After the excitement of the 2026 World Baseball Classic and weeks of Spring Training, Major League Baseball (MLB) returns this month, with a fresh season of storylines ready to unfold.
All eyes will be on Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers as they look to build early momentum, while other contenders across the league aim to make their mark from the outset.
From high-profile clashes to intriguing matchups across the North America, the opening slate offers fans an early look at the teams and players set to shape the 2026 campaign.
Here are the matches live on SPOTV NOW (subject to change).
Matchup
Date
Time (GMT+8)
Cincinnati Reds vs Boston Red Sox
27 March 2026
4:10AM
Los Angeles Dodgers vs Arizona Diamondbacks
27 March 2026
8:30AM
Los Angeles Dodgers vs Arizona Diamondbacks
28 March 2026
10:10AM
San Francisco Giants vs New York Yankees
29 March 2026
7:15AM
Los Angeles Dodgers vs Cleveland Guardians
31 March 2026
10:10AM
Jorge Martin: From Heaven to Hell
Coming into the season as the reigning World Champion, the Spaniard endured a nightmare year, as injury derailed his debut campaign with Aprilia
Southeast Asia’s presence in global tennis continues to grow, with more than a handful of players from the region currently ranked inside the top 1000 of the ATP and WTA singles rankings.
While the region is still searching for consistent representation at the very top of the sport, emerging talents and established names are steadily raising the profile of tennis across Southeast Asia.
Here’s a look at some of the players leading the charge.
Philippines
The Philippines and Southeast Asia as a whole are spearheaded by standout star Alex Eala, who continues to carry both national and regional expectations.
Ranked 29th in the WTA singles rankings at the time of writing, the 20-year-old is the highest-ranked Southeast Asian player and one of the brightest prospects in women’s tennis. Her rise has not only elevated the Philippines’ presence in the sport but also inspired growing interest in tennis across the region.
Thailand remains the region’s deepest tennis nation in terms of player depth, highlighted by their recent dominance at the 2025 SEA Games, where they collected three gold, seven silver and one bronze medals.
On the men’s side, no fewer than seven Thai players are ranked inside the ATP top 1000, led by Maximus Jones (317th). He enjoyed a strong 2025 season, winning two SEA Games gold medals and claiming his maiden ATP Challenger Tour title in Ivory Coast.
The women’s field is equally competitive, with eight players inside the WTA top 1000. Lanlana Tararudee (106th) leads the group and is on the verge of breaking into the top 100. This year, the 21-year-old has notably reached the first round of a Grand Slam for the first time at the Australian Open and also secured her first WTA 125 title in Austin, United States.
Indonesia boasts a small but competitive group of players across both tours.
On the men’s side, two-time SEA Games gold medallist Muhammad Rifqi Fitriadi is ranked 613th in the ATP singles rankings and continues to compete regularly on the ITF circuit.
In the women’s game, Janice Tjen stands out as the nation’s top performer, currently ranked No. 40 in the WTA. She is followed by Priska Madelyn Nugroho (426th), who has a career-high ranking of 265th in 2023.
Not counting half-heritage players, Malaysia also has representation on both tours, led by the Leong siblings making their mark in professional tennis.
Mitsuki is ranked No. 661 in the ATP singles rankings, while Shihomi sits at No. 961 in the WTA singles rankings. Their presence reflects Malaysia’s ongoing efforts to develop players capable of competing on the global stage.
The FIM released a statement on Tuesday following disruption to the 2026 Brazilian Grand Prix, where a series of track failures forced last-minute operational changes.
The event marked MotoGP’s return to Brazil after more than two decades, with Aprilia Racing’s Marco Bezzecchi claiming victory in the premier class at the Autódromo Internacional Ayrton Senna.
However, the race weekend in Goiânia was repeatedly affected by surface instability, linked to recent construction work and extreme weather conditions.
"On Saturday a significant defect in the track emerged due to the collapse of an undocumented old sewage system beneath the surface," the statement read.
"The problem, which was fortunately off the racing line, was immediately attended to and repaired following a quick response from the circuit, which allowed track activity to continue later in the day."
Although repairs enabled the schedule to continue after delays, track conditions deteriorated further on Sunday.
Sections of asphalt began to break up following the Moto2 race, with high temperatures and repeated running accelerating wear on the newly laid surface.
Race officials ultimately shortened the MotoGP race from 31 laps to 23.
The FIM added that a thorough investigation had been conducted by MotoGP and local organisers, and committed to implementing the necessary fixes before the event returns next year.
After the Brazilian Grand Prix, the MotoGP paddock rolls into Austin this weekend for the 2026 United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA), one of the most demanding and challenging tracks on the calendar.
Before the action unfolds live on SPOTV NOW, here are five key facts to get you up to speed.
Marquez the king of COTA
Marc Marquez is the undisputed master of Austin. The Spaniard holds a record seven MotoGP victories at COTA, including an incredible streak of six consecutive wins from 2013 to 2018. His remarkable tally also surpasses the combined total (five) of all other premier-class winners at the circuit.
COTA has produced an unusual pattern in recent years. No rider who has won at the circuit since 2019 has gone on to claim the MotoGP world title in the same season, a surprising statistic for a track often viewed as an early benchmark in the championship. The past few COTA winners were Francesco Bagnaia (2025), Maverick Viñales (2024), Álex Rins (2023 & 2019), Enea Bastianini (2022) and Marc Márquez (2021).
Wins for Rins
Alex Rins holds a unique distinction at COTA, as he is the only rider to win at the track in all three classes: Moto3 (2013), Moto2 (2016) and MotoGP (2023). His premier-class victory was particularly significant, as it ended Honda’s win drought that stretched back to the 2021 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
Third Sprint and race double for Aprilla incoming?
Aprilia Racing have started the 2026 season in red-hot form, with Marco Bezzecchi winning both opening races to lead the championship standings. With momentum on their side, the Italian manufacturer could be in line for another sprint and race double — something as a factory team they have only achieved twice before, with Aleix Espargaró at the 2023 Catalonia GP and Maverick Viñales at this very circuit in 2024.
Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup to debut in Austin
The 2026 United States Grand Prix will also mark the debut of the Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup. The new championship will run alongside selected MotoGP rounds across North America and Europe. Among the entries is Indonesia’s Niti Racing Team competing with Dimas Ekky Pratama and Óscar Gutiérrez.
Cerezo Osaka defender Ayumu Ohata won the J1 100 Year Vision League’s Save of the Month WEST award for the month of February.
The 24-year-old was recognised for his remarkable goal-line clearance during Cerezo Osaka’s 2-1 defeat to Sanfrecce Hiroshima.
In the 22nd minute of the February 22 clash, Ohata produced an acrobatic effort to deny what looked like a certain goal and keep his side in the contest.
Despite the award traditionally being reserved for goalkeepers, his save stood out enough to earn official recognition.
“I’m honoured to have been selected for February’s Best Save Award. It means a lot, especially as I understand this is the first time an outfield player has received this recognition in the J1 League,” he said.
“We’ll continue to give everything we’ve got, so we truly appreciate your continued passionate support.”
Former Weekly Soccer Magazine editor-in-chief Satoshi Hojo described it as “an extraordinary save with massive impact”, while retired footballer Ryohei Hayashi added that he had never seen a scorpion-style block like it.
