Archive January 25, 2026

Coco Gauff had to fight in Melbourne Park, where the brutal heat of the day earlier had eased to 22C.

At Rod Laver Arena, top seed Alcaraz delivered a masterclass of ominous touch, beating the American Tommy Paul 7-6 (8 / 6), 6-4, 7-5.

The 22-year-old defeated sixth seed Alex de Minaur, who defeated eighth seed Alexander Bublik in straight sets, against home hope.

Jakub Mensik and Djokovic were scheduled to face off in the last 16 on Monday, but the Czech international pulled out with an injury.

For a place in the semi-finals, Djokovic will face American Taylor Fritz or Italian Lorenzo Musetti, who is ninth seed.

Alcaraz has never left the quarter-finals in Melbourne, which is unusual for the Spaniard, who like Djokovic has not dropped a set this year.

He will become the youngest person to have won a career Grand Slam of all four majors if he can finally defeat his Australian duck.

Also read: Carlos Alcaraz Is Out With An Injury From The Davis Cup Finale READ HERE.

The Spaniard’s serving technique has historically struggled with precision and consistency.

He has been compared to Djokovic’s serve, which has now been a useful tool.

After making light work of 19th seed Paul, he said, “you have to pay me,” he said in his on-court interview to the cheers of the adoring crowd.

Alexander Zverev next faces American Learner Tien, who was well defeated by Jannik Sinner in the final last year.

In straight sets, Germany’s third seed destroyed Francisco Cerundolo, Argentina’s 18th seed.

The 25th seed Daniil Medvedev, a three-time finalist, defeated surprisingly easy Tien in a surprisingly easy three-set victory.

Despite having a nosebleed in the first set that required lengthy medical attention, Tien, 20, made it to his first Grand Slam quarter-final.

Later, he claimed that his nose was simply dry.

The crowd has been amazing every year since I’ve been here, said Tien, who is the youngest men’s quarter-finalist at Melbourne Park since Nick Kyrgios in 2015.

“It means the world to me to do this in this place with this much enthusiasm and support.”

Sabalenka Teen Test

In a tasty last-eight fight, world number one Sabalenka will square off against impressive American Iva Jovic, age 18.

Sabalenka, a two-time Melbourne champion, defeated 19-year-old Canadian Victoria Mboko in a fierce match to win the Belarusian top seed.

Sabalenka defeated unseeded Yulia Putintseva 6-1, 7-6 (7/1) in just 53 dominant minutes, while Jovic defeated her.

The 17th-seeded Canadian Mboko, who has come under fire for being a serious threat in the past year, described Sabalenka as “an incredible player for such a young age.”

She put in incredible tennis for me today.

Sabalenka won the second set tiebreak, which was her 20th Grand Slam tiebreak in a row.

As her title charge progresses, she hasn’t dropped a set.

But in Jovic, who turned 18 last month, she squares off with a player who is in top form and quickly rising, who is currently ranked 27 and was 191 this year.

Jovic, who stunned seventh-seeded Jasmine Paolini, two-time Grand Slam champion, and other competitors in the third round, asserted that she does not believe in herself as a winner.

She continued, “This is just another week where I’m winning more matches.”

Since Venus Williams did it in 1998, Jovic is the youngest player to reach the women’s quarter-finals of the Australian Open without giving a set.

Elina Svitolina from Ukraine will face third-seeded American Gauff.

Russian Mirra Andreeva defeated the 12-year-old Svitolina 6-2, 6-4, in a match against the Russian.

Gauff fought her way past Karolina Muchova 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, after dropping a set for the second time in a row.

Coco Gauff had to fight in Melbourne Park, where the brutal heat of the day earlier had eased to 22C.

At Rod Laver Arena, top seed Alcaraz delivered a masterclass of ominous touch, beating the American Tommy Paul 7-6 (8 / 6), 6-4, 7-5.

The 22-year-old defeated sixth seed Alex de Minaur, who defeated eighth seed Alexander Bublik in straight sets, against home hope.

Jakub Mensik and Djokovic were scheduled to face off in the last 16 on Monday, but the Czech international pulled out with an injury.

For a place in the semi-finals, Djokovic will face American Taylor Fritz or Italian Lorenzo Musetti, who is ninth seed.

Alcaraz has never left the quarter-finals in Melbourne, which is unusual for the Spaniard, who like Djokovic has not dropped a set this year.

He will become the youngest person to have won a career Grand Slam of all four majors if he can finally defeat his Australian duck.

Also read: Carlos Alcaraz Is Out With An Injury From The Davis Cup Finale READ HERE.

The Spaniard’s serving technique has historically struggled with precision and consistency.

He has been compared to Djokovic’s serve, which has now been a useful tool.

After making light work of 19th seed Paul, he said, “you have to pay me,” he said in his on-court interview to the cheers of the adoring crowd.

Alexander Zverev next faces American Learner Tien, who was well defeated by Jannik Sinner in the final last year.

In straight sets, Germany’s third seed destroyed Francisco Cerundolo, Argentina’s 18th seed.

The 25th seed Daniil Medvedev, a three-time finalist, defeated surprisingly easy Tien in a surprisingly easy three-set victory.

Despite having a nosebleed in the first set that required lengthy medical attention, Tien, 20, made it to his first Grand Slam quarter-final.

Later, he claimed that his nose was simply dry.

The crowd has been amazing every year since I’ve been here, said Tien, who is the youngest men’s quarter-finalist at Melbourne Park since Nick Kyrgios in 2015.

“It means the world to me to do this in this place with this much enthusiasm and support.”

Sabalenka Teen Test

In a tasty last-eight fight, world number one Sabalenka will square off against impressive American Iva Jovic, age 18.

Sabalenka, a two-time Melbourne champion, defeated 19-year-old Canadian Victoria Mboko in a fierce match to win the Belarusian top seed.

Sabalenka defeated unseeded Yulia Putintseva 6-1, 7-6 (7/1) in just 53 dominant minutes, while Jovic defeated her.

The 17th-seeded Canadian Mboko, who has come under fire for being a serious threat in the past year, described Sabalenka as “an incredible player for such a young age.”

She put in incredible tennis for me today.

Sabalenka won the second set tiebreak, which was her 20th Grand Slam tiebreak in a row.

As her title charge progresses, she hasn’t dropped a set.

But in Jovic, who turned 18 last month, she squares off with a player who is in top form and quickly rising, who is currently ranked 27 and was 191 this year.

Jovic, who stunned seventh-seeded Jasmine Paolini, two-time Grand Slam champion, and other competitors in the third round, asserted that she does not believe in herself as a winner.

She continued, “This is just another week where I’m winning more matches.”

Since Venus Williams did it in 1998, Jovic is the youngest player to reach the women’s quarter-finals of the Australian Open without giving a set.

Elina Svitolina from Ukraine will face third-seeded American Gauff.

Russian Mirra Andreeva defeated the 12-year-old Svitolina 6-2, 6-4, in a match against the Russian.

Gauff fought her way past Karolina Muchova 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, after dropping a set for the second time in a row.

Amine Adli’s 95th-minute goal gave the Cherries a thrilling 3-2 victory on Saturday, ending Liverpool’s 13-game unbeaten run.

The home side had a commanding position before Virgil van Dijk and Dominik Szoboszlai scored the equalizer thanks to goals from Evanilson and Alex Jimenez.

However, Adli’s late goal with almost the final kick of the game gave Bournemouth a 15-game win.

After the games of Sunday, defeat will make Liverpool manager Arne Slot’s reputation more under the microscope. The Reds are likely to finish outside of the top four in the Premier League.

After a run of nine defeats in 12 games earlier in the campaign, Slot, who led Liverpool to Premier League glory last year, had stabilized the situation.

Liverpool are currently winless in five league games, despite the Dutchman’s uninspired performances, even during their unbeaten run.

In midweek, the Reds defeated Marseille 3-3 to move into the Champions League last 16.

After giving the Cherries a 2-0 lead, they again struggled when faced with the demands of disassembling a Premier League defense.

The visitors made up for two defensive errors in seven first-half minutes by dominating the ball throughout.

Van Dijk tried too casually to tip Marcos Senesi’s cross over the top for a corner, but Evanilson hammered home from the crossbar.

Joe Gomez picked up an injury to further diminish Liverpool’s already exhausted center-back options as he attempted to prevent the goal.

When Bournemouth doubled their lead, the visitors were only 10 men at the time.

Milos Kerkez’s return to the Vitality Stadium resulted in Jimenez sneaking in behind and scoring his first goal for Bournemouth.

Van Dijk made amends for his earlier error by heading into Szoboszlai’s corner to start the Liverpool fightback.

Reward for optimism

Despite being linked with a move to Tottenham before the transfer window closes in more than a week, Andy Robertson took Kerkez’ place at halftime.

Before Szoboszlai’s strike sparked a wild finale, Liverpool had little to show for their dominance of the ball.

On Wednesday, the Hungarian slotted a free kick under the Marseille wall, but this time it was a Cody Gakpo flick that he worked an angle into the far corner.

Alisson Becker was almost immediately required by Liverpool to stop Bournemouth from retaking the lead right away with Ryan Christie’s brilliant save.

The Brazilian slotted wide with Alisson to beat before squandering a fantastic chance to win the game.

When Florian Wirtz was prevented from finding the bottom corner by Bournemouth goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic, the club could have lost it.

However, Adli’s narrow angle header from a long angle gave Andoni Iraola’s men a heads-up when the pair won.

Amine Adli’s 95th-minute goal gave the Cherries a thrilling 3-2 victory on Saturday, ending Liverpool’s 13-game unbeaten run.

The home side had a commanding position before Virgil van Dijk and Dominik Szoboszlai scored the equalizer thanks to goals from Evanilson and Alex Jimenez.

However, Adli’s late goal with almost the final kick of the game gave Bournemouth a 15-game win.

After the games of Sunday, defeat will make Liverpool manager Arne Slot’s reputation more under the microscope. The Reds are likely to finish outside of the top four in the Premier League.

After a run of nine defeats in 12 games earlier in the campaign, Slot, who led Liverpool to Premier League glory last year, had stabilized the situation.

Liverpool are currently winless in five league games, despite the Dutchman’s uninspired performances, even during their unbeaten run.

In midweek, the Reds defeated Marseille 3-3 to move into the Champions League last 16.

After giving the Cherries a 2-0 lead, they again struggled when faced with the demands of disassembling a Premier League defense.

The visitors made up for two defensive errors in seven first-half minutes by dominating the ball throughout.

Van Dijk tried too casually to tip Marcos Senesi’s cross over the top for a corner, but Evanilson hammered home from the crossbar.

Joe Gomez picked up an injury to further diminish Liverpool’s already exhausted center-back options as he attempted to prevent the goal.

When Bournemouth doubled their lead, the visitors were only 10 men at the time.

Milos Kerkez’s return to the Vitality Stadium resulted in Jimenez sneaking in behind and scoring his first goal for Bournemouth.

Van Dijk made amends for his earlier error by heading into Szoboszlai’s corner to start the Liverpool fightback.

Reward for optimism

Despite being linked with a move to Tottenham before the transfer window closes in more than a week, Andy Robertson took Kerkez’ place at halftime.

Before Szoboszlai’s strike sparked a wild finale, Liverpool had little to show for their dominance of the ball.

On Wednesday, the Hungarian slotted a free kick under the Marseille wall, but this time it was a Cody Gakpo flick that he worked an angle into the far corner.

Alisson Becker was almost immediately required by Liverpool to stop Bournemouth from retaking the lead right away with Ryan Christie’s brilliant save.

The Brazilian slotted wide with Alisson to beat before squandering a fantastic chance to win the game.

When Florian Wirtz was prevented from finding the bottom corner by Bournemouth goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic, the club could have lost it.

However, Adli’s narrow angle header from a long angle gave Andoni Iraola’s men a heads-up when the pair won.

After being detained there during the Africa Cup of Nations football final, Senegal’s prime minister Ousmane Sonko will make an official visit to Morocco on Monday, according to officials.

READ MORE:   Morocco Report Senegal To CAF, FIFA Over AFCON Final Protests

Eighteen Senegalese supporters are still in pre-trial detention in Morocco, where they face hooliganism charges. Senegal lost to Morocco 1-0 after the match on January 18; they were taken into custody after the trial.

Their trial was adjourned until January 29 because it took place on Thursday in a Rabat court.

The two nations, however, have friendly relations in areas like tourism, energy, infrastructure, and transportation, and they both practice moderate religion.

According to a source at the Senegalese foreign ministry, Sonko’s trip is being carried out as part of a joint commission between the two states, which is scheduled for Monday and Tuesday.

According to the Moroccan news agency MAP, an African-Senegalese economic forum is being held for the occasion.

King Mohammed VI of Morocco regretted the events, and Sonko called for a calmening of the conflict.

Rival supporters have continued to exchange barbs on social media.

Triumph in the midst of controversy

At the conclusion of a match marred by scandalous scenes following a controversial penalty award, Senegal triumphed 1-0 over Morocco in the Africa Cup of Nations final on Sunday.

Following a VAR check for a challenge on Diaz by Senegal defender El Hadji Malick Diouf in the box, Congolese match referee Jean-Jacques Ndala awarded the penalty just before the eighteenth minute was up.

Diaz, the rest of the Moroccan team, and their bench vehemently opposed the referee’s request to review the images, but Senegal and their supporters reacted furiously when they finally decided to give the spot-kick.

Some Senegal supporters in the small group of away fans at the opposite end of the stadium threw chairs and other objects and attempted to enter the field of play as the majority of their players attempted to leave the field of play.

When the penalty was saved, they were eventually ensnared by a sizable barrage of police and stewards, turning their anger into joy and disbelief.

The Senegalese team’s first reaction was when the referee decided to forbid a foul, but they were angered when Abdoulaye Seck headed off the post at a corner and Ismaila Sarr nodded in the rebound.

However, a galvanized Senegal would almost certainly come out on top in the fourth minute of extra time, stunning the 66, 526 home fans at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.

Idrissa Gana Gueye, who had previously released his name, was found in the middle of Sadio Mane’s possession of midfield.

After being detained there during the Africa Cup of Nations football final, Senegal’s prime minister Ousmane Sonko will make an official visit to Morocco on Monday, according to officials.

READ MORE:   Morocco Report Senegal To CAF, FIFA Over AFCON Final Protests

Eighteen Senegalese supporters are still in pre-trial detention in Morocco, where they face hooliganism charges. Senegal lost to Morocco 1-0 after the match on January 18; they were taken into custody after the trial.

Their trial was adjourned until January 29 because it took place on Thursday in a Rabat court.

The two nations, however, have friendly relations in areas like tourism, energy, infrastructure, and transportation, and they both practice moderate religion.

According to a source at the Senegalese foreign ministry, Sonko’s trip is being carried out as part of a joint commission between the two states, which is scheduled for Monday and Tuesday.

According to the Moroccan news agency MAP, an African-Senegalese economic forum is being held for the occasion.

King Mohammed VI of Morocco regretted the events, and Sonko called for a calmening of the conflict.

Rival supporters have continued to exchange barbs on social media.

Triumph in the midst of controversy

At the conclusion of a match marred by scandalous scenes following a controversial penalty award, Senegal triumphed 1-0 over Morocco in the Africa Cup of Nations final on Sunday.

Following a VAR check for a challenge on Diaz by Senegal defender El Hadji Malick Diouf in the box, Congolese match referee Jean-Jacques Ndala awarded the penalty just before the eighteenth minute was up.

Diaz, the rest of the Moroccan team, and their bench vehemently opposed the referee’s request to review the images, but Senegal and their supporters reacted furiously when they finally decided to give the spot-kick.

Some Senegal supporters in the small group of away fans at the opposite end of the stadium threw chairs and other objects and attempted to enter the field of play as the majority of their players attempted to leave the field of play.

When the penalty was saved, they were eventually ensnared by a sizable barrage of police and stewards, turning their anger into joy and disbelief.

The Senegalese team’s first reaction was when the referee decided to forbid a foul, but they were angered when Abdoulaye Seck headed off the post at a corner and Ismaila Sarr nodded in the rebound.

However, a galvanized Senegal would almost certainly come out on top in the fourth minute of extra time, stunning the 66, 526 home fans at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.

Idrissa Gana Gueye, who had previously released his name, was found in the middle of Sadio Mane’s possession of midfield.