Australian Open Semifinals Begin To Take Shape After Zverev, Alcaraz Wins

Australian Open 2026
Australian Open 2026 (photo: George Salpigtidis)

MELBOURNE/WASHINGTON, January 27, 2026 (by Michael Dickens)

The quarterfinal round of this year’s Australian Open began Tuesday as another heat wave blanketed Melbourne Park with temperatures that soared well above 100º Fahrenheit (37.78º Celsius). With semifinal berths in the upper half of the men’s and women’s singles draws up for grabs, only the first quarterfinal match featuring Aryna Sabalenka versus Iva Jovic was played with the roof open. The roof was closed due to extreme heat measures before the start of the second quarterfinal between Alexander Zverev and Learner Tien and remained closed until the final match of the night session between Carlos Alcaraz and Alex de Minaur after the temperature dropped.

Zverev Reaches Third Australian Open Semifinal With Tien Victory

Germany’s Alexander Zverev reached the 10th Grand Slam semifinal of his career – and third at the Australian Open – after ending the best run at a major by young American Learner Tien Tuesday afternoon on Rod Laver Arena.

With the roof closed due to extreme temperatures in Melbourne, which soared well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the World No. 3 Zverev defeated the 25th-seeded Tien, 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-1, 7-6 (3), in three hours and 10 minutes. It sets up a showdown between Zverev and the World No. 1 and top seed Carlos Alcaraz of Spain, who advanced to his first AO semifinal after defeating sixth seed and home favorite Alex de Minaur of Australia in straight sets.

Zverev continued his mastery of lefties – he’s won 36 of his last 37 encounters with southpaws – overcame the 20-year-old Tien’s solid baseline play by controlling the match with his powerful serving and by dominating the shorter rallies. He hit 24 aces, won 76 percent (73 of 96) of his first-serve points, struck 56 winners to 22 unforced errors and outpointed Tien 145-118. By comparison, Tien won 74 percent (61 of 82) of his first-serve points, hit 53 winners – including 11 aces – and was zero-for-three in break-point opportunities.

“Learner from the baseline was playing unbelievable. I don’t think I’ve played anyone who plays that well from the baseline for a very, very long time,” Zverev said during his on-court interview, complimenting the youngest player to reach the AO quarterfinals since Nick Kyrgios in 2015. 

“I don’t know what Michael Chang [Tien’s coach] has done with him in the off-season, but the way he’s playing, it’s incredible. Without my [24] aces, I probably would not have won today. So, I’m obviously very happy with my serve, just generally happy to be back in the semis.”

Tien took his quarterfinal loss to Zverev in stride. “Obviously, I know I’ve been playing great tennis,” he said in his post-match news conference. “I know maybe even coming to this year in Brisbane, maybe I wasn’t playing amazing, and even starting off my tournament here, I wasn’t playing incredible by any means. 

“But I think [I’m] very happy with how I was kind of improving with each match, day by day. I just felt a little bit more comfortable. 

“I felt like I was seeing the ball a little bit better. By the end of the tournament, I was playing very well. I’m very happy about that.”

 

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Tien, who improved upon his AO fourth-round showing in 2025, will move into the ATP Top 25 when the new rankings are released next Monday. Meanwhile, Zverev is into his first major semifinal since Melbourne a year ago.

“That was the work I’ve done in the off-season, to get a little bit more in my game,” Zverev said. “I think what makes the big difference between the best two players with Jannik [Sinner] and Carlos [Alcaraz] and the rest of everyone is the first shot after the serve.

“I mean, they’re so aggressive, they don’t let you kind of get into the rally, and, you know, that’s something that I’ve worked a lot on.”

Alcaraz advances to first AO semifinal with de Minaur victory

As Carlos Alcaraz chases to become the youngest man to win a career Grand Slam, round by round, his victories are looking more impressive. On Tuesday evening, the World No. 1 and top seed started fast against World No. 6 Alex de Minaur of Australia. By the end of their two-hour, 15-minute quarterfinal on Rod Laver Arena, the 22-year-old Spaniard reached his first Melbourne semifinal at the expense of the Sydneysider, 7-5, 6-2, 6-1, to set up a semifinal with last year’s finalist Alexander Zverev of Germany.

Alcaraz played solidly throughout the match, hitting 26 winners to overcome 32 unforced errors. He converted seven of 16 break points, controlled the net by winning 18 of 22 exchanges and outpointed de Minaur 103-73. De Minaur was able to win just 59 percent (30 of 51) of his first-serve points and made 29 unforced errors. It added up to his sixth straight loss in six career matches against Alcaraz – and he’s 0-6 in Grand Slam quarterfinal-round matches.

“I’m just really happy with the level that I’m playing every match, since the first round until now,” said Alcaraz, who is playing his first tournament after cutting ties with his longtime coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero. “I’ve been increasing my level each match. I was talking with my team about being patient, because I want all the things right now. But they told me to be patient, that the level will come. Today I felt really comfortable, playing great tennis, which I’m really proud about.”

Meanwhile, after falling to 0-6 lifetime against Alcaraz, a dejected de Minaur spoke of his latest performance against Alcaraz. “In terms of mentality or the way I committed to hitting the ball today, it’s what I set out to do. I just can’t really execute it. I didn’t really execute it for the whole match,” he said post-match. “There was some good parts out there, but overall, I’m playing out of my comfort zone and at times out of my skin.

“Of course, for me to take that next step, I’ve got to be comfortable in playing that sort of way for the whole match, and that’s what it takes, to take it to the next level, especially against these types of guys.”

 

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On Friday, Alcaraz will go into his semifinal skirmish with Zverev tied 6-all in their career head-to-head.

“I know he’s playing great tennis,” Alcaraz said of Zverev. “Solid, aggressively. I think he’s serving very well. I have to be ready.

“We have to play tactically really, really well. It’s going to be a great battle. I’m really looking forward to playing him here, taking revenge.”

Sabalenka weathers the heat, dominates Jovic

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who has won two of the past three Australian Open women’s singles titles, advanced to her fourth straight AO semifinal – and sixth-straight Grand Slam semifinal – by ending the dream run of 18-year-old American Iva Jovic on Rod Laver Arena Tuesday afternoon under scorchingly hot temperatures.

The top seed Sabalenka completed her quarterfinal victory over the 29th-seeded Jovic, 6-3, 6-0, in an hour and 29 minutes. The 27-year-old Belarusian won 83 percent of her first-serve points – dropping just six points on her first serve – and struck 31 winners while committing just 17 unforced errors. By comparison, Jovic hit just 12 winners and made 14 unforced errors.

Sabalenka broke Jovic’s serve four times in nine tries and saved all five of the break points she faced on her serve. She outpointed her opponent 67-45.

“These teenagers testing me in the last couple [of] rounds,” Sabalenka said during her on-court interview, referring to Jovic and 19-year-old Victoria Mboko of Canada, whom Sabalenka beat in the fourth round Sunday. “Incredible player. It was a tough match. Don’t look at the score. It wasn’t easy at all.

“She played incredible tennis, pushed me to … a better level. I’m super happy with the win, it was a tough battle.”

Sabalenka was nothing if not consistent when it mattered the most as she coasted to her 10th victory of the season in her 10th outing. She’s now won 25 of her last 26 matches at the Australian Open going back to 2023. At this year’s AO, Sabalenka has yet to drop a set – and she’s the only player still remaining in the women’s draw to have previously won the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup.

Despite the setback, Jovic, born in California to a Serbian father and Croatian mother who immigrated to the United States, reached her first major quarterfinal and also achieved her first Top-10 victory. She was the youngest player to reach the last eight in Melbourne without dropping a set since Venus Williams in 1998.

“I think that I kind of went into the match obviously not knowing too much about how it was going to look like in person, having not really hit with her in the past,” Jovic said during her post-match news conference. “Our first meeting as well.

“I kind of tried to just bring that middle ground, and I think I have to be able to adapt to the game and what’s necessary for different play styles. I wasn’t able to do that against Sabalenka.”

Jovic said she looks forward to future Grand Slam opportunities. “It’s the quarterfinals but, you know, ultimately I hope to be in many quarterfinals. So I don’t think this win or loss today is going to make or break my career.”

Svitolina overpowers Gauff, will return to Top 10

Sabalenka’s opponent in the semifinal round will be No. 12 seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, who swept past No. 3 seed Coco Gauff of the United States, 6-1, 6-2. She needed just 59 minutes to complete the upset of the American No. 1 on Rod Laver Arena with the roof closed due to extreme heat conditions Tuesday evening. 

In a fortnight that’s been mostly devoid of upsets, the 31-year-old Svitolina’s mastery of Gauff to move into her first Grand Slam semifinal since 2023 – and to return to the WTA Top 10 – ranks high. It was her 10th victory of the season – she’s yet to drop a set in Melbourne – and her semifinal against Sabalenka will be a battle of the unbeaten. Both have already won a title this season, Svitolina in Auckland and Sabalenka in Brisbane.

Early on, while Gauff, 21, struggled with her serve and committed numerous unforced errors, Svitolina remained steady and focused, and won by playing physical, aggressive tennis. By the end of the hour, after compiling 12 winners – including four aces – and breaking Gauff’s serve six times in seven attempts, Svitolina had earned a trip to her fourth major semifinal and first one at the AO. Meanwhile, the two-time major champion Gauff hit five double faults and won just 41 percent (13 of 32) of her first-serve points. She hit just three winners and made 26 unforced errors. Svitolina outpointed Gauff 57-31.

“I’m very pleased with the tournament so far, and it’s always been my dream to come back after maternity leave back into the top 10. It’s always been my goal,” Svitolina said during her on-court interview. 

“Unfortunately, it didn’t happen last year, and I stopped after September. When we were training during the offseason, I told my coach, ‘I want to come back to the top 10,’ so this was my goal for this year.”

Meanwhile, Gauff simply had no answers and was unable to dig herself out against Svitolina in the quickest AO women’s singles quarterfinal in six years. 

“Usually when people raise their level, I’m able to raise mine, and today I didn’t do that,” Gauff said during her post-match news conference.

“Sometimes when. You lose a set 6-1, it’s like, ‘okay, whatever, reset.’ And then at 3-0 [in the second set], I was glad to get that game. I just felt like all the things I do well, I just wasn’t doing well. 

“I tried my best to be positive but I just felt like nothing for me was working.”

Around the Australian Open

• The second Tuesday at this year’s Australian Open became one of the hottest days on record at the year’s first major, with temperatures soaring as high as 114º Fahrenheit (46º Celsius) during the afternoon. Although the roof was open throughout much of the first of four quarterfinal singles matches on the day, between women’s No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka and No. 29 seed Iva Jovic, the outside temperature hovered near 100º F (37.78º C). It was finally closed before the second match of the afternoon session between men’s No. 3 seed Alexander Zverev and No. 25 seed Learner Tien.

• The mixed doubles semifinal pairings are set and the last four matches will take place on Margaret Arena on Wednesday. The first semifinal will match-up defending champions Olivia Gadecki and John Peers of Australia, who received a wild card entry this year, against No. 4 seeds Taylor Townsend of the United States and Nikola Mektic of Croatia. It will be followed French pair Kristina Mladenovic and Manuel Guinard against No. 2 seeds Luisa Stefani of Brazil and Marcelo Arevalo of El Salvador.

On Tuesday, in the quarterfinal round, Gadecki and Peers upset No. 5 seeds Aleksandra Krunic of Serbia and Mate Pavic of Croatia, 6-1, 7-6 (6), while Townsend and Mektic defeated Irina Khromacheva of Russia and Christian Harrison of the United States, 6-4, 6-2. Also, Mladenovic and Guinard advanced over Katerina Siniakova of Czechia and Sem Verbeek of the Netherlands, 7-6 (2), 3-6, 10-8, and Stefani and Arevalo eliminated Anna Danilina of Kazakhstan and JJ Tracy of the United States, 2-6, 6-4, 10-7.

• Men’s and women’s doubles has reached the quarterfinal round. The highest remaining men’s seeds are No. 3 Marcel Granollers of Spain and Horacio Zeballos of Argentina. On the women’s side, defending champions and top seeds Katerina Siniakova of Czechia and Taylor Townsend of the United States remain in the chase for their third major title together.

Tuesday’s Australian Open results

Wednesday’s Australian Open order of play

Updated men’s singles draw

Updated men’s singles draw

Quick hits

Quietly but efficiently, women’s No. 5 seed Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan has gone about her business in reaching the quarterfinal round. On Monday, she was at her best in defeating No. 21 seed Elise Mertens of Belgium, 6-1, 6-3, in one hour and 17 minutes on Margaret Court Arena. She struck 32 winners – including 10 aces – and won 72 percent of her first-serve points. She outpointed Mertens 65-44 en route to extending her head-to-head lead over the Belgian to 7-1.

The victory booked for the 26-year-old Rybakina her seventh Grand Slam last eight appearance of her career – and first since 2024 at Wimbledon. She was a finalist in Melbourne in 2023, losing to Aryna Sabalenka.

“I’m happy that I stayed aggressive … happy to get through another round,” said Rybakina, whose easy power from both forehand and backhand sides has been her ally. She has not dropped any sets through her first four matches of this Melbourne fortnight.

On Wednesday, Rybakina will face No. 2 Iga Swiatek of Poland, who has won six of their 11 previous meetings, in the semifinals.

“She is really moving so well,” Rybakina said. “If I play against her, I will need to not only stay aggressive, but also change a little bit the shots, maybe some variety and so on.”

By the numbers

With four American women – Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova, Jessica Pegula and Iva Jovic – in the Australian Open quarterfinals, this is the first time it’s happened at a major since the 2017 US Open, which featured Sloane Stephens, Madison Keys, CoCo Vandeweghe and Venus Williams. The last time at least four American women reached the quarterfinals at the Australian Open was in 2001, when it was Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Jennifer Capriati, Monica Seles and Lindsay Davenport.

“Quotable …”

“[If I lost] she wanted me to wear a Kelse-Taylor Swift [Kansas City] Chiefs jersey. So, honestly, I had a lot of motivation today not to wear that.”

– Jessica Pegula of the United States,  during her on-court interview after defeating fellow American Madison Keys in the fourth round Monday to advance to the quarterfinals. Pegala’s father owns the NFL’s Buffalo Bills.

 

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