Here is what our editors will be watching:
All weekend
The Masters
Augusta National: one of the most beautiful locations in sport, while also happening to host one of the most thrilling events.
This year feels like a must-watch weekend at the Masters with a wide-open field and the two best players in the world off to a flying start. There was much uncertainty heading into this week about how Rory McIlroy would fare as the reigning champion for the first time.
His supporters believed it would help him play free of pressure and expectation, and so far, they look to be right. After round one at Augusta, McIlroy has a share of the lead at five under par after a sensational first round.
World number one Scottie Scheffler is also in the mix after recording a two-under-par opening round. Neutrals who have long hoped for a shootout between McIlroy and Scheffler might finally get their wish this week since both are looking confident and in the mood.
A lot of golf is still to be played between now and then, but a Sunday final pairing of McIlroy and Scheffler looks a possibility, and that would be the definition of a box-office.
World number three Cameron Young, the hugely popular trio of Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose and Shane Lowry, as well as Xander Schauffele, are also all in the mix after a fascinating Thursday. If Friday goes in a similar vein, then the weekend is set to be one of the best.
There are so many twists and turns to come over the next three days at the first major of 2026, and not having any idea how it will all unfold is exactly what makes the Masters so special.
We say it a lot, but this really is must-watch TV. And the best thing? It is on all weekend until the early hours, so get your popcorn ready!
Harry Dunnett
Monte Carlo semi-finals and final
A rare one-week 1000 event, the Monte Carlo Masters marks the start of the clay-court season and remains one of the best tournaments on the ATP Tour.
The climax of the tournament takes place this weekend, and there could be a first Carlos Alcaraz vs Jannik Sinner final of the season on the cards.
The opening semi-final sees Sinner take on Alexander Zverev in the last four for the fourth 1000 event in a row. Sinner has won on every single occasion, as well as their last seven meetings.
World number three Zverev is having an incredibly consistent season, regularly reaching the semis of events. Yet he just can't seem to get past the two players ranked ahead of him. Can he find a way this time?
The other clash sees defending champion Alcaraz meet home favourite Valentin Vacherot, whose fairytale run shows no sign of slowing down. From his victory at the Shanghai Masters at the end of last year to this run in Monte Carlo, he has shown he is no flash in the pan.
An extra, intriguing storyline sees the world number one ranking at stake. Alcaraz currently holds top spot, but if Sinner achieves a better result than him at Monte Carlo, then he will return to the summit. This makes a potential 'Sincaraz' final even more tantalising a proposition.
A fantastic tournament that is sure to have a fantastic ending, tune in to the tennis this weekend to see the world's best slug it out on the dirt.
Tolga Akdeniz
Saturday, April 11th
Ottawa Senators vs. New York Islanders - 19:00 CET
The Ottawa Senators (94 points) took a bigger lead in the Eastern Conference Wild Card standings after beating the Florida Panthers on Thursday, extending their win streak to three games, as the Islanders find themselves in a must-win scenario if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive for their remaining three games.
The New York Islanders currently sit with 91 points in the standings. Should they lose, they would need the Philadelphia Flyers (92 points) to also lose their game against the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday, which would at least keep the Islanders’ playoff hopes alive for claiming the third spot in the Metro Division.
A Senators win would catapult them to 96 points, which could tie them with the Boston Bruins (96 points) as the top two Wild Card teams, really widening the gap against the Detroit Red Wings (91 points), Columbus Blue Jackets (90 points), and Washington Capitals (89) – all with three games remaining on their schedules.
The Islanders and Senators have split the season series so far 1-1, with the Sens outscoring the Isles 8-6 between those games and winning the latest matchup 3-2.
A reminder that in the NHL, a win equates to two points in the standings, a loss is zero, and an overtime loss is one point. If the Sens win, the Isles' best hopes of making the playoffs could be through the Flyers losing out.
Eric Himmelheber
Atalanta vs Juventus - 20:45 CET
This weekend's Serie A action will be quite pivotal in the race for fourth spot. While Como take on Inter, there is a direct duel on Saturday between Atalanta and Juventus. A true six-pointer, which could be worth millions come season's end.
A rejuvenated Atalanta side, who have won their last two league games, will want to keep their strong run going. Raffaele Palladino's men had a largely disappointing March, which included a heavy Champions League elimination in the round of 16.
As such, victory over Juve would really put them closer to the top four. The Bergamaschi have Roma next week, so it is a key two weeks for them.
Juve head into this match with renewed spirit, having won four of their last six in all competitions in a six-game unbeaten run. The Bianconeri have had no problems in scoring this term, with their 54 goals being the second most behind Inter.
Sitting just a point behind Como for fourth, a win in Bergamo could very well see Luciano Spalletti's charges jump up a spot by the end of the week.
This will be the third time the two teams will do battle this term. The most recent one also happened at the New Balance Arena, when Atalanta triumphed 3-0 in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals.
As for the reverse fixture in the league back in September, the sides played out a 1-1 draw. La Dea has scored in each of their last five matches against Juve, a run that goes back to 2024.
Saturday night will be a match neither club can afford to lose. Three points now could be the difference between fourth and fifth, or even fifth and sixth. All eyes will be on Bergamo for another must-watch Serie A clash between two strong teams.
David Parkes
Sunday, April 12th
Chelsea vs Manchester City - 17:30 CET
It’s been an encouraging time for Pep Guardiola and Manchester City in the last few weeks. Despite exiting the Champions League to Real Madrid, they have added more silverware to their collection with the Carabao Cup, and thrashed Liverpool 4-0 in the FA Cup.
Now, they are setting their focus on chasing down Arsenal for the Premier League title. Nine points behind the Gunners going into the weekend, Guardiola’s side know they must beat Chelsea if they are to keep pace.
Having started in the role as Blues boss back in January, Liam Rosenior is already facing pressure to find results. Since taking over, Chelsea have been inconsistent to say the least, and in recent weeks it has only got worse. They have lost four of their last five games, with the only win coming against League One side Port Vale in the FA Cup.
With this in mind, this feels like a certain win for City. But this game is at Stamford Bridge, and Chelsea’s fan will be urging their side on. According to Opta, the Citizens have an 8% higher chance of winning the game, suggesting a closely-fought contest with so much riding on it for both sides.
Also, if you like some schadenfreude on your Sunday, why not watch Tottenham’s trip to Sunderland beforehand, for what will surely be a fascinating watch of Roberto de Zerbi’s first game in charge of Spurs.
Josh Donaldson