The Niverville Nighthawks are National Champions! - SteinbachOnline

For the first time this season, the Niverville Nighthawks and Winkler Flyers went head-to-head, and despite the new faces in the lineups, the rivalry is still going strong. It was the first meeting between the two clubs since Niverville swept Winkler in the opening round of last season’s playoffs on its way to capturing the Turnbull Cup.

Six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek has called an early finish to what she described as "one of the most challenging" seasons of her career. Poland's Swiatek failed to qualify for the end-of-season WTA Finals - for the first time since 2019 - after pulling out of the Ningbo Open on Tuesday with a thigh injury. Shortly afterwards, the 25-year-old announced she was bringing a largely barren season to a close, in order to recharge over a longer period of time before returning in 2027. Former long-time world number one Swiatek - who has ended a season without a Grand Slam title for the first time since 2021 - has dropped to ninth in the rankings. "The past few months, or actually the past couple of years, have been incredibly intense," said Swiatek, who will have an opportunity to complete the career Grand Slam at the Australian Open in January. "I feel I need to rest and recover my body fully, so that's exactly what I will do - [for] a bit longer this time. "Her most recent Grand Slam triumph came at Wimbledon last year. Swiatek has managed one WTA title this season - the Canadian Open in August - and ends 2026 with a 42-16 win-loss record.