Editors' Picks: US Open ends, Bielsa & Chile reunite

Unless you're not a fan of football, tennis, basketball, cycling or rugby - in which case, what exactly do you do with your free time? - there's bound to be something that will tickle your fancy. 

Here are the standout events taking place over the coming days.

Friday, September 8th

Vuelta a Espana - Stage 13 (14:00 CET)

The final Grand Tour of the year has been a wild ride so far, with favourites Jonas Vingegaard, Primoz Roglic and Remco Evenepoel trailing a man who travelled to Spain predominantly to assist the former two, Sepp Kuss. Just which of them goes on to triumph will be largely determined by Friday's stage, the hardest of the tour. 

Taking place in the Pyrenees, it will last 135km and consist of over 4000m of hard climbing across four major summits, ending on perhaps the most gruelling of them all, the Col du Tourmalet, a 19km mountain pass which will take the riders up 1400m. 

With all four summits being in quick succession and causing serious problems for Tour de France riders over the years, this is the stage of the Vuelta that will separate the boys from the men.

Rugby World Cup begins (21:15 CET)

The first match of a Rugby World Cup is always a thrill, but that will be especially the case this year given who it's between.

To start the tournament hosts France - our personal favourites - will go up against the only team more fancied by the bookies to win the tournament, New Zealand, who beat them in the final in 2011 and knocked them out in 2015, too. 

With the All Blacks looking vulnerable at the moment and the French enjoying the home advantage, Les Blues will have their sights set on a spot of revenge as they look to finally win their first World Cup. It'll be worth tuning in to for the rendition of La Marseillaise alone.

Saturday, September 9th

Uruguay vs. Chile (01:00 CET)

Marcelo Bielsa is something of a hero to many in Chile having led them to the Round of 16 at the 2010 World Cup and laid the foundations for their success later in the decade, but they'll be cheering against him on Saturday.

Now the manager of Uruguay, the Argentine will reunite with the nation he managed from 2007 to 2011 for the first time when his team welcome La Roja to Montevideo for both sides' first 2026 World Cup qualifier.

The clash will be interesting for more than just sentimental reasons, with Bielsa making some big calls, dropping Edison Cavani and Luis Suarez, as he looks to rejuvenate a Uruguayan team that has been underperforming for some time.

US Open Women's Final (22:00 CET)

We don't yet know who will be contesting the US Open Women's final, but you're not going to want to miss it regardless. 

That will be especially the case if teenage superstar Coco Gauff wins her semi-final against Karolina Muchova. If so, she'll then play to win her first-ever Grand Slam and become the first American to win the US Open in six years, ending the joint-longest drought since the 90s. 

Madison Keys could also do so if she can get past Aryna Sabalenka, who would very much cement her status as the world's best if she can triumph herself. 

Sunday, September 10th

FIBA Basketball World Cup Final (14:40 CET)

The US Open finals aren't the only ones taking place this weekend with the Basketball World Cup also coming to an end. 

The chances are that favourites USA will be in the final, bidding to become World Champions for the third time in four tournaments after being shocked by France in 2019, although their semi-final with Germany won't be a walk in the park.

The other finalist will be either a Canada team featuring NBA stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and RJ Barrett or a Serbia side that's averaging the most points per game after the US and knocked out Lithuania, who beat the Americans earlier in the tournament.

US Open Men's Final (22:00 CET)

The majority of fans headed into the US Open wanting a dream final between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, and that's still very much on the cards with both more likely than not to win their semis and set up a Wimbledon rematch.

if Djokovic doesn't make it, Ben Shelton will play to become the first American male to win the tournament in 20 years, while if Alcaraz falls, Daniil Medvedev will play to become the first man other than the Big Three to have won it multiple times since Pete Sampras.

Whatever the final is, it will be one to remember!