The Green Bay Packers are left to hold their breath on their star quarterback once again.

Aaron Rodgers left the Packers’ game Sunday against the Chicago Bears on a cart after taking a hit to his left knee in the second quarter.

Rodgers was listed as questionable to return. He was replaced by DeShone Kizer.

After taking a sack from Bears defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris, Rodgers appeared to limp before going to the medical tent for further evaluation.

Rodgers suffered a broken collarbone midway through the 2017 and played in just seven games. In August, he signed a four-year, $134 million extension that made him the highest-paid player in the NFL.

Follow Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz on Twitter @MikeMSchwartz.

 

Serena Williams was fined $17,000 (£13,100) for the code violations that included calling the umpire a “liar” and “thief” in her US Open final loss.

Williams, beaten by Naomi Osaka, was docked a game for verbal abuse and had a point penalty for racquet smashing and a code violation for coaching.

She later said it was “sexist” to have been penalised a game.

BBC tennis presenter Sue Barker said: “The umpire was following the rules by the book but Serena has a point.”

Barker, a former world number three and 1976 French Open champion, added that “tennis was the loser” from Saturday’s events.

Williams’ fine for the code violations, imposed by the United States Tennis Association (USTA), will be deducted from the $1.85 million the American won as the runner-up.

“I’ve sat courtside watching the men ranting at umpires and they haven’t been given a violation,” Barker said.

“The fact that it was to be a game violation then robbed the crowd of what potentially could’ve been a third set.”

Osaka, 20, won the match 6-2 6-4 to become the first Japanese Grand Slam champion.

Williams, who was aiming to equal Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles, refused to shake hands with umpire Ramos after the match.

She later accused him of sexism, saying: “He’s never taken a game from a man because they said ‘thief’.”

Barker told BBC Radio 5 live’s Sportsweek programme: “Both have a point – Serena saying the male players can say what they want to umpires.

“Earlier in the tournament we saw Alize Cornet being given a code violation for changing her shirt on court and then in the same tournament Mohamed Lahyani gets down from his chair to talk to Nick Kyrgios and persuade him not to give up on a match.

“He [Ramos] was following the rules by the book but sometimes the book has to be rewritten.

“You can’t have one rule for some players and some umpires don’t adhere to it and allow players to get away with things. They’ve just got to be fair to the players.

“Tennis was the loser and we lost what was potentially a fantastic match.

“I’ve never seen anything like it since I have been watching tennis. It was sad for the game.”

Marion Bartoli, the 2013 Wimbledon champion, echoed Barker’s stance on the difference between how male and female players are treated.

“What the umpire did is totally not acceptable and I hope that we are going to have a sanction because we just can’t let that happen,” she said.

“When there is absolutely no curse or verbal abuse from Serena then giving her a game penalty is insane. You can’t do that. It is impossible.

“She’s right when she says the men say 10 times worse and don’t even get a warning.”

Ramos has given Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray code violations in the past two years.

He also accused Serena’s sister, Venus, of receiving coaching during a 2016 French Open match, although she wasn’t penalised.

“I think she [Serena] went a little bit too far,” said 18-time Grand Slam singles champion Chris Evert. “What she was saying, she had every right to say but she kept repeating herself.

“After a while it is like ‘you have to stop’.

“Just because of the enormity of the moment, the umpire should have given her a bit of break but, instead, went right for the jugular.”

What happened?

Williams was given a first code violation after Ramos judged a gesture from coach Patrick Mouratoglou to be coaching.

She said she had not received any tactics from Mouratoglou, telling the umpire she would “never cheat to win and would rather lose”.

The Frenchman later admitted that he had been coaching from the box but that Williams had not seen him doing so.

Williams then received another code violation for a racquet smash at 3-2 in the second set, leading to Ramos docking her a point.

With Osaka leading 4-3, Williams told the umpire: “You are a liar. You will never be on a court of mine as long as you live. When are you going to give me my apology? Say you are sorry.”

That led to Ramos docking her the next game to leave Osaka just one game away from victory at 5-3 up.

Williams refused to take to the court and demanded an intervention from the tournament referee.

Eventually she returned to the baseline, serving out a game to love before Osaka held serve to win her first Grand Slam win.

In her post-match news conference Williams said she was she “was not being coached” and that she “did not understand” why Mouratoglou would say he was doing so.

American 12-time Grand Slam singles champion Billie Jean King, one of the founders of the Women’s Tennis Association, backed Williams, saying: “When a woman is emotional, she’s ‘hysterical’ and she’s penalised for it. When a man does the same, he’s ‘outspoken’ and there are no repercussions.

“Thank you, Serena Williams, for calling out this double standard. More voices are needed to do the same.”

‘I feel so sorry for Naomi Osaka’

At the end of the match, security staff ran on to the perimeter of the court as Ramos walked off and the Portuguese did not return, as he would usually have done, for the trophy presentation.

Osaka, who describes Williams as her idol, pulled her visor down over her eyes to hide her tears when there was booing from the 24,000 crowd in the Arthur Ashe Stadium prior to the Japanese player being given the trophy.

The jeers were not aimed at her, with the fans instead expressing a sense of injustice at the way home favourite Williams had been treated.

The American appealed for calm in her runners-up speech, asking her supporters to “give credit” to Osaka’s achievement, and the winner was then applauded.

USTA president Katrina Adams issued a statement calling Williams an “inspiration” and praising Williams for her “great deal of class and sportsmanship” on the podium.

“I’m immensely disappointed,” said Barker. “I was so looking forward to what was going to be a fantastic finale to what has been an incredible tournament and it was all just taken away by Serena and the umpire. I feel so sorry for Naomi Osaka.

“Her first Grand Slam win has been marred in some way. She couldn’t celebrate in the way she wanted to.

“She is one of the most exciting players on the tour. It was just so sad for me to see at the presentation that she was in tears. They weren’t tears of joy.

“The crowd was booing and this was her moment. That’s not the way you want to celebrate your first Grand Slam victory and it was just sad for the sport to see it.”

What are the rules?

According to ITF Grand Slam rules:

• Verbal abuse is defined as a statement about an official, opponent, sponsor, spectator or other person that implies dishonesty or is derogatory, insulting or otherwise.

• Abuse of racquets or equipment is defined as intentionally, dangerously and violently destroying or damaging racquets.

• Players shall not receive coaching during a match (including the warm-up). Communications of any kind, audible or visible, between a player and a coach may be construed as coaching.

Former umpire Richard Ings, who was also in charge of officials and rules on the men’s tour, backed Ramos’ actions.

“Carlos was composed, effective, knowledgeable of the rules and applied them absolutely correctly in each of those three situations,” he told Radio 5 live.

“He saw violations, he had the courage of his convictions to call them when he saw it and I support him 110%. It’s one of the best officiating jobs I’ve seen in years.”

Should the rules be changed?

“It’s weird in the women’s game where they have coaching,” said Barker.

“For all the tournaments, bar the Grand Slams, coaches can come onto the court at the change of ends to speak to their players.

“I was against that. It’s a gladiatorial sport, it’s one against one – you work out how to do it.

“But, if it’s coming to things like this, it is ruining the game and it was just such a disappointing way for the tournament to end.

“If they can’t adhere to the rules then they will have to allow the coaching because we can’t have things like this outburst anymore. It is not good for the game.”

She added: “There can’t be a grey area any more. Maybe there has to be a supervisor that comes on and has the final say before you give a game away.”

Image: Taylor Hill/FilmMagic

Following numerous sexual harassment allegations against Les Moonves, the CBS head will step down from the company “effective immediately.”

On Sunday, CBS announced it had reached a settlement with Moonves, a 24-year veteran of the company, and that he and CBS will donate $20 million to organizations that support the #MeToo movement.

The donation will be deducted from severance benefits which may be due to Moonves, and any payments made in future will be dependent on results of a third-party investigation by law firms Covington & Burling and Debevoise & Plimpton.

CBS’ announcement comes after six more women accused Moonves of misconduct between the 1980s and the early-2000s, according to a report by The New Yorker’s Ronan Farrow. 

As with earlier allegations, the women in the latest batch of accusations say their careers have suffered as a result of rejecting Moonves’ advances. 

Veteran TV executive Phyllis Golden-Gottlieb told Farrow she filed a complaint of sexual assault to the Los Angeles Police Department last year, but although law enforcement sources considered her allegations “credible and consistent … prosecutors declined to pursue charges because the statutes of limitations for the crimes had expired.”

“He absolutely ruined my career,” she told Farrow. Moonves denied the accusations in a statement.

“The appalling accusations in this article are untrue. What is true is that I had consensual relations with three of the women some 25 years ago before I came to CBS. And I have never used my position to hinder the advancement or careers of women,” the statement to The New Yorker read.

“In my 40 years of work, I have never before heard of such disturbing accusations. I can only surmise they are surfacing now for the first time, decades later, as part of a concerted effort by others to destroy my name, my reputation, and my career. Anyone who knows me knows that the person described in this article is not me.”

In a statement to Mashable via email, the Time’s Up movement against systemic sexual abuse in Hollywood and other industries, said these allegations “speak to a culture of toxic complicity at CBS, where the safety of women was continuously ignored to protect the careers of powerful men and the corporation.”

“The CBS Board of Directors has an obligation to move swiftly and decisively to create a safe work environment for all and rid the company of this toxic culture.”

Like so many aspects of his life, the collective goodbye to Mac Miller — the beloved Pittsburgh rapper who died Friday at the age of 26 — was different. It wasn’t that Miller lacked material. To the contrary, he was one of this decade’s most prolific artists, following the release of 2011 breakout projects Best Day Ever and Blue Slide Park with numerous albums, mixtapes, singles, and guest appearances. And in recent years, he had dropped a series of projects at odds with the party-loving persona that characterized his early work, pivoting to a prestige brand of funk-infused hip-hop that impressed longtime fans and won over skeptics.

But as those online processed the news of Miller’s passing in real time, his character took precedent. Artists and journalists who had interacted with the rapper shared stories of a person endlessly curious, unflinchingly kind, and universally beloved.

Yes, there was good music  — a lot of it. But unlike many of his peers in the industry, Miller’s demeanor helped to define his career. Born Malcolm McCormick on January 19, 1992, Miller started taking piano lessons at six — his talent on the keys was one of his many underrated skills — and experimented with other instruments before releasing his debut mixtape in 2007. By 2010, he was ably sampling Nas on “Nikes on My Feet,” an essential cut from his 2010 mixtape K.I.D.S. (Kickin’ Incredibly Dope Shit). The following year, his viral banger “Donald Trump” received praise from the future president himself.

Early on, many considered Miller a punchline. Though Blue Slide Park‘s stories of shots, spliffs, and seducing the ladies made it a commercial splash — it was the first independently distributed album to top Billboard‘s albums chart since 1995 — and a fixture of frat quads, it garnered scathing reviews. In drawing earnestly, if crudely, on his own experiences, Miller earned a devoted following while spurning the tastemakers musicians often strive to please.

But Miller responded with an open heart. He used his tremendous popularity to elevate others in the hip-hop community. In 2012, as Kendrick Lamar was coming into his own, Miller invited him on tour as an opener. A year later, he repeated the gesture with Chance the Rapper, as the MC was rising from Windy City hero to national phenom. “U let me come over everyday and be whoever I wanted,” SZA wrote in an Instagram post memorializing Miller, who produced tracks on her 2014 EP Z. “My gratitude is infinite. The first person to believe in me and make stuff w me.”

Simultaneously, Miller reinvented himself artistically. Rather than settling into a groove — and the easy fame and money that would’ve accompanied a career of cookie-cutter party-rap — he relocated to Los Angeles, connected with members of the Odd Future, Top Dawg Entertainment, and Brainfeeder crews, and found a fresh sound along the way. Suddenly, the MC many associated with groan-inducing, debaucherous rhymes had a bona fide critical success in 2013’s Watching Movies With the Sound Off, featuring contributions from Pharrell, Flying Lotus, Earl Sweatshirt, and more.

It wasn’t just cosigns. Miller’s verses were expanding thematically, and he was developing into an unsung force behind the boards. Simple punchlines evolved into complex meditations on addiction, mental illness, and interpersonal relationships. His beats riffed on the moody, understated instrumentals of his peers. The advancements coalesced on Faces, the mixtape he released on Mother’s Day, 2014. Across 85 minutes and 24 tracks — 14 of which he produced himself, under his Larry Fisherman moniker — Miller led listeners on an introspective odyssey, where he was as likely to sample a Bill Murray monologue from Meatballs as he was to tell chilly tales of self-destruction: “Suppose I’ll die alone from an overdose of some sort,” he raps on “San Francisco.”

Until Miller’s death, Faces scanned as an emotional bloodletting. Internal strife was always the focal point of his music, but across subsequent albums, the rhymes felt less tethered to the present, less observational than a series of recollections. Miller found love, for a time, with Ariana Grande, and sharpened his craft further with 2015’s GO:OD AM, 2016’s The Divine Feminine, and last month’s Swimming.

He increasingly paired lines about struggle with ones about triumph, and as he incorporated more funk and R&B into his songs, they felt redemptive. He was singing more than ever; in one of his final interviews, he mentioned he was considering vocal lessons. The songs weren’t exactly feel-good, but they had a sense of tranquility: Lined with sultry John Mayer guitar riffs, Swimming’s “Small Worlds” breathes with life and possibility. “I think I know it all, but I don’t.”

“I didn’t expect to play on his album the day he played some songs for me at his house, but when I heard ‘Small Worlds,’ I gave it a short, chirpy little ‘yup,’ which is the highest praise I can give a track,” Mayer wrote on Instagram. “I grabbed the nearest guitar in the room and within a couple of hours we had finished a tune that made me so incredibly happy to have a part in, not to mention we established a nice little friendship.”

The collaborative environment Miller fostered transcended collegiality — it was pure camaraderie. That’s how he assembled oddball teams like Snoop Dogg, Syd, Thundercat, and Dâm-Funk on Swimming’s“What’s the Use?” and why the results skewed more organic than other records with sprawling credits. It’s also why the grief around his death has been so deep, for so many. In a world that too often seems starved for decency and kindness, Miller offered both in spades.

Auto analysts groaned on Sunday in response to tweets sent by President Trump that touted his tariffs on Chinese imports and his claim that the trade war would inspire Ford Motor Co. to build its Ford Active crossover in the U.S. rather than overseas.

Wrong, Ford said.

The Dearborn-based company issued a statement in response to the president’s tweet:

“It would not be profitable to build the Focus Active in the U.S. given an expected annual sales volume of fewer than 50,000 units and its competitive segment. Ford is proud to employ more U.S. hourly workers and build more vehicles in the U.S. than any other automaker.”

Jon Gabrielsen, a market economist who advises automakers and auto suppliers, said, “This is further evidence that neither the president nor his trade representatives have any clue of the complexities of global supply chains.”

A trade war actually hurts one of America’s most iconic companies, Gabrielsen said. “This forces Ford to forfeit the sales they would have had if they could continue to import that low-volume niche vehicle.”

Ford on Aug. 31 canceled plans to import the Focus Active crossover from China to the United States because of costs from the escalating trade war.

Ford announcement:

“Given the negative financial impact of the new tariffs, we’ve decided to not import this vehicle from China,” Kumar Galhotra, president of Ford North America, told reporters.

The Focus Active was meant to take the place of the Ford Focus in the U.S. because Ford is phasing out the entry-level car as it shifts its production to pickups and SUVs. Focus Active was scheduled to go on sale in the late summer of 2019.

“Basically, this boils down to how we deploy our resources. Any program that we’re working on requires resources — engineering resources, capital resources,” Galhotra said. “Our resources could be better deployed at this stage.”

Tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on Chinese products and the threat of more had a direct impact on the Aug. 31 decision, according to Ford officials. The United States already has imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum from China and, as of July, put a 25 percent tax on autos imported from China. 

“Ford was pretty clear in its statement: Focus production will not shift in part or in whole back to the U.S.,” said Stephanie Brinley, a senior analyst at London-based IHS Markit.

Trump didn’t tweet about the Ford announcement at the time. On Sunday, he quoted the CNBC TV network and tweeted, “‘Ford has abruptly killed a plan to sell a Chinese-made small vehicle in the U.S. because of the prospect of higher U.S. Tariffs.’” CNBC. This is just the beginning. This car can now be BUILT IN THE U.S.A. and Ford will pay no tariffs.”

“Ford is one of the companies that has the highest U.S. content and the most U.S. autoworkers of any company,” said Kristin Dziczek, vice president of the Industry, Labor & Economics Group at the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor.

“You know, their statement was very clear. It’s too costly to build that car here and they weren’t planning to. They don’t make business decisions based on tweets. They make decisions based on whether there’s a demand here for the vehicle and if it can be done profitably. Demand for small cars is waning, so they thought they would build some for the rest of the world and bring a few for folks here who want one,” Dziczek said.

Building the car may still be the plan, but not in the U.S., she emphasized, along with other analysts. At issue is finding low-wage production sites to maintain profit margins, and that doesn’t include the U.S. or Canada. 

“This trade thing turns into Whac-A-Mole,” Dziczek said. “You can shut off China and things will come from India, Thailand, Taiwan, Poland, Slovenia. There are loads of low-cost countries for parts and vehicles.”

More: Ford unveils low-cost SUV in China, where automaker has struggled

More: Analysts: Trump doesn’t get the auto industry; tariffs hurt consumers

After touting his tariff plan, the president also cited tariff data that alarmed analysts.

“If the U.S. sells a car into China, there is a tax of 25%. If China sells a car into the U.S., there is a tax of 2%. Does anybody think that is FAIR? The days of the U.S. being ripped-off by other nations is OVER!”

Wrong again, Dziczek said. “China lowered the tariff rate from 25 percent to 15 percent for most-favored nation status — which is offered to World Trade Organization members — but raised it to 40 percent for the U.S. in retaliation to the tariffs we put on Chinese goods.”

She continued, “And the tariffs we charge for goods coming into the U.S. is 2.5 percent, not 2 percent. And then we put an additional 25 percent on cars coming from China into the U.S. So now they’re paying 27.5 percent. This is why Ford had to re-evaluate.”

American automakers ship about 250,000 vehicles a year from the U.S. to China, while China ships about 50,000 vehicles to the U.S. annually, Dziczek noted.

For example, every Buick Envision sold in the U.S. is made in China. General Motors has petitioned that the car be excluded from tariffs on Chinese-built products.

Ford spokesman Mark Truby emphasized Sunday that the company plans to build many new vehicles in America. “For example, we are starting production soon of the Ford Ranger in the factory just outside of Detroit where the Focus was previously built. We’re not defensive about building in America. Nobody does more than us. We also have to make a business case that works.”

Contact Phoebe Wall Howard: phoward@freepress.com or 313-222-6512. Follow her on Twitter @phoebesaid

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The approaching danger presented by Hurricane Florence and the damage caused by Tropical Storm Gordon serve as reminders that September is the most active month for these kinds of powerful storms.

And yet, FEMA Administrator Brock Long has warned that the United States doesn’t have a “culture of preparedness,’’ even after being hammered in 2017 by Harvey, Irma and Maria, the first time three Category 4 hurricanes made landfall in U.S. territory on the same year.

More: Florence regains strength as a hurricane: ‘Plan for the worst, pray for the best’

Related: Will growing scenes of hurricanes, wildfires and volcanoes make us a go-bag people?

Long said being ready for a disaster requiresmore than storing food, water and supplies – having money saved for an emergency is vital, too – but those preventive measures can have a major impact, possibly meaning the difference between life and death.

With hurricanes currently approaching U.S. land from both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, here are several steps residents can take to protect themselves. The information comes from a variety of sources, including the American Red Cross, the National Hurricane Center, Ready.gov and weather.gov:

• Put together an emergency kit: This is the first recommendation of the Red Cross, which lists some of the top essentials as water (a gallon per person per day for a minimum of three days), non-perishable food (also at least three days’ worth), medications and medical supplies, flashlights, extra batteries, a first-aid kit and a portable radio.

Personal documents, cell phones with chargers, a can opener and at least one change of clothes also make the list. These necessities can all be assembled well before a hurricane hits.

Also make sure the car’s in working order and with a full tank of gas, the cell phones are charged and the drug prescriptions have been filled.

Keep important documents in a safe, accessible place, with copies of files loaded into a flash drive or into password-protected storage. Consider taking cellphone photos of key documents.

• Board up all windows: Storm shutters provide the best protection, but a solid and less expensive alternative is attaching cut-to-fit plywood over the windows. Don’t fall for the myth that taping windows will protect the glass, as more than half of Americans believe, according to the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes. That may offer some peace of mind but little else.

Secure doors as well, especially garage doors, which tend to be the most vulnerable.

• Bring in untethered items: Patio furniture and other loose items can become projectiles in strong winds. They should be stored inside. If it’s not safe to do so, as is the case with propane tanks, anchor them. Also, trim trees with branches that could damage the house, clean gutters and downspouts and move cars out of flood-prone areas.

• Have a plan: Be aware of your area’s evacuation route and the location of local shelters. Come up with an emergency plan – accounting for any pets – and share it with the rest of the household. Everyone in the family should know what to do and how to contact each other if they’re away from the house in an emergency. Also share the plan with a friend or relative away from the storm area.

Many shelters don’t accept animals, so people with pets and livestock should look into evacuating them ahead of time to a safe area.

• Be careful when using a portable generator: Though generators can keep the lights on and the refrigerator running during a power outage, they come with some inherent risks.

Generators should never be used indoors – not even in a garage or basement – and must be kept at least 30 feet from the house to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, which can be lethal. And it’s not advisable to use a generator if the home has flooded, which increases the chances of electrocution.

In addition, experts say the safest and most efficient way to use a generator is to have a qualified electrician install a transfer switch to feed power into the house. Backfeeding, the practice of plugging the generator directly into the home’s power outlets, is illegal and dangerous.

• Know what to avoid: Don’t walk, drive or swim in flood waters if at all possible; they may be contaminated or hiding dangerous debris or a downed power line. Also stay away from beaches and riverbanks. If the power is out, rely on flashlights instead of candles for illumination.

• Follow instructions: Evacuate immediately if told to do so by authorities, who may also ask you to shut down your power and/or water. Keep track of local news. Alert family and friends of your situation and whereabouts.

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Novak Djokovic produced an impeccable performance to beat Juan Martin del Potro in the US Open final and win his 14th Grand Slam title.

The 31-year-old Serb won 6-3 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 to earn his third triumph in New York and equal American great Pete Sampras’ haul of major trophies.

Djokovic, who won Wimbledon in July, will climb to fourth in the world after back-to-back Grand Slam victories.

Only great rivals Roger Federer (20) and Rafael Nadal (17) have won more.

Argentine third seed Del Potro, 29, was playing his first Grand Slam final since winning the 2009 US Open, having almost quit the game in 2015 because of multiple wrist injures.

A fairytale finish at Flushing Meadows was not to be, however, as former world number one Djokovic’s quality shone through.

Djokovic is one of only eight men to win the Wimbledon-US Open double and has now accomplished that feat for a second time.

The Serb walloped a forehand volley to safety on his first match point, dropping to the floor and spreading out on his back with his arms and legs outstretched in celebration.

After hugging his great friend at the net, Djokovic jumped into his box to celebrate with his wife Jelena and team. Del Potro broke down in uncontrollable tears on his chair.

“It is not easy to speak right now,” Del Potro said on court.

“I’m sad because I lose but I’m happy for Novak.”

After the controversy surrounding Serena Williams’ defeat by Naomi Osaka in Saturday’s women’s final, a high quality match between two of the top male players ensured tennis was once again the talking point.

Djokovic continues renaissance to blunt Del Potro

Djokovic had a barren spell between winning the 2016 French Open, where he completed the career Grand Slam, and his fourth triumph at Wimbledon in the summer.

Struggling physically with an elbow injury and seemingly suffering mentally after what he described as “personal problems”, he went eight Slams without reaching the semi-finals until Wimbledon.

His performances at the All England Club indicated he was back close to his best and he has shown the same shot-making, stamina and steeliness at Flushing Meadows.

Djokovic had not faced a big server like Del Potro in his run to the final and showed all of his remarkable retrieving skills to frustrate his opponent.

Before the final, Del Potro had seen 41% of his serves unreturned in the tournament.

That figure dropped to 17% in the first set as Djokovic wore him down in some long rallies.

Djokovic had not threatened Del Potro’s serve until the eighth game of the match, clinically taking his only break point as the Argentine buckled first.

Del Potro said he felt many of his shots would have been winners against players other than Djokovic.

“I was playing at my limit almost all the time, looking for winners,” he said. “But couldn’t make them because Novak was there almost every time.

“I took the risks with my forehand because it was the only way to beat this kind of player. My mistakes were because of his level.

“Novak is too fast. His defence is good. It is really difficult to beat a player like Novak.”

Djokovic keeps pro-Del Potro crowd quiet

Del Potro has a fervent support at the US Open and was backed by a noisy support as thousands of Argentine fans descended on the Arthur Ashe Stadium wearing their national colours of light blue and white.

It made for a partisan atmosphere in the biggest tennis stadium in the world and, with the roof closed because of rain, led to a cauldron of noise.

At times it resembled a football match rather than a tennis match.

“You can win or lose a trophy but the love of the crowd is even bigger than the tournament and that’s what I got. It will be in my heart for the rest of my life,” Del Potro said.

Djokovic occasionally seemed annoyed by the support with the noise as British umpire Alison Hughes had to constantly plead with the crowd to remain quiet during points.

The atmosphere ignited again in the second set when Del Potro broke back to level at 3-3, before Djokovic silenced them with a courageous hold – after a 20-minute game lasting 22 points and in which he saved three break points to level at 4-4.

That proved to be the key moment in the match.

It enabled Djokovic to go on and take the second-set tie-break following four unforced errors from Del Potro’s forehand – including one on set point.

From that point a Djokovic victory looked inevitable and, after Del Potro wiped out a final-set break at 3-1 in the following game, the Argentine produced a double fault to give Djokovic another chance for a 5-3 lead.

Trying to force the issue, he hammered a backhand wide and Djokovic broke before serving out for victory.

Despite defeat, world number three Del Potro remained proud after an achievement he never thought would have been possible during his injury hell.

“I never gave up when I had the wrist problems,” he said.

“I got here to the final after nine years which is amazing because this is my favourite tournament on tour.”

Analysis

BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller

It was after watching Pete Sampras win Wimbledon – while sitting in his parents’ pizza parlour as a six-year-old – that Djokovic decided tennis was the sport for him.

He has rarely looked so ecstatic in his moment of victory: falling on to his back on the same court where his idol won his 14th and final Grand Slam 16 years ago.

Djokovic won with his customary elastic defence, and regular forays to the net. He was just a little better than Del Potro at the key moments – especially in a 95-minute second set, where he saved three break points in an eighth game which stretched to eight deuces and 20 minutes.

This time last year Djokovic was injured and uncertain about his future direction. Six months away from the Tour helped him rediscover his motivation and appreciate just why he wanted to continue.

He has been the dominant player of the summer and could now end the year as the world number one. It has been a remarkable turnaround from a man who now threatens to dominate the men’s game once more.

Sandra Harwitt, Special for USA TODAY Sports
Published 7:38 p.m. ET Sept. 9, 2018 | Updated 8:02 p.m. ET Sept. 9, 2018

NEW YORK — There appears to be one winning formula for Novak Djokovic when it comes to taking home the US Open title. He just has to capture the Wimbledon trophy before arriving in New York.

This marks the third time in his career he’s achieved that impressive double, winning Wimbledon and US Open titles back-to-back in 2011, 2015 and now 2018. Despite playing in eight US Open finals, he’s never succeeded without scoring at Wimbledon, too.

In a battle between two former US Open champions — Juan Martin del Potro won his lone Grand Slam title here nine years ago here — it was Djokovic who prevailed 6-3, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 on a rainy Sunday with the convertible-topped roof of Arthur Ashe stadium closed.

Djokovic fell to the ground in celebration before embracing del Portro at the net. Later on, when an upset del Potro sat on his bench awaiting the award ceremony, Djokovic went over to hug him and have a word.

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The Serb now leads del Potro 15-4 in career meetings, and 5-0 in Grand Slam encounters.

When Djokovic won his 13th Grand Slam at Wimbledon in July it was particularly pleasing as it was his first success at a major since he finally picked up the missing French Open trophy he so relished in 2016. That victory established a career Grand Slam for the Serb, completing his collection of winning at least once at each of the four Slams.

Djokovic has been successful in five of the last six Grand Slam finals he’s played dating back to Wimbledon in 2015. His only loss in that period was to Stan Wawrinka here at the 2016 US Open. Last year is the only time in the last eight years he failed to pick up at least one major trophy in a season.

Early in the tournament the extreme heat and humid conditions in New York clearly troubled Djokovic. There were actually a few occasions where there was wonderment that he was able to carry on.

But a 14th Grand Slam trophy was in the offing, which tied Djokovic in third place with Pete Sampras for most major trophies earned in the men’s game. Roger Federer leads with 20 Grand Slam titles, and Rafael Nadal shows off 17 in the museum at his academy in Manacor, Spain.

When Djokovic is in peak health, as he finally is following a long bout with a right elbow injury that eventually required surgery after this year’s Australian Open, he is most definitely a man on a mission.

In the category that it doesn’t matter how old one is, but rather how young they feel and can perform, the 31-year-old Djokovic is the ninth consecutive player over 30 to win the men’s title at a Slam. The last man to capture a major and not to be in his thirties was Andy Murray, who was 29 when he delighted British fans by winning his second Wimbledon trophy in 2016.

Del Potro cracked first when serving in the eighth game of the first set. Ahead 40-0 he wasn’t able to capitalize on any of the three game points, then went onto make two forehand errors to surrender his serve.

Djokovic, who has returned to the calm, cool and collected version of himself that routinely competed for Grand Slam titles, served out the first set in the next game.

After both players exchanged earlier service breaks in the second set, it became key that Djokovic held onto his serve in the eighth game, staving off three break points in the 22-point game that lasted 20 minutes, 32 seconds.

In all, the second set was a lengthy 95 minutes before ending for Djokovic in the tiebreaker, and saw both players leave the court for a change of clothes at its conclusion.

Djokovic seemed on his way to a smooth victory with a 3-1 lead in the third set, but del Potro wasn’t quite ready to surrender. He recouped the service break in the fifth game, but after holding serve, Djokovic went on to win the final three games of the over three-hour encounter.