Australian Open 2026: Jannik Sinner takes the heat out of the equation and advances to the quarterfinals

Jannik Sinner may have been lucky to survive the third round of the Australian Open, but he quickly recovered in a straight sets victory on Monday (26 January 2026) over fellow countryman Luciano Darderi to reach the quarter-finals for the ninth consecutive Grand Slam event.

The two-time defending champion struggled with the extreme heat and cramps during his Saturday afternoon victory over No. 85 Eliot Spizzirri, only taking control after the roof closed in the third set.

Sinner later admitted he had some luck with the timing of the extreme heat policy, which led to an eight-minute pause to close the roof. He was also able to freshen up in an extra 10-minute cool-down break between the third and fourth sets.

In an evening match in cooler conditions, he was cruising until Darderi increased his pace in the third set. Second-ranked Sinner missed match points in the 10th game on his opponent’s serve, but went on to prevail 6-1, 6-3, 7-6 (7-2).

Darderi, who saved two match points on serve, took the first two points of the tiebreak but was then forced to pause before serving due to a baby crying in the Margaret Court Arena crowd.

He didn’t win another point, with Sinner trailing the next seven to triumph in 2 hours and nine minutes.

It extended its undefeated streak to 18 against other Italians on tour and earned a quarterfinal against No. 8 Ben Shelton or No. 12 Casper Ruud.

“It was very, very difficult. We are good friends off the field,” Sinner said. “In the third set I had a number of break opportunities, which I could not take advantage of. I became tight, so very happy that I closed it in three sets.”

Sinner had 19 aces – a personal best – and no double faults, and said he was pleased with the work he put into his serve in the offseason.

He also wanted to highlight some small changes in his game, including going to the net and trying to mix up his play.

In a tough hold in the third set, Sinner saved a break point by changing the direction of the rally with a forehand drop shot, bending his knees low to win the point. He served and volleyed to keep that game going.

“There is still room for improvement, but I am very happy with the way I came back,” he said. “Now it (the serve) is definitely a bit more stable. I’m trying to go to the net more and be more unpredictable.”