MADRID (AP) — Jannik Sinner wants better scheduling of matches at the Madrid Open, saying the night session “messes up the whole day” for players.
Sinner had a morning start on Tuesday and defeated Cameron Norrie 6-2, 7-5 to earn his 20th straight win on tour and reach the quarterfinals of the ATP-WTA event in the Spanish capital.
The world No. 1 said he was OK playing at whatever time he was scheduled, but the late matches — some of which have finished past 1 a.m. local time — were “not easy” on the players' “body and mind.”
“Even if you have a day off, the fans they see only us on court, and then we finish at 1:15 (a.m.)," he said. "But then you have press conference, recovery, eating, treatment, you know, you don’t go to bed until 4 or 5. It messes up the whole day. So I think we can do better, definitely, in this point of view.”
Sinner's next opponent, Spain's Rafael Jódar, defeated fellow 19-year-old Rafael Fonseca at 1 a.m. on Monday. Jódar then cruised past Vit Kopriva 7-5, 6-0 on Tuesday afternoon to reach his first Masters 1000 quarterfinal.
“It’s tough when you schedule two matches starting from 8 (p.m.)," Sinner said. "You cannot pretend that matches are over in one and a half hours each, and at 11 (p.m.) the first game is over. When Jódar played in the night it was very, very late, going on court around 11, finish around 1, 1:15. In my point of view that’s too late.”
Sinner said it was “common sense” that he played at 11 a.m. on Tuesday and Jódar started his match at 4 p.m. “because he needs also a little bit more of rest.”
The Sinner-Jódar quarterfinal is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Wednesday at the Caja Magica.
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
Jannik Sinner of Italy looks up after defeating Cameron Norrie of Britain in their round of 16 match at the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Jannik Sinner of Italy reacts after defeating Cameron Norrie of Britain in their round of 16 match at the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Jannik Sinner of Italy reacts after defeating Cameron Norrie of Britain in their round of 16 match at the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
NEW YORK (AP) — Former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones has become the first person to plead guilty in a gambling sweep that led to the arrests of more than 30 people, including reputed mobsters and other basketball figures.
Jones entered a guilty plea to a single count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud during the first of back-to-back plea-change hearings on Tuesday in Brooklyn federal court. Sentencing guidelines call for a punishment of 21-27 months in prison.
Reading a prepared statement to the court, he acknowledged that he conspired with others to defraud sports betting companies by using “insider information that I obtained as a result of my relationships as a former player.”
“I would like to sincerely apologize to the court, my family, my peers and also the National Basketball Association,” Jones said.
He acknowledged that his actions violated the NBA’s code of conduct and also the terms of service on sports betting websites.
The 49-year-old is charged in separate cases with profiting from rigged poker games and providing sports bettors with nonpublic information about injuries to stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis, according to court filings.
Jones previously pleaded not guilty in both cases to charges of wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. Both charges carry a maximum punishment of 20 years in prison.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.
NEW YORK (AP) — Former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones is set to plead guilty Tuesday to charges accusing him of cashing in on rigged poker games and giving sports bettors nonpublic injury information about stars, including his onetime teammate LeBron James.
Barring a last-minute change, Jones will become the first person to plead guilty in a gambling sweep that led to the arrests of more than 30 people, including reputed mobsters and other basketball figures.
None of the other defendants have shown a willingness to plead guilty. On Monday, prosecutors said they were seeking additional charges against a co-defendant in the betting case, former Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier.
Jones, 49, is scheduled to appear at back-to-back plea change hearings in Brooklyn federal court before Magistrate Judge Joseph Marutollo. Court records show he is expected to plead guilty to at least one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Jones previously pleaded not guilty in both cases to charges of wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. Both charges carry a maximum punishment of 20 years in prison. He remains free on bail.
Jones’ lawyer, Kenneth Montgomery, declined to comment.
Jones was arrested last October along with Rozier, Portland Trail Blazers head coach and Basketball Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups, and others, including a sports bettor accused of cashing in on injury information.
Jones was one of three people charged in both the poker and sports betting schemes.
Originally from Galveston, Texas, Jones earned more than $20 million playing for 10 teams in 11 seasons from 1999 to 2009. He and James played together in Cleveland from 2005 to 2008, and Jones served as an unofficial assistant coach for James’ Los Angeles Lakers during the 2022-2023 season.
Prosecutors say Jones sold or attempted to sell nonpublic information to bettors that James and former Lakers forward Anthony Davis were injured and either wouldn’t be playing or would play less time in certain games.
In the poker scheme, prosecutors say Jones was among former NBA players used to lure unwitting gamblers to poker games that were rigged using altered shuffling machines, hidden cameras, special sunglasses and even X-ray equipment built into the table.
According to the indictment, Jones was paid $2,500 for a game in the Hamptons where he was instructed to cheat by paying close attention to others involved in the scheme. When in doubt, Jones was told to fold his hand, prosecutors said.
In response, according to prosecutors, Jones texted: “Y’all know I know what I’m doing!!”
Former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones arrives at Brooklyn federal court, Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones arrives at Brooklyn federal court, Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones arrives at Brooklyn federal court, Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones arrives at Brooklyn federal court, Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones, left, arrives at Brooklyn federal court, Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
FILE - Former NBA basketball player and assistant coach Damon Jones arrives at Brooklyn federal court, Monday, Nov. 24, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, File)
