Tennis Weekly

It was a scorcher in Melbourne and Tennis Weekly is back to break down one of the most dramatic days of the Australian Open so far. From heat rules and lucky escapes to shock withdrawals and eyebrow-raising scheduling decisions, there was much to discuss for Joel and Chris.

On the men’s side, Jannik Sinner flirted with disaster as cramping threatened to derail his campaign, before the heat rule – and a timely roof closure – gave him a lifeline. Wimbledon déjà vu, anyone? Novak Djokovic hit a major milestone with his 400th Grand Slam win, but not without controversy, as another reckless ball strike narrowly missed a ball kid. We also say goodbye to Stan Wawrinka at Melbourne Park and ask the big question: are we all seriously underestimating Ben Shelton’s decent form?

Over on the women’s draw, Iga Swiatek survived a wild, three-breadstick rollercoaster. Naomi Osaka’s injury withdrawal sends shockwaves, while the awkward Madison Keys vs Jessica Pegula clash comes with an apple pie and cheese forfeit twist with Joel and Chris debating just exactly would it taste any good?!. Plus, we preview Day 8 and question why Sabalenka vs Mboko isn’t under the lights on Rod Laver Arena.

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Day 6 in Melbourne didn’t disappoint with Carlos Alcaraz entertaining the crowds with magician in the making Coretin Moutet and Daniil Medvedev becoming the first player this year to win from 2 sets to 0 down to set up a mouthwatering rematch against his 2025 conqueror Learner Tien. Aussie home hope Alex de Minaur continued to impress as he took out Frances Tiafoe in the night session but will face a tougher test against in the battle of the Alexanders when he plays Bublik in Round 4.

On the women’s side Iva Jovic got the biggest win of her career when she took out Jasmine Paolini to make her first fourth round and fellow teenagers Mirra Andreeva and Victoria Mboko will join her in the second week in Melbourne. Trying to stop the rise of the teenager will be Aryan Sabalenka who faces Mboko in a mouthwatering clash of experience vs youth. She had a tough time against Potopova but survived in two tight tiebreak sets to progress. Also less than convincing was Coco Gauff who rallied to defeat countrywoman Hailey Baptiste in three sets.

Also on the discussion table are the soaring temperatures expected in Australia on Saturday and the change in schedule to move matches forward. Joel and Chris discuss if this is the right move and if it is fair for all the players…

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Day 5 at the Australian Open delivered straight-set statements, veteran brilliance, and just a touch of chaos courtesy of Iga Swiatek so join Joel and Kim at Tennis Weekly HQ to break it all down.

On the men’s side, it was business as usual for the top seeds. Novak Djokovic cruised, Jannik Sinner barely broke a sweat, and the Old Guard reminded us they’re not done yet, with Stan Wawrinka rolling back the years in a five-set epic. We also unpack shock exits for Stefanos Tsitsipas and Hubert Hurkacz, ask whether pressure strikes again at the Slams, and debate the real motivation behind Ethan Quinn’s breakout win (spoiler: credit card roulette may be involved).

Over on the women’s courts, Naomi Osaka delivered fireworks and a frosty handshake in a tense post-match moment against Sorana Cirstea. Did the Romanian have a point about Osaka’s ‘come ons’ in between serves? And should the umpire have done more? We decide! Iga Swiatek also advanced amid one of the stranger “hindrance” calls you’ll see all year. Plus, we spotlight rising Czech star Nikola Bartunkova after bouncing back from another bagel to beat Belinda Bencic.

We also talk Aryna Sabalenka’s new Gucci collab, gold rackets, windy conditions, and look ahead to a blockbuster Day 6 clash between Alex de Minaur and Frances Tiafoe.

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In today’s episode, they unpack Carlos Alcaraz surviving a marathon 78-minute first set – the longest opening set of his Grand Slam career – before powering through on Rod Laver Arena. We discuss whether his new-look serve is edging into Novak Djokovic “copyright” territory, plus what his team are telling him behind the scenes.

It was a gritty day for the other top male seeds as well, with Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev and Alex de Minaur all battling through four-set wins, while Cam Norrie kept British hopes alive to set up yet another clash with Zverev who holds a 6-0 record in the H2H. Not so much joy for Emma Raducanu though, as she bowed out early in a flat second-round loss to Anastasia Potapova – we ask the big questions about form, fitness and whether she should ditch Francisco Roig.

On the women’s side, the top seeds cruised. Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff and Mirra Andreeva all booked their places in Round 3 with minimum fuss, while we also dive into off-court banter, from Federer and Alcaraz golfing to Rublev’s elite “coffee and sleep” recovery routine. Plus look ahead to the action on Day 5 where Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic and Elena Rybakina are the headline acts on Rod Laver Arena.

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Australian Open Day 3 served up a little bit of everything in Melbourne Park with champions cruising, favourites wobbling, bold fashion statements (Osaka!) and a few emotional goodbyes. Defending men’s champion Jannik Sinner looked ice-cool as he breezed past French showman Hugo Gaston via retirement. On the other hand, reigning women’s champ Madison Keys had to dig deep as the champion found a way to reach Round 2 battling some early jitters along the way.
Naomi Osaka also had to battle through in three sets on Rod Laver Arena, though the tennis almost took a back seat to her unforgettable jellyfish-inspired outfit, which had social media buzzing almost as much as her forehand. Fashion icon? Melbourne crowd favourite? Kim and Chris give their views on if it was a fashion fave or a fashion faux-pas. Elsewhere, they also bemoan the exit of two legends as Grigor Dimitrov and Gael Monfils exited early, with the Frenchman playing out his final ever match in Melbourne Park.

AO Travel & Experiences
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REVIEWS

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