What to look forward to in the world of sports in 2025

On the women's side, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka (pictured) will be aiming to become the first woman since Martina Hingis to win three straight Australian Open titles. For the men, Novak Djokovic will be going for his 11th, and for a record of 25 Grand Slam singles titles. The Grand Slam season continues with the French Open and Wimbledon, before wrapping up in the late summer with the US Open.

The men's World Handball Championship is to be hosted by Croatia, Denmark and Norway in January and February, marking the first time the tournament will be held in three countries. Denmark have won the last three titles. France are the defending champions going into the women's tournament, to be jointly hosted by Germany and the Netherlands in November and December.

The NFC and AFC champions face each other in the 59th edition of the battle for NFL supremacy at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. Patrick Mahomes' (photo) Kansas City Chiefs have won it the past two seasons; could a three-peat be in the cards? For those who have little interest in the actual game, rapper Kendrick Lamar is to headline the halftime show, two years after his last appearance.

This will be the first NHL-organized international ice hockey tournament since the quirky 2016 World Cup of Hockey, which included a Team North America and a Team Europe. The 4 Nations Face-Off is a best-on-best tournament featuring just four teams: Canada, USA, Finland and Sweden. It replaces the usual NHL All-Star Weekend and will be played in Boston and Montreal.

The 2025 Formula One season is to feature no major changes to the 24-race calendar, but there is one earthshaking change in the cockpit: Seven-time drivers' champion Lewis Hamilto announced prior to the 2024 season that he would leave Mercedes to join Ferrari in 2025. Will the Englishman bring the Italians similar success to that he enjoyed with the German manufacturer?

With all the talk of the football calendar already being overcrowded, FIFA boss Gianni Infantino's plans for an expanded FIFA Club World Cup in the US (from seven to 32 teams!) have been met with anything but universal love. It kicks off on June 15 with Inter Miami facing Al Ahly of Egypt. The final is to be played on July 13 at the MetLife Stadium (capacity 82,500) in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Both the women's and the men's tournaments will be hosted by four nations; the Czech Republic, Germany, Greece and Italy for the women, Cyprus, Finland, Poland and Latvia for the men. Belgium will be looking to defend their title on the women's side, while Spain's men do the same. Men's world champions Germany will be out to improve on their third-place finish in 2022.

The women's Euro takes place just three years after the COVID-19-delayed previous tournament, which was won by hosts England in 2022, who edged Germany 2-1 in the final at Wembley. Germany are set to travel next door to Switzerland with a team that has gone through a lot of changes. Captain Alexandra Popp hung up her boots in 2024, just as new coach in Christian Wück took the reins.

While there are several strictly parasports events to look forward to, the World University Summer Games are doing something different in 2025, having added 3x3 wheelchair basketball to the program. Eight men's and eight women's teams are to compete for medals in wheelchair basketball in the Jahrhunderthalle in Bochum.

The 10th edition of the Women's Rugby World Cup will be the first to feature 16 teams, up from the 12 that competed in the previous World Cup in New Zealand. Hosts England kick off the tournament against the United States at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland on August 22. The final is to be played at the "Home of Rugby," Twickenham, on September 27.

The Women's Cricket World Cup will be the 13th edition of the one-day-international tournament (50 overs). India have been chosen to host the event for the fourth time. A hybrid model was adopted in December 2024 for all India vs Pakistan matches, which would be played in tournaments hosted in either country. An alternative venue will be sought for their game if Pakistan reach the tournament.

The 20th edition of the World Athletics Championships will mark the second time that Tokyo will host the event after 1991. They are to be held at the National Stadium, which was rebuilt to host the track-and-field events at the Summer Olympics and Paralympics in 2021. Organizers expect more than 2,000 athletes from some 200 countries to compete in the 49 events at these championships.