Australian Open 2025: Draper v Vukic, Djokovic sweeps through, Gauff wins, Osaka out – live | Australian Open 2025

A big point for Vukic at 30-all, he could do with a big serve here. Which the Australian duly delivers. He then drills a brutal backhand down the line after a 17-shot exchange! Draper is nowhere near it. It’s 3-3 and we have a set (and a match) on our hands. With the clock reading 10.27pm in Melbourne, though, they’ve still got a way to go to rival yesterday’s (or more accurately today’s) 2.55am finish, when qualifier Learner Tien pulled off that upset against Daniil Medvedev. Draper swiftly holds for 4-3.

Having been broken three times in the second set, Draper has rediscovered his serving groove, and sends down his 11th ace of the evening on his way to holding for 3-2 in the third. After Vukic started the match so strongly, before Draper came back to snatch the first set and Vukic ran away with the second, they’ve not really been playing well at the same time. But this third set looks much more level.

That retirement leaves us with two singles matches: Draper v Vukic and Jessica Pegula, the US Open runner-up and three-times Australian Open quarter-finalist, against the Serbian lefty Olga Danilovic. That’s going with serve early on, Pegula leading 2-1.

After Osaka’s retirement earlier, unfortunately we’ve had another, with Fils forced to call it quits, with Humbert leading 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, 1-0. Humbert has the dubious honour of facing Zverev next, who’s looked in fine touch so far. Could this finally be the year the world No 2 claims a slam? We’ve been saying it for several years now, but if he can hold his nerve, his game is good enough to step up to the winners’ circle.

And a quicker than quick service game allows Vukic to serve the set out to love! They’re level at one set all, and given their track record at this tournament, we could be in for another five sets. Sit tight.

Draper v Vukic continues to see-saw. Vukic led 4-2 in the first set before Draper took it 6-4. Now Vukic is 5-1 ahead in the second, having broken Draper three times, with Draper’s only game coming from a break too. Draper looks as if he’s finally going to hold at 40-15, Vukick then dinks over a delightful angled volley for 40-30 but makes no further inroads in the game. Vukic will serve for the set at 5-2.

“This is as good as I’ve seen him for in quite a while,” Mats Wilander says on Eurosport about Djokovic’s quest for that historic grand slam No 25 in 2025. Will it be enough to beat the young guard though? He’ll be the heavy favourite against Lehecka in the last 16 … but Carlos Alcaraz could be waiting in the quarter-finals. Djokovic looks hungry and focused, that’s for sure, and perhaps his determination to claim that final piece of tennis history could get him over the line against Alcaraz, as it did in last year’s Olympic final.

“This is definitely the best match I’ve played in this tournament,” a beaming Djokovic says on court. He’s then asked why he called for the trainer. “I was trying to catch my breath. I’m not 19 any more. I’m nearly 19 times two.” He then exchanges some banter with a boisterous fan, whom he had a bit of back and forth with during the match. “Let’s have a drink, one drink will solve everything,” he quips.

Novak Djokovic (7) beats Tomas Machac (26) 6-1, 6-4, 6-4

Draper, from 4-2 down, has got himself two set points at 5-4, 15-40 on Vukic’s serve, after a bullet of a forehand down the line. The Brit shows superb touch on the second, ending a lengthy exchange with a cute drop shot, and he’s taken four games on the spin to seize the set 6-4!

Lehecka finishes the job against Bonzi, winning 6-2, 6-3, 6-3, and awaits the winner of Djokovic v Machac, as Djokovic holds for 6-1, 6-4, 5-3.

What of Djokovic, you say. After an early break in the third, he holds to love for 6-1, 6-4, 4-2 against Machac. And the Czech is close to um, czeching out when he drops 30-40 down. A double break would leave Djokovic serving for the match. Machac hauls himself to deuce with an ace, then brings up game point. Djokovic bounces his racket on the court in frustration. He’s then cursing and giving himself a very stern talking to when Machac takes the game. He seems to spare Murray from his anger though.

Draper is up and running (if that’s the right word, after back-to-back five setters) against Vukic, getting a few games on the board, but he still trails by a break, with Vukic serving at 4-3. Draper decides it’s time to really get going, moving 0-30 ahead, then 0-40 when Vukic fires long. And Vukic coughs up a double fault! It’s 4-4.

Tumaini’s piece on Fearnley, Draper and their childhood friendship is also well worth a read:

As is Simon Cambers’s preview of Vukic v Draper:

Draper is the last British survivor in the men’s singles after Jacob Fearnley’s run was ended by Alexander Zverev earlier in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. Fearnley will still take much from reaching the third round, especially as the 23-year-old hadn’t even played a slam and didn’t have a world ranking just over a year ago; his rise has been one of the quickest (and most unexpected) in ATP history.

“I learned a lot about my game, about what I need to do better,” Fearnley said after the loss to Zverev. “I’ve learned a lot. To have these kind of matches seven months, eight months into my professional career is extremely valuable.”

Gauff’s victory means that Jack Draper and Aleksandar Vukic will round off the day’s programme on Margaret Court. A few boos for Draper as he stepped on to court, but some cheers too, as the British No 1 faces an Australian (and the crowd) for the second consecutive match, after edging out Thanasi Kokkinakis in five sets in round two. Vukic also needed five sets to advance against Sebastian Korda … but he’s not showing any fatigue here, charging into a 2-0 lead, breaking Draper to 30 before holding to love.

As for the other two Frenchmen in action… they’ve traded sets, with Humbert, six years Fils’s senior, not that you’d know it from his bat-to-front cap, taking the second set 7-5 having lost the first 6-4.

Djokovic is serving for a two sets to love lead against Machac, leading 6-1, 5-4. It’s not going to plan, though, with the 37-year-old break point down at 30-40. Then Djokovic remembers who he is, stepping up in the clutch moment to secure three points on the spin, the last with an ace down the middle. He’s 6-1, 6-4 up and is a set away from a fourth-round meeting with most likely another Czech opponent, Jiri Lehecka, who is also two sets to the good, 6-2, 6-3, against the Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi.

Impressive stuff from Gauff (both her tennis and words), and next up for the American in the last 16 is Belinda Bencic, who was leading Naomi Osaka 7-6 earlier when the two-times champion retired injured. Gutting for Osaka, who was playing in the third round of a slam for the first time since returning from maternity leave a year ago. I’d have loved for Osaka to go deep in the draw here – but it’s great to see Bencic doing well too. The Swiss is on a comeback of her own, having given birth to her daughter Bella last year.

Gauff is asked in the on-court interview if it was easier or harder to play Fernandez so soon after their recent match at the United Cup. “Definitely harder,” Gauff replies. She’s then asked about her Vogue covers and being the highest-paid female athlete in the world. How can she focus on her tennis? She says she stays humble by volunteering in her local community and that she loves using her platform to give back to others. How is she still only 20?! She’s so assured and impressive. She’s then asked about her Marvel-inspired bodysuit. Apparently it’s quite difficult to use the bathroom. “Too much, sorry guys,” she laughs.

Coco Gauff (3) beats Leylah Fernandez (30) 6-4, 6-2

Machac, the wearer of quite possibly the shortest shorts in tennis, surrenders the longest rally of the match, as Djokovic eventually smacks away the winner after a lung-busting exchange. It’s break point Djokovic. And a much speedier point makes it break Djokovic. The ten-times champion leads 6-1, 3-2.

Djokovic opts against an injury timeout so they’re back under way, just as some big hitting from Gauff gets her to 6-4, 4-1. Humbert now leads Fils 4-2 in the second set, having lost the first, while Jiri Lehecka, who’s on a seven-match winning streak after claiming the title in Brisbane, looks well placed to make it eight, leading Benjamin Bonzi 6-2, 3-1.

Game on, on Rod Laver! Machac, slipping and squeaking all over the baseline before sliding into the net and drawing the error from Djokovic, breaks for 2-0 in the second set! Though he promptly undoes all his good work by being broken to 15. Gah. This time Murray is more animated, letting out a scream and an aggressive fist pump. But now Djokovic is calling for the trainer. It’s not clear what the issue is – he has been breathing quite heavily – and the microphones can’t pick up the conversation between the two.

The sun may be setting in Melbourne, but Gauff, clad in bright yellow, is providing plenty of shine on Margaret Court, where she’s threatening to run away with it against Fernandez. The third seed, who has 20 wins from her past 22 matches – including against Fernandez at the recent United Cup – now leads 6-4, 3-0 with the double break.

Humbert, having lost the first set 6-4 to his compatriot Fils, is providing some French resistance, taking a 2-0 lead in the second. Though it’s taken nearly 13 minutes to play those two games. Fils then throws in a quick hold to give them both a breather.

A third straight miss on the forehand from Gauff – it’s still her most fallible shot – helps Fernandez gets herself out of a hole from set point down at 30-40. Gauff will still get the chance to serve for the set though, and swiftly moves 30-0 ahead. Make that 40-0. She’s won 14 of 16 points when her first serve has landed. But it’s a second serve that Fernandez can’t get back into play on the second set point and Gauff holds to 15 to take the set 6-4!

Gauff holds in the blink of an eye for 5-3. Djokovic takes a little longer to serve out the set, dropping 30-40 down, before a strong serve and an overhead give him set point. Machac whacks his return into the net and that’s that. Djokovic wins the first set 6-1 in just 35 minutes. Murray applauds and gives a half-hearted fist pump. I guess the first set was too straightforward to warrant a more committed one.

Machac just can’t get going on serve. This time he slumps 0-40 down. Djokovic prevails in the next point too and he’ll serve for the set at 5-1. Meanwhile Gauff emerges victorious after an absorbing 26-shot rally to get back to deuce on Fernandez’s serve … and from there Gauff breaks! The third seed leads 4-3.

Two more break points for Djokovic at 15-40, to add to the ones he had in Machac’s opening service game. This time he takes the second, as Machac makes the error on the backhand side. It’s 3-1 Djokovic, and he’s looking much sharper than he did in his opening two matches. Murray looks on approvingly, before Djokovic backs up the break for 4-1.

On John Cain, the young phenomenon Fils is serving for the opening set at 5-3 against Humbert. It doesn’t go quite to plan, as the 20-year-old slides 30-40 down, and then Humbert, his fellow Frenchman, picks him off with a backhand pass down the line! It’s 5-4 Fils.