John McEnroe, often criticized for his commentary missteps—such as previously labeling Nicolás Jarry as “unknown”—faced fresh backlash on Thursday at the Australian Open.

During an on-court post-match interview with World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, McEnroe stumbled once again. He asked Sinner if he was familiar with Tristan Schoolkate, the Italian’s second-round opponent who had managed to take a set off him—the first set Sinner had dropped since October. As anticipated, Sinner, who didn’t play extensively at the junior level, responded by making that point clear.

“Well, I didn’t play many juniors”, answered the World No.1.

McEnroe also followed up that question by saying that Daniil Medvedev and Novak Djokovic ‘also lost sets to a couple of unknowns.”

But despite that there was some humour as he hilariously asked Sinner: “I’m pretty emotional. You’re able to control yourself so well. How do you do it?”

To which the Italian said: “We can say we are a bit different me and you” and McEnroe responded saying: “What are you saying?” to which Sinner jokingly ended the interview.

During that interview, he also touched on defending a Grand Slam title for the first time. “It’s definitely a different feeling. So many beautiful moments on and off the court happened for me here in this beautiful place. I take it as a chance to hopefully do it again. But it’s still a very long way to go. We go day by day. Seeing my level today, we know I can improve. Hopefully I can show this in the next round and it’s gonna be a great tournament for me again.”

Nick Kyrgios launches into chair umpire as Thanasi Kokkinakis hit with code violation

Nick Kyrgios erupted at the chair umpire during a doubles match after his partner, Thanasi Kokkinakis, received a violation for ball abuse.

Facing fellow Australians James Duckworth and Aleksandar Vukic, the match reached a tense moment at 4-3 as Duckworth and Vukic attempted to break their opponents’ serve.

After losing the point by hitting the ball into the net, Kokkinakis aggressively struck the ball into the air in frustration. This action violated the player code of conduct, which prohibits players from hitting, kicking, or throwing a tennis ball violently, dangerously, or angrily, except when pursuing a point during play.

When the umpire issued the violation, Kyrgios immediately reacted with visible frustration.

“Bro, really? Really? You’re really going to do that?,” he said immediately.

Kyrgios then made reference to the fact Kokkinakis was playing injured after struggling to get through his singles match the night before.

“So him trying to play in front of the fans doesn’t mean anything? You’re going to give him a f—ing code violation for that? Really bro? F–k off.”

Kyrgios’ frustration didn’t end there, muttering to himself, “Bro, read the game,” before bringing up the code violation once more.

After Kokkinakis and Kyrgios secured the next game to take a 5-4 lead, Kyrgios focused solely on the umpire during the changeover, unleashing another outburst.

“We’re both injured right, full stadium of people to come see us play and he (Kokkinakis) doesn’t have to be here right and he hits a ball out of pain and you’re going to give him a code violation,” Kyrgios said.

“But it’s not unsportsmanlike? I’m just saying, read the game a bit more.

“I’m just saying, you don’t need to do that.”

Kokkinakis was later heard accusing Jack Draper, his second-round singles opponent, of committing a similar act but striking the ball flat.

Ultimately, Kokkinakis and Kyrgios were forced to retire from the doubles match due to injury, with Duckworth and Vukic leading 7-5, 3-2.

Mirra Andreeva recently opened up about her superstitions around food, a habit her coach, Conchita Martinez, has been trying to manage.

Andreeva began working with Martinez, the 1994 Wimbledon champion, in April last year. The partnership was widely seen as a positive step for the young star’s career from the moment it was announced.

However, Martinez wasn’t Andreeva’s first choice. Former world No. 1 Dinara Safina revealed that Andreeva had initially approached her for the coaching role, but Safina couldn’t commit.

Similarly, three-time US Open champion Kim Clijsters shared that Andreeva had also reached out to her. These efforts underscored the 17-year-old’s determination to find a coach with top-level experience.

Since teaming up with Martinez, Andreeva has made impressive strides. She reached her first Grand Slam semifinal at the French Open last year, defeating Aryna Sabalenka along the way. She also claimed her maiden WTA title at the Iasi Open and came close to winning a WTA 500 title at the Ningbo Open, where she narrowly lost to Daria Kasatkina after leading 3-0 in the final set.

The Ningbo final was an emotional moment for Andreeva, who broke down in tears during the post-match ceremony. Kasatkina offered her comfort during the press conference, a gesture Andreeva later reflected on with gratitude.

Andreeva admits she can be a challenging player to coach at times due to her emotional nature and occasional teenage outbursts, which sometimes leave Martinez puzzled.

At the Australian Open, she revealed that her superstitions extend to food, insisting on eating the same meals and snacks during tournaments—a quirk that adds another layer of complexity to their partnership.

“It’s pretty complicated to work with me, because if I start the tournament eating chicken and rice, well, I cannot change after I cannot take pasta or I cannot take anything else. I will always take chicken and rice.”

“If I start like this, I’ve got to continue like this. Even if I’m tired, I have no choice, but I have to eat it. Today I start with dried fruits(for on-court snack) so it is dried fruits for Melbourne this year.”

Despite her efforts to break Andreeva’s food superstitions, Conchita Martinez, the former Wimbledon champion, has ended up embracing them in an unexpected way.

After accidentally spilling some powder on a desk while making one of Andreeva’s recovery shakes, Martinez now deliberately spills a little before preparing every shake as part of their routine.

Andreeva’s age and quirky habits don’t hinder the strong bond she shares with her coach. The Ningbo Open runner-up revealed that she feels at ease expressing her emotions with Martinez.

Their relationship strikes a balance between hard work and fun, creating a supportive and enjoyable dynamic both on and off the court.

“I feel very comfortable telling her everything that happens in my life. I don’t know if she wants to hear it, though! But I’m very comfortable sharing with her everything that’s going on.”

“We let ourselves joke around and have some fun. Of course she’s very professional, she knows when the fun is over and when we need to really put the work in, for example, in a tennis court. When we’re off the tennis court, we can have some fun, but of course we also need to take it serious sometimes.”

Novak Djokovic has confidently predicted that Carlos Alcaraz will achieve a career Grand Slam “very soon,” applauding the young star’s remarkable accomplishments.

However, the Serbian icon also offered a word of caution to Alcaraz about focusing too much on breaking records and making history.

Seeded seventh and third, respectively, Djokovic and Alcaraz could meet in a thrilling quarter-final showdown at the 2025 Australian Open.

At just 21 years old, Alcaraz has the chance to become the youngest player to win all four Grand Slam tournaments if he secures victory at the ongoing Australian Open or one of the next two editions. The current record belongs to Rafael Nadal, who completed his career Grand Slam at 24 years and three months with his 2010 US Open win.

Meanwhile, Djokovic is chasing his 11th Australian Open crown and a record-extending 25th major title overall.

Alcaraz has openly declared his ambition to challenge Djokovic’s records, with the all-time Grand Slam tally firmly in his sights.

“Obviously, I keep thinking about Nole’s 24 Grand Slams, that’s clear,” Alcaraz admitted in February last year.

“I’m a very ambitious guy and I always want to think big, and I dream big — obviously Djokovic’s 24 is a goal at the end of my career.

“It is something that is inevitable to think about. I am very competitive and that is also what drives me to the highest level to try to be at the same level as the Big Three. The truth is that I dream big.”

In an interview with GQ, Djokovic discussed the possibility of Alcaraz, who already holds four major titles, surpassing his records.

“It’s too early. But, you know, people say my records will never be broken. I doubt that. I mean, Carlos could already be the next guy. Even Jannik [Sinner],” the former world No 1 said.

“If they take care of the body, if they do things in a proper way, focus on longevity, focus on the long-term, then they can do it.

“Carlos has done something no one has done in history for such a young age. So the odds are with him. He is going to complete his [career] Slam very soon.

“He’s even said himself, he wants to make history. He wants to be ‘the best in history.’ I respect that kind of mentality of, ‘Hey, I think I got the goods.’ But maybe it’s a little bit early for him to think about history.”