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The Australian Open

Australian Open 2026 Women’s Day 10

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Aryna Sabalenka hammered over a sixth ace on match point to close out a 6-3, 6-0 win over teenaged Iva Jovic to book the Australian Open semi-finals for the fourth edition in a row on a sweltering Tuesday,

Less than an hour after the quarter-final rout by the two-time tournament champion, the event’s heat protocols were put into place, suspending play on outside courts and closing the roof on showcourts as temps hit 38 Celsius on the way into the mid-40s.

“At the end of the match, it was really hot out there. I’m glad they kind of
closed the roof almost halfway so we had a lot of shade in the back,” the winner said.

Sabalenka will bid for the final against Elina Svitolina after the Ukrainian humiliated third seed Coco Gauff  6-1, 6-2 in less than an hour.

The 45th defeat of a top 10 player over the course of her career sends Svitolina back into the ranking top 10 as she booked her first semi-final in Melbourne after losing a quarter-final a year ago to eventual champion Madison Keys..

“My goal for this season was to return to the top 10,” Svitolina said. two years after giving birth. “I’m very pleased with the tournament so far.

“This means the world to me. I will try to push myself even farther with this motivation. I’m pleased with the performance – this has been a good trip for me.”

The 31-year-old gave away a decade to Gauff, a two-time Grand Slam winner who’s game collapsed in the one-way quarter-final which included 26 unforced errors off her racquet. 

Gauff held serve for the first time 45 minutes into the rout and exited as she lost serve for the sixth time.  . 

World No.1 Sabalenka is bidding to return to the title match of the event she won in 2023 and 2024 before losing the final a year ago to Madison Keys,

The top seed schooled her 18-year-old opponent, youngest to reach the quarters here since Nicole Vaidisova in 2007; and the youngest to do so without dropping a set since Venus Williams in 1998

Victory took 90 minutes, with Sabalenka producing 30 winners and breaking four times while saving all five against her serve.

“These teenagers have tested me in the last couple of rounds,” the 27-year-old winner said after defeating 19-year-old Canadian Victoria Mboko in the previous round.

“Don’t look at the scoreline, this match was not that way at all. She pushed me hard and forced me to play at a better level.

“I’m super happy I won,it was such a tough battle.”

Sabalenka was playing her 13th consecutive quarter-final at a Grand Slam and will remain atop the WTA rankings despite any outcome in Melbourne.

“I could see that she’s young, she’s hungry, and that no matter what’s the score, she’s still going to be there trying and trying to figure her way.

“I knew I had to step in and show the level and the class. That helped me go for my shots and to trust my game. It was definitely an amazing performance in the second set.”.

The Australian Open

Fashion-forward Osaka will tone it down at RG

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Tennis style icon Naomi Osaka has no plans to try for one-upmanship in the informal fashion stakes at Roland Garros.

The former world No. 1 from Japan has sometimes made more news with her style choices than her racquet, especially after taking time off several seasons ago to have a child.

But Osaka has run against the traditional tennis grain with some of her outfits, which included an exo-skeleton ensemble at January’s Australian Open, where she walked onto court for her opening match wearing a large hat, veil, and carrying a parasol combination and wearing a pair of pleated pants..

The clothing was discarded before the start revealing a tennis dress, with the quirky player explaining the get-up was inspired by “the jellyfish, then butterflies, which ties back to the butterfly moment I had here a long time ago, in 2021,” 

The world No. 16 also put on a fashion show at the spring Met Gala in New York, sporting a wedding dress-style garment combined with another huge hat..

For Osaka, it’s just another day in the office, but she said nothing special is planned when Roland Garros kicks of on Sunday in Paris.

“I don’t talk a lot, so that way I can talk through my clothes,” she said on Saturday prior to the start of the year’s second major.

“That means I can be as loud with colors or patterns or
fabric as I want.

“I think that’s the fun part.. I feel we lost that a little in tennis. I grew up with, you know, Serena’s and Venus’s (Williams) grand reveals (included beaded hair and catsuits on court).

“I know there are some kids or some people who are  similar to me that hopefully feel that same way about my outfits. 

“But, yeah, I am a little dramatic when it comes to my fashion sense.”

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ATP

Kyrgios due to resurface on German grass

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Nick Kyrgios is being touted for a return to tennis after playing just one singles match all season, with the controversial Australian due in the lineups for Stuttgart and Halle in June.

The 2022 Wimbledon finalist who turns 31 in a week, has been added to the entry lists for the pair of run-up events prior to the grass-court major which starts on June 29.

Kyrgios, who has missed months on end due to injury and motivational worries, has played just one Grand Slam match since 2022, losing in the Australian Open first round in 2025.

His lone outing this season was an ATP defeat in Brisbane on January 6.

Nevertheless, the acquired taste is feted as a crowd-puller and will have German organisers on alert as to his eventual availability.

“Nick Kyrgios has been one of the most ‌dazzling ⁠personalities in world tennis for years,” Halle tournament organisers said in a statement.

“The Australian is known for his exceptional playing style, characterised by one of the best serves on the tour, ⁠spectacular winners, and great creativity.

“At the same time, his emotional personality and charisma attract considerable attention far beyond the sport.”

Stuttgart start the day after the Roland Garros final while Halle follows a week later in northern Germany from June 13-21.

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ATP

Djoko dropping hints that career has short shelf life

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Novak Djokovic has been making it plain that the end of his career is approaching, with the 38-year-old dropping his strongest hint ever about his future on court.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion who has been keeping his ATP scheduling options open and has competed this season only at the Australian Open (finals loss to Carlos Alcaraz) and winning two rounds last month at Indian Wells.

“Tennis is still very important to me, but it’s no longer everything,” the Serb told Esquire Australia, adding that family matters and two children are starting to take precedence in his life.

“It’s one of the biggest challenges – finding the right balance between tennis and family life, especially as my children are growing and have school commitments, so they can’t travel with me as much as before.

“When I’m on the court, I’m motivated not just to win, but to set an example – to show them values like dedication, resilience, and love for what you do. That motivation is very powerful and very personal.”

Main photo:- Novak Djokovic was runner up to Carlos Alcaraz in AO26 – by ISF Ltd

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