Carlos Alcaraz advanced his pursuit of a first Australian Open 2026 title on 23 January 2026. The top seed defeated French 32nd seed Corentin Moutet 6-2, 6-4, 6-1 in 2 hours and 5 minutes at Rod Laver Arena. This match marked Alcaraz’s 100th Grand Slam appearance, where he holds an 87-13 win-loss record, equalling Bjorn Borg’s milestone.
The 22-year-old Spaniard faced little resistance from Moutet, known for his showmanship. Alcaraz now meets American 19th seed Tommy Paul in the next round. Paul advanced after Alejandro Davidovich Fokina retired due to an apparent knee injury while trailing two sets.
Sabalenka Edges Through Tense Tie-Breaks
Aryna Sabalenka, the women’s top seed, overcame a challenging match against unseeded Russian-born Anastasia Potapova of Austria on 23 January 2026. Sabalenka won 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (9/7) in over two hours. She aims for a third Australian Open title in four years, following a loss to Madison Keys in the 2025 final.
The Belarusian described feeling on the defensive throughout. She next plays Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko, who beat Clara Tauson 7-6 (7/5), 5-7, 6-3. Other notable matches include Coco Gauff versus Hailey Baptiste and Alexander Zverev against Cameron Norrie.
Daniil Medvedev, the 11th seed, rallied from two sets down to defeat Fabian Marozsan 6-7 (5/7), 4-6, 7-5, 6-0, 6-3 in 3 hours and 43 minutes. This sets up a rematch with Learner Tien, who upset Medvedev in 2025.
Player Reactions and Insights
Alcaraz commented post-match: “It wasn’t easy. To be honest, when you play someone like Corentin you don’t know what’s going to be next,” according to reports from Melbourne Park.
He added that both players enjoyed the contest with impressive shots.
Sabalenka reflected: “I was always on the back foot, one of those days you have to fight to try and get the ball back.”
She noted being “emotionally all over the place” but enjoyed the fight, as per on-court statements.
Medvedev, a three-time Australian Open finalist, wrote “Five sets again” on the camera after his comeback, highlighting his resilience.
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