Jannik Sinner is safely into the quarter-finals of the 2026 Australian Open.
The defending champion came through in straight sets to defeat Italian compatriot Luciano Darderi 6-1, 6-3, 7-6(2) on Monday (26 January). Sinner awaits the winner of the match between the USA’s Ben Shelton and Casper Ruud of Norway.
Reaching his ninth consecutive Grand Slam tennis quarter-final, the world No. 2 came through in two hours and nine minutes with four break points and 46 winners, dominating proceedings at Melbourne Park to march on into the final eight.
“It was very difficult,” he said on-court after his win. “We were good friends off court…I felt like in the 3rd set I had a couple of break chances. I couldn’t [take] them, then I got very tight. I’m very happy I closed it in 3 sets.”
After a dominant first two sets from Sinner, 22nd seed Darderi worked his way back into the third and salvaged two match points on his serve. But he could not stave off the reigning champion in the tiebreak, where he was broken on three of his four service points.
The men’s singles quarter-finals are shaping up nicely with the top six seeds all present. They include 10-time champion Novak Djokovic, who received a bye into the quarters as opponent Jakub Menšík withdrew on Sunday (25 January).
With the women’s singles draw also featuring the top seeded sextet, this is the first time in the Open Era that the best six seeds in both the men’s and singles draws have reached the Grand Slam quarter-finals.