Jannik Sinner and Madison Keys made winning starts to their Australian Open title defences on Tuesday but former champion Naomi Osaka made the biggest splash on day three of the tournament with a dazzling entrance before her match.
Sinner, who is aiming for a third straight title at Melbourne Park, spent only 68 minutes on court in his first outing of the 2026 season before Hugo Gaston retired because of injury while losing 6-2 6-1.
The world number two consoled the weeping Frenchman and wished him well in his recovery before declaring himself delighted with the results of his off-season training.
“I was very happy,” said the Italian. “We put in a lot of work to be back on court and it felt great. Obviously not the way you want to win the match, but from my side I’m very happy to be back on court.”
Sinner showed some signs of rust at the start and was forced to save three break points in his opening service game before finding his imperious touch.
American Keys made an even shakier start to her maiden Grand Slam title defence before rallying for a 7-6(6) 6-1 victory over Ukrainian Oleksandra Oliynykova.
A double break down thanks to some untimely double faults, Keys trailed 4-0 before forcing a tiebreak in which the unorthodox Oliynykova caused chaos with her deep, looping shots.
Oliynykova brought up two set points but Keys erased the deficit with some trademark big-hitting to eventually snatch a tense tiebreak before racing through the second stanza.
“I think at the start I just felt like I was playing just a little timid and not really trusting my first instinct,” said the ninth seed.
“I felt like I kind of kept changing my mind on what I actually wanted to do. I felt like I was reacting instead of having a plan of what I wanted to do.”
Oliynykova, who was playing in her first major, wore temporary face tattoos – blue flowers that matched her outfit and the court – but she was put into the shade in the fashion stakes by Osaka.
In one of the boldest fashion statements ever seen on a tennis court, Osaka entered Rod Laver Arena carrying a white parasol with a voluminous trailing veil and wore a wide-brimmed hat above a long turquoise tunic with crimped white trousers.
The 2019 and 2021 Melbourne Park champion’s tennis was at times less impressive than her self-designed outfit but Osaka finished strongly to beat Croatian Antonia Ruzic 6-3 3-6 6-4 and take her place in the second round.
“It’s modelled after a jellyfish,” she said of her get-up. “I’m just so grateful that I get to be able to do the things that I love. It’s really beautiful.”
Leylah Fernandez, the 2021 U.S. Open runner-up, was not so fortunate and exited with a 6-2 7-6(1) loss to Janice Tjen, who became the first Indonesian to win a match at the Australian Open in 28 years.
TSITSIPAS RALLIES TO AVOID ANOTHER EARLY EXIT
There were comfortable first-round wins for fifth seed Elena Rybakina, in-form Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Belinda Bencic and 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko.
In the men’s draw, 2023 finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas had to rally from a set down to beat Japan’s Shintaro Mochizuki and avoid a first-round exit for the second year in a row.
Sinner’s compatriot Lorenzo Musetti, the fifth seed, also advanced after his opponent Raphael Collignon retired while trailing 4-6 7-6(3) 7-5 3-2.
Eighth seed Ben Shelton, who lost to Sinner in last year’s semi-finals, beat Ugo Humbert in three tight sets while his fellow American Taylor Fritz, seeded one spot lower, needed four to get past French opposition in the shape of Valentin Royer.
Melbourne Park’s favourite Frenchman of recent years, Gael Monfils, bid farewell to the tournament for the 20th and final time after a 6-7(3) 7-5 6-4 7-5 loss to Australian qualifier Dane Sweeny.
“My journey started in 2003 with you guys, now we are in 2026 and somehow it’s the finish line,” the 39-year-old, who will retire at the end of the season, told the crowd after receiving a standing ovation.
“Thank you so much for this amazing ride.”
(Reuters)
