Protester disrupts Zverev’s speech

Moments after Alexander Zverev’s loss in the Australian Open final Sunday, a person in the stadium yelled out the names of two of the tennis star’s ex-girlfriends who have accused him of physical abuse in the past, saying “Australia believes” them. As Zverev stood at a microphone waiting to speak during the trophy ceremony, a voice repeated the phrase three times. Some others in the crowd at Rod Laver Arena booed and whistled. At his news conference following the match, Zverev, a 27-year-old from Germany, was asked for his reaction to the interruption on court. “I believe there are no more accusations,” Zverev responded. “... I’m not about to open that subject again.” On the day that Zverev reached the French Open final last June, word emerged from Berlin that a district court there ended a trial stemming from a woman’s accusation of domestic violence during a 2020 argument. The resolution came with the agreement of state prosecutors and lawyers for Zverev and his former partner. Zverev previously denied an assault allegation made by another woman.

US defender Girma makes history

Women’s soccer has its first million-dollar player after United States defender Naomi Girma moved from San Diego Wave to Chelsea on Sunday. Chelsea announced the signing of Girma without disclosing the fee but The Athletic and the BBC were among those reporting the English champions have spent 900,000 pounds ($1.1 million) on the transfer. That surpasses the world-record fee of $788,000 that Bay FC paid to sign Zambia striker Rachael Kundananji from Madrid CFF last year. It’s the third time Chelsea has paid a world-record fee for a player, after Denmark forward Pernille Harder ($355,000) in 2020 and Colombia forward Mayra Ramirez ($542,000) last year. Girma, 24, has appeared in 44 games with the U.S. and played on the squad that won the gold medal at the Paris Olympics. Girma was named U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year for 2023. She was captain of the Stanford team that won the national championship in 2019, taken at No. 1 in the 2022 National Women’s Soccer League draft and named the league’s top rookie and defender in her first season.

Broome returns, lifts No. 1 Auburn

Miles Kelly hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 30 seconds remaining and Johni Broome had 16 points and 13 rebounds in his return to the lineup as No. 1 Auburn extended its winning streak to 11 games with a 53-51 win over No. 6 Tennessee on Saturday night. Auburn (18-1, 6-0 SEC) was held to its lowest point total of the season by Tennessee’s physical defense. Kelly’s 3-pointer off a feed from Broome turned a two-point deficit into a one-point lead. Tennessee had a chance to take the lead in the final seconds, but a 3-point try the Vols’ Zakai Zeigler missed the mark. Broome, a 6-foot-10, 240-pound fifth-year senior and preseason Associated Press All-American, back in action for the first time since suffering what coach Bruce Pearl called a “significant sprain” to his left ankle two weeks ago in a road win at South Carolina, secured crucial defensive rebounds on Tennessee’s final two possessions. Zeigler had 14 points, six rebounds and five assists to lead the visiting Volunteers (17-3, 4-3). Chaz Lanier added 10 points, including a pair of clutch 3s in the second half. —Associated Press