Australian Open 2026: Djokovic wins 100th Melbourne match, Swiatek survives scare – as it happened

Righto, that’s us done for today. Thanks all for your company, and we’ll be back tomorrow for more love and joy – join Katy Murrells for a bit of Sinner v Gaston, Osaka v Ruzic, Boulter v Bencic and Mochizuki v Tstisipas, with hopefully some Dimitrov v Machac thrown in. Peace.Muller, who turned around a fifth-set break, says it was easy as Popyrin served really well. He tried to concentrate and play his own game but the crowd were against him so it wasn’t easy

‘I don’t want to be a punching bag’ – dramatic day at Australian Open marred by retirements

“I’ve honestly got no bloody clue what happened after that point in the match,” said Francesca Jones as she fought back tears. Jones had been battling hard on court 15 at Melbourne Park, chasing her first grand slam main-draw win at the fifth attempt, when she slipped and fell. She instantly felt a tear in her glute muscle. Jones soon had no choice but to retire from her Australian Open first-round match while trailing 6-2, 3-2 to Linda Klimovicova, a 21-year-old Polish qualifier.“I’m at a career high,” Jones said

Indiana's rise to CFP final is a tale for our topsy-turvy times

We are living in upside down times. Kim Kardashian advocates for prison reform as the American government spams out cartoonish memes promoting mass deportation and detention. Dave Chappelle – flaws aside – is more trusted to interpret the news than CBS’s Tony Dokoupil. The selection committee behind college football’s playoff somehow put together a compelling tournament without inciting the usual torrent of backlash, and the team raising the trophy at the end could well wind up being Indiana. And, no, that’s not a typo

The pass of the century then brutal reality: the football gods won’t let the Bears have nice things

Caleb Williams pulled off a miracle against the Rams and Chicago looked destined for the Super Bowl. The hope wouldn’t last longA playoff game often pivots on a single moment. The Bears thought they had theirs. Down a score, driving to keep the game alive, the Bears had the ball on the Rams’ 14-yard line. Fourth down

Storm Hunter breaks new ground with winning return to Australian Open

A first round victory at the Australian Open on Monday brought joy to Storm Hunter, but she has found a deeper motivation in achieving something nobody else – she believes – has done in world tennis.The 31-year-old defeated Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-4, 6-4 in 87 minutes on Kia Arena on Monday, surging back from a break down in both sets.Winning a grand slam match is one thing. Doing it with a surgically repaired achilles tendon is something else.“To come back from an achilles rupture, I don’t know anyone who has done it in tennis,” Hunter said afterwards, about an injury that has become surmountable in basketball and football but still represents a career-ending threat in tennis

Alex de Minaur eases into Australian Open second round with routine win over lucky loser

A reflective Alex de Minaur has declared he will no longer be satisfied by leaving grand slams without a trophy under his arm after his first round victory at the Australian Open, and he took to task those who call players “greedy” for seeking a greater share of tennis revenues.The No 6 seed beat American Mackenzie McDonald 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 in the first round on Rod Laver Arena on Monday afternoon, finding valuable rest for his legs after just 108 minutes of play.He has already cast his mind deep into next week, even if he hasn’t made a grand slam semi-final before. “The way I’m feeling at the moment is that I’ve gotten to a stage where I’m not just another number in this draw,” he said. “I’m playing to win it and be one of those guys in contention