Tennis News

Vukic stuns revitalised Tsitsipas with 'awesome' Adelaide win

Aleksandar Vukic halted Stefanos Tsitsipas’ promising start to 2026 in style on Tuesday night at the Adelaide International, where he produced a poised and timely performance to prevail 7-6(3), 7-6(5).

Tsitsipas went 3-0 at the United Cup last week and appeared revitalised following a turbulent 2025 season during which he fell out of the Top 20 for the first time since 2018. Yet Vukic, who came through qualifying at his home ATP 250, met the challenge head-on, feeding off a lively atmosphere to level their Lexus ATP Head2Head series at 1-1.

Victory for Vukic 🇦🇺

Aleksandar Vukic defeats Tsitsipas 7-6, 7-6 to advance in Adelaide!@AdelaideTennis | #AdelaideTennis pic.twitter.com/nnnFlPQxjd

— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 13, 2026

“I was talking to my team today [about how] I am just in awe of this stadium and the cricket ground that’s just here,” Vukic said of the Memorial Drive Tennis Centre. “This centre court is very special, and it’s pretty packed. I appreciate the support, everyone helping me out tonight. It was an awesome win for me.”

The Australian saved all four break points he faced, according to Infosys ATP Stats, and was clinical when it mattered most. In the second-set tie-break, Vukic reeled off six of the final eight points from 1/3 down to seal the one-hour, 53-minute triumph — his 21st over a Top 50 opponent.

Vukic, the No. 87 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, will next face doubles star Andrea Vavassori, who also came through qualifying to upset Gabriel Diallo 6-3, 7-6(4). Last year, Vavassori won the Adelaide doubles title with partner Simone Bolelli and is a two-time Nitto ATP Finals competitor.

Earlier, Tomas Machac downed Australian wild card James Duckworth 6-3, 6-3 for his first tour-level win since Shanghai in October. The eighth seed next meets qualifier Quentin Halys, who beat lucky loser Jacob Fearnley 6-3, 6-4.

In an all-Australian wild-card clash, Rinky Hijikata defeated Tristan Schoolkate 6-4, 6-4 to set up a second-round encounter with top seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

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What were the Australian Open qualifying results on Tuesday?

Alexander Blockx and Rafael Jodar were among the players to advance to the second round of Australian Open qualifying on Tuesday, continuing their strong rises.

Both Blockx and Jodar competed at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF in Jeddah last month. The 20-year-old Blockx, who won the 2023 Australian Open boys’ title, defeated Marco Cecchinato 6-3, 6-4 in Melbourne to extend his winning streak at all levels to six matches.

The Belgian cracked the Top 100 on Monday following his triumph at the Canberra Challenger, where he downed Jodar in the final. Jodar, who spent two years at the University of Virginia before turning pro last month, defeated Australian wild card Li Tu 6-2, 6-1.

Elsewhere in qualifying, 17-year-old Cruz Hewitt, son of former No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings Lleyton Hewitt, fell to three-time Challenger champion Michael Zheng 6-3, 6-3. Mackenzie McDonald, who defeated Rafael Nadal at the 2023 Australian Open, rallied past Dmitry Popko 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-5.

Federico Cina, 18, is aiming to reach the Next Gen ATP Finals in 2026 and got his season up and running with an impressive 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-3 over former World No. 31 Lloyd Harris.

Leandro Riedi also progressed, knocking out 11th seed Jan Choinski 6-3, 6-4. Riedi’s win marked another positive step in his return from undergoing two surgeries across the 2024 and 2025 seasons. The Swiss player reached the fourth round at the US Open last year as the World No. 435.

View all of the Australian Open results here.

The Australian Open main draw begins Sunday, with two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner and World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz headlining the hard-court major.

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What is the Million Dollar One Point Slam?

BBC Sport’s Ask Me Anything team explains what the Million Dollar One Point Slam is and who will be competing at the event in Melbourne.

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'My daughters are fans of Venus, so it was tough'

Tatjana Maria beats Venus Williams in straight sets in the first round at the Hobart Internationa.

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The junior Slam champion who match-fixed to 'escape' tennis

Shortly after winning the 2016 Australian Open boys’ title, a disillusioned Oliver Anderson was arrested for throwing a set – now he is rebuilding his career.

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Opelka & his 'tennis geniuses': former Isner coach Boynton joins team

For more than three years, Craig Boynton coached John Isner, the former No. 8 player in the PIF ATP Rankings. Now, the American is working with the player most commonly compared to Isner: 6’11” Reilly Opelka.

Opelka has long learned from former World No. 7 Jay Berger, who remains a key part of his team. But he will now travel with Boynton, who most recently developed Hubert Hurkacz into a Top-10 player.

“He’s one of the best coaches in the world and I think between him and Jay Berger, I’m incredibly lucky,” Opelka told ATPTour.com. “These are just great guys, great people, smart, tennis geniuses, tennis experts.”

It is important to note that despite both Isner and Opelka ranking among the very best servers in history, they are not clones. Perhaps their greatest similarity is that they jokingly refer to themselves as “servebots”.

“They’re two different people. Ultimately, every tennis player here has the same goal and everybody has different skill sets,” Boynton said. “Obviously, people are going to look at the similarities between Reilly and John, but they are different players.

“Yes, they have some similarities, but they’re different in just about every way. They’re just different people, they’re different players, ultimately trying to do the same thing, but doing it in different ways.”

Last week in his first tournament of the season, Opelka obliterated 44 aces, the most he has ever hit in a three-set match on the ATP Tour. The problem was that the 28-year-old lost a final-set tie-break to Kamil Majchrzak.

That made his victory Monday against Alexei Popyrin at the Adelaide International even sweeter. The four-time ATP Tour titlist, who missed nearly two years after hip and wrist surgeries, is excited to kickstart his year.

“Especially after last week I had a really, really rough loss that could linger,” Opelka said. “[That is] something you don’t get over quickly. Maybe 10 years it takes to get over one of those. So, happy that I got a win.”

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Djokovic headlines reaction to Raonic's retirement

Milos Raonic announced on Sunday via social media his retirement from professional tennis.

Off the back of the news, Novak Djokovic shared a heartfelt message on his Instagram story, congratulating Raonic on his memorable career.

“Congrats on an amazing career, @mraonic 🙌🇨🇦,” wrote Djokovic.

Felix Auger-Aliassime, who partnered with Raonic in doubles at the 2024 Paris Olympics, also shared a message on Instagram. He wrote: “Greatest Canadian ever to do it 🇨🇦🙌🏽 Thank you for everything you brought to Canadian tennis and on a personal level thank you for being an amazing example and mentor all these years 🙏🏽.”

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Milos Raonic (@mraonic)

Bianca Andreescu, Steve Nash, Jose Bautista, Vera Wang, John Isner and Zizou Bergs were among the stars who also shared their messages in the comments on Raonic’s retirement post on Instagram.

“Canadian legend 🙏🏻🇨🇦,” commented Andreescu.

“Great career @mraonic done with class and professionalism all the way through,” wrote Isner.

Raonic’s career stats:
-No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings
-383 tour-level wins
-8 ATP titles
-Wimbledon final & 4 ATP Masters 1000 finals
-No. 9 on record in aces (8,445)

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Blockx breaks 'Top 100 babyyyy' after Challenger triumph

Alexander Blockx has begun the 2026 season in memorable fashion. The Belgian, who was a finalist at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF in December, built upon that momentum to win the Workday Canberra International, an ATP Challenger 125 event, on Sunday.

By triumphing in Canberra, Blockx made his Top 100 debut in Monday’s PIF ATP Rankings. The 20-year-old defeated fellow 2025 Jeddah competitor Rafael Jodar 6-4, 6-4 in the final, an exciting clash between two emerging talents. Trailing 1-4 in the second set, Blockx tallied five consecutive games to lift his fourth career Challenger trophy.

☝️st title of 2026 for Alex Blockx ‼️#ATPChallenger pic.twitter.com/kZZSeiNwYo

— ATP Challenger (@ATPChallenger) January 10, 2026

“Top 100 babyyyy⚡️,” Blockx wrote in excitement in an Instagram post. “Happy to start the year with another title.”

Jodar, 19, won three Challenger titles in 2025 and announced his decision to turn pro on New Year’s Eve, foregoing his remaining eligibility at the University of Virginia. The teenager is at a career-high No. 150 following his deep run from qualifying in Canberra.

Gea wins first Challenger crown
Frenchman Arthur Gea claimed his maiden Challenger title at the BNC TENNIS OPEN in New Caledonia, where the 21-year-old downed Jurij Rodionov 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 in the final. Having won four titles on the ITF Men’s World Tennis Tour in 2025, Gea’s latest milestone achievement has helped him climb to a career-high No. 197.

<img alt=”Arthur Gea at the Noumea Challenger.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2026/01/12/18/15/gea-noumeach-2026.jpg” />
^{Arthur Gea at the Noumea Challenger. Credit: BNC Tennis Open}

Martinez returns to winner’s circle
Former World No. 36 Pedro Martinez dropped just one set all week to win the Dafa News Bengaluru Open in India. The top-seeded Spaniard defeated Kazakhstan’s Timofey Skatov 7-6(5), 6-3 in the championship match. Martinez is an eight-time Challenger champion.

Noguchi defends Thailand title
Japan’s Rio Noguchi successfully defended his title at the Bangkok Open, where he beat Czech Marek Gengel 6-3, 6-4 in the final. Noguchi’s two Challenger trophies have both come in Thailand. As the top seed at this week’s second leg of a two-week Thailand stay, Noguchi will aim to add to that title haul.

<img alt=”Rio Noguchi wins the Bangkok Open.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2026/01/12/18/19/noguchi-nonthaburich-2026.jpg” />
^{Rio Noguchi wins the Bangkok Open. Credit: The Lawn Tennis Association Of Thailand}

Chidekh survives deciding-set tie-break to win Nottingham
Clement Chidekh earned his third Challenger trophy in as many years with a triumph at the Lexus Nottingham Challenger in Great Britain. Seeded second, the 24-year-old Chidekh rallied from a set down in the final to escape top seed Johannus Monday 5-7, 6-2, 7-6(5) after two hours and 46 minutes. Both Chidekh and Monday played collegiate tennis. Chidekh played at the University of Washington and Monday, 23, competed for the University of Tennessee.

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Kokkinakis battles pain, rallies past Korda for emotional Adelaide win

Thanasi Kokkinakis made a stunning comeback after a difficult 12 months with an emotional first-round victory on Monday at the Adelaide International.

Playing his first singles match since the 2025 Australian Open, after which he underwent a radical surgery on his pectoral muscle, Kokkinakis rallied to a 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(3) triumph at his hometown ATP 250. Kokkinakis appeared to be feeling pain in his shoulder and received treatment from the physio during the second set against Korda, but the 29-year-old pushed through to a thrilling two-hour, 26-minute win.

“Oh man. It’s been a rough 12 months, but this makes it all worth it,” said Kokkinakis in his on-court interview. “I had my eye on this in Adelaide, and I knew I’d come to a packed crowd and everyone cheering. Thank you so much, I love it here.”

The Adelaide crowd was vociferous throughout in its support for Kokkinakis, who lifted his only ATP Tour title at Memorial Drive in 2022. There was concern for the home hero in the second set, when he wobbled after opening a 5-1 lead, and he later acknowledged that his singles comeback was not without cost.

“It’s something that I feel like I’ve been dealing with my whole career it feels like,” said Kokkinakis of the injury. “I’ve worked so hard to even give myself a chance to get back on this court. Second set I hit a serve and it didn’t feel great. I was talking to my team every two minutes about whether I should stop. I felt like, ‘Even if I win, at what cost?’ I don’t know. I always try and win, especially here in Adelaide. I don’t know if I can go any further, but I love it here so I’m trying my best.”

And the crowd goes wild! 🗣️@TKokkinakis comes from a set down to defeat Korda and claim his first win since undergoing surgery in February 2025.@AdelaideTennis | #AdelaideTennis pic.twitter.com/GmxEIagRmT

— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 12, 2026

Monday’s victory was Kokkinakis’ first in four Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings with the No. 51 in the PIF ATP Rankings Korda. Awaiting the Australian in the second round will be fifth seed Valentin Vacherot. The Monegasque star, who stunned the tennis world last October by winning the Rolex Shanghai Masters as a qualifier, overcame Miomir Kecmanovic 7-6(5), 6-4.

Like Vacherot, Ugo Humbert bounced back from a first-round exit in Brisbane by claiming a straight-sets win in his Adelaide opener. The former World No. 13 prevailed 6-3, 7-6(3) in an all-French, all-lefty battle with Terence Atmane to advance to face fourth seed Tallon Griekspoor.

Reilly Opelka and Jaume Munar were also straight-sets winners on Monday. Opelka downed home favourite Alexei Popyrin 6-3, 7-6(6) with the help of 22 aces, according to Infosys ATP Stats, and he will face his good friend and second seed Tommy Paul for a quarter-final spot. Meanwhile Munar lost the first three games against Daniel Altmaier but won the following 12 to prevail 6-3, 6-0 and set a meeting with third seed Francisco Cerundolo.

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What were the Australian Open qualifying results on Monday?

Bernard Tomic, Dino Prizmic and Rei Sakamoto were among the players that earned victories in the first round of Australian Open qualifying on Monday.

Australia’s Tomic has reached the third round of the main draw on three occasions and is aiming to compete in the main draw at the major for the first time since 2021. The former No. 17 player in the PIF ATP Rankings beat Hugo Dellien 6-3, 6-3.

Prizmic played at last month’s Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF and was impressive on his return to action, overcoming Argentina’s Genaro Alberto Olivieri 6-1, 6-4. Prizmic won a set against record 10-time champion Novak Djokovic in 2024 at the AO. #NextGenATP Japanese star Sakamoto also advanced, beating Daniel Evans 6-1, 6-2. The 19-year-old is trying to make his main draw debut.

Pierre-Hugues Herbert, who won the Australian Open doubles title in 2019 with Nicolas Mahut, began his qualification bid with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 win against Dutchman Guy Den Ouden, while Dusan Lajovic battled past Facundo Diaz Acosta 7-6(3), 5-7, 7-6(10-3). The 35-year-old Serbian Lajovic reached the fourth round in 2021.

Americans Brandon Holt, Tristan Boyer and Colton Smith all advanced. Holt beat Lukas Neumayer 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, Boyer downed Alex Barrena 6-2, 6-7(4), 6-2 and Smith overcame Luka Pavlovic 7-6(4), 6-1.

View full Australian Open results here.

The hard-court major begins on Sunday, with Jannik Sinner the two-time defending champion. World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz is aiming to complete the Career Grand Slam in Melbourne.

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