The 2026 Australian Open has reached a thrilling stage, with both the men’s and women’s draws delivering high drama, stunning upsets, and dominant performances. As the tournament enters its semifinal phase at Melbourne Park, four standout players in each draw have emerged, showcasing resilience, power, and tactical brilliance. From Carlos Alcaraz’s historic breakthrough to Elina Svitolina’s resurgence, Aryna Sabalenka’s continued dominance, and Alexander Zverev’s consistency, the competition now promises blockbuster clashes that will shape the path to the coveted titles.
Alcaraz breaks new ground
World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz stormed into his first Australian Open semifinal on Tuesday, defeating Australia’s Alex de Minaur 7-5, 6-2, 6-1 in front of a packed Rod Laver Arena. The Spaniard, who already holds six Grand Slam titles, is now within two wins of completing the career Grand Slam.
Alcaraz absorbed the early pressure from De Minaur, who showcased his improved attacking style, but the Spaniard’s powerful baseline game and ruthless shot-making proved decisive. The opening set featured five breaks of serve, with De Minaur fighting back from 0-3 and 3-5 deficits, but Alcaraz quickly shifted gears to dominate the remainder of the match. The 22-year-old became only the eighth Spanish man to reach the Australian Open semifinals and is aiming to join the elite group of Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Rod Laver as men who have completed the career Grand Slam in the Open Era. Alcaraz now holds a 6-0 record against De Minaur, who has managed just two sets in their rivalry since 2022. With a 16-4 record at Melbourne Park, Alcaraz will face World No. 3 Alexander Zverev in the semifinals, setting up a rematch of their 2024 quarterfinal, which the German won in four sets.
Svitolina stuns Gauff for maiden Aus Open semi
Elina Svitolina produced the biggest upset of the tournament so far, dismantling third seed Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-2 in under an hour to reach her first Australian Open semifinal. The Ukrainian, who last appeared in a Grand Slam semifinal in 2023, delivered a clinical performance against the reigning US Open champion. Gauff struggled with her serve and committed costly double faults in the seventh game of the opening set, handing Svitolina easy points. The 31-year-old capitalized with penetrating baseline play, breaking serve five times in total to secure a dominant victory.
Svitolina extended her winning streak to 10 matches, her third-longest career run, and has not dropped a set at Melbourne Park this year. Supported courtside by husband Gael Monfils, she is guaranteed to return to the Top 10 in the WTA Rankings for the first time since October 2021.
Her victory over Gauff marked her 24th career Top 5 win, with four of those coming at Grand Slams since her return from maternity leave. Svitolina will now face top seed Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals, trailing 1-5 in their head-to-head record.
Sabalenka ends Jovic’s dream run
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka ended the fairytale run of 18-year-old American Iva Jovic with a commanding 6-3, 6-0 victory. The Belarusian, who lifted the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup in 2023, has now reached her fourth consecutive Australian Open semifinal and her 14th Grand Slam semifinal overall.
Sabalenka struck 31 winners compared to Jovic’s 12 and dominated on return, winning 61 percent of points on the teenager’s second serve. Jovic, the youngest player to reach the quarterfinals at Melbourne Park without dropping a set since Venus Williams in 1998, showed glimpses of promise but was ultimately overpowered. Sabalenka, yet to lose a set in the tournament, will face Elina Svitolina in the semifinals as she bids for a second Australian Open crown.
Zverev halts Tien’s breakthrough run
Germany’s Alexander Zverev booked his place in a third consecutive Australian Open semifinal, defeating American youngster Learner Tien 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-1, 7-6(3). The World No. 3 leaned heavily on his serve, firing 24 aces and saving all three break points he faced. Tien, seeded 25th, had stunned Daniil Medvedev in the fourth round and showed resilience by overturning a deficit in the second-set tie-break. However, Zverev’s serving power and ability to dominate short rallies proved decisive. The German won 106 of the 0–4 shot exchanges compared to Tien’s 68, consistently earning free points to keep the American on the defensive.
Despite a brief surge from Tien in the second set, Zverev reasserted control in the third and sealed the match in a tense fourth-set tie-break. The victory marked his 10th Grand Slam semifinal and his first since last year’s Australian Open. Zverev will now face Carlos Alcaraz in a blockbuster semifinal clash, promising one of the most anticipated matches of the tournament.