1h agoThu 22 Jan 2026 at 11:43pmWhen is Alex de Minaur playing?
There is only one Australian in action in the singles on day six of the Australian Open, with Alex de Minaur taking on 29th seed Frances Tiafoe from 7pm AEDT on Rod Laver Arena.
1m agoFri 23 Jan 2026 at 1:40am
Sabalenka and Potapova off to a tie-break
Aryna Sabalenka’s powerful groundstrokes are a real weapon, but they haven’t allowed her to get a break (Getty Images)
Aryna Sabalenka has been taken to a first set tie-break by Anastasia Potapova.
Potapova saved three set points from 0-40 in the 12th game before clinching the hold. Sabalenka is looking really frustrated on court, and she has hit 20 unforced errors so far.
3m agoFri 23 Jan 2026 at 1:38amAussie wildcards McCabe and Tu take down the top seeds!
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Top seeds Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool have been knocked out of the men’s doubles by Australian wildcard pairing of James McCabe and Li Tu.
The Aussies broke for a 5-4 lead in the second set after winning the first in a tiebreak.
Li Tu served his way to a 40-0 lead and missed the first two match points, but a tight line call on the third send McCabe and Tu through to the third round.
12m agoFri 23 Jan 2026 at 1:30am
Ever wondered where the commentators are at the tennis?
Here’s the journey into the ESPN commentary box at Rod Laver Arena at the Australian Open:
13m agoFri 23 Jan 2026 at 1:28am
Potapova hanging in on serve in first set
This match has still not had a break, and remains on serve at 5-5.
That is thanks to Anastasia Potapova’s grit and Aryna Sabalenka’s inconsistency.
As mentioned before, Potapova has not got a strong serve – she’s only getting 55 per cent of first serves in, and she is winning less than half of points on her second serve.
Somehow she is grinding out the holds – and the frustration is growing at the other end of the court.
24m agoFri 23 Jan 2026 at 1:17am
Mboko up a set on Clara Tauson
Nineteen-year-old 17th seed has won the opening-set tiebreak against 14th seed Clara Tauson on John Cain Arena.
This is Mboko’s first time at the Australian Open and she’s potentially one set away from the fourth round as the 17th seed.
26m agoFri 23 Jan 2026 at 1:16am
Sabalenka can’t break clear
Potapova is playing with strapping on a broken finger, but it doesn’t seem to be bothering her too much on Rod Laver Arena.
She took care of Briton Emma Raducanu in round two, and she is showing no signs of nerves against the world number one.
Potapova pushed Sabalenka in the fifth game, before struggling on her own serve but holding. Sabalenka is missing some clear opportunities, such as the forehand she ballooned out of court with the court at her mercy in Potapova’s service game.
For now, games remain on serve at 4-3 to Sabalenka.
27m agoFri 23 Jan 2026 at 1:14am
Oh no Nuno
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Nuno Borges has lost the first set against 25th seed Learner Tien in a tense tiebreak after serving for the set at 5-4.
He also had set points at 5-6 and 7-8 in the breaker but couldn’t get it done as the American storms back to take the opening frame.
Tien is looking for his second straight trip to the fourth round at the Australian Open after enjoying a breakout tournament last year, upsetting 2024 finalist Daniil Medvedev in the second round (they’ll meet again in the round of 16 if they both win today).
He’s returned as the 25th seed and showed what he has *ahem* learned in the intervening 12 months with a gutsy showing in that first set, winning the breaker 11-9.
39m agoFri 23 Jan 2026 at 1:03am
Exchange of breaks as Sabalenka gets frustrated
Aryna Sabalenka has had her serve broken already on Rod Laver Arena (Getty Images)
To re-apply the old cricket maxim, you don’t really know where you are until both players have served.
Anastasia Potapova’s serve is not as powerful as Aryna Sabalenka’s, and she struggled first up before dropping the second game for 2-0.
Sabalenka usually roars away with a set as soon as she has a break, so it was a surprise when Potapova hit straight back, putting the world number one under pressure – and hitting a centimetre-perfect lob for a winner.
A miss from Sabalenka gave back the break and she looked frustrated, as well she might.
Potapova has just held for 2-2. If she can stay in this set and keep the top seed from breaking clear, this could be interesting.
49m agoFri 23 Jan 2026 at 12:53amAussie wildcards win first-set tiebreak against world number ones
Is it world number ones or world numbers one?
Regardless, wildcard men’s doubles pair James McCabe and Li Tu have pushed top seeds Lloyd Glasspool and Julian Cash to a tiebreak in the first set of their second-round clash.
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McCabe is serving first in the breaker. And the return doesn’t make it back over the net. 1-0
But Julian Cash gets the next two in a hurry. 1-2
Li Tu matches Cash with an ace out wide, and then McCabe comes up with a lovely piece of anticipation at the net to finish the point for a 2-3 lead.
And the Australians go to the change of ends leading 2-4 after lovely net exchange ends with Cash netting a forehand volley. They’re calling for the crowd to fire up and get behind them.
Cash puts away a simple overhead to get back to trailing only 4-3, but McCabe is serving with the mini break. He’s almost come up with an unconventional ace, coming within a whisker of hitting Cash on the full at the net. When he does land his serve, Tu pounces on a couple of soft returns to send the Aussies charging to three set points at 3-6.
Julian Cash saves one with an ace down the T. 4-6
And Glasspool volleys home the +1 shot to force Li Tu to serve for the set at 6-5.
Ace! The Aussies have done it and Li Tu puts his hand to his ear to tell the ANZ Arena crowd to fire up!
51m agoFri 23 Jan 2026 at 12:51am
Medvedev gets the opening break, but gives it straight back
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One game into his first third-round grand slam clash since 2024 and Daniil Medvedev is straight on the attack breaking Fabian Marozsan’s serve on Margaret Court Arena.
The Russian has a look at a game point on 40-30 in the following game and gets a look at a short forehand but opts for a rank drop shot and sends it wide.
Marozsan hits back and ties it up at 1-1.
52m agoFri 23 Jan 2026 at 12:49am
Sabalenka holds, but Potapova showing early signs
A solid start from Potapova, who drills a forehand from out of the singles court, painting the corner for a clean winner.
But the top seed rebounds to win the next point, before throwing in a double fault to open the door slightly.
Both players are favouring heavy groundstrokes, and Sabalenka hits a backhand winner, then a Potapova error delivers game point.
The Austrian recovers with a smashing down the line winner, but Sabalenka ends up clinching the game with a forehand winner.
Interesting opening to the match – Potapova looks like she could pose a challenge.
1h agoFri 23 Jan 2026 at 12:40am
Big ovation for Aryna Sabalenka
There is warm applause on Rod Laver Arena for the arrival of Ansastasia Potapova, but then a full-blooded roar when the world number one Aryna Sabalenka walks out on court.
Potapova wins the toss and chooses to receive for the first game.
Sabalenka is unbeaten so far in 2026, with a 5-0 record, including a title win at the Brisbane International.
She beat Chinese qualifier Zhuoxuan Bai 6-3, 6-1 in the opening round.
1h agoFri 23 Jan 2026 at 12:32am
Big names hit the big courts
The action is about to start on the main courts.
On Rod Laver Arena, top women’s seed Aryna Sabalenka is up against Anastasia Potapova, the Russian who’s switched allegiances to Austria this year:
On Margaret Court Arena, 11th seed Daniil Medvedev is in the third round against Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan:
1h agoFri 23 Jan 2026 at 12:18am
Learner Tien has brought his phone on court
Learner Tien was using his phone as he walked onto Kia Arena. (Supplied: Stan)
American 25th seed Learner Tien was using his phone in the tunnel as he was waiting to go on and brought it on court with him.
The umpire saw him with it as she chatted to him about towels and didn’t pull him up, so I can only assume he’s been allowed, but it does seem odd considering, according to the International Tennis Integrity Agency:
“You should not use a mobile phone or a device capable of transmitting data in view of the court to minimise any risks or raise any suspicions of livescore data being shared with 3rd parties for betting purposes.”
The umpire spoke to Tien as he put his phone in his bag, but only about towels. (Supplied: Stan)
1h agoFri 23 Jan 2026 at 12:13am
We’re live on court
We’ve got a couple of young stars hitting John Cain and Kia Arena.
Nineteen-year-old Canadian Victoria Mboko is up against Denmark’s Clara Tauson on JCA:
And 20-year-old American Learner Tien, the 25th seed, is up against Nuno Borges on Kia:
1h agoFri 23 Jan 2026 at 12:08am
Other Australians on court on day six
There are only two Aussies left in the singles field, but you can still see plenty of locals in action around Melbourne Park today as the three doubles tournaments continue.
ANZ Arena
Wildcards James McCabe and Li Tu take on men’s doubles top seeds Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool from 11am AEDT on ANZ Arena. They’re followed by John-Patrick Smith pairing with Czechia’s Adam Pavlasek, and then we’ll see the affianced wildcards Maddison Inglis and Jason Kubler start their mixed campaign. Nick Kyrgios is back on court too (not before 5pm), pairing with Canada’s Leylah Fernandez in the mixed doubles.
1573 Arena
Women’s doubles wildcards Lizette Cabrera and Taylah Preston are second on court against Ena Shibahara and Vera Zvonareva, who’s still going at age 41. From 2pm, Aussie Matt Ebden links with American Rajeev Ram, who faced off in the Paris Olympic final, to take on Dutch pair Tallon Griekspoor and Botic van de Zandschulp. And then Preston returns to the court as one half of a wildcard mixed pairing with Cruz Hewitt.
Court Six
Third on court are a couple of Russian-born Aussies, as wildcards Daria Kasatkina and Arina Rodionova meet seventh seeds Anna Dalinina and Aleksandra Krunic.
Court Seven
Second up, Ellen Perez is in an eighth-seeded women’s doubles pair with Demi Schuurs as they take on Nadiia Kichenok and Makoto Ninomiya. And last on lucky number seven, Perez returns alongside Portugal’s Francisco Cabral to take on fellow Aussie Storm Hunter and Poland’s Hugo Nys.
2h agoThu 22 Jan 2026 at 11:40pmAustralian Open day six order of play
Here is every main draw singles match being played today (all times AEDT):
Rod Laver Arena
Aryna Sabalenka (1) vs Anastasia Potapova from 11:30amCarlos Alcaraz (1) vs Corentin Moutet (32) not before 1:30pmAlex de Minaur (6) vs Frances Tiafoe (29) from 7pmMirra Andrew van (8) vs Elena-Gabriela Ruse
Margaret Court Arena
Daniil Medvedev (11) vs Fabian Marozsan from 11:30amCoco Gauff (3) vs Hailey Baptiste not before 2pmElina Svitolina (12) vs Diana Shnaider (23) from 7pmAlexander Bublik (10) vs Tomas Etcheverry
John Cain Arena
Clara Tauson (14) vs Victoria Mboko (17) from 11amAlexandra Davidovich Fokina (14) vs Tommy Paul (19)Jasmine Paolini (7) vs Iva Jovic (29) from 5pmAlexander Zverev (3) vs Cameron Norrie (26) not before 6:30pm
Kia Arena
Learner Tien (25) vs Nuno Borges from 11amYulia Putintseva vs Zeynep Sonmez (Q)Karolina Muchova (19) vs Magda LinetteAndrey Rublev (13) vs Francisco Cerundolo (18)2h agoThu 22 Jan 2026 at 11:27pmDavenport and Navratilova weigh in on Osaka-Cirstea clash
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In case you missed it last night, Naomi Osaka got into it with Sorana Cirstea during and after their second-round match.
Basically, Osaka was saying “come on” between Cirstea’s first and second serves, ostensibly to pump herself up, but the Romanian took issue with it as it sounded like the four-time grand slam winner was celebrating her opponent’s faults and taking her out of her rhythm.
A shocked Osaka was pretty salty about it in her post-match on-court interview, but apologised once she’d cooled down in her press conference.
And the fallout continues this morning, with tennis greats Martina Navratilova and Lindsay Davenport chiming in on Tennis Channel.
“I can get what [Osaka] said after the match because it’s kind of in the heat of the moment — she was surprised by Cirstea’s reaction at the handshake — but you cannot be talking out loud between first and second serves of your opponent,” 59-time major winner Navratilova said.
“Cirstea was ready to hit the second serve and Osaka said ‘come on’; that’s not right. I don’t think she does it on purpose, she doesn’t realise it. You can say ‘come on’ all you want but keep it inside, do not verbalise it.
“I don’t think she did it on purpose, but sometimes you just have to say less.”
2000 Australian Open winner Davenport said she expects Osaka won’t continue doing it in her third round against Australian qualifier Maddison Inglis.
“Osaka’s 28 years of age, she’s played tennis for a long time, it’s just something you don’t really do. You’re not supposed to make noise between the first and second serves,” she said.
“Osaka did it in her opening-round match, no-one said anything. We all know Osaka doesn’t have a mean bone in her body, so I would be surprised if she continued with that behaviour.
“You can pump yourself by hitting your thigh [but] you can’t yell out in between serves, [it’s] basic tennis etiquette 101. I have a feeling that she’ll stop now.”
2h agoThu 22 Jan 2026 at 11:17pmIt’s day six of the Australian Open!
And that means we’re into the third round of the singles action.
There are only 32 men and 32 women left in the solo main draw, including two Aussies, and it all kicks off on the main courts today.
Let’s get straight into another day of live coverage.