Menschik withdraws, Djokovic advances to quarterfinals by walkover! Alcaraz to face local favorite in last eight

Breaking news: Menschik has withdrawn from the Australian Open because of an abdominal muscle injury, allowing Djokovic to advance to the quarterfinals without playing.

Menschik said, "After fighting hard to continue, I had no choice but to pull out of the Australian Open due to the worsening abdominal muscle injury over my last few matches. Although I’m disappointed, reaching the fourth round here for the first time is an experience I will cherish for a long time. The energy from the fans was incredible, and the atmosphere in Melbourne is truly special."

Menschik battled through five sets in the first round to defeat former top-ten player Busta, then won straight sets against Hodar and Quinn. However, he will be unable to compete in what was supposed to be a rematch of the 2025 Miami final, a match Menschik had won.

Djokovic will face either 5th seed Musetti or 9th seed Fritz in the quarterfinals. The ten-time Australian Open champion is aiming for his 25th Grand Slam title.

Meanwhile, this afternoon, Alcaraz faced his toughest challenge so far at the 2026 Australian Open but successfully overcame it, defeating 19th seed Paul 7-6(6), 6-4, 7-5. He maintains a perfect record of winning all 12 sets he has played in this tournament. Paul, who has beaten the Spaniard twice before, started strong with a 4-2 lead early on Rod Laver Arena. However, Alcaraz quickly regained composure, delivering dazzling tennis and reaching the Australian Open quarterfinals for the third consecutive year.

In a post-match interview on court, Alcaraz said, "I felt he started very strong. On my serve in the first game, I thought I was playing well, but his returns were powerful and flat, which made it tough for me. But I stayed patient, knowing my chance would come, and I worked hard to seize it. I think I did. Overall, I believe both of us played at a very high level, and I’m really happy to have won in straight sets."

The 22-year-old top seed hit 35 winners and secured a quarterfinal clash against local favorite Deminar at Melbourne Park. With this 2-hour 44-minute victory, Alcaraz continues his pursuit of becoming the youngest male player ever to complete the "Career Grand Slam" by winning all four major singles titles. Nadal currently holds that record.

In another match, Deminar comfortably defeated 10th seed Bublik 6-4, 6-1, 6-1 to reach the Australian Open quarterfinals for the second time in his career. Bublik was unable to find any solution against the Australian on Rod Laver Arena.

After the match, Deminar said, "I knew exactly what to expect today. Bublik is a very strong player with powerful shots, and I’ve lost to him several times before. I made sure to be ready from the first point to the last and stayed focused throughout. The key was to limit his heavy baseline shots and keep him moving, and almost everything went according to plan."

The 26-year-old Australian had previously been 0-5 in Grand Slam quarterfinals and hopes to change that record against Alcaraz. This week in Melbourne, he has dropped only one set.

Deminar said, "I feel like I’ve been hitting the ball really well in the last two matches and am very satisfied with my performance. I accomplished everything I wanted on court and am looking forward to the next match, which will be a tough battle. I have to come out firing from the start, and I’m excited for the fight ahead."(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Spark)