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Novak Djokovic returns to Melbourne Park looking to roll back the apparently inexorable tide of the "Sincaraz" era and produce ‌an Australian Open triumph that would establish him as the most successful Grand ‌Slam champion of all time.The ‍Serbian clinched his 24th major title at the U.S. Open in late 2023, but Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have ⁠since dominated the Grand Slams with ⁠a brand of fast-paced tennis that has blown their rivals off the court.Djokovic, who will be ‍39 in May, is not impervious to the physical toll two decades on the tour has taken on his body, but only the most foolhardy observer has ever written off one of the mentally toughest players to play the game.To move out of a tie with Margaret Court on 24 Grand Slam singles titles in the Australian's own back yard, though, he looks likely to need to beat one or both of the "New Two" ‌at the business end of the tournament.Last year, the last survivor of the "Big Three" beat Alcaraz in the quarter-finals only to retire from his semi-final against Alex Zverev with a hamstring tear.He reached the ‍semi-finals of all four majors in ⁠2025, losing to Sinner ‌in Paris and at Wimbledon, as well as Alcaraz in New York."I lost three out of four slams in semis against these guys, so they're just too good, playing on a really high level," he said after his loss at Flushing Meadows. "Best-of-five makes it very, very difficult for me to play them. Particularly if it's like the end stages of a Grand Slam." 'ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION'Djokovic pulled out of the warm-up tournament in Adelaide in January but Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley moved quickly to douse any question over the 38-year-old turning up in Melbourne."He'll be here to play 100%," Tiley said at the weekend."Just out of the abundance of caution, he just wanted ​to make sure he's 100% ready. ‌He's won this event 10 times. He wants to go for that record, and this is the place that he has the ⁠best chance of doing it."Indeed, Tiley ‍said, it was highly unlikely to be Djokovic's last Australian Open either, tallying with the player's own ambition to defend his Olympic title in Los Angeles in 2028.Djokovic's battered body might have other plans, though, and his chances of going deep will probably rely on him staying healthy into the second week at Melbourne Park.He managed ATP titles in Geneva and Athens last year ​to take his tally to 101 but his best efforts at the longer Masters events were a Miami final and a semi in Shanghai.It will be his 21st appearance in the main draw at the Australian Open, a run that started as a qualifier in 2005 when he was thumped by eventual champion Marat Safin.Melbourne's large community of fans with Serbian heritage will ensure he has plenty of support at a tournament where he has otherwise been more admired than loved.There is no doubting he will go down as one of the tournament's ⁠great champions, however, especially as his 10 triumphs came in the "Big Three" era when Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer were also at their peak. 

Jannik Sinner returns to the Australian Open targeting a third straight title as the Italian seeks to impose a level of supremacy reminiscent of Novak ‌Djokovic's stranglehold on the year's opening Grand Slam.The 24-year-old ‌will arrive at Melbourne ‍Park under vastly different circumstances from 12 months ago when his successful title ⁠defence was partly overshadowed by a ⁠doping controversy which saw him serve a three-month ban.With that storm ‍firmly behind him, Sinner steps onto the blue courts unencumbered and with his focus sharpened after an outstanding 2025 in which he was only seriously challenged by world number one Carlos Alcaraz."I feel to be a better player than last year," Sinner said after beating Alcaraz to win the season-ending ATP Finals ‌with his 58th match victory of a curtailed campaign."Honestly, amazing season. Many, many wins, and not many losses. All the losses I had, I ‍tried to see the ⁠positive things and ‌tried to evolve as a player."I felt like this happened in a very good way."Sinner now sets his sights on a third straight Melbourne crown - a feat last achieved in the men's game during the second of Djokovic's "three-peats" from 2019 to 2021 - and few would bet against him pushing his overall major tally to five.That pursuit continues to be built on a game as relentless as it is precise, a metronomic rhythm from the baseline powered by near-robotic consistency and ​heavy groundstrokes that grind opponents ‌into submission.Although anchored in consistency and control, Sinner has worked to add a dash of ⁠magic - the kind of ‍spontaneity best embodied by Alcaraz - and his pursuit will add intrigue to a rivalry that has become the defining duel of men's tennis."It's evolved in a positive way, especially the serving," Sinner said at the ATP Finals of his game."From the back of the court, it's ​a bit more unpredictable. I still have margins where I can play better at times."It's also difficult because you have to give a lot of credit to your opponent. Carlos is an incredible player. You have to push yourself over the limits."The "Sincaraz" rivalry has already lit up most of the biggest tennis tournaments but Melbourne remains the missing piece, and all signs point to that ⁠changing this year with the Australian Open set for a blockbuster title showdown. 

Iga Swiatek insists "everything is fine" despite back-to-back losses in the lead-up to the Australian Open, with the world number two "super sore" but confident of recovering for the season-opening Grand Slam.The Polish star crashed 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 to Switzerland's Belinda Bencic in the mixed-teams United Cup final in Sydney on Sunday, which came on the back of a lacklustre 6-4, 6-2 defeat to Coco Gauff in the semi-finals.A shellshocked Swiatek lost seven games in a row against Bencic, including a rare set to love, with a racquet toss and tears at the end of the match summing up her frustration.It was uncharacteristic for the six-time Grand Slam winner, who rarely loses consecutive matches.She most recently did so at the WTA Finals in Riyadh in November, falling to Elena Rybakina and Amanda Anisimova. Before that, her previous back-to-back defeats were in 2021."Everything is fine," she said after the final, which Poland won 2-1 courtesy of Katarzyna Kawa and Jan Zielinski clinching the deciding mixed doubles."Just super sore. I guess first tournament of the year, it costs the body a bit differently than during the season. But I had similar experience last year also."I'll just get good recovery, couple days off."Also I know these team events. I love them but they really take a lot of energy from you. I still need to figure out how to balance that maybe in the future."Swiatek, who picked up solid wins over Eva Lys, Suzan Lamens and Maya Joint before meeting Gauff and Bencic, admitted she physically was not in the second set against the Swiss."I think it was a mix of me losing the intensity, and I wasn't feeling so sharp with movements and with my legs. I wasn't so precise any more physically I would say," she said.With the Australian Open starting at Melbourne Park on Sunday, Swiatek has little time to iron out her technical issues after 36 unforced errors to Bencic's 10 on Sunday."We're going to work now to improve some elements that didn't work this week," she said."Still not a lot of time for that if I also want to have some recovery days. This is how tennis is. You got to go with the flow. We'll see."The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam title to evade the 24-year-old, who has made the semi-finals twice but never gone further.She lost in the last four in 2025 to eventual champion Madison Keys. 

Seven-time major singles champion Venus Williams said Sunday she's still driven to play good tennis - and "it gives you great legs" - as she prepares for an Australian Open tilt at age 45.Williams will become the oldest woman to play in the main draw at the season-opening Grand Slam after accepting a wildcard, five years after she last competed in Melbourne.The American said she was unaware of the record she was poised to break, adding she didn't have the same intense approach to achieving milestones as in her prime.However, her drive to succeed on court remained."I think one of my goals is to be joyful and just embrace being uncomfortable because that's the things champions can do," she said."I definitely don't wake up and come halfway across the world -- or more than halfway -- to not be feeling the fire."And, well, tennis burns a lot of calories. It gives you great legs. I figure if I want to stay fit, I've got to keep playing."A five-time Wimbledon champion, Williams was an Australian Open singles finalist in 2003 and 2017 and won the doubles title four times alongside sister Serena.Williams' last tournament was the US Open in August, not long after returning from a 16-month break.She will play warmup events in Auckland next week and Hobart ahead of the January 18-February 1 Australian Open and hoped she can shake rust out of her system."It's interesting because I have so much experience, but I've probably played the least amount as any other player in this draw," Williams told reporters in Auckland."So I have a lot to pull out but I also have to come out of the gates playing quickly."The good news is that, you know, tennis matches are long and you have a chance to figure things out."Her first opponent in Auckland on Monday will be Polish fifth seed and world No.54 Magda Linette. 

Stanislas Wawrinka will hang up his racquet at the end of 2026, the three-times Grand Slam champion announced on Friday, bringing down the ‌curtain on a 24-year professional career that saw ‌him gatecrash tennis's elite ‍during the sport's golden era.Switzerland's Wawrinka, who turned professional in 2002, ⁠will turn 41 in March, ⁠capping a journey that transformed him from perennial underdog to ‍giant-killer. Capable of playing ferocious tennis across all surfaces during his peak, the late bloomer's greatest triumphs came when it mattered most, stunning the tennis world by defeating the sport's biggest names on the grandest stages.Nicknamed 'Stanimal', Wawrinka conquered Rafa Nadal to claim the 2014 Australian ‌Open before he toppled Novak Djokovic twice -- at the 2015 French Open and 2016 U.S. Open -- each time beating the world ‍number one in the ⁠final."Every book ‌needs an ending. It’s time to write the final chapter of my career as a professional tennis player. 2026 will be my last year on tour," Wawrinka wrote on Instagram. "I still want to push my limits and finish this journey on the best note possible. I still have dreams in this sport. I’ve enjoyed every part of what tennis has given me, especially the emotions I feel playing in ​front of you."Wawrinka won ‌16 ATP titles and had a career-high world ranking of three. He also ⁠captured Olympic doubles ‍gold alongside Roger Federer in 2008 and helped deliver Switzerland's maiden Davis Cup title in 2014. The announcement comes with Wawrinka currently 157th in the world after injuries and knee surgeries sent him tumbling down the rankings.He has not reached ​a Grand Slam quarter-final since the 2020 Australian Open and will likely need wildcards to enter the majors in his farewell season. After a first-round exit at Roland Garros earlier this year, Wawrinka admitted defeats were getting tougher to accept in his career's twilight, though he remained passionate about competing. "I’m looking forward to seeing you one more ⁠time, all around the world. One last push," he concluded. 

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, the world's undisputed top two players, will square off in a third straight Grand Slam final today at the US Open. Top seed Sinner is the reigning champion and aiming to become the first man to successfully defend the US Open crown since Roger Federer won the last of five consecutive titles in 2008. Alcaraz, who won the first of his five Grand Slam titles in New York as a teenager three years ago, is the first man in a decade to reach the US Open final without dropping a set. It sets up a thrilling climax to a tournament preparing to host Donald Trump, the first sitting president to attend the US Open since Bill Clinton, who watched the women's final in 2000. It is the latest in a series of visits to major sporting events for the US leader after his trip to the NFL's Super Bowl in February and the FIFA Club World Cup final in July. It will mark New York-born billionaire Trump's first appearance at Flushing Meadows since 2015 – when the then-presidential candidate and wife Melania were booed on arrival by the crowd. On the court, Alcaraz has largely had the edge over his rival of late although Sinner is enjoying one of the all-time great seasons at Grand Slams. Only a miraculous escape act from Alcaraz, in which he saved three championship points, denied Sinner at the French Open and cost him a shot at a rare calendar Slam. Sinner brushed off that crushing loss by beating Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final, adding to the Australian Open crown he retained in January. The pair will collide once more inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, the scene of a 5hr 15min quarter-final classic in 2022 that has come to shape the rivalry between two generational talents. "I feel like our rivalry started here playing an amazing match. We are two different players now, with different confidence too," said the 24-year-old Sinner, chasing a fifth major overall. "It's great for the sport having rivalries, having hopefully great matches in front of us. He's someone who pushed me to the limit." The 22-year-old Alcaraz ended Novak Djokovic's latest quest for a record 25th major in the semi-finals and has encountered few difficulties so far this fortnight. He is through to his seventh Grand Slam final but is gearing up for another punishing battle with Sinner, who is riding a 27-match winning run on hard courts at the majors. Alcaraz is 9-5 overall against Sinner and has won six of the past seven duels. "Obviously I'm going to take things about the last matches that I've played against him," said Alcaraz. "I'm going to take note, and I will see what I did wrong, what I did great. His matches are really demanding physically that he's able to play at his 100% during two, three, four hours, and I think that's the biggest improvement he has made in the last years." The Spaniard is in a rich vein of form of his own, winning 36 of his last 37 matches. The only loss in that time came to Sinner at Wimbledon. "I am performing at a high level and sending a message to the people on the circuit that this is my level," said Alcaraz. "It is not my maximum level, I still have room to improve, but it is a high level." As it was when Alcaraz beat Casper Ruud here in the 2022 final, the number one ranking will again be on the line today. Alcaraz eclipsed Lleyton Hewitt's record as the youngest world number one at the age of 19, but it is two years since he last held the top ranking. "It's a good goal, but we've tried not to focus too much on it in this tournament," said Alcaraz. "It will remind me of the 2022 final, when I was playing for a Slam and the number one spot. It will be like a flashback. But winning a Grand Slam comes before being number one."

Novak Djokovic vowed to "continue fighting" for Grand Slam titles after his US Open semi-final exit to Carlos Alcaraz on Friday. Djokovic, whose dream of a record 25th Grand Slam title ended in a straight-sets loss to Alcaraz, pledged to keep playing next year."I'm not giving up on Grand Slams, I'm going to continue fighting," the 38-year-old Serbian legend said after his 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 defeat. "I still want to play a full Grand Slam season next year. They are just different from any other tournament. They are the pillars of our sport."Djokovic had warned before Friday's semi-final he would need to be in peak physical condition to stand a chance of toppling the 22-year-old Alcaraz. The Spaniard has dominated men's tennis alongside Italian world number one Jannik Sinner in recent seasons, with the duo splitting the last seven Grand Slam tournaments between them.However Djokovic said he had faded after running Alcaraz close in the opening two sets in Friday's semi-final. "I ran out of gas after the second set," he said. "I think I had enough energy to battle him and to keep up with his rhythm for two sets. After that I was gassed out, and he kept going," he added, stating that competing with his much younger rivals in future was only going to get more challenging."I'm happy with my level of tennis, but you know, it's just the physicality of it," Djokovic said. "As I said after the quarter-finals, I'm going to do my very best to get my body in shape to sustain that level and that rhythm for as many hours as it's needed, but it wasn't enough. That's something I, unfortunately at this point in time in my career, can't control. I can do only as much as I can do. It will be very difficult for me in the future to overcome the hurdle of Sinner, Alcaraz, in the best-of-five on the Grand Slams. I think I have a better chance best-of-three, but best-of-five, it's tough."Djokovic though said he had no problem coming off second best to the duo who have collectively become known as "Sincaraz". "It's never fun losing a tennis match, but at the same time, if I'm to lose to someone, I would lose to these two guys," Djokovic said. "I know that they are just better at the moment. You just have to hand it to them and say, 'Well done.'"His next stop on the ATP Tour will be in Athens and Djokovic said it was too soon to say whether he would play at Melbourne Park next year. "At least at this stage of my career, I mean, I'm not thinking that far," he told reporters. "I still want to play Grand Slams, Grand Slam season, full Grand Slam season next year. Let's see whether that's going to happen or not."

Amanda Anisimova will bid to crown her improbable redemption mission at the US Open today as world number one Aryna Sabalenka seeks to grab her final chance of the year to win a Grand Slam.Two months after suffering a catastrophic 6-0, 6-0 thrashing in the Wimbledon final, Anisimova has bounced back to stand on the brink of completing a fairytale comeback in New York. The 24-year-old eighth seed held her nerve to battle past Naomi Osaka in the semi-finals, winning 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 in an instant classic that finished in the early hours Friday morning.For Anisimova, the win represented a personal triumph after the trauma of her drubbing by Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon in July. The American, who took an eight-month break from tennis in 2023 citing burnout and depression, says her success in New York is attributable to the steps she has taken to prioritise her mental health."Obviously, it served me well, and I'm really happy with the choice that I made," Anisimova said of her decision to step away from the sport. "It's clearly paying off now, and I feel like I have a whole new perspective when I step onto the court. Even on regular days or training days, I think I appreciate the process a lot more than I used to."That resilience was on full display in Thursday night's thriller with Osaka, when she banished any negative thoughts to claw her way into the final. "I could have easily said, 'Oh, she's playing better than me, and I can't really do anything,'" Anisimova said afterwards. "I really tried to find a way, any way I could to stay in the match, even though it was extremely tough."Anisimova will also head into today's final armed with the mental muscle memory of having beaten reigning US Open champion Sabalenka in six of their nine previous meetings. That winning record includes a defeat of Sabalenka in the semi-finals at Wimbledon, where she prevailed in another tense three-setter."We've had very, very tough matches," Anisimova said of Sabalenka. "But I think the standout one was probably Wimbledon. It was really a seesaw match, which is almost always the case when I play her."Sabalenka, who advanced to final with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 defeat of American fourth seed Jessica Pegula, is bracing for another dogfight, admitting she still dwells on her Wimbledon defeat by Anisimova. "I have to trust myself, and I have to go after my shots," she said. "I felt like in that match at Wimby, I was doubting a lot my decisions, and that was the main thing that was bringing a lot of unforced errors. I gave her a lot of opportunities, and of course, she played incredible tennis, but I feel like I had my opportunities. I didn't use them."The 27-year-old from Belarus is also determined to avoid finishing her Grand Slam season empty-handed. The powerful right-hander was beaten in both the Australian and French Open finals this year before her Wimbledon exit, and is in no mood to let another chance to claim a fourth career Grand Slam singles title pass her by.That sense of steely determination was on display at the Arthur Ashe Stadium on Thursday as she fought back from a set down to squeeze past Pegula. "I badly wanted to give myself another opportunity, another final, and I want to prove to myself that I learned those tough lessons and I can do better in the finals," said Sabalenka, referencing this season's losses in Melbourne and Paris.Sabalenka is also aiming to achieve something that has become increasingly rare over the years in successfully defending the US Open. No woman has retained the title since Serena Williams won three in a row in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Asked earlier in the tournament for her thoughts on the fact that the last 11 US Open titles have been shared between 10 players, Sabalenka quipped: "My thought is to change it."

Felix Auger-Aliassime defeated Andrey Rublev in straight sets at the US Open Monday as the Canadian 25th seed reached his first Grand Slam quarter-final in three years.Auger-Aliassime retrieved a break in the first set before seizing control against the 15th-ranked Rublev, triumphing 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 for just his second win over the Russian in nine attempts.Also Monday, four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka of Japan crushed French Open champion Coco Gauff in straight sets. Osaka, a two-time US Open champion, Monday won 6-3, 6-2. The match was a repeat of the duo’s first meeting at the US Open in 2019, when Osaka overpowered the then 15-year-old Gauff in straight sets.Osaka is enjoying her best US Open showing since winning the tournament for the second time in 2020.The 25-year-old Auger-Aliassime backed up his win over third seed Alexander Zverev in the previous round and will play Australia’s Alex de Minaur in the last eight.Auger-Aliassime climbed as high as sixth in the world at the end of 2022 but had not made it to a major quarter-final since that year’s Australian Open. His deepest run at a Grand Slam came when he advanced to the semi-finals of the US Open four years ago.“It feels even better than the first time,” Auger-Aliassime said of returning to the last eight in New York.“I think the first time at 21 I was kind of on my way up. To have a few setbacks, injuries, struggles with confidence... to come back for a second time to the quarter-finals here, it feels much better.“It feels more deserved. I’m soaking in every moment here.”Also Monday, Australian eighth seed Alex de Minaur powered into the quarter-finals of the US Open with a straight-sets rout of Swiss qualifier Leandro Riedi.De Minaur, who also reached the US Open quarter-finals last year, cruised to victory 6-3, 6-2, 6-1 in one hour 33 minutes.De Minaur has reached five Grand Slam quarter-finals before but never managed to progress beyond the last eight.“I’m super proud of what I’m doing,” De Minaur said. “Ultimately this is where I want to be - I want to be playing for big titles, I want to be in contention.”Fritz reaches quarters as Townsend loses epicDreams died by fractions of an inch and were reborn through sheer determination on a pulsating Sunday at the US Open, with Taylor Townsend’s heartbreaking exit contrasting sharply with Taylor Fritz’s steady march onward.Townsend’s three-hour odyssey against Barbora Krejcikova provided the day’s most compelling drama, the mother from Chicago saving eight match points before finally succumbing 1-6 7-6(13) 6-3 in a thriller that left even her four-year-old son AJ offering gentle consolation. “It was literally like a point here and there that made the difference,” said Townsend, tears still fresh after the longest tiebreak of the tournament.The 29-year-old’s anguish provided a stark contrast to Fritz’s businesslike 6-4 6-3 6-3 dismissal of Czech Tomas Machac, to fly the American flag as the country’s sole male survivor from the 23 who began the tournament.The Californian will carry the nation’s hopes of ending a 22-year major drought since Andy Roddick’s 2003 triumph. “It’s been a tough week for the guys,” Fritz admitted after reaching the quarter-finals of the US Open for a third year in a row. “I wasn’t expecting that. I’m happy to be here and happy to be the last one standing. Hopefully the crowd will get behind me and will me through it.”HISTORY MAKERAt 38, Novak Djokovic made history by becoming the oldest man to reach Grand Slam quarter-finals in all four majors in a single season, dispatching Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3 6-3 6-2 despite requiring treatment on his right shoulder during the match. “I don’t know how many more I’m going to have, so obviously each one is very special,” said the Serbian, who extended his all-time record to 64 major quarter-finals and now awaits Fritz. Djokovic leads their head-to-head 10-0.Swiatek breezes pastAlexandrova Laser-focused Iga Swiatek barely broke sweat as the former US Open champion methodically dismantled Russian 13th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3 6-1 and booked her return to the quarter-finals of the Grand Slam Monday.The 24-year-old’s crushing win on Louis Armstrong Stadium meant that she became the youngest woman to reach at least the quarter-finals of all four Grand Slams in a single season since 18-year-old Maria Sharapova managed the feat in 2005.