Coco Gauff split from coach Brad Gilbert after more than a year and one Grand Slam title together, the pair announced Wednesday via separate messages on social media.

The end of their partnership comes 2 1/2 weeks after Gauff’s defense of her 2023 championship at the U.S. Open unraveled amid 19 double-faults during a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 loss to Emma Navarro in the fourth round at Flushing Meadows.

That Sept. 1 loss was the latest in a series of disappointing-for-her results in recent months for Gauff, a 20-year-old American who recently dropped from No. 3 to No. 6 in the WTA rankings.

It was after a first-round exit at Wimbledon last season that Gauff really took off with the help of the coaching duo of Gilbert and Pere Riba. Riba wasn’t with her this year.

Gauff went 22-1 during a stretch in 2023 that included trophies at Washington, Cincinnati and the U.S. Open — her first at a major tournament — all while still a teenager.

WNBA

WNBA awards Portland an expansion franchise that will begin play in 2026 >> The WNBA is headed back to Portland, with Oregon’s biggest city getting an expansion team that will begin play starting in 2026.

The team will be owned and operated by Raj Sports, led by Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal. They paid $125 million for the franchise.

It’s the third expansion franchise the league will add over the next two years, with Golden State and Toronto getting the other two. The Golden State Valkyries will begin play next season and Toronto in 2026.

Portland had a WNBA team, the Fire, from 2000 until 2002 when it folded.

MLB

Orioles designate reliever Kimbrel for assignment >> Craig Kimbrel’s time with the Baltimore Orioles could be coming to an end after the struggling team designated its former closer for assignment following the latest in a series of rough outings.

Kimbrel gave up six runs on three hits in 2/3 of an inning of relief in Baltimore’s 10-0 home loss to the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night. Kimbrel has a 13.94 ERA in his last 11 appearances over the past month.

This season, his first with Baltimore, Kimbrel has a 5.33 ERA with six blown saves. He lost his job as closer in May.

College basketball

Wojnarowski is leaving ESPN for alma mater to become GM of St. Bonaventure men’s basketball team >> ESPN NBA reporter Adrian Wojnarowski is retiring from broadcasting to return to his alma mater, St. Bonaventure, to take over the newly created position of general manager of the men’s basketball program, the Atlantic 10 school announced Wednesday.

Wojnarowski will oversee a wide range of responsibilities while working alongside coach Mark Schmidt and his staff. His duties will include focusing on name, image and likeness opportunities, transfer portal management, recruiting and alumni player relationships.

The 55-year-old has worked at ESPN since 2017, and his decision to retire came even while he was still under a contract he signed with the broadcaster in 2022.

NFL

Eli Manning leads group of 1st time nominees for HOF >> Two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning, former Defensive Players of the Year Luke Kuechly and Terrell Suggs, and postseason kicking hero Adam Vinatieri are among the first-time nominees for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The Hall announced 167 modern era candidates for the class on Wednesday that included 16 players nominated for the first time, including two-time All-Pro guard Marshal Yanda.

A screening committee will reduce the list of nominees to 50 players next month. Then the full 50-person selection committee will cut the list down to 25 semifinalists and then 15 finalists for the annual meeting before the Super Bowl that will produce the new class. Players must get 80% of votes to get in with between three and five players getting in as modern era candidates.

Love back at practice >> Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love is practicing again for the first time since injuring his left medial collateral ligament, but the team remained circumspect about his chances of playing Sunday at Tennessee.

Soccer

Champions League >> Where did all the goals go?

The 0-0 draws between Manchester City and Inter Milan in their rematch of the 2023 final, after Bologna and Shakhtar Donetsk also could not find a goal, capped an untypically goal-shy evening for the Champions League.

Just 13 were scored in six games one day after 28 were fired in Tuesday, including nine by Bayern Munich alone.

How unusual was this? Two 0-0 draws after just 12 games played is already halfway to the total of four in 96 games one year ago in the group-stage format that is now abolished. The entire competition averaged three goals per game last season.

Paris Saint-Germain and competition debutant Girona also were heading for a blank until the French champion’s defender Nuno Mendes’ effort ended up in the net in the first minute of stoppage time for a 1-0 win.

Borussia Dortmund needed late goals from substitutes Jamie Gittens, twice, and Serhou Guirassy with a stoppage-time penalty to win 3-0 at Club Brugge.

Sailing

Britannia advances in America’s Cup while American Magic stays alive >> INEOS Britannia advanced to the final of the America’s Cup playoffs, while NYYC American Magic took advantage of a mid-race failure on the boat of Italy’s Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli to keep alive its hopes of pulling off an unexpected comeback in the semifinals.

The Americans won both races to cut Luna Rossa’s lead to 4-3 in the first-to-five playoff series. American Magic had been on the verge of elimination after going down 4-0, and now it can advance with a pair of victories on Thursday.

The Americans won the final race of the day on Wednesday after a gear failure on Luna Rossa’s boat took it out of contention.

Switzerland’s Alinghi Red Bull Racing — which also trailed 4-0 — earlier Wednesday cut its deficit against INEOS Britannia to 4-2 by winning its first race, but the British triumphed in the second race to qualify for the Louis Vuitton Cup final that will begin on Sept. 26.