Kessel in discussions to take over as Princeton women’s hockey coach, sources say

Boston Fleet coach Courtney Kessel is in final discussions to take over as women’s hockey coach at Princeton, two people with knowledge of talks told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The people spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because Kessel’s hiring is not complete and the process could take weeks to finalize.

The move would be a homecoming for Kessel, who previously served as an assistant at Princeton under Cara Gardner Morey. She would succeed Gardner Morey, who left the Tigers in May upon being hired as general manager of the PWHL’s expansion team in Vancouver.

Kessel’s ties to Princeton played a major role in her decision to pursue the job. The choice to leave the PWHL was considered a difficult one for the 35-year-old, who is proud of the relationships she formed with staff and players in helping launch the Fleet. She had a 27-19-8 record with the franchise.

Boston reached the Walter Cup finals last year in its inaugural season, where it lost a decisive Game 5 to Minnesota. This season, the Fleet missed the playoffs by the slimmest of margins.

Formula 1 extends the Canadian Grand Prix’s contract through 2035

LONDON >> The Canadian Grand Prix will remain on the Formula 1 schedule through 2035 after a four-year extension was announced Tuesday.

The circuit in Montreal is a fan favorite with a reputation for unpredictable racing, which was further bolstered by the collision in Sunday’s race between McLaren teammates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

It’s also one of the older tracks on F1’s schedule, having first hosted a Grand Prix in 1978, and F1 said Tuesday that investment by the promoter “will continue and be vital in continuing to enhance the event in the years ahead.”

The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, named after a Canadian F1 great who died in a 1982 crash, was already due to stay on the schedule through 2031. Its most recent extension was by two years in 2021 to make up for two editions of the race which were canceled during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sabalenka apologizes to Gauff for post-match comments after French Open

BERLIN >> Aryna Sabalenka says she has written to Coco Gauff to apologize for the “unprofessional” comments she made following her loss to her American rival in the final of the French Open.

Speaking to Eurosport Germany, the top-ranked Sabalenka said her remarks after her 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4 loss to Gauff at Roland-Garros this month were a mistake. In her post-match press conference in Paris, Sabalenka had suggested that the result was more due to her own errors than to Gauff’s performance.

“That was just completely unprofessional of me,” Sabalenka said. “I let my emotions get the better of me. I absolutely regret what I said back then. You know, we all make mistakes. I’m just a human being who’s still learning in life. I think we all have those days when we lose control. But what I also want to say is that I wrote to Coco afterward — not immediately, but recently.”

Sabalenka hit 37 winners but finished the final with 70 unforced errors — compared to Gauff’s 30.

She said she wrote to Gauff to apologize and “make sure she knew she absolutely deserved to win the tournament and that I respect her.”

— The Associated Press