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Wimbledon Tennis Championships

Organized by the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in collaboration with the Lawn Tennis Association, The Wimbledon Championships is the oldest tennis tournament in the world and is widely regarded as the most prestigious, having been held since 1877. It is the only tennis major still played on grass, the traditional surface. This is the 138th tournament at Wimbledon.

The third of the four Grand Slam tennis events each year, held after the Australian Open and the French Open and before the US Open, the 2025 tournament begins June 30.

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz will be defending his 2023 and 2024 Gentlemen's singles titles, with Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic looking for her second straight ladies' championship.

Alcaraz will be going for three straight after beating Novak Djokovic for the second straight year in 2024. Djokovic lost in five sets in 2023, but only lasted three in 2024, with Alcaraz winning, 6-2, 6-2, 7-6. Djokovic had won seven Wimbledon titles before meeting up with Alcaraz, including four straight from 2018-2022 (no tournament in 2020).

Alcaraz, seeded #2, is expected to meet Italy's Jannik Sinner, winner of this year's Australian Open. Alcaraz recently won his second consecutive French Open.

Krejcikova defeated Italy's Jasmine Paolini, 6-2, 2-6, 6-4, in 2024. She has only played six matches this year due to recovery from a back injury which sidelined her for six months. She will face a possible challenge in the opening round from Filipina tennis sensation Alexandra "Alex" Eala.

The top seeds on the ladies' side are #1 Aryna Sabalenck and #2 Coco Gauff. The two met in the final of the recently-concluded French Open, won by Gauff. American Jessica Pegula is seeded #3, with last year's runner-up, Paolini, at #4. Scores, schedules, results, and more at https://www.wimbledon.com

MLB All-Star Game

This year's All-Star Game will be held at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia on July 15.

There's still time to vote for the starters in both leagues, but not much. 2nd round voting - between the top two vote-getters at each position and the top six in the outfield - ends July 2nd at midnight.

The first round of voting ended June 26, the top two vote-getters were the Yankees' Aaron Judge and the Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani. They are automatically starting - Judge in the AL outfield and Ohtani as the NL DH.

Thus, DH voting in the NL is closed and only four players from the AL outfield candidates remain.

This will be the 90th year that Major League Baseball has held an All-Star Game between the rival leagues. No official MLB All-Star Games were held in 1945 and 2020, and no official selection of players took place, due to World War II travel restrictions and the COVID-19 pandemic, respectively. Two All-Star Games were held each season from 1959 to 1962, so, there have actually been Ninety-three All-Star Games played, with the AL leading 47-44-2, going into the 2025 game.

MLB.com has a page with results and recaps of every All-Star game, dating back to the inaugural Mid-Summer Classic in 1933.

A few tidbits of All-Star game trivia:

The first MVP of the All Star Game was Maury Wills in game one of 1962. That game was played at D.C. Stadium in the nation's capital. Game two was played July 30, at Fenway Park. Leon Wagner of the Anaheim Angles was the MVP of that one. Prior to 1962, there was no MVP chosen.

The American League had a 13-game unbeaten streak (12-0-1) from 1997 to 2009. The American League also won nine straight from 2013 through 2022. Though the National League won in 2023, 3-2, the AL came right back in 2024, with a 5-3 victory.

The AL has a 383-377 run advantage through the 2024 season.

The longest All-Star Game, in terms of innings, lasted 15 innings, which has occurred twice: 1967 and 2008; the latter of which was the longest game time-wise, at four hours and 50 minutes.

The first rookie All-Star was none other than Mr. Coffee, the Yankee Clipper himself, Joe DiMaggio, in 1936.

Hank Aaron holds the record for most All-Star Game appearances at 25.

Five players have won the MVP award twice: Willie Mays, Steve Garvey, Gary Carter, Cal Ripken Jr., and Mike Trout.

Ted Williams holds the career record for RBI, with 12, and Willie Mays holds two career records, most hits, 23, and stolen bases, 6.

There has been only one Grand Slam in All-Star game history, struck by Fed Lynn of the California Angels, in 1983. Lynn was also the game's MVP that year.

The Open Championship at Royal Portrush

The 153rd Open Championship (British Open) is the oldest of the majors and the final major of this golfing season. Held this year at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, 156 golfers will compete for the prestigious title of "Champion Golfer of the Year."

Among the contestants are the winners of the first three majors: Masters champion, Rory McIlroy; world #1 and PGA winner, Scottie Scheffler, and, U.S. Open champion, J.J. Spaun, who won his first major just over a month ago.

The challenge of Royal Portrush's Dunluce Course are its exceedingly long holes, shifting crosswinds off the Atlantic Ocean, multiple bunkers, undulating greens and multiple hazards including giant mounds on the sides of many of the holes. Contender Bryson DeChambeau called the course "diabolical."

Each hole has been named, some rather pointedly. the 16th Hole, a par3, is known as Calamity. as the green drops away to a yawning chasm to the right. The 5th Hole, is a par 4 called White Rocks. The stunning dogleg plays slightly downhill to a green, perched on the edge of the Atlantic ocean.

The Open was held at Royal Portrush last in 2019, when Shane Lowry captured his first and only major title.

Last year's Open Champion, Xander Schauffele, shot a final-round 65 to win his second major championship, two strokes ahead of Justin Rose and 54-hole leader Billy Horschel. Schauffele and Rose have already been announced as entrants into the 2025 Open. Horschel has not, as of June 29.