Jan 24, 2026, 06:34 AM ET
MELBOURNE, Australia — There was drama aplenty on middle Saturday at the Australian Open as reigning champion Jannik Sinner overcame severe cramps and blistering heat to beat plucky American Eliot Spizzirri and advance to the fourth round. Meanwhile, former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka was forced to withdraw from the tournament due to injury.
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It was also a successful day for 10-time champion Novak Djokovic, who beat Botic van de Zandschulp in straight sets to move into the round of 16. It wasn’t without controversy, however, Djokovic coming inches away from being defaulted after striking a ball in frustration that very nearly hit a ball kid.
Top ranked Americans Taylor Fritz, Jessica Pegula, Amanda Anisimova, Madison Keys, and Ben Shelton also booked their tickets to the next round, as did world No. 2 Iga Swiatek and Italian fifth-seed Lorenzo Musetti.
The mercury hit a whopping 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) on Day 7, forcing organisers to implement the tournament’s extreme heat policy. Play was halted on all courts just after 2:30pm local time and only permitted to continue on Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena, and John Cain Arena after roofs were shut. The delay on the outside courts lasted almost five hours.
Stay tuned as ESPN’s team of reporters bring you all the latest news, results, match schedules, and more from Day 7 at the Australian Open.
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