The Australian Open
Australian Open 2026 Women’s Day 8
Aryna Sabalenka held off a late surge from Victoria Mboko on Sunday to earn a 6-1, 7-6 (1) trip into the Australian Open quarter-finals as the top seed put down a rebellion from her teenaged Canadian opponent.
Sabalenka, winner of two of the last three Melbourne editions and runner-up a year ago to Madison Keys, was rolling like a juggernaut in the early stages, nailing down the opening set in 32 minutes.
The world No. 1 also swept six consecutive games to claim the opener and take a 2-0 lead in the second in what was looking like a rout of the 19-year-old who lost the Adelaide final this month.
Mboko left it late but began to come alive, recovering from 4-1 down in the second and twice breaking the seed to take the set into a tiebreaker after saving three match points in the 10th game.
Faced with a long afternoon, Sabalenka took charge in the breaker and ran off her 20th straight in a decider, finally advancing on her fifth match point as Mboko drove long over the baseline.
“She’s an incredible player, especially for such a young age,” the 27-year-old winner said. “She pushed me really hard.
“So I’m super happy to win in straight sets, happy to be through.”
Four-time Grand Slam winner Sabalenka said she stayed competitive when faced with a fightback from the 17th-seeded youngster.
“The key is playing point by point. It’s very rare you will always play your best tennis so you have to stay in the moment. Just go out and show your best fighting spirit.”
Mboko said she learned from the defeat: “At the end of the day it really came down to experience.
“She played really great tennis. I of course had my chances. But I’m glad to have played her today and just seeing how she can play and what to expect.
“So just a learning curve from now on.”
Sabalenka will play in the last eighth against another North American teen when she faces Iva Jovic, who crushed Yulia Putintseva 6-0, 6-1.
Coco Gauff booked her third straight Melbourne quarter-final as she stayed alm to complete a 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 defeat of former Roland Garros finalist Karolina Muchova.
The Czech made life hard for the third seed who holds a pair of Grand Slam trophies, with the American keeping her cool to come through in the deciding set.
“I’m really happy to get through this one,” the 21-year-old said.’I didn’t panic in the third set even if the second could have gone my way.
“I didn’t capitalise on my chances in the third. I was trusting my shots after I got a little passive. But I can see that the work in practice is showing up in the matches,” she said after advancing on third match point.
Main photo:- Aryna Sabalenka advances to quarter finals – by ISFLtd
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.”
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.
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
Roland Garros 2026 Men’s Day 10
Roland Garros 2026 Women’s Day 10
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