Sports

A World at Play

Follow your favorite sporting events in 2023. BY JACK GUY

Tennis Tournament: Wimbledon grass court

PHOTO: © CHARLIEAJA | DREAMSTIME.COM F resh off the back of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the 2023 sporting calendar gets off to a strong start with the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne Jan. 16–29, followed by the start of rugby’s Six Nations Championship, with the last round of matches played March 18 in Edinburgh, Rome and Dublin.

Next up is the French Open tennis championship in Paris May 28–June 11, or, alternatively, jet off to El Salvador for the ISA World Surfing Games in El Sunzal May 30–June 7. Soccer fans will do well to score a ticket to the UEFA Champions League final June 10 in İstanbul, Türkiye, but anyone can turn up at the side of the road to support the cyclists of the Tour de France July 1–23, with the first stage starting from Bilbao in Spain before riders wind their way to the finish line in Paris.

Head over the Channel to London mid-tour to catch a bit of the Wimbledon tennis championships, with the final taking place July 16, or jet across the world for the FIFA Women’s World Cup, hosted across nine cities in Australia and New Zealand, including Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland, July 20–Aug. 20.

Back in Europe, the Rugby World Cup takes place in France Sept. 8–Oct. 28, with host cities including Paris, Bordeaux and Marseille presenting plenty of opportunities for a mini tour of the country by car or on the high-speed TGV train service. Next, the Ryder Cup golf competition reignites the U.S.–Europe rivalry at Marco Simone Golf Club near Rome, Italy, Sept. 29–Oct. 1, and it’s worth checking the schedules to see if either the S.S. Lazio or A.S. Roma soccer club is playing at home that weekend. Finally, cricket fans will want to book tickets to India for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, with matches dotted around various cities throughout October; the final plays on Nov. 26.