Melbourne: Naomi Osaka Australian Open champion, reached the third round of a Major for the first time since 2022 when she weathered an early barrage from US Open semifinalist Karolina Muchova before rallying to win 1-6 6-1 6-3.
Aryna Sabalenka, the two-time defending champion, extended her run to 16 wins at Melbourne Park by winning the last five games to beat No. 54-ranked Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-3 7-5. No. 7 Jessica Pegula had a 6-4 6-2 win over Elise Mertens to reach the third round, along with Belinda Bencic and 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva.
On the men’s side, third-seeded Carlos Alcaraz , aiming to add the Australian Open title to complete a set of all four Major crowns, advanced 6-0 6-1 6-4 victory over Yoshihito Nishioka. “The less time you spend on the court in the GS, it’s gonna be better, especially physically,” Alcaraz said.