Italian top seed Sinner delivered in the decisive moments to secure a 6-3 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 win over second seed Zverev.

Despite an ongoing doping case hanging over him, Sinner has been able to block out the noise to claim a third Grand Slam title.

After sealing victory with a composed cross-court winner on his first championship point, the 23-year-old calmly raised his hands into the air before walking over to celebrate with his team.

The straight-set win was a demonstration of Sinner’s relentless baseline game, physical power and mental steeliness.

Zverev did not have the tools to break him down and became increasingly frustrated as a result.

The 27-year-old German becomes the sixth man in the Open era to lose his first three Grand Slam finals, having also been beaten at the 2020 US Open and 2024 French Open.

After slumping forlornly into his chair, a visibly upset Zverev hunched forward and covered his face with a towel.

“It sucks standing next to this trophy,” said Zverev as he collected his runners-up prize.

“I was hoping to be more competitive but Jannik was just too good – as simple as that.”

Backing up the finest season of your career – and one of the most dominant in recent memory – is the challenge facing Sinner this year.

The manner in which he has swept to the Australian Open suggests he is more than capable of reaching the same heights which led to two major trophies, six more ATP titles, a Davis Cup triumph with Italy and an overall record of 73 wins from 79 matches.

What makes his achievements even more extraordinary is the unsettling situation surrounding his ongoing doping case.

It was announced in August that Sinner had tested positive for the banned substance clostebol, sending shockwaves around the sport.

In a difficult time, the tennis court has become his sanctuary.

Mental steeliness has been one of Sinner’s key strengths in his ascent to becoming the ATP Tour’s most dominant player and his ability to block out the noise has been useful.

Sinner’s coping mechanism has been to try and “isolate” himself but his coach Darren Cahill provided a telling insight when he said nobody is “bulletproof”.

However, Sinner has been as close to fully-armoured as he could have been in the circumstances.

He has swatted his way through the draw with relative ease, with perhaps the hot and humid conditions in his fourth-round match against Denmark’s Holger Rune being his toughest opponent.

The way in which he ruthlessly dismantled Zverev was a stark contrast to the fight he needed to recover from two sets down against Daniil Medvedev last year.

Sinner did not face a single break point against Zverev and the way he secured his first championship point – calmly luring his opponent forward with a drop-shot before drilling a backhand past him – illustrated the ease he felt.

Keys, playing her second major final and first for more than seven years, overcame the world number one 6-3 2-6 7-5.

Only three other women have been older than the 29-year-old Keys when winning their first Grand Slam title.

Keys, seeded 19th in Melbourne, clasped her head in amazement before sharing an emotional hug with husband and coach Bjorn Fratangelo.

“I have wanted this for so long. I never knew if I’d be in this position again,” said Keys.

Belarus’ Sabalenka, 25, had been attempting to claim a rare third successive victory at the opening major of the season.

After Keys secured victory, Sabalenka warmly hugged her opponent at the net before her mood quickly soured.

She smashed a racquet then covered her head with a towel before walking off court.

When she returned a few minutes later she received a warm ovation from the 15,000 fans on Rod Laver Arena.

“Madison was incredible and I couldn’t do anything,” said Sabalenka.

“Next time I play Madison I will bring better tennis.”

Keys caps incredible run

Patience can be a precious commodity in sport and even Keys thought her chance of winning one of tennis’ greatest prizes had slipped by.

The seven-and-a-bit years between her first and second major finals is the longest gap in the Open era on the women’s side.

After reaching the French Open and US Open semi-finals in 2018, Keys dropped outside of the world’s top 50 after struggling with injuries.

She returned to the top 10 in early 2022 after making the Australian Open semi-finals and also had a run to the last four at the 2023 US Open.

Keys was denied a place in the final of her home Grand Slam by Sabalenka – a crushing defeat in which she regretted playing “too safe”.

“I’m glad I’ve got you back,” Keys joked afterwards.

After another injury-hit season last year, which forced her to miss the Australian Open, Keys was unsure if she would “be able to do it all again”.

A bold move to change racquet manufacturer in the off-season has paid dividends, with Keys keeping her explosive power while playing with a level of confidence she previously lacked.

Beating Sabalenka was the pinnacle of a title run where has beaten a host of star names.

Keys also beat second seed Iga Swiatek in the semi-finals, becoming the first player to beat the top two Australian Open seeds since Serena Williams in 2005.

That came on the back of previous victories over former Melbourne finalists Danielle Collins and Elena Rybakina, plus 2023 Wimbledon semi-finalist Elina Svitolina.

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: Madison Keys is the first woman to beat the top two seeds at a major since Svetlana Kuznetsova at the 2009 French Open

How Keys unlocked Sabalenka in gripping final

Sabalenka was the pre-match favourite, having won 33 of her previous 34 matches on the Australian hard courts.

But Keys, a powerful baseliner, is one of the few players on the WTA Tour who has the weapons to damage Sabalenka.

The explosive match-up led to a gripping final where Keys won only one more point overall.

A stunning opening set, where she whacked 11 winners and had a rock-solid first serve, set the platform.

Keys was also helped by a nervy start from Sabalenka, whose once-unstable second serve returned to trouble her.

Two double faults in the opening game allowed Keys to break, while another set up a second break point in the fifth game which Sabalenka handed over with a sliced forehand into the net.

Keys continued to play lights out, thumping clean winners from the back of the court and also showing deft touches.

A bemused Sabalenka could only smile when Keys pulled out an ice-cold drop-shot on the way to holding for 5-1.

However, Sabalenka was furious with herself after a fourth double fault handed over another set point, which Keys took with a backhand winner.

“She played super aggressive. It seemed like everything was going her way,” said Sabalenka.

“I was just trying to put the ball back. I couldn’t really play my aggressive tennis and didn’t feel my serve that well.”

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: Sabalenka was aiming to follow in the footsteps of Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong, Steffi Graf, Monica Seles and Martina Hingis by claiming a Melbourne ‘three-peat’

An exasperated Sabalenka felt the need to go off court after a 35-minute first set and, having tried to clear her head, was able to shift momentum.

Keys was unable to sustain her previous level, with her winners deteriorating and her first serve lacking precision.

While Sabalenka was still lacking fluency – illustrated by a long forehand that left her dropping her racquet in exasperation – she improved enough to dominate the second set.

A tight and tense decider did not produce a break point until the pivotal 12th game.

Keys upped the ante with some deep returning that Sabalenka could not handle, before sealing victory with a wonderful cross-court forehand winner.

“She played incredible,” said Sabalenka.

“I was trying my best. Obviously it didn’t work well.”

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: Madison Keys has been coached by her husband Bjorn Fratangelo, who was a top-100 ATP player, since 2023

World number one Sinner recorded a 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 6-2 victory over American Shelton on Rod Laver Arena – the stage where he claimed his first major title 12 months ago.

Earlier on Friday, an injured Novak Djokovic was forced to retire after losing the first set against world number two Zverev.

Zverev, still bidding for a first major title after losing his previous two finals, now faces a daunting task against the in-form Sinner in Sunday’s final.

“We’ve had some tough matches in the past. Anything can happen,” said Sinner, who has lost four of his six meetings with Zverev.

The women’s final between two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka and Madison Keys takes place on Saturday.

Reigning US Open champion Sinner is the youngest man to reach multiple Australian Open finals since Jim Courier in 1993.

Italy’s Sinner has been near-unbeatable in the past 12 months and will go into the final on a 20-match winning streak, having not lost a match since 2 October last year.

Shelton, bidding to reach his first major final, made a confident start by breaking Sinner in the first game of the match – but that was an advantage the 21st seed surrendered three games later after a series of unforced errors.

Shelton, 22, broke again for a 6-5 lead and served for the set but squandered two set points as Sinner dug in to force a tie-break.

Sinner took control from then on, reeling off five straight points to close out the breaker before quickly going up a double break of serve in the second.

The daunting prospect of needing to come back from two sets down against the top seed did not discourage Shelton from entertaining and engaging the crowd.

The American reset admirably to force three break points early in the third set. But, after they went untaken, Sinner struck what proved to be the decisive blow in game five to extinguish Shelton’s hopes of an unlikely fightback.

Despite appearing to limp following an awkward landing, Sinner closed out five straight games to secure victory in two hours 36 minutes.

“There was a lot of tension and I had some slight cramps,” Sinner said afterwards.

“These matches can go very long. Three sets in two-and-a-half hours is quite some time, so I’m happy to finish it in three.”

Sinner’s Australian Open title defence comes against the backdrop of his ongoing doping case, which will be heard at the Court of Arbitration for Sport from 16 April, with the World Anti-Doping Agency seeking a ban of between one and two years.

The 37-year-old Serb, aiming for a record-extending 11th men’s singles title, retired injured from his semi-final against Alexander Zverev on Friday.

He raised both thumbs in the air towards the 15,000 fans as he left Rod Laver Arena – which he has often described as his “second home”.

Asked if it might be his final appearance at Melbourne Park, Djokovic said. “I don’t know. There is a chance. Who knows? I’ll just have to see how the season goes.

“I want to keep going. But whether I’m going to have a revised schedule or not for the next year, I’m not sure.”

It is the second successive year that Djokovic has lost in the Melbourne semi-finals.

Djokovic has stripped back his schedule in recent seasons and prioritised being ready for the biggest tournaments – namely the four Grand Slams.

The former world number one continues to seek a 25th Slam to move clear of Australia’s Margaret Court, who won 24 women’s singles titles between 1960 and 1973.

The Australian Open is where Djokovic has enjoyed most of Grand Slam success followed by Wimbledon, where he has won seven titles.

He has also won three French Open and four US Open titles.

“I normally like to come to Australia to play,” seventh seed Djokovic added.

“I’ve had the biggest success in my career here. So if I’m fit, healthy, motivated, I don’t see a reason why I wouldn’t come.

“But there’s always a chance [it is the last time].”

What has Djokovic got left in the tank?

Coming into the first Grand Slam of the season, there was a feeling Djokovic cannot outlast the very best of his younger opponents over five sets like he used to.

Last year was the first since 2017 – and only the second since 2011 – that Djokovic did not win a Grand Slam.

Jannik Sinner’s comfortable victory in last year’s semi-final – ending Djokovic’s 33-match winning streak at Melbourne Park – damaged his aura of invincibility.

Sinner, 23, and Alcaraz, 21 splitting the four major titles last year was further evidence that the changing of the guard was finally happening.

Djokovic proved he could still hang tough with the next generation over five sets when he recovered to beat Alcaraz on Tuesday.

It came at a cost, though.

For the second time in seven months, Djokovic battled through injury for a memorable win – only to suffer the consequences in the next round.

Djokovic tore cartilage in his right knee during his French Open fourth-round victory over Francisco Cerundolo, forcing him to withdraw from the quarter-final against Casper Ruud two days later.

“It’s not like I’m approaching every Grand Slam now and worrying whether I’m going to get injured or not,” said Djokovic, who was aiming to become the oldest man to win a major in the Open era.

“But statistics are against me in a way in the last couple of years.

“I don’t know what exactly is the reason for [the injuries]. But I’ll keep going.

“I’ll keep striving to win more slams. And as long as I feel that I want to put up with all of this, I’ll be around.”

Djokovic will ‘chat’ to Murray about future

Djokovic has been coached by long-time playing rival Andy Murray in Melbourne and says he does not yet know if the trial partnership will continue.

Murray, also 37, retired in August last year and joined Djokovic’s team in November.

“We are both disappointed with what just happened, so we didn’t talk about the future,” Djokovic said.

“I’ll definitely have a chat with Andy and thank him for being here with me.

“I’ll give him my feedback, which is positive, and see how he feels and we will make the next step.”

Djokovic, who was bidding for a record-extending 11th title, quit after losing the first set 7-6 (7-5) in 80 minutes.

The 37-year-old Serb had his upper left leg heavily taped after injuring it in Tuesday’s quarter-final win over Carlos Alcaraz.

“I did everything I possibly could do to manage the muscle tear that I had,” said Djokovic, who was also aiming for an all-time standalone record of 25 major titles.

“Towards the end of that first set I just started feeling more and more pain.

“It was too much to handle for me.”

After he slapped a volley into the net on set point, seventh seed Djokovic immediately approached Zverev and shook his hand.

He waved to the crowd and gave them a double thumbs up, despite audible boos from some sections inside Rod Laver Arena.

“I knew even if I won the first set, that it’s going to be a huge uphill battle for me to stay physically fit enough to stay with him in the rallies for two, three, four hours,” added Djokovic.

“I don’t think I had that today in the tank.”

German second seed Zverev is still bidding for his first Grand Slam title after twice losing in major finals.

He will face either Italian top seed Jannik Sinner or American 21st seed Ben Shelton in Sunday’s final.

‘Don’t boo a player when they are injured’

From the moment Djokovic lunged for a drop-shot towards the end of the first set against Alcaraz and immediately grimaced to his box, there have been questions over his fitness.

Djokovic, as he has on countless occasions in his stellar career, somehow managed to defy the injury to earn a remarkable win against the 21-year-old.

But doubts remained how equipped he would be to play Zverev.

Djokovic had not practised at Melbourne Park since Tuesday night’s victory, cancelling a planned hit on Thursday before spending an hour warming up on court shortly before the semi-final.

Djokovic did not practise between matches during his 2023 title run and later revealed he had a three centimetre tear in his hamstring.

He also won the 2021 title despite tearing an abdominal muscle in the third round.

“The very first thing I want to say is, please guys, don’t boo when a player is injured,” said Zverev, addressing the crowd in his on-court interview.

“I know everyone paid for tickets and wants to see a five-set match but you have to understand Novak Djokovic is someone who has given absolutely everything to tennis.

“He has won this title with an abdominal tear, he has won this title with a hamstring tear.

“If he cannot continue this match, it means he really cannot continue.”

The signs that showed Djokovic’s struggles

Djokovic looked way below his best from the start of the semi-final.

The former world number one was fortunate not to be punished more by Zverev as he struggled badly with his first serve.

Zverev, playing passively behind the baseline, produced poor errors on the four break points he created in the third game of the match.

Two forehands and a backhand were meekly dumped into the net before he framed a forehand into the front rows of the stand on the fourth.

After three slogs of games spanning 23 minutes, Djokovic had three break points himself at 2-1 but could not take his chances.

Djokovic’s service games improved but he had to save another break point at 4-4, and the laboured walks to the chair and anguished facial expressions became more pronounced.

Nevertheless, ending the match early came as a shock to most of the 15,000 crowd on Rod Laver Arena – and Zverev himself.

Asked if he had any indication Djokovic was struggling, Zverev laughed: “No, I actually thought it was a high-level set.

“Of course there were some difficulties and the longer you continue maybe the worse it gets.

“Maybe in the tie-break he was not moving as well, but I thought we had extremely long, physical rallies.”

Belarusian top seed Sabalenka, who previously described Badosa as her “soulmate”, recovered from an early setback to win 6-4 6-2.

Badosa, contesting her first major semi-final, quickly went 2-0 up but the Spanish 11th seed would win just four of the next 16 games.

Sabalenka will face Iga Swiatek or Madison Keys in the final, where she will aim to emulate Martina Hingis’ three straight titles between 1997-99.

“Just saying that, I have goosebumps. I am so proud of myself and my team that we were able to put ourselves in such a situation,” Sabalenka said.

“It’s a privilege and if I will be able to put my name in the history [books] it’s going to mean the world to me.

“At first I was dreaming to win at least one Grand Slam and now I have this opportunity and it’s incredible.”

It was a 20th straight victory at the Australian Open for two-time defending champion Sabalenka.

Sabalenka will keep her world number one ranking if Swiatek loses in the semi-finals – and if the Pole advances, the winner of Saturday’s championship match will take the top spot.

Should Swiatek join Sabalenka in the final, it would be the first time since 2018 that the Australian Open women’s final has featured the top two seeds.

Badosa, having stunned American third seed Coco Gauff in the quarter-finals, benefitted in the early stages as a tense Sabalenka conceded an immediate break of serve with four unforced errors.

Badosa was within a point of taking a 3-0 lead before Sabalenka switched up a gear.

The three-time major winner then took charge, reeling off four games in a row and was unrelenting from there.

Despite their off-court relationship, both players gave little away, barely exchanging a glance as they stayed focused on their respective tasks.

But, in a rare glimpse into their friendship, they shared relieved smiles after Badosa fell at the start of the second set before raising a reassuring thumb as she lay on the court.

What started as a fiercely-contested match began to drift away from Badosa when she gifted Sabalenka control of set two, conceding a break of serve with back-to-back double faults

Another double fault in the fifth game gave Sabalenka a chance for a second break, which she grabbed with one of her 32 winners before serving out victory in one hour and 26 minutes.

Sabalenka, who was later seen consoling Badosa in the players’ area, said: “It was a super tough match against a friend, I’m super happy to see her at her highest level.

“After a couple of battles against each other we have spoken and decided to put it aside, and here we both wanted it badly.”

Yet when Aryna Sabalenka and Paula Badosa take to the court for their Australian Open semi-final on Thursday, it may only add to the pressure.

The pair are close friends with Sabalenka going so far as to call Badosa her “soulmate” in Stuttgart last year.

“I love Paula very much,” the 26-year-old Belarusian said.

“She is an incredible person. It is very important to have friends on the circuit, so when you find someone who you feel is your soulmate, it is the best thing that can happen to you.”

Their friendship has grown over the past few years with the pair practising together and wearing matching outfits during the 2024 US Open, as well as posting about each other on social media.

“We realised that we had very similar personalities and we get along very well, and that we’re both very, very competitive,” Badosa told the Tennis Channel’s Inside-In podcast, external in March.

“It’s very nice for me having a friend on tour because it’s very tough to find.”

But with a place in the final at stake, that friendship will have to be put on hold in Melbourne.

This is not the first meeting between the two – they have played eight times before, with Sabalenka winning the past six – but it is comfortably the most high-profile.

World number one Sabalenka is bidding to win a third straight Australian Open title, while it is 27-year-old Badosa’s first time in the last four of a Grand Slam.

The Spaniard shocked sixth seed Coco Gauff in the quarter-finals as her remarkable recovery from a back injury, that she feared would force her to retire only a year ago, continues.

“It’s tough to play your best friend,” Sabalenka said after beating Badosa in Stuttgart.

However, difficult as it may be, once they walk out on Rod Laver Arena, all sentiment will be put to one side.

“We know how to separate things,” Badosa added.

“We decided a long time ago that off the court we are friends, while on the court she really wants to win, I really want to win,” said Sabalenka, who beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the quarter-finals.

“So on the court we are competitors and there is no place for friendship.”

Swiatek & Keys both have points to prove

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: Iga Swiatek and Madison Keys are both bidding to reach an Australian Open final for the first time

Five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek will take on American Madison Keys in Thursday’s second semi-final.

For Polish second seed Swiatek, it is a chance to improve on a disappointing record at Melbourne Park with this just the second time she has progressed beyond the fourth round.

“This is something that I always wanted to improve,” she said.

“It’s not like I need to prove it to other people. It’s more that I need to kind of believe. I feel I believe more now.”

Big-hitting Keys, seeded 19th, will provide a stern test for Swiatek, who has had issues against such players in the past.

The former world number one has won four of her five matches against Keys but three of those victories came on her favoured clay surface. On hard courts, they have won one match apiece.

Keys, who has won her past 10 matches and triumphed at the Adelaide Open earlier this month, has a point to prove after coming up short at majors over the years.

Victory over Swiatek would put the 29-year-old through to a second final – and her first since 2017 at the US Open.

“There have been periods of my career where it felt like if I didn’t win [a Grand Slam], then I hadn’t done enough, and I didn’t live up to my potential in all of that,” Keys said.

“That took a lot of the fun out of the game, and there were times where it felt paralysing out on the court because it felt as if I needed it to happen instead of giving myself the opportunity to go out and potentially do it.”

Sinner struggled with illness in his previous match but looked sharp in a 6-3 6-2 6-1 victory over eighth-seed De Minaur.

Two days after being sick before playing Denmark’s Holger Rune and needing to see a doctor, Sinner said he felt “ready” when he woke up on Wednesday.

Sinner denied speculation he had pneumonia, saying blood tests after his fourth-round match were “all good”.

“I feel like the illness has gone away now. I was feeling much, much better this morning,” the world number one said.

“When you are young you recover very fast – so it’s a bit different.”

The 23-year-old Italian will face American Ben Shelton in the last four on Friday.

Shelton, 22, reached the Melbourne semi-finals for the first time with a battling 6-4 7-5 4-6 7-6 (7-4) against Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego.

Stunning Sinner silences Melbourne crowd

Anticipation was high among the Australian fans arriving at Rod Laver Arena that De Minaur could cause a shock – particularly given the uncertainty about Sinner’s condition.

A pale-looking Sinner was visibly shaking in his chair during his fourth-round win over Rune and benefitted from an enforced 20-minute break when the net broke.

But Sinner looked healthy in a performance where he proved again to be a class above De Minaur.

The world number one struck the ball sweetly and consistently to outlast De Minaur in the rallies.

Clinching six breaks of serves, and saving just the one chance for De Minaur in the second set, illustrated his dominance.

Afterwards Sinner said he had “a very easy day” on Tuesday, hitting with his coaches for only “half an hour or 40 minutes” to maintain rhythm.

“I felt ready for today,” Sinner added.

“When you play a night session you try to sleep as long as you can and eat healthy.”

De Minaur came into the match with a terrible record against his opponent, losing all nine of their previous meetings and winning just one set in the process.

The 25-year-old Australian was looking to end that unwanted run and become the first home player since 2005 to reach the men’s singles semi-finals.

But what was expected to be a raucous atmosphere failed to materialise on a cool Melbourne night.

It was a testament to Sinner’s assured display that he largely silenced the majority of the 15,000 fans.

“Right now my worst match-up on tour is Jannik. The head-to-head doesn’t lie,” said De Minaur.

“In these types of conditions where it’s a little bit colder and you can’t really get the ball out of his strike zone, he can just unload and not miss. It’s tough.”

Shelton reaches first Melbourne semi-final

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: Ben Shelton reached the US Open semi-finals in 2023, losing to eventual champion Novak Djokovic

Shelton eased into a two-seat lead on Rod Laver Arena but dropped his level enough to allow the unseeded Sonego to force a fourth set.

The two were well-matched in the set, with both playing some entertaining points before Shelton’s strong serving helped him pull away in the resulting tie-break.

Shelton, who clocked a tournament joint-fastest 144mph serve during the match, said he was “relieved” to get through.

“Shout-out to Lorenzo because that was some ridiculous tennis,” 21st seed Shelton added after a quarter-final lasting three hours and 50 minutes.

Both players have benefited from a quarter of the draw which has been left wide open following the early exits of top-10 seeds Taylor Fritz, Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev.

Friday’s semi-final will be Shelton’s second in singles at a Grand Slam, having lost in the last four of the 2023 US Open to eventual champion Novak Djokovic.

Five-time major winner Swiatek was ruthless in a 6-1 6-2 victory over eighth seed Navarro.

Swiatek has dropped just 14 games at Melbourne Park this year – and seven of those came in her first-round match.

The Pole will face Madison Keys in the last four after the American came from a set down to beat Elina Svitolina.

Keys will need to be at her big-hitting best to beat Swiatek, who was dominant against the highly rated Navarro.

Swiatek broke to love in the match’s first service game and wrapped up the opening set inside 36 minutes.

However, there was controversy at 2-2 in the second set when the umpire did not spot a double bounce at a crucial moment.

The ball bounced twice before Swiatek, with the advantage on her serve, flicked over a winner, but umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore missed it.

Navarro protested but was unable to use the video technology review – which would have shown a replay of the footage – because she had carried on playing the point, instead of stopping it.

Swiatek subsequently broke in the next game and ran away with the match to match her best result at Melbourne Park.

Swiatek’s superiority – the stats

Swiatek’s dominance on clay is no secret, with the Pole having won four of the past five French Open titles.

But she has struggled on the fast Melbourne hard courts, having only gone past the fourth round once before this year.

Under new coach Wim Fissette, Swiatek has been ruthless.

Only three players in the Open era have dropped fewer games than Swiatek’s 14 on their way to the Melbourne last four.

She has not dropped a single game on serve in her past four matches, and none of her matches so far have lasted over 90 minutes.

Should Swiatek reach the final – and top seed Sabalenka lose her semi-final on Thursday – the 23-year-old would regain the world number one ranking.

If both players advanced to a mouth-watering championship match then Sabalenka would need to win the title for a third straight year to stay top of the rankings.

Keys keeps up winning streak

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: Madison Keys reached her sixth Grand Slam singles semi-final

Earlier, Keys continued her own fine form with a 3-6 6-3 6-4 win over Svitolina.

Keys is on a 10-match winning streak and won the Adelaide Open title a fortnight ago.

The 29-year-old is hoping to reach her second Grand Slam final, having lost to close friend Sloane Stephens at the 2017 US Open.

She was broken late by Svitolina in a tight first set and came through a tricky first service game in the second before growing into the match.

Keys claimed crucial breaks midway through both sets to see off the Ukrainian and reach a third Australian Open semi-final.

Swiatek leads the head-to-head between the pair 4-1 – but Keys did win their last hard-court meeting in Cincinnati in 2022.

“Madison is a great player and really experienced, so you never know,” Swiatek said.

“The match that I lost, she kind of killed me, so I think it can be tricky.”

Novak Djokovic’s emotions poured out after securing an Australian Open quarter-final victory over Carlos Alcaraz that made a mockery of predictions, logic and expectation.

Exuding joy and relief, Djokovic turned straight to his coach Andy Murray and buried his head in the Briton’s chest.

The celebration between the rivals-turned-colleagues came following the biggest success of Murray’s shock first coaching job.

“It was kind of a gesture of appreciation and respect for him for the fact that he’s out there and he doesn’t need to be,” said 37-year-old Djokovic, who was born a week after Murray in May 1987.

“He accepted to work with me. He’s giving all his support to me, to the whole team, and trying to make it work.”

When 24-time major champion Djokovic announced in November he was employing the recently retired Murray as his new coach, it felt like a prank.

But there is nothing more serious for both men than winning tennis matches.

Murray has regularly cut a tense figure during Djokovic’s run at Melbourne Park, appearing deep in thought about how he can help the seventh seed land a record 25th Grand Slam title.

His relief at the Serb edging past Alcaraz, 21, showed with a heavy exhale of breath.

Then came the moment when Djokovic, who had battled through an upper left leg injury to beat Spanish third seed Alcaraz, trudged over to hug his fist-pumping coach.

“This was a huge win for all of us – including Andy and myself for the relationship,” added Djokovic.

“That’s why I went to him because I felt very grateful that he’s there.”

After seeing his playing career decimated by a hip injury, three-time major champion Murray finally decided to call it quits last year following the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The morning after the final match of his career, the Scot seemed genuine when he said he had no firm idea of what he wanted to do next.

But Murray revealed he had the unexpected conversation with Djokovic during a phone call in his car – shortly after telling a golfing partner he had no desire to move into coaching yet.

It was a “unique opportunity” which Murray could not turn down.

Before Djokovic’s quarter-final on Tuesday, Murray told BBC Sport he was enjoying the experience of what is initially a trial run in Melbourne.

“I feel more and more connected with Andy every day,” said Djokovic.

“We face challenges every single day. People don’t see that.

“We try to make the most out of every day and grow together.

“He’s been as committed to my career and this tournament as he can be.”

The 37-year-old Serb defied injury, age and ranking to win 4-6 6-4 6-3 6-4 against his 21-year-old opponent in Melbourne.

Djokovic, going for a record-extending 11th men’s singles title, limped around Rod Laver Arena at the end of the first set after suffering what appeared to be a groin problem.

But, after going off court for treatment, he recovered impressively to continue his bid for a 25th Grand Slam triumph – which would be an all-time record.

Djokovic played aggressively until the pain wore off, allowing him to move more freely and take control of the match.

Spanish third seed Alcaraz became increasingly animated as he struggled to figure out how to turn an engrossing contest back in his favour.

When seventh seed Djokovic sealed victory – at 00:57 local time after a battle lasting three hours and 38 minutes – he roared towards coach Andy Murray.

Djokovic and Alcaraz shared a warm embrace at the net after a highly-anticipated match which lived up to the expectation.

The defeat ends Alcaraz’s hopes – for now, at least – of becoming the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam.

Instead it is Djokovic who advances to the semi-finals, where he will face German second seed Alexander Zverev on Friday.

The world number one is attempting to become the first woman since Martina Hingis 26 years ago to complete a ‘three-peat’ at the hard-court Grand Slam.

After racing through the first set, Sabalanka’s title hopes were left hanging by a thread as Pavlyuchenkova swept up the second and broke early in the decider.

But the Belarusian kept her cool to fight back and wrap up a 6-2 2-6 6-3 win.

“I think it is good to have these tough battles and be tougher in the later stages of the tournament,” Sabalenka said.

“I wish I had won this match in straight sets, but it is what it is.”

It is the first time Sabalenka has dropped a set at the Australian Open since the 2023 final, where she fought back to beat Elena Rybakina and win a maiden major singles title.

The top seed said she “can’t wait” to face her friend Paula Badosa in the last four after the Spaniard stunned third seed Coco Gauff earlier on Tuesday.

The German second seed won 7-6 (7-1) 7-6 (7-0) 2-6 6-1 against the American 12th seed on Rod Laver Arena.

The victory was 27-year-old Zverev’s seventh in a row and continues his unbeaten start to his season.

“I should have been down two sets, he played better than me and I was not playing great,” Zverev said.

“The fourth set was definitely the best I played and I’m happy to be back in the semi-finals.”

Zverev previously reached the semi-finals at Melbourne Park in 2020 and 2024.

He will play either 10-time champion Novak Djokovic or Carlos Alcaraz – who beat Zverev in the French Open final last year – in this year’s last four.

The match will be Zverev’s ninth Grand Slam semi-final – the most among active players who have not won a major.

Paul, a semi-finalist Melbourne in 2023, had chances to serve out the first and second set, but was denied by Zverev on both occasions.

Zverev won the first set on a tie-break before losing his cool at 4-2 in the second.

With Zverev set to make a return, the umpire called “let” as a feather fell near the German.

“It’s a feather! There are millions of them on the court,” an irritated Zverev said as he held up the feather to the umpire.

Zverev recovered to break Paul back and win another tie-break, before dropping the third set.

Zverev would regain the momentum, however, in the latter stages of the match before sealing his place in the last four with an ace.

The Spaniard, a former world number two, spent almost two years struggling with back problems and fell to 140th in the rankings

But, after a strong end to 2024, Badosa’s comeback continued in sensational fashion as she ended American Gauff’s 13-match winning streak with a 7-5 6-4 victory.

“I’m a bit emotional – as you know, I’m a very emotional person,” Badosa said.

“I’ve been through a lot. I was in the past one of the best players in the world but I think now I’m a better player.”

Badosa was named the WTA’s Comeback Player of the Year in 2024 after recovering from a stress fracture in her spine that saw her miss two of the four majors in 2023.

The 27-year-old won her first title in over two years at August’s Washington Open before reaching the quarter-finals of the US Open a month later.

“A year ago I was here with my back and I didn’t know if I had to retire from this sport,” 11th seed Badosa said.

“Now I’m here playing against the best in the world. I won today, I’m in the semi-finals.

“I will never think that a year after I would be here. This is a dream come true.”

She will face either two-time defending champion and close friend Aryna Sabalenka or Russian 27th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova next.

Gauff ‘disappointed but not crushed’

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: Coco Gauff lost in last year’s semi-finals to eventual champion Aryna Sabalenka

Third seed Gauff arrived in Melbourne as the most in-form player on tour, having won last year’s WTA Finals and all five of her singles matches at the season-opening United Cup – including a victory over Iga Swiatek.

Before her last-16 win against Belinda Bencic, the 20-year-old had not dropped a set in eight matches this season.

But it was Badosa who struck first on Rod Laver Arena, breaking for a 6-5 lead before holding serve to clinch the opening set.

The pair traded breaks in the second set but Gauff’s game broke down, with the 20-year-old committing 25 unforced errors and six double faults.

Badosa ultimately served out the match at the second time of asking, sinking to her knees in celebration before sharing a hug with Gauff at the net.

“Paula was playing great. Maybe some moments in the first set could have gone my way,” Gauff, the 2023 US Open champion, said.

“I’m obviously disappointed, but I’m not completely crushed.

“Even though I lost today, I feel like I’m in an upward trajectory.”

In a match disrupted by medical timeouts and a broken net, both Sinner and Rune seemed to struggle with the 32C heat on Rod Laver Arena.

Sinner, towards the end of the second set and into the third, was visibly shaking during the changeovers as he wrapped ice towels around his neck.

But the world number one prevailed to win 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-2 against the Dane.

“I was not feeling really well,” said Sinner.

Speaking on court after his win, the 23-year-old said: “I knew in my mind even before the match I would struggle today.

“This morning was a very strange morning because I didn’t even warm up today, trying to go on court as fit as I could.”

He will face either Australian eighth seed Alex de Minaur or American Alex Michelsen in the last eight.

Elsewhere, Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego beat American qualifier Learner Tien 6-3 6-2 3-6 6-1 to reach his first Grand Slam quarter-final.

Sonego will play 21st seed Ben Shelton next after the American’s fourth-round opponent, Frenchman Gael Monfils, retired with a back issue while trailing 7-6 (7-3) 6-7 (3-7) 7-6 (7-2) 1-0.

After two gruelling service games in the third set, Sinner’s physical troubles came to the fore and he called for the trainer after saving a break point to go 3-2 up.

He received treatment off-court and returned after more than 11 minutes, but it was Rune who faltered and allowed Sinner to break for a 5-3 lead.

The 13th seed needed a medical timeout of his own for an apparent knee injury before Sinner raced to a love hold to wrap up the set.

There was a further 21-minute pause in play at the start of the fourth as the pair returned to the locker room when the net’s anchoring pin in the middle came loose.

The interval seemed to benefit Sinner, who steamrolled his way to a 5-2 lead and served out the victory after three hours and 13 minutes.

“It was very tough. I knew in my mind he had some very long matches so I tried to stay there mentally,” Sinner added.

“Today the support meant so much to me, I really needed you guys today. It’s 90% yours and 10% I try to make you happy.”

Sinner is on a 17-match winning streak, with his last defeat coming in the Beijing Open final against Carlos Alcaraz in October.

There is potential for an all-Italian semi-final tie after unseeded Sonego’s win over 19-year-old Tien in four sets.

Tien was bidding to become the youngest man to reach the last eight in Melbourne since a 17-year-old Goran Ivanisevic in 1989 but, with strapping on his right thigh, struggled with injury.

“Today was so tough, I’m so sad that he had a problem. It’s not the right way to win, but I’m so happy to reach the quarter-finals,” said 29-year-old Sonego.

Channel Nine’s Tony Jones shouted “Novak, he’s overrated, Novak’s a has-been, Novak kick him out” towards Djokovic fans while live on air at the Australian Open on Friday.

As a result, Djokovic refused to do his usual on-court interview after Sunday’s fourth-round win over Jiri Lehecka because of Channel Nine being official broadcasters of the tournament.

Speaking at a news conference afterwards, Djokovic said Jones had “made a mockery of Serbian fans and also made insulting and offensive comments towards me”.

The 37-year-old added that it “was a very awkward situation for me”.

Jones said on Channel Nine on Monday: “I’m disappointed it come to this because the comments were made on the news on the Friday night which I considered to be banter and humour – which is consistent with what I do.

“However, I was made aware on the Saturday morning from Tennis Australia, via the Djokovic camp, that the Djokovic camp was not happy at all with those comments.

“I immediately contacted the Djokovic camp and issued an apology to them – 48 hours ago – for any disrespect which Novak felt I had caused.

“As I stand here now I stand by that apology to Novak if he feels any disrespect, which he clearly does.

“The disrespect extends to the Serbian fans – over the years here there has been colour with them and passion and banter, and I thought that was an extension of that banter. Quite clearly that hasn’t been interpreted that way.

“I do feel I’ve let down the Serbian fans. I’m not just saying that to wriggle out of trouble. I genuinely feel for those fans.”

Djokovic, a 10-time champion at Melbourne Park, plays world number three Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals on Tuesday.

Channel Nine also apologised, saying “no harm was intended towards Novak or his fans”.

The Serbian Council of Australia has called for Jones to be sacked, saying his comments were “offensive, racist and only serve to incite further discrimination of Australian-Serbs”.

Jones said he particularly felt he had “overstepped the mark” with his “kick him out” comment – which he accepted could be interpreted as a reference to Djokovic’s 2022 deportation from Australia because of the country’s Covid-19 regulations.

“That has angered Novak – I completely understand that,” said Jones.

“It has been an unfortunate situation and one of personal angst for Novak and personal angst for me as well. The priority now is to focus on the tennis. He has an amazing match and I hope he can focus on that.

“I can only again tell Novak what I told him 48 hours ago which is I do apologise if he feels I disrespected him.

“I agreed to meet him in person, they came back and yes, that hasn’t transpired yet but I hope it will happen in the next 24 hours.”

Tennis Australia said: “Novak acknowledges the apology has been given in public as requested and is now moving on and focusing on his next match.”

The American 19th seed won 6-3 1-6 6-3 on Margaret Court Arena to extend her winning streak to to nine matches.

Former Wimbledon champion Rybakina struggled with a back injury in the third round and despite rallying in the second set, was unable to combat 29-year-old Keys’ aggressive approach.

“Her serve is such a weapon, so I knew that if I could just try to make at least some of her service games a little bit competitive, then I had a chance,” said Keys.

“So I was basically just trying to make anything that I could get my racquet on back over the net, which worked sometimes.”

Kazakhstan’s Rybakina, 25, said she would need “magic” to progress in Melbourne after needing treatment on her back during her third-round win over Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska.

She had won her previous two matches against Keys, but dropped the first set with the American neutralising her big serve and taking control of the rallies.

Rybakina, a finalist in Melbourne in 2023, fought back midway through the encounter to win four straight games and secure the second set, but Keys would triumph in the decider.

At 3-3 she took control before eventually sealing her spot in the last eight with a searing cross-court winner on her second match point.

Keys will play Ukraine’s 28th seed Elina Svitolina in the quarter-finals after she beat Russian Veronika Kudermetova 6-4 6-1.

Svitolina, 30, recovered from a poor start to reach her 12th Grand Slam quarter-final, before dedicating the win to her country.

“This fighting spirit that I have is completely Ukrainian spirit that I try to show, that I try to represent, as well,” said Svitolina.

“For me to find a way to win matches, to find a way to bring a little light, a little win for Ukrainian people, is something that I feel I am responsible of. To bring the fight is the least that I can do.”

Draper, seeded 15th, called a halt to the match when trailing 7-5 6-1 against four-time major champion Alcaraz on a hot day in Melbourne.

The 23-year-old left-hander, who came into the tournament with a hip injury, needed treatment off the court after the first set before abandoning the contest when the second quickly slipped away.

He held both hands up to the crowd by way of an apology before going off Rod Laver Arena to a warm ovation.

Draper, who came through three gruelling five-set matches to reach the fourth round, was the only Briton to reach the last 16 of the men’s or women’s singles.

“After how much I have played, I didn’t pull up amazingly well,” said Draper.

Before this Australian Open campaign, he had not played competitively since the end of October.

“I was really, really sore after I played my last match because I have been managing this hip thing,” Draper said.

“I wasn’t expecting to come this far in all honesty. With all the hours I have played, it has been a bit too much on my body.”

Alcaraz, 21, was far from his best during their contest but continues his bid to become the youngest man in the Open era to complete the career Grand Slam.

The reigning back-to-back Wimbledon champion, who also won the 2022 US Open and 2024 French Open, will face Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals.

Serbia’s Djokovic, aiming for a record-extending 11th men’s singles title in Australia, beat Czech Jiri Lehecka 6-3 6-4 7-6 (7-4) later on Sunday.

Draper’s injury a ‘ticking time bomb’

There were understandable doubts about Draper’s condition coming into Sunday’s match, after being taken all the way by Mariano Navone, Thanasi Kokkinakis and Aleksandar Vukic.

Outlasting each opponent had already provided a sense of satisfaction for Draper, given questions had understandably been raised about his durability.

But, considering such a workload after an injury-disrupted off-season, it felt as though beating Alcaraz would be a step too far at Melbourne Park.

Draper planned to “sleep and eat a lot” on Saturday after seeing out victory over Australia’s Vukic at almost 1am local time, and still being on site at close to 2:30am to fulfil his post-match commitments.

He was not listed on Saturday’s practice schedule after those late-night exertions.

His energy-sapping efforts in the early rounds meant playing in the height of the Melbourne heat – with temperatures about 34C – was also not ideal against a player with the athleticism and intensity of Alcaraz.

Draper did not seem to be moving too quickly and was kicking out his left leg early in the first set.

Although he managed to continue after a lengthy medical timeout, he decided at the end of a one-sided second set there was no point in further aggravating the problem.

“It was not ideal to end this way,” said Draper, who explained his tournament preparations began only 10 days before his opening match.

“From the third game, I felt I had multiple areas that were really in pain – especially the hip.”

Asked if he considered not playing at all, he added: “We were managing it. I didn’t feel amazing before my last match, but obviously got out there and it felt OK.

“Maybe it’s a little bit of a ticking time bomb, considering I had no preparation and no work for my body.”

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: Carlos Alcaraz wrote a message to Jack Draper on a TV camera after the Briton’s retirement

Alcaraz still not quite a ‘servebot’

Landing the Australian Open title this year would mean Alcaraz beats a record set by his idol Rafael Nadal, who was 24 in 2010 when he became the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam.

To help him do that, and take his level to newer heights, the young Spaniard has remodelled his serve.

After hitting 14 aces in his second-round match, Alcaraz joked he had become a “servebot” – a player who crushes opponents with the strength of their opening shot.

Against Draper, it was clear his serve is still a work in progress.

Alcaraz’s first-serve percentage was well down at 40% after five games, and two double faults in the fifth game helped Draper hold two break points which the Briton could not take.

That felt pivotal as Draper’s serve buckled in the sixth game under the severe pressure he was also facing.

But any thoughts Alcaraz would race away with the set proved unfounded.

More double faults and a flurry of unforced errors indicated Alcaraz’s tension, allowing Draper to break back in the ninth game and hold more confidently to level the set.

Alcaraz relieved his tension with a visceral “vamos” when he held for 6-5 and he then pounced to take the opening set.

Knowing his opponent’s physical issues, Alcaraz raised the aggression of his groundstrokes to move a break ahead at 3-0 in the second set before clinically seeing it out, prompting Draper to call time on their encounter.

“It is not the way which I want to win,” said Alcaraz.

“I’m happy to play another quarter-final here in Australia, but I am sad for Jack – he doesn’t deserve to be injured.

“I wish him a speedy recovery.”

The American, 20, wrote “RIP TikTok USA” and drew a broken heart on a camera lens shortly after her win over Belinda Bencic in the Australian Open fourth round.

The social media platform has gone offline for American users, hours before a new law banning the platform was due to come into effect.

It has been banned in the US over concerns about its links to the Chinese government.

Speaking after her 5-7 6-2 6-1 win over Switzerland’s Bencic in Melbourne, third seed Gauff said: “Hopefully it comes back. It’s really sad. I love TikTok.”

“It’s like an escape. I honestly do that before matches.

“I guess it’ll force me to read books more, be more of a productive human probably. Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise.”

Gauff, who will face Spanish 11th seed Paula Badosa in the quarter-finals, has more than 750,000 followers on TikTok.

Because she was in Melbourne, she wondered if the ban would still apply.

“I honestly thought I’d be able to get away with it,” added Gauff.

“I guess it’s something to do with my number. I don’t know. I have to do some research.”

US President-elect Donald Trump had said he would “most likely” give TikTok a 90-day reprieve from the ban after taking office on Monday.

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: Gauff wrote on a TV camera following her win over Bencic

Defending champion and top seed Aryna Sabalenka, who has more than 500,000 followers on the platform, is also hoping the ban is lifted.

The Belarusian, who beat Russia’s Mirra Andreeva to reach the last eight, recreated one of her viral dance videos with fans on Rod Laver Arena after her first-round victory a week ago.

“This isn’t something we can control and I hope they’re going to figure it out because I love TikTok,” she said.

Sabalenka is set to face another Russian in Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the quarter-finals after the 27th seed beat Croatia’s 18th seed Donna Vekic.

Djokovic continued his bid for a record 25th Grand Slam title with a 6-3 6-4 7-6 (7-4) win against the Czech 24th seed.

He will face Alcaraz in the last eight after the Spaniard progressed when British number one Jack Draper retired with a hip injury earlier on Sunday.

Alcaraz has beaten Djokovic in the past two Wimbledon finals, but the Serb got the better of the 21-year-old to win gold at the Paris Olympics last summer – Djokovic’s self-proclaimed “biggest sporting achievement”.

Djokovic was booed by the crowd as Lehecka threatened to force a fourth set, and the 11-time Australian Open champion was quick to leave Rod Laver Arena after his victory.

“Thank you very much for being here tonight. I appreciate your support and I will see you in the next round,” the 37-year-old said.

Speaking in a news conference afterwards, Djokovic clarified his reasons for swerving the usual on-court interview with four-time major winner Jim Courier.

He referred to the actions of Channel 9 newsreader Tony Jones, who shouted “Novak, he’s overrated, Novak’s a has-been, Novak kick him out” towards Djokovic fans while live on camera on Friday.

“A couple days ago the famous sports journalist who works for official broadcaster Channel 9 here in Australia made a mockery of Serbian fans and also made insulting and offensive comments towards me,” Djokovic said.

“And since then, he chose not to issue any public apology. Neither did Channel 9.

“So since they’re official broadcasters, I chose not to give interviews for Channel 9. I have nothing against Jim Courier or the Australian public.

“It was a very awkward situation for me.”

During his third-round win over Tomas Machac, Djokovic appeared exhausted at times and needed a medical timeout.

He looked fresher against Machac’s compatriot, taking control of the opening two sets and stopping Lehecka from earning a break point for more than an hour and 40 minutes.

When Lehecka broke back at the start of the third, an agitated Djokovic shouted towards his team – which includes his former rival Andy Murray – before complaining about noise from the stands while he was trying to serve.

But the seventh seed used the crowd to his advantage in the tie-break, conducting them after hitting a sublime backhand pass and cupping his ear after a deft volley brought up two match points.

“When you are feeling adversity the last couple matches, I think I handled it well,” Djokovic told Eurosport.

“Only people who have been there at the highest level understand what you have to deal with. There is a lot on the plate and you have to weather the storm when you are feeling challenged.”

Elsewhere, second seed Alexander Zverev overcame a mid-match blip to move into the last eight with a 6-1 2-6 6-3 6-2 victory over France’s Ugo Humbert.

Zverev, a runner-up at last year’s Roland Garros and the 2020 US Open, has now reached the quarter-final of a Grand Slam on 14 occasions but he has yet to lift a maiden major trophy.

The German will face American 12th seed Tommy Paul, who needed just 87 minutes to wrap up a confident 6-1 6-1 6-1 win against Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

Sixth seed Rybakina, runner-up at Melbourne Park two years ago, beat Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska 6-3 6-4 but needed a medical timeout after just three games.

The 25-year-old Kazakh was visibly struggling to move and needed seven match points to close out victory.

Asked afterwards if her back was OK, Rybakina replied: “Not really. I will see my physio and hopefully he does some magic.

“It’s not so good since it’s [my] lower back. Hopefully we can do everything possible.

“But for now it doesn’t seem too good, to be honest.”

Former Wimbledon champion Rybakina had a number of injury problems in 2024, struggling at various points with fatigue, illness and a back issue.

Against Yastremska, Rybakina tried to shorten the rallies and hit winners in an attempt to speed up the match – helped in part by 37 unforced errors from her opponent.

“I needed to stay there and try to hold my serve,” Rybakina said.

“I knew that it would be very difficult for me to stay long in the rally so I was trying sometimes risk a little bit more.”

Rybakina will face either Danielle Collins or Madison Keys, who play later on Saturday, in the fourth round on Monday.

‘I love tennis so much I gotta play three sets’

American eighth seed Emma Navarro joked she “can’t resist” going the distance in her matches after winning her third consecutive three-set encounter at Melbourne Park.

The 23-year-old beat former Wimbledon and US Open finalist Ons Jabeur 6-4 3-6 6-4 to reach the fourth round.

Since the start of 2024, Navarro has played 32 matches that have gone the full three sets, winning 23 of them.

“I love three sets. I love tennis so much I can’t resist, I gotta play three sets,” Navarro said.

Navarro is the daughter of billionaire businessman Ben Navarro, founder of the Sherman Financial Group, and credited her dad for her stamina, saying he would take her and her siblings on six-hour bike rides as youngsters.

“We made up a term: biking and crying,” Navarro said.

“I learned a lot of toughness growing up. A lot of thanks goes to him.”

Navarro will play Russian ninth seed Daria Kasatkina, who beat Kazakh Yulia Putintseva 7-5 6-1, next.

Britain’s Raducanu was thrashed 6-1 6-0 in a chastening afternoon on Rod Laver Arena.

The world number 61 lost serve five times as Swiatek took just 70 minutes to secure victory.

It is the second time Raducanu has won just one game in a match, having lost 6-0 6-1 to Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina in Sydney three years ago.

“She played very well, but I also think I didn’t play very well. It’s just not a great combination,” Raducanu, 22, said.

Five-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek has never gone past the Melbourne semi-finals but her level against Raducanu sent another warning to her title rivals.

The 23-year-old Pole has not dropped a set or even a service game in her first three rounds in Melbourne.

“If a top player is playing perfect, it’s already going to be a difficult match,” Raducanu added.

Gulf between Raducanu and Swiatek clear

While Raducanu and Swiatek both won Grand Slam titles as teenagers, their careers have followed very different paths since.

Raducanu famously won the 2021 US Open title as an 18-year-old qualifier but struggled with the spotlight on her afterwards.

The rigours of playing full-time on the WTA Tour also took its toll.

A series of injuries culminated in wrist and ankle surgeries in 2023, with Raducanu still finding her way back after dropping out of the world’s top 300.

Swiatek, however, continued to thrive after winning the 2020 French Open.

She has become dominant at Roland Garros, having won the title there for the past three years, and also claimed the US Open trophy in 2022.

Swiatek has won all four of her meetings with Raducanu – and the gulf between the pair is stark.

Raducanu was unable to cope with Swiatek’s top spin-heavy groundstrokes and athleticism, making a host of errors from the baseline as the pressure told on her backhand in particular.

Losing serve early was a fatal blow against a superb front-runner like Swiatek, who went on to secure the 78th ‘bagel’ of her tour-level career.

“The scoreline was obviously quite harsh,” said Raducanu.

“I’m very clear on what happened out there. If I’m not necessarily able to hold my service games or dictate, I feel like it seeps into the rest of my game.

“On my second serves, how the point is structured from then on, and in the return games, you feel a lot more pressure.

“That was probably a big aspect today.”

Positives for Raducanu after back issue

While this defeat will sting, Raducanu will try to take the positives from a career-best run at Melbourne Park.

The English player’s preparations for the first Grand Slam of the season were hampered by a back injury, and she arrived in Melbourne having not played since November.

Despite hitting 15 double faults as her serve developed a “mind of its own”, Raducanu showed heart to beat Russian 26th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in the first round.

Her second-round match against Amanda Anisimova of the United States was even more of a scrap, with Raducanu “pushing past the pain” to come from behind in both sets and win.

Raducanu seemed to be moving fine against Swiatek but she grew increasingly subdued as the match ran away from her.

“There are no excuses with the back or physically,” said Raducanu, who only began hitting again three weeks ago.

“Given the preparation we had, we have to be grateful to be in this position.”

Draper, seeded 15th, won 6-4 2-6 5-7 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (10-8) against home hope Aleksandar Vukic in another late-night thriller.

The British number one had already quelled a partisan Australian crowd with a comeback win over Thanasi Kokkinakis on Wednesday – and showed more of his monster mentality two days later.

Draper, 23, led by a break in the decider before Vukic – who belied his ranking of 86th in the world – refused to wilt and forced a match tie-break.

A throaty roar from Draper signalled his delight – and relief – at coming through in almost four hours just before 1am local time.

“I’m very, very proud of my efforts from the physical part of things,” said Draper, a 2024 US Open semi-finalist who is playing his first tournament of the season after a hip injury.

“I’m obviously not feeling incredibly fresh right now, but I’ll recover again. I’ll do my best to go again for another one.”

Draper, who is the only Briton left in the men’s singles, will look to end 21-year-old third seed Alcaraz’s bid to complete a career Grand Slam on Sunday.

Draper’s childhood rival Jacob Fearnley, who has enjoyed a meteoric rise since turning professional in April, was beaten by German second seed Alexander Zverev earlier on Friday.

Emma Raducanu is the only Briton left in the women’s singles and plays second seed Iga Swiatek on Saturday at 00:30 GMT.

The Spaniard overcame Portugal’s Nuno Borges 6-2 6-4 6-7 (3-7) 6-2 to progress to the fourth round, where he could meet British number one Jack Draper.

The 21-year-old is bidding to become the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam.

“I will get a kangaroo [tattoo] for sure, that’s my idea. The only thing missing is to lift the trophy here but it’s definitely the plan if it happens,” he said.

Alcaraz already has tattoos of the date of his 2022 US Open win, the Eiffel Tower to represent his 2024 French Open triumph and a strawberry to represent his two Wimbledon titles.

The third seed has never made it past the quarter-final stage in Melbourne but looked in fine tune on Friday as he showcased his signature energetic and dynamic tennis.

“I’m really happy to play here again. I tried to show my best tennis on a beautiful court and the last time I played here I lost so I wanted to play here and win,” he said.

“It’s a privilege to feel this love. I try to play different tennis, show the shots that I enjoy doing and show my good tennis and try to entertain the people as well and make them happy.”

Image source: Rex Features

Image caption: Alcaraz has the date of his 2022 US Open win tattooed on his arm

Image source: Rex Features

Image caption: Alcaraz has a tattoo of a strawberry with the date of his first Wimbledon win above his ankle​​​​​​​

Alcaraz cruised through the opening two sets against Borges without facing a break point, having suggested he was pleased with his serving in his previous match by writing ‘am I a servebot?’ on the camera lens after his win.

Alcaraz will perhaps be frustrated to see he won 57% of his second-serve points compared to 71% on Wednesday but he will also be paying attention to his unforced error count.

He made 50 in the match – nine more than his opponent – and, for the most part, they did not have much bearing on the score but a series of them in the second set ultimately led to world number 33 Borges securing at least a tie-break.

Alcaraz struggled to find his groove in the tie-break and again errors proved costly as he conceded the third set.

But his impassioned style and showmanship came through again in the fourth set with a dominant showing which put paid to any hope of a Borges comeback with some moments of brilliance.

His movement on court never fails to impress and his varied shot selection often has the crowd on their feet, with an incredible no-look winner to break Borges’ serve in the fourth the highlight.

Japan’s Osaka was playing in the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time since returning from maternity leave last year.

The four-time major winner stormed to a 4-1 lead in the first set before appearing to struggle with an abdominal injury, calling for the physio at 6-5.

Osaka continued to suffer as Bencic dominated the tie-break and the 27-year-old decided to call it a day before the start of the second set.

“I really feel for Naomi. I saw her struggling a bit in the end of the set. It’s not the way you want the match to end,” former Olympic champion Bencic said.

Osaka gave birth to daughter Shai in July 2023 and returned to the WTA Tour six months later.

She lost in the first round on her Slam return at the Australian Open last year, before exiting in the second round at Roland Garros, Wimbledon and Flushing Meadows.

However, Osaka had impressed at Melbourne Park this week, beating France’s Caroline Garcia in three sets in her opening match before overcoming 20th seed Karolina Muchova in just under two hours.

In the build-up to the Australian Open, she had retired from the final of the Auckland Classic – her first WTA Final for three years – with an abdominal injury.

Switzerland’s Bencic, who is playing her first major since giving birth to daughter Bella in April 2024, will face third seed Coco Gauff or Canada’s Leylah Fernandez next.

Sabalenka ‘pushes to the limit’ to progress

Image source: EPA

Image caption: Sabalenka is aiming to become just the seventh player to claim a third straight Australian Open women’s singles title, and the first since Martina Hingis in 1999

Earlier on Friday, top seed Aryna Sabalenka continued her bid for a third consecutive Australian Open title with victory over Denmark’s Clara Tauson.

The 26-year-old Belarusian was made to work for her 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 win on Rod Laver Arena but secured victory in two hours and six minutes to progress to the fourth round.

There were 11 breaks of serve in a match of rapidly shifting momentum at Melbourne Park.

“That was a great battle,” said Sabalenka.

“She played unbelievable tennis. It was really tough to play against her today.

“I’m just super happy that I was able to just stay in the game and I was able to push myself, honestly, to the limit to get this win.”

Eight of the 11 breaks of serve came in the first set as both players grappled for momentum, Tauson earning the first service hold of the match in the eighth game.

After Sabalenka broke back for a fourth time, Tauson, 22, saved four set points to force a tie-break but the world number one eventually took her chance at the fifth opportunity to seal the opening set with a thunderous forehand.

The second set followed a similar pattern as Sabalenka struggled to find a first serve but she eventually broke in the ninth game, the longest of the match which featured seven deuces, then served for the win to secure a 17th consecutive victory in Melbourne.

Despite three tough matches, Sabalenka progresses to the second week at Melbourne Park having not dropped a set and with a 30th victory in 31 matches in hard-court Slams since the start of 2023.

Sabalenka will face Poland’s Magdalena Frech or 17-year-old 14th seed Mirra Andreeva in the next round.

The 23-year-old Briton, playing in his first overseas Grand Slam tournament, lost 6-3 6-4 6-4 in Melbourne.

Fearnley, ranked 92nd, earned direct entry into the first major of season on the back of a meteoric rise in 2024.

After beating an injured Nick Kyrgios in a rowdy first-round atmosphere, he set up the clash against Zverev with another impressive win over France’s Arthur Cazaux.

While the Scot held his own for most of the contest, Zverev’s greater consistency was enough to see him through to the fourth round.

“I don’t have any regrets with how I played the match,” said Fearnley.

“It’s been an awesome experience. Obviously an extremely good week for me. An unbelievable tournament.”

Fearnley’s defeat leaves his childhood rival Jack Draper as the only Briton left in the men’s singles draw.

Draper, seeded 15th, plays Australia’s Aleksandar Vukic at about 21:00 local time (10:00 GMT) on Friday.

Testing Zverev demonstrates Fearnley’s ‘cool’ progression

Twelve months ago, Fearnley was still a university student in the United States and playing tournaments on the third-tier ITF Tour.

While all eyes were on the stars at Melbourne Park, he was celebrating winning an M25 title in Luxembourg.

“It’s really cool to see the progression and to be where I am now,” said Fearnley.

Now, having climbed into the world’s top 100 in one of fastest rises on the ATP Tour, Fearnley is on an equal footing with the very best.

Causing a seismic shock would have seen Fearnley become only the seventh man to reach the Melbourne last 16 on his debut.

“I thought I played some good tennis. I don’t think there was too much in it, just a few points here and there,” said Fearnley.

“That’s what those top guys do so well. They keep composed and their base level just stays the same throughout the whole match.

“Mine went quite up and down, which I think is what cost me the match.”

Fearnley falls short in decisive moments

Two-time Grand Slam finalist Zverev is one of the biggest servers in the game and it was little surprise that Fearnley, despite being a sharp returner, could not initially get into his opponent’s service games.

There was little difference between the pair in a tight first set and Fearnley losing his serve to love in the sixth game was decisive.

A worrying sign was Fearnley gingerly moving between points towards the end of the set with what looked to be a lower back issue.

After Zverev secured the lead, Fearnley disappeared off court for a medical time-out and he returned looking more at ease.

Zverev, who reached the Melbourne semi-finals in 2021 and 2024, had not dropped serve in his opening wins over France’s Lucas Pouille and Spain’s Pedro Martinez.

Fearnley superbly took his serve once in each set – both as Zverev looked to consolidate breaking the Scot – but lapses of concentration saw him immediately lose serve again.

Zverev, 27, closed each set confidently to set up a last-16 meeting with one of two Frenchman, either 14th seed Ugo Humbert or 20th seed Arthur Fils.

“Jacob is an incredible player, he went through all the stages – going to university, playing Futures, Challengers – and now he is playing on the big stage,” said Zverev.

“I have massive respect for him. He will get better over the next few years.”

The 10th seed cupped her left hand to her ear and blew kisses to the crowd, who booed as she wrapped up a 7-6 4-6 6-2 win over Australian home hope Aiava to reach the third round.

Collins, 31, said she “loved” the hostile atmosphere at Kia Arena and said it motivated her against the world number 195.

“One of the greatest things about being a professional athlete is that the people that don’t like you and the people that hate you, they actually pay your bills,” Collins said.

“My professional career is not going to last forever so I just remind myself every day when I have that kind of stuff [negative crowd reactions] they’re paying my bills.

“Every person that has bought a ticket to come out here and heckle me or do what they do, it’s all going towards the Danielle Collins fund.”‘

Collins said the 290,000 Australian dollars (£147,500) that she will receive for reaching the third round at Melbourne Park would be used on a “five-star trip”.

“Me and my group of girlfriends, we love a five-star vacation so I can guarantee that cheque is going to go towards our next five-star trip – hopefully to the Bahamas,” said Collins, who will face compatriot Madison Keys next.

“We like boats, we like big boats, we like yachts, so we’ll post about it and let you guys know how it goes.”

Collins returned to tennis at the start of 2025 after previously announcing she would retire at the end of the 2024 season.

She continues to deal with endometriosis, which can affect fertility, and told BBC Sport in May that starting a family was “one of her biggest goals outside of tennis”.

Sinner, who claimed his first major title in Melbourne last year, had not dropped a set since October’s Shanghai Masters.

But Australian Schoolkate thrilled a partisan crowd on Rod Laver Arena when he struck at 5-4 to win the opener and end Sinner’s 29-set winning streak.

However, the wildcard could not keep pace with the top seed as Sinner sped through the gears to grab a 4-6 6-4 6-1 6-3 victory and a place in the third round.

The 23-year-old is the youngest player to win nine successive men’s singles matches at the Australian Open since Novak Djokovic between 2008 and 2009.

Asked how this year felt different to his title-winning run, Sinner said: “It’s a different feeling but so many beautiful moments, on and off the court, have happened to me here. It’s different but I take it as a chance to do it again.

“It’s still a very, very long way to go. We go day by day. Seeing my level today we know that I can improve.”

Sinner is competing at the Australian Open for the first time since he failed two doping tests in March.

His doping case will be heard at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) in April after the World Anti-Doping Agency appealed appealed against the decision to clear him.

Schoolkate arrived at this year’s tournament with just two Grand Slam match wins under his belt, but he made Sinner look far from his best in the first set.

The two-time major winner struggled to deal with Schoolkate’s aggressive play at the net, with the home favourite winning 17 of his 18 net points in clinching the opener.

Sinner had to wait for 80 minutes to bring up his first break point opportunity, but he took it with both hands and it was plain sailing from there for the defending champion, who will face American Marcos Giron in the third round on Saturday.

Elsewhere on Thursday, there were upsets for Frances Tiafoe and Hubert Hurkacz.

Tiafoe, the American 17th seed, fell to a 6-7 (3-7) 6-4 3-6 6-4 6-1 defeat by Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan, ranked 59th, while world number 51 Miomir Kecmanovic moved past 18th seed Hurkacz with a 6-4 6-4 6-2 victory.

Joao Fonseca’s impressive Grand Slam debut came to an end as the Brazilian teenage sensation lost in five sets to Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego.

The 18-year-old, who Carlos Alcaraz said would be on a “list of the best players in the world”, stunned ninth seed Andrey Rublev in the first round but he lost 6-7 (6-8) 6-3 6-1 3-6 6-3 to world number 55 Sonego.

Australian home favourite Alex de Minaur claimed a straight-set win over American qualifier Tristan Boyer, while fourth seed Taylor Fritz needed just 82 minutes to beat Chilean qualifier Cristian Garin, dropping just three games during an impressive showing.

Danish 13th seed Holger Rune battled past Italy’s Matteo Berrettini with a 7-6 (7-3) 2-6 6-3 7-6 (8-6) victory.

The Tunisian later said she had an asthma flare-up but recovered to beat Colombian Camila Osorio 7-5 6-3 at Melbourne Park.

Jabeur, a three-time Grand Slam finalist, appeared to be coughing and tapping her chest before leaving the court for medical attention after just three games.

“Very, very tough to breathe. When I was younger, I was diagnosed with asthma,” she said.

“I tried to use the inhaler, and it didn’t really help. So I was with the doctor, and let’s see. We’re going to do some more tests and see what’s going on.

“I had to not play long rallies. Not the best opponent when you are in this condition, but I apologised at the end of the match because I really don’t want to behave like this on the court.”

She added that it would’ve been “very difficult to continue” if she had lost the opening set.

Jabeur, 30, has dropped down to 39th in the world rankings after injury problems last year prevented her from competing at the US Open and Paris Olympics.

She ended her 2024 season in September, returning to action at the beginning of this year and suggested the long spell away had caused her asthma problems to resurface.

“Having taken off a lot [of time] didn’t help. I think it provoked it even more,” she said.

“I think I will have to find a way to feel better the next two days, which I am hoping to do because this started kind of two days or three days ago. I feel like it got worse for some reason.”

Jabeur will face American eighth seed Emma Navarro, who beat China’s Wang Xiyu 6-3 3-6 6-4, in the next round.

“I’m really just taking it one minute at a time and see how it’s going to go, but definitely I’m doing everything that I can to be ready,” said Jabeur.

“I don’t want to be greedy just after coming back from an injury. Sometimes I get angry because I feel like I’m getting back there, but every time something happens.”

Meanwhile, 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina beat 17-year-old American wildcard Iva Jovic 6-0 6-3 to seal her 50th Grand Slam match win.

Jovic was the youngest woman in the second round of the draw but struggled against 2023 Australian Open finalist Rybakina, who is ranked 184 places above Jovic.

The Kazakh will face Ukrainian 32nd seed Dayana Yastremska, who reached the semi-finals last year as a qualifier, in the third round.

The 22-year-old Briton won 6-3 7-5 after fighting back from breaks down in each set.

Raducanu, ranked 61st in the world, will face Polish second seed Iga Swiatek next.

The 2021 US Open champion’s preparations for the opening Grand Slam of the season were hampered by a back injury and she needed treatment twice during the second-round match.

But she managed to find a way to beat Anisimova – a friend who is ranked 35th – in a tussle where there were 13 breaks of serve.

“To make it past the second round means a lot to me,” said Raducanu.

“I was able to push past some pain.”

After the match, Raducanu said she was on good terms with Andy Murray after her Wimbledon mixed doubles withdrawal before his retirement last year.

She will play five-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek in the last 32 on Saturday.

Swiatek, who has never gone past the Melbourne semi-finals, thrashed Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova 6-0 6-1 in an hour.

How Raducanu battled through injury to beat Anisimova

Having pulled out of her season-opening event in Auckland after suffering a back spasm, Raducanu had not played since mid-November before her first-round win over Ekaterina Alexandrova.

Raducanu struggled with her second serve against the Russian 26nd seed, hitting 15 double faults which she put down to a remodelled serve and early tournament nerves.

Another on her first service point against Anisimova was not an encouraging start.

Although she quickly stemmed the flow, Raducanu’s serve was regularly punished by the American’s explosive hitting.

But Anisimova – who reached the French Open semi-finals as a 17-year-old in 2019 and is re-establishing herself after taking a mental health break from the sport in 2023 – also had issues with her serve and handed over the opening set with a double fault.

At the start of the second set, there were further signs of Raducanu’s back issue having an effect.

Afterwards, Raducanu said she had not “fully investigated” whether it was related to the back spasm.

“When you haven’t played a match in so long, then to have two really physical ones, I think small niggles are going to come up here and there,” she added.

“I’m just hoping that it is that.”

After stretching out the area between points, three double faults handed over another break and Raducanu called the trainer when she lost serve again for 3-0.

The physiological, and perhaps psychological, boost helped her immediately.

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: Raducanu and Anisimova, who are a similar age and share a love of art, have become friends in recent years

Raducanu clawed both breaks back to level when she returned, before more treatment between the exchange of another two breaks for 4-4.

Anisimova is a crisp ball-striker but can be erratic, and Raducanu’s resistance from the baseline swung a delicately balanced ninth game her way from 30-30.

Raducanu saved a break point in the 11th game, set up match point in the next with a wonderful crosscourt forehand winner and clinched victory when Anisimova sliced a backhand wide.

“I had to fight hard and not go away even when the chips were down,” said Raducanu.

With a day between her matches, Raducanu plans to “take it easy” on Friday.

“I’ll probably have a light hit. Nothing crazy,” she said.

Raducanu feared ‘bad blood’ with Murray

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: Raducanu withdrew from her mixed doubles match with Murray at Wimbledon

Fellow Briton Murray was denied a final match at the All England Club last summer when Raducanu pulled out of their first-round mixed doubles match, citing soreness in her wrist.

Murray was known to be disappointed so Raducanu was particularly happy to be congratulated by him after beating Anisimova.

“Afterwards I sent him a long message basically apologising if I caused any trouble, I guess, at Wimbledon, that’s definitely the last thing I want,” she told the PA news agency.

“He’s someone that I’ve grown up looking up to and I don’t want any bad blood or harsh feelings with him.

“I sent him a long message and he took it really well and responded saying he was disappointed but he understood.

“We’re fine now. We walk past each other and say, ‘hello’, ‘well done’. It’s obviously really cool seeing him with Novak (Djokovic) here as well.”

Two-time Australian Open champion Osaka lost to the Czech in straight sets at last year’s US Open but came back from a set down in Melbourne to win 1-6 6-1 6-3.

It is the first time Osaka has reached a Grand Slam third round since returning from maternity leave last year.

“She crushed me at the US Open when I had my best outfit ever. I was so mad,” Japan’s Osaka joked to the crowd.

“This was my little revenge. It’s not a bad thing, guys – revenge is competitive. She’s one of the toughest opponents out there.”

Osaka, 27, gave birth to daughter Shai in July 2023 and returned to the WTA Tour six months later.

The four-time major winner lost in the first round on her Slam return at the Australian Open last year, before exiting in the second round at Roland Garros, Wimbledon and Flushing Meadows.

But the former world number one is off to an impressive start in 2025, beating France’s Caroline Garcia in three sets in her opening match before overcoming 20th seed Muchova in just under two hours.

“Honestly, it took everything,” Osaka said of her comeback victory on Wednesday.

“I felt like I left everything I had on the court. Just to be back on these courts… it really makes my whole year.”

Osaka will play Belinda Bencic in the next round, with the Swiss herself playing her first Grand Slam since giving birth to daughter Bella in April 2024.

A third straight victory would send Osaka into the fourth round at a major for the first time since she won the Australian Open in 2021.

The 37-year-old was made to work in his 430th Grand Slam singles match but he emerged triumphant, beating qualifier Jaime Faria 6-1 6-7 (4-7) 6-3 6-2.

The win gives Djokovic sole ownership of the all-time record for most Grand Slam singles matches played among men and women, and takes him past former rival Federer, who played his last major match at Wimbledon in 2021.

“I love this sport. I love competition,” Djokovic said when asked about the milestone.

“I try to give my best every single time. It’s been over 20 years that I’ve been competing in Grand Slams at the highest level.

“Whether I win or lose, I will always leave my heart out on the court. I’m just blessed to be making another record.”

The victory also meant the Serb became the first man over the age of 30 to reach 150 Grand Slam singles wins.

Djokovic can make further history still in Melbourne – win the title and he would claim a 25th major, moving him clear of Australia’s Margaret Court as the sole leader of all-time Grand Slam singles titles.

The seventh seed, who has three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray in his coaching box, will face Czech 26th seed Tomas Machac in the third round.

The British number two, whose preparations were disrupted by a back injury, won 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-2) against Russian 26th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova.

While hitting well from the baseline, Raducanu was hampered by double faults and lost serve six times.

The 2021 US Open champion hit 15 double faults, including a particularly deflating one on break point when she looked to close out a straight-set victory from a 5-4 30-0 lead.

However, the way she regrouped and dominated another tie-break to get over the line was impressive.

The 22-year-old had a sheepish grin as she walked to the net and said afterwards: “I think my serve had a mind of its own.”

World number 61 Raducanu will face another higher-ranked player next in Amanda Anisimova.

The 23-year-old American, who is ranked 35th having returned from a nine-month mental health break in 2023, beat Argentina’s Maria Lourdes Carle 6-2 6-3 to set up Thursday’s match.

Why Raducanu had second serve wobbles

Raducanu insisted she was “ready to go” in Melbourne after recovering from the back spasm – suffered when she bent down to tie a shoelace – that ruled her out of a season-opening event in Auckland.

Playing her first match since November, it was never likely to be plain-sailing for Raducanu on her Grand Slam return against a seeded player.

Most of the problems were caused by her second serve.

At the BJK Cup in Malaga, Raducanu spoke about tweaking her service motion and elongating the takeback in a search for extra power.

In Malaga, it produced plenty of aces – but that was countered by double faults. A similar pattern followed in Melbourne.

“The amount of double faults is uncomfortable, for sure,” Raducanu said.

“But it is something I had to accept. I’m working on my serve and part of it came with first-round nerves.”

‘Clutch’ tie-breaks see Raducanu through

Raducanu led 3-1 with a break in the first set, but her sixth double fault to send it back on serve drew groans from her many supporters at Melbourne Park.

Worse was to follow.

Raducanu hit three more double faults in a poor ninth game, allowing Alexandrova to move ahead for the first time in the match at 5-4.

But the Russian could not serve out and paid the price as Raducanu played a superb first tie-break.

Raducanu appeared to have settled down in the second set, moving an early break up and confidently holding for a 3-2 lead.

Then the double faults reappeared.

Three more in the sixth game heaped on the pressure, but Raducanu scrambled to save two break points before Alexandrova did take her serve for 4-4.

After failing to serve out at 5-4, Raducanu saved a set point in the 12th game with a first serve which Alexandrova – an aggressive ball-striker who cut a demonstrative figure – whacked a backhand long.

Raducanu again dominated the tie-break, racing 6-0 ahead and clinched victory on her third match point – after hitting a double fault on the first.

“That was the cherry on the top,” Raducanu laughed.

On stepping up in the tie-breaks, she added: “I think that is one of my strengths.

“When it gets to those clutch moments, I relish playing in that.”

The Serb beat 19-year-old American Nishesh Basavareddy 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-2.

Djokovic, 37, has enlisted the help of his former long-term rival as he pursues a record-extending 11th Australian Open title, as well as a 25th major which would put him clear of Australia’s Margaret Court in terms of all-time victories.

“I’m thrilled to have him in my corner,” said Djokovic, who will face Portugal’s Jaime Faria in the second round at Melbourne Park.

“I must say that it’s a bit strange to have him courtside in my box. We played for over 20 years against each other at the highest level, so it’s nice to have him on my side of the net.”

Murray, often found berating his own coaching box and shouting at himself on court as a player, cut a composed figure in Djokovic’s box on Rod Laver.

All eyes were on the coaching pod – a new innovation at the Australian Open which allows players to have coaching staff courtside – where Murray sat with three other members of Djokovic’s team, offering gentle encouragement as the 24-time Grand Slam champion navigated losing the first set and applauding points won in key moments.

“He gave me some great advice during the match,” said Djokovic. “It’s really nice to be able to exchange some feedback. It’s been a really nice experience, hopefully we don’t stop here.”

Djokovic, seeded seventh in Melbourne, struggled to find his rhythm in the first set against Basavareddy, making uncharacteristic errors in crucial moments.

The last time Djokovic lost in the first round of a Grand Slam was against Paul Goldstein at the 2006 Australian Open, just a few months after Basavareddy was born.

In a curious full-circle moment, Goldstein went on to become Basavareddy’s head coach at Stanford University.

The teenager idolises Djokovic and was impressive as he showed no signs of nervousness as he battled his way to a break of serve and took the opening set.

But as the second set wore on Basavareddy started to cramp and fatigue set in as Djokovic reduced the error count and romped to the second and third sets.

Djokovic and Murray had a lengthy chat before the start of the fourth with the latter appearing to offer advice on Djokovic’s backhand and he cruised through the fourth set to take victory.

Djokovic can be ‘greatest athlete of all time’

Murray, who is just seven days older than Djokovic, called time on his own playing career in August last year at the Paris Olympics.

He spent the following months at home with his wife and children as well as honing his skills on the golf course when he got the phone call from Djokovic asking him to join his coaching team.

It was announced in November that the surprise partnership would be in full effect at the Australian Open as Djokovic searches for the extra edge on his pursuit of history.

“Novak has in the last few years cemented himself as the best tennis player of all time, certainly of his generation, with the records that he’s achieved,” said Murray.

“These next couple of years, I think he maybe already has a legitimate claim to be the best athlete of all time.

“But I think, if he can go out as a 38, 39-year-old and win more slams and beat [Carlos] Alcaraz and [Jannik] Sinner in big matches, he’s got a claim to be the best athlete of all time and I think that’s exciting for me and his team to be part of that.”

Matches at the season-opening Grand Slam tournament started as scheduled at 11:00 local time (00:00 GMT) on Sunday.

But players on the outer courts were forced off about an hour later.

Play resumed at Melbourne Park at about 1800 local time (0700 GMT) but five matches were cancelled.

The wet weather meant only the matches scheduled on Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena and John Cain Arena – all of which have a roof – could be played.

Three matches had been completed by 15:00 (04:00 GMT).

Chinese fifth seed Zheng Qinwen, last year’s beaten finalist, and teenage Russian 14th seed Mirra Andreeva won in the women’s singles.

French 20th seed Arthur Fils secured victory in the men’s first round.

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: Fans got soaked when they arrived at the Australian Open on Sunday

Image source: BBC Sport

Image caption: The heavy rain made visibility poor in Melbourne

Image source: BBC Sport

Image caption: The wet court where Britain’s Sonay Kartal is due to play her first-round match

Local reporters unsuccessfully demanded further explanation as the 37-year-old Serb walked out of a pre-Australian Open news conference which ended in bizarre fashion.

Djokovic, a record 10-time men’s champion at Melbourne Park, was deported from the Australian city in 2022 after arriving without a vaccination against Covid-19.

The deportation came when he failed to overturn a decision from the Australian government to cancel his visa on public health grounds.

In an interview with GQ magazine published on Thursday, Djokovic said he had “some health issues” when he returned to Serbia.

“I realised that in that hotel in Melbourne I was fed with some food that poisoned me,” he added.

“I had a really high level of heavy metal. Heavy metal. I had the lead, very high level of lead and mercury.”

The Australian Border Force has not responded to the accusations.

“For privacy reasons, we cannot comment on individual cases,” the Department of Home Affairs told BBC Sport.

What happened in the news conference?

Djokovic’s news conference on Friday had been wrapped up by a moderator before the player said he would answer another question from an Australian reporter.

She asked Djokovic if he had evidence to support his claim the food he was served while detained in the Park Hotel caused the heavy metal levels.

“I’ve done that interview many months ago,” he replied.

“I would appreciate not talking more in detail about that, as I would like to focus on the tennis and why I’m here.”

Djokovic flew to Australia at the end of December and told Melbourne’s Herald Sun newspaper this week he still feels “trauma” when he arrives in the country.

Shortly before Djokovic was deported in 2022, a newspaper poll found 71% of Australians believed he should be deported but he received a warm welcome when he returned to Melbourne Park in 2023.

On Friday, Australian player Nick Kyrgios said the country “shouldn’t have” deported Djokovic.

What do the food experts say?

One Australian academic, speaking to the Guardian, said Djokovic’s claim was a “wild accusation”.

“It’s possible but very unlikely given how long he was locked up,” said Damian Maganja, research fellow in food policy at the George Institute for Global Health.

“These meals were probably made in mass amounts and there haven’t been other reports as far as I know.”

Djokovic was sent to an immigration hotel where refugees and asylum seekers had long complained of poor conditions.

In December 2022, shortly before Djokovic had arrived at the Park Hotel, detainees had complained about finding maggots in their food.

By the time Djokovic was sent there, the hotel had been certified and licensed by the City of Melbourne local authority as a food service premises. It was subject to auditing and inspection by the city’s Department of Health.

Detainees are said to have had access to a variety of food and beverages, which was deemed nutritious, culturally appropriate and met any specific medical or dietary requirements.

Djokovic has long been known to eat a gluten and dairy-free diet, while following a largely plant-based nutritional regime – which he has regularly cited as a recipe for his success.

Fish and shellfish commonly have higher levels of mercury than other foods, according to the NHS.

Kyrgios, who has been given a wildcard by Australian Open organisers, has not played at a major since the 2022 US Open after a series of injuries.

Jack Draper, seeded 15th, faces Argentina’s Mariano Navone as the British men’s number one looks to back up last year’s US Open semi-final run.

In the women’s draw, British number one and 22nd seed Katie Boulter starts against Canada’s Rebecca Marino, while Emma Raducanu faces 26th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova.

Novak Djokovic, who is being coached by Andy Murray in Melbourne, faces American wildcard Nishesh Basavareddy as he pursues a standalone record of 25 Grand Slam titles.

Defending men’s champion Jannik Sinner opens against Chile’s Nicolas Jarry, while Aryna Sabalenka begins her bid for a third straight women’s title against 2017 US Open winner Sloane Stephens.

The Australian Open begins at Melbourne Park on Sunday.

Fearnley rewarded with exciting Melbourne draw

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: Jacob Fearnley pushed Novak Djokovic to four sets on his Grand Slam debut at Wimbledon last year

Fearnley, 23, has qualified for the main draw of a major for the first time after his meteoric rise into the world’s top 100.

The reward for the British number three is a first-round tie against Kyrgios – presuming the 2022 Wimbledon finalist is fit enough to play.

Kyrgios, 29, recently made his comeback in Brisbane after 18 months out and undergoing wrist surgery, which left him fearing for his career.

On Wednesday, the former world number 13 – who is unranked – said he is now nursing an abdominal injury.

“It’s not too serious. I’ll just take it day by day and give myself the best chance,” Kyrgios said.

Who are the other Brits facing?

Seven British players have direct entry into the main singles draws, although Harriet Dart and Billy Harris were unable to join them after losing their final qualifying matches on Thursday.

Cameron Norrie has been handed a difficult start against Italy’s Matteo Berrettini – a 2022 semi-finalist at Melbourne Park and one of the most dangerous unseeded players in the men’s draw.

Like Fearnley, Sonay Kartal is playing in her first overseas Grand Slam following the best season her career.

The 23-year-old faces Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, with Sabalenka potentially waiting in the second round.

Jodie Burrage, who has used a protected ranking after missing a large chunk of last season through injury, has been pitted against French qualifier Leolia Jeanjean.

Burrage, 25, also has the likelihood of facing a superstar in the second round in third seed Coco Gauff.

Sinner avoids Djokovic and Alcaraz until final

Although the unpredictable nature of a Grand Slam means things do not always pan out as expected, the draw ceremony is always an exciting event that allows fans to plot what may happen.

The leading two seeds are split, meaning they cannot play each other until the final – should they get that far.

Sinner has been drawn in the same half as American fourth seed Taylor Fritz and Russian fifth seed Daniil Medvedev.

It means Sinner cannot play 10-time champion Djokovic or Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, who is aiming to complete the career Grand Slam aged just 21, until the semi-finals.

Despite being at the opposite ends of their careers, Djokovic and Alcaraz have developed an intriguing rivalry which has produced some enthralling encounters.

The pair could meet again in the Melbourne quarter-finals.

In the women’s draw, Sabalenka could face Gauff – who faces 2020 champion Sofia Kenin in a tough all-American first-round opener – in the semi-finals.

Neither Sabalenka or Gauff can face second seed Iga Swiatek, who begins against Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic, until the final.