Here's what our editors will be watching this weekend as January turns to February:
Saturday, January 31st
Aryna Sabalenka vs Elena Rybakina - 09:30 CET
The world rankings might not say so, but Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina feel like the best two players in the world right now. Both have made reaching this year’s Australian Open final look effortless, and what it sets up is a match that is incredibly hard to predict. Neither player has dropped a set en route to Saturday morning’s final after swatting aside any challengers with ease.
Sabalenka might be world number one, but Rybakina will take confidence from beating the Belarusian in straight sets at the WTA Finals showpiece event in Riyadh at the end of the 2025 season, and from downing Jessica Pegula and Iga Swiatek en route to this one.
Rybakina was at her best in Riyadh, and when she is on it like that, the power she generates from the back of the court with her forehand and backhand is a serious weapon. The fact of the matter is, though, there is very little separating these two big hitters.
Read a detailed preview of the women's final here.
Rybakina has won two and lost two of their last four meetings, but unlike Sabalenka, she isn’t so used to Grand Slam finals. Her only Grand Slam title came at Wimbledon 2022, and her only other final came in Melbourne in 2023, when she lost to Sabalenka.
Sabalenka, meanwhile, is a two-time winner in Australia and a four-time Grand Slam champion. She has also been in a further three finals, so she is no stranger to the big stage.
Whilst Rybakina might have some early nerves, expect Sabalenka to look right at home from the first game - she will be ready. Sabalenka also does have the better all-round game. There is little separating the two in terms of power, but Sabalenka moves around the court better, and that might just be crucial.
When all is said and done, however, this is likely to be a final decided by whoever produces their best tennis on the day. It could well go all the way, and if it does, it is anyone’s guess who will hold their nerve. This is as box-office as it gets, so be sure to set your alarms!
Harry Dunnett
Liverpool vs Newcastle - 21:00 CET
The pick of the Premier League matches this weekend is a Saturday prime-time clash between Liverpool and Newcastle at Anfield. Both sides are coming off losses in the league and are only separated by three points, making this all the more intriguing.
It’s not been the season Liverpool fans would have hoped for following on from lifting the trophy last year. After a shaky few months, the Reds find themselves just outside the top five after 23 rounds, with Newcastle only one win behind them down in ninth place.
What that means is this clash is absolutely vital for the sides' Champions League hopes. On the continent, they are both alive in the ongoing competition, but they will be desperate to get into that top five in the Premier League and stay there.
What’s more, the pressure is still very much on Arne Slot to prove himself capable of sustained success on Merseyside, while Eddie Howe will be expected to improve Newcastle’s league position as soon as possible.
These two last met in August in the early weeks of the season, with Liverpool edging a five-goal epic 3-2 at the death thanks to a Rio Ngumoha winner. Last season, Liverpool beat Newcastle at home and drew away, but the Magpies claimed the honours in their memorable League Cup final.
The last five meetings between these two have seen 22 goals scored, so whichever way it goes, it could well be another thriller. What a way to wrap your Saturday!
Pat Dempsey
Sunday, February 1st
Carlos Alcaraz vs Novak Djokovic - 09:30 CET
The men's final down under isn't the one everybody expected, but it is perhaps the best we could've hoped for in terms of a narrative, with tennis history guaranteed to be made in the latest chapter of the rivalry between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic.
Few people thought that 38-year-old Djokovic still had it in him to break the duopoly of Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, but the Serb further cemented his status as the greatest of all time with a stunning five-set win over the Italian.
What was his best win in years put him within one more of becoming the first tennis player ever to win a 25th Grand Slam, surpassing the record tally of 24 currently held by himself and Margaret Court.
Standing between him and that monumental record is Alcaraz, who can set one of his own in Melbourne. If the Spaniard prevails, he'll become the youngest man ever to win all four majors and complete the Career Slam, well and truly establishing himself as the greatest young talent the sport has ever seen.
The clash really couldn't be harder to call. While Alcaraz is near-unstoppable at his best, he has spent much more time on court than Djokovic after contesting a record-breaking five-and-a-half-hour semi with Alexander Zverev.
In contrast, the Serb didn't have to play a last-16 match, and of those he has played, only his clash with Sinner lasted over three hours. The Serb has also won three of their hard-court clashes, and their only one in Melbourne.
With what's on the line and the level of tennis that the two are capable of producing, this could go down as one of the greatest matches ever.
Finley Crebolder
After a truly disastrous European midweek for Dutch clubs, in which all of Ajax, PSV, FC Utrecht, Feyenoord and Go Ahead Eagles failed to win and were knocked out, focus returns to the Eredivisie. It’s only January, but one team can already smell the title, and the race could be over very, very soon.
PSV are absolutely running away in the Eredivisie, boasting a rather unbelievable 14-point lead after 20 rounds. The Eindhoven outfit have won back-to-back titles in the last two seasons, and with a third in sight, nearest chasers Feyenoord come to town this Sunday.
Robin van Persie’s team are in the midst of a bad run of results, winning just two and losing five of their last nine games, with the latest a lethal 2-1 defeat away at Real Betis that sent the Rotterdam giants packing in the UEFA Europa League.
Furthermore, Feyenoord were shaken up by the injury to Shaqueel van Persie, Robin van Persie’s son, picked up in Thursday’s defeat. Though there’s no official diagnosis yet, Robin van Persie acknowledged it’s not looking good for Shaqueel, who became the latest injury-hit star among Feyenoord’s ranks.
Injuries have forced Van Persie to play 18-year-old Thijs Kraaijeveld alongside midfielder Oussama Targhalline in the heart of his defence, winger Aymen Sliti in midfield, and striker Cyle Larin - who missed four big chances against Betis - as a number 10.
Even though PSV are winless in their last three games themselves, Peter Bozs knows the opportunity to potentially expand their dominant lead to 17 points will be one too good to pass up on. In the current Eredivisie, one could only imagine this would be the knock-out punch in the title race.
Paul Winters
Royale Union Saint-Gilloise vs Club Brugge - 18:30 CET
It is Super Sunday in Belgium, where the country’s Classico will take place between Standard Liege and Anderlecht before the top two teams in each of the last two seasons - Club Brugge and Union Saint-Gilloise - square off.
While historically the Classico is considered the biggest match in the land, Club and Union have comfortably been the two most consistent teams over the last few years. With the pair also competing for the title, there is further intrigue for the game in Brussels. Both sides come into the match following Champions League wins. Blauw-Zwart will remain in the competition, while Les Unionistes bowed out.
It has been a bumpy ride for Club Brugge, who are 19-time champions. They have been the standard-setters over the last decade, where they finished in the top two in all but one season. Heading into the match in third spot - two points behind their opponents - they have a chance to take top spot by the end of the week.
As for Union, they have also struggled for consistency of late. They have not won consecutive league matches since the end of October/start of November. However, David Hubert’s men are still top of the table, though their lead has been cut to just one after last weekend’s draw.
The matches between Union and Club have been very tight of late. In fact, the last nine contests have been decided by just one goal. Ivan Leko’s side came out on top in the reverse fixture back in October, handing Les Unionistes their first league loss of the campaign.
Expect a fascinating match-up on Sunday in what is the game of the week in Belgium. This could go a long way in deciding who lifts the trophy come the end of May.
David Parkes
