TENNIS

Carlos Alcaraz returned to No. 1 in the ATP rankings on Monday, replacing Novak Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal dropped out of the top 10 for the first time in 18 years.

Alcaraz rose one spot, swapping places with Djokovic, a day after ending Daniil Medvedev’s 19-match winning streak by beating him in straight sets in the final at Indian Wells, California. Alcaraz, a 19-year-old from Spain who first ascended to No. 1 by winning the U.S. Open in September, didn’t drop a set in the hard-court tournament.

Djokovic has spent more weeks at No. 1 than any man or woman in tennis history. He did not play in Indian Wells because he is not allowed to enter the United States as a foreign citizen who is not vaccinated against COVID-19. He also will miss the Miami Open that begins this week; Alcaraz is the defending champion there.

Nadal has been sidelined since January by an injured hip flexor and he slipped four spots to No. 13 on Monday, ending a stay in the top 10 that began in April 2005. It is the longest such run in the ATP; Jimmy Connors is next on the list with about 15 years.

FOOTBALL

Advertisement

NFL: The San Francisco 49ers signed free agent safety Myles Hartsfield to a one-year contract and re-signed tight end Ross Dwelley to a one-year deal.

Hartsfield spent the past three seasons in Carolina after signing with the Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 2020. He spent last season in Carolina playing for new 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks.

Dwelley originally joined San Francisco as an undrafted free agent in 2018. He has 43 catches for 506 yards and five TDs in 72 games. Dwelley had three catches for 105 yards and one touchdown last season.

• Detroit added Gardner-Johnson on an $8 million, one-year deal, according to a person familiar with the situation.

Gardner-Johnson reunites with Lions Coach Dan Campbell and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn after playing for them in New Orleans. He had a career-high six interceptions last season with the Philadelphia Eagles after picking off five passes over three years with the Saints.

• The Pittsburgh Steelers have promoted Denzel Martin to outside linebackers coach and hired Baltimore Ravens assistant Jason Brooks as a defensive quality control coach.

Advertisement

The moves are the latest in a series of changes to the defensive coaching staff during the offseason.

Brian Flores, a senior defensive assistant in 2022, left to become the defensive coordinator in Minnesota in February. Aaron Curry was hired as the inside linebackers coach also in February, replacing Jerry Olsavsky.

• Tight end Dalton Schultz is leaving the Cowboys to sign with the Houston Texans, agreeing to a one-year contract worth up to $9 million, a person familiar with the decision said Monday.

• The Tennessee Titans agreed to terms Monday on a contract with free agent cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting, who played 53 games with 36 starts in four years in Tampa Bay.

Murphy-Bunting was a second-round pick in 2019 by Tampa Bay and played a key role in helping the Buccaneers win the Super Bowl in his second season.

•  The Las Vegas Raiders signed unrestricted free agents Jordan Willis and O.J. Howard on Monday.

Advertisement

Willis, a defensive lineman, played for the San Francisco 49ers the past 2 1/2 seasons and has 92 tackles, 10 1/2 sacks and 15 tackles for loss over a six-year career. Howard, a tight end, played for the Houston Texans last season. Over a year-six career, he has 129 catches for 1,882 yards with 17 touchdowns.

SOCCER

EURO 2024: Marcus Rashford, Mason Mount and Nick Pope have withdrawn from the England squad for the Euro 2024 qualifiers against Italy and Ukraine, the Football Association said.

Manchester United forward Rashford suffered a knock during the 3-1 win against Fulham in the FA Cup on Sunday.

Mount is recovering from a pelvic injury and the FA said Pope was hurt after Newcastle’s 2-1 win against Nottingham Forest on Friday.

APPEAL: FIFA has appealed to Swiss federal judges after the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned a life ban for the former Haiti soccer federation president who was accused of multiple sexual offenses against players in women’s and girls’ national teams.

FIFA said it filed a case at Switzerland’s supreme court to challenge the CAS ruling announced last month that upheld an appeal by 75-year-old Yves Jean-Bart.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.