There are two separate pairs of Aussies set to play in the Australian Open finals, as the tournament nears its conclusion this weekend.

In the mixed doubles, defending champions Olivia Gadecki and John Peers are one win away from becoming the first mixed doubles pair to defend an Australian Open title since 1989. They will face French pairing Kristina Mladenovic and Manuel Guinard in Friday’s final.

Meanwhile, Jason Kubler and Marc Polmans advanced to the final of the men’s doubles today. Kubler, who won the men’s doubles with Rinky Hijikata in 2023, said after the match: "This is the first time we've played together. Hopefully, this isn't the last time…we've been going all right!". The pair will play the final on Saturday.

7
The number of players ejected from last night’s NBL match between the Adelaide 36ers and Brisbane Bullets after an on-court brawl broke out. The incident erupted late in the game when 36ers centre Nick Rakocevic and Bullets guard Hunter Maldonado wrestled into courtside seats, sparking an all-in confrontation. Rakocevic, Maldonado, and Brisbane’s Terry Taylor were among those sent off, along with four Bullets players from the bench. The NBL has referred the incident to its Game Review Panel, with suspensions now possible. The 36ers won the match 107-74 and have secured a spot in the final of the NBL’s in-season tournament, the Ignite Cup.

"The question is, are we tennis players or are we animals in the zoo where they are observed even when they poop? Ok, that was exaggerating obviously, but it would be nice to have some privacy.”
Iga Świątek, the world’s second-ranked women’s tennis player, speaking in a press conference about the lack of privacy players have at the Australian Open. The Pole’s comments came after she was filmed being denied access to the locker room because she did not have accreditation, and world number three Coco Gauff was filmed smashing her racquet in a back corridor. Świątek was knocked out of the tournament yesterday, losing to Elena Rybakina in the quarter-final. 

On this day in 2012, American snowboarder Shaun White became the first athlete to receive a perfect score of 100 in the Winter X Games SuperPipe event.

🏏 Australian cricketer Phoebe Litchfield has been forced out of the Women’s Premier League with a quad injury, putting a question mark over her availability for Australia’s upcoming multi-format series against India. The 22-year-old leaves the UP Warriorz as the Indian competition’s third-highest run scorer, with 243 runs at an average of 40. Litchfield has returned home for treatment and will be working fast to be fit for the first T20 against India in Sydney on 15 February, having been named in all three squads.

🏉 Rugby Australia has signed Wallabies star Max Jorgensen on a five-year, multimillion-dollar deal through to the end of 2031, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. The contract means the 21-year-old will remain with the Waratahs and Wallabies across the next two World Cups, fending off interest from NRL clubs and rebel competition R360. It is only the third five-year contract Rugby Australia has ever handed out.

⛳ American golfer Patrick Reed has announced he is leaving LIV Golf and will attempt a return to the PGA Tour. Reed, who won the Masters in 2018, will play on the European DP World Tour this season and will be able to rejoin the American PGA Tour events from late August, pending approval. Reed is the second high-profile player to announce their departure from LIV Golf this month, following fellow major winner Brooks Koepka, marking another blow to the Saudi-backed league's star power.

Your Big Summer of Sport is here

From Super Bowl Monday on 9 Feb to NBA All-Star Weekend and March Madness, summer sport is stacked. 

Add in Aussies lighting up the NBA, the Tillies in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, and the run home to the NBL Finals and WNBL Finals. 

Stream the Big Summer of Sport with ESPN on Disney+.

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Australia have named all-rounder Sophie Molineux as the new captain of the women’s team across all formats, succeeding Alyssa Healy following her decision to retire later this summer.

Here is what to know.

Healy announced earlier this month that she will retire from international cricket after the upcoming multi-format series against India. With the wicketkeeper not selected for the T20Is, Molineux will lead Australia for the first time in the opening match on 15 February. 

She will then serve as Healy’s deputy for the one-day internationals and the one-off Test in Perth, which will mark Healy’s final appearance. 28-year-old Molineux will then become Australia’s next long-term captain after Healy’s influential tenure.

Molineux captains Victoria and the Melbourne Renegades, leading the Renegades to their first Women’s Big Bash League title in 2024. She has played 58 matches for Australia across formats and was part of the squads that won the 2018 and 2020 T20 World Cups. 

Her international career has been interrupted by serious injuries, including a foot stress fracture and an ACL rupture, but she returned in 2024 and now sets her sights on reclaiming the T20 World Cup in England in June. Ashleigh Gardner and Tahlia McGrath have been named vice-captains.

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The league phase of the Champions League wrapped up overnight after a dramatic final matchday featuring 18 simultaneous kick-offs across Europe. 

By the end of the night, the 24 teams progressing to the knockout phase were confirmed, while 12 clubs were eliminated.

Here’s the latest. 

Several qualification spots were decided on the eighth and final matchday of the league phase. Portugal’s Benfica sealed their place in the knockout play-offs in extraordinary fashion, with goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scoring a last-gasp header in stoppage time against Real Madrid. Sporting CP also secured a top-eight finish thanks to a late winner away to Athletic Club.

English clubs had a strong night. Arsenal finished the league phase with a perfect 8-0 record, while Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham all booked direct passage to the round of 16. 

Elsewhere, Norway’s Bodø/Glimt earned a rare Champions League knockout appearance by beating Atlético Madrid away, while Olympiacos progressed with a win in Amsterdam.

Some traditionally strong clubs missed out, including Napoli, Ajax, Marseille, and PSV. 

Straight into the round of 16 (top eight): Arsenal, Barcelona, Bayern München, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Sporting CP, Tottenham

Into the knockout phase play-offs (positions 9 to 24): Atalanta, Atlético Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Benfica, Bodø/Glimt, Club Brugge, Galatasaray, Inter, Juventus, Leverkusen, Monaco, Newcastle, Olympiacos, Paris Saint-Germain, Qarabağ, Real Madrid

The Champions League uses a two-step knockout system. The top eight teams from the league phase automatically qualify for the round of 16.

Teams that finished between ninth and 24th will contest two-legged knockout play-offs in February. Each match-up (known as a tie) will feature two legs, a home and away game for each side. The winners of those ties advance to the round of 16, where they join the top eight.

From there, the tournament follows the traditional knockout format, with home-and-away ties through to the semi-finals, before a single-match final.

The draw for the knockout play-offs takes place on Friday. The knockout phase play-offs will then be played on 17-18 and 24-25 February before the round of 16 begins in March. The final will be held in Budapest, Hungary on 30 May.