Australian Open 2026: Thrills on day eight as quarterfinals take shape

The Australian Open entered a decisive phase on Sunday as several top seeds and emerging talents booked their places in the quarterfinals, producing a day packed with commanding performances, notable upsets and compelling storylines at Melbourne Park.

In the men’s singles, world number one Carlos Alcaraz continued his dominant run, defeating American Tommy Paul in straight sets to advance to the last eight without dropping a set so far in the tournament. The Spaniard looked in complete control, combining power and precision as he tightened his grip on the title race.

Home favourite Alex de Minaur delivered one of the most emphatic performances of the day, overwhelming Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik in straight sets. De Minaur’s aggressive baseline play and relentless pace thrilled the Australian crowd and set up a much-anticipated quarterfinal clash against Alcaraz.

Elsewhere, the men’s draw witnessed a major upset as American teenager Learner Tien stunned former finalist Daniil Medvedev in straight sets. Germany’s Alexander Zverev also progressed comfortably, while Novak Djokovic moved into the quarterfinals following a walkover after his opponent withdrew due to injury.

The women’s singles saw top seed Aryna Sabalenka continue her strong title defence, defeating Canada’s Victoria Mboko to secure a quarterfinal berth. Sabalenka will next face American teenager Iva Jovic , who produced a breakthrough performance by dismantling Yulia Putintseva in under an hour to reach her first Grand Slam quarterfinal.

Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina rolled back the years with a composed victory over 18-year-old Mirra Andreeva, underlining her experience on the big stage. Svitolina will now take on Coco Gauff , who battled past Karolina Muchova in a hard-fought three-set encounter earlier in the day.

Away from the main draw, India’s junior singles campaign came to an early end. Maaya Rajeshwaran Ravathi bowed out of the girls’ singles after a straight-sets loss to Anna Pushkareva, while Arnav Paparkar exited the boys’ singles following a competitive defeat to American Vihan Reddy. Despite the loss, Paparkar earned recognition by being named a practice partner for India’s Davis Cup squad ahead of the 2026 Qualifiers.

With the tournament now firmly into its second week, the quarterfinal line-ups promise a captivating blend of established champions and fearless young contenders, setting the stage for an exciting run-in to the first Grand Slam of the year.