Australian Open, Day 7 Highlights: Djokovic into Round 4, Rybakina beats Valentova

Naomi Osaka withdrew from the Australian Open just hours before her scheduled third-round clash against Maddison Inglis at Rod Laver Arena on Saturday, bringing a premature and emotional end to her campaign.

Next, Djokovic will face the winner of the match between 16th seed Jakub Mensik and American Ethan Quinn, as he eyes yet another deep run in Melbourne.

Heartbroken Naomi Osaka pulls out midway from Australian Open: Can't risk more damage

Novak Djokovic etched his name even deeper into tennis history at the Australian Open 2026, becoming the first player to reach 400 match victories in Grand Slam tournaments.

The milestone came in the third round at Rod Laver Arena, where the 24-time major champion overcame Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands in straight sets, winning 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (4).

What a turnaround from Iga Swiatek at Margaret Court Arena! After dropping the second set 1-6, the World No.2 stormed back to take the decider 6-1, sealing a 6-1, 1-6, 6-1 victory over Anna Kalinskaya.

Swiatek’s resilience and tactical brilliance were on full display as she regained control, dominating rallies and keeping Kalinskaya on the back foot.

With this win, Swiatek advances to the next round, where she will face Maddison Inglis, who progressed via a walkover following Naomi Osaka’s withdrawal from the tournament.

The Pole’s determination has certainly made a statement at the Australian Open.

Novak Djokovic takes the second set 6-4 against Botic van de Zandschulp, moving just one set away from a remarkable 400 Grand Slam match wins. The Serb has been in sublime form, dictating play with his trademark precision and composure.

The Rod Laver Arena crowd can sense the history unfolding as Djokovic edges closer to yet another monumental achievement in his glittering career.

Iga Swiatek looked unstoppable in the first set, cruising to a 6‑1 win over Anna Kalinskaya. However, Kalinskaya bounced back emphatically in the second, dominating 6‑1 to level the match.

The momentum swung again as Swiatek stormed into the third set, taking a commanding 4‑0 lead with two breaks of serve, putting herself firmly on track for a place in the fourth round.

Swiatek is firmly in control at Margaret Court Arena, powering through the opening set 6–1 against Anna Kalinskaya. With three breaks of serve and relentless pressure from the baseline, the world No. 1 has dictated play from the outset and kept Kalinskaya on the back foot throughout the set.

Djokovic blinked briefly with a double fault on his first set point, but the former world No. 1 kept his composure to edge past Botic van de Zandschulp and take the opening set at Rod Laver Arena.

After racing to a commanding 4–1 lead, Djokovic never really looked back, controlling the rallies and shutting the door despite that late hiccup.

Over at the Margaret Court Arena, Iga Swiatek is locked in battle with Anna Kalinskaya. Swiatek has been in imperious touch so far, yet to drop a set in the tournament, and she’ll be keen to maintain that momentum as she looks to assert her authority once again.

All eyes are on Rod Laver Arena as 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic is locked in battle with the Netherlands’ Botic van de Zandschulp.

Djokovic, chasing yet another piece of history, is just one win away from becoming only the second player to reach 400 match wins at Grand Slams.

The Serb is steadily raising his intensity, looking to assert control and push deeper into the tournament, while van de Zandschulp is testing him with resilience and clean ball-striking in what promises to be a compelling contest.

No more slip-ups, but it certainly wasn’t a walk in the park. Ben Shelton dug deep to script a thrilling 6-4, 6-4, 7(7)-6(5) win over a stubborn Valentin Vacherot.

Shelton exposed a few loose ends in the first two sets, keeping his nose in front with authority. Vacherot, though, refused to fade away, raising his level in the third and dragging the contest into a tense tiebreak.

In the end, Shelton’s relentless energy and aggression tipped the scales. Vacherot pushed hard, but Shelton simply had one gear more when it mattered.

Fans erupted online after Jannik Sinner’s comeback win over Eliot Spizzirri, with the Australian Open’s heat stoppage triggering a wave of criticism.

With Spizzirri in control and Sinner struggling physically, the suspension flipped momentum once play resumed under a closed roof. While officials cited protocol, many fans called it a timely lifeline for the defending champion.

After all the noise and controversy around Jannik Sinner’s heat-stopped escape, it’s time to turn the page and get back to what we came for — tennis, uninterrupted.

All eyes now shift to Taylor Fritz, the ninth seed, as he steps onto court against the evergreen Stan Wawrinka at John Cain Arena.

It’s youth, power and consistency versus experience, guile and one of the most feared one-handed backhands the sport has ever seen. Fritz will fancy his chances on hard courts, but Wawrinka has built an entire career on ripping up scripts just when people stop expecting it.

Jannik Sinner has made his way into Round 4 of the Australian Open 2026, beating Eliot Spizzirri 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. The defending champion had lost the first set but roared his way back into the match despite struggling with heat issues midway through the third set. Sinner was tested during the fixture by his American rival but has lived up to his reputation of being world number 2 by brushing him aside after initial trouble.,

Jannik Sinner beats Eliot Spizzirri 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in Round 3 at Rod Laver Arena

The Australian Open has hit pause as conditions tip over the edge. With the AO Heat Stress Scale crossing 5.0, play has been suspended on all outside courts, including practice sessions.

The response is already in motion. Roofs at Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena, and John Cain Arena are closing and will remain shut for the rest of the matches scheduled there.

A 10-minute break by the looks of it.

Down but never out, Jannik Sinner is living that motto to the fullest. After steadying himself in the second set, the Italian World No. 2 has now turned the tide completely, clinching the third set 6-4 to move ahead in the match.

The composure is back, the control is evident, and Sinner has wrestled momentum firmly in his favour.

But hold on. Things are heating up, quite literally, in Melbourne. With extreme conditions looming, a potential halt to play could be on the cards. The tennis is hot, and so is the weather.

Cue the deep breaths, Sinner fans. Jannik Sinner is alive and kicking again. After a wobbly first set, the Italian World No. 1 has snapped back to take the second 6-3, and suddenly the body language says business.

Less overthinking, more zip in the legs, cleaner strikes. This was Sinner switching from cruise control to sport mode.

But there is no time to relax. Eliot Spizzirri has other ideas and has come out firing once more in the third, keeping this one spicy.

Momentum is swinging, nerves are jangling, and the script keeps changing. This ride is not over yet.

Amanda Anisimova is flying at the Australian Open. The fourth seed cruised into Round 4 with a commanding 6-1, 6-4 win over fellow American Peyton Stearns, barely breaking stride.

Sharp off the ground, ruthless on return, Anisimova never let the contest settle — and wrapped it up with minimum fuss.

The result only adds to a dominant Day 7 for the Americans in the women’s singles draw. Madison Keys and Jessica Pegula had already punched their Round 4 tickets earlier, making it a banner day for the Stars and Stripes in Melbourne.

This Round 3 clash at the Australian Open is officially a marathon. Lorenzo Musetti vs Thomas Machac has crossed 3½ hours — and it’s still hanging by a thread.

Musetti shook off a 7-5 first-set loss with serious intent, roaring back to take the next two 6-4, 6-2 and flipping the match on its head. Just as the Italian seemed to be in cruise mode, Machác hit back.

The Czech has clawed his way back in the fourth, edging ahead 6-5, but there’s nothing separating the two right now. Momentum keeps swinging, legs are heavy, nerves are frayed — and this one is begging for a final-set decider.

Out-of-script stuff on Day 7 of the Australian Open 2026!

World No. 2 Jannik Sinner has dropped the opening set 6-4 to Eliot Spizzirri — and this one came with a sting.

Sinner was cruising at 4-2 up, but Spizzirri flipped the switch, rattling off four straight games to steal the set. Momentum? Fully switched. Script? Torn up.

Now the Italian has work to do, and the underdog has belief coursing through his veins. Is a major upset quietly loading on Day 7?

America’s Day 7 surge at the Australian Open is gathering serious steam. Fourth seed Amanda Anisimova is firmly in control against fellow American Peyton Stearns in a women’s singles Round 3 clash that’s drifting into one-way territory at Margaret Court Arena.

Anisimova wasted no time stamping her authority, pocketing the opening set 6-2, and she’s followed it up with a 4-2 lead in the second. Clean ball-striking, sharp movement, zero panic — it’s all clicking for the World No. 4 right now.

Stearns is fighting, but the scoreboard is telling its own story. Unless something dramatic changes, the writing is very much on the wall as another American looks set to march into the last 16.

It’s been a dream start for the USA on Day 7 of the Australian Open, and the Stars and Stripes are flying high early doors.

First up, ninth seed Madison Keys looked in a hurry as she powered into the Round of 16, brushing aside Karolína Plíšková with a clean 6-3, 6-3 win. No drama, no detours — just business.

Moments later, World No. 6 Jessica Pegula made it two from two for the Americans. Calm, clinical and experienced, Pegula never let Oksana Selekhmeteva into the contest, sealing a 6-3, 6-2 victory to comfortably book her Round 4 spot.

It’s business as usual at Rod Laver Arena, where World No. 2 Jannik Sinner has hit the ground running. Ice-cold composure, ruthless precision — the Italian already has four games wrapped up in the opening set.

On the other side, Eliot Spizzirri is finding the going tough. Returns aren’t landing, rallies aren’t tilting his way, and trying to draw errors from Sinner feels like knocking on a locked door.

It’s shaping up as one-way traffic for now under the Melbourne lights — but this is tennis. The script can still flip.

Rod Laver Arena
Women’s Singles: [9] Madison Keys (USA) vs Karolina Pliskova (CZE) – 5:00 a.m.
Men’s Singles: [2] Jannik Sinner (ITA) vs Eliot Spizzirri (USA) – Not before 6:30 a.m.
Men’s Singles: [4] Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs Botic van de Zandschulp (NED) – 1:30 p.m.
Women’s Singles: [16] Naomi Osaka (JPN) vs [Q] Maddison Inglis (AUS)

Margaret Court Arena
Women’s Singles: [6] Jessica Pegula (USA) vs Oksana Selekhmeteva – 5:00 a.m.
Women’s Singles: [4] Amanda Anisimova (USA) vs Peyton Stearns (USA) – Not before 6:30 a.m.
Men’s Singles: [8] Ben Shelton (USA) vs [30] Valentin Vacherot (MON) – Not before 9:00 a.m.
Women’s Singles: [2] Iga Swiatek (POL) vs [31] Anna Kalinskaya – 1:30 p.m.
Men’s Singles: [12] Casper Ruud (NOR) vs Marin Cilic (CRO)

John Cain Arena
Men’s Singles: [5] Lorenzo Musetti (ITA) vs Tomas Machac (CZE) – 5:00 a.m.
Women’s Singles: [21] Elise Mertens (BEL) vs [Q] Nikola Bartunkova (CZE) – Not before 6:30 a.m.
Men’s Singles: [9] Taylor Fritz (USA) vs [WC] Stan Wawrinka (SUI) – 11:30 a.m.
Women’s Singles: [5] Elena Rybakina (KAZ) vs Tereza Valentova (CZE)

Kia Arena
Men’s Singles: [15] Karen Khachanov vs [22] Luciano Darderi (ITA) – 5:00 a.m.
Women’s Singles: [13] Linda Noskova (CZE) vs Xinyu Wang (CHN) – Not before 6:30 a.m.
Men’s Singles: [16] Jakub Mensik (CZE) vs Ethan Quinn (USA) – Not before 12:30 p.m.

Indians in action

Court 7
Men’s Doubles Second Round:
[A] N. Sriram Balaji (IND) and Neil Oberleitner (AUT) vs
[4] Marcelo Arevalo (SLV) and Mate Pavic (CRO) – Not before 6:30 a.m.

Men’s Doubles Second Round:
[10] Yuki Bhambri (IND) and Andre Goransson (SWE) vs
Santiago Gonzalez (MEX) and David Pel (NED)

Court 12
Junior Boys’ Singles First Round:
Arnav Paparkar (IND) vs Vihaan Reddy (USA)

Defending champions Jannik Sinner and Madison Keys will aim to extend their title runs when they take the court in the third round of the Australian Open 2026 in Melbourne on Saturday.

With extreme heat forecast, organisers have scheduled matches to begin as early as 10 a.m. local time on Day 7.

World No. 2 Sinner, who is chasing a historic third consecutive Australian Open crown, will face unseeded American Eliot Spizzirri. Meanwhile, World No. 9 Keys, the reigning US Open champion and a first-time Major winner in 2025, goes up against former World No. 1 Karolina Pliskova of Czechia.

Elsewhere on Saturday, ten-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic will be in action against Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp, while Iga Swiatek continues her pursuit of the only Grand Slam title missing from her collection when she meets 31st seed Anna Kalinskaya.