Friday sees the start of third round singles action in Melbourne.
Day 6 is the day when seeds begin to collide in the singles draws, resulting in some captivating third round matchups. But the most anticipated match on Friday sees Australian No.1 Alex de Minaur take on two-time Major semifinalist Frances Tiafoe.
Plus, title contenders Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka, and Coco Gauff will all take to the court.
Here’s a rundown of the most notable matches on Day 6 (in chronological order, all times local):
Victoria Mboko (17) vs. Clara Tauson (14) – 11:00am on John Cain Arena
Tauson arrived in Melbourne having lost eight of her last 11 matches, and scarcely survived the last round against Polina Kudermetova. By contrast, Mboko arrived in Melbourne having won 10 of her last 12 matches, and easily prevailed in her first two rounds here. This is the 19-year-old Canadian’s Australian Open debut, as she vies for her first appearance in the round of 16 at a Major.
Aryna Sabalenka (1) vs. Anastasia Potapova – 11:30am on Rod Laver Arena
Sabalenka has cruised thus far, and she’s advanced to the quarterfinals or better in her last 12 Slam appearances. She is 2-0 against Potapova, who has only managed to secure a total of seven games across the four sets they’ve contested.
Tommy Paul (19) vs. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (14) – Second on John Cain Arena
Paul is yet to drop a set, while Davidovich Fokina required five sets in the last round to overcome another American, Reilly Opelka. Tommy leads their head-to-head 4-0, which includes two prior meetings at this event. Back in 2023, Paul prevailed in five. Just last year, Paul was dominant, prevailing by a score of 6-1, 6-1, 6-1
Carlos Alcaraz (1) vs. Corentin Moutet (32) – Not Before 1:30pm on Rod Laver Arena
Alcaraz has thus far avoided early-round hiccups, as have been a feature of his young career. This equals Moutet’s best career result in Melbourne, and as per Tennis Abstract, the Frenchman is just 1-9 against top five players.
Coco Gauff (3) vs. Hailey Baptiste – Not Before 2:00pm on Margaret Court Arena
Gauff has also advanced comfortably to this stage. This is only Baptiste’s third appearance in the third round of a Major, and she’s 0-1 against her fellow American, as Coco defeated her 6-1, 6-4 three summers ago in Washington.
Iva Jovic (29) vs. Jasmine Paolini (7) – Not Before 5:00pm on John Cain Arena
Both players have easily won their first two matches. Paolini was 0-4 lifetime at this tournament prior to 2024, when she reached the second round of a Slam for the first time. 18-year-old Jovic was nearly ranked outside the world’s top 200 just a year ago, yet she’s now on the verge of the top 20, and is already 9-2 during 2026. The American’s aggressive, all-court style could prove challenging for the Italian.
Francisco Cerundolo (18) vs. Andrey Rublev (13) – Last on Kia Arena
Since dropping to 0-10 in Major quarterfinals two years ago in Melbourne, Rublev has failed to return to that round at this level, and was a modest 34-25 last season. Cerundolo owns one of the most formidable forehands in tennis, yet he’s only twice advanced beyond this round of a Slam. Francisco is 3-1 against Andrey overall, and 1-0 on this surface.
Alexander Zverev (3) vs. Cameron Norrie (26) –Not Before 6:30pm on John Cain Arena
Both men have needed at least four sets in each of their first two rounds. Zverev is 6-0 against Norrie, though their tightest matchup came at this same tournament two years ago, when the German won in a fifth-set tiebreak.
Frances Tiafoe (29) vs. Alex de Minaur (6) – Not Before 7:00pm on Rod Laver Arena
With one set dropped by each player to this point, both should be fresh for this prime time affair. De Minaur has certainly been the better performer these past 12 months, with twice as many match wins as Tiafoe. And Alex is 3-1 against Frances, though all their meetings have been quite competitive.
Elina Svitolina (12) vs. Diana Shnaider (23) – Not Before 7:00pm on Margaret Court Arena
Svitolina is a perfect 7-0 to start the season, coming off a title run two weeks ago in Auckland. After a breakout 2024, Shnaider struggled during 2025, and has already played a pair of three-setters this fortnight. This will be an awkward first-time encounter between the Ukrainian and the Russian.
Friday’s full Order of Play is here.
