Top contenders Aryna Sabalenka, Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz all entered the fourth-round singles at the Australian Open 2025 with dominant wins in their respective matches on Friday, January 17. The four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka's campaign ended with an injury during her third-round match against Belinda Bencic.
Sabalenka continued her dream run with a 7-6, 6-4 win over unseeded Clara Tauson of Denmark in the third round of the women's singles at Rod Laver Arena. The world no.1 Sabalenka is chasing her third consecutive Australian Open title and will next play the no.14 Mirra Andreeva in the fourth round on Sunday.
Another title contender Coco Gauff also stormed into the fourth round with a 6-4, 6-2 over Canada's Leylah Fernandez. The world no.3 Gauff who reached the semi-finals at Melbourne Park last year, will take on Belinda Bencic in the fourth round of the women's singles.
Meanwhile, in the men's singles, Novak Djokovic moved four wins closer to his record 25th Grand Slam title. The 10-time Australian Open winner defeated Tomas Machac, 26th seed, by 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 in the third round and will take on another Czech star Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round on Sunday. After his win, Djokovic revealed that it was his best tournament match so far, and he felt surprised to beat Machac in straight sets.
“I think I played really well, honestly. I’m very happy with my game,” said Djokovic after his win over Machac. “I am slightly surprised with the result, to beat him in straight sets. He was a break up early in the second, I struggled physically there. I tried to catch my breath, I’m not 19 anymore.
“I somehow managed to turn things around, hold my serve when I needed to. A couple of points really decided that set, which could have gone his way, then the outcome of the match would be different. Overall in the third set, I felt fresh, moved really well. I’m really pleased with my game. There is always something to work on, but this is definitely my best match of the tournament.”
