Two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner stormed into the semifinals of the Australian Open 2026 after beating Ben Shelton in straight sets 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 on Wednesday, January 28.
Sinner put up a masterclass to down the American in 2 hours and 23 minutes at the Rod Laver Arena. He will now be facing 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic in the semifinal.
Sinner, looking to make it a three-peat at Melbourne Park, did not lose his serve once in the match as he put up a brilliant performance. He was brilliant with serves, with a winning percentage of 76 on his first, followed by 71% on his second. The World No.2 broke the eighth-seeded player three times in the match, twice in the first set and once in the second.
Sinner joins elusive list of players with another semifinal appearance
Meanwhile, Sinner has made it to his sixth consecutive semifinal at the Majors, a run that began with his last four appearances at the US Open 2024 and is still running. He has now become just the fifth player in the Open Era to reach six successive semifinals at the Grand Slams, joining the likes of Ivan Lendl, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.
This was Sinner's 19th straight match win at the Australian Open, equalling Roger Federer's run of 19 from 2006 to 2008. The list is headed by Djokovic, who had 33 straight wins from 2019 to 2024, followed by Andre Agassi's 26-match streak from 2000 to 2004. Djokovic was also on a 25-match streak from 2011 to 2014, while Lendl won 20 straight matches from 1989 to 1991.
Sinner up against Djokovic
Sinner will now be up against Djokovic in the semifinal. The Serb is bidding for an elusive 25th Grand Slam and is a record 10-time champion at Melbourne Park. Djokovic had made it to the last four after his quarterfinal opponent, Lorenzo Musetti, retired mid-way in the match despite having won the first two sets. The Serb was "lucky" to proceed further, having lost two sets and despite having a 3-1 lead in the third, his tournament was likely to end in the quarterfinals. But Musetti's retirement saved him.
