Yulia Putintseva is through to the second week of the Australian Open for the first time, after a 6-3 6-7(3) 6-3 victory over Turkey’s Zeynep Sönmez, in a clash filled with drama.

(Getty/William West) On the stroke of midnight, Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios have been edged out by fellow Aussies Jason Kubler and Marc Polmans 6-4 4-6 7-6(4), with the Special K's struggling to the finish line after being up a break in the third set before both players suffered from flare-ups of their longstanding injuries leaving their futures unknown.   For a long time, it felt like the match that everyone had stuck around for would not deliver. After dropping the

28-year-old Maddison Inglis' dream run continued on Thursday at Melbourne Park, reaching the third round of a major for the second time in her career.   An emotional Inglis took down the experienced Laura Siegemund 6-4, 6-7(3), 7-6(7) in more than three hours before collapsing to the court – and not for the first time this week.   "I can't really believe it yet. I actually didn't know I had that in me," Inglis told the media post-match, with possibly the biggest smile ever se

(Getty/Phil Walter) An unexpected feud erupted on Margaret Court Arena between Sorana Cîrstea and Naomi Osaka, with the latter apologising for comments made in her on-court interview. Osaka, a two-time Australian Open champion, edged another tight three-set contest against her Romanian opponent, recording a 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 win, which ensures a third round clash against Aussie qualifier Maddison Inglis. As the pressure heightened in the final set, former world No.21 Cîrstea was

(AP/Aaron Favila) Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has pulled through in an epic five-set encounter in his second round match at the Australian Open, despite a rowdy crowd, which saw tempers flare. The 14th seed lost momentum after going two sets up against the dangerous big-serving American Reilly Opelka, but found a way to prevail 6-3, 7-6(3), 5-7, 4-6, 6-4 on Kia Arena. The near-four-hour tussle wasn't without drama however, as Davidovich Fokina walked up to a section of the cr

(Getty/Paul Crock) Less than a year ago, he was in tennis' abyss and barely ranked inside the world's top 700 players. On Tuesday, Dane Sweeny defeated Frenchman Gaël Monfils for his first-ever Grand Slam win and set up a second-round date with Ben Shelton.    Playing in front of a boisterous Kia Arena, with Australians and French fans seemingly present in equal numbers, Sweeney outplayed and outlasted a tiring Monfils 6-7(3), 7-5, 6-4, 7-5 in three hours and 51 minutes.  "I

(Getty/Lintao Zhang) Having entered the 2026 Australian Open as the only Aussie woman seed, Maya Joint's run has ended early after a straight sets defeat on John Cain Arena. The 30th seed, who was seeking her maiden singles main draw win at Melbourne Park, bowed out 4-6, 4-6 to 18-year-old Tereza Valentova. The last Aussie woman to earn a seed next to their name in the singles draw was Ash Barty when she won the tournament four years ago. The First Serve Live returns on Monda

Storm Hunter earned one of the best wins of her career. (Getty/William West) As has been the theme of the summer this year, Storm Hunter and Alex de Minaur emerged as Australia’s brightest hopes on what was a largely successful day for the Aussies, with six wins and three losses, including a heartbreaker for Alexei Popyrin, who lost in a fifth-set tiebreak to Alexandre Müller.   Hunter kicked off the day with a straight sets 6-4, 6-4 victory over Jéssica Bouzas Maneiro, fight

(Getty/James D. Morgan) Australian Open Tournament Director Craig Tiley has responded to record crowd numbers at Melbourne Park, insisting that the wave of fans has come as a surprise. Sunday's Day 1 attendance total set a tournament record of 100,763, with 73,235 spectators flooding through the gates for the day session alone. For the first time in the event's history, ground passes were put on hold due to the high demand, as some fans voiced their anger about overflowing cr

The pain was too much to cope with for Marina Stakusic. (Getty/Quinn Rooney) Australia's Priscilla Hon has survived an incredibly topsy-turvy first round encounter against qualifier Marina Stakusic, who had to be escorted off the court in a wheelchair. In what was a near-flawless first set by Stakusic to drop just one game in the opening set, Hon was lifted by the home crowd on ANZ Arena to take a 5-2 lead in the second. Although she handed her opponent the chance to level th

Talia Gibson celebrates after her first round victory at the AO. (Getty/Darrian Traynor) In front of a packed KIA Arena, 21-year-old Australian Talia Gibson took down a former world No.34 to fly the flag for her nation on Day 1 of the Australian Open. Gibson defeated Anna Blinkova in a dominant 6-1, 6-3 display, most notably firing 43 winners compared to her opponent's five. "I knew that [in] this matchup today I was going to be the more aggressive player out on the court," s

(Getty/Phil Walter) Credit where credit is due. Tennis Australia has pulled off a masterstroke when it comes to marketing and ticket sales for the 2026 Australian Open. And on Sunday's grand opening of the main draw, that momentum from 'Opening Week' didn't sway one bit, as the tournament registered a record day session attendance of 73,235, with the previous record set at 68,883. The First Serve Live returns on Monday February 2nd at 8pm AEDT for its 18th year on the SEN Net

(Getty/Patrick Hamilton) World No.105 Yulia Putintseva has turned villain again by sarcastically celebrating in the direction of heckling fans on Court 6. The former top 20 player, who is heading into the twilight of her career aged 31, took care of business in her opening round match at the Australian Open, coming from behind to defeat Brazil's Beatriz Haddad Maia 3-6, 7-5, 6-3. The First Serve Live returns on Monday February 2nd at 8pm AEDT for its 18th year on the SEN Netw

It was a day to forget for Flavio Cobolli at the AO. (Getty/Cameron Spencer) After a record-breaking and not uncontroversial Opening Week, the main draw is officially underway at Melbourne Park, and Italian 20th seed Flavio Cobolli is the opening seed to fall. Having drawn British qualifier Arthur Fery in the first round, the bookies predicted the 23-year-old Italian would be amongst the early winners on opening Sunday. The world No.185 and Stanford University alumni, however

Mirra Andreeva in disbelief as she wins Adelaide title. (Getty/Sarah Reed) Mirra Andreeva defeated Victoria Mboko, and Tomas Machac took down Ugo Humbert in the final warm-up tournament in Adelaide before the Australian Open. Andreeva was clinical in beating Mboko 6-3 6-1, with Mboko struggling with injury, while Machac defeated Humbert in a tightly contested 6-4 6-7 6-2 victory.   In the first match of the day, Mboko raced to a 3-0 lead before Andreeva’s defensive skills beg

Australian Open Tournament Director and Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley. (Getty/Daniel Pockett) In the midst of a legal battle between tennis' main governing bodies, the Professional Tennis Players' Association (PTPA) have announced an early-stage settlement agreement with Tennis Australia (TA), without delving into specifics. In November, The First Serve  explained Tennis Australia's push to break away from the other three Grand Slams  in an effort to settle a lawsuit filed

(Getty/Brett Hemmings) It was the traditional media day at Melbourne Park yesterday, a chance for journalists to ask the first questions of the new year to a bunch of players. There were numerous press conferences, and a great deal of information to digest. The First Serve selects a bunch of highlights of what was said around the pressers in the lead-up to the Australian Open. The One-Point Slam was front of mind, and the players seemed to embrace it unanimously. Iga Swiatek

(Getty/Andy Cheung) Spanish superstar Carlos Alcaraz has poured cold water on suggestions that his shock coaching split will act as a distraction ahead of his Australian Open campaign, sharing that the decision was mutual. Former French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero, who helped Alcaraz win all six of Alcaraz's Grand Slam titles, sensationally parted ways as coach last month. In an interview with Spanish outlet Marca, Ferrero admitted he was "very hurt" about the situation

(AAP/James Ross) When Storm Hunter ruptured her Achilles just days before Australia's BJK Cup qualifier against Mexico in April 2024, the road to recovery was always going to pose a challenge. So when the 31-year-old defeated American and former world No.1 doubles player Taylor Townsend 7-6(2), 6-2 to qualify for the Australian Open main draw, it was only natural that she dropped to the court with tears streaming down her face. "I just felt like I had unfinished business. I

(Andy Cheung/Getty Images) Sports Entertainment Network (SEN) is excited to announce its most comprehensive broadccast coverage yet of the 2026 Australian Open, bringing every serve, rally and match defining moment to tennis fans across Australia and beyond. Broadcasting live from the heart of Melbourne Park, SEN's coverage will originate from its commentary bunker at Rod Laver Arena, offering listeners unmatched access and insights into the tournament. The action kicks off o