Rafael Nadal returned to Melbourne not as a competitor this time, but as a supporter -- backing fellow Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz ahead of the Australian Open final.
World number one Carlos Alcaraz arrives in Melbourne with only one mission in mind -- claim a first Australian Open title to become the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam.
Swiss veteran Stan Wawrinka bowed out of his last Australian Open on Saturday, the three-times major winner losing 7-6(5), 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 to American Taylor Fritz and soaking up warm applause as a muchloved former champion.
Djokovic brought up set point with an acrobatic backhand and secured the set with an unreturned shot from the same flank to close in on his 399th Grand Slam match victory, and his 101st in Melbourne, leaving him one shy of recordholder Roger Federer.
The flawless performance means Djokovic has reached a century of match wins in three of the four Grand Slams, with 95 at the U.S. Open.
Alcaraz proves too strong after early Hanfmann scare in their 2nd round match at the Australian Open in Melbourne on Wednesday.
Fresh off Australian Open glory, Carlos Alcaraz plans a kangaroo tattoo after becoming the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam.
Jannik Sinner admits the Australian Open semi-final loss to Novak Djokovic hurt, but says he was not surprised by the 10-time champion's level after a gripping five-set battle.
Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz clash in the Australian Open final with history on the line as Djokovic chases a record 25th Slam and Alcaraz eyes a career Grand Slam.
Australian Open organisers invoked their extreme heat policy as temperatures soared at Melbourne Park on Tuesday, prompting the suspension of play on outer courts and the closure of roofs on the main showcourts.
Novak Djokovic, the 10-times Australian Open champion, will continue his quest for a record-extending Melbourne Park title and a 25th Grand Slam crown to surpass the record he currently shares with Margaret Court.
It will be an all-American quartet in the last eight at Melbourne as fourth seed Amanda Anisimova beat China's dark horse Wang Xinyu in their fourth round match on Monday.
Novak Djokovic slides, stretches and dominates to reach the Australian Open third round and move within one win of 400 Grand Slam victories.
Elise Mertens and Zhang Shuai won the Australian Open women's doubles crown, beating Danilina and Krunic to claim their first Grand Slam title together in Melbourne.
Novak Djokovic went down fighting 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 to Alcaraz, who bagged his first Melbourne Park title and became the youngest man to win all four majors.
'The only reason I come back is because of the love you (fans) give me'
Sabalenka primed for Rybakina rematch with eyes on third Australian Open crown
Aryna Sabalenka will aim to take a huge stride towards a third Australian Open title in four years when the Belarusian top seed clashes with Ukraine's Elina Svitolina on Thursday in a semi-final simmering with geopolitical tension.
India's N Sriram Balaji and his Austrian partner Neil Oberleitner, who entered the Australian Open men's doubles draw as an alternate pair, bowed out in the second round.
Aryna Sabalenka swept to her fourth successive Australian Open final with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Ukrainian Elina Svitolina.
Novak Djokovic took encouragement from his run to the Australian Open final and pledged to keep fighting at the Grand Slams after Carlos Alcaraz again denied his bid for a record 25th major title.
Backed by passionate Turkish fans, Zeynep Sonmez defeated Anna Bondar to reach the Australian Open third round and match her best Grand Slam run.
Naomi Osaka has pulled out of the Grand Slam ahead of her scheduled third round match on Saturday, citing a fitness problem.
Jannik Sinner brushed aside heat concerns to reach the Australian Open quarter-finals, while Iga Swiatek ended home hopes by overpowering Maddison Inglis in Melbourne.
India's top doubles player Yuki Bhambri and partner Andre Goransson cruised into the Australian Open second round with a dominant straight-sets win in Melbourne.
American Jessica Pegula defeated compatriot and defending champion Madison Keys to make the Australian Open quarter-finals.
Australian Open defending champion Madison Keys raised her game in the Melbourne Park heat to beat Karolina Pliskova 6-3, 6-3 and reach the fourth round.
Zeynep Sonmez is the first woman from Turkey to reach the second round of the Melbourne Park Grand Slam.
Novak Djokovic doused Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(4) at the Australian Open to reach the fourth round and add another line in the record book during his bid for a standalone 25th Grand Slam title.
Australian pair of Olivia Gadecki and John Peers became the first duo in 37 years to defend Australian Open mixed doubles crown on Friday.
Carlos Alcaraz battled a leg issue and survived a five-hour, 27-minute thriller against Alexander Zverev to reach his first Australian Open final and keep his career Grand Slam dream alive.
'Doesn't matter what the head-to-head looks like. It's always a new match, always a new battle.'
Neal Skupski and Christian Harrison won the Australian Open men's doubles crown, defeating Aussie wildcards Jason Kubler and Marc Polmans in straight sets in their first Grand Slam together.
World number two Iga Swiatek joined a growing chorus of players demanding more privacy off the courts at the Australian Open after cameras captured Coco Gauff in a post-match meltdown that the American said should have been a personal moment.
Stan Wawrinka rolled back the years, winning a five-set thriller against Arthur Gea to make the Australian Open third round for the first time since 2020.
World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka fended off a serious challenge from Anastasia Potapova to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open.
Tennis greats Laver and Federer were seated in the front row of the Rod Laver arena when Sabalenka demolished French wildcard Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah in her first-round encounter at Melbourne Park.
In five and a half hours of scintillating tennis, the third longest match ever at the Australian Open, Alcaraz won the controversy-riddled encounter.
Alexander Zverev fumes after Carlos Alcaraz takes a medical timeout for cramps during their Australian Open semi-final, questioning rules and alleged preferential treatment.
Coco Gauff's bid for a third Grand Slam title went up in smoke at the Australian Open quarter-finals with a 6-1, 6-2 defeat by Ukrainian Elina Svitolina on Tuesday, after the third seed enduring a nightmare on serve.
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