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.
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.
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.
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.
Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from next week's Australian Open warm-up tournament in Adelaide to focus on being ready for the year's first Grand Slam at Melbourne Park.
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.
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.
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.
'Doesn't matter what the head-to-head looks like. It's always a new match, always a new battle.'
Naomi Osaka has pulled out of the Grand Slam ahead of her scheduled third round match on Saturday, citing a fitness problem.
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.
Zeynep Sonmez is the first woman from Turkey to reach the second round of the Melbourne Park Grand Slam.
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.
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.
'The only reason I come back is because of the love you (fans) give me'
The opening Grand Slam of the year begins at Melbourne Park on Sunday.
World number eight Mirra Andreeva warmed up for the Australian Open with a comfortable 6-3, 6-1 victory over fellow teenager Victoria Mboko in the Adelaide International final on Saturday to claim her fourth WTA Tour title.
Djokovic may never feel the affections of the crowd savoured by Federer and Spaniard Rafael Nadal but his record of 16 Grand Slam titles is proof that tennis is no popularity contest.
Aryna Sabalenka swept to her fourth successive Australian Open final with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Ukrainian Elina Svitolina.
A defiant Novak Djokovic is adamant he can still beat any player on his day but at 38 the Serb is no longer focusing on the Grand Slam record, saying he does not need the pressure it brings.
Aryna Sabalenka likes the idea of 'rage rooms' at tournaments where players can vent their frustrations away from the cameras, though the World No. 1 said there would be nothing left to destroy after she uses it.
Carlos Alcaraz raced into the Australian Open fourth round after a clinical victory France's Corentin Moutet.
Roger Federer fired up the Australian Open with a blistering start to his title defence on Monday, bringing some welcome warmth to an unseasonably cool Melbourne Park on opening day.
World number one Aryna Sabalenka began her 2026 campaign with a thumping victory at the Brisbane International on Tuesday while her "Battle of the Sexes" opponent Nick Kyrgios fell short on his return to singles action after nearly a year out.
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 day session attendance of 51,048 was some 10,000 short of day six on Friday and even less than last year's corresponding session.
Iga Swiatek heads into Melbourne Park with the Australian Open title the only gap on her Grand Slam resume, but the world number two is keen to avoid setting herself targets for the new season and says her main goal is to improve her game.
Champion Serena Williams, top seed Justine Henin and Rafael Nadal had things their way while booking fourth round slots at the Australian Open.
The Australian Open courts will be faster than ever this year, said Tennis Australia president Geoff Pollard
The four-times Grand Slam champion, who is eyeing her third Australian Open trophy when the tournament begins on January 18 at Melbourne Park, was pushed harder in the next set but edged ahead again at 5-4 to wrap up the win on serve.
American Jessica Pegula defeated compatriot and defending champion Madison Keys to make the Australian Open quarter-finals.
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.
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.
Carlos Alcaraz said winning the Australian Open to complete the career Grand Slam is the main goal of his season.
Coco Gauff started her quest for a maiden Australian Open title with a straight games win over Kamilla Rakhimova to reach the second round.
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.
Jannik Sinner battled cramp in extreme heat in a gutsy win over American Eliot Spizzirri to enter the fourth round of the Australian Open on Saturday
Nick Kyrgios will only feature in the doubles at the Australian Open, which begins at Melbourne Park on January 18.
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