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Tennis analysts have warned Iga Swiatek about the threat of Elena Rybakina ahead of the pair’s blockbuster matchup in the quarter-finals of the 2026 Australian Open.

No 2 seed Swiatek and No 5 seed Rybakina will face off in the first match on the Wednesday schedule at the Melbourne Grand Slam.

Both players are aiming to win their maiden Australian Open title, with Rybakina a runner-up in 2023 and Swiatek a two-time semi-finalist.

Swiatek is chasing her seventh major, which would see her complete the career Grand Slam, while Rybakina is vying for her second Slam title.

After Swiatek’s 6-0, 6-3 fourth round hammering of Maddison Inglis, former British No 1 Laura Robson looked ahead to the Pole’s showdown with Rybakina.

“Iga is on a mission at the moment and she’s got probably one of the toughest opponents you can get, not that any opponent can be easy now, but Elena Rybakina next, who’s just been cruising through the draw, and she’s going to need to play very, very well,” Robson told TNT Sports.

“But it is such a good lineup for the quarter-finals on the women’s side of the draw. Iga is still looking for that career Grand Slam with that kind of performance.”

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Jamie Murray, a former world No 1 in doubles, also gave his verdict.

“Iga’s just got a much bigger weight of shot [than Inglis],” Murray said. “She’s got the ability to manipulate the ball.

“It’s a good performance, but she’s going to have much bigger tests coming ahead.

“I don’t feel like we’ve learned a whole lot from her and I mean, her next match against Rybakina will be a huge step up, a huge challenge for her, and I think that’s when we’ll know whether she’s really looking to win this title or not.”

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The winner of Swiatek and Rybakina’s match will play either Amanda Anisimova or Jessica Pegula in the semi-finals.

What is the head-to-head between Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina?

This will be the 12th meeting between the pair, and Swiatek leads the head-to-head 6-5.

Rybakina won the last encounter at the WTA Finals in November after Swiatek had won the previous four matches.

READ NEXT: Coco Gauff’s ‘shocking’ Australian Open display could cause ‘scar tissue’ – former world No 4

The post Iga Swiatek warned by experts ahead of Elena Rybakina showdown at Australian Open appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz has achieved so much already in his career that it is not too often he breaks new ground — but he has done exactly that at the Australian Open this year.

The Spaniard is a two-time champion at the French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open, but had never made it past the last eight of the Australian Open prior to 2026, with the 22-year-old falling at the quarter-final stage in 2024 and 2025.

However, Alcaraz has finally leapt over the quarter-final hurdle in Melbourne and did it in style on Tuesday, maintaining his perfect record over Alex de Minaur with a 7-5, 6-2, 6-1 victory over the world No 6 inside the Rod Laver Arena.

Victory for Alcaraz makes him one of just four active players to reach the semi-final of all four Grand Slam events, joining Novak Djokovic, Marin Cilic, and Jannik Sinner in an exclusive club.

And, it ensures that he will boost his status as the world No 1, regardless of how he — and leading rival Sinner — fare across the rest of their campaigns.

Rankings boost

Alcaraz holds a staggering 12,050 points in the official ATP Rankings, placing him 550 points ahead of world No 2 Sinner heading into the event.

However, having lost in the last eight to Djokovic twelve months, just 400 of Alcaraz’s official ranking points come from the Australian Open.

In contrast, world No 2 Sinner entered Melbourne as the defending champion and has 2,000 points to defend at the tournament; he has currently defended 400 points, with his quarter-final versus Ben Shelton taking place on Wednesday.

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With Sinner defending a full complement of points and already behind Alcaraz in the rankings, it was impossible for the Italian to overtake the Spaniard at the tournament, regardless of results.

However, by reaching the semi-final, Alcaraz is guaranteed to extend his advantage at the top.

By reaching the semi-final of the Australian Open for the very first time, the 22-year-old is guaranteed to hold more ranking points than he did prior to the tournament.

As it stands, the Spaniard is up to 12,450 points after reaching the last four for the first time, with his run worth 800 ranking points — 400 points more than a quarter-final run.

Alcaraz will move to 12,950 points if he beats Alexander Zverev in Friday’s semi-final and reaches the final for the first time, and would hold a staggering 13,650 points if he were to lift the title.

In contrast, reigning champion Sinner can only maintain his current total of 11,500 points if he were to defend the title.

The Italian would still be 950 points behind if he wins the title and Alcaraz loses in the semi-final, or 1,450 points behind if he lifts the title and Alcaraz loses him to the final.

And, if Sinner was unable to defend the title, Alcaraz would be guaranteed to hold a sizable lead over the Italian, regardless of his own result.

Having been suspended for three months directly after the 2025 Australian Open, Sinner will have opportunities to gain ground on Alcaraz this spring, and potentially regain the world No 1 ranking.

However, the Spaniard could give himself a comfortable cushion ahead of that period.

Alcaraz’s potential ranking points

Semi-final loss: 12,450 points
Final loss: 12,950 points
Title: 13,650 points

Sinner’s potential ranking points

Quarter-final loss: 9,900 points
Semi-final loss: 10,300 points
Final loss: 10,800 points
Title: 11,500 points

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The post Australian Open: Why Carlos Alcaraz is guaranteed ATP Rankings boost after Alex de Minaur win appeared first on Tennis365.

Coco Gauff has questioned the lack of privacy for players at the Australian Open after smashing her racket in frustration following her heavy loss to Elina Svitolina.

An out of sorts Gauff lost 1-6, 2-6 to Svitolina in just 59 minutes in the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park on Rod Laver Arena on Tuesday.

Following the match, the Australian Open‘s behind the scenes cameras picked up Gauff smashing her racket in the corridor.

In her post-match press conference, Gauff explained that she would prefer to release her frustration in the way she did instead of directing it at her team.

“I think for me, I know myself, and I don’t want to lash out on my team,” said the world No 3. “They’re good people. They don’t deserve that, and I know I’m emotional.

“So I just took the minute to go and do that. I don’t think it’s a bad thing. I don’t try to do it on court in front of kids and things like that, but I do know I need to let out that emotion.

“Otherwise, I’m just going to be snappy with the people around me, and I don’t want to do that because they don’t deserve it. They did their best. I did mine. Just need to let the frustration out.”

The two-time Grand Slam champion added: “I tried to go somewhere where I thought there wasn’t a camera because I don’t necessarily like breaking racquets, but I lost 1 and 2.

“I broke one racquet on quarters, I think, or round of 16 of French Open and I said I would never do it again on court because I don’t feel like that’s a good representation.

“I tried to go somewhere where they wouldn’t broadcast it, but obviously they did.

“So maybe some conversations can be had because I feel like at this tournament the only private place we have is the locker room.”

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Despite hitting five double faults and winning only 18% of her second serve points against Svitolina, Gauff feels she has made progress with her serve this year..

“I think it is a step in the right direction,” assessed the 21-year-old American.

“I feel like there’s definitely positives I can take, especially in my last match against Karolina [Muchova]. I feel like that moment was definitely a game I would usually throw in some doubles. So there are positives to take.

“Is my serve where I want it to be? No. I definitely served well in some matches, but I feel like today it’s one of those shots that I would like to be the shot to get me out of trouble.

“But I definitely can look back at this tournament and say that it has improved. I hope that the trend can continue upward. I definitely feel like we’re working on the right things.

“The focus was making the second more reliable, which definitely is more reliable, but obviously I want to just continue that and then make the first serve a bit more aggressive, which I did use in moments in my previous matches, but I think more on a consistent basis.”

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When Carlos Alcaraz announced he was splitting with his long-term coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, the shockwaves that went through tennis would appear to have left us all a little more dazed than the icon in the centre of the storm.

For those of us who saw Alcaraz and Ferrero as a duo who shared a bond akin to a father and son relationship, the prospect of seeing the world No 1 taking to the court without his mentor was hard to imagine.

Yet the reality appears to be that the image we had of Carlitos and the former French Open champion who has been by his side as he lifted all six of his Grand Slam titles was a little misleading.

While Ferrero was hugely influential in building Alcaraz into a tennis superstar, the finished product he helped to mould is more than good enough to thrive without him.

Alcaraz is no longer a novice and as one of the world’s premier athletes, he is clearly keen to make more of his own decisions and that is where the advice and instruction from Ferrero appeared to lose some of its impact.

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The team around Alcaraz is vast and Sami Lopez appears to have a strong bond with the champion trying to join the elite list of players who have won all four Grand Slam titles by lifting his first Australian Open crown on Sunday.

We were all looking to identify any dip in focus, form or tactical acumen from Alcaraz at this year’s Australian Open, but his sensational performance against Alex de Minaur was more than enough for him to secure a 7-5, 6-2, 6-1 win that sent out a defiant message to any of his doubters.

This was a breakthrough win as it booked Alcaraz’s first appearance in an Australian Open semi-final, where he will play Alexander Zverev on Friday and he heads into that match in buoyant mood.

Alcaraz looks stronger, faster and more relaxed than at any point in his career, with the perception that his camp was in turmoil after Ferrero’s exit already banished.

“Alcaraz at his best,” declared former British No 1 Tim Henman on TNT Sports.

“He’s just got so many different options. His backhand impressed me so much tonight that he was flattening out and taking it on, flying just over the net cord, taking it wide from De Minaur.

“Once Alcaraz got that first set under his belt, you just felt like there was a shift of gears. He had another gear to go to, and he was so aggressive, so dominant in every aspect. Yeah, 6-2-6-1 was one-way traffic.”

De Minaur played well for the first set of his latest match against Alcaraz, but Henman was right to suggest that once the back of the match was broken by the Spaniard as he took the first set, he had the freedom to move through the gears and blow his Aussie opponent away.

It was telling that Alcaraz reserved special words for his father in his post-match interview, as he thanked him for all his support and suggested he was proud to be living out the dreams he dreamed up for his son.

“Having my brother and my dad here, part of my family, my uncle as well, it’s been great so far, and I’m just really proud,” said Alcaraz in his on-court speech.

“I’m really happy to see my dad because, you know, these things we experience and living these kinds of things, it was his dream when he was playing tennis. I’m just really proud to see him making his dream with me.”

Those words were telling, with the perception that Ferrero was Alcaraz’s father figure in tennis already close to being banished.

The contribution Ferrero made to Alcaraz’s career will never be forgotten, but it is clear that Alcaraz is now his own man and he is loving every second of him first tournament without his one-time mentor.

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The post Carlos Alcaraz banishes one big myth after breakthrough Australian Open win appeared first on Tennis365.

Coco Gauff’s performance in her one-sided 2026 Australian Open defeat to Elina Svitolina has been described as “shocking” by former world No 4 Tim Henman.

The two-time Grand Slam champion suffered a crushing 1-6, 2-6 loss to 12th-ranked Svitolina in just 59 minutes in the quarter-finals of the Melbourne major.

Gauff had a nightmare day on serve as she held in just two of her eight service games, having won only 41% of her first serve points and a brutal 18% of points on her second serve. The 21-year-old American hit five double faults on the 11 points she played on her second serve.

The world No 3 was also badly out of sorts from the baseline as she hit just three winners and committed 21 groundstroke unforced errors.

Speaking on TNT Sports, Henman expressed concerns that Gauff’s display will “do damage mentally” and leave “scar tissue.”

“We all have bad days at the office, but I think in the context of being the favourite going into that match, she’s a Grand Slam champion, she’s won the French Open, she’s won the US Open, she’s three in the world… I mean, that was a shocking performance, there’s no two ways about it,” said the former British No 1.

“Svitolina just took advantage, but when you get the top player who can really only kick that first serve in, she was serving at a hundred and 25 kilometres an hour and then making so many mistakes from the back of the court, your assets of your game have just been completely stripped apart in front of our eyes, so that was that was pretty tough to watch.

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“That can sort of kickstart you into action, but I think she was just playing so badly and this is, this result hasn’t just sort of come overnight as it were; we know that she’s been struggling.

“There’s so much focus of attention and I think we all sympathise with Coco because she’s such a great competitor. She’s trying so hard to sort the forehand and the serve out.

“But to get through to the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam and have a match like this, I mean, that must do damage mentally. I think there has to be some scar tissue.

“You can’t just sort of say, ‘oh, we’ll forget about that and we move on.’ To think that she’s such a good player — she had three winners, 26 unforced errors in the match.

“And that’s that’s impossible to compete really at any level. So, yeah, it was hardly surprising to see her frustration at the end.”

Svitolina will face world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the Australian Open semi-finals.

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The post Coco Gauff’s ‘shocking’ Australian Open display could cause ‘scar tissue’ – former world No 4 appeared first on Tennis365.

Tennis great Mats Wilander thinks Novak Djokovic is making a mistake by publicly acknowledging the superiority of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

Alcaraz and Sinner are ranked first and second and they have each secured four of the last Grand Slam titles since Djokovic won his most recent major at the 2023 US Open.

The dominant pair faced off in the finals at the last three Grand Slams, and they are heavy favourites to make it four in a row at the 2026 Australian Open.

Djokovic, the world No 4, is widely considered to be the third best player in men’s tennis behind Alcaraz and Sinner.

The 38-year-old Serb has repeatedly acknowledged the gap after Alcaraz and Sinner in recent months, including after his third round Australian Open win, when he admitted the duo are playing at a “different level” to everyone else.

The 24-time major champion did, though, assert at the start of his campaign in Melbourne that he still believes he “can beat anybody.”

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In his column for L’Equipe, former world No 1 Wilander expressed his surprise at Djokovic’s admissions about Alcaraz and Sinner.

“Of course, Novak Djokovic is a bit slower than before, but he still plays incredibly well,” said the seven-time Grand Slam winner.

“He serves just as effectively, his forehand is extremely powerful, and frankly, I can’t imagine him losing before the semi-finals, because it doesn’t matter who his opponent is, as long as their name isn’t Sinner or Alcaraz.

“Novak has a lot of confidence against all his potential opponents, except for those two.

“I’m surprised he keeps saying so often that they’re the best in the world and that they’re so much better than him. Whether it’s true or not, even if it’s kind of him, he shouldn’t say it.

“He’s probably trying to take the pressure off himself and make people forget that he’s still a contender for the biggest things.

“I don’t think it’s a strategy, though; it’s just his philosophy. He sees the world clearly; with him, it’s black or white.”

Djokovic will face world No 5 Lorenzo Musetti in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open.

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The post Australian Open: Novak Djokovic told what he ‘shouldn’t say’ about Carlos Alcaraz & Jannik Sinner appeared first on Tennis365.

Controversy has erupted at the Australian Open around the equipment being used by the game’s top stars, with Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner asked to remove monitors that are keeping track of their fitness data during matches.

The game’s top players are always looking for as much information as possible on their performance and fitness levels, with confusion breaking out over why the game’s top stars have been asked to remove items that help that process.

Sinner was asked to remove his Whoop fitness device before Alcaraz was also asked to take his off by an umpire, even though he did not have it on display and was using a sweat band to cover it.

There is some bemusement over why players are being told to remove devices that offer them not performance enhancement and are merely being used to monitor their fitness levels.

Australian Open chiefs have pointed to the assistance they are giving players with data and information on their matches, but it is difficult to understand why they are not allowed to monitor fitness information on their own devices.

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Sinner spoke about the incident in an Australian Open press conference and admitted he ruling is denying him a chance to gain valuable fitness information.

“Rules are rules, I understand and I won’t use it again,” Sinner said. “The umpire asked me straight away if this was a tracker.

“I said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘Remove’. It’s fine. There are other things we could use. You know it’s the vest but it’s a bit uncomfortable for me. You feel like you have something on your shoulders and it’s a bit different.’

“There is certain data that we would like to track on court, it’s not for the live thing but it’s more about what you can see after the match,’ Sinner said, speaking on how he uses the wearable technology.

“You know this is data that we would also like to see in practice sessions because from that you can practice on with your heart rate and how much calories you burn and all those kind of things.”

The Whoop devices are a screenless, wearable fitness tracker and subscription service designed to monitor recovery, cardiovascular strain, sleep, and overall health 24/7.

It provides personalised, daily insights into how your body is functioning, helping users optimise performance, track fitness trends, and manage health, often used by athletes to monitor strain and recovery.

While the publicity around players not being allowed to wear the devices at the Australian Open has raised the profile of the product, they expressed their dismay at the decision that does not seem to be justified.

A spokesperson said: “WHOOP believes athletes have a fundamental right to understand their own performance and health – including during competition at events like the Australian Open.

“WHOOP is approved by the International Tennis Federation [ITF] for in-match wear and poses no safety, fairness, or competitive risk. Blocking access to personal health data does not protect sport. WHOOP will continue to stand with athletes and our members to defend their right to their data.”

The issue of what players are allowed to wear on court is confused by different rules at regular tour events and the Grand Slam, but the ITF’s decision to allow the use of wearable fitness monitors last year adds to the mystery around this issue.

The ITF have a place on the board of the Grand Slam events and their website confirms the use of fitness monitors is permitted in the professional game, with Whoop one of the devices included on their list.

“Player Analysis Technology (PAT) includes any equipment that collects, stores, transmits, analyses or communicates information on player performance, and may be a stand-alone device or incorporated within existing equipment,” reads the clarification from the ITF on what is permitted.

“The Rules of Tennis state that any PAT to be used in a tournament which is played according to the Rules must be named on the list of products below, which have been tested and approved as conforming to the specifications laid down in Appendix III of the Rules.”

While this incident may seem minor, it taps into the wider issue of what players are allowed to bring onto court and the perception among some in the sport that tournament rules are too stringent, especially at Grand Slam tournaments.

It would also be useful to have clarity across all events, with the different rules in Grand Slams and regular tour events an unwelcome confusion for players.

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The post Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka blocked from wearing fitness device – here’s the inside story appeared first on Tennis365.

Tennis legend John McEnroe has made the controversial claim that Jannik Sinner benefitted from “favouritism” from Australian Open organisers in his win against Elliot Spizzirri.

Sinner‘s bid to secure a third successive Australian Open title looked in serious jeopardy midway through his 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 third round victory over world No 85 Spizzirri.

Temperatures soared as high as 39 degrees Celsius during the contest on Rod Laver Arena, and Sinner was suffering with fully body cramps and trailing 1-3 in the third set when the match was stopped due to the Australian Open’s extreme heat policy.

Play was suspended for around 10 minutes to allow the roof to be closed, which helped the on-court temperature drop considerably.

Sinner’s physical condition improved following the stoppage and he broke back immediately after play resumed before crucially taking the third set. The Italian then came back from 1-3 down again to win the fourth set.

McEnroe, who was commentating on the match for ESPN, made his feelings clear on play being stopped at a time when Sinner was in trouble.

“I don’t think anyone wants to see that in our sport. I get it, it looks like there’s favouritism,” the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion said.

“But if the shoe was on the other foot with Spizzirri, I’d like to hope that they would pull the plug also… I don’t know if they would have.”

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Speaking on Tennis Channel, 18-time major singles champion Martina Navratilova questioned the Australian Open’s heat policy.

“You know in the middle of the match they’re gonna close the roof, so when they know there’s rain coming they’ll close the roof pre-emptively, but they don’t do it for heat. That doesn’t make any sense,” said the tennis icon.

“The timing was horrible for Spizzirri, but they should have just kept the roof closed from the start.”

Sinner followed his victory against Spizzirri by downing fellow Italian and 22nd seed Luciano Darderi 6-1, 6-3, 7-6(2) in the fourth round on Monday. He will face Ben Shelton in the quarter-finals.

What is the Australian Open’s extreme heat policy?

The Australian Open’s Heat Stress Scale — which measures playing conditions from 1 to 5 — dictates that play is suspended if the scale reaches 5 — which happened when Sinner was trailing 1-3 in the third set against Spizzirri.

Here is what the Australian Open website says about the scale: “The Heat Stress Scale will be used to measure four climate factors – radiant heat (strength of the sun), air temperature in the shade, relative humidity and wind speed.

“These will be measured at five positions around the precinct, including on court in Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena and Melbourne Arena. The scale starts at (1) for temperate playing conditions and escalates to (5) – suspension of play.

“Under the EHP, the Tournament Referee will allow a 10-minute break between the second and third sets in both women’s and junior singles matches and a 15-minute break in wheelchair singles matches when a four (4.0) is recorded on the AO HSS prior to or during the first two sets of the match.

“In the men’s singles, a 10-minute break will be allowed after the third set when a four (4.0) is recorded on the AO HSS prior to or during the first three sets of the match.

“If a five (5.0) is recorded on the AO HSS, the Tournament Referee can suspend the start of matches on outside courts and all matches in progress continuing until the end of an even number of games in that set or completion of the tie break before play will be suspended.

“Matches on Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena and Melbourne Arena will stop after an even number of games in that set or completion of the tie-break when the Tournament Referee can decide to close the roof for the remainder of the match and the following matches when the EHP is still in effect.”

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Lorenzo Musetti has expressed his desire to exact “revenge” on Novak Djokovic and asserted that he intends to push the 38-year-old Serb “to his maximum” ahead of the pair’s Australian Open showdown.

Musetti and Djokovic will face off in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open on Wednesday in what will be their 11th encounter.

Djokovic leads the head-to-head 9-1 having won the last six meetings since Musetti earned his lone victory at the 2023 Monte Carlo Masters.

World No 5 Musetti defeated ninth-ranked Taylor Fritz 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 in the last 16 in Melbourne on Monday.

Djokovic, who is ranked fourth, received a walkover to the quarter-finals as his fourth round opponent Jakub Mensik withdrew due to injury.

Following his triumph over Fritz, Musetti looked ahead to his match against the 24-time Grand Slam champion.

“Playing against Novak is always challenging, especially here, where he has won many times,” said the Italian.

“I think it will be a tough match, for sure. Of course, he’s feeling good. He hasn’t lost a set.

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“He had the chance to rest for a few days. I think at this age, I think he was happy about it, of course, to try to be well-prepared and well-relaxed for this match.

“But of course, we know each other pretty well because we played a lot. Just won once against him.

“Hopefully, I’ll take my revenge, because last time in Athens we were really, really close. I feel like I have another chance now.”

The 23-year-old also addressed what makes Djokovic such a difficult opponent.

“One for sure, facing his character, his status as a player and as a champion,” Musetti said.

“The second one, the way he turns around sometimes difficult situations, raising his level, never escaping from a match. Those are the two things I guess that always Novak does.

“I think the thought that I have and the mentality that I have to put on the court in the next match against Nole is probably that one, trying to go for winning the match and not playing the match. I feel ready to try to push him to his maximum.”

Musetti is through to the Australian Open quarter-finals for the first time, while this is the 16th time Djokovic has reached the last eight at Melbourne Park.

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The post Lorenzo Musetti sends ‘revenge’ message to Novak Djokovic before Australian Open showdown appeared first on Tennis365.

The 2026 Australian Open women’s singles quarter-final is set in Melbourne — and most of the WTA’s leading names are set to be in action.

The six top women in the WTA Rankings have all progressed to the last eight, with world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka, No 2 Iga Swiatek, No 3 Coco Gauff, No 4 Amanda Anisimova, No 5 Elena Rybakina, and No 6 Jessica Pegula all still battling for the title.

Tuesday’s first quarter-finals will see top seed Sabalenka battle US rising star Iva Jovic and third seed Gauff take on tour veteran Elina Svitolina — with Anisimova set to face Pegula, and Swiatek set to face Rybakina, on Wednesday.

With big ranking points on offer in the closing stages of the event, there are plenty of opportunities for all of these women to make significant moves in the WTA Rankings.

However, regardless of the results in the next few days, world No 1 Sabalenka is guaranteed to remain at the very top.

Pre-tournament rankings

Sabalenka had a fairly strong lead in the WTA Rankings heading into the tournament, with her tally of 10,990 points placing her ahead of Swiatek on 8,328 points.

Further back was world No 3 Gauff on 6,423 points, with No 4 Anisimova narrowly trailing her compatriot on 6,320 points, world No 5 Rybakina on 5,850 points, and No 6 Pegula on 5,453 points.

Though Sabalenka had runner-up points to defend at the tournament, her lead was so commanding that it ensured she would remain at the top regardless of results in Melbourne.

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However, the size of her lead post-tournament is still to be determined.

How could the rankings change?

Sabalenka is currently on 10,120 points in the WTA Live Rankings, having earned 430 points for reaching the quarter-final during her run.

While that currently puts her 870 points down on her current tally, with 1,300 runner-up points from the 2025 tournament on her official ranking, she is safe at the top.

The most points any other woman could have post-tournament is Swiatek, who would hold 9,548 points with a run to the title in Melbourne.

The Pole currently holds 7,978 points in the WTA Live Rankings, having beaten Maddison Inglis in straight sets on Monday night to reach the quarter-final.

Swiatek will move to 8,328 points should she beat fifth seed Rybakina in the quarter-final, matching her semi-final run from 2025; Sabalenka will be on 10,470 points should she beat Jovic on Tuesday.

A win over Rybakina on Wednesday would guarantee that Swiatek remains as the world No 2 post-tournament, ending Anisimova’s hopes of a career-high ranking.

Should Anisimova win the title, she would hold 8,250 points in the rankings — ahead of Swiatek’s tally, if the Pole tastes defeat in her quarter-final.

However, Anisimova’s main battle could be for the world No 3 spot, with the American back above compatriot Gauff in the WTA Live Rankings.

Into her first Australian Open quarter-final, Anisimova is up to 6,680 points in the WTA Live Rankings, while Gauff has matched last year’s runs to sit on 6,423 points as things stand.

However, both world No 5 Rybakina and world No 6 Pegula could move up to world No 3 in the rankings should they win the title, and other results go their way.

WTA Live Rankings (as of Monday, January 26)

1) Aryna Sabalenka, 10,120 (Max: 11,690)
2) Iga Swiatek, 7,978 (Max: 9,548)
3) Amanda Anisimova, 6,680 (Max: 8,250)
4) Coco Gauff, 6,423 (Max: 7,793)
5) Elena Rybakina, 6,040 (Max: 7,610)
6) Jessica Pegula, 5,753 (Max: 7,323)

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