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'Full Respect' for Djokovic but Nadal Tips Alcaraz for Melbourne Title

Spanish former tennis player Rafael Nadal (2-L) poses for a photo with former Australian Open driver Iain Moffat (L) during a branding partnership event during day 14 of the 2026 Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, 31 January 2026. EPA/JOEL CARRETT
Spanish former tennis player Rafael Nadal (2-L) poses for a photo with former Australian Open driver Iain Moffat (L) during a branding partnership event during day 14 of the 2026 Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, 31 January 2026. EPA/JOEL CARRETT
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'Full Respect' for Djokovic but Nadal Tips Alcaraz for Melbourne Title

Spanish former tennis player Rafael Nadal (2-L) poses for a photo with former Australian Open driver Iain Moffat (L) during a branding partnership event during day 14 of the 2026 Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, 31 January 2026. EPA/JOEL CARRETT
Spanish former tennis player Rafael Nadal (2-L) poses for a photo with former Australian Open driver Iain Moffat (L) during a branding partnership event during day 14 of the 2026 Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, 31 January 2026. EPA/JOEL CARRETT

Rafael Nadal says he has "full respect" for old rival Novak Djokovic but tipped Spanish compatriot Carlos Alcaraz to win Sunday's Australian Open final.

The 22-time Grand Slam winner, who retired from tennis in 2024, is set to attend the blockbuster title match in Melbourne, AFP reported.

A two-time Australian Open champion himself, Nadal believes world number one Alcaraz is the clear favorite, but would not be surprised if 38-year-old Djokovic caused an upset.

"I think the favorite is Carlos," Nadal told host broadcaster Channel Nine on Saturday.

"He's young, he has the energy and he's in his prime. But I mean, Novak is Novak. He's a very special player.

"I don't know if Novak has lost a final here. It's always a challenge and he likes the challenges.

"(But) favorite is Carlos from my point of view."

Speaking separately to the Melbourne Age newspaper, Nadal said it was a "positive thing" to have somebody at Djokovic’s age fighting with Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

Djokovic stunned 24-year-old Sinner in the semi-finals over five tough sets to surge into his 11th Australian Open final. He has won all previous 10.

"I really believe that he is here for one simple reason -– because if I don't get injured, probably I will be here playing too," said Nadal, who is one year older than Djokovic.

"When you like to do this thing, if you are not injured and if you are not super tired mentally, why wouldn’t you be here?

"I think it's a positive example of commitment, of resilience.

"I mean, Novak, for obvious reasons, he's not at his prime, but he is still very, very competitive at an age that is difficult to be very competitive. So full respect."

Djokovic is bidding to become the oldest man to win the Australian Open. The 37-year-old Ken Rosewall won it in 1972.

He is also striving to finally win a record 25th Grand Slam and surpass Margaret Court, who is also expected to be watching in Rod Laver Arena on Sunday.

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Rybakina Beats Sabalenka in Tense Australian Open Final

Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina celebrates with the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup after her victory against Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka during the women's singles final match on day fourteen of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 31, 2026. (Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP)
Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina celebrates with the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup after her victory against Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka during the women's singles final match on day fourteen of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 31, 2026. (Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP)
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Rybakina Beats Sabalenka in Tense Australian Open Final

Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina celebrates with the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup after her victory against Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka during the women's singles final match on day fourteen of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 31, 2026. (Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP)
Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina celebrates with the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup after her victory against Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka during the women's singles final match on day fourteen of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 31, 2026. (Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP)

Elena Rybakina took revenge over world number one Aryna Sabalenka to win a nail-biting Australian Open final on Saturday and clinch her second Grand Slam title.

The big-serving Kazakh fifth seed held her nerve to pull through 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne in 2hrs 18mins.

It was payback after the Belarusian Sabalenka won the 2023 final between two of the hardest hitters in women's tennis.

The ice-cool Rybakina, 26, who was born in Moscow, adds her Melbourne triumph to her Wimbledon win in 2022.

"Hard to find the words now," said Rybakina, and then addressed her beaten opponent to add: "I know it is tough, but I hope we play many more finals together."

Turning to some Kazakh fans in the crowd, she said: "Thank you so much to Kazakhstan. I felt the support from that corner a lot."

It was more disappointment in a major final for Sabalenka, who won the US Open last year for the second time but lost the French Open and Melbourne title deciders.

She was into her fourth Australian Open final in a row and had been imperious until now, with tears in her eyes at the end.

"Let's hope maybe next year will be a better year for me," AFP quoted Sabalenka as saying ruefully.

With the roof on because of drizzle in Melbourne, Rybakina immediately broke serve and then comfortably held for 2-0.

Rybakina faced two break points at 4-3, but found her range with her serve to send down an ace and dig herself out of trouble, leaving Sabalenka visibly frustrated.

Rybakina looked in the zone and wrapped up the set in 37 minutes on her first set point when Sabalenka fired long.

Incredibly, it was the first set Sabalenka had dropped in 2026.

The second game of the second set was tense, Rybakina saving three break points in a 10-minute arm-wrestle.

They went with serve and the seventh game was another tussle, Sabalenka holding for 4-3 after the best rally of a cagey affair.

The tension ratcheted up and the top seed quickly forged three set points at 5-4 on the Kazakh's serve, ruthlessly levelling the match at the first chance to force a deciding set.

Sabalenka was now in the ascendancy and smacked a scorching backhand to break for a 2-0 lead, then holding for 3-0.

Rybakina, who also had not dropped a set in reaching the final, looked unusually rattled.

She reset to hold, then wrestled back the break, allowing herself the merest of smiles.

At 3-3 the title threatened to swing either way.

But a surging Rybakina won a fourth game in a row to break for 4-3, then held to put a thrilling victory within sight.

Rybakina sealed the championship with her sixth ace of the match.

The finalists were familiar foes having met 14 times previously, with Sabalenka winning eight of them.

Sabalenka came into the final as favorite but Rybakina has been one of the form players on the women's tour in recent months.

She also defeated Sabalenka in the decider at the season-ending WTA Finals.
Rybakina beat second seed Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals and sixth seed Jessica Pegula in the last four in Melbourne.

Rybakina switched to play under the Kazakh flag in 2018 when she was a little-known 19-year-old, citing financial reasons.

Sports

Harrison and Skupski Win Australian Open Doubles Title in 1st Major Together

Christian Harrison (L) of the USA and Neal Skupski (R) of Great Britian pose with the winners trophy after winning the men’s doubles final against Jason Kubler and Marc Polmans of Australia on day 14 of the 2026 Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, 31 January 2026. EPA/JOEL CARRETT
Christian Harrison (L) of the USA and Neal Skupski (R) of Great Britian pose with the winners trophy after winning the men’s doubles final against Jason Kubler and Marc Polmans of Australia on day 14 of the 2026 Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, 31 January 2026. EPA/JOEL CARRETT
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Harrison and Skupski Win Australian Open Doubles Title in 1st Major Together

Christian Harrison (L) of the USA and Neal Skupski (R) of Great Britian pose with the winners trophy after winning the men’s doubles final against Jason Kubler and Marc Polmans of Australia on day 14 of the 2026 Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, 31 January 2026. EPA/JOEL CARRETT
Christian Harrison (L) of the USA and Neal Skupski (R) of Great Britian pose with the winners trophy after winning the men’s doubles final against Jason Kubler and Marc Polmans of Australia on day 14 of the 2026 Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, 31 January 2026. EPA/JOEL CARRETT

Sixth seeds Neal Skupski and Christian Harrison defeated Australia's wildcard pairing of Jason Kubler and Marc Polmans 7-6(4) 6-4 to capture the Australian Open men's doubles title on Saturday in their first Grand Slam event as a team.

The British-American duo's victory at Rod Laver Arena gave Harrison his first Grand Slam title and marked Skupski's fourth in doubles and mixed doubles, though his first outside Wimbledon.

The partnership is remarkably fresh, as the pair started playing together only two weeks ago in Adelaide after training for a week together in Baton Rouge in December.

"We obviously started playing together in Adelaide two weeks ago now," Reuters quoted Skupski as saying.

"We didn't know obviously how it would go. It seems to be going pretty well so far!"

With the roof closed at Rod ⁠Laver Arena due to the rain, the match began at a fast pace under the lights and proved to be an entertaining affair, as the opening set went with serve until Harrison and Skupski broke for a 4-2 lead.

But with the raucous Australian fans firmly behind them, Kubler and Polmans - wearing his trademark legionnaire hat - broke Harrison's serve and consolidated it to level the set at 5-5 before forcing a tiebreak.

They were neck-and-neck in the ⁠tiebreak at 4-4 until the British-American duo inched ahead and took the opening set when Skupski smashed an emphatic overhead shot at the net to silence the home fans.

In the second set, Harrison and Skupski broke Polmans' serve early for a 3-1 advantage and they did not look back despite a determined fightback from the Australian pair.

They made it 5-3 on Skupski's serve when Harrison smashed a volley at the net to put the pressure back on the Australians, who managed to keep them at bay by saving a championship point on serve.

But Harrison proved indomitable at the baseline on his own serve as they served for the title.

Although they ⁠failed to convert another championship point, they sealed the title at the third time of asking when the American fired an ace down the middle.

The victory brings another Grand Slam trophy into the Harrison household after his elder brother Ryan, also his coach, won the French Open doubles title in 2017.

"My parents are back home, and I remember I was with them when I watched my brother win the French Open on TV and they were emotional wrecks. So I know they're probably doing the same right now," Harrison said.

"Thanks to my partner, without you it's not possible. I was so excited to just get on the court with you. In some tight moments, I knew your experience was going to help pay off in the end and it did. It was fun to battle in this match together."

Sports

Elise Mertens and Zhang Shuai Win Australian Open Women's Doubles Title

Elise Mertens of Belgium and Zhang Shuai, left, of China pose with their trophy after defeating Anna Danilina, right, of Kazakhstan and Aleksandra Krunic of Serbia in the women's doubles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Elise Mertens of Belgium and Zhang Shuai, left, of China pose with their trophy after defeating Anna Danilina, right, of Kazakhstan and Aleksandra Krunic of Serbia in the women's doubles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
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Elise Mertens and Zhang Shuai Win Australian Open Women's Doubles Title

Elise Mertens of Belgium and Zhang Shuai, left, of China pose with their trophy after defeating Anna Danilina, right, of Kazakhstan and Aleksandra Krunic of Serbia in the women's doubles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Elise Mertens of Belgium and Zhang Shuai, left, of China pose with their trophy after defeating Anna Danilina, right, of Kazakhstan and Aleksandra Krunic of Serbia in the women's doubles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Elise Mertens marked her return to the No. 1 ranking in women's doubles by combining with China's Zhang Shuai to win the Australian Open title on Saturday.

Back together after four years apart as a team, Mertens and Zhang trailed 3-0 and 4-1 in the first set but rallied to beat Anna Danilina of Kazakhstan and Serbia's Aleksandra Krunic 7-6 (4), 6-4. Mertens and Zhang led the final set 5-0 before withstanding a comeback attempt when Danilina and Krunic won four straight games.

Currently ranked No. 6 in doubles, Mertens, who won the Wimbledon doubles title last year with Veronika Kudermetova, will return to the No. 1 ranking after the Australian Open.

That will mark the Belgian player's 40th cumulative week as No. 1 in doubles and was guaranteed regardless of the outcome of the Melbourne Park final Saturday.

The win Saturday was Mertens' sixth Grand Slam doubles title, including 2021 and 2024 at Melbourne Park. Zhang now has three, including the 2019 Australian Open and the 2021 US Open.

It was their first Grand Slam trophy as a team, having lost the 2022 Wimbledon final in their last appearance together.

“This is like cherry on the cake,” The Associated Press quoted Mertens as saying. “We paired up as a team very last-minute . . . this was our first tournament back together. In the second round we saved three match points, so that kind of took us to another level. An unbelievable two weeks."

Mertens reached the fourth round of women’s singles at Melbourne Park this year before being beaten by eventual finalist Elena Rybakina.
Zhang says she and Mertens adapt well.

“We know how to play finals, we know how to win finals,” Zhang said. “We are both very calm. If something doesn't work . . . we always adjust.”