Have you ever wondered if you could beat a pro tennis player? How about if you only had to win one point?

At next year’s Australian Open, some amateur players will get the chance to find out with the launch of the Million Dollar 1 Point Slam. 

The event will see amateurs and professionals, including world No.1 Carlos Alcaraz, go head-to-head in a sudden-death format where one rally decides it all. The winner of the knockout tournament will walk away with $1 million.

Time to start practising that serve. 

$10 million
The amount that Pat Cummins and Travis Head were each offered by an Indian Premier League ownership group to quit Australian cricket and play franchise T20 full-time, according to The Age. Both players turned down the money, choosing to stay with the national team and chase more success in the baggy green. In other cricket news, Cummins will miss the first Test of this year’s Ashes, which begins 21 November in Perth, after scans revealed he is not yet fit to bowl due to an ongoing back injury.

"It's great to see her back. I've had a few discussions with her and I think the great thing is that she's really got an enthusiasm and a real passion back for the game."
Matildas coach Joe Montemurro on Sam Kerr’s long-awaited return to international football. Kerr is expected to play her first match for Australia in nearly two years when the Matildas face Wales on 25 October in Cardiff, followed by England on 29 October in Derby. The 32-year-old striker recently returned from an ACL injury for Chelsea after being sidelined for 20 months.

The Newcastle Knights have a perfect record in NRL grand finals, winning both of their appearances in 1997 and 2001. They’re the only club in the competition with a 100% success rate on the game’s biggest stage. The Broncos held this record with six wins from six grand finals until they lost to the Cowboys in 2015.

⚽ Arsenal’s Women’s Champions League title defence began with a 2-1 loss to Lyon, extending their winless run to four games. Australians Caitlin Foord, Steph Catley and Kyra Cooney-Cross all featured for the English side, but couldn’t lift the defending champions as defensive errors proved costly. The Matildas trio will now look to help spark a turnaround when Arsenal return to league action this weekend.

🏐 Australia’s national netball team, the Diamonds, will look to test new combinations in Wednesday night’s second Test against South Africa in Wollongong. Coach Stacey Marinkovich says she wants to rotate players ahead of next week’s Constellation Cup against New Zealand. The Diamonds are chasing a 48th straight win over the Proteas after a 64-53 victory in Bendigo on Saturday, where debutant Alice Teague-Neeld impressed in her first game for Australia.

🎾 At the Shanghai Masters, Novak Djokovic needed medical attention after collapsing on court, but recovered to beat Spain’s Jaume Munar in three sets (6-3, 5-7, 6-2). The 38-year-old described the hot and humid conditions in China as “brutal” after becoming the oldest man to reach the quarter-finals of a Masters 1000 event. Other players also criticised the extreme heat, with Denmark’s Holger Rune saying: "Do you want a player to die on court?" Organisers have said they will review player safety measures. Australia’s top-ranked men’s player, Alex de Minaur, is in action this afternoon in the Round of 16, where he will take on Portugal’s Nuno Borges.

Whether you’re heading interstate for a footy weekend, a surf trip, or a long-haul sporting adventure, Samsonite has you covered

The sleek Upscape set keeps your gear organised and protected, while the eco-friendly Proxis™ Circular combines sustainability with durable, travel-ready design.And the iconic C-Lite in limited-edition Colourburst ensures you arrive in style, whether it’s to the stadium, the gym, or a team getaway.

With lightweight construction, shock-absorbing wheels, and smart interiors, Samsonite makes packing for sport as smooth as a perfect pass — so you can focus on the game, not the luggage.

The women’s cricket World Cup action continued overnight with defending champions England continuing their unbeaten start with a victory over Bangladesh. 

Tonight, Australia are set to take on Pakistan. 

Here’s what to know. 

England survived a scare against Bangladesh, winning by four wickets in the Indian city of Guwahati. Heather Knight anchored England’s chase with 79 runs after they slumped to 103-6 chasing 179. Charlie Dean added calm support as she and Knight guided their side home in the 47th over. 

Earlier, England’s spinners shared nine wickets to bowl Bangladesh out for 178. It wasn’t the defending champions’ most convincing win, but it keeps England’s unbeaten run so far intact ahead of their next match against Sri Lanka on Saturday.

Australia return to action at the Women’s Cricket World Cup tonight, taking on Pakistan in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The Aussies, captained by Alyssa Healy, are unbeaten so far, after downing New Zealand and having their second match against Sri Lanka washed out. 

Pakistan, led by Fatima Sana, are still searching for their first win of the tournament after losses to India and Bangladesh. Australia have never lost to Pakistan in women’s ODIs, holding a 16-0 record heading into tonight’s clash. 

The first ball is set to be bowled at 8:30pm (AEDT). You can watch the women’s World Cup on Prime Video.

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Rugby Union’s biggest nations have united to block the proposed R360 competition, declaring that any player who joins the breakaway league will be banned from international selection. 

Here’s what to know.

R360 is a proposed global rugby union competition backed by former England international Mike Tindall and a consortium of investors, reportedly including Saudi Arabia. 

It is meant to launch in October 2026, with eight men’s and four women’s teams competing in short, grand prix-style tournaments across major cities worldwide. 

According to the BBC, organisers already have agreements in place with close to 200 men’s players, and several offers have been made to women’s players in the wake of the Women’s Rugby World Cup. Reports suggest that some players could receive up to $2 million per season with R360.

However, R360 has yet to gain approval from World Rugby or provide details on how it would coexist with existing domestic and international calendars. At the same time, player unions have urged caution until more information about contracts, welfare, and scheduling is made public. For now, any player who signs with R360 risks being shut out of Test rugby altogether.

In a rare joint statement, the governing bodies of rugby union for England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Italy, New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa warned that R360 poses a serious threat to the sport’s future.

The unions said they would not support the R360 venture, arguing that it risks fragmenting rugby’s global structure and undermining everything from grassroots development to elite Test competition. Importantly, the statement said that “participation in R360 would make [players] ineligible for international selection.”

The joint statement read: “International rugby and our major competitions remain the financial and cultural engine that sustains every level of the game — from grassroots participation to elite performance. Undermining that ecosystem could be enormously harmful to the health of our sport.”

It also accused the league of being profit-driven and designed to benefit a small elite.

R360 released a statement in response, saying: "It's not always easy to embrace new opportunities, but as we've seen throughout history, it's essential for any sport to grow. Our philosophy is clear - if players want to play for their country, they should have that opportunity. Why would the unions stand in their way?... So many players love what R360 can do for them and the game.”