Current Affairs - Sports

Elena Rybakina defeated top seed and two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka to win the US Open women’s singles title in 2026. Rybakina secured the victory in a three-set match with a score of 6-4, 5-7, 6-2. The Kazakh player overcame a difficult start and maintained her composure in the deciding set, eventually sealing the match with her 12th ace. The victory earned Rybakina her third Grand Slam title and also helped her become the world No. 1 player in women’s tennis. She had previously won the Wimbledon and Australian Open titles, with the French Open remaining for her to complete a career Grand Slam.

Sheetal Devi of India won her first individual World Archery Para Series gold medal in the women’s compound event in Ahmedabad. She defeated Kazakhstan’s Aizada Seidan in a dramatic shoot-off after both archers began the final with identical scores. Seidan’s final two arrows included two Xs, forcing the contest into a shoot-off. Sheetal Devi responded strongly by shooting an X in the decisive round to secure the gold medal. Aizada Seidan won the silver medal, while India’s Sarita claimed bronze after defeating China’s Wang Huiting. Sheetal Devi’s victory also provided an important confidence boost ahead of the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games.

East Zone won the 2026-27 Duleep Trophy after the final against South Zone ended in a draw at Chepauk, Chennai. East Zone secured the title based on their commanding first-innings lead after South Zone were dismissed for 336 runs. East Zone had scored 708 runs in their first innings and later declared at 388/7, leaving South Zone with no realistic opportunity to force a result. Kounain Quraishi was one of the highlights of the final, scoring an unbeaten 116 for his maiden first-class century. Captain Ishan Kishan also played a crucial role, scoring 270 and 80 and earning the Player of the Match award.

Fourth was the position secured by India at the Pickleball World Cup 2026 in Da Nang, Vietnam. India delivered its best-ever performance at the tournament, finishing fourth among 82 participating nations. The Indian contingent won a total of 41 medals, comprising seven gold, 17 silver and 17 bronze medals. This marked a significant improvement from India’s seventh-place finish in the previous World Cup. A total of 48 Indian players competed across Kids, Juniors, Open, Seniors and Masters categories. The Indian Pickleball Association viewed the achievement as an important step toward strengthening the sport and encouraging grassroots development in India.

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty won the China Masters Super 750 title in September 2026, after making an impressive comeback. It was their second title of the 2026 season, following their victory at the Singapore Open Super 750. Earlier in the year, the Indian pair had finished runners-up at the Thailand Open Super 500. The China Masters is a BWF World Tour Super 750 event, considered the third-highest tier of professional badminton tournaments. Satwik and Chirag have also made history as the first Indian men’s doubles pair to achieve the World No. 1 ranking and won India’s first Asian Games men’s doubles badminton gold in 2022.