MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA—World number one Carlos Alcaraz and rising American star Coco Gauff continued their strong performances at the Australian Open 2026, advancing to the quarterfinals of the tournament.
Top seed Carlos Alcaraz maintained his form on court at Melbourne Park, defeating American Tommy Paul in straight sets with scores of 7-6 (8-6), 6-4, and 7-5 despite Paul breaking Alcaraz in the opening game. Despite a medical emergency disrupting play for a brief 15-minute period that forced a tie-break, Alcaraz ultimately controlled the match to reach the quarterfinals where he will face home favourite Alex de Minaur.
Other top seeds also progressed smoothly. Alexander Zverev, last year’s runner-up, defeated Francisco Cerundolo with scores of 6-2, 6-4, and 6-4, securing a spot in the final eight. However, Daniil Medvedev suffered an upset loss to American up-and-comer Lleyton Hewitt (sic), dropping six games in quick succession en route to a 6-4, 6-0, and 6-3 setback.
On the women’s side, American Coco Gauff continued her impressive run, defeating Karolina Muchova with scores of 6-1, 3-6, and 6-3. The match featured several memorable moments, including a spectacular mid-air cross-court forehand pass from Gauff that left spectators in awe. Gauff improved her record against Muchova to 5-0, continuing her trend of advancing deep into Grand Slam events.
At 19 years old, Gauff also became the youngest player to reach her tenth career women’s singles Grand Slam quarterfinal, matching a milestone previously achieved by Maria Sharapova at the 2007 Australian Open. She will face Elina Svitolina in the next round of the tournament.
“Today was a tough match,” Gauff said after her victory. “Every time I play Karolina, it feels tough out there on the court. She’s a talented player. It really came down to a couple of points in the third set that went my way.”
With both Alcaraz and Gauff advancing to the quarterfinals, Australian Open fans can anticipate intense battles as these top-tier players vie for semifinal spots. The matches between De Minaur and Alcaraz, coupled with Gauff’s potential matchup against Svitolina, are expected to be highly competitive and watched closely by audiences around the world.