Australian Open 2026 LIVE updates: Gibson crashes out against Shnaider; Sabalenka, Svitolina triumph in straight sets; Medvedev, De Minaur, Alcaraz in action today
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Key posts
- Watch: Alcaraz searches for a magic moment
- ‘I want peace’: Sabalenka responds to Ukrainian’s comments
- Classic Medvedev on show
- Testing times for Alcaraz (https://www.smh.com.au/sport/tennis/australian-open-2026-live-updates-de-minaur-leads-aussie-charge-joins-alcaraz-sabalenka-in-title-quest-20260120-p5nvji.html?post=p59swm#p59swm)
- Aussie legends cheer on Gibson (https://www.smh.com.au/sport/tennis/australian-open-2026-live-updates-de-minaur-leads-aussie-charge-joins-alcaraz-sabalenka-in-title-quest-20260120-p5nvji.html?post=p59suv#p59suv)
- Interactive match predictor: Sabalenka v Bai (https://www.smh.com.au/sport/tennis/australian-open-2026-live-updates-de-minaur-leads-aussie-charge-joins-alcaraz-sabalenka-in-title-quest-20260120-p5nvji.html?post=p59sur#p59sur)
- The grand slam of sauces: What’s up with Sinner’s fashion? (https://www.smh.com.au/sport/tennis/australian-open-2026-live-updates-de-minaur-leads-aussie-charge-joins-alcaraz-sabalenka-in-title-quest-20260120-p5nvji.html?post=p59suf#p59suf)
Today’s key matches (https://www.smh.com.au/sport/tennis/australian-open-2026-live-updates-de-minaur-leads-aussie-charge-joins-alcaraz-sabalenka-in-title-quest-20260120-p5nvji.html?post=p59snl#p59snl)
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‘I want peace’: Sabalenka responds to Ukrainian’s comments
By Sam McClure
Aryna Sabalenka has refused to buy into the political debate sparked by Ukrainian player Oleksandra Oliynykova, who told this masthead (https://www.smh.com.au/link/follow-20170101-p5nvjq) on Tuesday that all Russian and Belarusian players should be banned while the war in Ukraine continues.
Oliynykova declared the presence of top Belarusian and Russian players was “very wrong”, despite the fact they do not compete under their countries’ flags.
Sabalenka, the world No.1, was explicitly named by Oliynykova on Tuesday for signing a letter supporting Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko during protests in 2020, when he won an election described by Western governments as a sham, two years before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Sabalenka has previously said that she did not support the Russian invasion of Ukraine or Lukashenko.
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She was asked about Oliynykova’s comments after her straight-sets win on Wednesday.
This masthead is not suggesting the claims by Oliynykova are true, only that they have been made.
“I have spoken a lot about that before, obviously, I want peace. If I could change anything I would definitely do that, other than that I have nothing else to say.”
Asked if it was appropriate that a rival player individually called her out, Sabalenka politely declined to respond.
“Listen, I’m here for tennis. It’s a tennis event, I’ve said enough in the past and I don’t want to talk politics,” she said.
After 78 minutes, Alcaraz finally takes the first set
By Michael Gleeson
After 78 minutes we have a result ... for the first set.
World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz has had to work hard to win an entertaining but labour-intensive first set in a tie-breaker (he won it 7-6).
After first going down a break then recovering to push the set to a tie-breaker, Alcaraz was able to prise open a wide enough gap in Yannick Hanfmann’s game to pick up the first set. The 34-year-old German journeyman who has never won career title can’t have played better tennis than this.
If he has, he would surely have won titles. Whether he can sustain it is the question.
If he does then this match could be pushing into the night shift at this rate.
The normally implacable Alcaraz is animatedly having a conversation with himself during the second set and directing it partly to his coaches’ corner.
He is frustrated at being worked around and not dictating points in his regular way. He was made to hang on to keep the second set on serve at 2-1.
Thompson takes on Borges
By Billie Eder
Aussie Jordan Thompson is taking on Portugal’s Nuno Borges in the second round on ANZ Arena.
The 31-year-old Australian opened the match by holding serve, which Borges then matched.
Thompson might be an Aussie, but his home slam hasn’t been too kind to him in the past. This is Thompson’s 13th Australian Open, but never has he progressed past the second round.
Borges will be a tough opponent this afternoon, but we know Thompson has it in him to go further at a hard court slam – he made the fourth round of the US Open in 2024 and 2020.
There’s plenty of crowd support for “Thommo”, with Australians exploding in cheers and chants every time they have the chance. It’s now 2-1 in Thompson’s favour (on serve) in the first set.
Medvedev cruising after chaotic first set
By Billie Eder
It’s been pretty straightforward for Daniil Medvedev since he dropped the first set.
The former world No.1 lost the first in a narrow tie-breaker, but has since won the second 6-3 and the third 6-4.
He was chatty, but wasn’t quite making his shots and Halys was going toe-to-toe with him. But the one-time US Open champion quietened down a little after that and settled into the match.
Watch: Rublev’s temper bubbles to surface
Andrey Rublev (https://www.smh.com.au/link/follow-20170101-p5koyi) is well-known for his combustible temper, and we got a glimpse of it again in his win over Jaime Faria on Margaret Court Arena.
The 28-year-old Russian famously plays tennis on the edge, with his frustration and anger (https://www.smh.com.au/link/follow-20170101-p5jqqe) – usually directed at himself – often bubbling over. Let’s put it this way, his racquet repair team must be the hardest-working people on the tennis tour.
Among his more famous meltdowns were a tantrum in his loss to Matteo Arnaldi at Roland-Garros in 2024 and an outburst that drew a $US3000 fine at the US Open last year for audible obscenities directed at himself.
After losing in the first round here at Melbourne Park last year, Rublev should be in a better mood this year. But as the commentators noted in today’s match, his emotions are a “tinderbox”.
In pictures: Cathy Freeman shines at Evonne Goolagong Cawley Day
Today’s Evonne Goolagong Cawley Day at the Open, celebrating Indigenous culture.
Olympic legend Cathy Freeman was among the stars appearing at Melbourne Park.
Watch: Alcaraz searches for a magic moment
We told you a short while ago about that tricky tweener Carlos Alcaraz nearly pulled off on Rod Laver Arena.
Our man courtside Michael Gleeson said it would have been one of the shots of the tournament if the world No.1 had succeeded.
Well, it’s only fair we let you see it and judge for yourself. The first set, by the way, is presently locked at 5-5.
‘I want peace’: Sabalenka responds to Ukrainian’s comments
By Sam McClure
Aryna Sabalenka has refused to buy into the political debate sparked by Ukrainian player Oleksandra Oliynykova, who told this masthead (https://www.smh.com.au/link/follow-20170101-p5nvjq) on Tuesday that all Russian and Belarusian players should be banned while the war in Ukraine continues.
Oliynykova declared the presence of top Belarusian and Russian players was “very wrong”, despite the fact they do not compete under their countries’ flags.
Sabalenka, the world No.1, was explicitly named by Oliynykova on Tuesday for signing a letter supporting Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko during protests in 2020, when he won an election described by Western governments as a sham, two years before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Sabalenka has previously said that she did not support the Russian invasion of Ukraine or Lukashenko.
Loading
She was asked about Oliynykova’s comments after her straight-sets win on Wednesday.
This masthead is not suggesting the claims by Oliynykova are true, only that they have been made.
“I have spoken a lot about that before, obviously, I want peace. If I could change anything I would definitely do that, other than that I have nothing else to say.”
Asked if it was appropriate that a rival player individually called her out, Sabalenka politely declined to respond.
“Listen, I’m here for tennis. It’s a tennis event, I’ve said enough in the past and I don’t want to talk politics,” she said.
Third set required on Court 6
We’re going to a third set in the women’s singles match on Court 6 between Uzbekistan’s Polina Kudermetova and Denmark’s Clara Tauson.
Both players won their set with a 6-3 advantage, and the final stanza is just kicking off.
Classic Medvedev on show
By Billie Eder
We’re getting some old-school Daniil Medvedev on John Cain Arena, as he bounces back to take the second set 6-3 against France’s Quentin Halys.
Halys managed to win the first set in a narrow tie-breaker, stunning the three-time finalist in an epic opening set that went for an hour and eight minutes.
There were some classic shots from Medvedev in that one. Watch below.
Rublev progresses
Andrey Rublev, the No.13 seed, is through to the third round after defeating Portugal’s Jaime Faria on Margaret Court Arena today.
It took four sets for Rublev to get the job done, 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, 5-7.
Rublev’s next opponent will be Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo, who had a straight-forward win today against Bosnia and Herzegovnia’s Damir Dzumhur, 6-3, 6-2, 6-1.
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