Friday, January 23, 2026, delivered high drama at Melbourne Park, marked by a stunning five-set comeback, a hard-fought battle for the world No. 1, and the smooth progression of top contenders.
Men’s Singles: Medvedev’s Epic Comeback & Alcaraz’s Dominance
The day was headlined by a classic Grand Slam battle on Margaret Court Arena, where Daniil Medvedev overcame a two-set deficit against a superb Fabian Marozsan. Medvedev, who won nine consecutive games at one stage to turn the tide, ultimately sealed a victory after nearly four hours: 6-7(5), 4-6, 7-5, 6-0, 6-3.
Meanwhile, World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz had a much easier time on Rod Laver Arena, cruising past Corentin Moutet 6-2, 6-4, 6-1 to reach the fourth round.
Other notable results:
Learner Tien upset Nuno Borges in another five-set thriller.
Tommy Paul advanced via retirement after leading Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-1, 6-1.
Women’s Singles:
Sabalenka Survives a Scare
Top seed Aryna Sabalenka survived her toughest test yet at AO 2026, defeating
Anastasia Potapova 7-6(4), 7-6(7). Sabalenka, known for her tiebreak prowess, saved four set points in the second-set tiebreak to maintain her perfect run of not losing a Grand Slam third-round match since 2022.
In progress matches include Coco Gauff’s third-round clash on Margaret Court Arena, and future matchups for the day include Mirra Andreeva and Elina Svitolina.
Key Takeaways & What’s Next
Day 6 saw several top seeds push through, setting up intriguing fourth-round matchups. The action continues Saturday with the remaining third-round matches, featuring Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, and Alex de Minaur.
Stay tuned to the official Australian Open website for the latest scores and schedules, or check the ATP Tour and WTA Tour for detailed results and draws.
