Good evening!

The Super Bowl match-up is set: the Philadelphia Eagles will take on the Kansas City Chiefs in New Orleans on 10 February (AEDT). To get you warmed up, here’s some big questions everyone will be asking:

Will the Chiefs win their fourth Super Bowl in six years?

Can Eagles powerhouse Jordan Mailata become the second Aussie with a Super Bowl ring?  

Is Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes the GOAT?

Take those questions, throw in the Taylor Swift effect, sprinkle some half-time Kendrick Lamar, and you’ve got yourself a massive Super Bowl.

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Stat of the day

1
The number of times a snowboarder has successfully landed a 2340 turn (six and a half rotations) in competition. Japanese teen Hiroto Ogiwara executed the trick at the X Games over the weekend. Unsurprisingly, Ogiwara took out gold at the event, with a near-perfect score of 97.33.

Quote of the day

"Just grit, all the way to the end. They really made us fight for that one.”
Australian Women’s Rugby Sevens player Heidi Dennis, who scored two tries in the team’s 28-26 win over New Zealand yesterday. The victory in the Perth Sevens tournament final was the first title win at home for Australia’s women’s sevens side since 2018.

Random fact of the day

Jannik Sinner, Bjorn Borg and Jimmy Conners all won 47 of their first 50 matches as the No.1 ranked men’s player in the world. Sinner has only lost three matches since replacing Novak Djokovic as the top-ranked player in June last year.

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In case you missed it…

🎾 Jannik Sinner and Madison Keys have won the men’s and women’s singles titles at the 2025 Australian Open. Sinner beat second-seed Alexander Zverev in straight sets (6-3, 7-6, 6-3), marking the 23-year-old Italian’s third Grand Slam title, and second in a row in Melbourne. Keys had to defeat two-time reigning champion Aryna Sabalenka in three sets (6-3, 2-6, 7-5), with the 29-year-old American winning a long-awaited first title. Sinner and Keys will take home $3.5 million in prize money each.

⚽ Tottenham Hotspurs manager Ange Postecoglou’s future at the club is in question after his side’s fourth straight Premier League loss, this time to Leicester City 2—1. Asked by reporters after the game whether he will still be the head coach at the Spurs when a number of injured players return later in the season, he answered: “Who knows, mate?”. Postecoglou has led the side since June 2023.

🏔️ Australian aerial skier Laura Peel has won gold at the World Cup in Canada, marking the tenth gold medal of her career. Peel is also now the top-ranked aerial skier in the world after the victory. Meanwhile, Scotty James won gold in the X-Games snowboard halfpipe, and Bree Walker (monobob) and Matt Graham (dual moguls) took home silver medals.

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The Big Bash Final is on tonight - here’s what you need to know

The Hobart Hurricanes will host the Sydney Thunder in tonight’s Big Bash final. Not only will it be the first final hosted in Tasmania, the home side is chasing their first title. Meanwhile, the Sydney Thunder are looking to exchange last season’s wooden spoon for a trophy. The match sold out in under 10 minutes. Here’s your preview.

Hobart Hurricanes

The Hurricanes have been the best team of the competition this year, winning eight of their first nine matches. Mitch Owen, Ben McDermott and Tim David have been the pick of the batsmen, while their bowling attack of Riley Meredith, captain Nathan Ellis and Chris Jordan have proven especially strong in tight contests. Veteran wicketkeeper Matthew Wade has been excellent behind the stumps, ensuring the side remains unbeaten in all home matches this year.

The Hurricanes have lost both the finals they’ve made in the past, but they’ve never had their home soil advantage before.

Sydney Thunder

After a disastrous 2024 season, the Thunder are chasing their first title since 2016. The side won four of their first five games before a dip in form, ultimately finishing third on the ladder. To reach the final, they had to beat the Melbourne Stars and Sydney Sixers, and have strong momentum entering tonight’s game. Chris Green, Wes Agar and Tanveer Sangha are the side’s best bowlers, while Sam Billings and veteran captain David Warner will be the batsmen to watch.

The Hurricanes have won the majority of the two sides’ previous face-offs.

How to watch

The match will start at 7:15pm AEDT, and you can watch on 7 from 7:00pm, or Fox Cricket/Kayo from 6:00pm.

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The AO has wrapped up - what do the world’s best tennis players do next?

Newly-crowned Australian Open singles champions Jannik Sinner and Madison Keys leave the country this week $AU3.5 million richer, as the world tennis circus moves on to the next stop in its gruelling 11-month tour. Here’s what the world’s best tennis players do next.

The Calendar

Beyond the four tentpole grand slams, male and female players compete in the ATP and WTA tours, respectively.

Players pick tournaments based on their fitness, potential prize money, and which surface the tournament is played on. Some may stick to certain surfaces for the smaller tournaments, while others will try and get exposure to as many different surfaces as possible.

Ranking Points

Each tournament has a number of ranking points on offer, indicated by the name of the tournament (e.g. the BNP Paribas ATP/WTA1000 tournament at Indian Wells in March).

Ranking points earned by players in the tournaments between the Grand Slams contribute towards their overall rank, which affects their seed position for the major tournaments.

Next Moves

Male players tend to split into two camps for the first half of February - those who play at the ABN Amro Open in Rotterdam, Netherlands (won last year by Jannik Sinner), and those at the Dallas Open (won last year by Tommy Paul), an indoor tournament.

Women will head to the Qatar Open (won for the last three years by Iga Świątek), followed by the Dubai Open (won last year by Jasmine Paolini). Each is worth 1,000 points.

The Road to Roland Garros

Over the next few months, there will be a number of major tournaments across the U.S and Europe in the lead-up to the French Open on 25 May.

This slam is on clay, meaning most tournaments in March and April will also be played on that surface.

It’s common for the best men’s and women’s players to play in the Italian International, held in the two weeks before the French Open, to ensure they’re in the best form possible. Wimbledon is then held in late June/early July, followed by the U.S. Open in late August.

A message from Deakin University

From day one to game day

Unlike traditional programs, Deakin’s Sport Science degree takes a comprehensive approach that integrates physical, psychological, and technological aspects of sport performance.

With strong partnerships to local and national sporting bodies, Deakin provides unique opportunities for real-world research and practical experience. So, if you want to immerse yourself in the dynamic world of elite athletic performance, Deakin is where your journey begins.

Whether you dream of working with elite AFL teams, Olympic athletes, or pioneering sports technology, Deakin equips you with the knowledge, skills, and industry connections to turn those aspirations into reality. This isn't just a degree - it's your launchpad to becoming a game-changing sport science professional.

Looking back…

Looking forward… (All times are AEDT)

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