Cal athletic director Jim Knowlton announces his retirement

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — California athletic director Jim Knowlton is retiring after seven years on the job.

Knowlton announced on Monday that he will step down officially on July 1.

Knowlton was in charge during a tumultuous time, dealing with COVID, the emergence of NIL and conference expansion that forced the Golden Bears to join the ACC after their longtime home in the Pac-12 fell apart.

Knowlton was named Cal’s athletic director on May 21, 2018, and the Bears captured 10 national championships during his tenure and had more than 100 athletes compete at the two Summer Olympics during his tenure.

“It has been an incredible honor to serve at the University of California, Berkeley, the No. 1 public university in the country,” Knowlton said in a statement. “The expectation of holistic excellence helps to drive everyone associated with the university, and our department is no exception. The combination of a world-class education, athletic excellence, an inclusive community, an awe-inspiring location and, most importantly, truly special people, make Cal a magnificent place to serve.”

The Bears didn't have as much success in the high-profile sports. The football program qualified for four bowl games in his seven seasons but hasn't had a winning record since 2019.

Knowlton hired two men's basketball coaches and neither one has had a winning season. He hired Mark Fox in 2019 and fired him after four seasons with a 38-87 record.

The program has shown some signs of improvement under Mark Madsen but has only a 27-38 record to show for it.

He also hired Charmin Smith to coach the women's basketball program in 2019. She had a losing record in each of her first four seasons before making progress the past two. The Bears went 19-15 in 2023-24 and then made the NCAA Tournament this past season, going 25-9 after losing in the first round.

UC Berkeley Chancellor Rich Lyons named current deputy athletic directors Jay Larson and Jenny Simon-O’Neill as the new co-directors of the program.

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FILE - University of California, Berkeley Director of Athletics Jim Knowlton poses with new women's basketball head coach Charmin Smith during her introduction at a news conference June 25, 2019, in Berkeley, Calif. (AP Photo/Janie McCauley, File)

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Former Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic retired on Monday.

Raonic was the first Canadian man to reach a Grand Slam final in 2016 at Wimbledon. He beat Roger Federer in the semifinals 6-3, 6-7, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 and lost to Andy Murray in the final.

That year, he also reached the Australian Open semifinals, suffering an adductor injury when he led Murray two sets to one, and qualified for the ATP Finals for the first time. He ended the year at a career-high No. 3 ranking.

“I have been the luckiest person to get to live out and fulfill my dreams,” Raonic said on X. “I got to show up every day and focus on just getting better, seeing where that will take me, and playing a game I was introduced to at 8 years old by complete luck. Somehow, this became my entire obsession and childhood, and then became my profession and life.”

Big-serving Raonic, nicknamed “Missile,” won eight ATP singles titles after turning professional in 2011.

He holds the record for most aces in a three-set match, 47, at Queen's Club in 2024 and played his last career match soon after at the Paris Olympics, a 7-6, 6-7, 6-7 loss to Dominik Koepfer in the first round.

“The time has come, I am retiring from tennis,” the 35-year-old Raonic said. “This is a moment you know will come one day, but somehow you never feel ready for it. This is as ready as I will ever be. Tennis has been my love and obsession for most of my life,” Raonic said.

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

FILE - Milos Raonic of Canada waves as he leaves Rod Laver Arena after retiring from his first round match against Alex de Minaur of Australia at the Australian Open tennis championships at Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)