The third round of the Australian Open begins today with defending champion Aryna Sabalenka opening play on Rod Laver Arena, while Novak Djokovic continues his pursuit of an 11th title at the tournament.
Other high-profile players, including Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, and Coco Gauff, are also set to feature on the main courts. On John Cain Arena, Naomi Osaka and Belinda Bencic face off in a highly anticipated clash.
Osaka, a two-time champion at the Australian Open, has shown signs of her former brilliance after returning to the tour in January last year following a 15-month maternity leave. The former world number one, who claimed the title in 2019 and 2021, has been in strong form. She has already avenged her first-round loss at last year’s tournament by defeating Caroline Garcia and eliminated Czech 20th seed Karolina Muchova in the process.
Osaka’s opponent, Belinda Bencic, holds a 3-2 record against her. The Japanese star has expressed excitement about facing the former Olympic gold medalist, who also returned to the circuit recently after giving birth in April.
Meanwhile, Djokovic faces Czech player Tomas Machac, aiming for redemption after Machac stunned him in the Geneva Open semi-finals last year. Machac, who is 13 years younger than Djokovic, has gained confidence since that win, securing a mixed doubles gold medal at the Olympics. Djokovic, who has dropped sets in earlier matches against Nishesh Basavareddy and Jaime Faria, may face another challenging match as Machac seeks his first-ever spot in the fourth round.