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Getting over the line to claim Grand Slam glory is one of the toughest tests in the game, but Stefanos Tsitsipas believes he has never been more ready to achieve that feat ahead of his maiden Australian Open final.

“I'm playing great tennis, I'm enjoying myself. I just see no downside or negativity in what I'm trying to do out there,” said the Greek after his 7-6(2), 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-3 semi-final victory against Karen Khachanov on Friday in Melbourne. “Even if it doesn't work, I'm very optimistic and positive about any outcome, any opponent that I have to face.

“This is something that has been sort of lacking in my game. I genuinely believe in what I'm able to produce. That is more than enough. I go about [it] this way... I strive for it every single day. It might not go the way I want it to, but I put 110 per cent out there.”

Sunday’s championship match against Novak Djokovic or Tommy Paul will be an opportunity for Tsitsipas to banish any lingering disappointment from his first Grand Slam final, at Roland Garros in 2021. He led Djokovic by two-sets-to-love before falling to defeat on the Paris clay, but the Greek believes his improved ability to deal with difficult moments on court stands him in better stead this time around.

“I think it starts with confidence, your capabilities, what you can do out there,” he said. “I think frustration also builds when you start panicking or you feel completely off and completely not OK with your game. It has this tendency to build up over time, especially when you're unable to find some sort of solutions within yourself.

Karen Khachanov backed up his semi-final showing at the 2022 US Open by matching his best Grand Slam result in Melbourne. After a 7-6(2), 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-3 defeat to Stefanos Tsitsipas on Friday in the Australian Open final four, the 18th seed spoke of "mixed feelings" after falling short of his first major final.

"Obviously I'm super happy, super proud of the [recent] results... second consecutive semi-final," he said in his post-match press conference. "I fought hard. I was losing actually in the third set. He was serving for the match. He had two match points. I never give up.

"I think it was very close, a very good-level match. He took over in some important moments, some important points. He got the win, so simple as that."

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The 26-year-old moved up seven places to No. 13 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings this fortnight, closing in on his career high of World No. 8 from 2019. After taking some time to recover, he is keen to build on the lessons and experience he gained from his latest deep run.

"I definitely go with my head high," he said. "[I will] rest a couple of days, think with my team for [my upcoming] schedule... have a team meeting to discuss those particular situations and moments on what we need to work.

"Hopefully I keep believing that I can pass this step next time, if I am in this situation, hopefully. That's it."

Stefanos Tsitsipas will play for his first Grand Slam title and the No. 1 Pepperstone ATP Ranking after he booked his place in the Australian Open final with a gritty win against Karen Khachanov. In a 7-6(2), 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-3 semi-final victory on Friday, the Greek dominated with his all-action game, keeping his opponent under constant pressure in the three-hour, 21-minute match.

What looked on course to be his fifth straight-sets win of the fortnight was complicated by a late Khachanov surge. The first-time Melbourne semi-finalist denied Tsitsipas' attempt to serve out the match at 5-4 in the third set, and in the tie-break he saved two match points with fearless forehand winners, sparking a run of four points to steal the set.

But as he did after failing to serve out the opening set, the Greek responded, seeing home a 3-0 lead in the final set to advance.

"I thought about how hard I've worked to get into this position, and it takes a little bit more," Tsitsipas said of his mentality entering the fourth set. "I wasn't able to deliver that in the third set; I was extremely close to getting it.

"It's one of these moments that if you stick around, if you dedicate yourself even more and if you concentrate on these important moments event more, it pays off quite well. And always having that ambience in the background somewhere feels so good when I'm able to hit the ball and get such a reward back from the fans."

Brazilians Rafael Matos and Luisa Stefani sunk their teeth into the Australian Open mixed doubles trophy on Friday, still yet to taste defeat as a duo. With a 7-6(2), 6-2 final victory against the Indian pair of Rohan Bopanna and Sania Mirza, Matos/Stefani improved to 7-0 as a team and claimed what is a first Grand Slam title for both in any discipline.

The champions began their partnership in 2023, going 2-0 at the United Cup before extending their perfect start in Melbourne.

"Luisa, thank you so much for these two weeks, actually this month," Matos said during the trophy ceremony. "It was special playing with another Brazilian player... I think we worked really good these two weeks, we were focussed on what we wanted, and we did it!"

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Matos became the fifth Brazilian man to win a major title, while Stefani is now the second woman from the nation to secure Grand Slam glory. Stefani, who has won 18 of 20 women's doubles matches since returning from knee surgery in September, was not able to compete in the Melbourne women's doubles draw after partner Caty McNally withdrew.

Last September, all eyes were on Carlos Alcaraz in New York as he hoisted the US Open trophy to the sky. Elsewhere, Karen Khachanov was taking in a moment that could well have belonged to him. In this relentless sport, where everything happens at breakneck speed, achievements are sometimes quickly forgotten or undervalued. But Khachanov was just two sets away from contesting his first major final that fortnight.

That same player now wears a broad grin on his face as he strolls through the corridors of Melbourne Park, where another chance at history has come knocking. The towering, 6-foot-6 player has deployed his furious style of tennis with undeniable confidence under the Australian sun to reach a second straight semi-final at a Grand Slam.

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The sweet moment in the career of the World No. 20 has come in the company of Jose Manuel ‘Pepo’ Clavet, one of the most renowned coaches in Spanish tennis. With over 30 years of experience fine-tuning the talent on Tour, names such as Feliciano Lóopez, Alex Corretja and Carlos Moya have all spent time under his watchful eye.

The Madrid native has been in Khachanov's corner since 2020. His student is on a promising trajectory and is now set to do something big at the Australian Open. Since teaming up, they have made the second week of every Grand Slam at least once — a trait of a truly elite player. They won the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics and have set themselves one clear goal: to take Khachanov back into the Top 10, where he has not been for more than three years.

American men's tennis is on the rise, and few are climbing higher than Australian Open semi-finalist Tommy Paul.

During his run to his first Grand Slam semi-final, the 25-year-old has soared 16 places up the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings to No. 19, setting himself up to crack the Top 20 for the first time in Monday's edition of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

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Paul just missed out on a seed at the Australian Open as the World No. 35, but has dropped only four sets in his five Melbourne matches thus far. He knocked off 24th seed Roberto Bautista Agut and 30th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina on his path to the last four, where he will meet nine-time champion Novak Djokovic.

If Paul can pull off the upset, he will further rise to No. 15 by reaching the final and into the Top 10 at No. 9 with a title. Taylor Fritz, at No. 8 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, will remain the American No. 1 into February, while Frances Tiafoe makes it three men from the United States in the Top 20 at No. 15.

Andrey Rublev and Grigor Dimitrov were among eight new player members who convened on the eve of the Australian Open for the first meeting of the new ATP Player Advisory Council.

The ATP Player Advisory Council is a group of ATP members elected by their peers to serve and act as the voice of the player body in tour-wide decisions.

The newly elected members are:

The first ATP Player Advisory Council meeting of the year took place in Melbourne on 12 January.

Bulgaria’s former World No. 3 and 2017 Nitto ATP Finals champion Dimitrov said: "I've been asked so many times in the past but I just never felt it was the right time and the right fit for me at the time. I think now I'm in a position where I've got a few years behind me, I have the experience on the court, I have experience with the players and I'm looking forward to it.”

After losing the second set in Thursday's Australian Open doubles semi-finals, Hugo Nys and Jan Zielinski drew inspiration from six-time Melbourne champions Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan. The Monegasque/Polish pairing then powered through the deciding set in a 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 win against Frenchmen Jeremy Chardy and Fabrice Martin, advancing to what will be a maiden major final for both men.

"Our energy came a little bit down [in the second set] and I told Jan, the beginning of the third set we have to come back like Bryan/Bryan energy, from the first point," Nys said in an on-court interview.

"I'm really happy we did it because it actually made the difference. Even though it's the first semi-final for us, we managed to bring that big energy in the third set. I'm really proud of the team."

FIRST. GRAND. SLAM. FINAL.

?? @HugoNys/@zielaczekk ?? hold off Chardy/Martin 6-3 5-7 6-2 for the biggest win of their careers!@wwos • @espn • @eurosport • @wowowtennis • #AusOpen • #AO2023 pic.twitter.com/b7HK2QzdUW

The unseeded duo lost serve for the only time in the final game of the second set, but quickly made amends by building a 4-0 lead in the deciding set. They finished the match with 14 aces and an 89 per cent win rate on first serve in Rod Laver Arena.

There are few things new to Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open, where he is now two wins away from a record-extending 10th singles title. But he will experience a first in Friday's semi-finals when he takes on American Tommy Paul.

The opponents will open their ATP Head2Head series in the Rod Laver Arena evening session, with Djokovic playing his sixth straight match under the lights on Melbourne's main stage. Paul, who was on the field courts for his first three contests, made his Laver debut on Wednesday in the quarter-finals.

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While Paul is unseeded, he was the first man to miss the cutoff as the World No. 35. He is now up to No. 19 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, and Djokovic is expecting an elite-level test.

"I watched him play quite a bit, especially during this tournament. He's been playing probably the tennis of his life," said the Serbian. "Very explosive, very dynamic player. Quick, very solid backhand. Likes to step in, dictate the point with the forehand. Great, great service motion. I think he can hit all the spots with the serve. Very complete player."

Stefanos Tsitsipas finds himself in the Australian Open semi-finals for the fourth time, with a golden opportunity against Olympic silver medalist Karen Khachanov on Friday. While the Greek has thrived in Melbourne throughout his career, Khachanov had not been beyond the third round Down Under until this year.

With the large Greek population in Melbourne and its similar climate to his native Athens, Tsitsipas has called the Australian Open his "home Slam". He has been a second-week regular at the event since his breakout run in 2019, but has never been able to reach the title round, falling one match short against Rafael Nadal in '19 and Daniil Medvedev each of the past two years.

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But the 24-year-old's play this fortnight, during which he has won four of his five matches in straight sets, makes him a hot favourite to rectify that against Khachanov. He'll be further fuelled by his 5-0 ATP Head2Head record against the 18th seed, their most recent meeting last season in Rome.

Asked if this could be the year for his Grand Slam trophy breakthrough, Tsitsipas' reply was brimming with confidence — much like his game.

Nick Kyrgios plans to return to ATP Tour action at March’s BNP Paribas Open after his manager Daniel Horsfall confirmed a positive outcome to the Australian star’s knee surgery.

“The surgery was a great success,” Horsfall told Australian newspapers The Herald and The Age after Kyrgios had an operation Monday to repair a small tear in his left lateral meniscus. “We couldn’t have been more pleased with the outcome of it. Now we will be pushing ahead for a speedy recovery and are aiming to see everyone at Indian Wells.”

The injury forced Kyrgios’ withdrawal from Team Australia’s inaugural United Cup lineup in late December. The 27-year-old subsequently also missed the 2023 Australian Open, where the home favourite was considered a strong title prospect in the singles and would have defended his 2022 men’s doubles crown alongside Thanasi Kokkinakis.

Kyrgios enjoyed the best season of his career in 2022, notching a 37-10 match record, reaching his maiden Grand Slam final at Wimbledon, and lifting his seventh ATP Tour title in Washington. He will hope a quick recovery allows him to recapture that form at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Indian Wells, to be held from 8-19 March, where he is a two-time quarter-finalist.

“For now, Mumma K [Nick’s mother, Nill Kyrgios] will have her work cut out for her having everyone around the home for a little while,” added Horsfall light-heartedly. “Nick will stay back in Canberra. His plan is to eat delicious food and play a lot of Pokémon.

Ben Shelton was in no mood to be downcast after falling to Tommy Paul Wednesday in the quarter-finals at the Australian Open.

Having reached the last eight in just his second Grand Slam appearance, the #NextGenATP American reflected happily on his performances at Melbourne Park this fortnight — as well as the valuable lessons learned from his stellar run.

“I think it was a great experience,” said Shelton after Paul prevailed 7-6(6), 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 in an all-American quarter-final clash. “It was fun to be out there, my first quarter-final of a Grand Slam.

“I thought I played alright. Some things that I could do better, things that I would maybe do next time if I could do differently, but I'm pleased with the result, this being my first time at the Australian Open. So, [I’m] taking a lot of positives away from it.”

This fortnight, Shelton defeated Zhang Zhizhen, Nicolas Jarry, Alexei Popyrin and J.J. Wolf in a dream Melbourne Park debut. The 20-year-old, who a year ago was ranked No. 569 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings and still a University of Florida college player, had never left the United States prior to this trip to Australia. That made it a journey of discovery for the American both on and off the court.

Dismantling high-flying opponents back-to-back in the latter stages of a Grand Slam is no mean feat, even for an ATP Tour great. Yet Novak Djokovic is not getting carried away after backing up his masterful fourth-round Australian Open display against Alex de Minaur by cruising past World No. 6 Andrey Rublev on Wednesday night in Melbourne.

"I can't really say that this is as confident that I ever felt because I've had some incredible seasons,” said Djokovic after racing to a 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 quarter-final win against Rublev. “[Some incredible] years here at the Australian Open, some matches that are really unforgettable for me. [It is] tough to compare because I've been fortunate to really live through a lot of success at the Australian Open.

“But [the] last two matches, playing against two guys that are really good players, in-form players, to beat them dominantly in three sets… That is definitely something that I want in this moment. Something that sends a message to all my opponents remaining in the draw.”

Djokovic is 10-0 for 2023 after downing Rublev. Despite being hampered by a left hamstring issue, the 35-year-old has made relatively seamless progress to the last four in Melbourne, where he can tie Rafael Nadal’s record of 22 Grand Slam crowns and return to World No. 1 by lifting the trophy. He now finds himself in a familiar position at the opening major of the season.

“With this kind of game, of course the confidence level rises… I feel good on the court, better and better as the tournament progresses,” said Djokovic. “I've been in this situation in so many times in my life, in my career, [and] never lost a semi-final at the Australian Open. Hopefully that will stay the same.

Dialled-in and fired up, Novak Djokovic delivered a devastating quarter-final display Wednesday to breeze past Andrey Rublev 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 at the Australian Open.

Djokovic was taking on the highest-ranked opponent of his Melbourne campaign so far in World No. 6 Rublev, but he took command early and barely looked back in the pair’s maiden Grand Slam meeting. The fourth seed nullified Rublev’s powerful groundstrokes with typically resilient defence and hit cleanly through the ball from the baseline throughout, accelerating to a comfortable two-hour, three-minute victory on Rod Laver Arena.

"Overall I think that the scoreline in the first two sets doesn't speak the truth or the reality of the match,” said Djokovic in his on-court interview. “It was some really close games that we had. Andrey is a great opponent, a great player. I've got tonnes of respect for him, one of the biggest forehands, one of the the quickest players on the Tour.

"If I have to sum it up, all the important shots, the important moments I found my best tennis. So that's what makes me the most pleased tonight."

[BREAK POINT]

Could local support power another title run for a home pairing this year in the Australian Open doubles?

Rinky Hijikata and Jason Kubler eased to a remarkable victory Wednesday at the hard-court Grand Slam in Melbourne, where the wild cards brushed past top seeds Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski to reach the semi-finals. In doing so, the Australian duo stayed on track to emulate their countrymen Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios’ 2022 triumph at Melbourne Park.

The home favourites broke serve in the opening game of the quarter-final clash and barely looked back thereafter en route to a 66-minute triumph on Margaret Court Arena. Hijikata and Kubler did not face a break point in the match and converted four from 10 break chances of their own against a team who won seven ATP Tour titles in 2022.

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Hijikata and Kubler's semi-final opponents will be eighth seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos, who defeated Andreas Mies and John Peers 6-4, 6-7(2), 6-2. The Spanish-Argentine pair is through to the Melbourne semi-finals for the second straight year after dismissing the 14th-seeded pair that joined forces at the start of 2023.

In a Wednesday meeting of first-time Grand Slam quarter-finalists, Tommy Paul used his experience and consistency to ground the electric attack of Ben Shelton at the Australian Open.

A 7-6(6), 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 winner in Rod Laver Arena, Paul controlled much of the match with his aggressive yet steady baseline game. A late Shelton surge forced a fourth set, but Paul produced an instant response to end his 20-year-old opponent's tournament debut.

"Making it to the second weekend of a Slam, that's everyones dream when they start playing tennis," Paul said after advancing to his first major semi-final, "so I can't believe I'm here right now."

After three Americans reached the Melbourne quarter-finals for the first time since 2000, Paul is the first man from the U.S. to reach the semis since Andy Roddick in 2009 and the third active American to advance to the last four of a Grand Slam (John Isner, Frances Tiafoe). The matchup between Paul and Shelton, a Laver debut for both, was the first all-American major quarter-final since the 2007 Australian Open.

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Stefanos Tsitsipas is a man on a mission at this year’s Australian Open. The Greek has earned straight-sets victories in four of his five matches, while he showed fighting spirit to come through his only major test against Jannik Sinner in the fourth round.

After defeating Jiri Lehecka to reach the semi-finals on Tuesday, the third seed was asked if he has what it takes to lift his maiden Grand Slam title in Melbourne. His answer was clear.

“I'm feeling great with my tennis. I don't think I felt so good in a long time. I will definitely say yes [to winning the title],” Tsitsipas said. “I've said it, I'm a different player, playing different. My mentality is different. When I'm out on the court, I don't really think of negatives, to be honest. I just go out there and play the game.”

Tsitsipas is playing for a double prize at the hard-court major. If the 24-year-old wins the trophy, he will rise to No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the first time. With the pressure high, some would struggle both physically and mentally. However, Tsitsipas is relishing the challenge.

“There is this one sort of way of looking at tennis that you're really exhausted after every match. Every single thing you try to do on the court takes a lot of effort. There's this other version of tennis where you're doing your job, but you're enjoying it so much you don't care if it's exhausting or not. You're refreshed by it every single time,” Tsitsipas said.

With Stefanos Tsitsipas and Karen Khachanov already through to the Australian Open semi-finals, four men will bid to join them from the bottom half of the draw on Wednesday at Melbourne Park.

Novak Djokovic continues his bid for a record-tying 22nd Grand Slam title when he faces Andrey Rublev in the evening session, after unseeded Americans Tommy Paul and Ben Shelton square off during the day on Rod Laver Arena.

ATPTour.com breaks down the remaining singles quarter-final matchups, as well as the two doubles quarter-finals on the Day 10 schedule.

View Schedule | View Singles Draw | View Doubles Draw

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Grand Slam matches are frequently decided by the finest of margins, and so it was for Stefanos Tsitsipas and Jiri Lehecka on Tuesday at the Australian Open.

The third-seeded Tsitsipas prevailed 6-3, 7-6(2), 6-4 in the pair’s quarter-final clash at Melbourne Park, although the straight-sets scoreline disguised a closely-fought encounter. The 21-year-old Lehecka showed few signs of nerves on his Rod Laver Arena debut, striking confidently from the baseline throughout, but he was unable to match the Greek’s clinical execution at key moments.

“It felt different this time from any other match [this week], but the most important thing is that at the end I found a solution” said Tsitsipas in his on-court interview. “It was a very difficult three-setter, one of the most difficult ones that I had so far in the competition.

“I think Jiri had a very good tournament. He is someone who started playing well recently and I wish him the best in the future, because he is a great player.”

The win keeps alive Tsitsipas’ hopes of reaching No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the first time after the Australian Open. Just like fourth seed and nine-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic, the Greek can leapfrog Carlos Alcaraz into top spot by lifting the trophy at the opening Grand Slam of the year.

Sebastian Korda’s Australian Open campaign may have ended in injury disappointment on Tuesday in Melbourne. Yet the 22-year-old’s post-match mindset did not reflect that.

“There are a lot of positives,” said Korda, who trailed Karen Khachanov by two sets and a break in their quarter-final clash before retiring with a wrist injury on Rod Laver Arena. “Way more positives than negatives. Today was tough, but hopefully it's nothing serious and I can take care of it, so I don't have it in the future.

“[It was] still a great tournament [for me]. My first quarter-final in a Grand Slam. I'm going to go forward with my head high and keep working.”

Korda had his wrist taped at 3-2 in the second set against Khachanov and struggled to hit his forehand from that point on. He ultimately retired with his opponent leading 7-6(5), 6-3, 3-0, and later revealed it was a recurrence of an issue that he first experienced during his run to the championship match at the Adelaide International 1 in early January.

“I had it a little bit in Adelaide a couple weeks ago, but then it went away,” said the American. “During the matches [in Melbourne], it was completely fine. Then just one kind of mishit return, and it started to bother me a lot of after that.