NewKerala.com

Sinner, Keys Advance as Australian Open 2026 Kicks Off with Retirements & Thrillers

Defending champion Jannik Sinner moved into the second round after his opponent, Hugo Gaston, retired during their first-round match. Madison Keys also survived a tough opener, coming from behind to defeat Oleksandra Oliynykova. Other notable winners included Ben Shelton in a tight three-setter and former champions Naomi Osaka and Elena Rybakina. The day also saw an upset as qualifier Dane Sweeny knocked out veteran Gael Monfils.

Key Points: Australian Open 2026: Sinner, Keys, Osaka Win First Round Matches

  • Sinner advances after opponent retires
  • Defending champ Keys survives nervy opener
  • Shelton wins thrilling three-set battle
  • Osaka, Rybakina register comfortable wins
2 min read

Australian Open 2026: Jannik Sinner advance to second round; defending champion Madison Keys survive

Defending champions Jannik Sinner & Madison Keys advance. Ben Shelton, Naomi Osaka, Elena Rybakina also win on Day 1 of Australian Open 2026.

"Sinner's first competitive match since defeating his arch-rival Carlos Alcaraz for the ATP finals crown."

Melbourne, January 20

Double defending champion Jannik Sinner advanced to the second round of the ongoing Australian Open after his French opponent, Hugo Gaston, retired after losing the first two sets 6-2, 6-1 on Saturday.

The Italian star and World No. 2 was in ominous form in his round one match at the Rod Laver Arena court, and after winning the second set, his French opponent retired. Notably, this is Sinner's first competitive match since defeating his arch-rival and World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz for the ATP finals crown.

On the other hand, Eighth seed Ben Shelton displayed a sensational performance as he beat Ugo Humbert 6-3, 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (7-5) in a thrilling battle at the men's singles round one match at Rod Laver Arena.

Australian qualifier Dane Sweeny defeated Gael Monfils 6-7 (3-7), 7-5, 6-4, 7-5 in a match that lasted nearly four hours, knocking out the French veteran in his 20th and final Australian Open.

Lorenzo Musetti advanced to the second round after he secured a win over his Belgian opponent Raphael Collignon, who retired after trailing 4-6, 7-6 (7-3), 7-5, 3-2. Musetti will play fellow Italian Lorenzo Sonego in the second round.

In the women's singles first round, defending champion Madison Keys survived a nervy match as she defeated Ukraine's Oleksandra Oliynykova to move to the second round of the Australian Open 2026 event. Keys lost the opening four games, clawed her way back to a tie-break and had to save two set points before finally relaxing and pulling away to win 7-6 (8-6), 6-1.

Two-time champion Naomi Osaka also registered a comfortable win against Croatian Antonia Ruzic 6-3, 3-6, 6-4. Elena Rybakina also started her campaign on an impressive note with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Kaja Juvan in a match that lasted just 72 minutes, firing 22 winners past the Slovenian.

- ANI

Share this article:

Reader Comments

S
Shreya B
Great to see Madison Keys fight back like that! Shows real champion mentality. On another note, wish we had an Indian player making headlines in the later rounds. Someday soon, hopefully! 🤞
D
David E
That Dane Sweeny vs Monfils match sounds epic! Nearly 4 hours? Respect to the qualifier for knocking out a veteran in his final AO. That's the magic of Grand Slams.
A
Ananya R
So many retirements in the first round itself? Gaston and Collignon... hope they're not seriously injured. It's a bit of a dampener for fans who buy tickets to see full matches. 😕
R
Rohit P
Ben Shelton and that serve! What a player. The future of men's tennis is in good hands with Sinner, Alcaraz, and Shelton. Makes for exciting viewing during our winter nights here.
N
Naomi O
Thrilled to see Naomi Osaka back and winning! Her journey is so inspiring. Mental strength is as important as physical. More power to her! 🙌

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50