If it hasn’t already hit you, Aussie tennis fever is about to swing into full gear.

While warm-up tournaments are being played across the country, Melbourne is bracing for the Australian Open, with qualifying beginning next week and the main draw starting on Sunday 18 January.

To give you a sense of the tournament’s scale, a record 1,102,303 people attended the Australian Open last year.

That translated to 220,000 servings of hot chips, 94,461 burgers, and 105,288 cups of coffee.

My favourite stat: Nine tonnes of m&m’s!

🎾 Australia’s Rinky Hijikata is out of the Brisbane International after a loss to French big-server Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. Hijikata fell in three sets (4-6, 7-6, 7-6) despite not dropping serve, with the match decided by tight tiebreaks. The result leaves no Australians remaining in the singles draw, with Hijikata now turning his attention to the Australian Open.

⚽ Matildas and Arsenal star Kyra Cooney-Cross has returned to Australia after her mother, Jess, was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer. The midfielder has stepped away from her club duties in England and will miss this weekend’s match to be with her family. Cooney-Cross shared the update on social media, asking for privacy as her family navigates the diagnosis. Support has flowed in from teammates across Arsenal, the Matildas and the Women’s Super League.

🎾 Teenager Maya Joint will be seeded at the Australian Open for the first time, becoming the first Australian woman to earn a home seeding since Ash Barty. Depending on her performances at the United Cup over the next week, Joint is locked in as either the 31st or 32nd seed (the exact ranking will be determined when the draw is announced on Thursday). That means she will avoid a top-ranked opponent until at least the third round. The young star will be in action tonight as she faces world number two Iga Świątekin Australia’s United Cup quarter-final against Poland in Sydney.

🏏 The Sydney Sixers have extended their Big Bash win streak to three, after a five-wicket victory over the Melbourne Stars at the MCG. The Sixers’ Ben Dwarshuis led a disciplined bowling display with 4-13 as the Stars were dismissed for 128 runs. Sydney then chased the target with 17 balls to spare, handing Melbourne a third consecutive loss.

Talking points: As I mentioned above, tonight’s United Cup clash in Sydney will see Australia and Poland’s top players go head-to-head as they prepare for the upcoming Australian Open. The tie will see Aussie teenager Maya Joint take on world number two Iga Świątek before a men’s singles match between world number five Alex de Minaur and former top ten player Hubert Hurkacz. If necessary, a mixed doubles match will be played to decide who advances to the semi-final against the U.S. 

How to watch: The quarter-final begins at 5:30pm. You can watch the United Cup on 9Now and Stan Sport. 

Talking points: The Melbourne Derby (when the BBL’s two Melbourne teams face off) takes centre stage this weekend as the Melbourne Stars face the Melbourne Renegades with finals spots on the line. The Stars remain inside the top four despite a three-game losing streak, while the Renegades have reignited their campaign with consecutive last-over wins. With both teams fighting for position in a tightly packed ladder, the outcome of this derby could shape the BBL finals race.

How to watch: The match is played Saturday night at Marvel Stadium and will be broadcast live on Channel Seven, 7plus and Kayo Sports.

Talking points: The NFL playoffs begin on Sunday (AEDT) with Wild Card Weekend – the first round of the postseason, where matches are sudden-death. Twelve teams will play across six games, while the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks have earned a bye after finishing as the top seeds in their conferences. The NFL is split into two conferences, the AFC and NFC. The winners of each conference meet in the Super Bowl. With no Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs for the first time in 11 years, and several teams making rapid turnarounds from last season, there is no telling who will face off in the Super Bowl on 8 February.

How to watch: The first match of the weekend will see the Carolina Panthers host the Los Angeles Rams at 8:30am on Sunday (AEDT). You can watch the NFL on ESPN (via Disney+, Kayo, Foxtel) or DAZN. 

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