Whether you’ve been watching Stranger Things Season 5, His & Hers, or Heated Rivalry, it’s time to put your show on pause for a couple of weeks because the Australian Open is back in full swing.

Scroll down to the 2-minute section of the newsletter for a preview.

26
The number of World Cup victories that Australian moguls skier Jakara Anthony has recorded across her career. Anthony secured her 26th victory over the weekend at a World Cup in Waterville Valley, USA, to become Australia’s all-time World Cup wins leader. Two other Aussies, Adam Lambert (snowboard cross) and Scotty James (snowboard half pipe), also scored World Cup wins over the weekend as Australia’s snowsports stars prepare for the Winter Olympics in Italy next month.  

“Honestly, it was the best day ever — just insane. It doesn’t get much better than that, especially here in Perth. It’s the hometown of our flight controller Luke Parkinson, and for us to go out there with the [Fremantle] Doctor coming in strong, amazing breeze and a bit of chop, it made it tricky to sail the boats but delivered phenomenal racing.”
Hannah Mills, the strategist for Great Britain’s SailGP team, speaking after Great Britain opened the 2026 SailGP season with victory in Perth. The Brits beat Australia and France in Sunday’s final after two days of racing in Fremantle. Australia finished second to the reigning champions despite a late crew change. The Fremantle Doctor is a south-westerly breeze that arrives in Perth on hot summer days and provides welcome relief from the heat. 

After the Denver Broncos beat the Buffalo Bills 33-30 in the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs yesterday, Bills quarterback Josh Allen now holds the unwanted record for the most play-off wins by a quarterback without ever making it to the Super Bowl (eight). Allen was the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in 2025.

🏀 The Townsville Fire have locked in a WNBL finals spot with a 78–69 win over the UC Capitals, coming from behind to seal the game late. Trailing inside the final five minutes, the Fire finished on an 11-0 run sparked by Courtney Woods and Lucy Olsen, with Canberra scoreless down the stretch. The win keeps Townsville on top of the league ladder at 15-4 and sets up a crucial showdown with second-placed Perth Lynx on Tuesday night.

⚽ Senegal’s men’s football team won the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after a chaotic final in Rabat, defeating hosts Morocco 1-0 in extra time. The match boiled over late in normal time when a stoppage-time penalty for Morocco led Senegal’s players to briefly walk off the pitch. When they returned, Senegal’s goalkeeper Édouard Mendy saved the penalty. Early in extra time, Pape Gueye scored from outside the box to seal Senegal’s second AFCON title in five years.

🚴‍♂️ Swiss cyclist Noemi Rüegg has defended her women’s Tour Down Under title, winning stage three to seal overall victory in Adelaide. The 24-year-old outsprinted three UAE Team ADQ riders after fighting back from being dropped on the decisive Corkscrew Road climb. Rüegg’s late surge overturned race leader Ally Wollaston, who won the first two stages over the weekend but could not stay with the front group on the final ascents. The men’s race starts tomorrow. 

🏈 Four teams remain in the NFL Playoffs after the weekend’s Divisional Round. The Seattle Seahawks will host the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship match after the Seahawks beat the San Francisco 49ers 41-6 and the Rams defeated the Chicago Bears 20-17. In the AFC Championship, the Denver Broncos will host the New England Patriots after the Broncos downed the Buffalo Bills 33-30 and the Patriots outplayed the Houston Texans 28-16. The NFL is divided into two conferences, the NFC and the AFC. The winner of each conference championship secures a spot in the Super Bowl. 

If your “get fitter this year” resolution is still going strong this one’s for you

SCODY makes performance gear for everyday athletes – the early-morning trainers, weekend riders and post-work runners. Designed, cut and sewn in Brisbane, every piece is made to order using premium fabrics built for Australian conditions.

No mass production, no shortcuts – just gear that fits properly, lasts longer and moves with you, wherever your training’s at.

The Sydney Sixers have secured a spot in the Big Bash League finals after a five-wicket win over the Brisbane Heat at the Gabba, sealing the four-team finals line-up on the final night of the regular season.

Here is what to know.

The Sixers leaned on their stars in a must-win clash, with Mitchell Starc producing a decisive spell to finish with four wickets and limit Brisbane to 171. Steve Smith anchored the chase with 54, before Sam Curran closed it out in style, smashing an unbeaten 53 to guide Sydney home with an over to spare. 

The result lifted the Sixers into second place on the ladder and officially ended the Heat’s finals hopes. 

With the regular season complete, the finals order is set. The Perth Scorchers finished top and will host two finals after a strong late surge, while the Hobart Hurricanes, Melbourne Stars and Sixers make up the rest of the top four. 

The finals series will start tomorrow with ‘The Qualifier’ between the Scorchers (1st) and Sixers (2nd). The winner of that match will advance to ‘The Final’. 

On Wednesday, the Hurricanes and Stars will meet in ‘The Knockout’, a do-or-die final where the winner will advance to ‘The Challenger’ against the loser of the Scorchers and Sixers match.

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The first Grand Slam of the year began on Sunday in Melbourne. 

This year’s Australian Open features a strong Australian presence across the singles draws and several key storylines set to shape the tournament.

Don’t know love from deuce, but still want to keep up with the office chat? Here’s your guide.

It has already been a notable Australian Open for local players. Four Australians (Storm Hunter, Maddison Inglis, Jason Kubler, and Dane Sweeny) progressed through qualifying last week to reach the main draw. It is the most Australians to do so in the same year since 1992.

That result brought the total number of Australians in the singles draws to 21, with 11 men and 10 women competing in the opening round. 

Day one saw three Aussies make early exits after Adam Walton, Jason Kubler, and Tristan Schoolkate lost their first-round matches. Meanwhile, Storm Hunter and Talia Gibson became the first two Aussies to advance to the second round yesterday and today. 

Australia’s top-ranked man, Alex de Minaur, is also through to the second round after defeating American Mackenzie McDonald in straight sets (6-2, 6-2, 6-3) today. He was initially scheduled to face Matteo Berrettini, but the Italian withdrew from the tournament. If De Minaur progresses as far as the quarter-final, he is projected to meet world number one Carlos Alcaraz.

On the women’s side, 19-year-old Maya Joint is the highest-ranked Australian and enters the event as the 30th seed. She opens against Czech teenager Tereza Valentova tomorrow. Kimberly Birrell also returns to the Australian Open in strong form after making it to the semi-finals of the Adelaide International. She will play fellow Aussie Maddison Inglis tomorrow.

The men’s draw centres on Spain’s Alcaraz and Italy’s Jannik Sinner. The two have dominated men’s tennis over the past two years, each winning four of the last eight Grand Slam tournaments. 

Alcaraz is chasing the only major title missing from his career and started his campaign strongly on Sunday with a straight-sets win over Walton. A title in Melbourne would complete the Career Grand Slam for the 22-year-old, making him the youngest player to ever do so.

Sinner returns as the two-time defending champion and has won his past 14 matches at the Australian Open. The Italian is attempting to become just the second man in the Open Era to win three consecutive Australian Open titles (after Novak Djokovic, who has done it twice).

Defending champion Madison Keys returns to Melbourne after claiming her first major title last year.

World number one Aryna Sabalenka has lost only one match at the Australian Open since 2023 (last year’s final when Keys beat her). The Belarusian won her first match on Sunday and arrives in strong form after winning her first title of the year at the Adelaide International. 

Polish world number two Iga Świątek is seeking her first Australian Open title, which would complete her Career Grand Slam.

American world number three Coco Gauff is also among the leading contenders and won her opening match today. 

Meanwhile, Venus Williams made a historic return to Melbourne Park on a wildcard yesterday, becoming the oldest player ever to compete at the tournament. The 45-year-old lost to Serbia’s Olga Danilović.

The Australian Open main draw is on now! Coverage will be available live on Channel 9, 9Now and Stan Sport. The tournament will run until the men’s singles final on Sunday, 1 February.