🎾 The Australian Open Heats Up

Happy Tuesday! As we reach the midpoint of the Australian Open quarterfinals, the narrative has shifted from early upsets to the commanding dominance of the top seeds. With temperatures soaring to 34°C (93°F), the battles to extend campaigns into the second week and beyond brought heart-breaking retirements and inspiring comebacks, while a brewing off-court controversy added an unexpected layer of drama.

In this week's newsletter:

  • ✌️ The Second Round: Drama, Upsets, and Late-Night Thrillers

  • 👌 The Third Round: Legends, Love, and Rising

  • 🍀 The Fourth Round: Dominance, Tension, and Breaking Points

  • 🎱 Quarterfinals: The Championship Push Begins

🧠 Australian Open Predictions 🧠

The field is narrowing in Melbourne, and we want to hear YOUR predictions: Who's going all the way at the Australian Open?

Who will win the Men's Singles 2025 Australian Open?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

Who will win the Women's Singles 2025 Australian Open?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

✌️ The Second Round: Drama, Upsets, and Late-Night Thrillers 🌃 

Image: Jaimi Joy, Reuters

Title Favorites: The tournament favorites flexed their muscles in the second round, with defending champions Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner advancing comfortably. World No. 2 Iga Świątek continued her dominant form, while ten-time champion Novak Djokovic and world No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz progressed. Djokovic, however, needed four sets to overcome qualifier Jaime Faria, continuing a recent trend of slightly longer early-round matches for the Serb. At the bottom of the draw, second seed Alexander Zverev was particularly impressive, conceding just six games to Pedro Martinez. 

Upset Watch: The second round delivered surprising results as 36-year-old Laura Siegemund stunned fifth seed Qinwen Zheng, while Czech teenager Jakub Mensik dispatched sixth seed Casper Ruud. The biggest headline came in a late-night five-setter, where American teenage qualifier Learner Tien earned a career-defining victory over three-time Australian Open finalist Daniil Medvedev, cementing himself as a rising force on the grand stage.

Marathon Matches: The round was dominated by long contests that kept fans on the edge of their seats. Britain's Jack Draper survived a thrilling five-setter against Australia's Thanasi Kokkinakis, coming back from two sets to one down and a 3-5 deficit in the fourth to triumph. Teenage sensation Mirra Andreeva edged out Moyuka Uchijima in a nail-biter, winning the final set tiebreaker 10-8. Meanwhile, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina staged an extraordinary comeback from two sets down to defeat Felix Auger-Aliassime in a match that stretched past midnight.

👌 The Third Round: Legends, Love, and Rising Stars 💫 

Image: Nine.com.au

Title Favorites: The dominance of the top seeds continued in the third round, with Świątek dropping just one game in a rout of 2021 US Open champ Emma Raducanu. Sabalenka extended her Melbourne winning streak to 17 matches, overcoming a tough challenge from Clara Tauson. Djokovic delivered his most convincing performance of the tournament so far with a straight-sets victory over Tomas Machac. Meanwhile, Alcaraz also advanced despite a brief third-set hiccup against Nuno Borges, looking sharp as he continues his quest to complete the Career Grand Slam. Our pick to lift the trophy, Coco Gauff maintained her perfect start to 2025, extending her streak to 16 straight sets won this year with an impressive straight sets victory over Leylah Fernandez.

A Family Affair: One of tennis's most beloved couples, Gaël Monfils and Elina Svitolina, produced the story of the round with back-to-back upsets in Margaret Court Arena. The 38-year-old Monfils turned back the clock to stun fourth seed Taylor Fritz, joining Roger Federer as the only men aged 38 or over to reach the fourth round in Melbourne since 1988. Inspired by her husband's heroics (and him "[warming] up the court for her"), Svitolina followed with an emphatic comeback win over fourth seed Jasmine Paolini, completing a perfect day for the tennis power couple.

Rising Stars & Farewells: American qualifier Learner Tien continued his breakthrough run, defeating Corentin Moutet to become the youngest man to reach the fourth round since Rafael Nadal in 2005. The American Next Gen surge continued as Alex Michelsen joined his compatriot with a straight-sets victory over 19th seed Karen Khachanov. German Eva Lys made history as the first women’s singles lucky loser to reach the Australian Open fourth round in the Open Era, edging Jaqueline Cristian in three sets. Naomi Osaka’s comeback ended bittersweetly as she retired with an abdominal injury against Belinda Bencic after the first set. Additionally, world No. 55 Olga Danilovic stunned seventh seed Jessica Pegula to reach her first Grand Slam fourth round.

🍀 The Fourth Round: Dominance, Tension, and Breaking Points 👑 

Image: Darrian Traynor, Getty Images

Title Favorites: The defending champions remained in imperious form in the fourth round, with Aryna Sabalenka demolishing Andreeva 6-1, 6-2 to extend her Melbourne streak to 18 matches, and Sinner overcoming a brief illness to dispatch Holger Rune in four sets. Świątek's dominance reached new heights with a 59-minute rout of Lys, while Alcaraz advanced after Draper retired down two sets. Zverev powered past Ugo Humbert in four sets, and Djokovic defeated Jiri Lehecka but boycotted his post-match interview in protest of Channel 9's disparaging comments about Serbian fans and himself.

Physical Battles: Time caught up with Monfils, who retired against Ben Shelton after three grueling tiebreak sets, but his wife, Elina Svitolina, kept the momentum alive by mounting a comeback from 1-4 down to defeat Veronika Kudermetova. Madison Keys continued her resurgent form, outlasting Elena Rybakina in three sets, while Emma Navarro battled through her fourth straight three-setter to overcome Daria Kasatkina. Gauff showed championship mettle by rallying from a set down to defeat Belinda Bencic, and Alex de Minaur thrilled home fans by reaching his first Melbourne quarterfinal with a straight-sets win over Alex Michelsen, keeping Australia’s hopes alive.

Breakthrough & Heartbreak: Lorenzo Sonego halted qualifier Tien's fairytale run in route to his first major quarterfinal, while Tommy Paul delivered the round's most dominant performance in his win against Davidovich Fokina, dropping just three games. Paula Badosa reached her second straight Slam quarterfinal by overcoming Olga Danilovic, and the 33-year-old Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova continued defying age expectations by defeating an injured Donna Vekic.

🎱 Quarterfinals: The Championship Push Begins 🏆

Image: Reuters

Title Favorites: Zverev reached his third Australian Open semifinal by outlasting Tommy Paul in four sets, surviving scares in the opening two sets where the American served for the set. Despite battling both his opponent and a troublesome bird feather, the German secured his spot in the final four. Sabalenka faced her first real test of the tournament, battling past Pavlyuchenkova in three sets to keep her three-peat hopes alive, setting up an intriguing semifinal clash with Badosa.

Clash of the Titans: Badosa ended Gauff's perfect start to 2025 with a commanding straight-sets victory, securing her maiden Grand Slam semifinal and her first top-10 win at a major. The former world No. 2 continues her remarkable comeback from injury, claiming the biggest win of her career. In the night session, Djokovic reminded the tennis world of his enduring brilliance, outmaneuvering Alcaraz in four sets to reach his 50th major semifinal. With this milestone, he joins Ken Rosewall (52) in an elite two-man club and sets up a clash with Zverev.

Preview of Wednesday’s Quarterfinals: Sinner puts his perfect 9-0 record against de Minaur on the line as the home favorite looks to finally crack the code against his rival. Keys carries a nine-match winning streak into her clash with Svitolina's resilient defensive play, while Navarro takes on a red-hot Świątek, who has dropped just four games across her last three matches. Shelton faces first-time major quarterfinalist Sonego in what promises to be a serving masterclass.

🎥 Reel of the Week 🎥 

Rate Today's Newsletter

Let us know your thoughts on today's newsletter!

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.