AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2026, Melbourne, WTA GRAND SLAM

[MargaretMcAleer]

He could ask Amanda Anisimova.

Lol

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Well done Jess

 

[britbox]

Press Conference: Australian Open Quarter FInal:

Iga Swiatek L 5-7 1-6 v Elena Rybakina



Leo AI Transcript Summary
Match Analysis:

• Disappointed with the result but acknowledged it was a high-intensity match where a few points made the difference in the first set
• Rybakina improved her serve and became more aggressive in the second set, making it much tougher
• Swiatek's serve wasn't at its best compared to previous matches (like Cincinnati against Rybakina)
• Felt she dropped intensity at the beginning of the second set while Rybakina's pace and precision increased

Technical Development:

• Already knew what she needed to improve before the tournament - no breakthrough lessons
• Working on technical changes to her serve that are taking longer than expected to implement
• Compared herself to Carlos Alcaraz, noting he changes his serve yearly while one small change takes her much longer
• Changes made in preseason haven't fully carried over to match play, with old patterns returning under pressure

Tournament Strategy:

• Plans to skip some WTA 1000 tournaments this year to allow time for technical work
• Acknowledges this is a new approach for her and uncertain of the results
• Believes improvement requires dedicated practice time that the current calendar doesn't allow
• Prefers day conditions but had been playing mostly night sessions, requiring schedule adjustment for the day match

Player Privacy Concerns:

• Strongly supported Coco Gauff's complaints about constant camera surveillance
• Asked rhetorically if players are "tennis players or animals in the zoo"
• Argued players should have private spaces to work on technical aspects without being filmed
• Noted that being watched on court and in press conferences is part of the job, but backstage surveillance (like being filmed forgetting credentials) is unnecessary
• When asked if she'd raised this with tournament organizers, responded: "What's the point?"

Performance Comparison:

• Felt she played slightly better at last year's Australian Open when she lost to Madison Keys in the semifinals
• Last year had a "Eureka moment" with coach Wim Fissette after changing some technical aspects
• This year couldn't fully close the technical changes wanted during preseason, requiring continued work during the tournament

 

[britbox]

Press Conference: Australian Open Quarter FInal:

Elena Rybakina W 7-5 6-1 v Iga Swiatek



Leo AI Transcript Summary

Match Performance:

• Won in straight sets and was happy to avoid a third set
• Struggled with her serve in the first set but made adjustments in the second set by changing her toss position
• Both players had low first serve percentages initially, possibly due to practicing indoors the day before in the heat
• Finished with 26 winners and 11 aces

Recent Form:

• Has won 19 of her last 20 matches and hasn't dropped a set in the tournament
• Record of 8-0 against top 10 players since October, 18-2 overall
• Gained confidence from tough matches at the end of last season

Playing Style & Strategy:

• Emphasised the importance of staying aggressive and stepping in when given the chance
• Her serve is a big advantage when it's working
• Prefers receiving more information from coaches rather than less
• Appreciates having coaches closer to the court for better communication

Mental Approach:

• Feels calmer now going deep in tournaments compared to earlier in her career
• Views matches as "another day, another match" rather than getting overly emotional
• Believes consistency over two weeks and adapting to different conditions (indoor/outdoor, day/night) are the hardest parts of winning a grand slam

 

[britbox]

Highlights: Pegula v Anisimova

 

[britbox]

Press Conference: Australian Open Quarter FInal:

Amanda Anisimova L 2-6 6-7 v Jessica Pegula



Leo AI Transcript Summary

• Amanda Anisimova expressed disappointment after her loss to Jessica Pegula in the Australian Open quarterfinals, acknowledging that making the quarters was a good result but not the outcome she wanted
• She admitted to struggling with her serve, missing every ball in the net or into the stands, and noted that Pegula played consistently and stably, making it difficult to compete when her own game was off
• Anisimova reflected on the emotional toll of the defeat, stating that after a day like this, she would lose all sense of rationality for about 48 hours, highlighting the emotional intensity of professional tennis
• She mentioned that she was not surprised by Pegula’s defense or retrieving, as that is how she expected her to play, but was more surprised by her own performance
• Anisimova had a strong warm-up and felt calm going into the match, but struggled with small margins in the first set, indicating that her game was not in rhythm
• She emphasised the need to learn from the match, figure out what went wrong, and improve her ability to clear her mind and play with bigger targets
• Anisimova also addressed the issue of privacy, noting that she was aware of cameras following her and chose to keep her head down and go to the locker room after the match to process the loss
• She acknowledged that while there are good moments to be seen publicly, there are also difficult, private moments after a defeat, and the lack of privacy can be challenging
• Anisimova stated that she did not want to answer a question that was clearly intended for clickbait, asserting her right to avoid certain types of media attention
• Despite the loss, she had advanced to the quarterfinals in all four major tournaments and was proud of her 2025 breakthrough season

 

[britbox]

Press Conference: Australian Open Quarter FInal:

Jessica Pegula W 7-6 6-2 v Amanda Anisimova



Leo AI Transcript Summary

• Jessica Pegula expressed satisfaction with her performance, highlighting strong serving and mental resilience in her 6-2, 7-6 (7-1) victory over Amanda Anisimova to reach her first Australian Open semifinal
• She acknowledged the importance of her head-to-head record against Anisimova and relied on her game plan and team strategy to overcome the challenge
• Pegula reflected on her journey, noting that she has become a better player with more tools and confidence, and believes she is now playing at a higher level than in previous quarterfinals
• She emphasised her personality traits—calmness, stability, and persistence—as key strengths that contribute to her consistent performance
• Pegula criticized the intrusive camera presence at the tournament, calling it an invasion of privacy and supporting players like Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek who have voiced similar concerns
• She mentioned that the player council has long discussed the issue and believes Tennis Australia should improve communication and reduce surveillance in private areas
• Pegula shared that she maintains cordial relationships with fellow players, which helps her enjoy the tour and travel more comfortably
• She acknowledged her strong record against American players, noting it's a point of pride, and expressed confidence in her ability to compete with top players
• Pegula will face Elena Rybakina in the semifinals, and she acknowledged the challenge, citing Rybakina’s well-rounded game and past performance

 

[britbox]

I notice a lot of the women are concerned about privacy off-court. I'd expect changes to be made in this area.

 

[don_fabio]

Agreed. Too many cameras constantly looking for a story to make.

Rybakina is playing on a high level and I am rooting for her to win a tournament.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Agreed. Too many cameras constantly looking for a story to make.

Rybakina is playing on a high level and I am rooting for her to win a tournament.

The only concern I have with Rybakina is when she gets to a final, at times she disappears mentally, I did have her as one of my favorites before the AO started to win, at present Sabalenka to me is my front runner.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Big shock in the ladies doubles,
Sinikova/Townsend No 1 seeds and defending champs, bow out to the No 7 seeds Danilina/Krunic in QFs 62 36 60?

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Womens Semis at the AO
Sabalenka v Svitolina
Rybalina v Pegula
Remarkably, none of them has lost a set in the tournament
A first in the Open Era for women's major semis

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

About Time !
The WTA stands with our players and takes their concerns about privacy and cameras at the AO seriously.
Players deserve spaces away from competition where they can recover in private.
We will undertake a dialogue with players and tournaments in an effort to shape a solution to this issue.

Valerie Camillo, WTA Chair.

 

[britbox]

I don't know why all these cameras are necessary. A couple of days ago a video was circulating showing Iga Swiatek stopped by security from going to the gym for forgetting her pass.

Now even if we have cameras for security reasons, who on earth is accessing and releasing the footage?

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

I don't know why all these cameras are necessary. A couple of days ago a video was circulating showing Iga Swiatek stopped by security from going to the gym for forgetting her pass.

Now even if we have cameras for security reasons, who on earth is accessing and releasing the footage?

Agree it is a dreadful invasion of players privacy, once they finished their match, cameras are out of bound! just my thoughts

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

The Ladies Doubles Final will take place on Saturday 31st January,

Elise Mertens/Zhang Shuai (4) vs Anna Danilinia/Alexksandra Krunic (7)

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Congratulations to the No 4 doubles seeds Mertens/Zhang who are the AO 2026 Doubles Champions who defeated the No 7 seeds Danilina/Krunic 76(4) 64

 

[Vince Evert]

did any of you see the channel 9 beat-up regarding Coco Gauff's smashing her racquet, putting it out of it's misery ? I wonder if it was like that for our american and british friends watching it in their television broadcasts.


Coco Gauff called for more privacy for players after she was captured smashing a racquet following a devastating defeat by Elina Svitolina in the Australian Open quarter-finals.

A despondent Gauff, 21, served five double faults, made 26 unforced errors and hit just three winners in a 6-1 6-2 loss that took just 59 minutes.

The American did not smash the racquet on court but was filmed by the tournament's behind-the-scenes coverage in the players' area, with the footage broadcast on TV and social media.

Gauff said she had made a conscious effort to suppress her emotions until she was away from public view.

Australian Open 2026: Coco Gauff loses to Elina Svitolina after Aryna Sabalenka advances to semi-finals

 

[Vince Evert]

It should be pointed out that those images was from a security camera, not Channel 9 cameramen. Nine just took the images and replayed those at least four times on thursday, i'm aware of, during their coverage. It was uncalled for and unnecessary.

I might add that i find the coverage in this country of the AO is OTT. There's too many talking heads with a few engaged in verbal diarrhea's (two female commentators who shall be nameless, but not Jelena Dokic) both before and during a tennis match and then there's regular promotions on their soon-to-be new season series of ...YAWN.... "Married at First Sight".

The fact is it's only a GS - one of four played each year, so it's not like it's the Olympics or World cup Football.

I found myself watching very little of the tennis this year because of the way it's being broadcasted here. I
'll settle for youtube highlights and later on there'll be full matches added on the official channel without annoying over-commentaries and analysis. Good riddance.

 

[Vince Evert]

Quote Iga SWIATEK - "Are we tennis players, or are we animals in the zoo where they are observed even when they poop?"

Australian Open 2026: Iga Swiatek and Jessica Pegula criticise cameras in players' areas at Melbourne Park

Six-time major champion Iga Swiatek says the behind-the-scenes cameras at the Australian Open are watching players "like animals in the zoo".

www.bbc.com