This Week in Sport
A fantastic week of sport awaits! On Monday, the MLB American League Division Series between the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees continues. On Tuesday, the Montréal Canadiens host the Carolina Hurricanes in the NHL. On Wednesday, the Atlanta Dream and New York Liberty face off in Game 2 of their WNBA Playoff series. That's followed by the continuation of the Shanghai Masters on the ATP Tour on Thursday, while Friday sees the first Test between South Africa and Australia begin.
There is plenty more to enjoy at the weekend, too. On Saturday, New Zealand host Australia in the first Test of the Bledisloe Cup, while Sunday sees Liverpool take on Manchester City in the Premier League.
MLB: Tampa Bay Rays v New York Yankees
Monday 5th October 12:00AM GMT (6th)/8:00PM Local
Tropicana Stadium, St. Petersburg
The Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees face off in Game 2 of the MLB ALDS at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg. A Jonathan Aranda home run was all the Rays needed in Game 1, as Drew Rasmussen silenced New York's mighty bats with an eight-inning, one-hit performance. With Aaron Judge set to miss the entire series, the Yankees will need to dig deep in this best-of-five showdown between the American League's top teams. In the pursuit of a vital series-tying win, New York turns to superstar pitcher and presumptive Cy Young winner, Cam Schlittler. With a 1.95 ERA and 239 strikeouts this season, Schlittler is exactly the man the Yankees can lean on in do-or-die moments. If the Yankees drop Game 2, they will be in dangerous but familiar territory. While just 10 teams in MLB history have ever pulled off the reverse sweep after falling into a 0-2 deficit, the Yankees have done it twice. The series continues across the rest of the week, with Game 3 on Wednesday and Games 4 and 5 on Thursday and Saturday, if they are needed.
NHL: Montreal Canadiens v Carolina Hurricanes
Tuesday 6th October 11:00PM GMT/7:00PM Local
Bell Center, Montreal
The Montréal Canadiens host the Carolina Hurricanes in the NHL at the Bell Centre in Montréal. These two ambitious teams meet for the first time since the Eastern Conference Finals during last season's Playoffs. The Canadiens opened the new season with a win over the Toronto Maple Leafs before losing an overtime thriller to the Pittsburgh Penguins in their most recent game. Meanwhile, the defending champion Hurricanes have been slow out of the gate. After dropping their first two games of the season, they finally put themselves in the win column with an overtime victory against the Philadelphia Flyers. Canes star Sebastian Aho is off to a hot start, but so far, Carolina's new-look goalie tandem has not been working out. With both teams' respective divisional battles expected to be tight, every win these teams can get will be valuable.
WNBA: Atlanta Dream v New York Liberty
Wednesday 7th October 11:30PM/7:30PM Local
State Farm Arena, Atlanta
The Atlanta Dream face the New York Liberty in Game 2 of the WNBA Semifinals at Gateway Center Arena in College Park. Game 1 of the series proved to be a gritty battle between two star-studded squads. A dominant third period for Atlanta proved to be the deciding factor. The Dream are anchored by recently crowned Defensive Player of the Year Angel Reese, while New York boast the superstar tandem of Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu. The Dream are looking for their first Finals berth since 2013, while the 2024 champion Liberty are aiming to build on their historic upset of the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx in the previous round. The series will continue on Friday with Game 3, and Sunday with Game 4 if needed.
ATP Tour: Shanghai Masters Day 2
Thursday 8th October 2:30AM GMT/10:30AM Local
Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena, Shanghai
The Shanghai Masters continue on the ATP Tour at Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena in Shanghai. Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz headline this Masters 1000 tournament, while 2024 winner and world number one Jannik Sinner misses the tournament through injury. Neither Zverev nor Alcaraz have won a title in Shanghai, though Zverev reached the Final in 2019. Meanwhile, four-time champion Novak Djokovic, who last won the title in 2018, enters as the tenth seed. While 2026 has been a mixed year for Djokovic, he will enter this tournament with plenty of momentum after a strong showing at the China Open. The defending champion is Valentin Vacherot, who enters the tournament as the seventeenth seed after winning it as a qualifier last year.
Cricket in South Africa: South Africa v Australia (1st Test) Day 1
Friday 9th October 7:30AM GMT/9:30AM Local
Kingsmead, Durban
The first Test between South Africa and Australia begins at Kingsmead in Durban. This rematch of last year's World Test Championship marks South Africa's first Test action of 2026. After missing the preceding ODI series, Kagiso Rabada has been named to the Test squad for the hosts. After a Purple Cap-winning season in the IPL (leading wicket taker in the tournament) earlier this year, Rabada will be vital to help South Africa continue their recent dominance over Australia, but it is not certain he will play the First Test. Meanwhile, Australia find themselves at a red-ball crossroads of sorts. After demolishing England in The Ashes last winter, their most recent Test outing saw them draw a two-match series with Bangladesh, who had previously not won a Test on Australian soil. For the time being, Australia will proceed to field its aging golden generation, but this three-Test series may provide vital insight into how they plan to handle the future.
International Test Match (Rugby Union): New Zealand v Australia
Saturday 10th October 6:10AM GMT/7:10PM Local
Eden Park, Auckland
New Zealand host Australia as part of the Bledisloe Cup at Eden Park in Auckland. The All Blacks, fresh off a spirited four-Test tour against South Africa, look to continue their recent dominance over their regional rivals. New Zealand has won 11 consecutive matches against the Wallabies, which marks the longest win streak in their storied history against one another. Scott Barrett returns from injury while Shannon Frizell could earn his first cap since 2023 as Dave Rennie tries to overcome the injuries to Ardie Savea and several other key contributors. Meanwhile, Australia will begin this two-Test battle with plenty of momentum. Undefeated in six Test matches, Australia come off a momentous win over South Africa last month. However, Eden Park is a stadium where the Wallabies have not tasted victory since 1986. Despite this forty-year drought, Les Kiss' side will be confident they can turn their recent form into a historic win ahead of the return fixture in Sydney next week.
Premier League: Manchester City v Liverpool
Sunday 11th October 3:30PM GMT/4:30PM Local
Anfield, Liverpool
Liverpool take on Manchester City in the Premier League at Anfield in Liverpool. Under new manager Andoni Iraola, Liverpool are yet to lose in the league, starting the new season with three draws and two wins. After allowing four goals in their first two matches, the Reds' defence has rallied to record clean sheets in their last three league outings. That could be the push Liverpool needs to record their first victory against City in nearly two years. Meanwhile, despite the looming prospect of potentially club-altering sanctions for City, the play on the pitch has been immaculate so far this season. Coming out of the international break, City have a three-point lead and a perfect record in the Premier League. With Arsenal facing a potential trap game against Leeds United, City could be looking at the chance to establish a six-point cushion before Champions League play resumes. However, new City manager Enzo Maresca has a mixed record against Liverpool, recording two wins and two losses, against the Reds.
Photo by: All Blacks
Written and information correct on 5th October 2026 at 6AM GMT.
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