The two best men's players in the world are reconfiguring the sport before their opponents' eyes. They don't know what to do about it

FILE - Italy’s Jannik Sinner returns the ball to Netherlands’ Tallon Griekspoor during the Davis Cup final tennis match between Netherlands and Italy at the Martin Carpena Sports Hall in Malaga, southern Spain, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, File)

The top-ranked Sinner, who is the defending champion at Melbourne Park, and No. 3 Alcaraz are coming off a 2024 season in which they each won two Grand Slam titles.

Naomi Osaka, a two-time champion in Australia, stopped playing because of a strained abdominal muscle after dropping the first set of her match against Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Belinda Bencic.

Ukraine’s 30-year-old Elina Svitolina, the wife of celebrated Frenchman Gael Monfils and mother to their two-year-old daughter, Skai, reached the final eight in Melbourne for the first time in six years – “a lifetime ago” – by beating Veronika Kudermetova 6-4, 6-1. As always, she refused to shake the hand of a Russian opponent.

Novak Djokovic has come back to defeat Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 to reach the Australian Open semifinals for the 12th time

Novak Djokovic was at the centre of another Australian Open row on Monday while Jannik Sinner needed medical attention in fierce heat to battle into the quarter-finals and Iga Swiatek won easily.Djokovic has been at the centre of controversy before at the Australian Open,

Novak Djokovic showed his unwavering resolve as he battled through a series of challenges to advance to the semifinals of the 2025 Australian Open after he defeated the Spanish Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals.