Australian Open offers record prize money – but stars still 'disappointed'
The Australian Open will offer a record prize pot of £55m at this year’s tournament – but players are still likely to be unhappy a source says.
The Australian Open will offer a record prize pot of £55m at this year’s tournament – but players are still likely to be unhappy a source says.
Coleman Wong became the first man representing Hong Kong in tournament history to win a match at the Bank of China Hong Kong Tennis Open on Tuesday, when he dispatched Mariano Navone 6-3, 7-5.
The 21-year-old had suffered defeat on his previous two appearances at the ATP 250 event but ensured it would be third time lucky. The wild card, who reached the third round at the US Open in August, will next meet Gabriel Diallo after the Candian beat Jesper De Jong 6-4, 7-6(7).
Defending champion Alexandre Muller maintained his impressive record in Hong Kong with a 7-5, 6-4 victory against Miomir Kecmanovic. The Frenchman won his maiden ATP Tour title at the tournament in 2025 and will play Marcos Giron in the second round. The American cruised past Laslo Djere 6-2, 6-0.
Fifth seed Lorenzo Sonego and Argentine Tomas Martin Etcheverry also advanced. Sonego beat #NextGenATP Japanese star Rei Sakamoto 6-2, 7-6(4), while Etcheverry downed Valentin Royer 6-4 7-5. Etcheverry will next face top seed and the No. 7 player in the PIF ATP Rankings Lorenzo Musetti.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Alex de Minaur once again carried the weight of the green and gold with distinction on Tuesday night at the United Cup in Sydney, where he pulled double duty to send Australia past Czechia into the quarter-finals.
After Barbora Krejcikova dispatched Maya Joint in straight sets, Australia faced an uphill battle to qualify on home soil. But the 26-year-old De Minaur fed off a lively Ken Rosewall Arena atmosphere to defeat Jakub Mensik 6-4, 6-1 before partnering Storm Hunter to overcome Miriam Skoch and Dalibor Svrcina 6-2, 6-3, sealing a 2-1 victory to top Group D.
With Krejcikova’s triumph, Czechia also advanced to the quarter-finals as the best runner-up in Sydney.
“The atmosphere was unbelievable. Saturday night was incredible and tonight you delivered again,” Hunter said on court. “Demon brings energy, he’s so clutch under pressure. So I felt really comfortable and confident with him by my side.”
Mensik produced moments of flair early in the second set against De Minaur, highlighted by an audacious front-facing tweener volley set up by a booming first serve. But the Australian remained relentless, saving all four break points he faced en route to improving his record to 5-0 against the Czech in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series.
“I didn’t start the year the way I wanted to,” said De Minaur, who fell to Casper Ruud in his first group match. “But something I’ve done really well in my career is bouncing back, so I’m happy I bounced back today.”
Stop that RIGHT now Jakub 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/my03sGnbS5
— United Cup (@UnitedCupTennis) January 6, 2026
In the women’s singles, Krejcikova continued her strong start to the 2026 season with a comprehensive 6-4, 6-1 victory over Joint to give Czechia the early lead.
The 30-year-old, WTA No. 63 after missing the first five months of the 2025 season, jumped out to a 4-1 lead against Australian No. 1 Joint, who had missed her country’s opening tie of the competition due to illness. Although Joint narrowed the gap to 4-3, Krejcikova held firm to close out the opening set 6-4 and ran away with the second.
“I’m very happy with my performance,” Krejcikova said. “I’m happy with the way I played from beginning to end. I had great support as well. It was a little up and down in the first set, but I’m happy to come through. I was trying to be aggressive from the start, and it’s nice to have some matches under my belt. I felt a little better on the court today.”
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Grigor Dimitrov showed little sign of rust on Tuesday at the Brisbane International presented by ANZ, where he earned victory in just his second match since he suffered a pectoral injury against Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon in July.
The Bulgarian moved past Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta 6-3, 6-2 to advance to the second round at the ATP 250 event in Brisbane, where he is a two-time champion.
Three months after his Wimbledon injury, Dimitrov returned to Tour at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Paris, earning a win against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in late October. However, his return was brief, with the 34-year-old withdrawing ahead of his second-round match.
“It is so good to see you guys,” Dimitrov said. “Starting the year here is always so special for me. I am just grateful. These months have been very difficult in terms of preparation, mentality. My body had so much to go through, but just to be able to compete again today, it is already a success and of course winning is just an added bonus right now. I am feeling good, I was feeling well on the court, so let’s see how we go.”
Dimitrov will hope he can stay fit and enjoy a productive start to the 2026 season. The former World No. 3 was close to his best throughout the 68-minute match against Carreno Busta and will next meet Raphael Collignon.
[NO 1 CLUB]There was no winning return for Nick Kyrgios, though, with the Australian losing to Aleksandar Kovacevic. The American earned a 6-3, 6-4 win against the 30-year-old to book his spot in the second round in Brisbane.
Kyrgios was competing in a tour-level singles match for the first time since playing at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Miami last March. However, he had few answers against Kovacevic, who reached ATP Tour finals in Montpellier and Los Cabos in 2025.
Kovacevic will next meet seventh seed Cameron Norrie. The British lefty earned a hard-fought 1-6, 7-6(6), 7-5 comeback win against Frenchman Ugo Humbert. Norrie saved three match points from 3/6 behind in the second-set tie-break, eventually advancing after two hours and 36 minutes. Norrie is level at 2-2 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series against Humbert.
Big-serving Frenchman Mpetshi Perricard upset fourth seed Tommy Paul on the American’s return to Tour, triumphing 7-6(2), 3-6, 7-6(6). Mpetshi Perricard, who advanced to the semi-finals in Brisbane last season, struck 24 aces en route to victory, according to Infosys ATP Stats.
Paul was playing for the first time since he lost in the third round at the US Open in August. The American suffered from a left foot injury in the closing months of 2025.
Brandon Nakashima was also a winner on Tuesday in Brisbane, overcoming second seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 7-6(4), 6-4. Collignon also defeated a seed, moving past fifth seed Denis Shapovalov 6-4, 6-2. In a battle between two Australians, Rinky Hijikata dispatched Adam Walton 6-3, 6-2.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]The United States will continue its pursuit of dynasty status at the United Cup on Wednesday in Perth, where they are into the quarter-finals for the third time in four years.
Two-time champion USA, led by Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz, face a resurgent Greece at 10 a.m. local time, before Switzerland take on best-placed runners-up Argentina in the second quarter-final at 5 p.m.
Here we go! The Quarterfinalists for Perth have been set 🔒
Day Session: USA v Greece
Night Session: Switzerland v ArgentinaWho progresses to Sydney?🤔 pic.twitter.com/UyWPYw66wB
— United Cup (@UnitedCupTennis) January 6, 2026
USA vs. Greece [10 a.m.] Gauff and Fritz topped Group A after twice being pushed to deciding mixed-doubles rubbers, repeatedly leaning on one another under pressure. Against Argentina, Gauff was forced into double duty after Fritz fell in a gruelling two-and-a-half-hour loss to Sebastian Baez, but he responded by saving a match point to defeat Jaume Munar en route to clinching their quarter-final spot.
Sakkari and Tsitsipas, both former World No. 3s who are looking revitalised after challenging 2025 seasons, now pose a stern test. Each went 2-0 in singles in Group E, with Tsitsipas holding a 3-2 Lexus ATP Head2Head advantage over Fritz despite the American winning their past two meetings, including at the 2024 Australian Open. While Fritz has remained a Top 10 staple, Tsitsipas slipped outside the Top 20 for the first time since 2018 last year when he struggled with a back injury and searched for form.
The signs suggest Tsitsipas has begun 2026 recharged, having spoken of his ambition to return to a Grand Slam final and backing it up on court in Perth. Sakkari has also impressed, defeating Naomi Osaka in straight sets before finally overcoming Emma Raducanu on her fifth attempt.
“She really showed incredible tennis today, a lot of improvements she has made to her game,” Tsitsipas said of Sakkari after her win over Raducanu. “The shots are there. She has those shots. How can we utilise those to take them to the maximum? She actually did that with brave tennis and going for the kill.”
Gauff, a two-time major champion, will look to bounce back from her loss to Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, though USA may again rely on her if the tie comes down to mixed doubles, having won both deciding rubbers alongside Christian Harrison.
Switzerland vs. Argentina [5 p.m.] Stan Wawrinka continues to add intrigue to his farewell United Cup campaign, with the 40-year-old already spending six hours on court across two marathon singles matches. He produced a stirring final-set tie-break win over Arthur Rinderknech before falling in another against Flavio Cobolli.
Belinda Bencic has been the Swiss linchpin, winning both of her singles matches and delivering alongside Jakub Paul in a deciding mixed-doubles victory over Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori. She opens against Solana Sierra as Switzerland seek to extend their run against an Argentine team that has already exceeded expectations in Perth.
“We’re living in Belinda’s world again,” Wawrinka said after Switzerland’s tie against Italy. “She’s showing us why we’re here again. In general I’m quite happy with my level. Of course, I would have loved to win it. But they finished the job. We are happy as a team. That is the most important.”
Wawrinka now faces Baez, with the three-time major champion hoping to deliver another eye-catching performance. His endurance has been tested early, but his ability to rise in big moments has remained a hallmark of the first tournament of his final season on Tour.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Women’s world number one Aryna Sabalenka defends the ‘Battle of the Sexes’ match against Nick Kyrgios after opening her season with a crushing win in Brisbane.
Nick Kyrgios’ first ATP Tour match since March ends in a first-round defeat at the Brisbane International, as Britain’s Cameron Norrie books his place in the second round with a hard-fought win.
Argentina has qualified for the United Cup quarter-finals by virtue of being the best-placed runner-up country in Perth.
Argentina finished as runner-up in Group A with a 1-1 tie record and, importantly, a 4-2 match record. No other runner-up country in Perth can finish with four match wins, so Argentina is guaranteed to reach the quarter-finals.
The winner of Group A, the United States, was scheduled to face the best runner-up in Perth. However, since the United States and Argentina met in group play, the United States will take on Greece and Switzerland will play Argentina.
The United States-Greece tie will begin at 10 a.m. local time in Perth Wednesday, with the Switzerland-Argentina matchup scheduled for the night session beginning at 5 p.m.
The best-placed runner-up country in Sydney is still up for grabs.
Team Belgium earned a stunning 3-0 sweep of Team Canada Tuesday in Sydney at the United Cup to win Group B and claim a place in the quarter-finals.
After Zizou Bergs and Elise Mertens earned impressive singles victories to clinch the tie, the Belgians partnered to defeat Cleeve Harper and Victoria Mboko 6-3, 3-6, 10-5 in a critical mixed doubles match to top the group.
“We had to beat some big players today and a big tennis country,” Bergs said. “We small Belgians, we are so proud of each other today what we did as a team, especially after a rough first encounter with China. So we are happy and the group is very happy.”
The Belgians woke up this morning knew to win their group they needed to sweep Canada. That was a difficult task considering Canada swept China, which beat Belgium earlier in the event. That proved inconsequential inside Ken Rosewall Arena, where Bergs and Mertens found a way to keep their United Cup alive.
“I trust this team 100 per cent and I think we can do it and we actually did it,” Mertens said. “Nothing is impossible, so very happy about the doubles we played. We really were a team, we were growing.”
Bergs earned the biggest win of his career to start the day, upsetting World No. 5 Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4, 6-2.
“Really happy with the performance. I think this shows also our strength we have. We can fall down, but we will get back up and try to be better [than] we were the day before,” Bergs said. “This is what we do, and I’m also very thankful to have that team around me.”
Bergs claimed his second Top-10 victory (2-10) in one hour and 28 minutes, having also defeated then-World No. 9 Andrey Rublev 10 months ago in Miami. A Belgian man had never previously earned a win at the United Cup.
“I actually forgot this was my second Top-10 win, so that’s really huge, actually, especially with a convincing way of playing,” Bergs said. “I just looked at it as a match. This is a a little different format, so we’re still down. We still have to win a lot of matches today, so that was more the focus and today I just had to get the job done.”
Auger-Aliassime enjoyed the best season of his career in 2025, reaching the US Open semi-finals and competing in the Nitto ATP Finals. He looked sharp in his first match of the season against Zhang, but was unable to dominate the same way against Bergs, who saved all five break points he faced.
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Experience beat youth in the second match of the day when Mertens defeated Mboko 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. Her two-hour, five-minute triumph put Belgium on the brink of the quarter-finals.
After coming from a set behind to defeat China’s Zhu Lin in her opening match of the week, there was no similar escape for the 19-year-old Mboko against Mertens.
The Belgian rode a stellar serving performance to a one-set lead, holding at love in each of her first four service games and breaking Mboko decisively to love in the sixth game as well. Though Mboko showed the fighting spirit that earned her 15 three-set wins in 2025 on the way to being crowned the WTA Tour Newcomer of the Year to push the match the distance, she was unable to create any break point chances in the decider either.
Mertens earned the decisive break of serve in the fourth game from a 30/0 deficit, and won a staggering 93 per cent of points played behind her first serve overall.
“I’m absolutely pumped … I’m very happy with the point for Belgium,” Mertens said. “Also well played to my opponent. She’s up and coming, she’s really young — she’s more than 10 years younger than me!
“I’m most proud of how I [started] the beginning of the third set. I really wanted to get that point, and of course, I had the team behind me. I got a little bit of experience already, but of course you always feel a little bit nervous. That’s the game, tennis, a lot of emotions, but I’m very pleased about [the win].”
[NEWSLETTER FORM]France’s Arthur Rinderknech saved two match points to stun Flavio Cobolli and eliminate Italy from United Cup quarter-final contention Tuesday in Perth.
The result ensures that Argentina will finish as the Perth group runner-up with the best record. Wednesday’s quarter-finals will see defending champion United States play Greece in the morning and Argentina play Switzerland in the evening session.
[ATP APP]After saving two match points on serve at 5-6 in the second set, Rinderknech rallied from a break down in the third set to close out a courageous 6-7(4), 7-6(5), 7-5 win in three hours and 21 minutes.
“I don’t know if it was seriously good, but it was seriously tough, that’s for sure,” the top-ranked Frenchman said. “He’s powerful and he made me play a lot of balls. I was able to find a way somehow like Stan found a way against me three days ago. Both matches [went deep] in the third, so I guess it’s good preparation for the Australian Open.”
Rinderknech survived 14 Cobolli forehand winners in the second set, when he came from within a point of going down a set and 1-5. He trailed 2-4 in the third before digging deep to win five of the last six games, finishing with 13 aces and saving seven of 11 break points faced.
“[Near the end] I relaxed a little more when my back was against the wall,” he said. “I couldn’t do anything else but try to the last shot. I’ll talk to my coach Lucas and I’m sure we can take something positive out of it.”
Rinderknech finished 2025 as the No. 1 Frenchman and within the Top 30 for the first time in his career. He is now at a career-high mark of No. 27.
Although both Italy and France have been eliminated from quarter-final contention, play continues inside RAC Arena with Jasmine Paolini taking on Leolia Jeanjean, with mixed doubles to follow.
It was an unenviable task for Jasmine Paolini, stepping on court just moments after Italy was eliminated from quarter-final contention at the United Cup following Cobolli’s loss to Rinderknech.
But she handled it with efficiency, defeating Leolia Jeanjean in businesslike fashion, 6-2, 6-3 in 1 hour and 22 minutes.
While the scoreline suggests a routine win, Paolini had to navigate more than a few challenges to secure her first victory of 2026. Beyond the dejected mood on the Team Italy bench, the World No. 8 also had to withstand a blistering start on serve by Jeanjean.
Despite entering as the underdog, Jeanjean fired six aces in her first two service games to take a 2-1 lead. Paolini responded by reeling off five straight games to claim the opening set in 40 minutes.
She did so behind the strength of her own serve, winning 80 per cent of her own first-serve points in the first set. She finished the match at an even more impressive 88 per cent. On the other side of the net, Paolini broke Jeanjean to open the second set – and despite needing six match points – never looked back.
Even with Italy eliminated before she took the court, Paolini maintained her trademark positivity postmatch.
“We couldn’t get through the group, but we did our best,” Paolini said. “We fought until the last ball and there’s still mixed doubles, so we’re going to be there to cheer for them. Sometimes it’s sport, but we have to keep going, [keep] fighting, because that’s the right way to finish this competition.”
With both teams already eliminated and only bragging rights remaining, Italy’s Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori defeated France’s Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah and Edouard Roger-Vasselin 7-6(6), 7-6(6) to clinch the tie.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]