When Alex de Minaur was asked by Jim Courier about his involvement in wedding planning with fellow tennis player Katie Boulter following a third-round win at the Australian Open Saturday, the 26-year-old responded, “Are you doubting me, Jim?”“I am,” confirmed the four-time major winner.“No, this is like a 50/50 relationship right," continued De Minaur before being stopped by the master of on-court interviews.“You've not been married. “I am,” confirmed the four-time major winner.“No, this is like a 50/50 relationship right," continued De Minaur before being stopped by the master of on-court interviews.“You've not been married. “No, this is like a 50/50 relationship right," continued De Minaur before being stopped by the master of on-court interviews.“You've not been married. Two days later, De Minaur has seemingly accepted that reality.The Australian No. 1 delivered another stellar performance Monday evening inside Rod Laver Arena, dispatching fellow Top 10 competitor Alexander Bublik with a 6-4, 6-1, 6-1 victory. Afterwards, De Minaur had a short but clear message to sign on the camera lens.“49%,” it read.Boulter, for her part, had published “51% shareholder” on her X account the day prior in co-signing Courier's warning.De Minaur did not face a break point against Bublik, while impressively taking 51 percent of his return points. The Sydney native had lost their two most recent meetings from winning positions, including the second round of 2025 Roland Garros with a two-set lead. 1 delivered another stellar performance Monday evening inside Rod Laver Arena, dispatching fellow Top 10 competitor Alexander Bublik with a 6-4, 6-1, 6-1 victory. Afterwards, De Minaur had a short but clear message to sign on the camera lens.“49%,” it read.Boulter, for her part, had published “51% shareholder” on her X account the day prior in co-signing Courier's warning.De Minaur did not face a break point against Bublik, while impressively taking 51 percent of his return points. The Sydney native had lost their two most recent meetings from winning positions, including the second round of 2025 Roland Garros with a two-set lead. “49%,” it read.Boulter, for her part, had published “51% shareholder” on her X account the day prior in co-signing Courier's warning.De Minaur did not face a break point against Bublik, while impressively taking 51 percent of his return points. The Sydney native had lost their two most recent meetings from winning positions, including the second round of 2025 Roland Garros with a two-set lead. Boulter, for her part, had published “51% shareholder” on her X account the day prior in co-signing Courier's warning.De Minaur did not face a break point against Bublik, while impressively taking 51 percent of his return points. The Sydney native had lost their two most recent meetings from winning positions, including the second round of 2025 Roland Garros with a two-set lead. De Minaur did not face a break point against Bublik, while impressively taking 51 percent of his return points. If he is to end that dry spell, it will require the world No. 6 to overturn his 0-5 head-to-head against top seed Carlos Alcaraz.“It does help out that I'm feeling quite fresh. It's going to be a physical battle, right, because there are many, many things that Carlos does incredibly well on a tennis court, and one is making the rallies quite physical,” said De Minaur.“I'm going to go after the match. Yeah, ultimately it's something that I have never done, but, you know, there is always a first time for everything. If he is to end that dry spell, it will require the world No. 6 to overturn his 0-5 head-to-head against top seed Carlos Alcaraz.“It does help out that I'm feeling quite fresh. It's going to be a physical battle, right, because there are many, many things that Carlos does incredibly well on a tennis court, and one is making the rallies quite physical,” said De Minaur.“I'm going to go after the match. Yeah, ultimately it's something that I have never done, but, you know, there is always a first time for everything. If he is to end that dry spell, it will require the world No. 6 to overturn his 0-5 head-to-head against top seed Carlos Alcaraz.“It does help out that I'm feeling quite fresh. It's going to be a physical battle, right, because there are many, many things that Carlos does incredibly well on a tennis court, and one is making the rallies quite physical,” said De Minaur.“I'm going to go after the match. Yeah, ultimately it's something that I have never done, but, you know, there is always a first time for everything. It's going to be a physical battle, right, because there are many, many things that Carlos does incredibly well on a tennis court, and one is making the rallies quite physical,” said De Minaur.“I'm going to go after the match. Yeah, ultimately it's something that I have never done, but, you know, there is always a first time for everything. Yeah, ultimately it's something that I have never done, but, you know, there is always a first time for everything.

After racing out early and navigating a second-set surge from Victoria Mboko, Aryna Sabalenka leaned on her tiebreak poise to move into the Australian Open quarterfinals, where another teenage test awaits. 1 Aryna Sabalenka started fast and steadied late in a 6-1, 7-6(1) win over No. 17 seed Victoria Mboko on Sunday in Melbourne, booking her place in the Australian Open quarterfinals for the fourth straight year. Australian Open: Scores | Draws | Order of play 1 and stepping onto Rod Laver Arena for the first time -- Sabalenka came out in punishing form. She raced through the opening set and surged ahead 4-1 in the second, taking full control in just over 45 minutes. But as in her previous two matches, the top seed's level dipped with a commanding lead. Mboko capitalized, breaking Sabalenka twice in the second set -- including at 5-4, after Sabalenka failed to convert three match points -- and later pulling the set back to deuce at 6-5, two points from forcing a decider. Sabalenka reset in the tiebreak, the scenario she has made her own over the past 18 months, improving to 20-0 in Grand Slam tiebreak sets as she closed out the win in 1 hour and 26 minutes. Sabalenka said beforehand that she hadn't yet had the chance to practice with Mboko or watch her play up close -- perhaps symbolic of the 19-year-old's rapid rise on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz over the past 12 months -- but Mboko's competitive spirit and tenacity still left her impressed. “What an incredible player for such a young age," Sabalenka said in her on-court interview. "It's incredible to see these kids coming up on tour. "I'm super happy with the win, once again in straight sets. Sabalenka later said that the midday Melbourne sun made serving difficult as the match progressed, and pointed toward that as one of the factors that helped Mboko climb back into the second set. You can break the serve," she said. Two breaks that she got, it was on the side when I was facing the sun. Yeah, I didn't deal that good with the serve. She done incredible job serving on that side. "I knew she's going to be fighting. I knew she's going to be trying. She kind of like has nothing to lose. "But yeah, I was just focusing staying in the moment, playing point by point, trying to get this win." A post shared by Australian Open (@australianopen) 29 seed Iva Jovic of the United States took down Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan 6-0, 6-1 to reach her first-career Grand Slam quarterfinal in under an hour in just her six major main-draw appearance. After racing out early and navigating a second-set surge from Victoria Mboko, Aryna Sabalenka leaned on her tiebreak poise to move into the Australian Open quarterfinals, where another teenage test awaits.

Elina Svitolina bested Mirra Andreeva on Sunday night at Rod Laver Arena, defeating the No. Svitolina sits next, and on Sunday night she added to her total, advancing to her 14th career major quarterfinal -- and fourth at the Australian Open -- with a 6-2, 6-4 win over World No. 8 Mirra Andreeva in 1 hour and 23 minutes on Rod Laver Arena. She'll get another chance to improve those numbers in the quarterfinals, where World No. 3 Coco Gauff awaits in what will be their fourth meeting at the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz level. "I don't want to think too much about it," Svitolina said of her next match. "It's, like, another opportunity for me to go far in the tournament. I think right now this is the priorities for me." And before she could look ahead, she had to get through Andreeva, who arrived in Melbourne fresh off a title run in Adelaide and appeared poised for another deep push. Svitolina shut that door quickly, leaning on her experience to take control of the match's biggest moments and keep the 18-year-old from ever settling in. “I was expecting a tough battle and lots of long rallies,” Svitolina said. “I was trying to just move my feet extremely well today, be really focused and find the small holes in her game and try to use them.” She saved the first break point with a forehand winner of her own and rattled off five straight points to hold for 1-0. The last of those came on a wicked slice drop shot that gave her double break point and a chance to go up 3-0. Instead, Svitolina steadied herself again, saving the first break point with an ace and winning four straight points to hold for 2-1, avoiding a potentially devastating double-break deficit. Svitolina post-win interviews often leave us going awww and we aren't complaining. 6-4, Second set: That hold proved pivotal, as Svitolina broke back in the very next game, and after four straight holds, found herself leading 5-4. The net cord nearly helped Andreeva, but her slice return dipped just low, moving Svitolina within two points of victory. Andreeva saved one match point -- created by her own double fault -- but another unforced error, one of 33 on the night, handed Svitolina a second chance. The Ukrainian capitalized, burying one final forehand winner to end it. Her attention now shifts to Gauff, whom she trails 1-2 in their head-to-head. Her lone win, however, came five years ago in Melbourne. Elina Svitolina bested Mirra Andreeva on Sunday night at Rod Laver Arena, defeating the No.

Two-time Grand Slam champion Coco Gauff fought past Karolina Muchova in three sets to reach the Australian Open quarterfinals, improving to 5-0 against the Czech. The American's latest win marks her third straight quarterfinal appearance in Melbourne, where she will face Elina Svitolina. Two-time Grand Slam champion Coco Gauff battled past Czechia's Karolina Muchova in three sets to advance to the Australian Open quarterfinals Sunday. 3 on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz, in their five career meetings. Here's a look at some of the interesting numbers from Gauff's win: 3: Gauff will make her third consecutive quarterfinal appearance at the Australian Open. She is also the youngest American woman to reach three or more consecutive singles quarterfinals at the Australian Open since Mary Joe Fernandez from 1990-93. 5: The victory improved Gauff's head-to-head record against Muchova to 5-0. The American had not dropped a set against her Czech rival in any of their four previous meetings. 6: This marks the sixth consecutive year Gauff has reached a Grand Slam quarterfinal. She is the youngest woman to reach the quarterfinals at a major for six or more straight years since Martina Hingis (1996-2002) and Venus Williams (1997-2002). 41: Gauff has won her last 41 Grand Slam matches when taking the opening set. The last time she lost a major match after winning the first set was at Wimbledon in 2022 against fellow American Amanda Anisimova. Muchova converted 40% of her break points, going 2 for 5. Gauff will face Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals, and hold a 2-1 advantage over Svitolina, winning the most recent two clashes. "Obviously losing the second set today, I'm glad I was able to reset and kind of go on to play some good tennis after that." Two-time Grand Slam champion Coco Gauff fought past Karolina Muchova in three sets to reach the Australian Open quarterfinals, improving to 5-0 against the Czech. The American's latest win marks her third straight quarterfinal appearance in Melbourne, where she will face Elina Svitolina.

16 seed sends Djokovic into the quarterfinals after withdrawing from their scheduled fourth round on Monday.ByDavid KanePublished Jan 25, 2026 copy_link MELBOURNE, Australia—Jakub Mensik joins Naomi Osaka on a growing list of players suffering abdominal injuries at the 2026 Australian Open, the No. 16 seed withdrawing from his scheduled fourth-round clash with Novak Djokovic Sunday night.“This is a tough one to write,” Mensik wrote in a statement posted to social media. “After long discussions with my team and doctors we decided not to step on court tomorrow.“Even though I'm disappointed, making the fourth round here for the first time is something I will carry with me for a long time. I felt so much energy from the fans and the atmosphere in Melbourne was truly special. Thank you to my team for being with me every step, and to everyone sending messages and cheering—it means more than you know. “This is a tough one to write,” Mensik wrote in a statement posted to social media. “After long discussions with my team and doctors we decided not to step on court tomorrow.“Even though I'm disappointed, making the fourth round here for the first time is something I will carry with me for a long time. I felt so much energy from the fans and the atmosphere in Melbourne was truly special. Thank you to my team for being with me every step, and to everyone sending messages and cheering—it means more than you know. “Even though I'm disappointed, making the fourth round here for the first time is something I will carry with me for a long time. I felt so much energy from the fans and the atmosphere in Melbourne was truly special. Thank you to my team for being with me every step, and to everyone sending messages and cheering—it means more than you know. “I'm super sad not to step on the court and to compete against my idol and the G.O.A.T,” he said in a statement provided to the tournament.“Of course, I will do my best to come back again and to come back stronger.”Djokovic receives a walkover into his 16th career quarterfinal in Melbourne—his first coming all the way back in 2008, when he first won the title—and the 10-time champion will await the winner of the fourth-round match between No. “Of course, I will do my best to come back again and to come back stronger.”Djokovic receives a walkover into his 16th career quarterfinal in Melbourne—his first coming all the way back in 2008, when he first won the title—and the 10-time champion will await the winner of the fourth-round match between No.

1 nonetheless takes positives from his best major result in over a year despite losing to rival Tien in three straight sets.ByDavid KanePublished Jan 25, 2026 copy_link MELBOURNE, Australia—At a certain point, Daniil Medvedev was just trying to get on the board.“I was just trying to win one more,” he said after losing 11 straight games to Learner Tien during his 6-4, 6-0, 6-3 defeat to the young American at the 2026 Australian Open. “I mean, I was trying to figure out what can I do to kind of disturb his level that he had at this moment. Then, well, there was not a big chance finally.“That's how I am no matter the score. The matches can turn a bit more probably in women's tennis, but in men's tennis as well we saw some crazy things. Then the last point was not for me this time.”Medvedev and Tien faced off for the first time at this tournament 12 months ago, with the American stunning Medvedev through five grueling sets in a late-night second round. “I was just trying to win one more,” he said after losing 11 straight games to Learner Tien during his 6-4, 6-0, 6-3 defeat to the young American at the 2026 Australian Open. Then, well, there was not a big chance finally.“That's how I am no matter the score. The matches can turn a bit more probably in women's tennis, but in men's tennis as well we saw some crazy things. Then the last point was not for me this time.”Medvedev and Tien faced off for the first time at this tournament 12 months ago, with the American stunning Medvedev through five grueling sets in a late-night second round. “That's how I am no matter the score. The matches can turn a bit more probably in women's tennis, but in men's tennis as well we saw some crazy things. Then the last point was not for me this time.”Medvedev and Tien faced off for the first time at this tournament 12 months ago, with the American stunning Medvedev through five grueling sets in a late-night second round. Medvedev and Tien faced off for the first time at this tournament 12 months ago, with the American stunning Medvedev through five grueling sets in a late-night second round. Medvedev, who began the year by winning his 22nd ATP title in Brisbane, gave high praise to his opponent, who became the youngest American to reach a major quarterfinal since Andy Roddick in 2002.“He played great, super-aggressive,” said Medvedev. Didn't find many solutions today on the court, which is rare, and I didn't feel that many times in my life like this. But, again, these things can happen.“He had, like, unbelievable match where everything went in. It did happen to me as well a couple of times, and you even kind of feel sorry for your opponent, because, ‘Okay, I can go for tweener now and probably with closed eyes and make it.' I should have, yeah, should have done maybe something a little bit better to try to disturb this rhythm of his.”Still, Medvedev took positives from his best Grand Slam result in over a year, having lost before the third round in all major outings in 2025. Didn't find many solutions today on the court, which is rare, and I didn't feel that many times in my life like this. But, again, these things can happen.“He had, like, unbelievable match where everything went in. It did happen to me as well a couple of times, and you even kind of feel sorry for your opponent, because, ‘Okay, I can go for tweener now and probably with closed eyes and make it.' I should have, yeah, should have done maybe something a little bit better to try to disturb this rhythm of his.”Still, Medvedev took positives from his best Grand Slam result in over a year, having lost before the third round in all major outings in 2025. “He had, like, unbelievable match where everything went in. It did happen to me as well a couple of times, and you even kind of feel sorry for your opponent, because, ‘Okay, I can go for tweener now and probably with closed eyes and make it.' I should have, yeah, should have done maybe something a little bit better to try to disturb this rhythm of his.”Still, Medvedev took positives from his best Grand Slam result in over a year, having lost before the third round in all major outings in 2025. Still, Medvedev took positives from his best Grand Slam result in over a year, having lost before the third round in all major outings in 2025. “I think I should focus more in general,” Medvedev said in his post-match press conference. “If we take last, like, maybe eight tournaments, let's say starting from US Open, so I don't know if it's, like, eight, nine, I played great. I played great against some top players. Even here, I won two very tough matches against opponents who played well, Halys and Fabian.“So, I should try not to focus on this exact match, which was not good, because, I mean, he outplayed me, so that's not a good feeling. Of course, it's unfortunate to finish a Grand Slam like this when I was feeling well and confident, but it is what it is.”Tien will look to maintain his level against No. 3 seed Alexander Zverev in the last eight. “So, I should try not to focus on this exact match, which was not good, because, I mean, he outplayed me, so that's not a good feeling. Of course, it's unfortunate to finish a Grand Slam like this when I was feeling well and confident, but it is what it is.”Tien will look to maintain his level against No. 3 seed Alexander Zverev in the last eight. Tien will look to maintain his level against No. 3 seed Alexander Zverev in the last eight.

A little more than 90 minutes later, however, the first blemish on his 2026 scorecard had been firmly marked. The former three-time finalist in Melbourne had few answers for Tien, who delivered a commanding 6-4, 6-0, 6-3 victory. If we take the past eight tournaments, starting from US Open, I played great,” Medvedev said. I played great against some top players. Even here, I won two very tough matches against opponents who played well, [Quentin] Halys and Fabian [Marozsan]. “So I should try not to focus on this exact match, which was not good, because he outplayed me, so that's not a good feeling. You May Also Like: Tien dispatches Medvedev, sets Australian Open QF clash with Zverev After a somewhat testing 18 months, Medvedev has looked closer to his best since the start of the Asian swing in September. However, he has now lost three of his four Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings against the 20-year-old Tien, who also defeated Medvedev in Melbourne last year. Despite his frustrations with Sunday's match, Medvedev was full of praise for the reigning Next Gen ATP Finals champion. Even when I was making good shots, he was making a better shot back,” Medvedev said. “I didn't find many solutions today on the court, which is rare, and I didn't feel that many times in my life like this. He had an unbelievable match where everything went in. It did happen to me as well a couple of times, and you even kind of feel sorry for your opponent, because, okay, I can go for tweener now and probably with closed eyes and make it. I should have done maybe something a little bit better to try to disturb this rhythm of his.” Medvedev is next scheduled to play at the ATP 500 event in Rotterdam, where he won the title in 2023. After a somewhat testing 18 months, Medvedev has looked closer to his best since the start of the Asian swing in September. However, he has now lost three of his four Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings against the 20-year-old Tien, who also defeated Medvedev in Melbourne last year. Despite his frustrations with Sunday's match, Medvedev was full of praise for the reigning Next Gen ATP Finals champion. Even when I was making good shots, he was making a better shot back,” Medvedev said. “I didn't find many solutions today on the court, which is rare, and I didn't feel that many times in my life like this. He had an unbelievable match where everything went in. It did happen to me as well a couple of times, and you even kind of feel sorry for your opponent, because, okay, I can go for tweener now and probably with closed eyes and make it. I should have done maybe something a little bit better to try to disturb this rhythm of his.” Medvedev is next scheduled to play at the ATP 500 event in Rotterdam, where he won the title in 2023. Your data will be used in accordance with the ATP Privacy Policy and WTA Privacy Policy. Get official marketing communications from the ATP and WTA! We'll send you newsletters keeping you informed about news, tournaments, competitions, ticketing, partner offers and more. Your data will be used in accordance with the ATP Privacy Policy and WTA Privacy Policy. No part of this site may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any way or by any means (including photocopying, recording or storing it in any medium by electronic means), without the written permission of ATP Tour, Inc..

Carlos Alcaraz faced the sternest test of his 2026 Australian Open so far on Sunday afternoon, but the No. Alcaraz overcame 19th seed Paul 7-6(6), 6-4, 7-5 with a fourth-round performance packed with explosive shotmaking to improve to 12-0 in sets played so far this fortnight. Paul, owner of two Lexus ATP Head2Head victories against the Spaniard, quickly showcased the threat he posed by opening a 4-2 lead early inside Rod Laver Arena. Yet Alcaraz soon recovered and produced some scintillating tennis to reach his third consecutive Australian Open quarter-final. In the first game, serving, I thought I played a good game, but he came with really strong shots, really flat, and for me it was a bit difficult,” said Alcaraz in his on-court interview. The 22-year-old top seed fired 35 winners, according to Infosys Stats, en route to sealing a last-eight meeting with home favourite Alex de Minaur at Melbourne Park. With his two-hour, 44-minute victory, Alcaraz also stayed on track to become the youngest man to complete the Career Grand Slam (winning the singles title at all four majors). The current holder of that record is his countryman Rafael Nadal. You May Also Like: Alcaraz chases No. 1 Club history as Career Grand Slam looms at Australian Open In a tight first set, Alcaraz had to fight back from the early break deficit as 2023 semi-finalist Paul went toe to toe with the powerful Spaniard from the baseline. The 24-time tour-level titlist produced a series of winners off his forehand in particular that had the Rod Laver Arena crowd gasping at the combination of spin and sheer velocity. Paul, who won five of his first seven matches this season after not competing for the final three months of the 2025 season due to injury, continued to battle in trademark fashion in pursuit of his fifth Grand Slam quarter-final. However, although the 28-year-old did not lack moments of quality of his own, he was unable to sustain any real pressure on Alcaraz once the first set was gone. Alcaraz crucially claimed his third break of the match before serving out to improve to 6-2 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Paul. De Minaur booked his spot in the quarter-finals for the second time with a comfortable 6-4, 6-1, 6-1 win against 10th seed Alexander Bublik, who had no answers for the Australian on Rod Laver Arena. He has so much firepower and I lost to him the past couple of times. It was all about neutralising his big groundstrokes and doing my best to get him on the move and it all kind of worked perfectly.” Back-to-back AO quarter-finals for @alexdeminaur 🔥@AustralianOpen | #AO26 pic.twitter.com/msc2Zv0IDR— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 25, 2026 The sixth seed soaked up everything Bublik threw at him, tracking down drop shots and demonstrating fast reactions to repel the 28-year-old's big-man tennis. With his win, De Minaur defeated a Top 10 player at a major for just the third time, while he also equalled his best result at a Slam. The 26-year-old holds a 0-5 record in major quarter-finals but will hope to change that record when he meets Alcaraz. He has dropped just one set this week in Melbourne. I am going to have to come out here guns blazing and I am excited for a battle.” In a tight first set, Alcaraz had to fight back from the early break deficit as 2023 semi-finalist Paul went toe to toe with the powerful Spaniard from the baseline. The 24-time tour-level titlist produced a series of winners off his forehand in particular that had the Rod Laver Arena crowd gasping at the combination of spin and sheer velocity. Paul, who won five of his first seven matches this season after not competing for the final three months of the 2025 season due to injury, continued to battle in trademark fashion in pursuit of his fifth Grand Slam quarter-final. However, although the 28-year-old did not lack moments of quality of his own, he was unable to sustain any real pressure on Alcaraz once the first set was gone. Alcaraz crucially claimed his third break of the match before serving out to improve to 6-2 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Paul. De Minaur booked his spot in the quarter-finals for the second time with a comfortable 6-4, 6-1, 6-1 win against 10th seed Alexander Bublik, who had no answers for the Australian on Rod Laver Arena. He has so much firepower and I lost to him the past couple of times. It was all about neutralising his big groundstrokes and doing my best to get him on the move and it all kind of worked perfectly.” Back-to-back AO quarter-finals for @alexdeminaur 🔥@AustralianOpen | #AO26 pic.twitter.com/msc2Zv0IDR— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 25, 2026 The sixth seed soaked up everything Bublik threw at him, tracking down drop shots and demonstrating fast reactions to repel the 28-year-old's big-man tennis. With his win, De Minaur defeated a Top 10 player at a major for just the third time, while he also equalled his best result at a Slam. The 26-year-old holds a 0-5 record in major quarter-finals but will hope to change that record when he meets Alcaraz. He has dropped just one set this week in Melbourne. I am going to have to come out here guns blazing and I am excited for a battle.” The sixth seed soaked up everything Bublik threw at him, tracking down drop shots and demonstrating fast reactions to repel the 28-year-old's big-man tennis. The 26-year-old holds a 0-5 record in major quarter-finals but will hope to change that record when he meets Alcaraz. He has dropped just one set this week in Melbourne. I am going to have to come out here guns blazing and I am excited for a battle.” Get official marketing communications from the ATP and WTA! 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For a few uneasy minutes inside Rod Laver Arena, Jannik Sinner looked like a player on the brink.In searing heat that climbed past 100°F on Saturday, the two-time defending Australian Open champion bent over between points, arms and legs cramping, his energy visibly draining as Eliot Spizzirri sensed opportunity.Sinner and Spizzirri's third-round clash went four sets in punishing conditions. 2 struggled physically as Darren Cahill and his coaching team urged him to hold on for a few more games. 85 Spizzirri broke serve to take the lead, play was suspended for a 10-minute cooling break so the roof could be closed under the Australian Open's Extreme Heat Protocol.Read More: "Lucky" Jannik Sinner overcomes cramps to keep Australian Open title defense alive In searing heat that climbed past 100°F on Saturday, the two-time defending Australian Open champion bent over between points, arms and legs cramping, his energy visibly draining as Eliot Spizzirri sensed opportunity.Sinner and Spizzirri's third-round clash went four sets in punishing conditions. 2 struggled physically as Darren Cahill and his coaching team urged him to hold on for a few more games. 85 Spizzirri broke serve to take the lead, play was suspended for a 10-minute cooling break so the roof could be closed under the Australian Open's Extreme Heat Protocol.Read More: "Lucky" Jannik Sinner overcomes cramps to keep Australian Open title defense alive Sinner and Spizzirri's third-round clash went four sets in punishing conditions. 2 struggled physically as Darren Cahill and his coaching team urged him to hold on for a few more games. 85 Spizzirri broke serve to take the lead, play was suspended for a 10-minute cooling break so the roof could be closed under the Australian Open's Extreme Heat Protocol.Read More: "Lucky" Jannik Sinner overcomes cramps to keep Australian Open title defense alive Read More: "Lucky" Jannik Sinner overcomes cramps to keep Australian Open title defense alive Looking back in every big tournament, I've had some really tough matches. Hopefully, this can give me some positives for the next round.”Read More: Lorenzo Musetti makes history as three Italians reach Australian Open fourth roundWhile debate swirled, former world No. 1 Jim Courier offered a different perspective, pointing out that he faced a similar situation during the 1993 Australian Open final against Stefan Edberg.“I suffered. After the break, however, a refreshed Sinner regrouped and surged to a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 victory.“I got lucky with the heat rule and they closed the roof,” Sinner acknowledged in his post-match interview. Looking back in every big tournament, I've had some really tough matches. Hopefully, this can give me some positives for the next round.”Read More: Lorenzo Musetti makes history as three Italians reach Australian Open fourth roundWhile debate swirled, former world No. 1 Jim Courier offered a different perspective, pointing out that he faced a similar situation during the 1993 Australian Open final against Stefan Edberg.“I suffered. After the break, however, a refreshed Sinner regrouped and surged to a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 victory.“I got lucky with the heat rule and they closed the roof,” Sinner acknowledged in his post-match interview. Looking back in every big tournament, I've had some really tough matches. Hopefully, this can give me some positives for the next round.”Read More: Lorenzo Musetti makes history as three Italians reach Australian Open fourth roundWhile debate swirled, former world No. 1 Jim Courier offered a different perspective, pointing out that he faced a similar situation during the 1993 Australian Open final against Stefan Edberg.“I suffered. Looking back in every big tournament, I've had some really tough matches. Hopefully, this can give me some positives for the next round.”Read More: Lorenzo Musetti makes history as three Italians reach Australian Open fourth roundWhile debate swirled, former world No. 1 Jim Courier offered a different perspective, pointing out that he faced a similar situation during the 1993 Australian Open final against Stefan Edberg.“I suffered. Looking back in every big tournament, I've had some really tough matches. Hopefully, this can give me some positives for the next round.”Read More: Lorenzo Musetti makes history as three Italians reach Australian Open fourth roundWhile debate swirled, former world No. 1 Jim Courier offered a different perspective, pointing out that he faced a similar situation during the 1993 Australian Open final against Stefan Edberg.“I suffered. Read More: Lorenzo Musetti makes history as three Italians reach Australian Open fourth roundWhile debate swirled, former world No. 1 Jim Courier offered a different perspective, pointing out that he faced a similar situation during the 1993 Australian Open final against Stefan Edberg.“I suffered. 1 Jim Courier offered a different perspective, pointing out that he faced a similar situation during the 1993 Australian Open final against Stefan Edberg.“I suffered. Courier declined the tournament's offer to close the roof, and both players endured brutal conditions as temperatures exceeded 100°F.“Edberg and I played a four-set match, it was not even three hours on the clock, and both of us were cramping while we were waiting for the trophy presentation,” Courier added. That's what happens: your body goes into shock.“I applaud the tournament, given how much more physical the game is now compared to how it was back then.”According to the Australian Open Extreme Heat Protocol, “In the event of extreme heat, the Referee has the right to suspend play or order a cooling break” based on the Australian Open Heat Stress Scale (AO-HSS), which ranges from 1 to 5.The scale reached Level 5 on Saturday, triggering the suspension of all matches and practices on outside courts and prompting roof closures on Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena and John Cain Arena. “Edberg and I played a four-set match, it was not even three hours on the clock, and both of us were cramping while we were waiting for the trophy presentation,” Courier added. That's what happens: your body goes into shock.“I applaud the tournament, given how much more physical the game is now compared to how it was back then.”According to the Australian Open Extreme Heat Protocol, “In the event of extreme heat, the Referee has the right to suspend play or order a cooling break” based on the Australian Open Heat Stress Scale (AO-HSS), which ranges from 1 to 5.The scale reached Level 5 on Saturday, triggering the suspension of all matches and practices on outside courts and prompting roof closures on Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena and John Cain Arena. “I applaud the tournament, given how much more physical the game is now compared to how it was back then.”According to the Australian Open Extreme Heat Protocol, “In the event of extreme heat, the Referee has the right to suspend play or order a cooling break” based on the Australian Open Heat Stress Scale (AO-HSS), which ranges from 1 to 5.The scale reached Level 5 on Saturday, triggering the suspension of all matches and practices on outside courts and prompting roof closures on Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena and John Cain Arena. According to the Australian Open Extreme Heat Protocol, “In the event of extreme heat, the Referee has the right to suspend play or order a cooling break” based on the Australian Open Heat Stress Scale (AO-HSS), which ranges from 1 to 5.The scale reached Level 5 on Saturday, triggering the suspension of all matches and practices on outside courts and prompting roof closures on Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena and John Cain Arena. The scale reached Level 5 on Saturday, triggering the suspension of all matches and practices on outside courts and prompting roof closures on Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena and John Cain Arena. I smiled a little bit when the heat rule went into effect... it was kind of funny timing. Spizzirri himself acknowledged as much.“You know, I smiled a little bit when the heat rule went into effect, just because it was kind of funny timing as I went up 3-1,” he told reporters in Melbourne. But that's the rules of the game, and you got to live with it…“You could say it's lucky, but he's also very experienced and handled it pretty well.”Read More: Eliot Spizzirri inspired to take on tennis' top tier after Jannik Sinner thriller at Australian OpenSinner later said he used the brief pause to stretch, stay loose and, most importantly, cool down—a reset that proved decisive.Now through to the fourth round, Sinner will face countryman Luciano Darderi. They are two of three Italian men to reach the last 16—the most ever for Italy at this stage of the Australian Open—and Sinner's title defense, heat scare and all, remains firmly on track. “You know, I smiled a little bit when the heat rule went into effect, just because it was kind of funny timing as I went up 3-1,” he told reporters in Melbourne. But that's the rules of the game, and you got to live with it…“You could say it's lucky, but he's also very experienced and handled it pretty well.”Read More: Eliot Spizzirri inspired to take on tennis' top tier after Jannik Sinner thriller at Australian OpenSinner later said he used the brief pause to stretch, stay loose and, most importantly, cool down—a reset that proved decisive.Now through to the fourth round, Sinner will face countryman Luciano Darderi. They are two of three Italian men to reach the last 16—the most ever for Italy at this stage of the Australian Open—and Sinner's title defense, heat scare and all, remains firmly on track. But that's the rules of the game, and you got to live with it…“You could say it's lucky, but he's also very experienced and handled it pretty well.”Read More: Eliot Spizzirri inspired to take on tennis' top tier after Jannik Sinner thriller at Australian OpenSinner later said he used the brief pause to stretch, stay loose and, most importantly, cool down—a reset that proved decisive.Now through to the fourth round, Sinner will face countryman Luciano Darderi. They are two of three Italian men to reach the last 16—the most ever for Italy at this stage of the Australian Open—and Sinner's title defense, heat scare and all, remains firmly on track. “You could say it's lucky, but he's also very experienced and handled it pretty well.”Read More: Eliot Spizzirri inspired to take on tennis' top tier after Jannik Sinner thriller at Australian OpenSinner later said he used the brief pause to stretch, stay loose and, most importantly, cool down—a reset that proved decisive.Now through to the fourth round, Sinner will face countryman Luciano Darderi. They are two of three Italian men to reach the last 16—the most ever for Italy at this stage of the Australian Open—and Sinner's title defense, heat scare and all, remains firmly on track. Read More: Eliot Spizzirri inspired to take on tennis' top tier after Jannik Sinner thriller at Australian OpenSinner later said he used the brief pause to stretch, stay loose and, most importantly, cool down—a reset that proved decisive.Now through to the fourth round, Sinner will face countryman Luciano Darderi. They are two of three Italian men to reach the last 16—the most ever for Italy at this stage of the Australian Open—and Sinner's title defense, heat scare and all, remains firmly on track. Sinner later said he used the brief pause to stretch, stay loose and, most importantly, cool down—a reset that proved decisive.Now through to the fourth round, Sinner will face countryman Luciano Darderi. They are two of three Italian men to reach the last 16—the most ever for Italy at this stage of the Australian Open—and Sinner's title defense, heat scare and all, remains firmly on track. Now through to the fourth round, Sinner will face countryman Luciano Darderi. They are two of three Italian men to reach the last 16—the most ever for Italy at this stage of the Australian Open—and Sinner's title defense, heat scare and all, remains firmly on track.

“He totally outplayed me,” Paul confirmed after the world No. 1 beat him in three straight sets.ByDavid KanePublished Jan 25, 2026 copy_link MELBOURNE, Australia—Preparing to play an opponent who's beaten him twice before, Carlos Alcaraz was ready to “suffer” to win his fourth round at the 2026 Australian Open.“I have to accept the tough moments that is gonna be in the match,” he said on Friday. “You know, from that, just move on, and I'm trying to feel comfortable, you know, in those rallies, in those tough moments.”Ultimately it was Paul who suffered through three sets; though he broke Alcaraz in the opening game, the top-seeded Spaniard eventually “suffocated” the in-form American to advance, 7-6 (6), 6-4, 7-5.“He makes you feel like you have no time,” the No. He was trying to get in that forehand-to-forehand rally, and he did it much better than I did. It felt like he got all the patterns he wanted, and I was having a tough time getting into the patterns that I wanted.” “I have to accept the tough moments that is gonna be in the match,” he said on Friday. “You know, from that, just move on, and I'm trying to feel comfortable, you know, in those rallies, in those tough moments.”Ultimately it was Paul who suffered through three sets; though he broke Alcaraz in the opening game, the top-seeded Spaniard eventually “suffocated” the in-form American to advance, 7-6 (6), 6-4, 7-5.“He makes you feel like you have no time,” the No. He was trying to get in that forehand-to-forehand rally, and he did it much better than I did. It felt like he got all the patterns he wanted, and I was having a tough time getting into the patterns that I wanted.” Ultimately it was Paul who suffered through three sets; though he broke Alcaraz in the opening game, the top-seeded Spaniard eventually “suffocated” the in-form American to advance, 7-6 (6), 6-4, 7-5.“He makes you feel like you have no time,” the No. He was trying to get in that forehand-to-forehand rally, and he did it much better than I did. It felt like he got all the patterns he wanted, and I was having a tough time getting into the patterns that I wanted.” He was trying to get in that forehand-to-forehand rally, and he did it much better than I did. It felt like he got all the patterns he wanted, and I was having a tough time getting into the patterns that I wanted.” “I hit my forehand terribly today, and he saw that early. He was trying to get in that forehand-to-forehand rally, and he did it much better than I did. It felt like he got all the patterns he wanted, and I was having a tough time getting into the patterns that I wanted.” 1 has pulled away in their head-to-head, winning their last five matches despite Paul keeping each match close.“You know you're going to have fun, at least,” sighed Paul, who shut down his season after the US Open last summer. Obviously for me that means that I'm coming up with shots and being a shot-maker. That is the fun part about playing Carlos, though.”Alcaraz largely sacrificed fun in favor of efficiency, the reigning Roland Garros and US Open champion pleased to have made it past Paul with minimal scar tissue heading into the quarterfinals. “You know you're going to have fun, at least,” sighed Paul, who shut down his season after the US Open last summer. Obviously for me that means that I'm coming up with shots and being a shot-maker. That is the fun part about playing Carlos, though.”Alcaraz largely sacrificed fun in favor of efficiency, the reigning Roland Garros and US Open champion pleased to have made it past Paul with minimal scar tissue heading into the quarterfinals. “I wish we had more of them today, honestly. Obviously for me that means that I'm coming up with shots and being a shot-maker. That is the fun part about playing Carlos, though.”Alcaraz largely sacrificed fun in favor of efficiency, the reigning Roland Garros and US Open champion pleased to have made it past Paul with minimal scar tissue heading into the quarterfinals. Alcaraz largely sacrificed fun in favor of efficiency, the reigning Roland Garros and US Open champion pleased to have made it past Paul with minimal scar tissue heading into the quarterfinals. “Something that I was working on is to maintain the focus in the whole match, which I did it today, playing such great tennis since the beginning until the end of the match,” smiled Alcaraz in a truly absurd outfit—a zebra printed shirt and matching cape. “So, for me, it was really, really important more than saving energy, because I just have plenty of!”The match was at its closest in the first set tiebreaker, when play was delayed nearly 15 minutes to help a sick fan leave Rod Laver Arena. Insisting the delay didn't affect his play, Paul indeed nabbed a mini-break late in the Sudden Death but couldn't hold on and Alcaraz ran away with the set.“I'm overall leaving Australia pretty happy with where my body is at and where my game is at, for not playing for a while,” said Paul, who aims to get back into the Top 10. The match was at its closest in the first set tiebreaker, when play was delayed nearly 15 minutes to help a sick fan leave Rod Laver Arena. Insisting the delay didn't affect his play, Paul indeed nabbed a mini-break late in the Sudden Death but couldn't hold on and Alcaraz ran away with the set.“I'm overall leaving Australia pretty happy with where my body is at and where my game is at, for not playing for a while,” said Paul, who aims to get back into the Top 10. “I'm overall leaving Australia pretty happy with where my body is at and where my game is at, for not playing for a while,” said Paul, who aims to get back into the Top 10. In his Tuesday quarterfinal Alcaraz will play one of two Alexanders—No. 10 seed Bublik—but he won't have to suffer due to what are predicted to be sweltering conditions, thanks to the Australian Open's numerous roofs.“I have to control the things that I can control,” said Alcaraz, who leads De Minaur 5-0 in their head-to-head but has never played Bublik before. “You know, if it is going to be really, really hot on Tuesday and the roof is going to be closed, I gotta to be accepted that and just trying to play my best tennis on indoor.“So, whatever it is, I just will be ready. I will try not to think about it. I will try not to affect my game at all, and I think that's it.” “I have to control the things that I can control,” said Alcaraz, who leads De Minaur 5-0 in their head-to-head but has never played Bublik before. “You know, if it is going to be really, really hot on Tuesday and the roof is going to be closed, I gotta to be accepted that and just trying to play my best tennis on indoor.“So, whatever it is, I just will be ready. I will try not to think about it. “So, whatever it is, I just will be ready. I will try not to think about it.

Iva Jovic hasn't waited long to reach her first Grand Slam quarterfinal, but that didn't keep her from rushing past Yulia Putintseva in 53 minutes Sunday to book her spot in the final eight at the Australian Open. Australian Open: Scores | Draws | Order of play Playing in just her sixth Grand Slam, and her first as a seeded player, the 18-year-old American powered into her first major quarterfinal with a 6-0, 6-1 win over Yulia Putintseva in 53 minutes. Like Williams, she has reached this stage without dropping a set. “I feel great,” Jovic said after the match. So I just tried to keep it as far away as possible, and I'm just so happy to be in the quarterfinals.” 1 Aryna Sabalenka for the first time at the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz level, a challenge she's choosing to embrace. “I'm just going to try to keep taking care of my side of the net,” Jovic said. “Obviously she's number one for a reason and has had so much success at this tournament, but that's what I want. That confidence was on full display against Putintseva. Jovic showed only a hint of nerves in the opening game, falling behind a couple of break points. It's difficult to single out one part of her game, given how complete the performance was, but her ability to find winners, especially on return, stood out. Up triple break point in the fourth game, she followed a Putintseva save with a timely backhand winner to break for 4-0. She added another backhand winner to hold to love in the next game, then secured a third break to wrap up the opening set in just 25 minutes. The second set followed a similar script. Jovic kept producing winners, her serve remained rock solid -- landing 71% of first serves and winning 67% of those points, along with 73% of second-serve points -- and Putintseva's frustration grew, punctuated by a subtle racket toss. She has reached this stage in all three tournaments to open her 2026 season, becoming the youngest player to do so since Maria Sharapova in 2005. Iva Jovic hasn't waited long to reach her first Grand Slam quarterfinal, but that didn't keep her from rushing past Yulia Putintseva in 53 minutes Sunday to book her spot in the final eight at the Australian Open.