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.
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.
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.
'Nick Kyrgios without his serve is probably not -- I'm not a threat to many players.'
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.
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.
Former world number one Jelena Jankovic was reduced to despair at her poor shot selection after slumping to a shock 7-6, 6-3 loss to China's Peng Shuai in the second round of the Australian on Thursday.
'Yeah, I'm a little sad. I don't know. I'm going to have my Stevie G jerseys hanging somewhere'
Carlos Alcaraz raced into the Australian Open fourth round after a clinical victory France's Corentin Moutet.
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.
Aryna Sabalenka swept to her fourth successive Australian Open final with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Ukrainian Elina Svitolina.
Aryna Sabalenka will bid for a third Australian Open title in succession as if she was going for her first
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.
Kyrgios, the 2018 Brisbane champion, is now ranked 673rd in the world with no protected ranking and will also need a wildcard to compete at Melbourne Park.
Nick Kyrgios will only feature in the doubles at the Australian Open, which begins at Melbourne Park on January 18.
'If he had got the support, he would have finished in that legendary group of cricketers who have played 100 Tests for the country.' 'He never complained, but that might have gone against him because sometimes you have to be open and make your point clearly otherwise people take you for granted.'
Carlos Alcaraz said winning the Australian Open to complete the career Grand Slam is the main goal of his season.
A Melbourne-based Indian-origin teacher, Sunil Sharma, who went missing in Amritsar, was allegedly murdered by his brother, Satish Sharma, over a property dispute. Police investigations revealed Satish conspired with property dealers to usurp Sunil's properties, leading to his murder with a baseball bat after being drugged. Sunil's body was then disposed of in a canal, and his family, including his daughter, had appealed for help in finding him. Satish, his wife, and son have been arrested, and a search for the body and other conspirators is ongoing.
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.
Coco Gauff started her quest for a maiden Australian Open title with a straight games win over Kamilla Rakhimova to reach the second round.
American Jessica Pegula defeated compatriot and defending champion Madison Keys to make the Australian Open quarter-finals.
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.
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.
Alcaraz swats aside Walton as career Grand Slam bid begins in Melbourne
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
Russian-born Daria Kasatkina said she is ready to embrace the "good pressure" of a home Grand Slam when she steps onto the Melbourne Park court as an Australian citizen for the first time.
Keys, who captured her first Grand Slam title at the tournament last year, said she was still getting used to the surreal experience of seeing herself immortalised around Melbourne Park.
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.
It's three days since the Australian Open kicked-off. Let's check out what the top stars are wearing. Tennis fashion has travelled a long way from whites to bright colours. Players and the famous brands, experiment with various shades.
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.
Carlos Alcaraz charged into the Australian Open semi-finals for the first time in his career with a dominant victory over local favourite Alex de Minaur.
Djokovic, who is ranked seventh in the world, will be on the hunt for a record 25th major title when the 2025 Australian Open begins next Sunday.
Novak Djokovic, who is eyeing a record 25th Grand Slam title, looks likely to need to beat either Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz or both at the business end of the Australian Open.
Novak Djokovic slides, stretches and dominates to reach the Australian Open third round and move within one win of 400 Grand Slam victories.
Tough road for defending champion Keys
Sabalenka primed for Rybakina rematch with eyes on third Australian Open crown
Fresh off Australian Open glory, Carlos Alcaraz plans a kangaroo tattoo after becoming the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam.
Seven-times Grand Slam champion Venus Williams thanked Australian Open organisers on Saturday for giving her a wildcard that will see the 45-year-old American become the oldest woman ever to compete in the singles main draw.
'I've practised with both of them a little bit and they're incredible ball strikers. There's more to come, I hope they stay injury-free.'
IMAGES from Day 4 of the matches played at the Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Wednesday.
