As the World Test Championship (WTC) final is set to begin on Wednesday, where South Africa and Australia will fight for the coveted mace, the International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman Jay Shah expressed his excitement for the "enthralling contest" and gave his best wishes to both teams for the "Ultimate Test".

Pat Cummins-led Australia will be looking to retain the mace that they claimed after defeating India in the previous edition of the World Test Championship Final at the Oval in June 2023. On the other side, South Africa are aiming for their first ICC trophy in over two decades, with Temba Bavuma leading the charge.

Taking to X, Shah wrote, "Looking forward to an enthralling contest in the @ICC World Test Championship Final at Lord’s. Best of luck to both @ProteasMenCSA and @CricketAus in the Ultimate Test!"

The triple Olympic champion swimmer Summer McIntosh has shattered the world record in the 200m individual medley, rewriting Hungarian legend Katinka Hosszu's decade-old mark.

McIntosh, who won three gold medals at the 2024 Olympic in Paris, clocked 2 minutes, 5.70 seconds on Monday at the Canadian trials for the World Championships in Singapore in July and August.

She split 57.99 on the opening 100 to be .95 ahead of the world record pace at the halfway mark, only to fall off the a bit on the breaststroke leg. McIntosh trailed Hosszu’s world record pace by .14 heading into the final 50 before racing home in 29.95 to shatter the old record.

Erling Haaland scored his fourth goal in as many qualifiers to keep Norway perfect in Group I as they maintained their 100 per cent record with a 1-0 win over Estonia in Tallinn in the UEFA qualifying for the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Norway dominated the first half but had to wait until the 62nd minute when Haaland finally made one of Norway’s glut of chances count. The forward’s initial effort came off the crossbar, but he reacted quickest to turn home the rebound and seal a joint-best fourth goal in UEFA qualifying.

Stale Solbakken’s men sit top of Group I, six points ahead of chasing Israel while Estonia remain on three points just above bottom-placed Moldova.

West Indies' highest-ranked T20I batter Nicholas Pooran has called time on his nine-year international career.

The Trinidadian represented the West Indies 167 times, scoring 1983 ODI runs at 39.66 at a strike rate of 99.15. Pooran, who has never played Test matches for West Indies, leaves the game as the most capped West Indian in T20 Internationals with 106 matches and the leading T20I run-scorer with 2,275 runs. He last played for the West Indies in December 2024.

"After much thought and reflection, I've decided to announce my retirement from international cricket. This game we love has given and will continue to give so much - joy, purpose, unforgettable memories, and a chance to represent the people of the West Indies. Wearing that maroon, standing for the anthem, and giving everything I had each time I stepped on the field... it's hard to put into words what that truly means to me. To have led the team as captain is a privilege I will always hold close to my heart," Pooran wrote in his statement on Instagram.

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner notched a 6-4, 7-5, 7-6(3) triumph against three-time champion Novak Djokovic in a heavyweight semifinal clash at the French Open on Friday, and will meet defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the final.

Djokovic, the men's record 24-time Grand Slam champion, was overwhelmed by Sinner's power and precision from the baseline and on serve on Court Philippe-Chatrier, reports.

Sinner became only the second Italian man to reach the final at Roland-Garros after Adriano Panatta, the 1976 champion.

"It was such a special occasion for me, playing against Novak in the semifinal of a Grand Slam," said Sinner. "It's just amazing, and I had to step up and play the best tennis I could. I'm very happy how I handled the situation, but this shows again what a role model he is for all of us and especially for us young players."

Denmark's Thorbjorn Olesen and Chilean Cristobal Del Solar set the early pace at the RBC Canadian Open as each player carded a nine-under-par 61 to share a one-stroke lead during first-round play of the national championship in Ontario.

The United States' Cameron Champ was third on 62, one shot ahead of compatriot Jake Knapp on 63 at the 9.8 million U.S. dollars PGA Tour event at the TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley North Course. The par-70, 7,389-yard public course, 40 minutes northwest of the provincial capital, is hosting the national championship for the first time.

Denmark's Rasmus Hojgaard, Trey Mullinax of America and Ireland's Shane Lowry, the 2019 British Open champion, were equal fifth on 64. Scotsman Robert MacIntyre, the defending champion, was five shots back on 65 in a group of nine players that included Taylor Pendrith, the top Canadian, and England's Danny Willett, the 2016 Masters winner.

Beijing native Cao Yi, the only Chinese in the field, carded an even-par 70. World No. 2 Rory McIlroy, a two-time winner in Canada, was a shot further back on 71, reports.

Indian men’s national team head coach Manolo Marquez has trimmed his squad to 25 players for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Hong Kong on June 10.

Initially, the Indian team travelled to Thailand with a 28-member squad for a FIFA international friendly, which ended in a 2-0 defeat on Wednesday.

Goalkeeper Hrithik Tiwari, along with defenders Mehtab Singh and Subhasish Bose, have been released from the squad and will return to India directly from Thailand. The remaining 25 players have now moved to Bangkok to continue preparations for the crucial clash against Hong Kong.

India opened their qualifying campaign with a goalless draw against Bangladesh in March. Following the recent loss to Thailand, the pressure is mounting ahead of the vital away fixture. All four teams in India’s group are currently tied with one point each after the first round of matches.

Sixth-seeded Novak Djokovic topped No.3 seed Alexander Zverev, last year’s finalist, in four sets 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 to reach his record 51st career Grand Slam semifinal at the French Open.

The Serb's 51 major semifinals are already a record for men and just one behind Chris Evert for the overall mark — and his 13th at Roland-Garros. He is the second-oldest man in the Open era to reach the Roland-Garros semifinals after Pancho Gonzales in 1968.

The last time Djokovic faced Zverev, he was walking off the court solemnly after injury put a premature end to their Australian Open semifinal in January. But on Wednesday night in Paris, after more than three hours of battle on court Philippe-Chatrier, the 24-time Grand Slam champion rallied from a set behind to keep his quest for a record-setting 25th Grand Slam title going into the semifinals.

As Marc-Andre ter Stegen makes his return to the German national team for the UEFA Nations League Finals, the cheers of the fans and his coach's vote of confidence may have come at the right time.

When the 33-year-old Barcelona goalkeeper stepped onto the field for a public training session in Herzogenaurach, a wave of warm applause erupted from the stands, showing fans' great anticipation ahead of his return after an eight-month injury break, reports.

German national team coach Julian Nagelsmann referred to the 42-time capped player as "our undisputed number one".

Ahead of Germany's semifinal against Portugal next Wednesday in Munich, Ter Stegen has undergone an energy-sapping rehabilitation following a patellar tendon rupture back in September 2024.

 World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen showed his class with an instructive victory in the endgame against Indian No. 2 Arjun Erigaisi. The Norwegian superstar, who had lost two Armageddon games in the last two rounds, made a strong statement with this win on home turf.

In the game between World Champion Dommaraju Gukesh and World No. 3 Fabiano Caruana, the American was leading almost the whole game, with significant winning chances. However, he could not convert his advantage due to Gukesh’s superb defensive skills. Gukesh then went on to win the Armageddon game convincingly.

Earlier, World Champion Gukesh took down World No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura in the third round, cementing his title credentials with a bold performance. This win could not come in a better moment for the Indian prodigy following two painful losses in the first two rounds.

The former New Zealand coach David Trist, who guided the team to the Champions Trophy in 2000 (earlier the ICC Knockout) has at the age of 77 in Christchurch on Thursday, the New Zealand Cricket announced.

Trist, a former Canterbury pace bowler who played 24 first-class matches and six List A matches during a 14-year playing career from 1968 to 1982, coached the New Zealand men's team for two years from 1999 to 2001 and was at the helm for what remains the team’s only global white ball title, the ICC Knockout Trophy in Nairobi on October 15, 2000. In the final in New Zealand beat India by four wickets with Chris Cairns scoring an unbeaten century.

"NZC is deeply saddened to confirm the passing of former BLACKCAPS coach David Trist, who died in Christchurch yesterday, aged 77. A former Canterbury and New Zealand pace bowler, David coached the BLACKCAPS from 1999 to 2001, during which time they won the ICC Champions Trophy in Nairobi. NZC extends its heartfelt condolences to David’s family and friends," New Zealand Cricket said in a statement.

The Adelaide Strikers have announced the pre-draft signing of English fast-bowling allrounder Jamie Overton for his third consecutive season for the Big Bash League (BBL) 15.

Despite a challenging BBL 14 campaign for the team, Overton was a standout performer. He claimed 11 wickets throughout the season, including a crucial 2-27 in a tense 11-run loss to the Hobart Hurricanes at Adelaide Oval.

His contributions were not limited to the ball; Overton also proved destructive with the bat, amassing 191 runs at an extraordinary average of 95.40, with a top score of 45 not out.

"I'm absolutely thrilled to be coming back to Adelaide for another season. I've loved my time with the Strikers and the incredible support we get from the fans at Adelaide Oval. It’s a fantastic Club with a great bunch of lads, and I’m determined to help us push for finals and ultimately, the BBL title in BBL 15," said Overton in a statement.

Enzo Maresca praised Chelsea's emphatic comeback against Real Betis to win the Conference League final and said their European triumph can be a starting point toward further success.

Enzo Fernandez, Nicolas Jackson, Jadon Sancho and Moises Caicedo all scored in the second half as the Premier League club came from behind to beat Real Betis 4-1 at Stadion Wrocław in Poland. The result means Chelsea are the first team in history to win all five European club trophies.

For the majority of players within the Blues squad, the Conference League trophy is the first piece of silverware won at club level. Maresca said there is more to come from his squad.

"Hopefully, it can be a starting point (toward further success in the future). To build a winning mentality, you need to win games and competitions. For sure, the trophy we won tonight will make us better," Maresca was quoted by Chelsea website.

Veteran top-order batter Cheteshwar Pujara believes that the upcoming five-match Test tour of England marks a crucial turning point for Indian cricket, citing the young group of players selected for the series starting on June 20 in Headingley.

India has a new skipper and vice-captain in Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant, respectively, as the youthful side looks to step into a new era of playing Tests after the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Historically, India has won only three out of 19 series in England, with the last one coming in 2007 when Rahul Dravid was the side’s captain.

“The India-England Test series has always been a true measure of a team’s grit and adaptability. In the last 100 years, India has managed to win only 3 out of 19 series played on English soil, which highlights just how challenging this contest has been for us.

Former Sunrisers Hyderabad head coach Tom Moody has declared Jitesh Sharma’s unbeaten 85, giving Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) a top-two finish with a six-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), as the best innings of the ongoing IPL 2025 season.

At the BRSABV Ekana Stadium in Lucknow, Jitesh’s breathtaking knock, laced with six sixes and eight fours, ensured RCB chased down 228, the third-highest successful run chase in their IPL history. The win helped RCB set up a date with Punjab Kings in Qualifier 1 on Thursday, it also made them the first-ever IPL team to win all seven away matches in an IPL season.

"The innings is, for me, the innings of the IPL this season by a stretch. We've seen some great knocks from young and old, but this one, wow, quite remarkable! "The team was totally against it - backs against the wall, Kohli in the sheds, (Phil) Salt in the sheds.

Veteran Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth progressed to the quarterfinals of the Malaysia Masters after overcoming Ireland’s Nhat Nguyen in the second round on Thursday.

Srikanth, currently ranked 65 in the world following a prolonged dip in form, battled for 59 minutes to register a 23-21, 21-17 win over the world No. 33.

In the quarterfinals, He will take on France’s Toma Junior Popov, who advanced after defeating India’s Ayush Shetty 21-13, 21-17.

HS Prannoy put up a determined fight but fell short against Yushi Tanaka, losing 9-21, 18-21 in the second round.

Captain Muhammad Waseem hailed the spirit of the UAE dressing room after a come-from-behind T20I series win against Bangladesh. It’s just the second time UAE have claimed T20I series against a Full Member, with the first back in 2021 when they defeated Ireland, also 2-1.

Originally slated as a two-match T20I series, the two nations agreed to schedule a third contest, giving the UAE extra incentive having gone 1-0 down on Saturday.

The UAE completed the comeback on Wednesday evening, chasing down Bangladesh’s 162 in the final over of the match, powered by an unbeaten 87-run stand from just 51 balls between Sharafu and Asif Khan.

The series win is more remarkable considering the inexperience of the home side, naming five uncapped players before the series started, and skipper Waseem, who also claimed Player of the Series honours, sang the side’s praises.

Tottenham Hotspur have qualified for the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League after winning the UEFA Europa League final 1-0 in Bilbao with a goal by Brennan Johnson in the 42nd minute.

With Spurs set to finish in the bottom half of the Premier League, there will therefore be six English teams in the 2025/26 league phase for the Champions League. They will be joined by the teams who finish in the top five of this season's Premier League

It means the Premier League will have SIX clubs in the Champions League next season, the first time any league has had more than five clubs in Europe's leading competition in the same campaign.

The Indian junior women’s hockey team left from Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru, in the early hours of Wednesday for the Four Nations Tournament in Rosario, Argentina.

The friendly tournament, part of the team’s preparation for the FIH Hockey Junior Women’s World Cup in December, will feature Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile alongside India, as the teams battle it out for top honours.

Scheduled from May 25 to June 2 (IST), the Four Nations Tournament will see the Indian team play two matches against each of the participating nations. The tournament aims to help the team evaluate their performance, test combinations, and refine strategies ahead of the World Cup.

Manchester City will honour Kevin De Bruyne’s incredible decade of service to the Club by commissioning a special statue celebrating the midfielder’s magnificent Etihad career

It was was confirmed immediately after Tuesday night’s penultimate Premier League clash of the 2024/25 season at home to Bournemouth, which marked the 33-year-old’s final Etihad appearance for the Club.

De Bruyne revealed how proud and honoured he was at being afforded such a special tribute in the form of a statue.

"It means I will always be part of this club. Whenever I come back with family and friends, I will be able to see myself so I will always be here," De Bruyne said.

Selhurst Park completed an unforgettable 100th-anniversary season and bade farewell to one of its favourite sons Joel Ward, as Palace came out on top of a six-goal thriller to set a new Premier League points record – little over 72 hours after winning the FA Cup.

Eddie Nketiah scored twice as Crystal Palace celebrated their FA Cup triumph with a thrilling 4-2 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Ward, on his 364th Crystal Palace appearance, some 13 years after his debut, was handed the captain’s armband and his first Premier League start of the season in his final home match at Selhurst Park.

Peter Moores has signed a two-year extension as Melbourne Stars head coach, the club announced on Tuesday. A two-time coach of England and with experience coaching all over the world, Moores will continue in his role until at least the end of BBL 16.

Moores, who took over the side in BBL 13, recently led the Stars to their first finals appearance in five years after winning five consecutive games to finish the regular season.

“I’m absolutely thrilled to sign on for another two years. I’ve already experienced some incredible moments with the club and there was no better place to be last summer than the MCG when we got on a roll. It was a great reminder of what this club and our members and fans are capable of.

I was so impressed with Marcus’ leadership last year, and I expect he will only grow in that role again in BBL 15. Our list is in a really good place, and we’ve got a great opportunity to strengthen a couple of key areas in the upcoming draft. I’m not putting a limit on what we can all achieve together," Moores said in statement.

Melbourne Stars General Manager Max Abbott said Moores was the right person to take the Stars forward.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has said that Alexis Mac Allister will not feature in club's final game of the season this weekend due to injury.

The midfielder was absent from the champions’ squad for the Premier League fixture at Brighton & Hove Albion on Monday night, while he was restricted to substitute appearances in the recent encounters with Chelsea and Arsenal.

Slot detailed in his post-match press conference at Amex Stadium how Mac Allister is being afforded rest to overcome a fitness issue in order to be ready for the start of 2025-26 and, therefore, will not figure against Crystal Palace on Sunday.

"Alexis will not play for us this season anymore. He needs rest at this moment in time to recover completely and to be ready for the start of next season, but it will be no problem for him to be back next season.

"I think he played throughout the last part of the season with the Argentinian mentality he has. Never gives up, no matter what he feels, but it is not smart to play a player that has, not a big injury but something to take a risk with," said Liverpool.

Brighton and Hove Albion came from behind to hand champions Liverpool only their fourth league defeat of the season in a five-goal thriller at the Amex.

Jack Hinshelwood scored straight after coming on as Brighton & Hove Albion claimed a thrilling 3-2 win over Premier League champions Liverpool to to finish eighth and potentially qualify for Europe.

Hinshelwood came on in the 83rd minute of Monday’s contest at Amex Stadium and was on hand to tap in from Matt O’Riley’s cross 88 seconds later, with the goal initially disallowed for offside, though that decision was overturned after a VAR check.

Another substitute had already played a key role for Brighton before then, with Kaoru Mitoma having dragged the hosts level for the second time in the 69th minute.

The penultimate round of matches in La Liga resolved who ends the campaign in fourth place, who takes the final two European places and who joins Las Palmas and Valladolid in relegation to the second division to be decided on the last day of the season.

Athletic Bilbao ensured fourth place and qualification for next season's Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia with a 1-0 win away to Valencia.

Alex Berenguer's stunning curling shot 19 minutes from time gave Athletic a deserved win while also ending Valencia's slim changes of qualifying for Europe, reports.

Athletic confirmed fourth place on head-to-head goal difference over Villarreal, even though Villarreal gatecrashed FC Barcelona's La Liga celebrations with a 3-2 win in Montjuic.

Ayoze Perez put Villarreal ahead in the fourth minute, and although Lamine Yamal and Fermin Lopez turned the score around before halftime, Santi Comesana equalized five minutes after the break, with Tajon Buchanan netting the winner for the visitors 10 minutes from time.

The Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) – on Saturday – announced the ‘Elite Retained Players’, ‘Retained Young Players’, and ‘New Young Players’ for Season 12, with the auction set to take place on May 31 and June 1 in Mumbai.

While most franchises have retained their key players, they will also be looking to build stronger units in the upcoming PKL Season 12 Player Auction.

Top players retained by their respective teams include Sunil Kumar and Amirmohammad Zafardanesh (U Mumba), Jaideep Dahiya (Haryana Steelers), Surender Gill (UP Yoddhas) and the Puneri Paltan duo of Aslam Inamdar and Mohit Goyat.

Meanwhile, a total of 83 players were retained across three categories: 25 in the Elite Retained Players (ERP) category, 23 in the Retained Young Players (RYP) category, and 35 in the New Young Players (NYP) category.

Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) said on Thursday that all-rounders Rovman Powell and Moeen Ali will not come back to India for the rest of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 due to their respective medical reasons. KKR further said that apart from Moeen and Powell, all other players – both Indian and overseas – as well as support staff members, have arrived in Bengaluru.

“Both Powell and Ali couldn’t come back due to medical reasons. Rovman is undergoing a procedure, while Moeen and his family are down with a viral infection. We wish them good health and a quick recovery,” said the franchise in its statement.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will now be holding a training session at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday evening, as well as on Friday, in the run-up to their clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) happening on Saturday, which also marks IPL 2025’s resumption.

Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen earned her first win over World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in her seventh seventh all-time encounter, advancing to the semifinals of the Italian Open with a 6-4, 6-3 victory.

Zheng was not only 0-6 against Sabalenka entering their first match on clay surface other than hard courts: She was also 0-2 at the quarterfinal hurdle in Rome. But in 1 hour and 37 minutes, she snapped both of those winless marks, saving all five break points that she faced and breaking Sabalenka's serve three times, reports.

Zheng later credited her comfort level on clay with being the X-factor in comparison to their previous six tilts. Though Sabalenka was on a nine-match winning streak on the surface, Zheng boasts a 3-0 record in clay-court finals, and is 17-3 in her last 20 clay-court matches.

Bologna FC lifted the Coppa Italia Frecciarossa (Italian Cup) trophy For the first time since 1973/74 with a 1-0 victory over AC Milan.

After 3 minutes, Milan created the first chance when Leao beats Lucumì on the wing and sent in a dangerous cross, but Jimenez can't finish it. Five minutes later, Bologna replied with a close-range header from Castro, but Maignan made a great save.

In the 9th minute, Skorupski pulls off a double save—first on a deflection from Miranda, then stopping Jovic's close-range shot. After these early chances, both defenses settle in, and the first half ends 0-0.

Australia has maintained its top position in the ICC Women’s ODI team rankings, whose annual update was released on Wednesday. As per the annual update, Australia have 167 rating points, which is comfortably 40 more than second-placed England.

In a statement, ICC said the recent annual update removes matches played between October 2021 and April 2022, including the 2022 Women’s ODI World Cup in New Zealand. “The women’s updates have this year moved from the start of October to the start of May, like the men’s team annual rankings update.

"Prior to the update, weightings were 50 per cent for matches between October 2021 and September 2023 and 100 per cent thereafter. Post update, the weightings are 50 per cent for matches between May 2022 and April 2024 and 100 per cent thereafter," said the ICC.

Human Rights groups, Human Rights Watch (HRW) and FairSquare, have warned FIFA and the Saudi Arabian authorities of ‘failing to adequately ensure basic safety protections and social security for migrant workers in the preparations of the 2034 FIFA World Cup.

Saudi laws require employers with 50 or more workers to implement a health and safety policy, conduct training, assess workplace risks, and provide necessary protective gear and first aid.

But the report by HRW found that workers across employment sectors and geographic regions in Saudi Arabia continue to face widespread labour abuses and occupational dangers at their work sites and claimed FIFA has awarded the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia without proper human rights due diligence.

"FIFA is knowingly risking yet another tournament that will unnecessarily come at a grave human cost," Human Rights Watch said in the statement.

England fast bowling ace James Anderson has hailed Virat Kohli as one of the greatest batters to ever play Test cricket and feels that expressed confidence that India possesses a deep talent pool capable of filling up the big shoes following the retirement of veteran players.

Kohli retired from Test cricket on Monday, bringing the curtains down on a glorious career with with 9,230 runs in 123 matches, including a stellar 30 centuries and 31 fifties.

He hung up his spikes as the fourth-most successful Test captain overall, behind Graeme Smith (53 wins), Ricky Ponting (48 wins), and Steve Waugh (41 wins).

Kohli’s 30 Test centuries make him the fourth-most successful India batter, behind Sachin Tendulkar (51 hundreds), Rahul Dravid (36), and Sunil Gavaskar (34). Kohli also made seven Test double hundreds, the most ever by an Indian.

Alfonso Gonzalez's 43rd-minute goal gave Celta Vigo a 1-0 win away to Real Sociedad to strengthen the visiting side's hopes of qualifying for next season's Europa League, while ending Real Sociedad's European ambitions.

Gonzalez was the first to react in the Real Sociedad area to prod a loose ball home for three vital points, and a win at home to Rayo Vallecano at the weekend would cap an excellent season for the northwestern outfit.

Girona's veteran striker Cristhian Stuani netted 10 minutes from time to give his side three vital points in a 1-0 win away to bottom side Real Valladolid, reports.

Aunar saw a shot tipped onto the bar from Girona goalkeeper Pablo Gazzaniga with the score at 0-0, although Valladolid's Karl Hein also made several big saves before Stuani's goal.

India’s southpaw, Smriti Mandhana, is inching closer to reclaiming the ICC Women’s ODI No.1 batter ranking — a spot she last held in 2019 — after a remarkable performance in the recently concluded tri-series involving South Africa and Sri Lanka.

Mandhana, 28, was at her elegant best throughout the tri-series, amassing 264 runs in just five innings. Her consistency, stroke play, and temperament under pressure not only helped India clinch the title but also propelled her to No.2 in the latest ICC Women's ODI Batting Rankings.

She is now just 11 rating points behind the current leader and South Africa captain, Laura Wolvaardt, who managed only 86 runs in the same series.

Wolvaardt, though still the top-ranked ODI batter, is under serious threat from Mandhana, whose latest push signals a possible return to the summit of 50-over cricket — a position she has been consistently circling for years without quite reclaiming since her initial reign six years ago.

Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic have ended their coaching partnership by mutual agreement. The announcement comes after just six months of working together. While brief, their stint included moments of promise, particularly at the Australian Open, where Djokovic reached the semifinals before an injury forced him to retire mid-match.

The two shared warm words as they parted ways. Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, expressed gratitude and affection: "Thank you, coach Andy, for all the hard work, fun and support over the last six months on and off the court — really enjoyed deepening our friendship together,” Djokovic said in a statement.

Murray, 37, who had made his first foray into coaching after decades on the court, replied with equal warmth: "Thanks to Novak for the unbelievable opportunity to work together, and thanks to his team for all their hard work over the past six months. I wish Novak all the best for the rest of the season."