Australian Open 2026 LIVE updates: Aussies in doubles semis; Svitolina takes on world No.1 Sabalenka; Pegula to battle against Rybakina

Marc Polmans and Jason Kubler have won the first set in their men’s doubles semi-final, beating Jan Zielinski and Luke Johnson 6-2.

The duo have had a stellar run at this tournament, which began by beating the ‘Special Ks’ pairing of Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis in the first round.

Kubler is no stranger to men’s doubles victory – having previously lifted the Australian Open trophy in 2023 when partnered with fellow Aussie Rinky Hijikata.

If you thought Novak Djokovic was having the craziest tournament of his life with two of his AO 2026 opponents retiring hurt before his stroll into the semis, think again.

Ten years ago, at the US Open, the Djoker benefited from several retirements and a walkover.

In the second round that year, Jiri Vesely withdrew before their match due to an arm injury.

Mikhail Youzhny retired during the third round while trailing 4-2 in the first set, due to a leg injury.

Once Djokovic reached the quarter-finals, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga retired while trailing 6-3, 6-2 due to a knee injury.

But none of this was enough for the tennis legend to lift the US Open crown. He eventually lost in the final to our favourite AO retiree, Swiss star Stan Wawrinka, 7-6, 4-6, 5-7, 3-6.

Can Djokovic lift the Open crown for the record 11th time this year? Stick with us as the slam continues to find out.

If you’re after a spot of people-watching, the tennis is the place to be.

CNN chief international anchor Christiane Amanpour, renowned for war reporting and fearlessly standing up to countless presidents and prime ministers for decades, headlines this year’s AO Inspirational Series.

Former Nine reporter Liz Hayes will be in conversation with Amanpour at Zinc at Federation Square later this afternoon, before the journalism legend attends the women’s semis tonight.

She’s an avid tennis fan – and as we told you earlier – is keen to complete her own career grand slam, as a spectator. The AO is the only major she hasn’t attended.

Joining Amanpour courtside will be Hayes, Sex and the City actor Evan Handler, tennis legend Martina Navratilova and author Kathy Lette, to name just a few.

And in case you missed it, check out the gallery below to catch up with the famous faces at the tennis on Wednesday.

Read more in our Open Season column here.

Australian wildcards Marc Polmans and Jason Kubler are playing Pole Jan Zielenski and Brit Luke Johnson for a spot in the men’s doubles final.

Who do you think will win this match? Let us know using the interactive poll below.

Wildcards Jason Kubler and Marc Polmans will seek to continue the recent dominance of Australia in the men’s doubles at the Open.

Kubler and Polmans will face off against Jan Zielinski and Luke Johnson in a semi-final at Rod Laver Arena a little after 1pm. The Australian pairing beat the “Special Ks” of Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios in round one and are just two matches short of the championship.

It would give Kubler his second title in the men’s doubles (he won alongside Rinky Hijikata in 2023) and cement it as a highly successful event for Australians.

Although Finnish player Harri Heliovaara and German Henry Patten won in 2025, an Australian has claimed the title in every other year since 2022.

Matthew Ebden won alongside Indian veteran Rohan Bopanna in 2024, Kubler and Hijikata won in 2023 and Kokkinakis and Kyrigos won in 2022.

If Polmans and Kubler can continue their excellent form, it will mean Australian players will have succeeded in the event for four out of the past five years.

Novak Djokovic might have had a lucky run-up to the AO semis when Italian Lorenzo Musetti retired hurt in last night’s quarter-final (Czech Jakub Mensik withdrew before his fourth-round clash with the Djoker.

Djokovic said himself he should have been on his way home as Musetti had been winning.

But he took offence at a question in his post-match media conference that attempted to liken him “chasing” Alcaraz and Sinner to the old days when he was trying to pierce the Federer-Nadal duopoly, which he eventually did.

“I find it a little bit disrespectful that you miss what happened in between,” Djokovic said.

“There’s probably about a 15-year period where I was dominating the grand slams, so I think it’s important to put that in perspective. I don’t feel like I’m chasing, to be honest.

“Roger and Rafa will always be my greatest rivals. I have tremendous respect for what Jannik and Carlos are doing … are they better right now than me and all the other guys? Yes, they are. The quality and level are amazing. It’s great, it’s phenomenal.

“But does that mean that I walk out with a white flag? No. I’m going to fight until the last shot, until the last point, and do my very best to challenge them.”

Read the full story here.

Novak Djokovic was on a losing streak last night before his quarter-finals opponent Lorenzo Musetti was forced to retire hurt.

But in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, the 10-time AO champion dobbed himself in for an action almost nobody else saw. And he says it’s all because he was brought up to be “fair, sportsmanlike and chivalrous”.

After about 90 minutes of play, Djokovic served to stay in the second set at 3-5 and led 30-15 on serve when he and Musetti had an exciting exchange at the net. The Italian managed to get a forehand over the net, but the umpire called it in Djokovic’s favour as the ball went wide.

Yet the superb Serb wouldn’t have it. He approached chair umpire James Keothavong and told him his racquet had grazed the ball, so the point should go to Musetti.

“No, no, no, I touched it, I touched it,” Djokovic said.

It levelled the score at 30-30, putting the tennis legend two points away from going two sets down.

Keothavong announced to the crowd: “Ladies and gentlemen, Mr Djokovic has told us he touched the ball, conceding the point. 30-30.”

Djokovic later told a post-match press conference in Serbian his choice had been clear – it was all down to his upbringing.

“I felt the vibration on the racquet, and you’re just sure when that happens that the ball touches the racquet. It grazed the frame of the racquet and that’s all I can say,” he said.

“That’s the way I was raised and brought up – that you should be fair and that you should behave in a sportsmanlike and chivalrous manner regardless of the result.”

In his live commentary for Nine, owner of this masthead, tennis legend John McEnroe said: “What a sporting gesture that was, alerting the umpire.”

Juan Carlos Ferrero says his heart broke when coaching contract negotiations with Carlos Alcaraz fell apart after their seven-year partnership. And he’s hinting at a potential match-up with Carlitos’ arch foe, Jannik Sinner.

Asked by Spanish radio station Cadena SER if he would entertain a spell coaching Sinner, who is looking to change one of his two coaches after Aussie Daren Cahill retires, Ferrero said, “Right now, I don’t know. He’s a great player, one of the top two in the world.

“I wouldn’t say no, if given the opportunity, I would have to think about it.”

Ferrero told radio program El Partidazo de COPE the split with Alcaraz was amicable.

He said time healed everything and made things easier to accept.

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“My heart broke when it happened, but I’m recovering little by little. My heart is hurting, and I like to think that his is, too. He is younger and recovers faster, but what he needs to do is move forward.

“We can’t set limits for Alcaraz. The limit is very high. He could be the best in history, but he needs to be motivated every year …

“He has the capabilities to achieve Djokovic’s numbers, but we will have to see year by year.”

Earlier in this blog, we brought you the news that Ferrero had switched to golf. He is now coaching young Spanish golf star Angel Ayora.

Carlitos himself is a keen golfer and hit up with none other than Roger Federer in the first week of the Open. Read more about that in our Open Season column here.

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