It’s been an incredible fortnight at Australian Open 2026 so far, with plenty of drama both on-court and off.
We’ve had classic matches, record-breaking crowds and eye-catching fashion statements, all adding to a fascinating tournament so far.
This hasn’t gone unnoticed by the players, who have offered their views on the opening two weeks.
Here’s our collection of the best quotes – so far – from AO 2026.
“For two-and-a-half sets, that was very high-level, and I fought off some tough moments early in the match. In night, heavy conditions, I was hitting through him and showing that I've got a little bit of power myself.”
In his impressive straight-sets win over American 29th seed Frances Tiafoe, Alex de Minaur proved he has the firepower in his arsenal to back up his speed and consistency.
“Knowing that my last one here, my last Australian Open, my last year, it's really special. The emotion[s] are really completely different. It's a feeling that's tough to describe. But it's the reason why at 40 I'm still pushing myself, pushing the limit, practicing hard the off-season, it's to live those moments.”
Competing in his 20th and final Australian Open, marathon man and three-time major champion Stan Wawrinka fittingly celebrated his record-breaking 49th five-set Grand Slam match with a win against Frenchman Arthur Gea.
“Almost felt like I was watching a show, because it was a pretty incredible moment. To not only win the first round of a Grand Slam, but to do it at the Australian Open, to do it in front of such an amazing atmosphere, to beat a legend of the game, Gael Monfils, it was a bit of a pinch-myself moment.”
Aussie battler Dane Sweeny secured his maiden Grand Slam match victory over popular Frenchman Gael Monfils, ending the latter’s 23-year career at the Australian Open.
“Yeah, so the inspiration was obviously the jellyfish, then butterflies, which kind of ties back to the butterfly moment I had here a long time ago, in 2021.”
Drawing on her AO 2021 triumph, four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka made an eye-catching entrance in her first-round match against Croatia’s Antonia Ruzic, wearing a wide-brim hat, a veil and holding a white umbrella.
“As nerve-racking and as stressful as that can be, I'm still reminding myself of just how few people get to be in that moment, and being able to walk out today and have the crowd be as welcoming as they were. I'll take the stress any day.”
Australian Open 2025 winner Madison Keys is relishing the position she’s in to combat the pressure of coming in as a defending Grand Slam champion.
“That sounds crazy and surreal, to be honest. Just never thought that people will kind of like compare me to these names, even though I'm really far away from their achievements. Of course it sounds incredible and sounds like really – it motivates me to keep doing my thing. It just means for me that I'm on the right way.”
Winning 45 out of her last 50 sets at Grand Slam level, two-time AO champion and world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka joined the elite company of Steffi Graf, Martina Hingis, Monica Seles and Serena Williams as the only women in the Open Era to do so.
“I don't think about it, being a good ambassador for the tennis. But obviously at the same times, the way that I play, I said many times, sometimes it's just trying to entertain the people, trying to engage the people to watch more tennis.”
World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz hopes his entertaining game style is bringing more fans through the gates at AO 2026.
“I think there’s a lot of us that are really pushing and getting super close at having really good results at these tournaments.”
Part of an impressive contingent of young Aussie women including Talia Gibson, Maya Joint and Emerson Jones, Taylah Preston believes a breakthrough is just around the corner.
“I saw the other day with Alex Eala … she's coming from Philippines, which is now a big deal. She's been the biggest-ever tennis player from that country, which is a big country, has a big interest.”
Ten-time AO champion Novak Djokovic thinks it’s great for the sport to have record-breaking crowds from different countries to watch emerging stars like the Philippines’ Alexandra Eala.
“I heard when I won the US Open he was in the gym, and the TV was behind so the gym attendant had to tell him I actually won, so he needed to run out and greet me in the crowd.”
Coco Gauff explains where her dad was after she won the US Open 2023 due to the nerves of watching his daughter play.