Google Play App Download

Tennis News

From around the world

Djokovic celebrates 100th Australian Open win as title quest begins

  • Posted: Jan 19, 2026

Novak Djokovic marked a triumphant return to his most successful event on Monday at the Australian Open, where he added another historic milestone at the hard-court major.

The former No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings delivered a near-flawless display to defeat Pedro Martinez 6-3, 6-2, 6-2, sealing his 100th career victory at Melbourne Park. The record 10-time Australian Open champion, Djokovic will now set his sights on surpassing Roger Federer’s all-time mark of 102 match wins at the tournament.

“What can I say? I like the sound of it… Centurion is pretty nice,” Djokovic said. “It’s nice to be a centurion in these numbers. History making is a great motivation, particularly in the last five, 10 years of my career. Once I got myself in a position to create history, I was even more inspired to play the best tennis.

“I was very fortunate early on to encounter some people that taught me and guided me to play the long shot with my career: not to burn out too quickly, and try to have the longest career possible. I’m blessed to still be playing at this level.”

Djokovic has now recorded 100 or more victories at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and Roland Garros, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, and is the only player to achieve that feat at three different major tournaments.

Djokovic’s record at Grand Slam tournaments (prior to AO R2)

 Tournament   Win-Loss Record
 Australian Open  100-10
 Roland Garros  101-14
 Wimbledon  102-13
 US Open  95-15

Advancing to the second round in his 19th consecutive Australian Open appearance, Djokovic will next face 23-year-old Italian qualifier Francesco Maestrelli. The debutant fought past Terence Atmane 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(4), 6-1, 6-1 to earn his first main-draw victory at a major. 

Amid lingering questions surrounding his fitness, particularly during last year’s run to the semi-finals in New York, Djokovic looked extremely sharp and mobile. In his first Lexus ATP Head2Head clash with Martinez — and first match since winning the Athens title in November — Djokovic controlled play from the baseline and struck more than three times as many winners as the Spaniard (49-14).

The 38-year-old Serbian reached the semi-finals at all four Grand Slams last season, and his pursuit of an 11th Melbourne crown could hinge on a potential semi-final showdown with two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner.

[NO 1 CLUB]

Casper Ruud also safely advanced to the second round by defeating Mattia Bellucci 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 for his 50th major win. The 27-year-old, who is expecting a daughter alongside his wife, Maria, will next meet Jaume Munar after the Spaniard battled past Dalibor Svrcina 3-6, 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-5, 6-3.

“It was a perfect start to this tournament and this court is probably one of my favourites in the world,” 12th seed Ruud said of Margaret Court Arena. “It’s a really good atmosphere and a great way to kick off. I’m excited to be back here in a couple of days. I have to thank Maria for letting me [come] in the first place. I know she’s back home resting, getting ready.”

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

Source link

Wild card Wawrinka rallies into Australian Open R2

  • Posted: Jan 19, 2026

Stan Wawrinka rode a wave fan support to notch his first Australian Open win in five years Monday.

The 40-year-old Swiss, who is playing his final year on Tour, rallied from a set down to defeat Serbian Laslo Djere 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(4) to charge into the second round.

Despite only a light smattering of Swiss flags and red shirts in the crowd on a packed Kia Arena, the 2014 Australian Open champion received overwhelming support as he snapped a four-match losing streak at the majors to take his first Grand Slam match win since Wimbledon 2024.

“It has been a long journey. It has been amazing, so many memories here, it has been incredible. The only reason I come back is because of the love you give me, it was amazing today,” Wawrinka said in his on-court interview. “It is my last year. The passion is still intact. I am not young anymore, so I have to be careful.

“Today was amazing, so special to be on court and at a Grand Slam. It is the reason I train hard every day with my team, to be here competing with the best players in the world. I am so happy I won and have a chance to play one more match here. I am trying to enjoy but I am also a competitor, so I am always going to fight and hopefully I will play another good match.”

[ATP APP]

Resorting to many defensive slices when his 40-year-old legs were stretched into the corners, Wawrinka hung with Djere in longer rallies, winning 58 per cent of points of nine or more shots according to Infosys Match Stats

The Swiss was also dominant on serve, winning 86 per cent of first serves and 64 per cent of second serves. He earned 18 break points in the match, converting three, including a boomerang break in the fourth set after he fell behind 2-4.

“I’ve been working again more on my serve, especially to get more free points, to serve better. I’m happy it helps me in matches like today,” Wawrinka said. “I had many opportunities to break… That’s when I start to be a little bit late or a bit passive, and I let the other opponent play much more aggressively than me.

“At the end, it was great to get through a match like that, even with many opportunities to stay with him, to break back in the fourth, and to win with the tiebreak.”

Wawrinka, who also won Roland Garros in 2015 and the US Open in 2016, will next play the winner of 17th seeded Czech Jiri Lehecka and 21-year-old French qualifier Arthur Gea.

A former No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Wawrinka is making his 20th Australian Open appearance and 75th start overall at the majors.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

Source link

When does Sinner play Tuesday at the Australian Open?

  • Posted: Jan 19, 2026

Two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner begins his quest for a three-peat at the Australian Open on Tuesday. The second-seeded Italian faces French lefty Hugo Gaston during the Rod Laver Arena evening session, not before 7 p.m. AEDT / 3 a.m. EST.

View Tuesday’s schedule here.

Sinner, No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings, leads Gaston 2-0 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series, with their two previous encounters both coming in 2021. Sinner owns a 22-4 record at the season’s first major, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. He has not lost in Melbourne since his 2023 fourth-round defeat to Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Last year’s semi-finalist Ben Shelton, who fell to Sinner in the last four, is also on Tuesday’s schedule. The American meets Ugo Humbert for the first time. Fifth seed Lorenzo Musetti and 2023 finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas are slated to play on Margaret Court Arena.

Source link

It All Adds Up: Why Borges is best at net

  • Posted: Jan 19, 2026

During the Australian Open, ATPTour.com will bring fans insight into the leaders of key statistical categories, showing how performances throughout 2025 all added up to successful seasons and the promise of more good times ahead in 2026.

Nuno Borges turned net approaches into a winning formula in 2025.

When the Portuguese stepped inside the baseline and closed in on the net, points often ended on his terms. Borges won an eye-catching 72.3 per cent of points when at the net in 2025, the highest success rate on the ATP Tour across the season.

Although Borges produced many moments of magic, the effectiveness at net was about efficiency. Crisp volleys, solid positioning and calm decision-making allowed him to shorten points and take time away from opponents.

“When a guy comes to the net, he still has more than a 50 per cent chance of winning the point, and I guess I just chose really wisely when to come in,” Borges explained. “It is something I’ve been working on: those approaches, when to come in and choosing the right shot.”

So what explains Borges’ standout efficiency at the net? For the Portuguese, it comes down to smart selection and reading the moment.

“A few times I was maybe pushed to the net when I didn’t want to be, but maybe I played a great approach shot really deep and made the guy try to lob me,” Borges said. “On the quicker surfaces, I would tend to come in more as it’s harder to pass and you have less time to put an angle on the shot.”

That attacking clarity translated into the most productive season of his career. In 2025, Borges recorded a personal-best 30 tour-level victories, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, underlining his growing consistency. Eighteen of those wins came on hard courts, including his run to the semi-finals of the ATP 250 in Auckland.

Points Won At Net (2025)

 Player  Points won at net
 1) Nuno Borges  72.3%
 2) David Goffin  72.3%
 3) Stefanos Tsitsipas  71.4%
 4) Alex de Minaur  71.2%
 5) Alejandro Davidovich Fokina  71.1%

Visit our Infosys ATP Stats section for more insights.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

Source link

Selfie time with legends: Sabalenka opens Australian Open campaign with Federer & Laver

  • Posted: Jan 18, 2026

Aryna Sabalenka’s Australian Open campaign started in fittingly star-studded fashion on Sunday, when tennis royalty looked on as the World No. 1 powered through her opening-round match. Seated courtside were none other than Roger Federer and Rod Laver, adding extra sparkle to Sabalenka’s first steps at the hard-court major.

The pair smiled, clapped and soaked it all in throughout the match before unexpectedly becoming part of the post-match show. Phone in hand, Sabalenka pulled the two legends into a courtside selfie, instantly creating one of the tournament’s early viral moments.

 

Asked afterward whether she’d noticed them during play, Sabalenka laughed: “Of course I did. I’m a huge fan. The whole match I was just telling myself, do not look there, please, do not look. But yeah, it’s incredible. I would never thought that Roger Federer and Rod Laver are going to be sitting first row watching my match. Yeah, that’s unbelievable.”

[NO 1 CLUB]

Sabalenka is chasing a third Australian Open crown in four years, lofty company befitting the champions who watched her on Sunday. Federer lifted the trophy in Melbourne six times, while Laver claimed it twice, once during the Open Era.

Federer has been making the most of his Melbourne visit. On Saturday, he delighted fans by rolling back the years in a doubles match alongside fellow ATP No. 1 Club Members Andre Agassi, Lleyton Hewitt and Patrick Rafter. Read more here.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

Source link