Top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz continued his steady march through the Australian Open on Wednesday, fending off a barrage of heavy hitting before booking his place in the third round. The Spaniard overcame German Yannick Hanfmann 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 6-2 on Rod Laver Arena in a match that demanded both patience and precision.
Read More: Alcaraz, Sabalenka named top-seeded players at Australian Open
Alcaraz, chasing a first title in Melbourne to complete a career Grand Slam, admitted he was caught off-guard by Hanfmann’s aggression. “To be honest, it was tougher than I thought,” the 22-year-old said, noting that his opponent’s groundstrokes were “coming as a bomb”. The victory sets up a third-round meeting with either Corentin Moutet of France or American Michael Zheng.
Another day, another win 🙌@carlosalcaraz beats Hanfmann 7-6 6-3 6-2 in a well-contested clash to move into the third round! @AustralianOpen #AO26 pic.twitter.com/EL2vOfJ4pW
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) January 21, 2026
Three-time finalist Daniil Medvedev also advanced, recovering from a tight opening set to defeat Frenchman Quentin Halys 6-7 (9/11), 6-3, 6-4, 6-2. The world number three is seeking his maiden Grand Slam and faces Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan next. Other men’s winners included Tommy Paul, Francisco Cerundolo, Tomas Etcheverry, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Andrey Rublev. Alexander Zverev was scheduled for the late session against Alexandre Muller.
DYNAMIC DANIIL 🔥
He comes back from a set down to move past Halys 6-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2…#AustralianOpen pic.twitter.com/XQrzbuYtYz
— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 21, 2026
On the women’s side, top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka delivered another confident display, easing past Chinese qualifier Bai Zhuoxuan 6-3, 6-1. Sabalenka, a four-time major champion, will next meet Austria’s Anastasia Potapova, who defeated US Open champion Emma Raducanu. The Belarusian has dropped just nine games across her opening two matches.
Third seed Coco Gauff produced a similarly composed performance, dispatching Serbia’s Olga Danilovic 6-2, 6-2 in 78 minutes. Gauff, a two-time Grand Slam winner, next faces compatriot Hailey Baptiste. “Near perfect,” she said of her display, as she aims to better her 2024 semi-final run.
Read More: Hungry Alcaraz, focused Sabalenka target Australian Open glory
Elina Svitolina, Victoria Mboko and Zeynep Sonmez also advanced in straight sets, while home fans geared up for evening encounters featuring Alex de Minaur and Priscilla Hon.