Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 had its biggest television audience in 17 years.

Alex Palou’s victory averaged 7.05 million viewers on Fox, according to Nielsen. That is the largest audience since 2008, when Scott Dixon’s win averaged 7.25 million on ABC. That was also the first year of a combined open-wheel series

The viewer numbers peaked at 8.44 million for the race’s conclusion from 1:15-1:30 p.m.

This is the first year that Fox has the IndyCar package. IndyCar and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway had a long relationship with ABC from 1965 until 2018 while NBC aired the prestigious race from 2019 through 2024.

It was a 40% increase from last year when the race averaged 5.02 million on NBC.

Tennis

French open >> Novak Djokovic experienced the lowest of lows — pulling out of the French Open after tearing the meniscus in his right knee — and the highest of highs — winning a long-sought Olympic gold medal for Serbia — at Roland-Garros last year. This trip to the site went smoothly, once he got going.

Other than some first-set interruptions by, and lengthy discussions about, the windy, wet weather, the 24-time major champion was unbothered during a 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 victory over 98th-ranked Mackie McDonald of the United States at Court Philippe-Chatrier in the first round.• Coco Gauff showed up on court, opened her bag and peered inside to find it was missing her rackets. The start of the warmup was delayed, but then everything went Gauff’s way, and the 2023 U.S. Open champion got past Olivia Gadecki 6-2, 6-2.

• Other winners included the No. 3 seeds, Jessica Pegula and Alexander Zverev, and 18-year-old Mirra Andreeva, but 2021 U.S. Open champion Daniil Medvedev, who was seeded 11th, lost to Cam Norrie 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 1-6, 7-5 across nearly four hours.

NBA

Former Star Kemp pleads guilty to assault charge >> Former NBA star Shawn Kemp pleaded guilty to an assault charge for shooting at two men inside a vehicle in a Washington state mall parking lot.

Kemp, 55, pleaded guilty to second-degree assault in Pierce County Superior Court in Tacoma as part of a plea agreement, according to the county Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. The Toyota 4Runner the men were inside and another vehicle were damaged in the March 2023 shooting, but the men were not hurt.

Kemp was initially charged with one count of first-degree assault with a firearm enhancement, but prosecutors last week added another count of assault as well as a drive-by shooting charge, The Seattle Times reported.

Nuggets’ Westbrook has surgery on broken fingers >> Denver Nuggets point guard Russell Westbrook said he was having surgery to fix two breaks in his right hand that he suffered during the season.

The 36-year-old Westbrook is coming off a season in which he helped the Nuggets extend the Oklahoma City Thunder to seven games in the second round of the playoffs before being knocked out. He provided a boost off Denver’s thin bench in the postseason. Westbrook averaged 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 6.1 assists in the regular season.

Baseball

Red Sox trade Pitcher to Athletics >> The Boston Red Sox traded left-hander Sean Newcomb to the Athletics for an undisclosed amount of cash.

The 31-year-old Massachusetts native was designated for assignment on Saturday after posting a 3.95 ERA with 41 strikeouts in 12 games this season. He opened the year as a starter, taking five turns through the rotation, before being sent to the bullpen, where he has given up runs in each of his last four outings.

A first-round draft pick by the Los Angeles Angels in 2014, Newcomb is 28-29 with a 4.46 ERA in 187 career games with the Braves, Cubs, Athletics and Red Sox.

NFL

Bills’ Bosa to miss spring training >> Buffalo Bills veteran edge rusher Joey Bosa is expected to miss all of the team’s spring practices because of a calf injury, coach Sean McDermott announced as the team opened its first series of voluntary sessions.

McDermott said Bosa was hurt while working out with the team last week, and he expects the player entering his 10th NFL season to be ready for the start of training camp in late July.

The Bills signed Bosa to a one-year, $12.6 million contract in March in the hopes that he can reestablish himself as one of the NFL’s premier pass rushers. Bosa, who turns 30 in July, is coming off three injury-shortened seasons in which he was limited to playing in 28 games because of groin, foot, hip and back issues.

College basketball

Florida’s Condon withdraws from NBA Draft >> Florida forward Alex Condon has withdrawn from the NBA draft and will return to school for his junior season, significantly boosting the Gators’ chances of repeating as national champions.

Coach Todd Golden said last week he was “cautiously optimistic” the 6-foot-11, 230-pound Australian would be back for another season. He got the news a day before the deadline for players to withdraw from draft consideration.

Condon averaged 10.6 points and a team-leading 7.5 rebounds last season. He also blocked 49 shots. He notched seven double-doubles, scored in double figures 18 times and grabbed at least 10 boards 10 times.

Track

California changes competition rules amid Trans athlete controversy >> The governing board for California high school sports is changing its competition rules at this weekend’s state track and field championships to allow more girls to take part amid controversy over the participation of a trans student-athlete.

The California Interscholastic Federation said it was extending access for more cisgender athletes to participate in the championship meet this weekend. The federation announced the change after President Donald Trump posted on his social media site about the participation of a trans athlete in the competition.