2023 Australian Open

Elena Rybakina wins the first set of the Australian Open women's final 6-4 against Aryna Sabalenka on Saturday to close in on a second Grand Slam crown.

Wimbledon champion Rybakina, who was born in Moscow but represents Kazakhstan, broke her Belarusian opponent for a 5-4 lead and then served out the set in 34 minutes. — AFP

Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina will meet on Saturday in an Australian Open final which promises to be an exhibition of powerful hitting and big serving.

Belarusian fifth seed Sabalenka is regarded as a slight favourite, although it is Moscow-born Kazakh Rybakina who has the experience of having already won a Grand Slam.

The 23-year-old won Wimbledon last year and acknowledges that her serve is her "weapon". If that fires under the lights at Rod Laver Arena, Sabalenka could be in trouble. — AFP

Rafa Nadal confirms he will miss the next six to eight weeks with the hip flexor injury he sustained at the Australian Open.

"Today I was at the Teknon Tennis Clinic in Barcelona where they tested me," writes Nadal on Twitter.

"They confirmed the results from Melbourne and the recovery stages are still the same." — AFP

Elena Rybakina beats Victoria Azarenka to reach Australian Open final.

Victoria Azarenka and Aryna Sabalenka will attempt to set up an all-Belarusian final at the Australian Open, and in doing so give organisers a headache.

Two-time Melbourne champion Azarenka faces Elena Rybakina in the first women's semi-final on Rod Laver Arena, with Sabalenka up against Poland's unseeded Magda Linette after that.

Should Azarenka and Sabalenka progress to Saturday's final, it will be the first time two Belarusian players have contested the championship match at a tennis major.

"I really want it to happen," says Sabalenka, the fifth seed who is yet to drop a set in 2023 after winning the Adelaide International earlier this month.

"I know that Vika will do everything she can to make it happen. I will do everything I can to make it happen. That's going to be history." — AFP

Aryna Sabalenka powers into the Australian Open semi-finals on Wednesday by beating a spirited Donna Vekic 6-3, 6-2 in a 1hr 49min battle on Rod Laver Arena.

The Belarusian fifth seed, the highest-ranked player left in the draw, will play unseeded Magda Linette for a place in Saturday's final. — AFP

American men's tennis is witnessing a resurgence with an unlikely trio all making a Grand Slam quarter-final for the first time since 2005, and they are thriving off each others success.

Ahead of the Australian Open, world number nine Taylor Fritz and 17th-ranked Frances Tiafoe were the names on everyone's lips after they led the United States to glory in the inaugural mixed teams United Cup.

But it has been lesser-known players Ben Shelton, JJ Wolf, Sebastian Korda and Tommy Paul who have grabbed the spotlight in a sign of renewed strength and depth in the men's game. — AFP

Unseeded Magda Linette marches into her first Grand Slam semi-final on Wednesday as she stunned former world number one Karolina Pliskova 6-3, 7-5 at the Australian Open.

Linette continued flying the flag for Poland after the shock exit of world number one Iga Swiatek, taking 1hr 27min to set up a clash with Aryna Sabalenka or Donna Vekic for a place in Saturday's final. — AFP

Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina cruised into her first Australian Open semi-final with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko on Tuesday.

The 22nd seed raced past the former French Open champion, seeded 17, in 1hr 19min on Rod Laver Arena and will meet either American Jessica Pegula or Belarusian Victoria Azarenka for a place in the final.

"I'm super happy to be the first time in the semi-finals," said the Kazakh star. "It was an amazing atmosphere."

Rybakina had declared "she could beat anyone" after knocking out top seed Iga Swiatek in straight sets on Sunday. — AFP

Caroline Garcia was knocked out of the Australian Open in the fourth round Monday by Magda Linette, becoming the latest top seed to suffer an early exit at the first Grand Slam of the year.

Poland's Linette outfought the French world number four 7-6 (7/3), 6-4.

The 45th-ranked Linette gave a sizeable contingent of red-and-white-clad Polish fans on Rod Laver Arena plenty to cheer, just 24 hours after they witnessed countrywoman and top seed Iga Swiatek being bundled out.

Linette, 30, had never before gone past the third round at the Australian Open in six previous attempts.

She was almost overcome after reaching her maiden Grand Slam quarter-final in 1hr 57min. — AFP

The youngest player in the women's draw, the 17-year-old Linda Fruhvirtova, says it was "surreal" Saturday to reach the second week of the Australian Open at just her second Grand Slam.

The Czech teenager recovered from a break down in the third set against compatriot Marketa Vondrousova to win 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 and reach the last 16 in Melbourne. 

"It feels pretty surreal," she tells reporters. — AFP

Fifth seed Andrey Rublev surges into a last-16 clash with Holger Rune at the Australian Open Saturday and thanks opponent Dan Evans for giving him extra energy by donating a banana mid-match.

The Russian crushed the Briton 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 on Margaret Court Arena to make the tournament fourth round for a third time.

He will face Danish teenager Rune for a place in the quarter-finals after the ninth seed survived a nasty fall before recovering to sweep past unseeded Frenchman Ugo Humbert 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (7/5). — AFP

Third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas keeps his unbeaten streak this year intact Friday with another romp at the Australian Open to set up a round of 16 clash with dangerous Italian Jannik Sinner.

The 24-year-old, who has yet to drop a set, clinched his seventh straight win of 2023 by beating Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor 6-2, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 on Rod Laver Arena to coast into the fourth round. 

With defending champion Rafael Nadal and world number three Casper Ruud both out, Tsitsipas, who won all four games at the United Cup leading into the Grand Slam, is the highest seed left on the men's side. — AFP

American qualifier Katie Volynets pays heartfelt tribute to her extended family in Ukraine after sending Russian world number nine Veronika Kudermetova spinning out of the Australian Open on Thursday.

Kudermetova, who had a stunning 2022 in which she claimed almost 40 match wins, was beaten by the 21-year-old 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 on Margaret Court Arena.

It was Volynets' first consecutive Tour-level wins in her career and put her into the third round. — AFP

American qualifier Katie Volynets says Thursday she had "chills" after sending world number nine Veronika Kudermetova tumbling out of the Australian Open to win consecutive Tour-level matches for the first time in her career.

The Russian, who had a stunning 2022 in which she claimed almost 40 match wins, was outgunned by the bubbly 21-year-old 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 on Margaret Court Arena to make the third round.

Kudermetova, contesting her first major as a top-10 player, had reached the quarter-finals or better at her past five tournaments. — AFP

Novak Djokovic continues his "dream" return to the Australian Open on Thursday with great rival and defending champion Rafael Nadal now removed from his path to a 10th Melbourne Park title.

The Serbian great started his bid to equal Nadal's 22 Grand Slam triumphs with a ruthless victory over Spain's Roberto Carballes Baena. 

He faces a second-round clash against 191st-ranked French qualifier Enzo Couacaud in the night session on Rod Laver Arena. — AFP

Defending champion and top seed Rafael Nadal crashed out of the Australian Open in round two to 65th-ranked American Mackenzie McDonald in a major upset Wednesday, his worst Grand Slam result in seven years.

The Spanish 36-year-old, who was struggling with what appeared to be a hip injury, slumped 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 under a closed roof on Rod Laver Arena. — AFP

World number one Iga Swiatek and dangerous American Jessica Pegula lead the charge into the Australian Open third round on Wednesday as wild weather again played havoc.

Polish title favourite Swiatek swept past Colombia's Camila Osorio 6-2, 6-3 under a closed roof on Rod Laver Arena while third seed Pegula downed Belarusian Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-2, 7-6 (7/5).

Greece's Maria Sakkari also went through, but she looked anything but the sixth seed in a 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 struggle against Russian qualifier and college student Diana Shnaider. — AFP

World number one Iga Swiatek wasted little time Wednesday in reaching the third round of the Australian Open, sweeping past Colombia's Camila Osorio 6-2, 6-3 on Rod Laver Arena.

The title favorite from Poland said after a tough first-round examination that she needed to find some extra "intensity", and she found the spark against the 21-year-old world number 84.  

The 2022 French and US Open champion, also 21, is looking to win the Australian Open for the first time and reached the last 32 after 1hr 24min of gritty resistance from Osorio. — AFP

The 2023 Australian Open is a Grand Slam tennis tournament that will take place at Melbourne Park, from January 16 to 29, 2023. Follow this page for updates.

Photo courtesy of AFP/Saeed Khan