Novak Djokovic still dreams of winning his 25th major title, but his body might stand in the way once again. Despite not winning any major titles in the past two years, Djokovic will still be one of the favorites entering this year's Australian Open. He is a 10-time champion in Melbourne, and no one has lifted the trophy at the "Happy Slam" more times than he has. But despite his years of experience, all the titles, and all the weeks he's spent as the world No. 1 player on the ATP Tour, even Novak Djokovic can't stop aging, and that keeps showing, as he barely seems to be healthy. Djokovic ended last year by withdrawing from the ATP Finals, and he started this season by withdrawing from an event as well. He was supposed to play the Adelaide International, but withdrew shortly before the event. Now, his next tournament on the schedule is the Australian Open, where the Serbian player will be the fourth seed. But his chances of succeeding might be in jeopardy after Djokovic ended his most recent practice session early. Djokovic, like many of his rivals, has already started practicing at Melbourne Park, preparing for the first major tournament of the new season. He chose Daniil Medvedev as a partner for his most recent practice session. The 24-time major winner lost the first set of his practice set against Medvedev 5-7, but the pace at which the Serbian player practiced was far from high. Later that day, Djokovic intended to have another practice session, but he ended only 12 minutes after starting, even requiring attention from his physiotherapist. It seems that Djokovic's neck is his main problem at the moment, and given how much he has struggled with injuries recently, it would be a miracle if the 10-time champion challenged for another title in Melbourne. Novak Djokovic needs help from Alcaraz and Sinner to win the Australian Open, says former Wimbledon winner Pat Cash, who won the Wimbledon Championships in 1987, recently spoke to Tennis365 about Djokovic. According to Cash, the Serbian legend needs help from Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner to win the title in Melbourne. "He needs two of them to fall over, that’s the reality of it. So I’m very, very interested to see how he goes. It’s a fine balance at the end of your career to find where you are training hard enough to be fit enough to last two, even three, five set matches, but the not pushing it too far. So training hard enough to be able to last that, training too hard enough that you don’t get injured." "You need to save enough in the tank so that you don’t get worn out and then not overtraining that you get injured before you go in there. When you are younger, you can keep pushing and while you get tired, if you play a five-set match when you are younger, you know you can bounce back quickly."

The men's singles draw for the 2026 Australian Open has been released, and it features many exciting matchups. The first major tournament of the new season will start on January 18th, with the champions crowned on January 31st and February 1st. In the men's singles, the competition has been dominated by Jannik Sinner in recent years. The Italian player enters the draw as a two-time defending champion. But despite being so good in Melbourne in the past few seasons, Sinner isn't the top seed. He is currently only the second-highest-ranked player on the ATP Tour, which is why his name appears on the last line in the draw. Sinner will play against the always tricky Hugo Gaston in the first round. If the Italian makes it to the second round, his opponent will be the winner of the match between Dino Prizmic and James Duckworth. However, it's Sinner's possible third-round matchup that is the most exciting. The four-time Grand Slam champion could play against teenage prodigy Joao Fonseca. Fonseca has struggled with injuries at the start of this season, but if he's healthy to compete, he could challenge the defending champion. Carlos Alcaraz's name lies on the opposite side of the draw. The Spaniard is the top seed, and he will be eager to win the Australian Open title, as it's the only major title missing in his collection. He can complete the Career Grand Slam at this year's "Happy Slam." This year's Australian Open likely won't be a "Happy Slam" for home player Adam Walton, as he was the player drawn against Alcaraz in the first round. If the Spanish player passes this test, he will play against the winner of the match between Yannick Hanfmann and Zachary Svajda. Like Sinner, Alcaraz can face his first proper test in the third round. The six-time major winner could play against Sebastian Korda or Corentin Moutet, who is an unpredictable opponent. Novak Djokovic will try to win his 25th major title, despite all the injury setbacks. The Serbian legend is the fourth seed, and he landed in Sinner's half of the draw. Djokovic will play against Pedro Martinez in the first round of the tournament. The second-round match could prove to be a real challenge for Djokovic. If he succeeds in the first round, the 10-time Australian Open champion will play against Terence Atmane or Francesco Maestrelli. Atmane is the player who played two great matches against Sinner in 2025, showing he's capable of pushing the best of the best. Alexander Zverev is the third seed in the Australian Open draw. The German player will want to end his career-long wait for a major title. Gabriel Diallo will be the first player who will stand in his way. There are also many exciting first-round matches that will take place in Melbourne. The sixth-seeded Alex de Minaur will play against Matteo Berrettini, while one of the tallest players on the Tour, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, will take on one of the shortest, Sebastian Baez. 2026 Australian Open Men's Singles Draw: Player 1 Player 2 Carlos Alcaraz (1) Adam Walton Yannick Hanfmann Zachary Svajda Michael Zheng Sebastian Korda Tristan Schoolkate Corentin Moutet (32) Tommy Paul (19) Aleksandar Kovacevic Thiago Agustin Tirante Aleksandar Vukic Nicolai Budkov Kjaer Reilly Opelka Filip Misolic Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (14) Alexander Bublik (10) Jenson Brooksby Camilo Ugo Carabelli Marton Fucsovics Miomir Kecmanovic Tomas Martin Etcheverry Arthur Fery Flavio Cobolli (20) Frances Tiafoe (29) Jason Kubler Patrick Kypson Francisco Comesana Mariano Navone Hamad Medjedovic Matteo Berrettini Alex de Minaur (6) Alexander Zverev (3) Gabriel Diallo Alexei Popyrin Alexandre Muller Emilio Nava Kyrian Jacquet Benjamin Bonzi Cameron Norrie (26) Francisco Cerundolo (18) Zhizhen Zhang Liam Draxl Damir Dzumhur Arthur Cazaux Jaime Faria Matteo Arnaldi Andrey Rublev (13) Daniil Medvedev (11) Jesper de Jong Quentin Halys Alejandro Tabilo Kamil Majchrzak Jacob Fearnley Fabian Marozsan Arthur Rinderknech (24) Learner Tien (25) Marcos Giron Elias Ymer Alexander Shevchenko Juan Manuel Cerundolo Jordan Thompson Nuno Borges Felix Auger-Aliassime (7) Lorenzo Musetti (5) Raphael Collignon Lorenzo Sonego Carlos Taberner Grigor Dimitrov Tomas Machac Shintaro Mochizuki Stefanos Tsitsipas (31) Jiri Lehecka (17) Arthur Gea Laslo Djere Stan Wawrinka Vit Kopriva Jan-Lennard Struff Valentin Royer Taylor Fritz (9) Jakub Mensik (16) Pablo Carreno Busta Rei Sakamoto Rafael Jodar Hubert Hurkacz Zizou Bergs Ethan Quinn Tallon Griekspoor (23) Brandon Nakashima (27) Botic van de Zandschulp Juncheng Shang Roberto Bautista Agut Terence Atmane Francesco Maestrelli Pedro Martinez Novak Djokovic (4) Ben Shelton (8) Ugo Humbert Dane Sweeny Gael Monfils Adrian Mannarino Rinky Hijikata Martin Damm Valentin Vacherot (30) Denis Shapovalov (21) Yunchaokete Bu Daniel Altmaier Marin Cilic Jaume Munar Dalibor Svrcina Mattia Bellucci Casper Ruud (12) Karen Khachanov (15) Alex Michelsen Christopher O'Connell Nishesh Basavareddy Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard Sebastian Baez Cristian Garin Luciano Darderi (22) Joao Fonseca (28) Eliot Spizzirri Luca Nardi Yibing Wu James Duckworth Dino Prizmic Hugo Gaston Jannik Sinner (2)

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner were among the huge upsets in an epic 1 Point Slam event, which was shockingly won by an amateur. The 1 Point Slam made its debut last year. Back then, it featured a small draw of amateurs and mostly lower-ranked Australian professional tennis players, with Andrey Rublev and Hubert Hurkacz being two of the highest-ranked professionals. This year, the event significantly expanded. The qualifiers for the amateurs got even bigger, and the main draw was expanded to a 64-player draw with BYEs for the 16 seeded professionals. The rules of the 1 Point Slam are simple. Only one point decides the winner, with a game of rock-paper-scissors deciding who chooses to serve or receive first. The professionals have only one serve, while amateurs have both serves. The 1 Point Slam champion wins A$1 million, while the last-amateur-standing receives a brand-new Kia EV3 GT-Line in Matcha Green. There were no huge upsets in the first round, but things started getting interesting in the second round. The first upset came already in the first match of the second round, with Iga Swiatek outhitting Flavio Cobolli to book a third-round spot. One of the most beautiful rallies of the evening came in a match between Amateur Petar Jovic and Daniil Medvedev. Jovic even hit a tweener in the rally, but ended up losing to the former Australian Open finalist. Another shock of the evening came when amateur Jordan Smith beat Laura Pigossi, WTA world No. 198. But that was not all from the amateurs, Alec Reverente came with a great second serve to eliminate Felix Auger-Aliassime. Coco Gauff joked about not looking forward to the competition, and those nerves probably got to her against Donna Vekic, as she single-faulted. One of the biggest shocks came when one of the best players on the ATP Tour, Alexander Zverev, lost to Joanna Garland, WTA world No. 117. The German player was passive during the rally, and Garland didn't need a second invitation. The third round matches were set, and the drama continued. Frances Tiafoe single-faulted against Iga Swiatek, which meant the Polish player eliminated already second ATP player in the competition. But there were many more WTA players beating their ATP colleagues. Amanda Anisimova stunned Daniil Medvedev, but probably no one expected what followed after that match. Two-time Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner took on amateur Jordan Smith, and after previously joking about being scared to serve, he shockingly single-faulted against the amateur, causing an upset of the evening. Joanna Garland wanted to cause another upset after beating Zverev, and she managed to do it. Nick Kyrgios went aggressive on return, but missed it long, which meant Garland, like Swiatek, upset the second ATP player in a row. But that was far from being the last upset of the evening. After Jannik Sinner exited the competition, Carlos Alcaraz also shockingly lost to Maria Sakkari, after attempting a drop shot, which was just too short. Heading into the quarter-finals, there were 6 WTA players, 1 ATP player, and one amateur left, a shocking development, but one that only highlighted the unpredictable nature of the 1 Point Slam. Pedro Martinez was the last ATP player standing, and he didn't plan to lose. The Spaniard eliminated Swiatek in the quarter-finals of the tournament. The last amateur standing, Jordan Smith, was up next against Amanda Anisimova. Although Smith had already made it deep, he had his sights set on the A$1 million prize. His serve surprised Anisimova, who missed it long, sending Smith to the semi-finals. The last two semi-final matches were WTA matches. Donna Vekic first beat McCartney Kessler, before Joanna Garland eliminated Maria Sakkari. Amateur Jordan Smith took on ATP world No. 71 in the first semi-final, and he completed another shocking upset, coming one step away from winning a life-changing prize of A$1 million. The second semi-final was a match between Vekic and Garland, who, with Smith, were two crowd favorites on Wednesday evening. Garland completed the dream final by eliminating Vekic. Before the real final was played, amateurs Jordan Smith and Alec Reverente played for a brand-new Kia EV3 GT-Line in Matcha Green, which was given to the best amateur. Smith lost the rally, which meant Reverente won the new car, but a bigger match was coming up for Smith. Although some fans would maybe want to see another final between Alcaraz and Sinner or a similar blockbuster, probably everyone enjoyed seeing Jordan Smith and Joanna Garland in the final, as for both, winning A$1 million would be life-changing. Although Garland is a professional, she has earned only $404,934 in her tennis career. A$1 million equals to $670,000, which is more than 150% of her career earnings. During the event, she mentioned winning the 1 Point Slam could fund her career for following few years. On the other hand, Smith mentioned he would use the money to buy a house. The final was set, with all the eliminated players watching backstage. No one expected to see an amateur take on the WTA world No. 117 in the final, but probably the most unlikely scenario came true. Ultimately, it was amateur Jordan Smith who took home the top prize of $1 million after Garland missed a backhand. The 1 Point Slam proved to be a great event, showing the unpredictable nature of tennis, especially in a format where only one point decides the winner.

Andre Agassi, one of tennis's most significant ever stars, will be the subject of a docuseries after an announcement by Apple TV. This year's US Open will mark 20 years since Agassi's emotional retirement at Flushing Meadows. The home favorite bowed out after a four-set defeat against Benjamin Becker in front of a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium. During his career, Agassi was tennis's biggest star. His baseline game revolutionized the sport and inspired generations of players, while the eight-time Major winner's off-court activities drew significant media scrutiny. That background means Agassi's life still generates attention. Until the last few years, he was not actively involved in tennis and focused on doing other things, but his appointment as Team World's Laver Cup captain brought him back into the tennis spotlight. Therefore, it might be the perfect time to make a docuseries about him. Apple TV revealed the project without giving a confirmed date for its release or an exact synopsis of what it will be about, but the announcement is still exciting. Chris Smith, the Emmy winner who directed Netflix's Tiger King, will direct the docuseries. Former player Justin Gimelstob, who coached John Isner to the 2018 Wimbledon semifinal, has also been confirmed in a role of some type. The docuseries could focus on several areas, such as Agassi's childhood, the hatred he felt for tennis (as revealed in his infamous autobiography), off-court controversies when he played, and his post-playing career. Whether the docuseries will focus on multiple or a singular topic is uncertain. For now, fans can be excited about the prospect of watching something involving one of the most iconic players in ATP history. Andre Agassi was rumored for a coaching role in 2025 In 2017, Novak Djokovic worked briefly with Andre Agassi. Although they remain on good terms today, their partnership did not work out as hoped, with the 24-time Grand Slam champion suffering uncharacteristically poor results before parting ways with him. Agassi served as a consultant coach for Grigor Dimitrov from 2018 to 2020, but then stepped away from coaching players. There were rumors about him getting back into the role when he and Holger Rune trained in Washington last year. Speaking about the experience afterward, Rune said it was great for him and did not rule out working with the four-time Australian Open champion again in the future, fueling speculation about a partnership being likely. Nothing came of that afterward, and any possibility was dampened further by Rune sustaining a severe Achilles injury in the closing stages of 2025. That issue will keep him out for several months, and he may not return this season. It was an utterly devastating moment for Rune, who had already slipped significantly behind Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. Challenging them in the future will be even harder after a lengthy spell on the sidelines. Agassi will have his second year as a Laver Cup captain this year. Team World won last year's tournament under his guidance, and he had a close relationship with the players. Whether he will work with anyone individually is uncertain at this point.

A Ukrainian Olympian has torn into Aryna Sabalenka for her historical closeness with the Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, arguing that it contradicts her comments about the Ukraine war. Since February 2022, Ukraine has been at war with Russia after the latter launched an illegal invasion. That move has led to much devastation and fatalities, and the conflict is now almost four years old. Focusing on performing while their homeland fights courageously for its existence has been challenging for Ukrainian players. They make a point of not shaking hands with Russian or Belarusian players after matches. That led to Marta Kostyuk snubbing Sabalenka after their 2026 Brisbane International final. The Belarusian addressed the situation afterward, but it is something she has experienced with multiple players, including Elina Svitolina. Although Ukrainian players apply that handshake stance to all players representing Russia or Belarus, regardless of their views on the conflict, feelings towards Sabalenka are particularly strong because of her past comments and actions towards Lukashenko. In 2020, there were widespread protests against Lukashenko's rule. Rather than oppose a leader who is widely reported to have committed human rights abuses, Sabalenka signed a letter supporting him. The four-time Grand Slam champion's affection for Lukashenko was further demonstrated by her spending New Year's Eve 2020 with him. Therefore, many Ukrainians find it challenging to believe her now when she claims to oppose the war and Lukashenko. Vladyslav Heraskevych, a Ukrainian skeleton athlete, delivered a scathing assessment of Sabalenka in an X post. He accompanied his post with a photo of her hugging Lukashenko in 2018, and used a clown emoji when referencing her words opposing Russia's invasion. "First, she hugs the dictator and supports his policy, and then: “Nobody supports the war — neither russian nor belarusian athletes. How can we support the war? Normal people will never support the war.🤡" Heraskevych then took a broader aim at Russian and Belarusian athletes, writing that several of them are directly involved in Russia's war effort, and that they take pride in assisting the country's illegal invasion. "Meanwhile, a massive number of Russian athletes serve in the Russian army. Some other pose with “Z” symbols, others take part in propaganda events — and that’s just scratching the surface of how russian and belarusian athletes are directly involved in the war and its propaganda machine. How hypocritical these russian/belarusian athletes are." Defenders of Sabalenka argue that people are allowed to change their minds about leaders, and that Lukashenko's decision to strongly support Russia's actions in Ukraine may have genuinely made her realize Lukashenko's true nature. Others think that sport and politics should never mix. Sabalenka herself has made that argument in response to being questioned about the situation in Ukraine, becoming visibly more agitated with being consistently asked for her thoughts on the conflict. One Russian-born player that Kostyuk and other Ukrainians shake hands with is Daria Kasatkina, because of her vocal opposition to the Russian government's actions and her decision to switch allegiances and represent Australia.

Lorenzo Musetti could miss the season's opening Grand Slam at the 2026 Australian Open after being unable to complete an exhibition with Alexander Zverev. The Italian's first tournament of the year ended in a final appearance at the 2026 Hong Kong Open. He lost 6-7, 3-6 against Alexander Bublik, only managing to break his opponent's serve once in the contest. That was Musetti's seventh consecutive defeat in a singles final, an utterly brutal record. His lengthy streak included crying after the 2025 Chengdu Open final because of missing two match points to secure the title. Rather than play at the 2026 Adelaide International or the 2026 ASB Classic, Musetti flew to Melbourne for the Australian Open's first week and participated in an exhibition with last year's runner-up, Alexander Zverev. Both men played much entertaining tennis in the opening set. Zverev has a losing 2-3 head-to-head record against Musetti, and the 23-year-old showed why that is by troubling the German with his variety. After a very tight battle, Zverev took the opening set 9-7 on a tiebreak. The packed stadium was undoubtedly looking forward to how the second was going to unfold after watching so much great shot-making for over an hour. Unfortunately, Musetti could not continue. A physio came to the court and inspected him while he lay down. The 2025 French Open semifinalist seemed to be struggling with some pain and/or stiffness in his glutes. Musetti understandably decided to be cautious and not play any further, with the Australian Open main draw starting on Sunday. Zverev said some nice words to him after the Italian informed him of the decision. Hopefully, one of the ATP Tour's most watchable players will be fit for the Australian Open. Making the cautious and correct decision to retire against Zverev might be what ensures he is ready, but that cannot be guaranteed at this stage. Alexander Zverev was slammed for what he said about Lorenzo Musetti after a match last year At the 2025 Italian Open in Rome, Lorenzo Musetti overcame Alexander Zverev 7-6, 6-4. He was more solid than the three-time Grand Slam runner-up and played smarter tennis in the most pivotal moments. Many found Zverev's words about Musetti afterward disrespectful. He claimed that his younger opponent uses a defensive style and that the conditions made it difficult for an attack-minded player like himself to succeed. Those comments were met with much ridicule, since Zverev is well known for being overly defensive on the biggest stages. Figures like Roger Federer have said that he needs to trust himself more and not wait for Grand Slams to come to him. Renee Stubbs's remarks about Musetti being defensive were much more blunt. She blasted Zverev as a "pu**y" and described how he was a hypocrite for saying that without reflecting on his failings with being too cautious. Zverev's hopes of winning a maiden Grand Slam feel even slimmer than a few years ago, given Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner's levels, and being conservative against them at Grand Slams almost certainly will not work.

Naomi Osaka is among the most honest WTA players, and she showed that side again with her reaction to those who expressed disdain for her 2026 Australian Open outfit. The most recent of Osaka's four Grand Slam titles occurred at the 2021 Australian Open. She has not reached a Major final since, but had her best run since that last triumph in Melbourne at the 2025 US Open, making the semifinal. Osaka might be more confident of a deep run at a Grand Slam than she has been in a few years after having a full off-season with Tomasz Wiktorowski, Iga Swiatek's former coach, whose appointment before the 2025 Canadian Open instigated her improved form. Although how she performs on the court is most important, Osaka also cares about fashion and her outfits at tournaments. That is especially true at Grand Slams, where millions watch her play. A Sports Illustrated article reported that Nike confirmed Osaka's dress for the Australian Open. The Japanese star had previously dropped a hint for it by saying it was 'jellyfish season', and the color scheme used tracks with that. Osaka's expected dress is predominantly blue, but has one long white strip and shades of green that look quite like seaweed. The bright colors fit with the Australian summer and the good weather usually seen at the season's opening Grand Slam. However, some online fans did not react positively. Critics include the dress being over-designed, it being much less impressive than some of her previous iconic fits, and the colors used not suiting Osaka well. Rather than simply not responding to those opinions, as most players do, Osaka wrote a brief but savage response on Threads. She said that 'uncultured' people cannot comprehend her outfits as others do. "If you’re uncultured, you’re not going to understand my tennis outfits. The girls that get it, get it lol."  The use of 'uncultured' caused controversy, since some took it to mean Osaka was calling her critics stupid. That may not have been her intention, and the former world No. 1's combative approach is appreciated in a world where trolls are rampant. Naomi Osaka will fight with several others for the Australian Open women's singles title Although Naomi Osaka is capable of playing well on all surfaces, most agree that her best chance of winning a fifth Grand Slam is at the Australian Open or the US Open. Under Tomasz Wiktorowski's guidance, 2026 could be a special year for her. Two-time Australian Open champion and world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka starts as the women's singles favorite for this year's iteration in Melbourne. She built momentum by winning the 2026 Brisbane International, overcoming Marta Kostyuk in the final. Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Mirra Andreeva, Jessica Pegula, Amanda Anisimova, Elena Rybakina, and defending champion Madison Keys are among the other women vying for the title. Women's Majors events are more open than the men's, where Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have recently dominated.

Coco Gauff will be one of the players taking part in the 1 Point Slam at the Australian Open, which will be held for the second time. The 1 Point Slam is an event that was first held last year, and it will return to Melbourne Park also in 2026. The rules of the event are simple, there is only one point played in each match, which determines the winner. The most exciting part of the tournament is the fact that amateur tennis players get a chance to take part as well. While last year, the field of professionals included mostly lower-ranked Australian players, this year, the best players in the world will compete in the 1 Point Slam. Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek, and Coco Gauff are just some of the players signed up for the tournament. The winner of the 1 Point Slam will receive A$1 million, while the last amateur standing will be rewarded with a brand-new Kia EV3 GT-Line in Matcha Green. As one of the players signed up for the tournament, Gauff was asked about it during her participation at the United Cup. The American player let it slip that it wasn't necessarily her who signed up for the event, but instead, the tournament organizers asked her to play. "I didn't, like (laughing) -- yeah, they wanted me to. I'm not looking forward to it, but..." It's understandable that Tennis Australia wants to have the best players in the world competing. In 2025, the event didn't take center stage, with only a few fans attending. This year, however, it will be held at the Rod Laver Arena on January 14th, and the organizers will want to have it sold out. Gauff, despite not being excited about the tournament, thinks it's a great event for tennis. It gives amateurs a chance to compete against the best tennis players in the world, which can give them a great perspective at what it takes to be successful on the ATP or WTA Tour. "Yeah, I mean, I think especially it gets you in the mindset, like being ready. Also, I think it's great for the sport to have these different things going on. Yeah, the 1 Point, we'll see how I do. I'm not very confident in myself. But yeah, I think it's great. Just promotes the more fun side of tennis. Obviously it's going to get pretty serious later on, but I think it's great for fanfare." "It gives the fans a little different perspective on the sport. Yeah, I try to make sure it's just the right amount of things. I like to just do one thing and then after that I try to focus on the two weeks."

Emma Raducanu got a big step closer to winning the 2026 Hobart International title, despite still having yet to finish her first-round match. Raducanu started her 2026 season at the United Cup. She withdrew from her first match of the season, but then played against Maria Sakkari in what was her first match of 2026. The British player lost in three sets, 3-6, 6-3, 1-6. She then travelled to Tasmania to compete at the Hobart International. As the top seed in the draw, Raducanu is one of the top favorites to lift the trophy at the WTA 250 event in Hobart, and her chances of winning the title at the event have now significantly improved. Raducanu started her first-round match against Camila Osorio. The Colombian player needed a wild card to enter the main draw of the event, as she is currently ranked 82nd in the WTA Rankings. However, Osorio is a player capable of causing upsets, even though she prefers clay courts to hard courts. Raducanu won the first set of the match 6-3, but she fell 2-4 behind in the second set, before the match had to be stopped because of rain at 40-40 in the eighth game of the second set. That match will finish as the second match at the Centre Court on Wednesday. What might motivate both players is the fact that the winner of this match will advance directly to the quarter-finals, despite the fact that the match they are playing is a first-round match. The reason is simple. Magdalena Frech, who was supposed to be the second-round opponent of the winner of this match, withdrew from the tournament. Frech won her first match against Elsa Jacquemot, but subsequently withdrew from the Hobart International because of an injury. That means Raducanu could reach the quarter-finals at the WTA 250 event just by winning one match. Emma Raducanu aims to get used to the Hobart International conditions Raducanu has never played at the Hobart International before. This year marked her debut in Tasmania, and speaking ahead of the event, she admitted that getting used to the conditions would be crucial for her success in Hobart. "The wind is quite strong here, so getting used to that is a big thing. It’s a lot of adapting and improvising. You probably have to accept that you’re not going to feel like you’re hitting the ball amazingly all the time. It’s all part of the skill set you need to play in all types of conditions. It’ll be a good test and challenge." Raducanu will want to beat Osorio, as avoiding the second-round match against Frech will give her enough time to see Tasmania. "I’m really grateful to be here in Hobart and to see Tasmania. I’m just happy to be here. It’s somewhere I didn’t think I’d get the opportunity to go if it wasn’t for tennis, so I’m really happy that it has brought me here. I can see the beautiful sights, and hopefully I get to explore a little bit more. I love nature, so it’s a really pretty place to be."

Novak Djokovic still dreams of winning his 25th major title, but his body might stand in the way once again. Despite not winning any major titles in the past two years, Djokovic will still be one of the favorites entering this year's Australian Open. He is a 10-time champion in Melbourne, and no one has lifted the trophy at the "Happy Slam" more times than he has. But despite his years of experience, all the titles, and all the weeks he's spent as the world No. 1 player on the ATP Tour, even Novak Djokovic can't stop aging, and that keeps showing, as he barely seems to be healthy. Djokovic ended last year by withdrawing from the ATP Finals, and he started this season by withdrawing from an event as well. He was supposed to play the Adelaide International, but withdrew shortly before the event. Now, his next tournament on the schedule is the Australian Open, where the Serbian player will be the fourth seed. But his chances of succeeding might be in jeopardy after Djokovic ended his most recent practice session early. Djokovic, like many of his rivals, has already started practicing at Melbourne Park, preparing for the first major tournament of the new season. He chose Daniil Medvedev as a partner for his most recent practice session. The 24-time major winner lost the first set of his practice set against Medvedev 5-7, but the pace at which the Serbian player practiced was far from high. Later that day, Djokovic intended to have another practice session, but he ended only 12 minutes after starting, even requiring attention from his physiotherapist. It seems that Djokovic's neck is his main problem at the moment, and given how much he has struggled with injuries recently, it would be a miracle if the 10-time champion challenged for another title in Melbourne. Novak Djokovic needs help from Alcaraz and Sinner to win the Australian Open, says former Wimbledon winner Pat Cash, who won the Wimbledon Championships in 1987, recently spoke to Tennis365 about Djokovic. According to Cash, the Serbian legend needs help from Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner to win the title in Melbourne. "He needs two of them to fall over, that’s the reality of it. So I’m very, very interested to see how he goes. It’s a fine balance at the end of your career to find where you are training hard enough to be fit enough to last two, even three, five set matches, but the not pushing it too far. So training hard enough to be able to last that, training too hard enough that you don’t get injured." "You need to save enough in the tank so that you don’t get worn out and then not overtraining that you get injured before you go in there. When you are younger, you can keep pushing and while you get tired, if you play a five-set match when you are younger, you know you can bounce back quickly."

Casper Ruud is focusing his efforts on starting the 2026 season well, but there are also other things he has to think about. Ruud's 2025 season was one of his worse in recent years. He finished the year outside the Top 10, so the goal for the upcoming season is quite straightforward for the Norwegian player. But despite his professional goals being clear, he came to Australia with a bit of uncertainty. He and his wife, Maria Galligani, will soon become parents. Their first child is due anytime soon, which might mean a flight back home for Ruud. Obviously, his wife didn't travel to Australia with him. Ruud started his season at the United Cup, beating Alex de Minaur but then losing to Jakub Mensik. After that, he travelled to New Zealand fro the ASB Classic in Auckland. As the second seed, he had a first-round bye, and will play against Fabian Marozsan in the second round. Speaking ahead of the event, the 27-year-old player revealed that if he receives a call from his wife, he might quickly jump on the plane to travel back home and support her. "Honestly, she [the baby] can come any time now. So hopefully I get to stay for the rest of the tournament, but you never know. I might get a call and be on the plane back home out of here." "It’s no short trip back home, so hopefully she stays in for a few extra weeks, and I can be there for the birth, and later in the year we’ll have our wedding and celebrate our marriage." Year 2026 will be exciting for Ruud in many ways. Not only will he become a father and have a planned wedding ceremony with his wife, but he also looks forward to challenging for titles on the ATP Tour. According to his own words, the 2025 season was below his expectations, so he will try to show why he once challenged for Grand Slam titles in 2026. "(2026) will be a really fun year, but if we put those (family) things aside and think about tennis, I think it can be an exciting year. Last season was, in a way, not what I was hoping for, but at the same time, I really played some good tennis. I got two titles last year, and hopefully play more like I did those two weeks for this season coming up now." After playing in Auckland, Ruud will move to Melbourne, Australia, where he will be among the Top 15 seeded players. That means he will avoid the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner for the first three rounds, and he won't have to face a higher-ranked player in the first week of the competition. Ruud has never done well at the Australian Open, but he will want to change that as well. His best result is the fourth round in 2021, but apart from that, he made it out of the second round only once.

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner were among the huge upsets in an epic 1 Point Slam event, which was shockingly won by an amateur. The 1 Point Slam made its debut last year. Back then, it featured a small draw of amateurs and mostly lower-ranked Australian professional tennis players, with Andrey Rublev and Hubert Hurkacz being two of the highest-ranked professionals. This year, the event significantly expanded. The qualifiers for the amateurs got even bigger, and the main draw was expanded to a 64-player draw with BYEs for the 16 seeded professionals. The rules of the 1 Point Slam are simple. Only one point decides the winner, with a game of rock-paper-scissors deciding who chooses to serve or receive first. The professionals have only one serve, while amateurs have both serves. The 1 Point Slam champion wins A$1 million, while the last-amateur-standing receives a brand-new Kia EV3 GT-Line in Matcha Green. There were no huge upsets in the first round, but things started getting interesting in the second round. The first upset came already in the first match of the second round, with Iga Swiatek outhitting Flavio Cobolli to book a third-round spot. One of the most beautiful rallies of the evening came in a match between Amateur Petar Jovic and Daniil Medvedev. Jovic even hit a tweener in the rally, but ended up losing to the former Australian Open finalist. Another shock of the evening came when amateur Jordan Smith beat Laura Pigossi, WTA world No. 198. But that was not all from the amateurs, Alec Reverente came with a great second serve to eliminate Felix Auger-Aliassime. Coco Gauff joked about not looking forward to the competition, and those nerves probably got to her against Donna Vekic, as she single-faulted. One of the biggest shocks came when one of the best players on the ATP Tour, Alexander Zverev, lost to Joanna Garland, WTA world No. 117. The German player was passive during the rally, and Garland didn't need a second invitation. The third round matches were set, and the drama continued. Frances Tiafoe single-faulted against Iga Swiatek, which meant the Polish player eliminated already second ATP player in the competition. But there were many more WTA players beating their ATP colleagues. Amanda Anisimova stunned Daniil Medvedev, but probably no one expected what followed after that match. Two-time Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner took on amateur Jordan Smith, and after previously joking about being scared to serve, he shockingly single-faulted against the amateur, causing an upset of the evening. Joanna Garland wanted to cause another upset after beating Zverev, and she managed to do it. Nick Kyrgios went aggressive on return, but missed it long, which meant Garland, like Swiatek, upset the second ATP player in a row. But that was far from being the last upset of the evening. After Jannik Sinner exited the competition, Carlos Alcaraz also shockingly lost to Maria Sakkari, after attempting a drop shot, which was just too short. Heading into the quarter-finals, there were 6 WTA players, 1 ATP player, and one amateur left, a shocking development, but one that only highlighted the unpredictable nature of the 1 Point Slam. Pedro Martinez was the last ATP player standing, and he didn't plan to lose. The Spaniard eliminated Swiatek in the quarter-finals of the tournament. The last amateur standing, Jordan Smith, was up next against Amanda Anisimova. Although Smith had already made it deep, he had his sights set on the A$1 million prize. His serve surprised Anisimova, who missed it long, sending Smith to the semi-finals. The last two semi-final matches were WTA matches. Donna Vekic first beat McCartney Kessler, before Joanna Garland eliminated Maria Sakkari. Amateur Jordan Smith took on ATP world No. 71 in the first semi-final, and he completed another shocking upset, coming one step away from winning a life-changing prize of A$1 million. The second semi-final was a match between Vekic and Garland, who, with Smith, were two crowd favorites on Wednesday evening. Garland completed the dream final by eliminating Vekic. Before the real final was played, amateurs Jordan Smith and Alec Reverente played for a brand-new Kia EV3 GT-Line in Matcha Green, which was given to the best amateur. Smith lost the rally, which meant Reverente won the new car, but a bigger match was coming up for Smith. Although some fans would maybe want to see another final between Alcaraz and Sinner or a similar blockbuster, probably everyone enjoyed seeing Jordan Smith and Joanna Garland in the final, as for both, winning A$1 million would be life-changing. Although Garland is a professional, she has earned only $404,934 in her tennis career. A$1 million equals to $670,000, which is more than 150% of her career earnings. During the event, she mentioned winning the 1 Point Slam could fund her career for following few years. On the other hand, Smith mentioned he would use the money to buy a house. The final was set, with all the eliminated players watching backstage. No one expected to see an amateur take on the WTA world No. 117 in the final, but probably the most unlikely scenario came true. Ultimately, it was amateur Jordan Smith who took home the top prize of $1 million after Garland missed a backhand. The 1 Point Slam proved to be a great event, showing the unpredictable nature of tennis, especially in a format where only one point decides the winner.

Andre Agassi, one of tennis's most significant ever stars, will be the subject of a docuseries after an announcement by Apple TV. This year's US Open will mark 20 years since Agassi's emotional retirement at Flushing Meadows. The home favorite bowed out after a four-set defeat against Benjamin Becker in front of a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium. During his career, Agassi was tennis's biggest star. His baseline game revolutionized the sport and inspired generations of players, while the eight-time Major winner's off-court activities drew significant media scrutiny. That background means Agassi's life still generates attention. Until the last few years, he was not actively involved in tennis and focused on doing other things, but his appointment as Team World's Laver Cup captain brought him back into the tennis spotlight. Therefore, it might be the perfect time to make a docuseries about him. Apple TV revealed the project without giving a confirmed date for its release or an exact synopsis of what it will be about, but the announcement is still exciting. Chris Smith, the Emmy winner who directed Netflix's Tiger King, will direct the docuseries. Former player Justin Gimelstob, who coached John Isner to the 2018 Wimbledon semifinal, has also been confirmed in a role of some type. The docuseries could focus on several areas, such as Agassi's childhood, the hatred he felt for tennis (as revealed in his infamous autobiography), off-court controversies when he played, and his post-playing career. Whether the docuseries will focus on multiple or a singular topic is uncertain. For now, fans can be excited about the prospect of watching something involving one of the most iconic players in ATP history. Andre Agassi was rumored for a coaching role in 2025 In 2017, Novak Djokovic worked briefly with Andre Agassi. Although they remain on good terms today, their partnership did not work out as hoped, with the 24-time Grand Slam champion suffering uncharacteristically poor results before parting ways with him. Agassi served as a consultant coach for Grigor Dimitrov from 2018 to 2020, but then stepped away from coaching players. There were rumors about him getting back into the role when he and Holger Rune trained in Washington last year. Speaking about the experience afterward, Rune said it was great for him and did not rule out working with the four-time Australian Open champion again in the future, fueling speculation about a partnership being likely. Nothing came of that afterward, and any possibility was dampened further by Rune sustaining a severe Achilles injury in the closing stages of 2025. That issue will keep him out for several months, and he may not return this season. It was an utterly devastating moment for Rune, who had already slipped significantly behind Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. Challenging them in the future will be even harder after a lengthy spell on the sidelines. Agassi will have his second year as a Laver Cup captain this year. Team World won last year's tournament under his guidance, and he had a close relationship with the players. Whether he will work with anyone individually is uncertain at this point.

Lorenzo Musetti could miss the season's opening Grand Slam at the 2026 Australian Open after being unable to complete an exhibition with Alexander Zverev. The Italian's first tournament of the year ended in a final appearance at the 2026 Hong Kong Open. He lost 6-7, 3-6 against Alexander Bublik, only managing to break his opponent's serve once in the contest. That was Musetti's seventh consecutive defeat in a singles final, an utterly brutal record. His lengthy streak included crying after the 2025 Chengdu Open final because of missing two match points to secure the title. Rather than play at the 2026 Adelaide International or the 2026 ASB Classic, Musetti flew to Melbourne for the Australian Open's first week and participated in an exhibition with last year's runner-up, Alexander Zverev. Both men played much entertaining tennis in the opening set. Zverev has a losing 2-3 head-to-head record against Musetti, and the 23-year-old showed why that is by troubling the German with his variety. After a very tight battle, Zverev took the opening set 9-7 on a tiebreak. The packed stadium was undoubtedly looking forward to how the second was going to unfold after watching so much great shot-making for over an hour. Unfortunately, Musetti could not continue. A physio came to the court and inspected him while he lay down. The 2025 French Open semifinalist seemed to be struggling with some pain and/or stiffness in his glutes. Musetti understandably decided to be cautious and not play any further, with the Australian Open main draw starting on Sunday. Zverev said some nice words to him after the Italian informed him of the decision. Hopefully, one of the ATP Tour's most watchable players will be fit for the Australian Open. Making the cautious and correct decision to retire against Zverev might be what ensures he is ready, but that cannot be guaranteed at this stage. Alexander Zverev was slammed for what he said about Lorenzo Musetti after a match last year At the 2025 Italian Open in Rome, Lorenzo Musetti overcame Alexander Zverev 7-6, 6-4. He was more solid than the three-time Grand Slam runner-up and played smarter tennis in the most pivotal moments. Many found Zverev's words about Musetti afterward disrespectful. He claimed that his younger opponent uses a defensive style and that the conditions made it difficult for an attack-minded player like himself to succeed. Those comments were met with much ridicule, since Zverev is well known for being overly defensive on the biggest stages. Figures like Roger Federer have said that he needs to trust himself more and not wait for Grand Slams to come to him. Renee Stubbs's remarks about Musetti being defensive were much more blunt. She blasted Zverev as a "pu**y" and described how he was a hypocrite for saying that without reflecting on his failings with being too cautious. Zverev's hopes of winning a maiden Grand Slam feel even slimmer than a few years ago, given Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner's levels, and being conservative against them at Grand Slams almost certainly will not work.

Jessica Pegula and Marta Kostyuk will miss the 2026 Adelaide International, significantly weakening the draw for the WTA 500 event. Pegula and Kostyuk are some of the best tennis players in the world. They are both ranked inside the Top 20 on the WTA Tour, and were two of the favorites in the 2026 Adelaide International draw. In fact, Pegula was the top seed when the draw came out. However, shortly after, the tournament organizers announced that Pegula and Kostyuk both withdrew from the tournament, citing "scheduling changes" as a reason for their withdrawals. "Jessica Pegula and Marta Kostyuk have withdrawn from the Adelaide International due to scheduling changes." Paradoxically, Pegula and Kostyuk met at the Brisbane International. They both made it to the semi-finals, with the Ukrainian player prevailing 6-0, 6-3 to reach the final. She then lost the final match to Aryna Sabalenka. Since they both played a sufficient number of matches in Brisbane, it's possible that both felt ready enough to travel to Melbourne for the first Grand Slam tournament of the season. The 2026 Australian Open starts on January 18th, and with the WTA 500 event ending just one day prior to that, neither wanted to risk being too tired for the "Happy Slam." Madison Keys becomes the top favorite to win the Adelaide International title Madison Keys won the Adelaide International last year before lifting her maiden major title in Melbourne. After Pegula's withdrawal, she is now the highest-ranked player in the Adelaide International draw, even though she remains the second seed, as the draw has already been made. Keys will start her tournament against the winner of the match between Czech qualifier Tereza Valentova and Jelena Ostapenko from Latvia. Asked about her goals ahead of the tournament, Keys didn't focus on winning trophies or matches, but instead enjoying the experience. "So my big goal coming back to Australia was, I know that there's going to be a lot of pressure being defending champion, not only here but also in Australia, or at the Australian Open. But, like, I know that pressure is going to be there, and I think there's kind of two different ways that you can look at it." "You can either look at it and think, 'Oh, my God, that's a lot of pressure,' and kind of be a little bit scared about it. I'm really challenging myself to kind of flip that and think of it as what a really cool opportunity that not very many people get to have. Like, I get to go back here, and in Melbourne, and be defending champion." "And I have all these people who watched my run and got to kind of experience it, and everyone always tells me that they cried. So I feel like I gained a lot of fans from that run as well. That doesn't happen very often, and that's such a cool experience." "I'm really kind of just trying to think about that and think about how cool that is and what an experience. I just get to be really proud of myself for being able to give myself that opportunity. So that's been my big goal so far for 2026."

Coco Gauff will be one of the players taking part in the 1 Point Slam at the Australian Open, which will be held for the second time. The 1 Point Slam is an event that was first held last year, and it will return to Melbourne Park also in 2026. The rules of the event are simple, there is only one point played in each match, which determines the winner. The most exciting part of the tournament is the fact that amateur tennis players get a chance to take part as well. While last year, the field of professionals included mostly lower-ranked Australian players, this year, the best players in the world will compete in the 1 Point Slam. Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek, and Coco Gauff are just some of the players signed up for the tournament. The winner of the 1 Point Slam will receive A$1 million, while the last amateur standing will be rewarded with a brand-new Kia EV3 GT-Line in Matcha Green. As one of the players signed up for the tournament, Gauff was asked about it during her participation at the United Cup. The American player let it slip that it wasn't necessarily her who signed up for the event, but instead, the tournament organizers asked her to play. "I didn't, like (laughing) -- yeah, they wanted me to. I'm not looking forward to it, but..." It's understandable that Tennis Australia wants to have the best players in the world competing. In 2025, the event didn't take center stage, with only a few fans attending. This year, however, it will be held at the Rod Laver Arena on January 14th, and the organizers will want to have it sold out. Gauff, despite not being excited about the tournament, thinks it's a great event for tennis. It gives amateurs a chance to compete against the best tennis players in the world, which can give them a great perspective at what it takes to be successful on the ATP or WTA Tour. "Yeah, I mean, I think especially it gets you in the mindset, like being ready. Also, I think it's great for the sport to have these different things going on. Yeah, the 1 Point, we'll see how I do. I'm not very confident in myself. But yeah, I think it's great. Just promotes the more fun side of tennis. Obviously it's going to get pretty serious later on, but I think it's great for fanfare." "It gives the fans a little different perspective on the sport. Yeah, I try to make sure it's just the right amount of things. I like to just do one thing and then after that I try to focus on the two weeks."

Milos Raonic ended his professional tennis career at the start of the 2026 season, announcing his retirement through a social media post. Raonic once reached the world No. 3 rank. The 2016 season was arguably the best season of his tennis career. He reached the third place in the ATP Rankings, played the Australian Open semi-finals, and the Wimbledon Championships final. In his career, Raonic played in three ATP Masters 1000 finals, but lost in all of them. Like many players of his generation, he was unlucky to have to face Rafael Nadal in one of those finals and Novak Djokovic in the other three. Raonic is an eight-time ATP titlist, with one of those titles coming at an ATP 500 event and seven at ATP 250 tournaments. He also had a chance to play the ATP Finals twice, in 2014 and 2016. Thanks to his big serve and unique style, he also holds multiple records. For example, Raonic, together with Andy Murray, holds the record for the longest ATP Finals match. In 2016, they played for three hours and 38 minutes before Murray won 5-7, 7-6(5), 7-6(9). Raonic also holds the record for the most aces served in a best-of-three-sets match. He set that record at the 2024 Queen's Club Championships, hitting 47 aces to beat Cameron Norrie 6-7(8), 6-3, 7-6(9). The tournament at the Queen's Club was a part of his attempt to return to the ATP Tour. The Canadian played 20 matches since the start of the 2023 season, nine in 2023 and 11 in 2024, but his body didn't allow him to compete regularly, which was probably the reason why Raonic made the decision to retire from tennis. He announced it in an emotional social media post. "The time has come, I am retiring from tennis. This is a moment you know will come one day, but somehow you never feel ready for it. This is as ready as I will ever be. Tennis has been my love and obsession for most of my life. I have been the luckiest person to get to live out and fulfill my dreams." "I got to show up every day and focus on just getting better, seeing where that will take me, and playing a game I was introduced to at 8 years old by complete luck. Somehow, this became my entire obsession and childhood, and then became my profession and life." "I am thankful for the incredible fans I got to compete and practice in front of all over the world. They got to see me shining at my brightest and managing the hardest of moments on the court. They got to see me grow up." "Thank you to each and every one who stopped, even for a moment, to watch and support me. Thank you to my coaches and team, who took time away from their families and homes to be on the road with me as I pursue my dream and goals. I am grateful for your guidance and teachings. Thank you to the ATP tour, the ITF, and all the Grand Slams. I dreamt of playing at your great tournaments, and I got to have those amazing experiences surrounded by great people, trying their best for the beautiful game of tennis." "Thank you to all my colleagues and opponents. I looked up to you growing up, I looked up to you throughout my career, and I will continue to look up to you as a fan. I became the best player I could be, I am a better person, and I learned a lot of life’s most important lessons thanks to the challenges of competing with you all week in and week out for more than 2 decades." "Thank you to Canada. My family and I came over more than 30 years ago. Thanks to you, I pursued tennis, thanks to you, it changed my family's life, and I enjoyed every moment of the opportunity to represent you all around the world." "Mom, Dad, Jelena, and Momir, I am so incredibly thankful that you all put aside your lives at many moments for me to have a chance to chase a dream. It was only possible of becoming a reality thanks to you. None of this is possible without the consistent effort and emotional support you put into my dreams. As lucky as I am to have found tennis, it pales in comparison to how lucky I am to have you as my parents, sister, and brother. I hope to make my wife and son proud every day and I hope I can be the kind of family for them as mine was for me." "A big part of my tennis journey has been the incredible people I have been fortunate to meet all over the world. On many occasions, they have been wonderful mentors who have given me the time and guidance to figure out the rest of my life. I am thankful to them for making the burden of many of my life’s most important questions a little easier. Their care and time have made this process much clearer and inspiring." "What’s next? I won’t be slowing down. There is so much more life to live, and I am as motivated and hungry as I was in 2011, when I broke through on tour. I will put the same effort and intensity into the next thing. If I can pursue the same excellence as I did with my tennis, just trying to be better every day, and let’s see where it takes me."

Emma Raducanu got a big step closer to winning the 2026 Hobart International title, despite still having yet to finish her first-round match. Raducanu started her 2026 season at the United Cup. She withdrew from her first match of the season, but then played against Maria Sakkari in what was her first match of 2026. The British player lost in three sets, 3-6, 6-3, 1-6. She then travelled to Tasmania to compete at the Hobart International. As the top seed in the draw, Raducanu is one of the top favorites to lift the trophy at the WTA 250 event in Hobart, and her chances of winning the title at the event have now significantly improved. Raducanu started her first-round match against Camila Osorio. The Colombian player needed a wild card to enter the main draw of the event, as she is currently ranked 82nd in the WTA Rankings. However, Osorio is a player capable of causing upsets, even though she prefers clay courts to hard courts. Raducanu won the first set of the match 6-3, but she fell 2-4 behind in the second set, before the match had to be stopped because of rain at 40-40 in the eighth game of the second set. That match will finish as the second match at the Centre Court on Wednesday. What might motivate both players is the fact that the winner of this match will advance directly to the quarter-finals, despite the fact that the match they are playing is a first-round match. The reason is simple. Magdalena Frech, who was supposed to be the second-round opponent of the winner of this match, withdrew from the tournament. Frech won her first match against Elsa Jacquemot, but subsequently withdrew from the Hobart International because of an injury. That means Raducanu could reach the quarter-finals at the WTA 250 event just by winning one match. Emma Raducanu aims to get used to the Hobart International conditions Raducanu has never played at the Hobart International before. This year marked her debut in Tasmania, and speaking ahead of the event, she admitted that getting used to the conditions would be crucial for her success in Hobart. "The wind is quite strong here, so getting used to that is a big thing. It’s a lot of adapting and improvising. You probably have to accept that you’re not going to feel like you’re hitting the ball amazingly all the time. It’s all part of the skill set you need to play in all types of conditions. It’ll be a good test and challenge." Raducanu will want to beat Osorio, as avoiding the second-round match against Frech will give her enough time to see Tasmania. "I’m really grateful to be here in Hobart and to see Tasmania. I’m just happy to be here. It’s somewhere I didn’t think I’d get the opportunity to go if it wasn’t for tennis, so I’m really happy that it has brought me here. I can see the beautiful sights, and hopefully I get to explore a little bit more. I love nature, so it’s a really pretty place to be."

Casper Ruud is focusing his efforts on starting the 2026 season well, but there are also other things he has to think about. Ruud's 2025 season was one of his worse in recent years. He finished the year outside the Top 10, so the goal for the upcoming season is quite straightforward for the Norwegian player. But despite his professional goals being clear, he came to Australia with a bit of uncertainty. He and his wife, Maria Galligani, will soon become parents. Their first child is due anytime soon, which might mean a flight back home for Ruud. Obviously, his wife didn't travel to Australia with him. Ruud started his season at the United Cup, beating Alex de Minaur but then losing to Jakub Mensik. After that, he travelled to New Zealand fro the ASB Classic in Auckland. As the second seed, he had a first-round bye, and will play against Fabian Marozsan in the second round. Speaking ahead of the event, the 27-year-old player revealed that if he receives a call from his wife, he might quickly jump on the plane to travel back home and support her. "Honestly, she [the baby] can come any time now. So hopefully I get to stay for the rest of the tournament, but you never know. I might get a call and be on the plane back home out of here." "It’s no short trip back home, so hopefully she stays in for a few extra weeks, and I can be there for the birth, and later in the year we’ll have our wedding and celebrate our marriage." Year 2026 will be exciting for Ruud in many ways. Not only will he become a father and have a planned wedding ceremony with his wife, but he also looks forward to challenging for titles on the ATP Tour. According to his own words, the 2025 season was below his expectations, so he will try to show why he once challenged for Grand Slam titles in 2026. "(2026) will be a really fun year, but if we put those (family) things aside and think about tennis, I think it can be an exciting year. Last season was, in a way, not what I was hoping for, but at the same time, I really played some good tennis. I got two titles last year, and hopefully play more like I did those two weeks for this season coming up now." After playing in Auckland, Ruud will move to Melbourne, Australia, where he will be among the Top 15 seeded players. That means he will avoid the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner for the first three rounds, and he won't have to face a higher-ranked player in the first week of the competition. Ruud has never done well at the Australian Open, but he will want to change that as well. His best result is the fourth round in 2021, but apart from that, he made it out of the second round only once.

Jessica Pegula and Marta Kostyuk will miss the 2026 Adelaide International, significantly weakening the draw for the WTA 500 event. Pegula and Kostyuk are some of the best tennis players in the world. They are both ranked inside the Top 20 on the WTA Tour, and were two of the favorites in the 2026 Adelaide International draw. In fact, Pegula was the top seed when the draw came out. However, shortly after, the tournament organizers announced that Pegula and Kostyuk both withdrew from the tournament, citing "scheduling changes" as a reason for their withdrawals. "Jessica Pegula and Marta Kostyuk have withdrawn from the Adelaide International due to scheduling changes." Paradoxically, Pegula and Kostyuk met at the Brisbane International. They both made it to the semi-finals, with the Ukrainian player prevailing 6-0, 6-3 to reach the final. She then lost the final match to Aryna Sabalenka. Since they both played a sufficient number of matches in Brisbane, it's possible that both felt ready enough to travel to Melbourne for the first Grand Slam tournament of the season. The 2026 Australian Open starts on January 18th, and with the WTA 500 event ending just one day prior to that, neither wanted to risk being too tired for the "Happy Slam." Madison Keys becomes the top favorite to win the Adelaide International title Madison Keys won the Adelaide International last year before lifting her maiden major title in Melbourne. After Pegula's withdrawal, she is now the highest-ranked player in the Adelaide International draw, even though she remains the second seed, as the draw has already been made. Keys will start her tournament against the winner of the match between Czech qualifier Tereza Valentova and Jelena Ostapenko from Latvia. Asked about her goals ahead of the tournament, Keys didn't focus on winning trophies or matches, but instead enjoying the experience. "So my big goal coming back to Australia was, I know that there's going to be a lot of pressure being defending champion, not only here but also in Australia, or at the Australian Open. But, like, I know that pressure is going to be there, and I think there's kind of two different ways that you can look at it." "You can either look at it and think, 'Oh, my God, that's a lot of pressure,' and kind of be a little bit scared about it. I'm really challenging myself to kind of flip that and think of it as what a really cool opportunity that not very many people get to have. Like, I get to go back here, and in Melbourne, and be defending champion." "And I have all these people who watched my run and got to kind of experience it, and everyone always tells me that they cried. So I feel like I gained a lot of fans from that run as well. That doesn't happen very often, and that's such a cool experience." "I'm really kind of just trying to think about that and think about how cool that is and what an experience. I just get to be really proud of myself for being able to give myself that opportunity. So that's been my big goal so far for 2026."

Aryna Sabalenka won her first trophy of the 2026 season at the Brisbane International, but what followed after the final ball was played wasn't a customary handshake. It's been some time since Sabalenka had a chance to shake hands with her Ukrainian rivals on the WTA Tour. The reason is simple. Since the start of the War in Ukraine, tennis players from this country have refused to shake hands with players from Russia and Belarus. Sabalenka is one of those players, and while not having a customary handshake was something she had to get used to at the start, and once even waited for her opponent at the net, not realizing she didn't plan to shake her hand. That happened at the 2023 Roland Garros against Elina Svitolina, with fans booing the Ukrainian, not aware of the reason behind her actions. Since then, the WTA and tournament organizers have made announcements, making it clear that Ukrainian tennis players don't want to shake hands with their opponents from Russia and Belarus to avoid similar incidents. Sabalenka, who has spoken against the war since it started, accepts the decision of her rivals, which she mentioned also when asked about it after the Brisbane International final, in which she bested Marta Kostyuk. "Well, it's their position. It's their position. What can I do? I don't mind that. I don't care about that. When I go into the match, it's all about tennis and sport." Sabalenka was also asked whether it motivates her to perform better, knowing that her opponent won't shake her hand. However, she maintained that it doesn't bother her and that she wants to beat everyone, regardless of who they are. "When I go out there, I think about my tennis and the things I have to do to get the win. Doesn't matter if it's Marta Kostyuk or Jessica Pegula there. I still go out there and I still try my best, and I'll still fight for the trophy. I have nothing to prove. I go there and I just compete as an athlete." Aryna Sabalenka heads to the Australian Open as the top favorite There hasn't been any other woman who would do better in Melbourne over the past few years than Sabalenka. She is a two-time Australian Open champion, and even though she failed to win her third consecutive trophy at the "Happy Slam" last year, she will attempt to win her third Australian Open title this year. Despite her win at the Brisbane International, the 27-year-old still mentioned that there are things she could improve, showing how motivated she is to do well at the opening major of the season. "No, for sure there are so many things I can improve at, and that's the beauty of sport. There is always that little percent for little room for improvement. I definitely feel really great about my game, about my tennis, but I also know that there is a lot of things to improve and to work on. That's what we're gonna focus on next week."

Milos Raonic ended his professional tennis career at the start of the 2026 season, announcing his retirement through a social media post. Raonic once reached the world No. 3 rank. The 2016 season was arguably the best season of his tennis career. He reached the third place in the ATP Rankings, played the Australian Open semi-finals, and the Wimbledon Championships final. In his career, Raonic played in three ATP Masters 1000 finals, but lost in all of them. Like many players of his generation, he was unlucky to have to face Rafael Nadal in one of those finals and Novak Djokovic in the other three. Raonic is an eight-time ATP titlist, with one of those titles coming at an ATP 500 event and seven at ATP 250 tournaments. He also had a chance to play the ATP Finals twice, in 2014 and 2016. Thanks to his big serve and unique style, he also holds multiple records. For example, Raonic, together with Andy Murray, holds the record for the longest ATP Finals match. In 2016, they played for three hours and 38 minutes before Murray won 5-7, 7-6(5), 7-6(9). Raonic also holds the record for the most aces served in a best-of-three-sets match. He set that record at the 2024 Queen's Club Championships, hitting 47 aces to beat Cameron Norrie 6-7(8), 6-3, 7-6(9). The tournament at the Queen's Club was a part of his attempt to return to the ATP Tour. The Canadian played 20 matches since the start of the 2023 season, nine in 2023 and 11 in 2024, but his body didn't allow him to compete regularly, which was probably the reason why Raonic made the decision to retire from tennis. He announced it in an emotional social media post. "The time has come, I am retiring from tennis. This is a moment you know will come one day, but somehow you never feel ready for it. This is as ready as I will ever be. Tennis has been my love and obsession for most of my life. I have been the luckiest person to get to live out and fulfill my dreams." "I got to show up every day and focus on just getting better, seeing where that will take me, and playing a game I was introduced to at 8 years old by complete luck. Somehow, this became my entire obsession and childhood, and then became my profession and life." "I am thankful for the incredible fans I got to compete and practice in front of all over the world. They got to see me shining at my brightest and managing the hardest of moments on the court. They got to see me grow up." "Thank you to each and every one who stopped, even for a moment, to watch and support me. Thank you to my coaches and team, who took time away from their families and homes to be on the road with me as I pursue my dream and goals. I am grateful for your guidance and teachings. Thank you to the ATP tour, the ITF, and all the Grand Slams. I dreamt of playing at your great tournaments, and I got to have those amazing experiences surrounded by great people, trying their best for the beautiful game of tennis." "Thank you to all my colleagues and opponents. I looked up to you growing up, I looked up to you throughout my career, and I will continue to look up to you as a fan. I became the best player I could be, I am a better person, and I learned a lot of life’s most important lessons thanks to the challenges of competing with you all week in and week out for more than 2 decades." "Thank you to Canada. My family and I came over more than 30 years ago. Thanks to you, I pursued tennis, thanks to you, it changed my family's life, and I enjoyed every moment of the opportunity to represent you all around the world." "Mom, Dad, Jelena, and Momir, I am so incredibly thankful that you all put aside your lives at many moments for me to have a chance to chase a dream. It was only possible of becoming a reality thanks to you. None of this is possible without the consistent effort and emotional support you put into my dreams. As lucky as I am to have found tennis, it pales in comparison to how lucky I am to have you as my parents, sister, and brother. I hope to make my wife and son proud every day and I hope I can be the kind of family for them as mine was for me." "A big part of my tennis journey has been the incredible people I have been fortunate to meet all over the world. On many occasions, they have been wonderful mentors who have given me the time and guidance to figure out the rest of my life. I am thankful to them for making the burden of many of my life’s most important questions a little easier. Their care and time have made this process much clearer and inspiring." "What’s next? I won’t be slowing down. There is so much more life to live, and I am as motivated and hungry as I was in 2011, when I broke through on tour. I will put the same effort and intensity into the next thing. If I can pursue the same excellence as I did with my tennis, just trying to be better every day, and let’s see where it takes me."

Aryna Sabalenka seems to be almost unstoppable in her first tournament of every new season, as she has won yet another one. It has almost become a tradition that Sabalenka starts a new season by winning a title. She did it in 2019, winning the title in Shenzhen. She then started her 2021 season with a win in Abu Dhabi, and has dominated in Australia in recent years. The Belarusian player won the Adelaide International in 2023, and she has now won the Brisbane International twice in a row. That means Sabalenka has won the first tournament of a new season in five of the last eight seasons. In 2020, she lost her second match in Shenzhen, in 2022, she lost her first match in Adelaide, and in 2024, she lost in the Brisbane International final, but then won the Australian Open without losing a set. Brisbane has become a lucky place for Sabalenka this year. She plans to miss some events in 2026, but she couldn't miss the first tournament of the year. The WTA world No. 1 player beat Cristina Bucsa, Sorana Cirstea, Madison Keys, and Karolina Muchova, all without losing a set, to set up the final meeting with Marta Kostyuk. Sabalenka was unstoppable in the final as well. She started the final match by winning three games in a row, and even though she quickly lost that advantage, she barely missed since the scoreboard first showed 4-4 in the first set. The Belarusian player won eight of the last nine points in the first set, winning it 6-4. The top seed then had to face a break point in the opening game of the second set, but after Kostyuk couldn't convert her chance into a break, Sabalenka dominated the remainder of the set to win the match 6-4, 6-3, lifting her first title of the 2026 season. She did it without losing a set. The ceremony after the final match was quite unusual. Kostyuk, as a Ukrainian, didn't shake hands with her Belarusian opponent after the match, and the two players didn't have a joint photoshoot either. Sabalenka still wished her opponent well for 2026 during her speech. Marta Kostyuk speaks about hardship in Ukraine after the Brisbane final Kostyuk also spoke about the current living conditions in Ukraine after losing the final. She mentioned that her sister has to sleep under three blankets because it's very cold in Ukraine at the moment, and homes can't be properly heated because of the ongoing war. "I wanna say a few words about Ukraine. I play every day with pain in my heart. There are thousands of people who are without light and warm water right now. It’s -20 degrees outside. It’s very painful to live this reality every day. My sister is sleeping under three blankets because of how cold it is at home. I was incredibly moved and happy to see so many Ukrainian flags this week."

Aryna Sabalenka has become the latest player to criticize the packed tennis calendar and is willing to face consequences for putting her physical health first. Sabalenka's 2025 season was one of the most intense on the WTA Tour because she usually reaches the latter stages of tournaments. The world No. 1 reached an outstanding nine finals, winning four. It can be argued that 2025 was something of a missed opportunity for Sabalenka because she lost two Major finals and could have conceivably done the Calendar Grand Slam. However, her achievements with how many events she played were remarkable and deserve praise. Although what Sabalenka and other top players are doing is terrific, some are concerned about their long-term physical health because of the number of tournaments they play. For top WTA players, the four Grand Slams, ten WTA 1000s, and any six WTA 500s are mandatory. Almost no players meet the six WTA 500s because they need some rest and recovery time. Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, and Coco Gauff were among the players who lost ranking points for not playing enough tournaments despite how intense their schedules were. Sabalenka has made a clear decision for 2026. In an interview with the 2026 Brisbane International, where she progressed to the final, the four-time Grand Slam champion said she will skip some tournaments because stages of 2025 were challenging. "The rules are quite tricky with mandatory events, but I'm still skipping a couple of events in order to protect my body, because I struggled a lot last season." "Even though the results were really consistent, some of the tournaments I had been playing completely sick, or I've been really exhausted from overplaying. This season we will try to manage it a little bit better, even though they are going to fine me by the end of the season." The No. 1 female player then took aim at those making the calendar, claiming they are not acting in the players' interests. Sabalenka also mentioned she cannot skip WTA 1000s, strongly indicating she will play fewer 500-level events in 2026. "You cannot skip 1000 events. It's really tricky, and I think that's insane what they do. I think they just follow their interests, but they're not focusing on protecting all of us." Aryna Sabalenka hopes to win a third Australian Open title At the 2025 Australian Open, Aryna Sabalenka came agonizingly close to a third consecutive title in Melbourne. Her final with Madison Keys went to the wire, but the American ultimately triumphed 6-3, 2-6, 7-5, winning a maiden Grand Slam. Although a disappointing moment, Sabalenka will deservedly start the 2026 Australian Open as the women's singles favorite. She has reached every hard court Grand Slam final since the start of 2023, winning four. Keys, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Mirra Andreeva, Amanda Anisimova, and Jessica Pegula are among the other women vying for the title. Gauff defeated Sabalenka in the 2025 French Open final, recovering from losing the opening set on a windy day in Paris.

The 2026 Australian Open could be missing one of tennis's biggest young stars after Joao Fonseca announced his withdrawal from the 2026 Adelaide International. Fonseca has struggled with a lower back injury since the closing stages of 2024. That issue forced him to withdraw from the 2025 Next Gen Finals, robbing the event of some of its prestige as a showcase for the ATP's best young talent. The Brazilian initially planned to start his season at the 2026 Brisbane International, but decided not to play there because of that physical issue. Daniil Medvedev and Brandon Nakashima reached the final of that tournament. Fonseca announced in a press conference that he also cannot compete at the Adelaide International as he continues his recovery. His goal is to be fit for the Australian Open, which starts on January 18th. "Unfortunately, I'm not able to play here. It's difficult to make this decision. I felt those days that we were practising, every day feeling a little bit better, but it's difficult to say that I'm a hundred per cent." "We are trying our best to recover a hundred per cent to play the Australian Open, which is our main goal. That decision is not made. We want to play, we think that it's going to be possible. So we want to focus on the recovery, and unfortunately I couldn't play here, and I hope to come back stronger next year."   Last year's Argentina Open winner also revealed that back issues have been something he has dealt with for a long time, despite being just 19. That included sustaining a stress fracture five years ago. "I was born with something in my back, and sometimes it's more tight. I had a stress fracture five years ago, but it's something that it's going to be in my body, so I need to deal with it. I'm just trying my best to recover. We did a MRI, and it's nothing very serious, but can be serious, so we want to be a hundred per cent to play." Although Fonseca will give everything to be ready for the opening Grand Slam of the season, his likelihood of making it is uncertain at this stage. The passionate Brazilian fans who cheer him on at events worldwide will desperately hope he makes it. Novak Djokovic withdrew from the 2026 Adelaide International Ten-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic planned to prepare for this year's tournament in Melbourne by appearing at the Adelaide International. Many players do not like competing the week before a Grand Slam, but Djokovic did this at the 2025 Geneva Open before the 2025 French Open. Unfortunately for the organizers, Djokovic withdrew from the Adelaide International. The 38-year-old said that he was not ready to play yet after the off-season and would use the remaining time to get ready for the Australian Open. Djokovic is also not on Serbia's Davis Cup team for the tie against Chile, which is scheduled a few days after the Australian Open. The tennis legend's focus on winning an unprecedented 25th Major title is evident.