Top Seeds Sabalenka, Alcaraz Ease Into Australia Open Third Round

Aryna Sabalenka, Australian Open, Melbourne
Aryna Sabalenka (photo: Tennis Australia/Morgan Hancock)

MELBOURNE/WASHINGTON, January 21, 2026 (by Michael Dickens)

The Australian Open celebrated the world’s longest continuous living culture Wednesday on Evonne Goolagong Cawley Day, with a packed program of art, culture and performances, honoring the legacy of the 14-time Grand Slam champion and proud Wiradjuri woman, while celebrating First Nations culture, storytelling and community. There was some good tennis on display across Melbourne Park that would have made Goolagong Cawley proud, too.

As the Happy Slam continues to shatter attendance records day after day – there were 103,720 fans who poured into Melbourne Park despite mid-evening rain showers  – the top players in both women’s and men’s draws, Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz, put on crowd-pleasing displays to win their respective matches on Rod Laver Arena.

After fast start, Sabalenka rolls past Bai

Two-time Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka showed why she’s the No. 1 player in the world Wednesday afternoon – and why she’s been such a difficult opponent to beat in Melbourne, where she’s been a finalist in each of the past three years and won it all in 2023 and 2024.

After jumping out to a 5-0 lead in the first 15 minutes, Sabalenka slowed things down a bit but still eased to a 6-3, 6-1 win over 702nd-ranked qualifier Bai Zhouxuan of China, who managed to win a total of four games during their 72-minute match on Rod Laver Arena. 

With her latest win, Sabalenka has started her 2026 season undefeated at 7-0. She’s already has captured one title, two weeks ago in Brisbane. Now, she’s through to the third round after securing her 102nd career Grand Slam main draw triumph.

Sabalenka finished her second-round victory with 24 winners against 21 unforced errors – 14 of them in the opening set. She converted five of 12 break points and outpointed Bai 68-44.

“She really stepped up in the first set, and for a minute, I was like, ‘What should I do? She’s crushing it,'” Sabalenka said during her on-court interview. “I’m so happy that I was able to close that set. I think it gave me a little more confidence that my game was there … I’m super happy with the win.

“There are always things to improve, but I’m happy that I didn’t lose that game and I was focused. I was trying to tell myself, ‘One at a time, it’s OK, it’s going to come back, you’re OK, keep fighting, keep trying,’ and I’m glad I did it well.”

In the next round, Sabalenka will face No. 55 Anastasia Potapova of Austria, who upset dispirited No. 28 seed Emma Raducanu of Great Britain, 7-6 (3), 6-2, in one hour and 32 minutes on ANZ Arena. Raducanu committed 28 unforced errors and her serve was broken six times by the Austrian.

Alcaraz overcomes slow start to beat Hanfmann

World No. 1 and top seed Carlos Alcaraz of Spain overcame a slow start – he needed 78 minutes to close out the first set – to beat Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann, 7-6 (4), 6-3, 6-2, in two hours and 45 minutes on Rod Laver Arena. 

Alcaraz defeated the 102nd-ranked Hanfmann in the pair’s only previous tour-level meeting at Beijing three years ago – and also beat the German when he was 16-years-old at the 2019 Seville Challenger. The loss was the 34-year-old Hanfmann’s fourth to a world No. 1 player. 

“It was tough … the ball was coming as a bomb you know – forehand, backhand, serves so I had to be ready for those,” Alcaraz said afterward. “I knew he was going to play great.”

Alcaraz finished the second-round match with 12 aces and hit 41 winners to offset 30 unforced errors. He converted four of nine break points and outpointed Hanfmann 113-98.

“Really, really happy that I get through a really difficult first set and then I started to feel a little bit better on the court with my shots,” Alcaraz said.

“Tactically I played much, much better so [I’m] just happy to have played at a really good level at the end of the match and get through to another round.”

Later, during his news conference, Alcaraz added: “I think in front of me, I just played against a great player today. But just happy that I’m just improving every day after every match. So hopefully being better in the next round.”

Now, the 22-year-old Alcaraz is through the third round for the third straight year as he continues his quest to become the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam in singles and the youngest in the Open Era to win seven major singles titles.

On Friday, he will face 32nd seed Corentin Moutet of France, who eliminated 174th-ranked American qualifier Michael Zheng. Moutet led 3-6, 6-1, 6-3, 2-0 when Zheng was forced to retire with an adductor strain after two hours and two minutes on Court 6.

Sonmez’s fairytale Slam continues in Melbourne

Qualifier Zeynep Sonmez of Turkey has reached the third round of the AO for the first time. In doing so, she’s inspiring her Muslim-majority nation of more than 85 million people that is surrounded by water – the Black Sea to the north, the Mediterranean Sea to the south and the Aegean Sea to the west – as well as land, including: Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Iran to the east; Iraq and Syria to the south; and Greece and Bulgaria to the west. While Turkey doesn’t have a history rich in tennis, Sonmez is doing her best to change that – and there’s plenty of Turkish fan support for her in Melbourne.

After the 112th-ranked Sonmez defeated No. 74 Anna Bondar of Hungary, 6-2, 6-4, in 90 minutes on Court 7, she celebrated with many of the Turkish fans, who waved their country’s familiar flag with a white crescent moon and five-pointed star set against a vibrant red background. The joy and pride on Sonmez’s face were evident – and she was gracious in signing autographs and posing for selfies long after she secured her second-round triumph.

Sonmez hit 24 winners to 20 unforced errors, converted four of seven break points and outpointed Bondar 57-48. After winning three rounds of qualifying and two rounds of the main draw, Sonmez has dropped just one set in Melbourne.

Later, during her post-match news conference, the 23-year-old Sonmez said: “It was unreal. I felt the support. I felt like we were all playing together.

“In the beginning I was very nervous. I played against someone I really love. I love Anna. It was good to share the court with her. In the beginning the crowd was very loud. I really appreciate it. There were many Turkish people. I felt like I was at home.”

Last year at Wimbledon, Sonmez became the first player from Turkey to reach the third round of a Grand Slam singles event in the Open Era. Seven months later, she’s back in the third round of another major. Her next opponent will be No. 94 Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan, who advanced over 60th-ranked Elsa Jacquemot of France, 6-1, 6-2, in 74 minutes on Court 5.

Tien back in the AO third round, again

A year ago, Learner Tien was ranked 121st in the world and qualified for the main draw in Melbourne. He stunned three-time finalist Daniil Medvedev in a deciding set tiebreaker during a second-round match that ended at nearly 3 a.m. Melbourne time. Tien reached the fourth round before losing, becoming the youngest to go that far in Melbourne since Rafael Nadal in 2005.

Fast forward 12 months and Tien, who recently was won the Next Gen ATP Finals title, is now ranked No. 29 in the world and seeded 25th at this year’s AO. Now, he’s through to the third round after defeating No. 97 Alexander Shevchenko of Kazakhstan, 6-2, 5-7, 6-1, 6-0, in two hours and one minute on ANZ Arena. The 20-year-old American lefty struck 40 winners – including nine aces – and broke his opponent’s serve nine times in 13 opportunities. He outpointed Shevchenko 110-76.

Next, Tien will face No. 46 Nuno Borges of Portugal, who advanced over 111th-ranked Australian wild card Jordan Thompson, 6-7 (9), 6-3, 6-2, 6-4, in three hours and four minutes on 1573 Arena. A potential rematch with Medvedev in the round of 16 on Sunday is a possibility.

Gauff almost perfect in win over Danilovic

World No. 3 Coco Gauff the United States enjoyed a stress-free day on Margaret Court Arena Wednesday afternoon. She needed just an hour and 18 minutes to win 6-2, 6-2 over No. 69 Olga Danilovic of Serbia, in which she dropped just five points on her first serve, committed just four double faults – down from seven in her first-round performance – and outpointed her opponent 67-47 in their first career meeting.

While Danilovic came from a set down to beat another American, 45-year-old seven-time major champion Venus Williams, in the first round, she was no match for Gauff. The 21-year-old American No. 1 combined athleticism and experience with powerful groundstrokes. Gauff maintained her calm and focus throughout and was rewarded with advancement to the third round against fellow American Hailey Baptiste. The 70th-ranked Baptiste beat 367th-ranked Australian qualifier Storm Hunter, 6-2, 6-1, in 63 minutes on ANZ Arena.

During her post-match news conference, Gauff reflected on her evolving game style. “I think continuing to be aggressive the way I thought I had to be – ultra-aggressive, hitting complete flat – I realized that’s probably not the game style for me,” she said. 

“I still want to be aggressive, but just playing with a bit more spin, and kind of playing like how some of the guys do – taking more space and hitting heavier shots, not necessarily flatter shots. 

“I think with the way my strokes are that just makes more sense for me and, so far this year, I’ve been able to execute that and be more comfortable with that playing style, and then also not being too passive in tight moments.”

Around the Australian Open

• With her husband, 39-year-old Frenchman Gaël Monfils sitting in her box a day after he lost in his final Australian Open appearance, No. 12 seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine needed just 75 minutes to move into the third round in Melbourne for the 11th time after defeating 134th-ranked Linda Klimovicova of Poland, 7-5, 6-1, on John Cain Arena. 

A three-time AO quarterfinalist, Svitolina hit 28 winners, converted four of six break points and outpointed her opponent 68-48. Svitolina warmed up for the AO by winning her 19th career WTA Tour title at Auckland, New Zealand.

Asked during her on-court interview what her husband’s role on her team now that he’s been eliminated, she replied: “He’s just a husband, I would say. It’s difficult to escape, not to talk about tennis. Because being both at such a high level and competing in the same tournament, of course tennis is always a part of our life right now. The years go on and I’m not sure how it’s going to be after. But I’m sure we’re going to enjoy it as a family and I think this really comes first for us.”

Next up for Svitolina is No. 23 seed Diana Shnaider of Russia, who beat 119th-ranked Australian wild card Talia Gibson, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, in two hours and 13 minutes on KIA Arena, to reach the third round for the second-straight year. She saved three match points along the way in the second set en route to securing the biggest win of her career.

• Other women’s seeds advancing: No. 7 Jasmine Paolini of Italy; No. 8 Mirra Andreeva of Russia; No. 14 Clara Tauson of Denmark; No. 19 Karolina Muchova of Czechia; No. 17 Victoria Mboko of Canada; and No. 29 Iva Jovic of the United States.

• No. 11 seed Daniil Medvedev of Russia continued his undefeated start to the season after defeating No. 83 Quentin Halys of France, 6-7 (9), 6-3, 6-4, 6-2, in three hours and two minutes on John Cain Arena. He struck 46 winners. The former No. 1, who is a three-time finalist in Melbourne, improved to 30-9 lifetime at the AO.

“Performance could be better I think, but a win is a win,” Medvedev said. “Last year on Slams, when people played good against me, I was struggling.

“So I’m happy that I managed to win it, turn it around and … looking forward for next rounds.”

Next, Medvedev will play No. 47 Fabian Marozsan of Hungary, a 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (5) winner over No. 59 Kamil Majchrak of Poland, in two hours and 22 minutes on Court 6.

• Competing as a Top 10 player for the first time in his career, No. 10 seed Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan improved to 6-0 on the season after defeating No. 54 Marton Fucsovics of Hungary, 7-5, 6-4, 7-5, in two hours and 13 minutes on KIA Arena. He struck 12 aces and finished with 48 winners. Next, Bublik will face No. 62 Tomas Martin Etcheverry of Argentina, who eliminated 186th-ranked British qualifier Arthur Fery, 7-6 (1), 6-1, 6-3, in two hours and 44 minutes on Court 7.

• No. 14 seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain needed five sets and three hour and 47 minutes on KIA Arena to dispatch No. 63 Reilly Opelka of the United States. Davidovich Fokina withstood 37 aces and 78 winners by Opelka – not to mention an average first serve of 202 kmh from the 6-foot-11-inch American – but outpointed him 168-158 to advance. Foki will get to play another American in the third round, 19th seed Tommy Paul, who had an easy time in defeating 103rd-ranked Thiago Agustin Tirante of Argentina, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2, in two hours and two minutes on 1573 Arena.

• Other men’s seeds advancing: No. 3 Alexander Zverev of Germany; No. 6 Alex de Minaur of Australia; No. 13 Andrey Rublev of Russia; No. 18 Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina; No. 26 Cameron Norrie of Great Britain; and No. 29 Frances Tiafoe of the United States.

• Both men’s and women’s No. 1 seeds in doubles were in action on Wednesday. Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool of Great Britain advanced past Ariel Behar of Uruguay and Joran Vliegen of Belgium, 7-6 (2), 6-4, in an hour and 23 minutes on Court 14, while Katerina Siniakova of Czechia and Taylor Townsend of the United States advanced past Magali Kempen of Belgium and Anna Siskova of Czechia, 6-3, 6-4, in one hour and 17 minutes on Court 8.

Wednesday’s Australian Open results

Thursday’s Australian Open order of play

Quick hits

• World No. 8 Jasmine Paolini of Italy is the only Top 10 singles player who is also competing in doubles at the Australian Open. Her doubles partner, Sara Errani, also doubles as one of her singles coaches. Together, Paolini and Errani are seeded No. 2 behind Katerina Siniakova of Czechia and Taylor Townsend of the United States.

“I like to play doubles and I think, you know, it can help me to stay in the competition,” Paolini said, quoted by the WTA Tour website. “Also to share the court with Sara is great.”

On Tuesday, Paolini and Errani won their first-round doubles match to advance. Then, Paolini was back in action Wednesday against No. 57 Magdalena Frech of Poland in singles. The second-round match began on KIA Arena but was delayed by rain. Paolini and Frech finished on John Cain Arena with the roof closed and Paolini prevailed 6-2, 6-3 in an hour and 47 minutes.

“Yeah, it was a really tough adventure today,” Paolini said during her on-court interview. “Different conditions from KIA Arena to here with the roof closed. It was tough to adapt. But honestly, it was better here without the rain. I’m happy because I tried to stay focused every point.”

• In a battle of qualifiers among #NextGenATP rising stars on Tuesday, 150th-ranked Rafael Jodar of Spain went the distance to beat No. 203 Rei Sakamoto of Japan, 7-6 (6), 6-1, 5-7, 4-6, 6-3, in three hours and 51 minutes. It was the Australian Open main-draw debut for both players – and one of seven matches on the day that lasted five sets. The two played combined for a total of 333 points – Jordar outpointed Sakamoto 172-161 – and the Spaniard struck 51 winners and converted five of 15 break points. Next, the 19-year-old former University of Virginia star Jodar will face No. 16 seed Jakub Mensik of Czechia.

By the numbers

• Perhaps overshadowed by the 11 American men who have advanced to the Australian Open second round, five Argentinian players have also reached the men’s singles second round, the highest number to do so at the AO since 2006. They include: No. 18 seed Francisco Cerundolo, Francisco Comesana, Tomas Martin Etcheverry, Tiago Agustin Tirante and Sebastian Baez. 

• With six Australian women into the second round of the home Happy Slam, it’s the most the Aussies have sent into the second round of a major since the 1992 Australian Open. They include Maddison Inglis, Priscilla Hon, Storm Hunter, Alja Tomljanovic, Taylah Preston and Talia Gibson – all of them unseeded.

“Quotable …”

“I will say I needed more time. Since the beginning of Brisbane, I wasn’t playing, and then I came back, but slowly. Then I stopped again. So, I went almost 15 days without hitting at 100 percent, very intense. 

“I tried my best today. I think [it’s] bad that I wasn’t 100 percent playing, but at the same time, it gives me maturity to keep going, to understand my body, to understand my limits. Today wasn’t the day. But I think I’m still confident, I’m still playing good. I’m having some good practices. I just need rhythm. I think this season is going to be great for me.”

– No. 28 seed Joao Fonseca of Brazil, during his post-match news conference, after being eliminated in the first round by 85th-ranked Eliot Spizzirri of the United States, 6-4, 2-6, 6-1, 6-2, on Tuesday.

 

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