'Modelled on a jellyfish' – Osaka backs up 'spectacular' outfit with win
How Naomi Osaka’s jellyfish-inspired outfit stole the show in her hard-fought Australian Open first-round win over Antonia Ruzic.
How Naomi Osaka’s jellyfish-inspired outfit stole the show in her hard-fought Australian Open first-round win over Antonia Ruzic.
Naomi Osaka survives a thriller in a bold outfit as day three wraps up in Melbourne
Katie Boulter exits the Australian Open after being outclassed by Belinda Bencic in a straight-set first-round loss in Melbourne.
Jannik Sinner says he does not feel “very safe” with changes he has made to his serve, despite needing just 68 minutes to start his Australian Open title defence.
Even when you are the No. 2 player in the PIF ATP Rankings and a two-time defending Australian Open champion, there is always room for improvement. Just ask Jannik Sinner.
The 24-year-old advanced to the second round at Melbourne Park on Tuesday when Hugo Gaston retired with Sinner leading 6-2, 6-1 after 68 minutes. Following the match, Sinner offered insight into the technical tweaks he has been making to his serve toward the end of last season and throughout the offseason. It’s a stroke he believes still holds untapped potential.
“It’s not only [since] the US Open,” Sinner said when asked about the timestamp of the service-motion changes. “I felt like the serve was and still is a shot where I need to improve. It’s the only shot we have where we can do everything by ourselves. There is a lot of room to improve.
“We changed a little bit the motion, the rhythm of the serve. Before it was a bit too fast in the beginning. Now it’s a bit slower. The toss usually was a bit more in front, a bit on the right. Now it’s a bit more back and over the head.”
Those refinements come despite Sinner finishing 2025 as the Serve Leader, according to Infosys ATP Stats, which examines a player’s serving dominance through metrics such as first-serve points won, serve effectiveness and aces. It’s an area of strength that underpinned his six-title season, highlighted by his second consecutive Nitto ATP Finals crown.
Yet for the Italian, marginal gains on serve could prove decisive as he looks to sustain his dominance and pursue the longer-term objective of reclaiming the World No. 1 position from rival Carlos Alcaraz.
“At times I still lose it [the toss]. It’s not a shot where I feel very safe,” Sinner continued. “But at the same time we are working on that. It is one of if not the most important shots we have because it can give you so many great things. So let’s see how I’m going to serve this season.”
[NO 1 CLUB]Beyond the technical elements, Sinner also continues to invest in the mental side of his game, maintaining a close working relationship with renowned mental coach Dr. Riccardo Ceccarelli. They have built a consistent dialogue aimed at fine-tuning Sinner’s mindset across different phases of the season.
“We are in contact trying to understand and also working on a couple of things,” Sinner said of Ceccarelli. “I have my home kit with me, so whenever I need to work on, whenever I feel like, I can work with that.
“It goes a bit by period: How I feel also and what mental statement I am in. For sure there is still some room to improve. I’ve been in contact with him consistently. It’s good to have a stable person and he understands me now also a little bit better. By time we understand each other better. I understand his work ethic. We try to work on that.”
Sinner is aiming to become just the second man in the Open Era to win three consecutive Australian Open titles, following Novak Djokovic, who achieved the feat in 2011–13 and again from 2019–21. Next up for the Italian in Melbourne is Australian wild card James Duckworth, whom Sinner leads 2-1 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Gael Monfils shared an emotional moment with fans Tuesday at the Australian Open after his final appearance at the hard-court major came to a close.
Home qualifier Dane Sweeny overcame the Frenchman 6-7(3), 7-5, 6-4, 7-5 inside Kia Arena, where the 39-year-old Monfils was then invited to address the crowd by tournament director Craig Tiley.
“First of all, thank you so much. For me, my journey here with you guys started in 2003, when I came here for the first time,” said Monfils, who has confirmed that he will retire at the end of the season. “Now we are in 2026 and somehow it is the finish line but thank you so much for this amazing ride. You have been unbelievable, so thank you so much.”
Australia will miss you, @Gael_Monfils 🫡@AustralianOpen | #AO26 pic.twitter.com/hbneVHxQmO
— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 20, 2026
Monfils will finish his career with a 37-20 record at Melbourne Park, where his best results were quarter-final runs in 2016 and 2022.
“I’ve got a lot of great memories here. A couple of big battles. Quarters, fourth round, even today was almost four hours,” said the former No. 6 in the PIF ATP Rankings. “For Dane, you guys did an amazing job [supporting him]. I read his story. This kid got hurt, so I really wish [him] good luck for the next one, because he is playing very good. Good luck to him.
“I am very grateful. I’ve been very lucky to play here for many years, so lastly thank you very much, merci beaucoup, a bientot les amis (thank you very much, see you soon, friends).”
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Alexandra Eala may have only played one Australian Open singles match but she was the biggest first-round draw by far at Melbourne Park.
Jannik Sinner advanced to the second round of the Australian Open on Tuesday night after Hugo Gaston retired due to illness when dropping the second set.
The two-time defending champion, Sinner, was firmly in control, leading 6-2, 6-1, when the Frenchman — who called the doctor following the opening set — could not continue inside Rod Laver Arena.
“I saw that he was not serving with a very high pace, especially in the second set, but it’s not a way you want to win the match,” said Sinner, who is now 3-0 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Gaston. “He’s such a talented player, so I knew I had to play at a very high level, try to be aggressive as possible, which I’ve done. So I’m very happy, very happy to be back here.”
An unfortunate end 😢@janniksin advances to the second round after Gaston is forced to retire while trailing 6-2, 6-1.@AustralianOpen | #AO26 pic.twitter.com/NLYwPEfl6T
— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 20, 2026
Sinner is aiming to become just the second man in the Open Era to claim three consecutive Australian Open titles, following Novak Djokovic’s title runs from 2011-13 and 2019-21. He will face lucky loser Dino Prizmic or Australian wild card James Duckworth in the next round.
In the sixth game of the match, Sinner produced a sublime drop shot to earn a break point, sending Gaston sprawling in a desperate attempt to reach the ball. Sinner checked on his opponent at the net, though Gaston appeared uninjured, and the subsequent medical timeout seemed to be unrelated to the fall.
“I felt very prepared… I’m very happy with how I started off today,” Sinner added. “Of course there was a bit of tension, but now this is time to enjoy it. We practise for moments like this, so it’s great to be back here.”
[NO 1 CLUB]Sinner faced immediate pressure in the opening game, slipping to 0/40 on serve, but it proved little more than an extended warm-up. The Italian calmly erased all three break points and did not face another, according to Infosys Stats, before advancing after 68 minutes.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Joao Fonseca insisted his back is fully fit after his Australian Open first-round defeat to Eliot Spizzirri on Tuesday, but admitted a lack of match practice and “rhythm” proved decisive in his exit.
The 19-year-old Brazilian withdrew from both Brisbane and Adelaide before the season’s first major and said he simply needed more time on court. Reflecting on his physical state and the difficulty of finding rhythm, Fonseca said the stop-start nature of his comeback made it hard to feel fully in sync on court.
“I will say I needed more time,” Fonseca said after his 4-6, 6-2, 1-6, 2-6 defeat. “Since the beginning of Brisbane, I wasn’t playing, and then I came back, but slowly. Then I stopped again. So I went almost 15 days without hitting at 100 per cent, very intense.
“I tried my best today. I think [it’s] bad that I wasn’t 100 per cent playing, but at the same time, it gives me maturity to keep going, to understand my body, to understand my limits. Today wasn’t the day. But I think I’m still confident, I’m still playing good. I’m having some good practices. I just need rhythm. I think this season is going to be great for me.”
The early loss was a sharp contrast to last year’s Australian Open, where he announced himself on the big stage by defeating Andrey Rublev in straight sets in the first round. Fonseca was clear, however, he has no regrets about competing in Melbourne.
“I don’t regret it at all,” said Fonseca, the No. 32 player in the PIF ATP Rankings. “I think there are things in life that you need to get positive things from… My back is 100 per cent. I’m healthy again. I just needed time.
“It was good to see how to deal with a five-set match and with the physique not 100 per cent. I was getting tired earlier. I needed rhythm, but it’s good to have that experience, to see your limits, to see how it can go. I don’t regret a thing.”
[NO 1 CLUB]Looking ahead, Fonseca confirmed he will next travel to South America, where he plans to rebuild match sharpness ahead of defending his ATP 250 title in Buenos Aires and competing at his home ATP 500 event in Rio de Janeiro.
After his maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head clash with Spizzirri, Fonseca was generous in defeat when analysing the American’s performance, crediting his serving, returning and mental strength at key moments.
“I think he served really well,” Fonseca said of Spizzirri, who hit 14 aces and won 81 per cent of first-serve points, according to Infosys Stats. “He [made] a lot of returns. That’s one thing that the top players do a lot, they put a lot of pressure on the guy’s return.
“I think he served plus one as well. I think he stayed really well mentally. The first game in the third set that I had 0/40, but he closed the doors. After this, he kept with the intensity, and I couldn’t hold it.
“Maybe if I got the game, maybe things would go seriously. But it’s a maybe. Tennis has a lot of maybes.”
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Madison Keys overcomes nerves to begin her Australian Open title defence with victory over Grand Slam debutant Oleksandra Oliynykova.