Australian Open 2026 LIVE updates: Alcaraz wins fans, hearts as he blazes through; Gauff roars back from the brink; Kazakh star shows her dance moves
Australian Open with 4K on Stan Sport.
Every match, live & on demand. Stream now (https://www.stan.com.au/watch/sport/tennis/australian-open?utmsource=smh&utmmedium=in-article-promo&utm_campaign=nine-stan-pathways-australian-open)
Key posts
- Coming up tomorrow: Sinner, Djokovic, Anisimova and more (https://www.smh.com.au/sport/tennis/australian-open-2026-live-updates-demon-takes-on-tiafoe-sabalenka-alcaraz-in-title-quest-medvedev-gauff-zverev-in-action-20260122-p5nw93.html?post=p59tj4#p59tj4)
- Measures in place for Saturday scorcher (https://www.smh.com.au/sport/tennis/australian-open-2026-live-updates-demon-takes-on-tiafoe-sabalenka-alcaraz-in-title-quest-medvedev-gauff-zverev-in-action-20260122-p5nw93.html?post=p59tiw#p59tiw)
- Alcaraz flies out of the blocks (https://www.smh.com.au/sport/tennis/australian-open-2026-live-updates-demon-takes-on-tiafoe-sabalenka-alcaraz-in-title-quest-medvedev-gauff-zverev-in-action-20260122-p5nw93.html?post=p59thv#p59thv)
- Medvedev ties it up (https://www.smh.com.au/sport/tennis/australian-open-2026-live-updates-demon-takes-on-tiafoe-sabalenka-alcaraz-in-title-quest-medvedev-gauff-zverev-in-action-20260122-p5nw93.html?post=p59tht#p59tht)
- Sabalenka made to fight, but gets her win (https://www.smh.com.au/sport/tennis/australian-open-2026-live-updates-demon-takes-on-tiafoe-sabalenka-alcaraz-in-title-quest-medvedev-gauff-zverev-in-action-20260122-p5nw93.html?post=p59tha#p59tha)
- Medvedev loses second set, hopes hanging by a thread (https://www.smh.com.au/sport/tennis/australian-open-2026-live-updates-demon-takes-on-tiafoe-sabalenka-alcaraz-in-title-quest-medvedev-gauff-zverev-in-action-20260122-p5nw93.html?post=p59th3#p59th3)
- Potapova shows her grit (https://www.smh.com.au/sport/tennis/australian-open-2026-live-updates-demon-takes-on-tiafoe-sabalenka-alcaraz-in-title-quest-medvedev-gauff-zverev-in-action-20260122-p5nw93.html?post=p59th0#p59th0)
Sabalenka flexes, Medvedev under pressure (https://www.smh.com.au/sport/tennis/australian-open-2026-live-updates-demon-takes-on-tiafoe-sabalenka-alcaraz-in-title-quest-medvedev-gauff-zverev-in-action-20260122-p5nw93.html?post=p59tgw#p59tgw)
Jovic to serve for the match, Rublev down a set
Jovic is serving for the match with a 6-2, 5-4 lead.
Meanwhile on KIA Arena, Andrey Rublev is down 3-6, 1-1 to Cerundolo from Argentina.
That match could be going for some time.
Of tennis greats and their model partners
By Selma Milovanovic
Sporting champions, model girlfriends - it’s a well-known formula.
In a rumour to trump them all, US model Brooks Nader was linked to both Carlos Alcaraz and arch nemesis Jannik Sinner during the 2025 US Open, while she was promoting her Hulu show, Love Thy Nader.
Her sister let it slip in the US media that Nader was dating a tennis star whose name “rhymes with winner” and later said she was also dating his biggest rival.
Nader herself added fuel to the fire at the time, quipping that “dating is such a loose term”.
Sinner stayed mum about Nader but did confirm in October last year he was dating a model - a different one.
It’s Laila Hasanovic, a Danish model and lifestyle creator of Bosnian origin.
Her former boyfriends include Mick Schumacher, son of F1 legend Michael, and Jonas Wind, Danish national team and Wolfsburg (Bundesliga) footballer.
Hasanovic isn’t at the AO as Sinner breezes through the week one matches, but it’s early days yet.
As for Alcaraz - well, there were no sightings of him with Nader, and as of two months ago, he said he was single in a post-match press conference (https://www.reddit.com/r/tennis/comments/1osqd8f/ajournalistasksalcarazifhessingle_during/?rdt=43406) .
Paolini, Jovic exchange breaks
Teenager Iva Jovic is facing some adversity in her clash with No.7 seed Jasmine Paolini on JCA.
Jovic had the break at 2-1 up but then couldn’t hold her own serve in the next game as the Italian broke back.
But the US teen is fearless and she proceeded to break Paolini’s serve yet again.
If she can hold a serve, she could well be through to the next round.
Jovic leads 6-2, 3-2.
Saturday’s schedule
Here is a quick look at some of the notable matches at the Australian Open tomorrow.
Gauff wins
American superstar Coco Gauff is through to the next round, but she had to do it the long way, beating countrywoman Hailey Baptiste in three sets 3-6, 6-0, 6-3.
Meanwhile, teenager Iva Jovic is up 5-2 in the first set against Jasmine Paolini.
Gauff is one win away
Coco has stormed ahead in the third set.
She’s up 5-2 with Baptiste serving to stay in the match.
US tennis legend slums it with reporters
By Selma Milovanovic
American tennis legend Lindsay Davenport has won everything you can think of in her illustrious career.
But now the modest former world No.1 is content to sit in the media seats at Margaret Court Arena with the rest of the world’s reporters covering the Australian Open.
The winner of three singles and three doubles grand slam titles, among many others, and an Olympic gold medallist, is now a commentator, mostly for the Tennis Channel.
Davenport, who won the AO singles title in 2000, and was a doubles finalist here six times, is following the all-American clash of Coco Gauff and Hailey Baptiste.
Plenty of other former top tennis players have taken a turn behind the microphone following their careers, but you won’t see the likes of Boris Becker, for instance, slumming it with the rest of the press in the blazing sunshine.
Well played, Lindsay.
Coco chases victory; Jovic breaks early
Coco Gauff looked in trouble against fellow US player Hailey Baptiste after losing the first set.
But the No.3 seed powered back into the match winning the second set 6-0 on Margaret Court Arena.
It’s 2-1 on serve in the third set – we should have a cracking decider to come.
Meanwhile, US teen Iva Jovic, who might be the form player of the tournament, has broken the serve of Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in the first game of their match.
Jovic is up 2-0 on John Cain Arena. She looks every bit a future superstar.
Watch: Kazakh ace dances up a storm
Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putinseva threw down some quality dance moves after her third-round win over Turkey’s Zeynep Sonmez at the Australian Open today.
Good evening
G’day, everyone. It’s Roy Ward here, and I’ll be taking you through the night session.
Thanks so much to Liam Mannix for a superb daytime shift – he plugged right into our Open coverage and handled it with aplomb.
We have Coco Gauff fighting for her tournament on MCA right now, and some huge matches tonight including Alex de Minaur v Frances Tiafoe.
Enjoy the hours to come.
