We may be wrapping up only the first month of 2026, but The Athletic already has major honors being decided in this week’s super schedule of live coverage.
It’s all eyes on Melbourne as tennis’ opening Grand Slam of the season comes to its conclusion. This week is important in UEFA Champions League soccer, too, with the league phase concluding.
Our extensive live coverage from each event features the latest news, buildup, play-by-play action, reaction, analysis and more.
And if the wait until Wednesday feels a tall order, there is good news. On Monday, we will bring you live, rolling reaction coverage following Sunday’s NFL conference championship games, as Super Bowl LX is getting tantalizingly close, along with World Cup news coverage.
You will find similar live feeds for all the biggest stories and events in sports throughout the year. You can share your views, predictions and questions throughout, too. Simply email live@theathletic.com, and your responses could feature in our coverage, so stay tuned and get involved.
Here is the full live schedule for this week through Sunday, Feb. 1.
Kieran Trippier and Newcastle United face Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday. (Michael Driver / MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Wednesday, Jan. 28
UEFA Champions League: League phase finale
It is European soccer’s newest night of carnage. Last season’s switch from eight groups of four teams to a single, 36-team league ahead of the knockout stage means 18 games kicking off at the same time to resolve the standings.
While table toppers Arsenal and Bayern Munich in second have already secured their spot in the top eight — and with it a round of 16 berth — there are 30 clubs behind them with something riding on Wednesday’s games.
The matches include Newcastle United’s (seventh) trip to Paris Saint-Germain (sixth) as the pair bids to join Arsenal in the top eight, while Napoli (25th) host Chelsea (eighth), hoping to avoid elimination altogether.
Thursday, Jan. 29
Australian Open: Women’s singles semifinals
More than two weeks since the Australian Open began with qualifying in Melbourne, the first Grand Slam of the tennis year reaches crunch time. First up are the women’s semifinals on Rod Laver Arena, where the four top seeds entered the final week hoping to go all the way.
Aryna Sabalenka (1) vs. Coco Gauff (3) and Amanda Anisimova (4) vs Iga Świątek is what the draw has planned — but there is still a lot of tennis to play out before the semifinalists are decided.
Friday, Jan. 30
Australian Open: Men’s singles semifinals
Come Friday, it is men’s turn in Melbourne. Australia remains the elusive singles Slam for top seed and world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz — and this time the man who knocked him out in the quarterfinals last year, Novak Djokovic (4), is on Jannik Sinner’s (2) side of the draw.
It’s almost impossible to picture Alcaraz and Sinner missing the semis on Rod Laver Arena here.
UEFA Champions League: Play-off draw
With Wednesday’s fun and games concluding the league phase, we will know the top eight teams automatically qualifying for the last 16 of this year’s Champions League — as well as the 12 teams eliminated from the competition at the other end.
That leaves a 16-team, two-legged play-off to join the top eight in the round of 16. The clubs that finished from ninth to 16th are seeded and get to play the second leg at home. They will face one of the teams that finished 17th to 24th.
FIFA’s draw at its headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, will decide who plays who to keep their European season alive.
Saturday, Jan. 31
Australian Open: Women’s singles final
The singles finals arrive in Australia, where 12 months ago Aryna Sabalenka’s (1) bid for a Melbourne hat-trick was denied by Madison Keys. The American duly secured her first major.
There is a high chance someone will be bidding for a first Australian Open title this time around, too.
Jannik Sinner is seeking his third straight Australian Open title. (Huang Shangyue / VCG via Getty Images)
Sunday, Feb. 1
Australian Open: Men’s singles final
Melbourne was the only men’s singles Grand Slam final in 2025 that did not feature Jannik Sinner (2) — the two-time defending champion in Australia — taking on Carlos Alcaraz (2).
If they meet here, it will have the potential to be another instant classic. If they don’t, then I can assure you there will be a serious narrative behind whoever does make it.
