By Micah Jonah
January 25, 2026
Aryna Sabalenka continued her impressive run at the Australian Open, booking a fourth successive quarter-final appearance, while Carlos Alcaraz also advanced to the last eight following his victory over Tommy Paul on Sunday.
Third seed Coco Gauff maintained her consistent form, reaching her third consecutive quarter-final with a hard-fought 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 win over Karolina Muchova at Margaret Court Arena.
A cooler day at Melbourne Park brought relief to players and fans after a period of extreme heat disrupted tournament play. Sabalenka, a two-time champion and current world number one, defeated Canada’s 19-year-old Victoria Mboko 6-1, 7-6(1), extending her record of successive tiebreak wins at Grand Slams to 20.
“Its incredible to see these kids coming up on tour. She pushed me really hard today,” Sabalenka said, acknowledging her opponent’s challenge. She will face 18-year-old American Iva Jovic in the quarter-finals, who recently defeated Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva 6-0, 6-1.
In the men’s draw, top seed Alcaraz overcame a tough test from 19th seed Paul in a 7-6(6), 6-4, 7-5 victory at Rod Laver Arena. Alcaraz will meet the winner of the clash between sixth seed Alex de Minaur and 10th-seeded Alexander Bublik.
Coco Gauff also highlighted her composure under pressure after saving three match points to advance. “I think today I didn’t panic. I knew I just had to capitalise on those chances in the third set and I did that,” she said. Gauff will meet the winner of the quarter-final between Elina Svitolina and Mirra Andreeva.
Three-time finalist, Daniil Medvedev is set for a quarter-final clash against American Learner Tien, who eliminated him in the second round last year, in one of the tournament’s anticipated matchups.
The Australian Open continues to showcase both established champions and rising talents, with the quarter-finals promising intense competition and thrilling encounters.
