Sunday features the start of the round of 16 in Melbourne.
The top seeds on the top halves of the singles draws have all survived to the round of 16. But No.1 seeds Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka, and No.3 seeds Alexander Zverev and Coco Gauff, all face significant opposition on Sunday. That opposition includes a fast-rising Canadian teenager, a Major finalist, and a player who leads their head-to-head.
Here’s a rundown of the most notable matches on Day 8 (in chronological order, all times local):
Aryna Sabalenka (1) vs. Victoria Mboko (17) – 11:30am on Rod Laver Arena
Sabalenka was tested in the last round by Anastasia Potapova, needing two tiebreaks to advance. Mboko started last year ranked outside the world’s top 300, but is now on the verge of the top 10 thanks to seven titles at all levels, including the WTA 1000 tournament in the Canadian’s home country. She’s already 8-2 during 2026, having reached the final last week in Adelaide, and winning a tight three-setter against the higher-ranked Clara Tauson in the last round. Victoria’s mix of power and speed could apply a lot of pressure on the World No.1 in their first career meeting.
Yulia Putintseva vs. Iva Jovic (29) – Not Before 1:00pm on John Cain Arena
Like Mboko, Jovic is a North American teenager who has made a meteoric rise. She was ranked No.191 a year ago, but is now on the verge of the top 20, mostly thanks to a WTA 500 title last September in Guadalajara. Iva is 10-2 to begin this season, having reached the final last week in Hobart, and upsetting World No.7 Jasmine Paolini in the last round. Putintseva has taken advantage of an open part of the draw, where she didn’t face a player ranked higher than No.60, to achieve her best result in Melbourne to date.
Carlos Alcaraz (1) vs. Tommy Paul (19) – 1:30pm on Rod Laver Arena
Both players are yet to drop a set, setting up what could be a stirring affair between two of the sport’s speediest players. They’ve participated in some tight matchups in the past, especially on hard courts. Alcaraz leads 5-2 overall, but they are tied at 2-2 on this surface, with Paul prevailing in Canada back in both 2022 and 2023. However, the American comes into this contest a bit light on match play, as he sat out the entire fall season due to injury.
Coco Gauff (3) vs. Karolina Muchova (19) – Not Before 2:30pm on Margaret Court Arena
Gauff came back from a set down on Friday against fellow American Hailey Baptiste, while on the same day, Muchova comfortably advanced over 2023 semifinalist Magda Linette, by a score of 6-1, 6-1. Coco is a perfect 4-0 against Karolina, and has taken all eight sets they’ve played.
Daniil Medvedev (11) vs. Learner Tien (25) – Not Before 4:00pm on Margaret Court Arena
This is a rematch from an epic encounter at this same event a year ago, when after nearly five hours of play, Tien prevailed in a fifth-set tiebreak. They would then meet again in back-to-back weeks this past fall in China, splitting a pair of tight three-setters. Unlike last year, when Medvedev arrived in Melbourne without a warmup tournament due to the birth of his second child, Daniil came into this fortnight with a title from two weeks ago in Brisbane.
Alexander Zverev (3) vs. Francisco Cerundolo (18) – Not Before 5:00pm on John Cain Arena
Cerundolo claimed his first three matches against Zverev, all on clay, but has lost their last two, both of which took place during 2025 on hard courts. Francisco has been impressive through three rounds, in not dropping a set and taking out Andrey Rublev in the last round. However, he’s never advanced beyond this round at a Slam.
Alexander Bublik (10) vs. Alex de Minaur (6) – Not Before 7:00pm on Rod Laver Arena
The formerly erratic Bublik has become rather reliable, if not outstanding. Since last June, he’s won five titles, with a record of 37-9 since the start of Roland Garros. And Sascha is another player who hasn’t dropped a set this fortnight. De Minaur has been a reliable performer for awhile now, and the Australian No.1 was most impressive on Friday night, defeating Frances Tiafoe in straights. De Minaur won their first three meetings without losing a set, but Bublik has taken the last two. Those two victories both occurred during his 2025 surge, though both matches went the distance.
Elina Svitolina (12) vs. Mirra Andreeva (8) – Last on Rod Laver Arena
In the last round, Ukraine’s Svitolina dismissed another Russian, Diana Shnaider, who is also Andreeva’s frequent doubles partner. Since Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine began, Elina has mostly dominated Russian players, with a record of 11-2 (as per Tennis Abstract). However, one of those losses came against Mirra, who claimed their only prior encounter 7-5, 6-3, last March at Indian Wells.
Sunday’s full Order of Play is here.
