stakes could not be higher for the NFL, which brings in close to $3 billion in advertising for the TV networks and is one of the last remaining live events that draw huge audiences for advertisers in a year when most college sports and the Tokyo Olympics were put on hold, ad agency executives said. Medvedev makes quiet but winning return to Western and Southern

Third seed Daniil Medvedev launched the defence of his Western and Southern Open title with a tidy 6-4 6-4 second round win over Marcos Giron on Monday, getting his U.S. Open preparations off to an upbeat start. The subdued atmosphere and empty stands at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center were far removed from a year ago when Medvedev entertained a capacity crowd with a startling fight back in the U.S. Open final against Rafa Nadal before falling to the Spaniard in five-sets. Ravens Jackson, Peters return to practice

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was back on the field Monday after he missed the previous two practices with a reported groin injury. After practice on Sunday, coach John Harbaugh declined to discuss the injury in detail, describing it simply as a "soft tissue" issue. NBA star LeBron James' group plans effort to recruit poll workers for November

A group of athletes led by NBA star LeBron James will roll out a multimillion-dollar program in the next few weeks to recruit poll workers in heavily Black electoral districts for November's election, a person familiar with the plans said on Monday. More Than a Vote, a group of prominent athletes fighting voter suppression, will collaborate with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund on the program in a dozen states, including battlegrounds such as Georgia, Michigan, Florida and Wisconsin, where disenfranchisement affects Black voters, the source said. All 77 NFL positive COVID-19 tests from weekend come back negative

The National Football League has cleared all 77 individuals who returned positive results for COVID-19 over the weekend after discovering a testing error in a New Jersey lab, ESPN reported, citing sources. A total of 11 teams were affected by testing irregularities, leading to changes in Sunday's practice schedules. Tropical storm Laura forces MLB schedule changes

If COVID-19 was not playing enough havoc with Major League Baseball's schedule, Tropical Storm Laura provided another headache on Monday as it forced the Houston Astros to move up a game against the Los Angeles Angels. MLB said Thursday's game at Houston's Minute Maid Park would be played on Tuesday as part of doubleheader while Wednesday's contest scheduled for an evening start would be played earlier in the day due to the potential impact of the storm.

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