Three match-ups featuring entirely top-10 players highlight a dream offering of fourth-round matches set to light up Australian Open 2026.
MORE: Day 8 schedule of play
The flipside to a lack of upsets in the first week? You get blockbusters in the second week, as we’re seeing at the fourth-round stage of Australian Open 2026.
It was hard to restrict this preview to just five match-ups, so we’ve included an honourable mention at the end.
When fourth-round action kicks off at Melbourne Park on Sunday, these matches promise to electrify the show courts.
[6] Jessica Pegula v [9] Madison Keys
An all-American affair between friends and fellow top-10 stars, Jessica Pegula v Madison Keys is a match-up worthy of a Grand Slam final.
And that’s not a stretch to say, given Keys is the reigning AO champion, while Pegula was a 2024 US Open finalist who came close to returning to the same stage in New York four months ago.
MORE: AO 2026 women's singles draw
This match promises a brilliant contrast in styles, pitting Keys’ phenomenal ball-striking power against Pegula’s trademark anticipation and steadiness.
“Jess is such a great player. She’s always so consistently doing well, every single week that she plays,” said Keys after beating Karolina Pliskova and extending her AO winning streak to 10 matches on Saturday. “She’s such a competitor … she’s just so gritty.
“It also makes it hard, being friends, and I think we have to film a podcast before we play a match. So we’ll see how that goes (laughter).”
Keys is yet to drop a set this week at AO 2026, but Pegula has been even more dominant, conceding only 10 games in total to progress to the last 16.
She’ll play for a place in her fourth Australian Open quarterfinal, while Keys is aiming for her fifth.
[6] Alex de Minaur v [10] Alexander Bublik
In another battle between top-10 stars, this match-up takes on an extra significance given Alex De Minaur’s role as the tournament’s leading local player.
MORE: AO 2026 men's singles draw
De Minaur has given his home fans plenty to cheer about, advancing to the second week for the fifth straight year and dropping only one set along the way. He was especially impressive against former world No.10 Frances Tiafoe in round three, elevating his level to dismiss the two-time US Open semifinalist in straight sets.
Now he faces current world No.10 Alexander Bublik, a player enjoying an undefeated start to 2026 thanks to scooping the ATP Hong Kong title and reaching the AO second week for the first time.
He has won his past two encounters with the Australian, most notably recovering from two-sets-to-love down in their second-round match at Roland Garros, en route to his first Grand Slam quarterfinal.
Unbreakable in the third round thanks to 21 aces and 90 per cent of first serve points won, Bublik has the raw firepower and shotmaking talent to knock just about any opponent off the court.
Yet ‘Demon’ is perhaps the quickest mover and grittiest fighter in the sport, setting the stage for a blockbuster battle at Rod Laver Arena.
[1] Aryna Sabalenka v [17] Victoria Mboko
Rising star Victoria Mboko will face a true test of where her level is at when she confronts the game’s leading player.
Aryna Sabalenka is yet to drop a set in 2026 – although she was forced to save four set points against Anastasia Potapova on Friday – as she stormed to the Brisbane title and then into the second week at Melbourne Park.
Already a two-time AO winner, Sabalenka is seeking her third title in four years to further strengthen her grip on the No.1 ranking. Oh, and she’s also the reigning US Open champion.
But Canadian teenager Mboko is a highly-touted prospect for a reason.
If her run to last year’s WTA 1000 title in Montreal – where she beat four Grand Slam champions along the way – is any indicator, we could be in for a treat when the game’s impressive present clashes with its bright future.
[5] Lorenzo Musetti v [9] Taylor Fritz
Lorenzo Musetti, now a top-five player, continues to develop into one of the game’s most impressive all-surface threats, backing up his maiden US Open quarterfinal with his first run to the second week of the AO.
There, he will confront Taylor Fritz, who ended the fairytale run of Stan Wawrinka in the third round with a composed performance at John Cain Arena in Saturday night.
In another all top-10 clash, Musetti and Taylor Fritz represent a lovely contrast in styles.
Fritz is the archetypical modern power player, at his best on hardcourts and marrying athleticism with his huge serve and forehand combination. Musetti, with a self-described “retro” style, plays with one-handed flair and touch arguably best suited to the game’s natural surfaces.
It’s a significant opportunity for both, and with the head-to-head locked at 3-3 after six prior meetings across all surfaces, this fourth-round clash is genuinely hard to predict.
[3] Coco Gauff v [19] Karolina Muchova
A replay of the 2023 US Open semifinals, this attractive match-up pits two of the game’s best athletes against one another.
Coco Gauff is the favourite, the bankable world No.3 and reigning Roland Garros champion who is targeting the Australian Open quarterfinal stage for the third consecutive year.
She’s won all four meetings with Karolina Muchova, and after an uncharacteristic loss to Jessica Bouzas Maneiro at the United Cup, Gauff has rebounded to win 10 of her next 11 sets.
While the scales might be tipped against her, Muchova is one of the game’s most highly-rated players who, had it not been for chronic injuries, may well have exceeded her peak ranking of world No.8 in 2023, achieved the same year she reached the Roland Garros final.
And she raises her game against the best, evidenced by her 10 career wins against top-five opponents – with half of those wins coming at the majors – and the fact she’s reached the quarterfinal stage at seven Grand Slam events.
Could she make it eight on Sunday at Australian Open 2026?
Honourable mention: [11] Daniil Medvedev v [25] Learner Tien
We spotted its potential when the draw was revealed on Thursday 15 January, and now the match-up has been set.
Daniil Medvedev and Learner Tien will meet in a rematch of their dramatic AO clash 12 months ago, where Tien – a little-known teenage qualifier playing in just his second-ever five-set match – stunned the former world No.1 and Grand Slam champion in a near five-hour ending at almost 3am.
Tien proved that result was no fluke, beating Medvedev again in Beijing before extending the three-time AO finalist in another gruelling three-setter in Shanghai before Medvedev finally prevailed.
Now, both are seeded foes. Tien continues his impressive upward trend, while Medvedev is resurgent, winning 22 of his past 26 matches and capturing the Brisbane International title before heading to Melbourne.
With both in great form, and a track-record of enthralling matches, we could be in for a treat when they meet again on Sunday.