Australian Open 2026: Alcaraz keeps title chase alive, Gauff stays flawless

Spanish tennis prodigy Carlos Alcaraz overcame a tough challenge from Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann to reach the third round of the Australian Open , while American star Coco Gauff delivered a commanding performance to book her spot in the next round of the women’s singles.

Alcaraz, currently the world number one , is still chasing his first Australian Open title. The six-time Grand Slam champion has previously reached the quarterfinal stage twice, but has not yet been able to go beyond that barrier. On Wednesday, he faced a strong test from Hanfmann, who is ranked 102nd in the world .

The first set proved to be a serious battle, stretching into a tiebreaker as Hanfmann pushed Alcaraz to his limits. However, the Spaniard’s class shone through in the next two sets, as he stepped up his game and dominated to seal the match.

Alcaraz won 7-6(4), 6-3, 6-2, with the opening set lasting 78 minutes – the longest first set he has played in a Grand Slam, according to the ATP official website. Hanfmann, 34, was attempting to become the first player ranked outside the top 100 to beat Alcaraz in a Grand Slam, but the Spanish star proved too strong in the end. Alcaraz will next face Corentin Moutet in the third round.

If Alcaraz goes on to win the Australian Open, he would achieve two remarkable milestones: becoming the youngest player to complete a Career Grand Slam in singles, and the youngest to win seven major titles in the Open Era.

In the women’s draw, Coco Gauff made a strong statement with a dominant win over Serbia’s Olga Danilovic . The world number three and two-time Grand Slam champion produced a clinical performance, winning 6-2, 6-2 to move into the third round.

Gauff took control early, winning five consecutive games in the first set to establish a clear advantage. Danilovic tried to fight back, but Gauff’s power and precision kept her in control throughout. In the second set, Gauff again raced ahead and was leading 3-0 , before eventually closing out the match in straight sets.

With this win, Gauff will face fellow American Hailey Baptiste in an all-US third-round clash, setting up another high-profile encounter in Melbourne.