Thursday, January 29, 2026

Sabalenka and Rybakina to meet in Australian Open final

Sometimes, in the world of professional tennis, what seems inevitable actually manifests. Such is the case with the 2026 Australian Open women's singles final, which will feature two-time champion, 2025 runner-up, and world number 1 Aryna Sabalenka, and 2025 WTA Finals champion Elena Rybakina. Both have been playing excellent tennis in Melbourne, and--to make it more interesting--this won't be the first time that the two have met in the final. In 2023, Sabalenka defeated Rybakina to win her first Australian Open title.

Neither player has dropped a set, which is quite a stat in itself. However, the chances that a set will be dropped in the final are very high.

In the semifinals, Sabalenka defeated an in-form Elina Svitolina, who was up against classic Melbourne Aryna, and there wasn't a lot that she could do about it. The other semifinal became tense in the second set, when Jessica Pegula raised her game against a somewhat tight Rybakina and forced the 5th seed into a tiebreak. Rybakina won on her fourth match point.

Paths to the final:

Aryna Sabalenka (1)
round 1-def. Rakotomanga Radaonah (WC)
round 2--def. Bai Zhouxuan (Q)
round 3--def. Anastasia Potopova
round of 16--def. Victoria Mboko (17)
quarterfinals--def. Iva Jovic (29)
semifinals--def. Elina Svitolina (12) 

Elena Rybakina (5)
round 1--def. Kaja Juvan
round 2--def. Varvara Gracheva
round 3--def. Tereza Valentova
round of 16--def. Elise Mertens (21)
quarterfinals--def. Iga Swiatek (2)
semifinals--def. Jessica Pegula (6)  

41-year-old Vera Zvonareva impressed greatly in this early phase of her comeback, reaching (with partner Ena Shibahara) the semifinals of the doubles competition. The unseeded team lost to 4th seeds Elise Mertens and Zhang Shuai, who will face 7th seeds Anna Dalinina and Aleksandra Krunic in the final. Dalinina and Krunic defeated Gaby Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani in the semifinals. 

In mixed doubles, the final will feature wild cards Olivia Gadecki and John Peers, who will face Kiki Mladenovic and Manuel Guinard. 

In wheelchair competition, Diede de Groot--unseeded at this tournament--looked like herself again against her friend and doubles partner, Aniek Van Koot, whom she defeated in straight sets in the quarterfinals. It's been a tough post-injury/surgery/rehab path for Diede the Great, but things appear to be looking up for her. 

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Wednesday, January 28, 2026

Judging players--a fan activity we could do without

Several years ago, after having written about what it means to be a tennis fan, I wrote about the dark side of being a fan. Unfortunately, that side has become much darker. We still have the "my camp is superior to  your camp" nonsense going strong, as well as the "she'll never be as good as (a player from the past), no matter how much she wins" nonsense. 

Also prevalent is the absolute trashing of players who were found not guilty of doping after having been abused, sometimes for years, by the corrupt organizations that are in charge of the tour's "ethical" health. You are now forever a "doper" if you were accused of being one, regardless of your innocence.

If you continue to play after sustaining an injury, then you faked the injury, especially if you are okay to play doubles. If you don't continue to play--unless the injury is terrible and obvious--some will say that you are a bad sport.

If your family is wealthy, no matter how hard you train and how determined you are, you had it "easy" because of the money (which, by the way, we don't even know that you're receiving). Just today, there was a sickening thread on social media in which several people just had to take away from Jessica Pegula's many years of determined grit--because her family is rich,

If you are Ukrainian and want to avoid having photos or videos used as propaganda, or if you just want to make a national statement--you are rude and arrogant because you don't shake hands with Russian players. If, like Coco Gauff at the 2026 Australian Open, you can't find a private place to break your racket, and so you're caught on a spy camera, you're an immature, terrible person. 

Currently making the rounds on social media is a player's lengthy Instagram post which expresses horror and concern over what is happening in the USA. I wasn't surprised at all by this post, given that I know the player to be a thoughtful and intelligent person. But because some people "know" what she's "really like," they were shocked. Others didn't believe that the post was real. Still others admired it but said that it was meaningless because why would anyone care what this player thinks?

Players who have been abused often get the treatment that so many abused women get--they are blamed for the abuse, or--at the least--they are dismissed because they remain with the abuser (hello!--that's how abuse works). 

Yes, occasionally, a player does something that reasonable people would consider inappropriate; I've been watching professional tennis for decades, and I've seen my share of inappropriate behavior. But even players who violate rules and norms may not be repeat offenders. Or--if they are--their offenses tend to be annoyances ("bad" handshakes come to mind), and not actions that harm opponents. Also, some players have what some may consider to be annoying on-court habits, but those habits do not violate any rules. They may not be our favorite players to watch, but they're also probably not "bad" people. 

Sexism plays a role. A man's confidence is a woman's "arrogance." Age plays a role. Do we really expect a 17- or 18-year-old to have the maturity of a 25-year-old? The age issue is especially relevant when it comes to on-court expressions of anger. Perceived sexual orientation remains a huge issue. And, of course, race plays a role. Non-white players get abused by "fans" on social media in ways that are disgusting, and the equally disgusting thing is that no one stops it. 

As I said in 2018, you don't have to like a player's personality (and, by the way, her off-court personality may be different form what you see on the court); I enjoy the tour's "characters," but not everyone does. But there's no reason to pass harsh judgment on someone whose personalty isn't your cup of tea. 

WTA players are bombarded with death threats by gamblers, treated with disrespect by some ATP players and by ATP fans, and have to endure very difficult schedules which involve body training, practice, media appearances, sponsor tasks, and endless time-zone changes. Not being judged constantly by so-called fans would make their existence a little less stressful, and would make tennis fandom a gentler world. 

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Four women standing--no sets dropped

It probably didn't come as a surprise to serious tennis fans that Elena Rybakina rather easily defeated 2nd seed Iga Swiatek in the Australian Open quarterfinals yesterday. Swiatek has been all over the place since she won Wimbledon, and Rybakina--whose career momentum was interrupted by health issues and coaching issues (don't even get me started on that)--is once again looking like her deadly self. Rybakina made a statement when she won the 2025 WTA Finals, and she has also been making a statement in Melbourne.

When Rybakina is switched on, she controls points and rallies with a crispness and accuracy that can be scary. Against Swiatek, she hit eleven aces and had a 79% first serve win percentage; she defeated Swiatek 7-5, 6-1. Rybankina and Swiatek are now 6-6 against each other. It always seems strange that the 5th seed has won only one major--perhaps that stat will change very soon.

Elina Svitolina, who significantly improved her serve after she returned to the tour following a maternity leave, continues to improve her game. She entered this Australian Open with a 1-3 record against Coco Gauff, and that one win was in the second round of the 2021 Australian Open. In her quarterfinal against Gauff, the Ukrainian star completely dominated, winning it 6-1, 6-2. Gauff hit three winners and made 26 unforced errors. 

In yet another all-USA clash, Jessica Pegula defeated Amanda Anisimova 6-2, 7-6(1). Anisimova, who has been one of the hottest players on the tour during the past year, was out of sorts throughout the match, and made 44 unforced errors. 

And world number 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who has won the Australian Open twice (and was a finalist last year) ended the newsworthy run of Iva Jovic with a 6-3, 6-0 victory.

Here is the semifinal draw:

Aryna Sabalenka (1) v. Elina Svitolina (12)
Jessica Pdgula (6) v. Elena Rybakina (5)

None of these women has dropped a set on the way to the semifinals. 

In the meantime, there were two major upsets in doubles. 7th seeds Anna Danilina and Aleksandra Krunic upset top seeds Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, 6-2, 3-6, 6-0. And 5th seeds Gaby Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani defeated 3rd seeds, 6-1, 7-6(5).

In wheelchair play, Diede de Groot, who is unseeded at this event, will face 2nd seed Aniek Van Koot in the quarterfinals.  

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Monday, January 26, 2026

Defending champion out of Australian Open

Australian Open defending champion Madison Keys saw her title defense come to an end yesterday when her friend, countrywoman and podcast partner, Jessica Pegula, defeated her in straight sets in the round of 16. Pegula, one of five USA players who advanced to the round of 16, has yet to drop a set. 

Making a name for herself in Melbourne is young USA player Iva Jovic, who upset 7th seed Jasmine Paolini in the third round, and defeated Yulia Putintseva in the round of 16. Also winning their round of 16 matches were Coco Gauf (def. Karolina Muchova) and Amanda Anisimova (def. Wang Xinyu).

World number 1 and two-time champion Aryna Sabalenka defeated her round of 16 opponent, Victoria Mboko, and world number 2 Iga Swiatek--who is seeking a Career Slam--defeated qualifier Maddison Inglis. 

Here is the quarterfinal draw:

Aryna Sabalenka (1) v. Iva Jovic (29)
Coco Gauff (3) v. Elina Svitolina (12)
Jessica Pegula (6) v. Amanda Anisimova (4)
Elena Rybakina (5) v. Iga Swiatek (2) 

Sabalenka and Jovic will be meeting for the first time. Gauff is 2-1 against Svitolina; the Ukrainian star defeated the world number 1 in the second round of the 2021 Australian Open. Pegula is 3-0 against Anisimova, and Swiatek is 6-5 against Rybakina. On hard courts, Swiatek leads 5-3. The Swiatek-Rybakina match is probably the one that most of us are looking forward to watching (which means that it will most likely be on in the middle of the night, my time--that's generally how it goes). 

There has been a lot of concern about the intense heat during this tournament, and organizers have had to make adjustments in the name of safety. It wasn't that long ago that Melbourne had Rebound Ace courts, and the results were quite dangerous. It wasn't unusual for players to be given IV liquids as they were carried off the court on stretchers, and ankle injuries were common because the surface became so soft. I also recall a wheelchair match being called off because the wheelchair tires melted. This situation went on at the Australian Open for far too long.

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Saturday, January 24, 2026

Upsets and breakthroughs in early rounds of Australian Open

In tennis, there are two kinds of upsets: the obvious, on-paper upsets--the "real" ones, and the upsets that dont really have anything to do with rankings. This past week, at the Australian Open, we saw our share of both in the early rounds.

In the opening round, 15th seed Emma Navarro, 26th seed Dayana Yastremska, and 30th seed Maya Joint were all defeated. Unseed, but highly skilled players who went out in the first round were two-time major champion Barbora Krejcikova, new Australian Daria Kasatkina, and Olympic silver medal winner Donna Vekic. 

Krejcikova--though it took her longer than it did some of her peers--has fallen victim to the Czech Curse, and has had a really hard time recoving from both illness and injuries; it wasn't a big surprise that she went out early. Nevertheless, it was disappointing to see her suffer another defeat. 

The most dramatic first round loss, though, was that of 20th seed Marta Kostyuk. The Ukrainian player had just played brilliantly in Brisbane, upsetting 2nd seed Amanda Anisimova, 8th seed Mirra Andreeva, and 4th seed Jessica Pegula before losing to Aryna Sabalenka in the final. Her outstanding Brisbane run gave Kostyuk quite a bit of  momentum coming into Melbourne, but it wasn't to be. In her opening round, she faced Elsa Jacquemot, and they played for three and a half hours. Kostyuk held a match point in the second set but couldn't convert it. Then, at 5-all, 30-0 in the third set, she fell and turned her ankle.

Kostyuk continued to play, but she was defeated 6-7, 7-6, 7-6. Upon learning that she had torn ligaments, Kostyuk withdrew from doubles competition.

In the second round, there was another dramatic upset: Czech qualifier Nikola Bartunkova defeated 10the seed (and recent United Cup MVP) Belinda Bencic, 6-3, 0-6, 6-4. (It should be noted that, in the first round, Bartunkova defeated Kasatkina.) The multi-skilled "everything on the Czech list" qualifier put on quite show against the multi-skilled Bencic, and became an early star of the tournament, though she fell to Elise Mertens in the third round.

Also going out in the second round were 24th seed Jelena Ostapenko, 25th seed Paula Badosa, 28th seed Emma Raducanu, and Maria Sakkari, who lost to Andreeva.

Former world number 1 Karolina Pliskova, who has been out for a year and a half because of injury and surgeries, returned to work in Melbourne and made it to the third round, which was impressive.  Pliskova lost to defending champion and 9th seed Madison Keys. Also of note in the third round--young Canadian star Vicky Mboko, seeded 17th, defeated 14th seed and tough opponent Clara Tauson. And young USA player Iva Jovic advanced to the round of 16 when she upset 7th seed Jasmine Paolini in the third round.

Meanwhile, top seed and two-time champion Aryna Sabalenka was put to an interesting test by Anastasia Potopova; Sabalenka prevailed, 7-6, 7-6. Also, two-time champion Naomi Osaka withdrew from the tournament because of injury, giving a walk-over to Australian qualifier Maddison Inglis.

Here is the round of 16 draw:

Aryna Sabalenka (1) v. Victoria Mboko (17)
Yulia Putintseva v. Iva Jovic (29)
Coco Gauff (3) v. Karolina Muchova (10)
Elina Svitolina (12) v. Mirra Andreeva (8)
Jessica Pegula (6) v. Madison Keys (9)
Wang Xinyu v. Amanda Anisimova (4)
Elena Rybakina (5) v. Elise Mertens (21)
Maddison Inglis (Q) vs. Iga Swiatek (2)

There has already been a major upset in doubles. In the second round, 2nd seeds Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini lost to Australian wild cards Kimberly Birrell and Talia Gibson. 

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Friday, January 16, 2026

Australian Open main draw play begins on the 17th

World number 1 and two-time Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka will try for a third title when the Australian Open begins next week. Sabalenka missed out on winning three consecutive titles last year when she was defeated in the final by Madison Keys. 

If things go as planned, Sabalenka will get her first real test in the quarterfinals, in which she is likely to face Marta Kostyuk (again, if things go as planned). Kostyuk recently upset Amanda Anisimova, Mirra Andreeva and Jessica Pegula on her way to the Brisbane final. The Ukrainian player reached the quarterfinals in Melbourne in 2024.

Andreeva is likely to play Coco Gauff in the quarterfinals. Gauff is 4-0 against Andreeva; three of those matches were played on clay. And two USA stars--Amanda Anisimova and Jessica Pegula--are also likely to meet in the quarterfinals. Finally, Elena Rybakina and Iga Swiatek are predicted to play a quarterfinal match in Melbourne.

Those quarterfinal match-ups--assuming that they occur--are very tasty. "Assuming" is the key word, though, and an upset or two wouldn't be a surprise at all.

Let's not forget defending champion (and 9th seed) Keys, whose quarter includes 6th seed Pegula, as well as Paula Badosa and Leylah Fernandez. 

There are also some interesting first-round matches:

Karolina Muchova (19) v. Jaqueline Cristian: I'm hoping that this one isn't a middle-of-the-night-in-my-time-zone match because it has the potential to be very entertaining. The stylish shot-maker supreme Muchova is always entertaining, we know, but Cristian can also be great to watch. The Romanian's game is at its best on a clay court, but she's playing well in Australia right now, and I expect her to be a good match for Muchova.

Barbora Krejcikova v. Diana Shnaider (23): The former world number 2 has fallen victim to the Czech illness/injury curse, and--just when she thinks an injury is healed--it pops up again. Lately, it's been her knee. Right now, it would be a victory for Krejcikova to just play without injury or illness. When she's healthy, the two-time major champion can beat anyone.

Magda Linette) v. Emma Navarro (15): These two have played each other only once, on a hard court; Navarro won in straight sets.

Donna Vekic v. Mirra Andreeva (8): Vekic runs hot and cold. If she happens to run hot in Melbourne, Andreeva will have all that she can handle.

Tereza Valentova v. Maya Joint: Two young players with good career potential meet for the first time.

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Sunday, December 28, 2025

Battle of the Sexes--a bad idea in 2025, a bad idea in 1973

A perusal of social media demonstrates that tennis fans, as a whole, found today's Battle of the Sexes unnecessary and somewhat offensive. I agree. But I also found the original Battle of the Sexes offensive, and I continue to do so. 

Billie Jean King recently spoke out against today's event, saying that the original event was "culturally significant," but I disagree. I was a part of that culture, and my takeaway then--and now--was that the event promoted the sexist myth that men's and women's tennis are somehow the same, and therefore men's tennis (because men are stronger) is "better." 

If King had lost the match, I can only imagine what the fallout would have been. But the young, in-her-peak BJK beat an older man, and so what? 

I remember Tim Henman, in a very sexist media moment, asking a number of ATP players how many ATP players could beat Serena Williams, and--since there was no Andy Murray around to set him straight--he got a number of accurate, but very sexist, replies. Men are stronger than women, and they are generally faster. Strength and speed are considered superior qualities because, after all, they are male qualities. Therefore, male tennis players are "better" than female tennis players.

This isn't to say that, on a given day, a woman can't beat a man at tennis; it happens every day at clubs around the nation. But a professional male tennis player is very highly likely to beat a professional female tennis player because men's and women's tennis are not the same.  

Some good things did come of the original Battle of the Sexes. For me, the best thing to come out of it was the  2017 film, Battle of the Sexes, which was really well done. And an even better thing to come out of it was the personal transformation that Emma Stone underwent after she portrayed Billie Jean King in the movie. 

The WTA has come a long way (baby) since the Original 9 broke away from a sexist institution that didn't want them to make any money at all for playing tennis (a movement that was led by Arthur Ashe). But the idea that women's tennis, and all women's sports, are inferior, is very much alive and well. Aryna Sabalenka didn't do the tour, or women's sports, any favors by once again perpetuating the sexist myth that men's and women's tennis are the same. And she certainly didn't advance the cause of women's sports by competing against the openly sexist Nick Kyrgios. 

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