Novak Djokovic escaped the heat and doused Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp 6-3 6-4 7-6(4) at the Australian Open on Saturday (January 24) to reach the fourth round and add another line in the record book during his bid for a standalone 25th Grand Slam title.With his 102nd match victory at Melbourne, the evergreen Serb equalled six-times champion Roger Federer’s record at the year’s first major and also became the first player to secure 400 wins at the Grand Slams.Up two sets, Djokovic had treatment for a blister on his foot after a tumble in the third and rallied from a break down before holding his nerve in the tiebreak to set up a clash with either 16th seed Jakub Mensik or Ethan Quinn.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC IS NOT REAL. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/4P9svnLo4E
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) January 24, 2026
World number two Iga Swiatek beat Russian Anna Kalinskaya 6-1 1-6 6-1, to advance to the Australian Open fourth round.Swiatek recovered well from her shaky second set to seal the win in one hour and 44 minutes, as she continued to build momentum in her hunt for a career Grand Slam.Swiatek next faces Australian qualifier Maddison Inglis, who progressed to the fourth round after her third-round opponent Naomi Osaka, twice Australian Open champion, pulled out of the Grand Slam due to an abdominal injury.Swiss veteran Stan Wawrinka bowed out of his last Australian Open, the three-times Grand Slam winner losing 7-6(5) 2-6 6-4 6-4 to American Taylor Fritz and soaking up warm applause as a much‑loved former champion.The 40-year-old, who made his major breakthrough in Melbourne by winning the 2014 title before adding trophies at the French Open and the U.S. Open in subsequent years, had announced that 2026 would be his farewell season. Fritz edged in front in the fourth set and there was no stopping the 28-year-old, who withstood a barrage of late backhand missiles from Wawrinka to book a clash with Italian fifth seed Lorenzo Musetti for a place in the quarter-finals.After a video tribute on the big screen, Wawrinka shared a beer with tournament director Craig Tiley before departing the tournament as a player for the last time.
Yes, your sight is accurate.
Another legendary milestone reached by Novak Djokovic ✨#AO26 pic.twitter.com/ifzh33iKKg
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) January 24, 2026
Ben Shelton has yet to drop a set as the American eighth seed defeated Monaco’s Valentin Vacherot 6-4 6-4 7-6(5) in the third round under the roof at Margaret Court Arena to extend his stay in Melbourne into the second week.
Later, China’s Wang Xinyu beat the Czech Republic’s Linda Noskova 7-5 6-4 to secure her spot in the next round.
Also Read : Why Jannik Sinner vs Eliot Spizzirri Was Temporarily Stopped At The Australian Open 2026? Details Inside
