Sports News Roundup: Soccer-Messi expects 'great things' at Inter Miami after glitzy unveiling; WTA roundup: Qinwen Zheng opens with 6-0, 6-0 win in Palermo and more

Smith came from four shots behind at St Andrews to win the 150th British Open last year, becoming the first Australian to do so since Greg Norman in 1993. Soccer-No going back, Ronaldo closes door on return to Europe Cristiano Ronaldo said there is no chance of him playing club football in Europe again and that the Saudi Arabian league is better than Major League Soccer, where his great rival Lionel Messi has chosen to begin the next chapter in his career.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Soccer-Messi expects 'great things' at Inter Miami after glitzy unveiling

Not even the pouring rain could spoil Lionel Messi's Inter Miami welcome party on Sunday in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where the new face of Major League Soccer (MLS) was introduced to a packed stadium of adoring fans. Messi, seven months removed from leading Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar, was presented to fans during a glitzy event called 'The Unveil' at Miami's home stadium.

WTA roundup: Qinwen Zheng opens with 6-0, 6-0 win in Palermo

No. 2 seed Qinwen Zheng of China needed just 58 minutes to blank Italy's Sara Errani 6-0, 6-0 in the opening round of the 34 Palermo Ladies Open on Monday in Palermo, Italy. Zheng, ranked No. 26 in the world, had a 4-0 edge in aces, converted six of seven break points and won 51 of the match's total 74 points en route to the double bagel.

MLB roundup: Rangers run past Rays on wild pitch

Josh H. Smith raced home on a wild pitch to send the Texas Rangers to a 3-2 walk-off victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday in Arlington, Texas. With the game tied 2-2 going into the bottom of the ninth, Josh Jung roped a leadoff double to center off Rays reliever Pete Fairbanks. Smith then came on for Jung as a pinch runner.

Golf-Smith holds back tears as he returns Claret Jug ahead of British Open

A year after Cameron Smith staged a spectacular comeback to win the British Open, the Australian said he was fighting back the tears as he returned the Claret Jug ahead of this year's tournament. Smith came from four shots behind at St Andrews to win the 150th British Open last year, becoming the first Australian to do so since Greg Norman in 1993.

Soccer-No going back, Ronaldo closes door on return to Europe

Cristiano Ronaldo said there is no chance of him playing club football in Europe again and that the Saudi Arabian league is better than Major League Soccer, where his great rival Lionel Messi has chosen to begin the next chapter in his career. Ronaldo, who joined Al Nassr in December on a 2-1/2 year contract following his exit from Manchester United, said he had paved the way for other top players to sign with Saudi teams and that more would make the move to the desert kingdom.

Soccer-EFL approves sale of Leeds to 49ers group

The English Football League (EFL) has approved the sale of Leeds United to 49ers Enterprises, who will assume full ownership of the second-tier English club, Leeds said on Monday.

Former Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani reached an agreement in June to sell his stake to the 49ers group, the investment arm of the NFL franchise San Francisco 49ers who have been a Leeds shareholder since their initial investment in May 2018.

Biden meets labor organizers from Starbucks, Minor League Baseball

President Joe Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders met with young labor organizers from Starbucks and Minor League Baseball among others at the White House on Monday as a growing number of worker strikes grip the country. After decades of declining union membership, organized labor is witnessing a resurgence in the U.S., as sky-high costs of living, housing shortages and technological disruptions have bred unusual levels of solidarity among workers in disparate industries, from dockworkers to Hollywood screenwriters.

ATP roundup: Dominic Thiem nabs first-round win in Switzerland

Former World No. 3 Dominic Thiem recorded nine aces while delivering a 6-1, 7-6 (4) victory over Alexandre Muller of France in the first round of the EFG Swiss Open Gstaad in Switzerland on Monday. The Austrian saved all four break points he faced during the 95-minute victory. Thiem will next face Serbia's Hamad Medjedovic, who posted a 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory over Zhizhen Zhang of China, the fifth seed.

Tennis-Alcaraz needs new rivals for a new era

Novak Djokovic was still trying to digest the loss of his Wimbledon crown to Carlos Alcaraz when one reporter asked him whether Sunday's clash was the start of a great rivalry. The irony was not lost on Djokovic who, despite still operating at his peak, is 36-years-old and in sight of the end of his record-shredding career.

Australia's Victoria pulls out of 2026 Commonwealth Games over cost concerns

Australia's state of Victoria will not host the 2026 Commonwealth Games due to projected cost overruns, placing the future of the quadrennial multi-sport event in doubt. Victoria Premier Dan Andrews said the cost of the Games, which were to have been held in four regional hubs, could blow out to more than A$7 billion ($4.8 billion) from a budgeted A$2.6 billion if they went ahead.