ATP Australian Open Grand Slam
Shelton edging toward US Open ’25 form as he reaches Australian Open second week
Shelton reached the Australian Open fourth round without dropping a set, nearing ’25 form. Stronger.
Ben Shelton advanced to the fourth round of the 2026 Australian Open without dropping a set, and his postmatch assessment placed this run just behind his best major form. The No. 8 seed beat Rolex Shanghai Masters champion Valentin Vacherot 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (5) to move into the second week.
“I think that, you know, the best that I’ve played at a Slam was up until I got injured at the US Open last summer,” Shelton said after the win. “I think that this is probably second, but to be in the form that I’m in as early as it is in the year is really encouraging.”
Shelton arrived in Melbourne having shown strong results last season: he claimed the National Bank Open title in Toronto, retired in the third round of the US Open against Adrian Mannarino because of a left shoulder injury, returned to form through the end of the year and made his debut at the Nitto ATP Finals. In this event he opened by defeating Ugo Humbert and has now reached the tournament’s second week for the third time in four years.
“I think that there’s a lot of things that I am doing really well, improvements that I made, and maybe small pieces that I’m doing better than I was doing last summer,” Shelton said. “But in terms of just being in a flow state, completely confident, and knowing what I’m doing on the court, all the nuances of return of serve, using continental skills on the stretch, defense to offense, I was probably just in a little bit better rhythm with all that stuff last summer.
“But I think that I’m serving much better now. I think that the way that I’m able to flatten out the forehand and change speeds on the backhand with the slice, topspin, and flat balls, I’ve seen improvements, for sure.”
Shelton also credited steady training with sharpening his mental resilience: “Whether it’s playing a practice set against someone I don’t want to lose to or my coach putting on a little bit extra pressure that day or dealing with stuff physically and a lot more soreness because I’m on the court two times and in the gym as well each day…you wouldn’t classify it as, ‘Yeah, I’m going to go out and work on my mental today,’ but I think the better and better you get at handling those type of things in a training session, the more that you can stay calm and the longer you can stay out there on the court and the more you can ante up and come back in the afternoon after a long morning session and give 100%,
“I think just helps when you stack it up in the grand scheme of things.”
Shelton will face the winner of No. 12 seed Casper Ruud vs. Marin Cilic in the fourth round. “I think that when you get to this stage in the tournament, every matchup becomes more and more exciting, because, you know, everybody is playing well, everybody is a tough matchup,” said Shelton. “You get to play so many different styles of players throughout the two weeks.
“Obviously two guys with very different styles and contrasting games, and I’ll be looking forward to watching that one for sure.”
1000 ATP Miami Open
Sinner Breaks Masters 1000 Record with 26 Straight Sets
Jannik Sinner reached 26, consecutive sets won at Masters 1000 events after beating Moutet in Miami.
Jannik Sinner extended an uninterrupted run of dominance at Masters 1000 level, setting a new record for consecutive sets won at that tournament tier.
By beating Corentin Moutet in the third round of the Miami Open, 6-1, 6-4, Sinner reached 26 straight sets won at Masters 1000 events, surpassing Novak Djokovic’s previous mark of 24 set wins in a row from 2016. The victory moves the Italian ahead in the record books for streaks that date back to 1990, when Masters-level tournaments began.
Sinner’s run includes flawless performances at the two most recent Masters 1000 tournaments. He captured Paris last fall without dropping a set (10-0) and followed that by sweeping Indian Wells last week (12-0). In Miami, he tied Djokovic’s long-standing record two days earlier with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Damir Dzumhur in his opening match at the event. The straight-sets win over Moutet then took him past the previous high-water mark.
The streak reflects consecutive completed sets won at Masters 1000 events; note that a walkover loss would end the run. With the Miami Open still under way, Sinner’s sequence now stands as the longest such streak in Masters 1000 history.
© 2026 Getty Images
ATP Masters Miami Open
Miami Open’s new ‘Love All’ frosé highlights tennis’ booming signature-drink market
Miami Open’s new ‘Love All’ frosé shows how signature cocktails have become big business in tennis..
The Miami Open has added a new entry to a growing list of tournament signature drinks with the Love All frosé. Created exclusively for the 2026 Miami Open by Santa Margherita Wines, the tournament’s official wine sponsor, the frozen rosé cocktail is priced at $22 and served in a collectible glass shaped like a tennis ball. It is sold at the Rosé Giardino, an all-pink lounge at Hard Rock Stadium that has become a popular photo stop and draws long lines.
Players sampled the drink on the Players Box podcast. Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys, Jennifer Brady and Desirae Krawczyk offered largely positive reviews, with Brady the lone dissenter, due to her general dislike of wine. “It’s very good,” Keys said, laughing, as she gave it a 4.5 out of 5. “It’s quite strong… If you drink them during our matches, just like, keep the volume down!”
The Love All joins an expanding set of tournament beverages that now form a meaningful revenue stream. Wimbledon’s Pimm’s Cup and strawberries and cream remain long-standing traditions, but the US Open’s Honey Deuce transformed the idea into a major commercial success. Introduced in 2006 and sold exclusively at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, the Honey Deuce is made with Grey Goose vodka, lemonade and raspberry liqueur and topped with honeydew melon balls. Priced at $23 and served in a collectible cup, the drink grew into a significant income source: more than 738,400 Honey Deuces were sold in 2025, generating roughly $17 million in revenue, a 32 percent increase from the previous year driven in part by expanded Fan Week programming.
Other recent additions include the Ace Paloma from Maestro Dobel Tequila, introduced in 2023 and served at multiple events, plus player-inspired cocktails such as the MargAryna with Aryna Sabalenka and the Fritzy Spicy with Taylor Fritz, which debuted at the US Open in 2024. The Charleston Open offers First Serve, Canada’s National Bank Open has The Smash, the Australian Open added the Lemon Ace in 2025, and Indian Wells introduced The Drop Shot earlier this month. Limited-edition cups and branded experiences, amplified by social media, have intensified the appeal of these offerings. With beverage margins often exceeding 90 percent, signature drinks are proving both culturally resonant and commercially powerful for tournaments.
ATP Masters Miami Open
Tiafoe survives two match points to topple defending champion Mensik in Miami
Tiafoe saved two match points to defeat Jakub Mensik at Miami Open; it was his 250th win. 2026 image
Frances Tiafoe staged a dramatic escape in the third round of the Miami Open, saving two match points to eliminate defending champion Jakub Mensik. The American prevailed in a match decided by two tiebreaks, winning 7-6 (4), 4-6, 7-6 (11) at the Masters 1000 event.
The victory marked a milestone for Tiafoe, registering the 250th win of his professional career. Mensik, the reigning champion, forced a third set and pushed the decider to a tense tiebreak, but Tiafoe held firm when it mattered most and closed out the match.
Scorelines of 7-6 in the opening set and 7-6 in the final set underline how evenly matched the contest was, with Mensik taking the second set 4-6 to stay in contention. Tiafoe’s ability to survive the two match points proved decisive and turned what might have been an early exit for the American into a career landmark.
The result advances Tiafoe deeper into the Miami Open draw and ends Mensik’s title defense in the third round of this Masters 1000 tournament. For Tiafoe, the win will be recorded alongside other career highlights as he moves forward in the 2026 season.
© 2026 Getty Images
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