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Australian Open Day One LIVE: Rebel Wilson sports activities a frilly frock as she leads a who’s who of courtside celebrities on the opening night time of the Australian Open – comply with all of the match motion right here

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Follow Mail Sport’s live blog for the latest score, and game-by-game updates Aryna Sabalenka and Alexander Zverev headline Day One of the Australian Open from Melbourne. 

The Judds are in the house!

Chris Judd and Bec Judd were also spotted at the Australian Open on Sunday evening.

The former Carlton star and his partner Bec posed for pictures during a hospitality event before the pair were spotted sitting courtside at the Rod Laver Arena as Aryna Sabalenka took on Sloane Stephens.

The pair were joined by Nadia Bartel and her boyfriend Peter Dugmore for a glamorous evening at the Piper-Hidsieck Australian Open event.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 12: Chris Judd and Bec Judd attend the Piper-Heidsieck 2025 Australian Open evening at Melbourne Park on January 12, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia.  (Photo by Sam Tabone/Getty Images)
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 12: Peter Dugmore and Nadia Bartel attend the Piper-Heidsieck 2025 Australian Open evening at Melbourne Park on January 12, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia.  (Photo by Sam Tabone/Getty Images)

All the stars are out for the tennis!

Celebs have flocked from far and wide on day one of the Australian Open to catch a glimpse of their favourite tennis stars in action.

Aussie actress Rebel Wilson appeared to join up with the tennis set on Sunday afternoon and was pictured watching on from Rod Laver Arena.

The Pitch Perfect star dazzled in a pink dress and cheered Aryna Sabalenka on as she stepped out onto the court ahead of the defending champion’s first-round clash against Sloane Stephens.

Wilson had last week spoken on how her Hollywood home had miraculously escaped the devastating LA wildfires.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 12: Jayne Hrdlicka and Rebel Wilson watch the Women's Singles First Round match between Aryna Sabalenka and Sloane Stephens of the United States during day one of the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 12, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by James D. Morgan/Getty Images)
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 12: Rebel Wilson (L) and wife Ramona Agruma watch the Women's Singles First Round match between Aryna Sabalenka and Sloane Stephens of the United States during day one of the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 12, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Here comes Zverev!

Right, we’ve got a huge match-up coming your way now, with Alexander Zverev taking on Lucas Pouille on Rod Laver now!

Stay with us as we’ll be bringing you all the latest news updates and action live from Melbourne Park!

Could Sabalenka make it three in a row?

It’s a long road ahead, but she certainly played brilliantly today.

Can she make it a hat-trick of wins at the Australian Open?

epa11819670 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus poses after winning the Women's Singles first round match against Sloane Stephens of USA at the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 12 January 2025.  EPA/LUKAS COCH  AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 12: Aryna Sabalenka celebrates victory with on-court presenter Jelena Dokic following the Women's Singles First Round match against Sloane Stephens of the United States during day one of the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 12, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
Aryna Sabalenka, left, of Belarus is congratulated by Sloane Stephens of the U.S. following their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

Sabalenka dances as she advances!

Defending Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka is through to the second round of the tournament after she bested former US Open Champion Sloane Stephens 6-3 6-2 at the Rod Laver Arena.

Sabalenka was dominant throughout, pushing Stephens left and right before dispatching 20 winners to her opponent’s nine.

The Belarusian will be disappointed with how many unforced errors she conceded, making 21 to Stephen’s 16.

Despite that, it was a dominant showing from the 2024 Australian Open champion, who even danced for the fans after the match!

She’ll now face Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the second round.

Sonay Kartal suffers first-round defeat

A tough break for Kartal! She mustered a huge comeback but Bouzas Maneiro, who is ranked 52nd in the world just outmuscled her at the end of that clash.

Kartal saved a match point in the second set before pushing her opponent right to the wire.

Kartal would get off to a better start in the tiebreak but lost on her own serve at 4-2, a move that would be costly.

Bouzas Maneiro would swing the tide back on her English opponent, breaking her again 5-5 up before going on to win 7-5.

It was, though, an admirable and resilient performance from the Brit, who is ranked 87th in the world.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 12: Sonay Kartal of Great Britain plays a backhand against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro of Spain in the Women's Singles First Round match during day one of the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 12, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Graham Denholm/Getty Images)

This is a huge comeback from Kartal!

Sonny Kartal has found her rhythm! She’s saved a match point before going 5-5 against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro and is now tied at 6-6!

We’ll go to a tiebreak and again Kartal, riding on confidence, gets off to a flying start, breaking her Spanish opponent twice to take a 3-2 lead.

Sonay Kartal of Britain plays a forehand return to Jessica Bouzas Maneiro of Spain during their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

John McEnroe reveals shock Andy Murray theory that will send fans into meltdown

Could Andy Murray be set to return to tennis? John McEnroe certainly seems to think so! Speaking to Discovery+ ahead of the opening day of the Australian Open, the seven-time Grand Slam winner dropped his take on what the future has in store for Murray.

‘The coaching situation between Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic, it’s fun but it’s got to be one of the craziest things I’ve ever heard,’ McEnroe said.

‘I remember being in Australia and hearing that Andy Murray was being coached by Ivan Lendl, my great rival and nemesis from way back when, and I thought about it and said: “Oh my God, this is going to work!”

‘But there’s a big age gap. There’s a one-week age gap between Novak and Andy and he just stopped playing.

‘My theory is, Andy’s going to coach Novak for the next couple of months, and then he’s going to find out everything he needs to know about how to beat Djokovic and then he’s coming back!’

Serbia's Novak Djokovic (L) and his coach Andy Murray talk during a practice session ahead of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 11, 2025. (Photo by WILLIAM WEST / AFP) / -- IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE -- (Photo by WILLIAM WEST/AFP via Getty Images)

Murray was notably beaten by Djokovic at this tournament on four separate occasions.

On Thursday, the pair took to the court for a doubles exhibition match at Rod Laver, with Murray seeming to hit out at Djokovic for his dominance against the former British No 1 for so many years.

‘Yeah, I played here quite a few times, could never quite get it over the line,’ Murray joked.

‘This man [nodding to Djokovic] is single-handedly responsible for that.

‘I’m now here to try and sabotage his chances of winning another one,’ Murray joked.

Watch every moment of the Australian Open live and exclusive on discovery+

Serbia's Novak Djokovic (R) talks to his coach Andy Murray during a practice session ahead of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 11, 2025. (Photo by WILLIAM WEST / AFP) / -- IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE -- (Photo by WILLIAM WEST/AFP via Getty Images)

Kartal’s fighting back!

Meanwhile, over on Court 5, Sonny Kartal is now 3-4 down against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the second set after the British youngster lost the opening set 6-1.

But the 23-year-old is fighting hard to claw her way back into this one and has just secured a big break against her opponent!

Kartal’s celebrations are short lived, though, as Bouzas Maneiro hits back with a break of her own.

Sonay Kartal of Britain plays a forehand return to Jessica Bouzas Maneiro of Spain during their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
Jessica Bouzas Maneiro of Spain plays a forehand return to Sonay Kartal of Britain during their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

She can!

Sabalenka makes it 4-0 with another break!

Despite Stephens’ efforts, she was unlucky to concede that game, having taken advantage herself, before Sabalenka wrestled the point off her.

The world No 1 then showcased her power to fire a booming forehand at Stephens, who struck the ball straight into the net.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 12: Aryna Sabalenka serves against Sloane Stephens of the United States in the Women's Singles First Round match during day one of the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 12, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 12: Sloane Stephens of the United States plays a forehand against Aryna Sabalenka in the Women's Singles First Round match during day one of the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 12, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

Sabalenka back to where she left off

Aryna Sabalenka is absolutely flying right now.

The World No 1 has gone 3-0 already and is dominating her opponent, Stephens, who has struggled to cope with the Belarusian’s pace.

She now has somehow managed to wrestle another break point off Stephens, who strikes a forehand long over the baseline to give Sabalenka advantage in the fourth game.

Can the Belarusian go 4-0 up?

Kartal loses the first set!

A difficult start for the 23-year-old Brit who has gone 1-0 down to Bouzas Maneiro.

Kartal was agonisingly broken three times in that opening set by her opponent ultimately suffering a 6-1 defeat in the first set.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 12: Sonay Kartal of Great Britain plays a forehand against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro of Spain in the Women's Singles First Round match during day one of the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 12, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Graham Denholm/Getty Images)

Here comes Sabalenka!

Aryna Sabalenka is standing in the tunnel at the Rod Laver Arena and is beaming with excitement ahead of her first-round clash against Sloane Stephens.

Sabalenka will begin her Australian Open defence this summer with a huge match-up against the 2017 US Open champion who has never beaten Sabalenka during their four previous meetings.

Today’s winner will face either Sonay Kartal or Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the next round, with Kartal now having gone down 5-1 against her Spanish opponent.

More good news as the roof on Rod Laver is now open again!

Sonay Kartal is underway on court five!

So with the rain now gone players are making their way back to the outdoor courts, with Great Britain’s Sonay Kartal currently in action against against Bouzas Maneiro from Spain.

Kartal, who announced herself at Wimbledon last year, is currently 3-1 down in the first set, with the Londoner being broken to love in the third game of the match.

Kartal impressed at Wimbledon last summer, with the British star being knocked out by Coco Gauff in the third round of the All England Championships.

A wholesome moment from Carlos Alcaraz!

Carlos Alcaraz is looking to win his first Australian Open and complete the career Grand Slam having picked up titles at both Wimbledon and the French Open in 2024.

He was in great spirits yesterday as he arrived for a practice session, holding doors open for those working at the Australian Open and high-fiving fans lining the corridors around the player’s locker room with a big grin on his face.

Why one young Brit has deleted his Instagram before facing off against Kyrgios

The Scottish star was handed a blockbuster first-round draw against Nick Kyrgios earlier this week, with the British star admitting his excitement over the encounter.

‘It was a bit of anxiety, for sure,’ he said of his reaction to the draw. ‘It’s not the kind of match you want to see in Australia. I know the crowd’s going to be against me.

‘There was a lot of excitement because it’s not a common match, but also a bit of nervousness.

‘The best thing I can do is enjoy it and embrace it. I’m still pretty early in my career. To have an opportunity and an experience like this is really cool.’

While he is relishing the challenge of playing Kyrgios on the Aussie’s home soil, it will be a huge test for the youngster, who is ranked 86th in the world.

Speaking to AAP on Sunday, Fearnley revealed why he has opted to delete his Instagram account ahead of his crunch first-round match.

When are the Brits in action?

Back to the tennis now and we’re sure to have a very busy schedule tomorrow with games being postponed today due to the rain, with British stars Jack Draper, Sonay Kartal, Katie Boulter and Cam Norrie all set to get their tournaments underway over the next few days.

Draper was out on court this morning and just about managed to get a full practice session in before the rains started pouring down on Melbourne Park.

The British No 1 looked in great form ahead of his first-round clash against Mariano Navone tomorrow afternoon.

Elsewhere, Sonay Kartal had been scheduled to play on Court 5 this afternoon against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro but her match has been postponed by the rain.

Jodie Burrage is set to take on France’s Leolia Jeanjean on Monday morning. While Boutler, Norrie and Emma Raducanu will all play later on Tuesday afternoon.

Two iconic stadiums

Melbourne boasts some of the greatest stadiums in the world and I have been so impressed by the infrastructure around its sports precinct.

The media balcony offers a fantastic view of the Melbourne Cricket Ground which is only a 500m walk away from the Rod Laver arena.

After Australia secured a huge series victory against India this summer Ben Stokes’ men will arrive here later this year for the 2025 Ashes series.

But can England win it back?

Good News!

Good morning to those in the UK who are just joining us!

To recap, it’s been very wet, miserable and stormy in Melbourne today with a flash storm hitting the city this afternoon, suspending play.

But there is good news! After six hours of downpours, the rain has now stopped and the clouds are opening. I’ve just popped out onto the media balcony to grab a coffee and fans are currently flooding the concourses enjoying all the bars and cafes in Melbourne Park.

Play looks like it’s set to get underway on some of the outdoor courts, with fans piling into Court 3 to watch Omar Jasika and Hugo Gaston resume their match, with the French star having taken the first set 6-2.

Here’s a view from the balcony at the media centre…

The Australian Open’s most desired items

I’ve been surprised to see some of the rather bizarre and unique items on sale in the Australian Open shop this week.

The Australian Open might just be giving Augusta National a run for its money this year, after we spotted giant gnomes on sale at the Masters last year.

But Tennis Australia are also pushing the boat out when it comes to some of the weird and unique items you can pick up in the Australian Open superstores over the coming fortnight.

If you’re a pet lover, you might be pleased to know that Australian Open-themed dog collars are now on sale in the super store.

Fancy yourself as a bit of a chef? Tennis Australia have some cool pieces of merch for you too – including their AO branded oven gloves and serving spoons!

Check out our run down of some of the unique, interesting and most expensive items now on sale at Melbourne Park!

Results around the grounds!

While rain has wreaked havoc today in Melbourne we’ve still had plenty of tennis to enjoy!

  • World No 6 Casper Ruud has advanced to the second round of the men’s singles following a gruelling match against Jaume Munar, with the Norwegian winning 3-2.
  • French star Artur Fils claimed a 3-1 victory against Otto Virtanen from Finland.
  • Mirra Andreeva claimed a 2-0 victory against Marie Bouzkova.
  • Another tournament favourite, Qinwen Zheng showed her brilliance in the first set of her clash against Anca Alexia Todoni to wrestle the match off her Romanian opponent and seal a 2-0 victory.
  • While Donna Vekic also sealed a 2-0 victory against France’s Diane Parry.

Massive result for Nishikori!

Kei Nishikori has delivered perhaps the moment of the day so far to come back and beat qualifier Thiago Monteiro during a five-set thriller at the John Cain Arena.

After the Brazilian took a commanding two-set lead in the match, the former world No 5 switched up a gear, saving two match points to avoid a straight sets loss in the third, before showcasing his impressive power to close out the game.

At first, it had looked like Nishikori could be heading out of the Australian Open in the first round, but the Japanese star instead has reached the second round of the tournament for the 10th time in his career with a superb 4-6 6-7 7-5 6-2 6-3 victory.

It comes after the former world No 5 returned to the tennis court last season to contest at his first two Grand Slams since the 2021 season after suffering a shoulder injury at Wimbledon.

Nishikori will come up against another tough opponent next, though, with the Japanese star set to play the winner of Tommy Paul and Christopher O’Connell’s huge matchup.

Here’s the moment he clinched a berth in the second round of the tournament…

A bizarre opening schedule?

A lot of fans around Melbourne Park today have told me that they were a little perplexed and a little underwhelmed by the scheduling for today’s play.

There has been a lack of big names on the scheduling at Melbourne Park today.

In fact, the first round is set to spread over the course of the next three days, with home favourite Alex de Minaur getting his tournament underway on Tuesday.

Breaking:Play suspended on outdoor courts again

I’m hearing that play is set to be suspended on the outdoor courts until 6pm (AEDT)/ 7am (GMT).

But looking out the window here at the media centre, it’s looking very unlikely that we’ll have any more play on the outdoor courts this afternoon as the rain continues to fall around Melbourne Park.

Today’s schedule!

Right! Enough about the weather! There’s still plenty of action to come with the roof now shut on the John Cain Arena, Margaret Court Arena and the Rod Laver Arena.

Right now a huge tussle between two big hitters is taking place on Rod Laver, with Casper Ruud squaring off against Jaume Munar.

Ruud had taken a 2-1 lead in the match with Munar pulling back the fourth set 6-2 to pull back level with the Norwegian at 2-2.

After this match Australian Open defending champion Aryna Sabalenka will follow, as she takes on former Grand Slam winner Sloane Stephens in a hugely exciting opening round matchup.

We’re also expecting tonight to be a late one too, with Alexander Zverev set to take on Lucas Pouille after Sabalenka and Stephens have squared off on Rod Laver

Over on the John Cain Aren, Paula Badosa goes up against Xinyu Wang before Ugo Humbert gets his Australian Open campaign off to a start, with the No 14 seed taking on Matteo Gigante.

And on the Margaret Court Arena, Aussie star Daria Saville gets her tournament underway against Anna Blinkova.

All eyes will then turn to tomorrow, with some big names in action including Novak Djokovic, Coco Gauff and Nick Kyrgios.

Norway's Casper Ruud reacts after a point against Spain's Jaume Munar during their men's singles match on day one of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 12, 2025. (Photo by WILLIAM WEST / AFP) / -- IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE -- (Photo by WILLIAM WEST/AFP via Getty Images)

The show goes on!

The flash storm has caused some havoc with today’s schedulling with several matches, including British star Sonay Kartal’s first-round clash, being cancelled.

But that isn’t dampening the spirits of fans around the tennis precinct who have all been lapping up the atmosphere around Melbourne Park sporting plastic rain macs!

What’s truly bizarre about the weather is that over the past week in Melbourne we’ve had some balmy conditions, with temperatures topping 31ºc yesterday in the CBD.

Here’s some snaps from around the ground today!

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 12: Fans walk in the rain outside Rod Laver Arena as play is suspended due to the weather during day one of the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 12, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by James D. Morgan/Getty Images)
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 12: Fans walk in the rain during day one of the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 12, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Graham Denholm/Getty Images)
People walk in heavy rain on day one of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 12, 2025. (Photo by WILLIAM WEST / AFP) / -- IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE -- (Photo by WILLIAM WEST/AFP via Getty Images)
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 12: Tennis fans sit under cover on Kia Arena  as play is suspended due to the weather during day one of the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 12, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by James D. Morgan/Getty Images)

It’s a bit wet here…

Fans have been running and ducking for cover around Melbourne Park all afternoon as it seems this torrential weather is showing no sign of slowing down.

Play on the outdoor courts has also been suspended until after 5pm but the weather is unfortunately showing no signs of relenting this afternoon with rain pouring down on the show courts outside.

In fact, I understand that thousands of people around Melbourne have been left without power after the unexpected storm caused flash flooding around the city.

Cars across Victoria have been caught up in floods and some train services have now been cancelled due to the insane conditions.

Approximately 25mm of rain have fallen in the last four hours after the heavy storm.

The Bureau of Meteorology, Vicotria has issued a severe weather warning to parts of the city with thunderstorms now sweeping their way through Melbourne, heading east towards the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges.

Good afternoon (or good morning if you’re just waking up in the United Kingdom!)

Welcome to the opening day of the 2025 Australian Open!

It’s been a very wet and stormy day here in Australia. We’ve seen all four seasons today at Melbourne Park and the rain has just not stopped!

Thunder and lightning have rolled in too and the city skyline was engulfed in dark grey clouds earlier this afternoon.

We’ve been blessed with balmy temperatures this week with it getting up to 31ºc yesterday in the city centre.

But with 25mm of rain falling over the last four hours, not much tennis is going on on the outdoor courts right now, and having just been soaked on my journey over to the media centre, it looks like not much tennis is going to be played this week!

But that’s not stopping the party! Fans around Melbourne Park are still revelling in the atmosphere and boy have we got a lot of tennis coming up this afternoon.

Stay tuned as we’ll be bringing you all the latest news, updates and quirky stories from around Melbourne Park.

Key Updates

  • The Judds are in the house!
  • All the stars are out for the tennis!
  • Sonay Kartal suffers first-round defeat
  • This is a huge comeback from Kartal!
  • John McEnroe reveals shock Andy Murray theory that will send fans into meltdown
  • Kartal loses the first set!
  • Here comes Sabalenka!
  • Sonay Kartal is underway on court five!
  • A wholesome moment from Carlos Alcaraz!
  • Why one young Brit has deleted his Instagram before facing off against Kyrgios
  • When are the Brits in action?
  • Good News!
  • The Australian Open’s most desired items
  • Massive result for Nishikori!
  • The show goes on!
  • It’s a bit wet here…
  • Good afternoon (or good morning if you’re just waking up in the United Kingdom!)

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