Where does the time go? The Australian Open is already more than half way over, and that means that we’ve already played through over 12.5 percent of the 2026 Grand Slam season.
Hope it doesn’t go too fast, as we tennis fans love it when moments last a while.
With that in mind, we look forward to some special moments on Day 9 down under, as the bottom half of the men’s and women’s singles draw will fill it’s last four quarterfinal spots.
See the full Day 9 schedule here
Here’s what we’ll be watching.
From Miami to Melbourne
Speaking of moments that last, who could forget Jakub Mensik’s Miami title last April, the one that featured a win over GOAT Novak Djokovic in the final. It was special on many levels. First, it was Mensik’s big breakout on the big stage, he was a teenager and he had just won his first Masters title. Second, it was the connection between Djokovic and Mensik, as the pair had become close over the years, and Djokovic had taken a bit of a mentorship role in Mensik’s career. It was amazing to see that come full circle and to realize just how important Djokovic is to so many young players on tour as an example.
The pair will meet again in the night session on Rod Laver Arena with a spot in the quarterfinals on the line. Djokovic won’t have many more of these opportunities in his career, so the moment feels huge, but also for Mensik, who is thought to be on the cusp of a Grand Slam breakthrough.
Who takes charge and seizes this moment?
The Battle of the Podcast Hosts
Madison Keys and Jessica Pegula are playing for bragging rights, and they are also playing to get their podcast some more exposure. Why not multitask on Rod Laver Arena, as the pair of Top-10 talents will feature as playing billboards for The Player’s Box podcast, with a spot in the quarterfinals on the line. Defending champion Keys, riding a 10-match Aussie Open winning streak has taken her last two matches against Pegula, so it will be up to the Buffalo native to find a way to rattle her co-host’s world-class power game.
Italians, Americans
There are eight singles matches on the docket for Day 9, which means 16 different players, and half of them are either from the United States (5) or Italy (3).
We’ve mentioned Keys and Pegula, but Amanda Anisimova, seeded fourth, is still in the running to reach a third consecutive major final, while Ben Shelton (vs Casper Ruud) and Taylor Fritz (vs Lorenzo Musetti) are also in action for the stars and stripes.
Jannik Sinner will be in action against compatriot Luciano Darderi, who is making his first round of 16 appearance at the majors. Sinner has won 17 straight at the Australian Open, and 30 of his last 31 at the hard court majors, while Darderi is just starting to come into his own on hard courts. He has won three in a row on the surface for the first time in his career.
