Australian Open LIVE: All the newest updates as Carlos Alcaraz produces sensible second of sportsmanship after controversial umpire name – as Alex de Minaur sufferes first set defeat

The chair umpire has bizarrely handed De Minaur a warning for slow play here and the Australian looks stumped!

De Minaur had stepped up to the baseline and was bouncing the ball, preparing to serve before the umpire issued the warning over her microphone.

Boos rang out at Rod Laver Arena and the Australian world No 6 looked stumped.

Alcaraz then stepped into the middle of the court and in what was a brilliant show of sportsmanship from the Spaniard, he told the umpire ‘I wasn’t ready.’

Despite his commendable actions, it seemed that the warning was not rescinded, with De Minaur going on to serve.

If De Minaur gets another warning, it will result in a loss of first serve.

‘It was just a bizarre time for the umpire to get involved, it was a change of ends, just as De Minaur was coming up to the line,’ Tim Henman told TNT Sports.

Alcaraz had also looked stumped by the controversial decision.

One fan branded it an ‘absolutely horrific time violation warning from the chair umpire just as De Minaur was about to serve to stay in the first set at 5-6.’

I think this might be one of the best matches I’ve watched at the Australian Open this year… and we’re only 45 minutes in!

That was another great passage of play from De Minaur. He’s lost service twice now to Alcaraz, but when it perhaps counted most, held off the world No 1’s advances at deuce to serve out the match.

De Minaur has never made it past the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam but tonight the fans have been lauding the Australian who has certainly ‘turned up his level’.

Alcaraz, meanwhile, is also showing his class serving out the 11th game to love to go 6-5 up.

Alcaraz 6-5 De Minaur.

Alcaraz is again struggling with his service game.

He’s made just 52 per cent of his first serves and it’s proving costly.

At 5-3 in the set, Alcaraz again tries to move De Minaur around the court, but the hometown hero is just too quick.

De Minaur rushes to the net and clips a sensational drop shot from Alcaraz back over the net. It was a sensational piece of athleticism from the Aussie, who then smashed down a return from Alcaraz to secure a chance to win a break point.

With the momentum and the crowd on his back, De Minaur returned a booming serve from Alcaraz and brilliantly beat his opponent with a winner down the left tramline to claim another break.

This is a sensational comeback from De Minaur who had previously gone 3-0 down against the World No 1.

Alcaraz 5-4 De Minaur

De Minaur has never beaten Carlos Alcaraz in their five meetings.

The Australian has been brilliant, clawing his way back to 4-3 after going 3-0 down earlier on.

But Alcaraz’s big game experience is coming to the fore.

With De Minaur on serve, Alcaraz goes 40-love up. De Minaur fends off his advances well to save a breakpoint. But the Spaniard suffocates the Australian, pinning him to his baseline before taking another break to go 5-3 up.

Alcaraz 5-3 De Minaur

Coco Gauff erupted in a fit of rage following her quarter-final loss by Elina Svitolina at Rod Laver Arena this evening.

If you missed it, Tamara Prenn has the full story below…

What a response from Alex de Minaur!

The last Australian to reach the semi-finals of the Australian Open was Lleyton Hewitt, who warmed up with De Minaur before tonight’s match.

And De Minaur is fighting hard here despite going 3-0 down. A huge roar erupts from the Australian fans inside Rod Laver Arena, after their hometown hero held serve to take the set to 3-1 and he now has a break point.

Alcaraz has looked a little wayward on his service, with the Spaniard struggling for first serves. He has already double-faulted in the third game and De Minaur has made him pay for his errant deliveries to pull back a break.

After going 30-40 lead in the fifth game, De Minuar pushes Alcaraz towards the tramlines.

The six-time Grand Slam winner moves to his left, but mishits his return stroke, slamming a backhand into the net to give De Minaur a break point.

Another huge roar goas up inside Rod Laver Arena.

Alcaraz 3-2 De Minaur

Aryna Sabalenka has revealed that she wants to partner up with Carlos Alcaraz for a Tik Tok collaboration.

The subject of the Belarusian’s birthday rather bizarrely cropped up during the world No 1’s post-match interview on Tuesday.

Sabalenka had beaten rising US star Iva Jovic 6-3 6-0 at Rod Laver Arena.

She interestingly shares the same birthday as men’s No 1 Carlos Alcaraz.

Former world No 4 Jelena Dokic put Sabalenka on the spot following the match, asking the two-time Australian Open champion what gift she’d buy Alcaraz, who is two years younger than her.

‘So I have a question and I think we should make this a tradition. I think you should exchange gifts,’ Dokic said.

‘And if you did, what would you gift Carlos and what would you like to get from him? Because I know you love your diamonds. Just putting it out there.’

Sabalenka will celebrate her 28th birthday on May 5, while Alcaraz will turn 23.

‘What would I give him?’ Sabalenka replied. ‘I offer him a TikTok dance. Probably,’ she laughed.

‘And I would like to receive a “Yes” as an answer!’

‘I mean, I don’t know what else.

‘Last year I forced him to do it, I feel like I can do it again.’

Sabalenka and Alcaraz partnered up to celebrate their US Open triumphs in September last year, with the Belarusian writing: ‘Birthday twin and US Open Trophy Twin. May 5 must be a really lucky birthday to have…’

The pair danced and waved their respective US Open trophies in the clip. The clip was viewed over 8million times on Sabalenka’s TikTok.

‘We’ll come up with something if there’s a good reason behind it,’ Sabalenka, who has 1.4million followers on TikTok, said.

And that is a huge statement from the world No 1.

De Minaur is once again showing his incredible engine getting around the court, but Alcaraz is well in control.

The Spaniard takes the advantage in the second game, and sends his opponent flying left and right across the court.

The six-time Grand Slam champion sells De Minaur some candy, sending him running towards his right tramline, but cutely clips the ball across the net and to the other side of the court to break his opponent.

Alcaraz 2-0 De Minaur

Today marks the first time Alex de Minaur and Carlos Alcaraz will have come head-to-head at a Grand Slam.

The pair have faced off five times over the course of their careers but De Minaur has never beaten his Spanish opponent.

They met three times in 2025, with De Minaur notably being bested by the World No 1 in the final of the ATP500 Rotterdam in February.

More recently, the pair did battle at the Nitto ATP Finals in September. Alcaraz again took victory, sealing a 7-6(7-5), 6-2 victory. Despite Alcaraz’s dominance that day, hitting 32 winners to De Minaur’s 12, the Australian world No 6 impressed, forcing the six-time Grand Slam champion to hit 28 unforced errors during the match.

Another area where the hard-running De Minaur can challenge Alcaraz is his service game.

The Australian is ranked 13th in the tournament for his first-serve win percentage, which sits at 79 per cent. He is fifth for first service return points won (101), four places above Alcaraz in ninth (83).

Similarly, Alcaraz has also not made it past the quarter-finals at the Australian Open. He needs a victory here to finally claim the Career Grand Slam and will no doubt look to use his big game experience to see off the Australian today at Rod Laver Arena.

The Spaniard gets off to a fast start!

He holds serve to take a 1-0 lead against the Australian.

Melbourne, meanwhile, is looking as beautiful as ever…

Alcaraz 1-0 De Minaur

So after that enthralling match, we’ve got another blockbuster coming up for you!

Carlos Alcaraz and Alex De Minaur have taken to the court here.

It’s 39-degrees here at Rod Laver Arena, and interestingly, organisers have opened the roof…

Coco Gauff fumed backstage after walking off the court.

It was a very disappointing defeat from Gauff, who struck only three winners and made 26 unforced errors during the match.

And after the match, she exploded in the tunnel, smashing her racket on the ground at least seven times in a fit of rage.

Speaking to TNT Sports, Jamie Murray said: ‘A very disappointing performance from Coco. Rightfully took it out on the racket at the end of that.’

Laura Robson then suggested that Gauff could have smashed her racket on court, claiming that that could have got her fired up.
‘Not that we advocate this… Do you think that she could have chucked the racket on the court to release some tension?’ Robson said.

British tennis legend Tim Henman replied: ‘It could sort of kick start you into action. I think that she was playing so badly and this result hasn’t come overnight and we know that she’s been struggling. There’s so much focus and attention. And I think we all sympathise with Coco because she is such a great competitor. To get through to the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam and have a match like this.

‘That must do damage mentally and there has to be some scar tissue and you can’t just sort of say: “Oh, we’ll forget about that and we’ll move on…”
‘She hit three winners and 26 unforced errors in the match and that is impossible to compete at any level. It was hardly surprising to see her frustrated at the end…’