Preview Australian Open Day Five | Big seeds start to clash as Alcaraz, Sabalenka, Gauff, Zverev set their sights on round four

We are already onto day six of the Australian Open, with the competition starting to heat up as well-recognised names are set to meet on a more regular basis, forcing more seeds to fall and creating more drama.

The world number one pair of Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka still stand strong in the event and will once again headline a stacked field of action looking to be the first names to book their spots in the fourth round.

So far, there have not been a lot of high calibre upsets. The biggest of them all would have been Alcaraz, but the world number one as so far navigated a smooth pathway through the opening two rounds.

While he may not be competing at his absolute best, he is getting the job done and that is the most important thing for this part of the tournament. From here on in, the chance of facing off against fellow seeds start to occur, with possible tight matchups waiting down the line.

It will not be an easy test against the unpredictable Corentin Moutet for the six-time Grand Slam champion, with the pair set to face off for the first time in their tennis career. He is the second on Rod Laver, with his team hoping that he can find his best game and put on a show for the fortunate spectators.

Alexander Zverev has had may forays on the main show court at Melbourne Park, with the last one coming last year in the final. While he may have lost against Jannik Sinner, it was a huge boost in ranking points which saw him rise to world number two and see him stay as the world number three for a lot of the 2025 season.

Now, this is under threat from those behind with those ranking points in desperate need to be collected once more. It will not be an easy task, with a battle set to commence against Cameron Norrie. The Brit is the only one standing from his country and will look to wave the British flag for at least a bit longer Down Under. The former Wimbledon finalist has played in two thrilling ties, with a third possibly suiting him unless Zverev can find his best tennis.

One of the standout ties kicks off the night session on Rod Laver, with Aussie number one Alex de Minaur looking to continue the high level of tennis produced in the second half of his round two match against a rejuvenated Frances Tiafoe, who is coming into 2026 a new tennis player after committing himself more to the sport. With two sets dropped between them in the opening matches, this has the credentials to be a thriller.

Three-time finalist Daniil Medvedev highlights an action-packed day for Russian tennis. The former world number one is yet to lose in 2026 and will hope to continue this against Fabian Marozsan while Andrey Rublev faces Francisco Cerundolo. Russian-born Kazakhstani Alexander Bublik has also been in great, with the world number 10 facing another Argentine in the form of Tomas Etcheverry.

The other two ATP matchups feature a brace of Americans. Last year's quarter-finalist Tommy Paul is up against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina while Next Gen ATP Finals champion Learner Tien squares up to Nuno Borges.

Ahead of Alcaraz stepping onto the court, Sabalenka will put on a show for the fans. The world number one is looking to make a fourth Australian Open final on the spin while targeting a third title in Melbourne and fifth Grand Slam triumph.

She has walked through her opening two ties, backing up the form showcased in the Brisbane International where she defeated Marta Kostyuk to clinch the title once more. Just nine games have been dropped by the Belarusian, who will look to keep that tally low against Anastasia Potapova, who prevented another third round Grand Slam match between Sabalenka and Emma Raducanu.

World number three Coco Gauff has also impressed so far in this event. She has reached the semi-final and quarter-final in her prior two appearances, with her Grand Slam form having taken a dip at the end of 2025. These problems looked to be fixed for now, as she faces against a good friend and fellow American Hailey Baptiste for the honour of reaching another fourth round at the Australian Open.

Once one of the brightest prospects in the sport, that mantle has now been put down to Iva Jovic. The 18-year-old has already reached a WTA 250 final and semi-final this year, with her looking in great form on the court so far in her second appearance. However, her next test will by far be the toughest. Jasmine Paolini ended her US Open dream last year in the second round. The two-time grand Slam finalist has plenty of experience beyond this point, whereas Jovic is making a maiden third round appearance. It will be a very interesting match to follow.

Another 18-year-old, Mirra Andreeva, will also take centre stage. She won 15 games on the spin between her first and second round wins over Donna Vekic and former world number three Maria Sakkari. She now takes on Elena-Gabriela Ruse in a first meeting. It will also be the first time Elina Svitolina and Diana Shnaider take the court together, with the Ukrainian in blistering form after clinching the ASB Classic title. She has yet to drop a set, while Shnaider has come through a brace of three-set matches.

The young talent continues to show itself. 19-year-old Victoria Mboko is making her debut in the Australian Open after an insane 2025 and is already the 17th seed. Just ahead of her is Clara Tauson, with the pair set to commence battle for the first time. Sabalenka could be waiting in the wings for the winner. The other two contests see former Roland Garros finalist Karolina Muchova face off against Magda Linette, while one of the only three qualifiers left, Zeynep Sonmez, faces the experienced Yulia Putinseva.