Tennis News

Humbert denies top seed Davidovich Fokina in Adelaide SF thriller

Ugo Humbert kept alive his bid for a debut crown at the Adelaide International in memorable fashion on Friday night, when he edged top seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in a tense deciding-set tie-break.

The Frenchman held firm under the lights to claim a 6-3, 5-7, 7-6(4) victory and advance to his 11th ATP Tour final. In Saturday’s championship, Humbert will seek an eighth ATP Tour title when he faces Tomas Machac, whom he leads 1-0 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

“I thought I was half Australian, so thank you so much guys,” Humbert said to the crowd. “The atmosphere was so good, I enjoyed my time on the court so much. It was a great match, Foki played at a great level, and I’m super happy that I’m in the final here.”

He’s done it 😤@HumbertUgo takes out Davidovich Fokina in a three-set battle to secure his spot in the Adelaide final!@AdelaideTennis | #AdelaideTennis pic.twitter.com/Xlohztyh3v

— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 16, 2026

For Davidovich Fokina, the loss represented another cruel near miss at the business end of a tournament. The No. 15 player in the PIF ATP Rankings suffered his second straight defeat in a deciding-set tie-break, coming after his Washington heartbreak in July, when he squandered three championship points against Alex de Minaur in the final — one of four title matches he reached in 2025 as he continues his pursuit of a maiden ATP Tour trophy.

Making his debut at the ATP 250 event in Adelaide, Humbert imposed himself for long stretches of the semi-final, carving the court open with sharp angles and relentless intent. Though Davidovich Fokina surged back to force a decider — highlighted by a scorching backhand return winner on set point in the second set — Humbert reset quickly and delivered when it mattered most, navigating the tension of the tie-break with composure.

Earlier on Friday, Machac booked his spot in the final with a 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory over second seed Tommy Paul, continuing his resurgence in Adelaide. The Czech found an extra burst of intensity in the deciding set to reach his third ATP Tour final and first since lifting the trophy in Acapulco last February.

Both semi-finalists arrived in Adelaide seeking momentum after challenging closing stretches to the 2025 season. Paul missed the final three months of the year with a foot injury before returning in Brisbane last week, while Machac snapped a four-match losing streak — dating back to Shanghai in October — with a first-round win over Australia’s James Duckworth.

“I started very slow, but then I just tried to fight and move better, and it went great, I could barely miss,” Machac said in his on-court interview. “Normally I play great in Australia, so maybe [the turnaround in form] is because of you guys! I will just try to play my tennis and I will definitely enjoy the final.”

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'A chapter of life' ends – Alcaraz on Ferrero split

Six-time major winner Carlos Alcaraz describes his surprise split with long-time coach Juan Carlos Ferrero as a “chapter of life that has to end”.

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'Cautiously optimistic' or 'no progress'? – players divided on Slam demands

As players demand greater reward from the Grand Slams, some are optimistic about progress. Others are not so sure.

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Baez upsets Shelton, pulls double duty to reach Auckland final

Can anyone stop Sebastian Baez in 2026? The Argentine maintained his perfect start to the new season on Friday at the ASB Classic, where he pulled double duty to reach the final in Auckland.

After rain suspended play early on Thursday, Baez returned to court against top seed Ben Shelton leading 7-5, 0-1. Upon resumption, the 25-year-old broke the World No. 8’s serve again and then held his nerve to seal his third Top 10 win and second of the season, having beaten Taylor Fritz at the United Cup last week.

Baez then returned to court shortly after and dispatched Marcos Giron 6-1, 6-4 to move to 7-0 in 2026. Baez now leads the American 3-0 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series and is up three spots to No. 36 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.

Into his 12th tour-level final, Baez will compete for his eighth title and second on a hard court when he takes on third seed Jakub Mensik in the final.

Mensik also pulled double duty on Friday at the ATP 250 to advance to his third ATP Tour title match and first since he defeated Novak Djokovic in the Miami championship showdown last March.

The 20-year-old Czech moved past big-serving Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 6-4, 6-2, breaking the World No. 63 five times, according to Infosys ATP Stats. Mensik then earned a semi-final win against Fabian Marozsan, who dispatched Eliot Spizzirri 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 in his delayed quarter-final earlier on Friday.

In a hard-fought clash, Mensik overcame Hungarian Marozsan 7-6(9), 4-6, 6-1, saving five set points in the first-set tie-break. The World No. 18 Mensik is aiming to become the first Czech player to lift the trophy at the event since Jiri Vesely in 2015.

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Rivalries & records – Australian Open key questions

Era-defining rivalries continue and career Grand Slams could be unlocked as the Australian Open starts on Sunday.

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5 Live Sport: All About… Australian Open

Steve Crossman and panel preview the 2026 Australian Open.

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Federer returns to Rod Laver Arena, practises with Ruud

Six years following his final appearance at the Australian Open, Roger Federer is back on the courts of Melbourne.

The Swiss legend returned to Rod Laver Arena on Friday for the first time since 2020 for a practice session with Casper Ruud.

Federer, who retired from professional tennis in 2022, faced Ruud only once during his career. Their lone Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting came in the fourth round of Roland Garros in 2019, when Federer defeated the Norwegian in straight sets.

The 44-year-old clinched six of his 20 Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open. He owns a 102-15 win-loss record at the tournament, according to the ATP Infosys Win/Loss Index. He last competed in Melbourne in 2020, when he lost to eventual champion Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals.

Federer is set to play an exhibition match on Saturday at Rod Laver Arena as a part of the tournament’s first Opening Ceremony, which will also feature three fellow ATP No. 1 Club members: Andre Agassi, Patrick Rafter, and Lleyton Hewitt.

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Novak Djokovic: Australian Open draw, history, recent results & more

Novak Djokovic owns a record 10 titles at the Australian Open. Read all about the Serbian’s results, records, statistics, and more, here. 

What is Djokovic’s record at the Australian Open? 

Since making his Australian Open debut in 2005, Djokovic has tallied a 99-10 win-loss record at the tournament, including a record 10 titles. 

What is Djokovic’s best result at the Australian Open?

Djokovic has won the Australian Open in 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2023. 

How far did Djokovic advance at the Australian Open in 2025? 

Djokovic lost to Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals at the Australian Open in 2025. The Serbian was forced to retire due to injury after losing the first set 6-7(5) (Read more). 

Djokovic’s Record at Grand Slam Tournaments

How many Grand Slam titles has Djokovic won? 

Djokovic has won a record 24 Grand Slam titles. 

Is Djokovic in form? 

Past Five Results Overall

What is Djokovic’s career record on hard courts? 

Djokovic holds a 1734-136 win-loss record on hard courts, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, for a winning percentage of 84.4 per cent. He ranks first among active players in winning percentage on hard courts. 

What is Djokovic’s draw at the Australian Open? 

Djokovic opens his Australian Open campaign against Spain’s Pedro Martinez and could face American Brandon Nakashima in the third round. He will meet two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals if both reach that stage. 

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Introducing Ally: An AI chatbot powered by Infosys Topaz

As part of the ATP’s announcement that it has extended its long-standing partnership with Infosys, the two organisations on Monday unveiled ‘Ally’, an AI chatbot providing insight for fans like never before. Ally, powered by Infosys Topaz, reflects a shared ambition between the ATP and Infosys to provide fans and players more intuitive and accessible digital experiences.

How can you use Ally?

Find the chatbot across ATP Stats Centre pages.

Click the “Stats” button on a live or completed match, then click the icon in the bottom corner of the screen. 

Begin asking questions about a variety of ATP tennis topics, from match statistics, tournaments draws and schedules to head-to-head comparisons, player stats and historical records. Ally will also provide potential questions for you to test it out.

Questions related to the rankings will result in answers that reflect the current PIF ATP Rankings.

Responses to queries for older match records and stats may be incomplete or unavailable due to archival limitations. If ever in doubt, visit the relevant player, tournament or scores page on ATPTour.com to find all you need to know.

Game. Set. Ally.

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Carlos Alcaraz: Australian Open draw, history, recent results & more

Carlos Alcaraz is chasing his first Australian Open title, with which he would become the fifth man in the Open Era to complete the Career Grand Slam. Read all about the World No. 1’s results, records, statistics, and more, here. 

What is Alcaraz’s record at the Australian Open?

Since making his Australian Open debut in 2021, Alcaraz has tallied an 11-4 win-loss record at the tournament. 

What is Alcaraz’s best result at the Australian Open? 

Alcaraz reached the quarter-finals at the Australian Open in 2024 and 2025.

How far did Alcaraz advance at the Australian Open in 2025? 

Alcaraz lost 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 4-6 to Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open quarter-finals in 2025 (Read more). 

Alcaraz’s Record at Grand Slam Tournaments

How many Grand Slam titles has Alcaraz won? 

Alcaraz has won six Grand Slam titles. 

Is Alcaraz in form? 

Past Five Results Overall

What is Alcaraz’s career record on hard courts?

Alcaraz holds a 142-42 win-loss record on hard courts, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, for a winning percentage of 77.4 per cent. He ranks third among active players in winning percentage on hard courts. 

What is Alcaraz’s draw at the Australian Open? 

Alcaraz begins his Australian Open campaign against home favourite Adam Walton and could meet another Australian, Alex de Minaur, in the quarter-finals. He can only face rival Sinner if they both reach the final.  

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