Day 6 of the 2026 Australian Open marked the start of third-round matches in the women’s singles draw. Eight matches were scheduled for the day, and several seeded players advanced amid comebacks and tense battles. The action took place across Rod Laver Arena, John Cain Arena, Margaret Court Arena, and Showcourt Arena. Top seeds like Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff progressed but were pushed by their opponents. The biggest upset of the day unfolded on John Cain Arena.
Australian Open Day 6 Women’s Recap
Who Looked Good
The biggest upset of the day saw 18-year-old American Iva Jovic defeat #7 seed Jasmine Paolini 6-2 7-6 to claim her first Top 10 win and reach the fourth round in her second Australian Open appearance. Jovic dominated the first set with bold returns, forcing Paolini into errors. The second was tighter as Jovic served for the match twice but was broken both times. However, she held firm in the tiebreak with clutch serving and brilliant winners to win the match. It was a fearless and mature performance from the teenager.
#19 seed Karolina Muchova dropped just two games to defeat Magda Linette 6-1 6-1 in a one-sided affair. Muchova was dialled in from the start and never let Linette into the match. Muchova won 90% of her first serve points and did not get broken the entire match, which is not usually the case for her. She controlled rallies from the baseline with her signature variety and overall played a near-perfect match to make the fourth round of the Australian Open for the second time.
#12 seed Elina Svitolina delivered a composed performance in her third-round match against #23 seed Diana Shnaider, winning 7-6(4) 6-3 in a night session match on Margaret Court Arena. There were several serve breaks in the match, and Svitolina was tested throughout, but was more solid off the ground and used her experience to win the clutch points. The Ukrainian extends her win streak to eight and enters the second week in great form.
In an all-American clash, #3 seed Coco Gauff overcame a sluggish start to defeat Hailey Baptiste, who took the first set with aggressive shotmaking, breaking Gauff twice and capitalising on the #3 seed’s 11 unforced errors and 0 winners. However, Gauff lifted her level dramatically after the first set and started playing with more focus and better strategy. She won 12 of the next 15 games. Her return game also improved, pressuring Baptiste’s serve and forcing errors. Gauff’s comeback showcased her mental toughness and adaptability.
#8 seed Mirra Andreeva defeated Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-3 6-4 to reach the fourth round for the third consecutive year at the Australian Open. Andreeva was not at her best and didn’t need to be, as Ruse made a lot of errors and made the task quite simple for the 18-year-old. Andreeva has never reached the quarterfinal here and would be eager to break that streak.
Who Looked Bad
Just like last year, Jasmine Paolini is out of the Australian Open in the third round, losing in straight sets to Iva Jovic. Paolini struggled with stomach issues in the first set and tried to come back from 2-5 down in the second set, but ultimately it was too late, and her serve didn’t allow her any cheap points. Overall a bad day in the office for the Italian.
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka survived a stern test against Anastasia Potapova in a match decided entirely by tiebreaks (7-6 7-6). Potapova was brilliant, but Sabalenka was messy and lost focus in the second set after leading 4-0. Her serve was less potent than usual, which allowed Potapova to get back in the match and lead 6-3 in the second set tiebreak. There were some wild errors from the defending champion, and it looked like she was searching for rhythm the entire match.
Match of the day
This was going to be one of the best matches of the day between two Top 20 players, and it delivered big time as 18-year-old Victoria Mboko defeated 23-year-old Clara Tauson 7-6 5-7 6-3 in a fascinating 2 hours 20 minutes match. This match was a rollercoaster of momentum swings, clutch plays under pressure, and mental fortitude.
The first set was neck-and-neck, with both players trading a break. However, Mboko just edged it out in the tiebreak with some clutch serving and won the set despite winning two fewer points.
Mboko carried the momentum in the second set, breaking early to lead and ultimately serving at 5-3 to win the match. However, she got broken to love, then had three match points on Tauson’s serve at 5-4, but the Dane showed incredible mental toughness to save the match points with some great tennis and held serve. Tauson then broke Mboko once again and saved two break points at 6-5 to win the set.
The momentum completely shifted from Mboko to Tauson, but the 18-year-old gathered herself together and made a brilliant recovery after losing a few match points in the second set and allowing a lot of frustration to enter her mindset. Even after getting broken to love in the first game of the third set, Mboko kept fighting and broke twice and won the match. In the end, it was a high-quality match where both players showed incredible mental strength and shot-making.
Main Photo Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images
