Djokovic, Gauff roll in Australian Open; Osaka retires due to injury

Some of the biggest names in tennis have plowed their way to the fourth round at the Australian Open.

Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Coco Gauff, and Aryna Sabalenka all advanced, while two-time champion Naomi Osaka retired due to a strained abdominal muscle.

Djokovic, going for his 11th Australian Open title and 25th Grand Slam championship, had little trouble with Tomas Machac, taking the match 6-1, 6-4, 6-4. In the dominant performance, the 37-year-old Djokovic had his serve broken once. He will next take on No. 24 seed Jiri Lehecka on Sunday.

“I think I played really well,” Djokovic said after the match. “I’m very happy with my game. There’s always something to improve but this is definitely the best match I’ve played in the tournament so far.’

Other results include Alcaraz needing four sets to beat Nuno Borges 6-2, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-2, and No. 12 seed Tommy Paul rolling past Robert Carballes Baena 7-6 (0), 6-2, 6-0.

The top seed in the women’s draw, Sabalenka, the two-time defending champion, dispatched Clara Tauson 7-6 (5), 6-4, and now has won 17 matches in a row at the Australian Open.

Coco Gauff continues torrid 2025 start

The third-seeded Gauff is into the fourth round after her 6-4, 6-2 win over Leylah Fernandez. Gauff hasn’t lost a set or match this year.

“Tennis feels so high stakes, but it’s really not. I’m so lucky to do what I do — also get paid doing it,” Gauff said.

“My biggest thing I learned last year is just not to take anything for granted,” Gauff said, “and just realized this time is going to go by so fast. … I’m just trying to enjoy it while I’m here.”

Naomi Osaka retires due to injury

Two-time Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka was forced to retire after dropping the first set in her third-round match against Belinda Bencic.

“I kind of have a history of it, since I was a teenager. At least once a year, I’d get an ab strain. For me, I want to say it’s more the way my serve is — it’s quite explosive,” Osaka said. “Unfortunately, it carried on over to the beginning of this season.”

Osaka was also forced to retire from the final of the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand, two weeks ago against Clara Tauson because of issues with her abdominal.

Bencic now faces Coco Gauff for a spot in the quarterfinals on Sunday.

Jessica Pegula ousted in the third round

With fellow Serb Novak Djokovic cheering her on, Olga Danilovic blitzed past American Jessica Pegula, the No. 7 seed, 7-6 (3), 6-1.

Pegula had no answers for the 23-year-old Danilovic, who is ranked 55th in the world, using a powerful forehand and dominating on her first serve

‘She’s top of the world, she’s such a great player,’ Danilovic said after the upset. ‘I knew I had to have my A-A-A plus-plus-plus game to beat her. In the back of my mind, I really believed in myself.’

Danilovic moves on to face 11th seed Paula Badosa, with both women looking to get to the Australian Open quarterfinals for the first time.