Five-time major champion and former world No. 1 Maria Sharapova and Bob and Mike Bryan, the most successful men's doubles pairing in history, were named to the International Tennis Hall of Fame's Class of 2025 on Thursday.

They will be inducted Aug. 23 at the Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island, following a three-day celebration and related activities.

In a statement, Kim Clijsters, the Hall's president and a member of the 2017 Hall of Fame class, praised the trio for their careers and achievements.

"Beyond each of their historic accomplishments on the court, the Class of 2025 have had such a profound impact on the game of tennis and have inspired multiple generations of fans across the world," Clijsters said. "We look forward to celebrating them in Newport next year."

Sharapova, 37, is one of 10 women to achieve the career Grand Slam. One of the most recognizable players on tour for much of her career, Sharapova was Forbes' highest-paid female athlete in the world for 11 consecutive years due to her earnings on the court and various endorsement deals.

Sharapova's reputation and marketability suffered following the announcement of a failed test for a banned substance in 2016, and she was suspended from the sport for 15 months. She returned to competition in April 2017 and won her last title at the Tianjin Open that October. She retired in February 2020.

She won 36 titles overall and claimed an Olympic silver medal while representing her native Russia in 2012. Sharapova held the world's top ranking on five separate occasions for a combined 21 weeks. She was ranked in the top five for 408 weeks.

Identical twins and California natives Bob and Mike Bryan, 46, won 16 major titles, four ATP Finals and 119 overall titles together. The Bryan brothers held the No. 1 doubles ranking for 438 weeks, including a streak of 139 weeks from February 2013 to October 2015. They held the year-end top ranking 10 times, earned Olympic doubles gold in 2012 and bronze in 2008, and helped lead the United States team to Davis Cup victory in 2007.

Mike, older than Bob by two minutes, won two additional major doubles titles and the year-end ATP Finals alongside Jack Sock in 2018 when Bob was sidelined with injury, putting Mike atop the list for most all time. Both brothers earned multiple mixed doubles trophies -- Bob with seven and Mike with four -- throughout their 22-year career. They retired together in August 2020.

In an interview this week with ESPN, Bob said they would have "just fallen over" in shock if someone had told them as tennis-loving children that they would one day end up in the Hall of Fame.

"It was nothing we ever even put on our goal list," Bob said. "It's almost too unattainable for a young kid to think about that, and we always just loved what we did. I think that's what drove us to this point, and it allowed us to play tennis for so long. It was never really work or sacrifice for us.

"... It's an incredibly special feeling just because all of our idols and so many of the legends of the game are in there, and to be included in a house that holds those names is amazing for us."

Mike told ESPN that people began mentioning to them the possibility of the two ultimately being Hall of Famers once they broke Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde's record for most titles together (61), but it wasn't something either was focused on during their careers.

"We thought of 'The Woodies' record like climbing Mount Everest. It was such a milestone, but we would still kind of shrug it off when people would say, 'Oh one day you might be in Newport,'" Mike said. "But once we put our rackets down and really had the chance to look back on our body of work, we thought it might stack up when the vote came in five years. Then it was in the back of our minds."

The two were excited to learn they had been nominated in August. Earlier this month, while Mike and his family were staying with Bob and his family in South Florida after evacuating their Tampa Bay-area home during Hurricane Milton, both brothers received a text message asking whether they could attend a Zoom call later that day.

Sitting side-by-side in Bob's office, they knew it was good news as soon as they saw Clijsters' smiling face on the screen. Clijsters told them they were officially part of the 2025 Hall of Fame class, alongside Sharapova, someone whom they have known since she first came on tour.

"She's done great things for the sport, and great things off the court, so to be in this class with her is special," Mike said.

Bob said they were looking forward to spending time with Sharapova during the lead-in events and to have a formal occasion to thank everyone who helped them along the way.

"We retired during the pandemic, and we never really had a chance to thank all of these people that played a big part in our career," Bob said. "We just kind of sailed off into the sunset and never put a bow on the whole journey. So we're going to try to get as many people together as possible and just tell them how appreciative we are and that this is their moment too."

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Can Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry break the NFL's single-season rushing record?

Lamar Jackson nodded his head when posed the question.

"It's there," Jackson said after Wednesday's practice. "I feel like he has a great chance of achieving that. I think he can do it. I believe he can do it."

In his first season with the Ravens, Henry is having the best start of a decorated nine-year career. With stiff arms and explosive runs, Henry is averaging a league-best 124.7 yards rushing through seven games.

He is on pace for 2,120 yards rushing, which would eclipse Eric Dickerson's 40-year-old record. Dickerson ran for 2,105 yards for the Rams in 1984.

"I don't really try to think about that too much," Henry said when asked about Dickerson's record. "Just focus on me doing my job and being better and better every week. I don't really try to get into the statistics of things. I focus on the team goals."

Henry's 873 yards rushing are the most in the first seven games of a season since DeMarco Murray had 913 in 2014. Murray finished with 1,845 yards rushing.

If Henry is able to break Dickerson's record, he would have earned it. In Henry's final 10 games, he will face eight run defenses that rank in the top half of the league, including the Cleveland Browns' 15th-ranked run defense Sunday.

But Henry has proved he can defy the numbers. His 873 yards are the second most by a player 30 or older through seven games in NFL history, trailing only Walter Payton's 875 yards in 1984.

Henry said it doesn't matter if his age caused teams to shy away from signing him in free agency seven months ago.

"I went to the team I was supposed to go to and that I wanted to go to," Henry said. "I can't worry about what people say. I do what works for Derrick Henry and I'm a Baltimore Raven. I want to do the best I can to help us win each and every week."

It was four year ago when Henry totaled 2,027 yards rushing, falling 94 yards short of Dickerson's mark. On his current pace, Henry would become the first player in NFL history to record two 2,000-yard rushing seasons.

At 6-foot-3, 247 pounds, Henry is a major challenge to bring down for even NFL defenders. But, in an interview with ESPN, NBA star Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves said he thinks he can play free safety and believes he can tackle Henry.

"He's crazy," a smiling Henry said of Edwards, who is 6-4, 230 pounds. "I mean, everybody's got an imagination. ... We got to set up a training camp where basketball players come out here and put these pads on and see if they really can get through it."

With the 2024 NFL trade deadline less than two weeks away (Nov. 5), teams are revamping their rosters as they push for the playoffs. The Jets traded for Davante Adams on Oct. 15, just hours before the Bills brought in Amari Cooper from the Browns. The Chiefs landed their own wide receiver Wednesday, trading for DeAndre Hopkins of the Titans.

But more deals are coming. Which teams have the salary cap space right now to make big splashes? Who is in a good spot to add more draft capital or make a season-altering deal? And which teams might be sitting the deadline out to save cap space, looking ahead to extending their biggest stars next year?

We called on our NFL Nation reporters to assess all 32 teams' available cap space and draft capital. Though not every team will make a move, this is meant to size up each roster's trade flexibility. Teams are listed below by current available cap space, from most to least. And all projected cap space numbers for 2024 and 2025 are from Roster Management System, as of Oct. 23.

Jump to a nav:
ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN
CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND
JAX | KC | LAC | LAR | LV | MIA | MIN
NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF
SEA | TB | TEN | WSH

1. San Francisco 49ers

Cap space: $55.2 million

The 49ers have the flexibility to pursue anyone they want. The only caveat is that much of their cap space is earmarked to roll over into next season, when they will almost certainly sign quarterback Brock Purdy to a massive contract extension.

It wouldn't be surprising to see them use some draft capital to try to improve on the defensive line, the offensive line or the linebacker positions, if there's help to be found. It's just unlikely that any high-priced additions they make are viewed as more than a short-term rental. -- Nick Wagoner

2. Cleveland Browns

Cap space: $48.2 million

Cleveland has plenty of cap space after converting $44.8 million of quarterback Deshaun Watson's $46 million base salary into a signing bonus before the season. It also no longer owes any more draft picks from the Watson trade, so there's more than enough draft capital to swing a trade. However, the Browns are expected to roll over most of their cap space to the 2025 season, and they might prefer to keep their picks to replenish an aging roster that has underperformed. -- Daniel Oyefusi

3. Las Vegas Raiders

Cap space: $39.4 million

Trading wide receiver Davante Adams and not picking up any of the remaining salary for this season helped the Raiders out before the deadline. But if they're again in a rebuild, don't expect them to be very active in terms of acquiring more contributors. The opposite would be true.

General manager Tom Telesco has roughly $81 million in cap space for 2025, which currently would be the fifth most in the league. They're again in search of a franchise quarterback, as Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell (now injured with a broken thumb) have struggled this season. -- Paul Gutierrez

4. New England Patriots

Cap space: $38.6 million

As the early-season trade of outside linebacker Matthew Judon to the Falcons for a 2025 third-round pick reflected, there is motivation to acquire significant draft capital as part of what the team's front office views as a multiyear rebuild. Given the Patriots' 1-6 record, it would be a long shot to see them give up a high pick for a player, unless it was a situation similar to the Bears' acquiring pass rusher Montez Sweat for a second-round pick last season. (Chicago signed Sweat to a long-term deal.)

The Pats also could consider acquiring a player with a less-than-desirable contract if it meant they'd also receive an early-round pick. The Browns did that in 2017 by picking up quarterback Brock Osweiler, taking on his contract and receiving a second-round pick from the Texans in the swap. -- Mike Reiss

5. Detroit Lions

Cap space: $36.5 million

The Lions have plenty of cap space, but ever since general manager Brad Holmes arrived in 2021, he has taken the approach of drafting great prospects, developing them and rewarding them with extensions. They've agreed to extensions for three members of the 2021 class in wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, offensive tackle Penei Sewell and defensive tackle Alim McNeill, as well as for veterans running back David Montgomery and quarterback Jared Goff.

However, after Pro Bowl edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson's surgery to repair his fractured left tibia and fibula, the team could use its draft capital to trade for a veteran to help fill his role. -- Eric Woodyard

6. Washington Commanders

Cap space: $26.7 million

The Commanders' goal has always been to build a sustainable long-term winner, and they're well-positioned to do so. They are in good shape with the sixth-most cap space this season and the second-most space for 2025 ($94.7 million). They also have nine draft picks, including four in the first three rounds.

It would be hard to see the Commanders making a move unless it's also smart for the long term or for a very low immediate cost (they have multiple seventh-round picks). They're already a threat to win the NFC East. -- John Keim

7. Arizona Cardinals

Cap space: $26.0 million

The Cardinals have more than enough cap space to play with right now, if general manager Monti Ossenfort so desires. After being hired in 2023, he has spent the past two offseasons stripping down and slowly rebuilding the roster. Safety Budda Baker and running back James Conner are up for extensions this coming offseason. But Arizona has needs at cornerback and pass rusher that could be addressed immediately through a trade. The team certainly has the money to make it work. -- Josh Weinfuss

8. Dallas Cowboys

Cap space: $22.7 million

Looks can be deceiving when it comes to cap space. The Cowboys have plenty of it -- until you remember they need more than $20 million for the impending dead money on the contracts of guard Zack Martin, defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence and wide receiver Brandin Cooks once their deals are voided in 2025 (and if they're not re-signed).

Dallas will restructure the contracts of quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb by March to create more space. But the front office has been clear in its approach: The Cowboys will not play at the high end of the free agency market. As a result, keeping their top draft picks is even more of a must with how they want to build their roster. -- Todd Archer

9. Green Bay Packers

Cap space: $16.0 million

There's not a must-sign player on their roster who is headed for free agency next year, so the Packers could absorb a contract if they were to bring in a player via trade. They're also in a good spot with dead money on next year's cap. They have nearly $50 million in dead money on this season's cap and would have only $8.4 million in dead money in 2025. However, that could increase if they move on from any veteran players under contract, such as defensive end Preston Smith with his high-priced contract. -- Rob Demovsky

10. New York Jets

Cap space: $15.7 million

They have enough cap space to pick up another veteran, even after the addition of Davante Adams and the return of edge rusher Haason Reddick. But the sense is they're done with blockbusters.

The Jets own a pick in every round of the 2025 draft, so there's no shortage of draft capital to make a minor trade to improve their depth at safety or tight end. There just comes a point where you have to say enough is enough. -- Rich Cimini

11. Jacksonville Jaguars

Cap space: $15.3 million

The Jaguars likely won't add talent at the trade deadline after their poor start, but don't expect them to deal away all of their stars, either. There's still a talented nucleus, and the team spent nearly $500 million in the offseason to sign quarterback Trevor Lawrence, defensive end Josh Hines-Allen and corner Tyson Campbell. So, Jacksonville is not in a blow-it-up-and-start-over situation, whether general manager Trent Baalke and coach Doug Pederson are back in 2025 or not.

Pederson did say last week he didn't anticipate trading anyone else after the team moved defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris to Seattle, but the Jaguars certainly would listen to any team that calls. -- Michael DiRocco

12. Tennessee Titans

Cap space: $14.9 million

The Titans have space to trade for a quality player, if they choose to do so. But the DeAndre Hopkins and Ernest Jones IV deals indicate Ran Carthon & Co. are looking to build through the draft by acquiring more picks.

The team is caught in a predicament after its offseason spending spree -- including the signings of playmakers Calvin Ridley and Tony Pollard -- has failed to translate into wins. The 1-5 start has caused the Titans to pivot their focus to laying the foundation for the future. -- Turron Davenport

13. Indianapolis Colts

Cap space: $14.0 million

The Colts have just enough space to accommodate a midlevel salary in a trade, if necessary. In a move that was unusual for the franchise, it reworked some contracts late in the offseason to free up more cap space and provide greater flexibility.

But Indianapolis doesn't have any recent history of acquiring notable players at the trade deadline, and the organization is a big believer in rolling over unused cap space to the following year. It plans to do so again if the money goes unspent. -- Stephen Holder

14. Minnesota Vikings

Cap space: $14.0 million

The Vikings took on $62 million of dead money on their 2024 cap, including $28.5 million for quarterback Kirk Cousins (now in Atlanta) and $14.9 million for linebacker Danielle Hunter (now in Houston). But that will give them a dramatic boost in 2025 and future years as they (presumably) move forward with quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who will still have up to four more years remaining on his rookie contract.

They have enough space this season to make a modest deal, however, especially with the certainty of far more room next season. -- Kevin Seifert

15. Seattle Seahawks

Cap space: $12.9 million

John Schneider is one of the NFL's more active general managers when it comes to the trade market, and he has enough 2025 draft capital to make something happen, as Seattle has a pick in every round. But it will have to balance its current needs -- like an upgrade at guard -- with what might be a cap space crunch next offseason. The Seahawks already made a move to improve the linebacker group, swapping Jerome Baker and an extra fourth-rounder for Ernest Jones IV.

Several starters will be in line for big-money extensions, including quarterback Geno Smith, wide receiver DK Metcalf, left tackle Charles Cross, outside linebacker Boye Mafe, cornerback Riq Woolen and running back Kenneth Walker III. For that reason, any addition Seattle makes via trade will probably have to be an inexpensive one. -- Brady Henderson

16. Pittsburgh Steelers

Cap space: $12.6 million

The Steelers have the wiggle room to acquire moderately priced talent -- perhaps a wide receiver on the final year of his contract -- at the trade deadline. But don't expect the typically stingy franchise to land a high-priced veteran with extensions for linebacker T.J. Watt and potentially a quarterback on the horizon after this season.

The Steelers haven't mortgaged their future, meaning they have draft capital to work with in any potential trade package. They also gained a couple of extra late-round picks by dealing away guards Kevin Dotson and Kendrick Green. -- Brooke Pryor

17. Los Angeles Chargers

Cap space: $11.5 million

General manager Joe Hortiz navigated one the NFL's worst cap space situations when he took the job, making the team cap compliant by parting with star wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams and restructuring the contracts of outside linebackers Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack. But the Chargers' limited space this season isn't a sign that the team won't be active at the trade deadline, especially considering it is depleted at cornerback due to injuries. The Chargers are projected to have close to $90 million in cap space next season, the fourth most in the NFL, and will likely extend left tackle Rashawn Slater. -- Kris Rhim

18. Philadelphia Eagles

Cap space: $14.9 million

Several of the team's star players will see significant jumps in their cap numbers in 2025, including quarterback Jalen Hurts, who will go from $13.6 million to $21.8 million.

With $76 million currently committed to four players alone (Hurts, A.J. Brown, Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson), Philadelphia isn't in a position where it can spend too liberally in the short term to midterm and therefore probably won't add too hefty a contract at the deadline. That said, general manager Howie Roseman is one of the most active trade makers in the NFL. He has seven draft picks in 2025 to work with, including three fifth-rounders. -- Tim McManus

19. Cincinnati Bengals

Cap space: $10.5 million

Cincinnati's cap space seems like a decent amount to use to add a mid-level impact player, but keep in mind this team doesn't like to make a roster move to free up cap dollars. There's also the value in rolling over any unused cap into next year, especially with a potential extension for receiver Ja'Marr Chase looming over the franchise.

The Bengals rarely make in-season trades unless there's a disgruntled player. That happened in 2020, when defensive end Carlos Dunlap was moved to the Seahawks after he was unhappy with his role. -- Ben Baby

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Cap space: $9.1 million

The Bucs now have some choices to make for the next couple of years. Wide receiver Chris Godwin, who is in the final year of his contract, will miss the remainder of the season with a dislocated ankle. They also expect to be without fellow wideout Mike Evans for the next three games due to a hamstring injury.

Could they theoretically trade for a new wide receiver? It's feasible, considering how little the Chiefs gave up for DeAndre Hopkins. But this is what Tampa Bay coach Todd Bowles had to say: "We think Mike is coming back, but we really like our young guys. There are guys out there, but for what we would have to give up to get them, in the long run, it's probably not worth it." -- Jenna Laine

21. Carolina Panthers

Cap space: $8.9 million

The Panthers are gearing up for a big season in 2025, with more than $45 million in estimated cap space and most of their key players under contract, including defensive end Derrick Brown and linebacker Jadeveon Clowney. They also appear to be in the running for a top-three pick of the draft, according to ESPN's Football Power Index projections.

So, the combination of a high draft pick and money to spend next year remains the path for future success, just as it was before this season began. -- David Newton

22. Miami Dolphins

Cap space: $8.6 million

Miami has enough to make a quality veteran addition later in the season, if necessary. Don't expect any major moves, however, for any player who would require a long-term contract upon completion of the trade -- à la Bradley Chubb in 2022.

The Dolphins are projected to have about $4 million in cap space in 2025, with only 38 players under contract (quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's extension is set to kick in). There will likely be a series of cuts and restructures this coming offseason in order to preserve the team's financial flexibility. -- Marcel Louis-Jacques

23. Houston Texans

Cap space: $8.3 million

Even though the Texans are dealing with injuries -- specifically to their linebacker unit, as Azeez Al-Shaair (knee) and Christian Harris (calf) have missed time -- don't expect any big moves. There has been buzz about them potentially adding a safety, but they like their room and a rising rookie in Calen Bullock, who has three interceptions on the season. They definitely have the space to make a move, but their roster is pretty set. -- DJ Bien-Aime

24. Denver Broncos

Cap space: $7.9 million

The Broncos saddled themselves with their current salary cap woes after releasing quarterback Russell Wilson earlier this year and taking a $85 million dead money hit over two seasons. They've also tweaked virtually every big contract they have among their current players, save for left tackle Garett Bolles, to create space.

Denver is more likely to trade away players than add talent. The $76.4 million worth of dead money this year is a league high, and over $25 million worth of its cap space has been used by players on injured reserve. To add any significant contract would require the Broncos to dig an even bigger future hole, as they have about $32 million in dead money already for 2025. The Broncos need more draft picks and would listen to any and all proposals for help there. -- Jeff Legwold

25. Chicago Bears

Cap space: $7.7 million

General manager Ryan Poles was very active at the past two trade deadlines to address needs with wide receiver Chase Claypool in 2022 and defensive end Montez Sweat in 2023. But there's no obvious void to fill right now. Chicago's focus in the offseason has to be upgrading the offensive line, though it has been pleased by recent improvements up front and will return tackle Larry Borom (ankle) and guard Ryan Bates (shoulder/elbow) soon from IR.

While there might also be a couple of intriguing pass rushers to keep tabs on, the Bears would have to figure out how two expensive defensive end contracts fit into their long-term cap planning. The team made Sweat their highest-paid player in November. -- Courtney Cronin

26. New York Giants

Cap space: $7.1 million

The Giants have limited ability to make any significant moves near the trade deadline. The cap space is barely enough to get them through the season to fill holes that inevitably will occur because of injuries. And it's doubtful the Giants would want to trade draft capital. They are likely to be in the quarterback market in next year's draft, and they need to stockpile as many picks as possible in order to increase their options and flexibility. -- Jordan Raanan

27. Baltimore Ravens

Cap space: $5.0 million

The Ravens have been aggressive around the deadline with general manager Eric DeCosta, but they would need a team to pick up a player's salary to facilitate a deal. DeCosta has acknowledged the cap was going to be a challenge after signing Lamar Jackson, whose $32.4 million cap hit ranks sixth among quarterbacks.

DeCosta has shown he is willing to give up draft picks to address a need. In previous years, Baltimore has traded for middle linebacker Roquan Smith, cornerback Marcus Peters and pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue. Last season, it tried to acquire running back Derrick Henry, eventually getting him in free agency. -- Jamison Hensley

28. Atlanta Falcons

Cap space: $4.7 million

The Falcons did their shopping early this year, acquiring a pair of former Pro Bowlers in late August. They traded a 2025 third-round pick to the Patriots for edge rusher Matthew Judon and signed safety Justin Simmons to a one-year, $7.5 million contract.

General manager Terry Fontenot had to get several Atlanta players to restructure their existing contracts to make those deals happen. But he has been aggressive, and the team is in win-now mode. So, it wouldn't be a shock to see it fill a need at the deadline, including adding more depth at pass rusher or wide receiver. -- Marc Raimondi

29. New Orleans Saints

Cap space: $4.3 million

The Saints don't have the money to make any more major moves unless they open up space. They could restructure running back Alvin Kamara's contract, which is the only major contract they haven't touched this year.

New Orleans would likely only do that if it truly thought it has a chance at a season-altering player, as any addition will hurt the 2025 salary cap. It already has significant cap issues to address next year, with five players having cap hits of at least $20 million. (Quarterback Derek Carr's 2025 cap hit alone is $51.4 million.) That likely points to a quiet trade deadline. -- Katherine Terrell

30. Kansas City Chiefs

Cap space: $3.8 million

The Chiefs don't have much flexibility to make a trade from a cap standpoint after acquiring DeAndre Hopkins. They have some wiggle room but can't afford to take on any big contracts. They have two players with the highest cap hits at their positions (tight end Travis Kelce and guard Joe Thuney) as well as three others in the top five (quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tackle Jawaan Taylor and safety Justin Reid).

They also are unlikely to give away any more draft picks after giving up a conditional fourth-round pick for Hopkins. They've been careful not to gamble on any one season in the window they have with Mahomes. -- Adam Teicher

31. Buffalo Bills

Cap space: $3.5 million

The Bills used some of the very limited space they have to add Amari Cooper, who is accounting for roughly $800,000 of their cap. Any remaining moves would require a similar cap fit and creativity for them after they took on significant dead cap this season by moving on from wide receiver Stefon Diggs.

While the situation is tight, general manager Brandon Beane has made it clear that he -- as always -- will be looking for ways to improve the team's roster. Awaiting Buffalo next year is a much more open cap situation. -- Alaina Getzenberg

32. Los Angeles Rams

Cap space: $2.0 million

The Rams have little salary cap space because they have three players accounting for at least $23 million each, and that includes $23.8 million in dead money for the retired Aaron Donald. They do have several contracts they could restructure to free up space and make a move at the deadline, but that would be surprising given their losing record. Los Angeles also used its upcoming second-round pick to trade up for defensive lineman Braden Fiske in April. -- Sarah Barshop

Scarlets: Ioan Lloyd; Tom Rogers, Macs Page, Eddie James, Blair Murray; Sam Costelow, Gareth Davies; Alec Hepburn, Ryan Elias, Henry Thomas, Jac Price, Sam Lousi, Max Douglas, Josh Macleod (capt), Taine Plumtree.

Replacements: Marnus van der Merwe, Kemsley Mathias, Sam Wainwright, Alex Craig, Jarrod Taylor, Efan Jones, Ioan Nicholas, Johnny Williams.

Zebre: Geronimo Prisciantelli, Ben Cambriani, Luca Morisi, Damiano Mazza, Simone Gesi, Giovanni Montemauri, Alessandro Fusco, Danilo Fischetti (CAPT), Tommaso Di Bartolomeo, Juan Pitinari, Matteo Canali, Andrea Zambonin, Davide Ruggeri, Luca Andreani, Giovanni Licata

Replacements: Luca Bigi, Muhamed Hasa, Ion Neculai, Leonard Krumov, Giacomo Ferrari, Gonzalo Garcia, Enrico Lucchin, Giacomo Da Re

Referee: Morne Ferreira (SARU)

Assistant referees: Ben Connor & Matthew Leon (WRU)

TMO: Quinton Immelman (SARU).

Thibaut Courtois has been ruled out of this weekend's El Clásico (live on ESPN+ at 3 p.m. ET) against Barcelona due to an "adductor injury in his left leg" that could keep him out for three to four weeks, sources have told ESPN.

The Real Madrid goalkeeper initially suffered the injury during the 1-1 draw with Atlético Madrid on 29 September.

After two weeks on the sidelines, Courtois was instrumental in the victories over Celta Vigo and Borussia Dortmund, but the 32-year-old suffered a recurrence of the injury against the Bundesliga side.

"Following tests carried out on our player Thibaut Courtois by Real Madrid's medical services, he has been diagnosed with an adductor injury in his left leg. Pending evolution," the club said in a statement on Wednesday.

Sources have told ESPN that Courtois will miss the Clásico against Barça as well as games against Valencia and AC Milan. It seems very unlikely that he will be able to return to fitness in time to play in the match against Osasuna, although that will depend on the speed of his recovery.

Club sources told ESPN that they have a good understanding of this type of injury after dealing with it twice last season.

Rodrygo was also injured in the match against Dortmund. The Brazil international was substituted in the second half due to a hamstring problem.

Madrid confirmed that the forward had been "diagnosed with a muscle injury in the right femoral biceps," in a statement on Sunday. Sources have told ESPN that Rodrygo will be out for between 15 and 20 days.

Carlo Ancelotti's team, who trail Barcelona by three points in La Liga, host the league leaders at the Bernabéu on Saturday.

Spain's national police have arrested four people responsible for a hate campaign against Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior.

The investigation began following three complaints filed by LaLiga ahead of Madrid's 1-1 league draw at Atlético Madrid on Sept. 29.

Police confirmed to ESPN that those arrested "incited fans through social media to go to the [Metropolitano] stadium to utter insults with racist connotations" aimed at Vinícius.

Some fans had claimed on social media that they would attend the game at the Metropolitano wearing masks, enabling them to racially abuse the Brazil international without being identified.

Vinicíus, 24, has frequently been targeted with racist abuse from opposition fans since arriving in Spain in 2018, including at the Madrid derby.

Last year, four Atletico fans were charged after an effigy of Vinicíus was hung from a bridge.

In June, three Valencia fans were jailed for eight months for racially abusing Vinícius during a LaLiga game in May 2023, in the first verdict of its kind in Spain.

Last month, a Spanish court handed a 12-month suspended sentence to a Mallorca supporter that used racists insults against Vinícius and Villarreal's Samuel Chukwueze in February 2023.

The stage is perfectly set for the first Clásico of the season at the Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday (stream LIVE at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN+). LaLiga leaders Barcelona head to the Spanish capital with a three-point advantage over second-placed Real Madrid.

This was not scenario that was expected after 10 games. Madrid beat Barça twice on their way to the league title last season and then added one of the world's best players, Kylian Mbappé, to a front line already starring Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo Goes and Jude Bellingham.

Barça, meanwhile, started the season shrouded in uncertainty and continuing financial issues. Hansi Flick arrived to replace Xavi Hernández as coach, and while Dani Olmo was signed from RB Leipzig, they began the season with a squad that looked short on numbers and experience.

However, they have started the campaign in fine form -- as shown on Wednesday when Raphinha scored three goals as his side beat Bayern Munich 4-1 in the Champions League -- and Flick could move Barça six points clear of Madrid with a win in his first Clásico.

Mbappé, though, will want to have his say in his debut in the fixture, too, while Vinícius comes into the game on the back of a hat trick in Madrid's 5-2 comeback win over Borussia Dortmund. -- Sam Marsden

Clásico all-time head-to-head

All competitions
Madrid 105, Barcelona 100, Draws 52

LaLiga
Madrid 79, Barcelona 74, Drawn 35

LaLiga games at Bernabéu
Madrid 37, Barcelona 19, Drawn 13

-- ESPN Stats & Information

What happened last season?

Barcelona were the better team in both of last season's league Clásicos, but that wasn't enough. Both games were vintage Madrid smash-and-grabs. In the first Clásico of the season at Montjuïc, on Oct. 28, Barça dominated for an hour. Ilkay Gündogan's goal put them ahead early on. Luka Modrić and Eduardo Camavinga came on and changed the game, but Bellingham won it, scoring a long-range equaliser on 68 minutes before a second goal deep in added time made it 2-1.

The Supercopa meeting in January felt like an outlier as Madrid ran out comfortable 4-1 winners. In April's return league fixture, Barça were on top for long spells, leading 1-0 and then 2-1, but Madrid raised their game and Bellingham inevitably scored a 91st-minute winner, making it 3-2 as the Bernabéu erupted. Had Barcelona won those two Clásicos, they'd have been champions. But they lost both. Talk about fine margins.-- Alex Kirkland

How Real Madrid's and Barcelona's seasons have gone so far

Real Madrid: Madrid are unbeaten in LaLiga, with seven wins and three draws, but their style of play has failed to impress. They've dropped points at Real Mallorca and Las Palmas -- games they should win comfortably -- and even in victory they were made to sweat by opponents like Villarreal and Celta Vigo. Highlights have been moments of individual quality -- in particular, the goals of Mbappé and Vinícius -- rather than as a collective. They miss the retired Toni Kroos in midfield, and Mbappé's arrival up front has unbalanced a solid defensive unit. Despite all that, they're only three points behind Barcelona. -- Alex Kirkland

Barcelona: Flick's first 10 league games in charge of Barcelona have exceeded all expectations. They have won nine of them, only losing away at Osasuna when the German coach opted to rotate his squad ahead of a Champions League game. They look fitter and hungrier than last season and are much more effective in the final third. They have already netted 33 league goals, 12 more than Madrid, who rank second with 21. Considering the injuries they have had to deal with, including to summer signing Olmo, and the youngsters they have had to use, results could hardly have been better at this stage. But a trip to the Bernabéu poses their biggest test yet. -- Marsden

Tale of the tape

Goalkeeper

Real Madrid: Thibaut Courtois, the world's best goalkeeper, is expected to miss the game after a recurrence of the adductor injury that kept him out earlier in the season. For most teams, that would be a devastating blow, but at least Madrid have last season's hero Andriy Lunin -- who covered for Courtois for almost all of 2023-24 -- ready to step in. Lunin surprised everybody with the level of his displays last year. But still, he's no Courtois. -- Kirkland

Barcelona: Iñaki Peña has filled in since a knee injury ruled Marc-André ter Stegen out for the season. The 25-year-old goalkeeper has kept three clean sheets in his six starts but also conceded four at Osasuna and there is not the same feeling of security with him in goal as there was with Ter Stegen. Former Arsenal and Juventus No. 1 Wojciech Szczęsny came out of retirement to sign for Barça until the end of the season and provide competition for Peña. Szczęsny is expected to eventually take the gloves from Peña, but the Clásico may be deemed too soon for him. -- Marsden

Who has the edge?: Madrid

Defence

Real Madrid: Dani Carvajal's absence means Lucas Vázquez is the only available right-back (sources have told ESPN that Madrid are looking to sign another, but finding the right candidate in January will be difficult). A reliable backup, Vázquez is sometimes prone to switch off when defending the far post. Éder Militão and Antonio Rüdiger pick themselves at centre-back, where David Alaba still isn't fit, and Jesús Vallejo isn't good enough. On the left, Ferland Mendy -- named the "best defensive left-back in the world" by coach Carlo Ancelotti -- should get the nod over Fran García, and he'll be tasked with stopping teenage superstar Lamine Yamal. -- Kirkland

Barcelona: With Ronald Araújo and Andreas Christensen injured long term, Barça have a settled back four of Jules Koundé, Pau Cubarsí, Iñigo Martínez and Alejandro Balde. Individually they are all playing relatively well, but Flick wants them to play a high line, and that does give opponents a chance to get in behind if Barça's pressing from the front is not perfect. They miss Araújo's recovery pace in that sense. -- Marsden

Edge: Madrid

Midfield

Real Madrid: Ancelotti has recently opted to strengthen his midfield, going for a quartet in the middle of the park rather than a more lightweight trio. Two of Aurélien Tchouaméni, Camavinga and Modrić will accompany Federico Valverde and Bellingham. Valverde is arguably Madrid's player of the season so far, doing his best to fill the retired Kroos' boots, while Bellingham hasn't scored for his club since May... Could that change on Saturday? The weak link is Tchouaméni, who often looks uncomfortable in possession. -- Kirkland

Barcelona: Injuries have disrupted Barça's midfield this season. Gavi, Frenkie de Jong, Olmo, Fermín López and Marc Bernal have all missed large parts of the campaign. Gavi, De Jong, Olmo and López are all available again, but the Blaugrana are likely to stick with Marc Casadó, who has done brilliantly since being promoted from the B team, and Pedri. The question is which of those returning players, if any, are fit enough to accompany them from the start. If the answer is none, the other options are Raphinha in the No. 10 role, or the inexperienced Pablo Torre. -- Marsden

Edge: Barça

Attack

Real Madrid: Vinícius and Mbappé need no introduction. The pair are lethal in front of goal -- both scoring at Celta on Saturday, with a total of 11 league goals between them -- even if they aren't the most obvious duo, sharing many characteristics. Their weakness is a shared reluctance to track back, more pronounced in Mbappé's case, and the knock-on effect of that on the team's overall solidity. But their quality on the ball is undeniable and, with Rodrygo ruled out, they will need to step up. -- Kirkland

Barcelona: Flick has the Barça front line purring. Lewandowski, whom he previously worked with at Bayern, has been the big benefactor of the team's improvement in the final third. The veteran striker is getting the ball in more central areas in the final third and has netted 12 times in 10 league games. Yamal from the right and Raphinha, either from the left or centrally, have also been brilliant. No-one has more goal contributions in LaLiga than the trio: Lewandowski leads the way with 14, followed by Raphinha and Yamal, who have 10 each. The case could be made that they have been the best front three in Europe so far this season. -- Marsden

Edge: Barça

Coaches

Real Madrid: Ancelotti has struggled to find exactly the right formula so far this season to get Madrid firing on all cylinders, but you wouldn't bet against him getting there eventually. The Italian has vast experience, has won it all, and knows all about this fixture, having coached Madrid in 11 Clásicos over two spells. He's prone to the occasional high-profile Clásico gamble -- think Sergio Ramos playing in midfield in 2013, or Modrić as a false No. 9 in 2022 -- but they're rare. -- Kirkland

Barcelona: Flick has quickly made his mark on this Barça side. They press well, create chances quickly when they win the ball back and defend with a really high line. He has improved the output of players who struggled at times last season, including Lewandowski and Raphinha, and has trusted in youth when faced with a lengthy injury list. He can almost do no wrong at the moment, but that can quickly change if he doesn't get things right in the Clásico.-- Marsden

Edge: Madrid

Key clashes

Kylian Mbappé vs. Pau Cubarsí: Cubarsí, 17, is a precociously talented defender, but Mbappé is getting better game by game -- Ancelotti says he's looked "a different player" after resting over the international break -- and will relish the space he should find in behind Barcelona's defence. Madrid tend to struggle when faced with a deep block, but such an approach would represent a radical shift for Flick's Barça, who favour a high line. If they stick to that philosophy, Mbappé will enjoy himself. -- Kirkland

Lamine Yamal vs. Ferland Mendy: It will be interesting to see how Barça attack Vázquez at right-back, either through Raphinha staying wide or Balde pushing up, but the most fascinating battle comes on the other side. He may only be 17, but so many Barça games are being determined by Yamal already. Either teams overcommit men to mark him, leaving space for the other attackers, or he produces a moment of magic. Mendy, on his day, is a fine defender, so it promises to be an absorbing contest. -- Marsden

Clásico predictions

Real Madrid 3-2 Barcelona. Yes, Barça have been the best team in LaLiga this season, but Flick's kids haven't come up against a forward line with the pace and goal threat of Mbappé and Vinícius. Expect an end-to-end, entertaining game, with both teams on the front foot. I think that will favour Madrid, but it should be fun either way, with lots of goals. -- Kirkland

Real Madrid 2-2 Barcelona. Famous last words, perhaps, but I agree it will be entertaining. Flick insists he won't change his ideas too much, which should mean plenty of attacking and a high line. That would lead to chances and goals at both ends.-- Marsden

Betting odds

Real Madrid +105, Barcelona +220, Draw +290 (at time of publication)

-- ESPN BET

WHATEVER FINALLY BROUGHT Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge together, be it fate or kismet or financial might or a lucky draw or some combination therein, understands the power of delayed gratification. For the past seven years, Ohtani and Judge have existed in the same baseball universe, dominating their peers wholly and incontrovertibly -- trains moving faster than everyone, only set on parallel tracks. Never, for anything meaningful, did their paths converge. Neither had reached the biggest stage, together or individually. They were monoliths. Their greatness lived in realms of their own.

What if, though? It was always the optimistic question. What if, at some point in this game that so often makes no sense, everything aligned with purpose? What if Ohtani joined a team worthy of his excellence, and what if Judge's failures of Octobers past receded, and what if these two men who have bent a sport to their will finally met for something more meaningful than awards or records?

Each owns plenty of hardware. Judge has won one MVP award, is about to win another, made six All-Star teams, collected three Silver Sluggers and was Rookie of the Year. Ohtani's résumé is nearly a carbon copy: two MVPs with a third on the way, four All-Star Games, two Silver Sluggers and a Rookie of the Year plaque. Ohtani and Judge have coexisted in the same way as light and darkness, silence and noise, truth and lies: They are here, undeniable, grand forces of nature, but never together.

Now they are united at last, a blessing of synchronicity. It feels almost miraculous to find a moment like this, when the two men who, more than any, have evolved the sport to a new place face off with one another for the only prize that matters.

We have no idea what kind of baseball is in store in the World Series that begins Friday between the Dodgers and Yankees, between Los Angeles and New York, between Ohtani and Judge. In no way should that diminish the excitement. The matchup takes something already special -- the first time in 41 years that the Dodgers and Yankees, the two most famous franchises in the sport, battle for a championship -- and infuses it with jet fuel. As much of a turn-off as the pairing of two financial behemoths that regularly carry payrolls in the $300 million range might be to all of the fans whose organizations refuse to spend half that, now is not the time to lament baseball's inequity. This is a rare gift of two historically unique talents.

Until Judge arrived, no man who stood at least 6-foot-7 and weighed more than 280 pounds had taken a single major league at-bat. Until Ohtani came from Japan, no MLB player since Babe Ruth nearly a century earlier had attempted to pitch and hit full-time simultaneously, let alone done so with aplomb. These are imaginary beings manifested as men.

Because the ulnar collateral ligament in Ohtani's right elbow failed for a second time, he will not stand 60 feet, 6 inches from Judge, ball in hand, specimen against specimen. But Ohtani and Judge will share the same field, breathe the same air, play in the same games, strive for the same goal, and for now, that is plenty.

This World Series will mark the first time ever that opposing players coming off 50-home run regular seasons face one another. The first time home run champions from the American and National League clashed since Mickey Mantle and Duke Snider in1956. The first time players with at least nine wins above replacement squared off in a World Series since Ted Williams and Stan Musial in 1946.

Opportunities like this come along only every so often for baseball. The how and the why can be left to the cosmic, the unknowable. All that matters, really, is that they are here.

OHTANI'S PATH BEGAN more than 5,000 miles away from Dodger Stadium. For years, he was Japan's secret, its treasure. Maybe the best pitcher in the world -- and he could hit. As Ohtani prepared to leave Nippon Professional Baseball after the 2017 season and join MLB, big league scouts weren't convinced he could do both. They were wrong. From the right arm whirling around his 6-foot-4, 230-pound frame, Ohtani thrust balls with uncommon speed and spin. And not only could he hit, he did so like few others. The ball soared off his bat as if propelled by gunpowder. Before his arrival in MLB, only two players could generate batted balls like Ohtani. One was named Giancarlo Stanton, and he won the NL MVP award in 2017. The other was the AL Rookie of the Year that season: Aaron Judge.

When Ohtani signed with the Los Angeles Angels, the baseball industry cocked a collective eyebrow. The Angels were backbenchers in Southern California, terminally misrun. The skepticism was proven well-founded: Ohtani spent six seasons in Orange County and played for teams that went a combined 401-469, finished in fourth place in the AL West five times and never made the postseason. For a team to pair Ohtani with Mike Trout for more than half a decade and never muster a winning record takes festering institutional rot.

Relevance awaited 30 miles north. When Ohtani reached free agency last winter, the Dodgers pulled out every stop to convince him to abscond Anaheim for L.A., including a video the late Kobe Bryant had recorded when the Dodgers tried to sign Ohtani in December 2017.

The Dodgers, admired by players for their generous payrolls, made a pitch to Ohtani that went beyond money (though they were fully amenable to his request: 10 years, $700 million, with $680 million of it deferred, 65% more guaranteed dollars than baseball's previous record deal, the $426.5 million extension Trout signed in 2019). The organization shares Ohtani's obsessiveness with the game. The Dodgers promised he would be surrounded by like-minded people on the hitting and pitching sides, ones who spend as much time thinking about baseball as Ohtani does.

They welcomed his curiosity and whetted his appetite for knowledge. He could take batting practice off the Trajekt pitching machine that can replicate every major league pitch thrown this season. He could hone his swing with HitTrax, another piece of tech that measures batted-ball profiles. He could work with a medical staff that mapped out a plan for him to rehabilitate his elbow while chasing history.

Beyond that, the Dodgers planned to tap into something the Angels never fully could: the power of Ohtani in Japan. He is baseball's biggest star in at least a generation, maybe longer. His reach extends across oceans. If in his time with the Angels he managed to establish himself as inimitable in the same way as Ronaldo and Messi, LeBron and Steph, Brady and Mahomes, continuing with the Dodgers would exponentially increase the size of his stage.

More than that, they were winners, something Ohtani had been starved for in Anaheim. The Dodgers had captured the NL West title 10 of the past 11 years. Their success is a foundational element of the franchise, which will make its 22nd World Series appearance this week.

Ohtani chose the Dodgers on Dec. 9, spent spring training weathering all of the attention that came with the marriage of iconic player and organization and navigated the delicate dance of integrating into a clubhouse full of set-in-their-ways veterans while bringing with him the eyeballs of a country of 125 million people.

"You would never guess he's Japanese Justin Bieber," Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow said. "He's got a very young soul. He seems very innocent."

Following Ohtani's first game as a Dodger, everything changed. After inquiries from an ESPN reporter about a multimillion-dollar gambling debt, Ohtani's interpreter and closest friend, Ippei Mizuhara, stood in front of the team and said he had an addiction. Based on information provided by Mizuhara, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman told the team Ohtani had helped cover the losses.

The story didn't add up to Ohtani, who speaks and understands English but not fluently. Hours later, the Dodgers fired Mizuhara, who later would admit in court to stealing nearly $17 million from a bank account of Ohtani's to which he had access. Questions about Ohtani's involvement -- which were answered in a federal complaint that point-by-point laid out the case against Mizuhara -- nonetheless hung over the Dodgers. Mizuhara's guilty plea to bank fraud and tax fraud in June, carrying a sentence of up to 33 years, did little to satisfy the conspiracy theorists convinced he was protecting Ohtani.

All the while, Ohtani kept hitting. He entered June with 14 home runs and an OPS of nearly 1.000, and he proceeded to hit a dozen home runs that month. He added 12 stolen bases in July, then followed by homering another 12 times and swiping 15 more bags in August. When September arrived, the specter of Ohtani becoming the first player ever to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a season looked possible. He reached both marks Sept. 18 in arguably the greatest individual game in baseball history: 6-for-6 with three home runs, 10 RBIs and two stolen bases. The 50^th home run ball sold at auction for $4.392 million on Wednesday.

Ohtani didn't stop at 50/50. A day later, he hit his 51st homer, and two days after that, out went No. 52, a colossal shot on a 92-mph fastball from Colorado starter Kyle Freeland that was above the strike zone and on the inner third of the plate -- a seemingly impossible pitch to hit where he did (slightly to the left of center field) and how hard he did (110 mph).

"Going backside in Dodger Stadium is not easy," Dodgers Game 1 starter Jack Flaherty said. "Left-center off a lefty? Really not easy. Do it on that pitch, up and in, and hit it as far as he did on a pitch that's a ball? Damn."

Ohtani ended his age-30 season with 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases for the team with the best record in baseball -- the essential validation for his free agency decision. What the Dodgers sold him on -- that they would help make Ohtani the best version of himself -- came true.

"What was so surprising for me is no matter how he's doing, good or bad, he's the same," Glasnow said. "Every single person I've played with has ups and downs. You can tell when things are going well. It helped that he was having a dominant season, but he never seems too overwhelmed.

"People who get too consumed with it -- it adds more stress. He doesn't seem to carry it with him. It doesn't seem like he's overly stressed out ever."

October offered the potential for that. And just like in April, when Ohtani answered questions about his ability to withstand scrutiny, he displayed rare imperviousness. Ohtani homered in his second playoff at-bat. He reached base 17 times in the NLCS, a Dodgers postseason-series record. He continued a laughable jag dating back to the regular season in which he hit safely in 18 of his last 23 at-bats with runners on base.

And somehow none of it seemed altogether absurd. Because this is who Ohtani is. Impossible is a goal, inconceivable an aspiration. It is the rarest quality in sports. And there's only one other player in baseball right now who can come close to matching it.

JUDGE'S PATH BEGAN nearly 3,000 miles from Yankee Stadium. He was the 32nd pick in the first round of the 2013 draft, a Fresno State outfielder whose size and the lack of comparable players concerned most teams. New York considered this a feature, not a bug. No franchise understands the value of a star like the Yankees, and they gladly went big, appreciating the boom-or-bust nature of prospects with tools like Judge's.

He arrived in the Bronx on Aug. 13, 2016, batting eighth for a Yankees team barely over .500. On the fourth major league pitch he saw, Judge hit a towering home run to center field, one of two hits that day. He homered the next day, followed that with two more hits and added another pair in his fifth game. For the previous 2 seasons, Judge had tantalized the Yankees with his raw talent. What they saw in the first five games of his major league career went a long way to justifying their excitement.

That he followed the early slice of substantiation with the worst slump of his career -- in Judge's final 22 games that year, he hit .121/.213/.227 with 36 strikeouts in 66 at-bats -- did not disillusion the Yankees. They believed in the person, the work, as much as they did the player.

Even so, what Judge did in his first full season -- .284/.422/.627 with 52 home runs, 114 RBIs and a league-leading 128 runs, 127 walks and 208 strikeouts -- dwarfed expectations. Greatness in baseball scarcely reveals itself so quickly. When it does, its trappings can ensnare even the most careful. Never did Judge find himself caught. He was big and moved in gorgeous fashion, his swing honed over thousands of hours, his twitchiness typically seen in men 6 inches shorter and 80 pounds lighter. When he played, he thrived. And though injuries ate at chunks of his next three seasons, Judge always produced when healthy, settling into a position held by few: a true, undeniable New York sports star.

"Judgy's just such a consistent person," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "You can't hide that or fake that. That's what's so impressive about him. You can't tell if he is flying high, which he normally is, or if he's 2-for-14, striking out for a few days."

Judge understood the duties of serving as the heir to Derek Jeter, the longtime Yankees captain who retired in 2014: accountability above all. To the team. To the fans. To himself. Baseball is a cannibal of a sport, capable of eating at the psyches of even the most gifted players. Judge could not succumb to its vagaries, and he didn't, and over time Boone's awe morphed into admiration. He trusted Judge, still green by baseball standards, for wisdom and input.

"Over the years, I've brought him in more," Boone said. "I'll ask his opinion on something I'm thinking about with the team. But I love it when he stops by my office after a game. He'll just pop in late, an hour after a game, and just check in. Maybe it was a big win or something. And he'll say, 'Good stuff, skip. Hey, how's everyone doing? How are we looking?'"

When something goes wrong, on the field or otherwise, Judge will give Boone a knowing glance, ball up his fist and tap himself on the chest, as if to say: That's on me. And as much as Judge understands his apologies won't be accepted -- "More often than not," Boone said, "I'm just like: 'Stop it' " -- he still takes it upon himself to offer them. If things are really going sideways, Judge will forgo the sign language for verbal affirmation.

On July 24, 2022, about two months before he would hit his 62nd home run and break the single-season AL home run record Roger Maris had held for more than six decades, Judge struck out in his first at-bat against Baltimore right-hander Dean Kremer on a curveball that nearly hit the ground. He returned to the dugout, looked at Boone and said: "I got you." In his next at-bat, Judge hit a Kremer curve 456 feet. As he rounded third, he extended his index finger and pointed at Boone in the dugout.

For all of Judge's brilliance that season, he went 1-for-16 as the Houston Astros swept the Yankees in the ALCS. They had lost the previous year in the wild-card game to Boston. And in the 2020 division series to Tampa. And the season prior to the Astros in the ALCS. And before that to the Red Sox in the division series. And in his first postseason, his rookie year, when three home runs and seven RBIs weren't enough to oust an Astros team later punished for sign-stealing that extended into October. As much credit as Judge is due for his regular-season radiance, the lack of a World Series appearance until now was an indelible dark spot.

"It eats at me every time we don't finish the job," Judge said. "I take a lot of responsibility for that, being on the team, and if we don't win it all, I feel like it's my fault."

The Yankees re-signed Judge to a nine-year, $360 million contract in December 2022, thwarting the San Francisco Giants' attempt to lure him back to California. New York proceeded to miss the postseason in Judge's first year of the deal, and the organization, keenly aware of the need to surround him with better players, acquired star right fielder Juan Soto in a trade. Fourteen consecutive seasons without a World Series appearance conferred a particular sense of urgency on the Yankees, as did the acknowledgement that at 32 years old, Judge's best years might be behind him.

April stoked such fears. Batting just .179 with two home runs 21 games into the season, Judge was booed at Yankee Stadium. Judge didn't begrudge them. With his contract came the Yankees' captaincy and its responsibilities. Even the most productive hitter in the world can slump, and New York offers no mercy.

"There's been a lot of legends that played here that have been booed," Judge said. "It's just part of it. You can't focus on that. You've got to go out there. They want to see you win. They want to see you do well. You've just got to focus on what you can control. What I can control is what I do in the box and what I do on the field."

When Judge talks about his process or taking things one at-bat at a time or creating a plan and needing to execute on it or controlling what he can control, the words are neither idle nor trite. He homered 14 times in May. He hit .409 and drove in 37 runs in June. He added another dozen home runs in August. He fell off slightly in September and still managed an OPS over 1.000 for the month. Though Judge's 58 home runs this season fell short of his record, his best all-around season yet helped the Yankees improve by a dozen games over 2023. New York captured the top seed in the AL, toppled Kansas City in the division series, bounced Cleveland in the ALCS and booked the ticket to their 41st World Series and Judge's first.

All of it came with Judge still not performing like himself in the postseason. He finished the division series 2-for-13 and the ALCS 3-for-18, far from the sort of production expected of Judge by his team and himself. But as when his cold spring gave way to a blistering summer, Judge heats up fast. And if the Yankees can make it to the World Series without him hitting, imagine what they'll look like if he does.

NOW THEY MEET, the superstars who weren't supposed to be what they are because how could anybody be that, at the intersection of unspeakable talent and fanatical work? If Ohtani and Judge were on expansion teams, it would be a championship bout compelling enough to watch. Add in the backdrop -- the 11 previous World Series between the franchises, the two biggest cities in America, the two best records in MLB -- and it's challenging to envision a World Series that appeals more to the masses.

MLB's expanded postseason has reduced even further the likelihood that the best team in each league would play in the World Series, which is why this feels so special. These aren't wild cards that got hot at the right time. They're very good baseball teams with truly great players. The parade of stars beyond Ohtani and Judge -- Juan Soto, Mookie Betts, Giancarlo Stanton, Freddie Freeman, Gerrit Cole -- bolsters the argument in favor of this being a World Series for the most casual of fans.

If you love baseball -- hell, if you just like it -- this series is a privilege in the same way it was the last time we saw Ohtani playing meaningful baseball. That was March 2023, when the Japanese national team he captained opposed Team USA in the finals of the World Baseball Classic. (Judge declined joining Team USA to focus on his goals in New York.) With Japan leading by one run, Ohtani came on to pitch the ninth. He secured two outs, and up stepped Trout, the only other person who understood on his level what it meant to play for the Angels. To be that best version of himself, Ohtani needed these sorts of moments, challenges, stakes. On a 3-2 pitch, he threw a vicious sweeper that crossed all 18 inches of the plate and more. Trout swung through it. Ohtani exulted.

No one in the United States had seen that side of him. At 21, he won the Japan Series with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, and it left him hungry. By the end of last season, Ohtani was famished. If baseball is a game he's trying to solve bit-by-bit, a championship run in the world's best league might as well be the final boss. And it's the one area in which Ohtani allows himself leeway for the moment to penetrate his rhinoceros skin. This, to Ohtani, isn't simply important. It's everything.

"Playing a regular-season game and playing a playoff game is different," Ohtani said. "And I think a lot of players end up showing their emotions. So I feel like I'm part of that."

Judge is not, though he sees the stakes as no less do-or-die than Ohtani does. Stoicism is Judge's superpower, and to change that now, because he is four wins from his first ring, would be a betrayal of self. Discipline got Judge here, and he refuses to cave to the notion that October contrasts with September or August or July in any meaningful way.

"All I'm doing is trying to treat it just like the regular season," Judge said, "go out there and whatever the situation calls for, go out there and do it and help the team win a game."

At the end of this series, one of baseball's two titans is going to win four games and his first championship, gilding his legacy. The other will skulk away, heartbroken, wondering where it went wrong, lamenting what he could have done. It doesn't matter that their pitching staffs are both stretched thin, that the grind of a 162-game season is compounded by an October where every pitch matters. The way Ohtani and Judge's minds work, they could bat 1.000, and if they lose, they still won't have done enough.

And that's what makes this all so damn good. At 8:08 p.m. ET on Friday, inside a packed Dodger Stadium, seven years in the making arrives. The delay ends. The gratification beckons. Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge, each one of one yet still in so many ways the same, ushering in something only they can. An epic for a new epoch.

Henry Slade's return to the Exeter side could make the difference they need to end their losing streak, says boss Rob Baxter.

The Chiefs have equalled their club-record run of five successive Premiership losses after Friday's defeat at Newcastle and sit bottom of the table.

Slade, who had shoulder surgery over the summer, has been given permission by England to play in Exeter's game with Harlequins on Sunday before next week's Test with New Zealand.

"No single player is a cure-all to everything and you don't suddenly put one player in and win every game," Baxter told BBC Sport.

"But I think without doubt when you see how we lost a couple of games this season, I'm particularly talking about our two home games, you do kind of think it wouldn't have taken much more - just authority or calmness on the field - for those to have been, not comfortable, but they could have easily turned our way.

"So, when you look at it that way, that obviously puts a big difference on the perspective of the season.

"Would we have gone to Newcastle and played better with some points on the board? Almost certainly, so you could say there's a big ripple effect there and that's probably where we are as a group really."