Risk aversion in golfJordan Spieth′s Open victory illustrates the perils of playing it safeAs Matt Kuchar′s title drought shows, slow and steady is not the best way to playJul 23rd 2017
Constitutional crisisRugby union’s rules and regulations let the sport downLoopholes in the rule book and the absence of a tiebreaker produced a frustrating finale to the Lions' seriesJul 13th 2017
Slowing the lawnWimbledon’s rapid grass courts have been less speedy this yearBut that has not stopped grass specialists like Gilles Muller and Marin Cilic from prosperingJul 13th 2017
A game set by matchesThe cliché that tennis is a sport of matchups is probably rightHead-to-head records can be misleading, but shot-level data on competing playing styles may aid predictionsJul 12th 2017
Early retirementConvincing injured tennis players to withdraw is a tricky matterA spate of retirements at Wimbledon shows that hobbled entrants are reluctant to give up rankings points and prize moneyJul 8th 2017
Triple-doubles in basketballThe reigning NBA MVP may not have been as valuable as he looksRussell Westbrook averaged a triple-double for an entire season. But how much of that feat resulted from stat-padding?Jul 2nd 2017
A wide-open drawExpect the unexpected at Wimbledon this yearBoth the men’s and women’s tours are getting harder to predictJul 1st 2017
Baseball’s power surgeMystery solved: it was the ball after allTwo new studies find that physical changes in the baseball are responsible for a spike in home runsJun 30th 2017
Expansion strategy in ice hockeyThe NHL’s newest team prioritises patience over the playoffsExpect mediocrity from the inaugural edition of the Las Vegas Golden Knights. But better times could come quicklyJun 26th 2017
Squad goalsShould the Lions pick all 15 players from one team?Forging a competitive dream team is tricky, but relying on one country is not the answerJun 24th 2017
An expansive driveIreland and Afghanistan become the first new Test nations in 17 yearsBut cricket does not do enough to increase its appealJun 23rd 2017
A matter of courseWill the US Open be remembered for Brooks Koepka or Erin Hills?How to assess a record-equalling scorecard on an unusually generous course Jun 20th 2017
A different tackThe America’s Cup is becoming Formula One on the waterInternational sport’s oldest competition is getting a much-needed makeoverJun 17th 2017
How the east was lostIran’s success reflects the failures of Asian footballThe continent has struggled to develop more talented players, and suffers from a lack of competition Jun 14th 2017