Australian Open 2026: Svitolina v Andreeva, De Minaur to face Alcaraz after Bublik win – live

Updates from the evening session at Melbourne Park
Alcaraz beats Paul | Follow us on Bluesky | Mail Katy

First set: De Minaur* 1-1 Bublik (*next server)

De Minaur is playing in the fourth round for the fifth consecutive year - a feat that not even Hewitt, Mark Philippoussis and Pat Rafter achieved at their home slam – but he’s never been past the quarter-finals. Which largely sums up his career: he’s so consistent in beating the players he’s expected to, but is underpowered against the very best. De Minaur does send a bullet of a backhand winner down the line to get to deuce on Bublik’s serve, though. But two errors then give the Kazakhstani the game.

Published: January 25, 2026, 10:46 am

Arsenal v Manchester United buildup, WSL action and Hearts v Celtic – matchday live

⚽ News, discussion and buildup before the day’s action
⚽ Jonathan Wilson’s column | Fixtures | Email us here

There is also a big game in the Championship today as Portsmouth take on rivals Southampton at Fratton Park. Pompey really need a win to get out of the relegation zone, but do have a game in hand on most of the teams around them. Should they win both of those, Portsmouth would be just a point behind Saints in 15th, which goes to show jusy how tight things are at the foot of the Championship.

Saints have eased away from the drop zone since Tonda Eckert replaced Will Still in the dugout but their only win in their last six matches was against Sheffield United last time out. These two drew 0-0 back in September, will we get a different result today?

Published: January 25, 2026, 10:49 am

Alex Honnold successfully free solos Taipei 101 in live Netflix climb

• Honnold climbs 508m Taipei 101 without ropes

• Netflix airs climb live after rain delay

• Feat sparks awe – and ethical unease

American rock climber Alex Honnold climbed the Taipei 101 skyscraper on Sunday without any ropes or protective equipment.

Cheers erupted from a gathered crowd as he started climbing the 508-metre (1,667ft) tower earlier Sunday, using the horizontal metal beams to pull himself up with his bare hands.

Published: January 25, 2026, 3:24 am

Pittsburgh Steelers line up Mike McCarthy as next head coach

• Steelers to turn to McCarthy after Tomlin exits role

• McCarthy won Super Bowl with Packers in 2010

• Hire rekindles link with former QB Aaron Rodgers

Mike McCarthy’s next job is set to bring him back to where it all began.

The Pittsburgh Steelers intend to hire the Super Bowl-winning coach as their next head coach, according to multiple reports, with ESPN first breaking the news. A person familiar with the discussions told the Associated Press the sides are moving toward an agreement, though a deal has not yet been finalized.

Published: January 24, 2026, 7:07 pm

NBA game in Minneapolis between Warriors and Timberwolves postponed after shooting

• NBA postpones Wolves-Warriors game after shooting

• Alex Pretti, 37, killed by border control near arena

• Game rescheduled for Sunday amid safety concerns

The NBA game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors was postponed on Saturday afternoon following another fatal shooting by a federal officer in Minneapolis.

The game was rescheduled for Sunday afternoon. The Timberwolves and Warriors are also scheduled to play on Monday night.

Published: January 24, 2026, 9:11 pm

Ally Sentnor at the double as USWNT crush Paraguay on Rodman’s return

• Sentnor scores twice as USA trounce Paraguay 6-0

• Rodman captains US, scores in return after injuries

• Turner debuts with goal; US face Chile on Tuesday

Trinity Rodman, fresh off signing a contract with the Washington Spirit, scored and the United States had five second-half goals in a 6-0 rout Paraguay on Saturday.

Ally Sentnor added a pair of goals and Reilyn Turner scored in her debut match for the United States. Croix Bethune and Emma Sears also scored.

Published: January 25, 2026, 1:01 am

Shiffrin returns to giant slalom podium as US stack top eight in Czechia

• Shiffrin returns to GS podium weeks before Cortina

• Hector wins first giant slalom since January 2025

• Moltzan second, O’Brien fifth and Hurt eighth for US

Mikaela Shiffrin earned a place on the podium of a World Cup giant slalom for the first time in two years Saturday, finishing third in the last GS before the Milan Cortina Olympics.

The race was won by defending Olympic champion Sara Hector, who held on to her opening run lead for her first victory since January 2025.

Published: January 24, 2026, 2:50 pm

‘A long time coming’: table tennis world hails Marty Supreme-fueled boom

Once dismissed as a basement game, table tennis is enjoying an unlikely US revival as the Oscar-tipped biopic Marty Supreme collides with a wave of new players

For decades in the US, table tennis has lived a double life: one of the most widely played sports in the country, yet still dismissed by many as a basement pursuit. Now, unexpectedly, it is having a cultural moment.

The release of Marty Supreme, a film steeped in obsession and myth, and loosely based on postwar American table tennis champion Marty Reisman, has pushed ping-pong into the pop-culture mainstream – just as US Major League Table Tennis sells out matches, clubs report growing interest, and younger players pick up paddles for the first time.

Published: January 24, 2026, 8:00 am

Brenden Aaronson enters peak form at the right time for Leeds and the US

The Philadelphia Union product has added end product to his trademark hustle – can he keep the good form going?

Timing is everything in a World Cup year, and Brenden Aaronson’s has been pretty much perfect.

Scoring a goal and putting in a top performance against your team’s biggest rival is something all players dream of. To do so when your family is watching in the stands and a reporter from your home town newspaper, the Philadelphia Inquirer, is in the press box makes it all the better. Aaronson did all of the above at Elland Road for Leeds United against Manchester United earlier this month.

Published: January 24, 2026, 10:00 am

Arne Slot says Liverpool ‘ran out of energy’ in defeat at Bournemouth

• Head coach highlights away game in Champions League

• Slot questions fixture list after difficult away trip

Arne Slot conceded his side ran out of steam in defeat at Bournemouth, after Amine Adli’s 95th-minute winner condemned Liverpool to a first loss since November. Liverpool pulled level from 2-0 down late on courtesy of Dominik Szoboszlai’s sensational free-kick, but Bournemouth responded impressively and Adli struck a winner from a long throw with almost the last kick.

The Liverpool head coach felt the referee, Michael Salisbury, should have played more second-half stoppage time taking in substitutions and video assistant referee checks but admitted he feared a Bournemouth winner. “I think it is safe to say they could have scored 3-2 a little bit earlier,” Slot said, alluding to chances for the Bournemouth pair Evanilson and Ryan Christie. “A few of our players ran out of energy and I cannot even criticise them for that because two days ago [three] we had to play an away game. We’re the only team that played in the Champions League that has two games in between.

Published: January 24, 2026, 9:42 pm

Thomas Frank calls for ‘calm heads’ as Tottenham fans renew calls for his exit

• Head coach targeted in draw at Burnley

• Frank: ‘You can’t say we didn’t do everything to win’

Thomas Frank has called for “calm heads” after Tottenham fans urged the club to dismiss him during their draw at relegation-threatened Burnley. The away end sang “You’re getting sacked in the morning” at full time, making their views clear to the hierarchy and head coach.

Cristian Romero salvaged a late point for Tottenham after Axel Tuanzebe and Lyle Foster had turned things around to counter Micky van de Ven’s opening goal. The draw leaves Tottenham with two wins in 14 and mired in mid-table.

Published: January 24, 2026, 6:32 pm

Soap, wifi, but no football: a room without a view at Blackpool’s stadium hotel

EFL regulations mean guests at the Blackpool Football Club Stadium Hotel can’t watch the game – our writer checks in for a trip into the dark

It seems perfectly reasonable that anyone booking a “Superior Room with Pitch View” at the Blackpool Football Club Stadium Hotel, located inside the Bloomfield Road Stadium, would expect a hotel room with a view of the pitch. And that is exactly the case except – bizarrely – when Blackpool are actually playing, with some hotel guests recently scuppered by the smallest of fine print when booking: “Due to the EFL rules and regulations, bedroom curtains have to be kept drawn throughout a match.” Failure to do so could result in a £2,500 fine. Ouch.

Across the 14 years that I have worked for the Guardian, there have been a few occasions where I have been tempted, perhaps after a stressful shift, to go and lie down in a dark room. I just didn’t think that this could be an actual assignment. But off I go to Blackpool to investigate this special type of 3pm blackout, and shortly before kick-off between Blackpool and League One relegation rivals Northampton, I find myself pulling a very heavy curtain across a panoramic window facing the Bloomfield Road pitch and the Blackpool Tower beyond. That’s my daylight done for the day.

Published: January 25, 2026, 8:00 am

Manchester City get back on track against Wolves despite VAR handball rarity

After Pep Guardiola dropped Erling Haaland and Phil Foden, Manchester City enjoyed a first Premier League win in four games. It handed Wolves a first defeat in six and was notable for the referee, Farai Hallam, on his top-flight debut, daring to stick with his decision not to award a penalty after being sent by his video assistant for a pitchside review.

That was for a Yerson Mosquera handball and it infuriated Guardiola, though after City’s dire recent form a first three points since 27 December is what matters. The manager reiterated a long-held belief that City can receive unfair officiating and pointed to his 11 injured players as being needed to mitigate against this.

Published: January 24, 2026, 5:31 pm

Mead sparks Arsenal win at Chelsea and Bompastor accepts WSL title has gone

The Chelsea head coach, Sonia Bompastor, conceded that the “title race is probably gone” after a Beth Mead goal and a second from Mariona Caldentey earned Arsenal a cathartic win against Chelsea. A first victory for Arsenal at Stamford Bridge, and a first away win against Chelsea in eight years, pulled them within a point of their rivals. The defending champions sit six points behind the leaders, Manchester City, who travel to London City Lionesses on Sunday.

“We know the title race is probably gone, but our mentality is to fight until the very end,” Bompastor told the BBC. “They [City] are in control and if they perform at their best it will be a difficult gap to close. My job is to make sure I lift everyone up and we take the learnings and we go into the next game ready to perform.”

Published: January 24, 2026, 2:43 pm

Carrick has nailed quick fixes at Manchester United but is he more than new Solskjær? | Jonathan Wilson

Derby victory was undeniably impressive but how will club assess caretaker manager’s suitability to permanent job?

The problem Manchester United have – after 13 years and seven managers of failure – is that for whatever action they take now, there is a bad precedent. Keep Michael Carrick on, and it’s just another Ole Gunnar Solskjær situation. But replace him and, for almost whoever they appoint – be it a Premier League veteran, foreign maestro, renowned past-his-best winner, Red Bull-adjacent gegenpresser, austere Dutchman or Portuguese ideologue – they have done it before and it hasn’t worked. It’s almost like the biggest problem at the club isn’t the manager.

Carrick’s start was undeniably impressive. There was pace and zip and creativity. The relief of players being released from the 3-4-2-1 was akin to one of those videos of cows being allowed back into the pasture after being kept in a barn over the winter. Who could possibly have predicted that Amad Diallo would excel as a right-sided forward, or that Bruno Fernandes might thrive as a No 10? United didn’t just beat Manchester City 2-0; they hammered them.

Published: January 24, 2026, 8:00 pm

Pressure firmly on Celtic in Scottish title race finally worthy of the name

Sunday’s table-topping clash with Hearts is a fixture that carries huge meaning for both clubs

It is instructive that Thursday evening’s Europa League clash in Bologna could be regarded by Celtic as an inconvenience. Aberdeen hold the Scottish Cup. St Mirren claimed the League Cup in December. Celtic find themselves involved in a title race worthy of the name. In short, domestic dominance is no longer a guarantee.

Much has been said – and screamed – about the flow of poor decision-making that at least has Celtic’s hitherto immovable position in Scotland under threat. There has also been wild exaggeration in respect of the current crop of Celtic and Rangers players being among the worst in living memory. Celtic finished fourth and adrift of Motherwell in successive seasons from 1993. Rangers rattled around unconvincingly in the lower divisions, including a failed attempt to win promotion from the second tier, after their financial meltdown of 2012. The relative weakness of others in Scotland’s top flight is a reasonable point for debate but Old Firm fans have encountered much, much worse than this.

Published: January 24, 2026, 8:00 am

European football: Augsburg fight back to end Bayern Munich’s unbeaten run

• Massengo and Chaves strike late in Bavarian derby

• Mbappé sends Real Madrid top; Nwaneri scores on debut

Strugglers Augsburg scored twice in six minutes late in the second half to come from a goal down and stun hosts Bayern Munich 2-1 in the Bavarian derby on Saturday, the league leaders’ first Bundesliga loss of the season.

The hosts, fresh from securing a Champions League knockout spot with Wednesday’s 2-0 win over Union Saint-Gilloise, took a 23rd-minute lead thanks to Hiroki Ito’s header but lacked any spark up front as Augsburg struck in the 75th and 81st minutes through Arthur Chaves and Han-Noah Massengo to earn their first win in Munich for 11 years.

Published: January 24, 2026, 10:50 pm

Jay Vine recovers from kangaroo crash to win Tour Down Under for second time

• Australian cycling star holds on to lead the hard way

• Kangaroo caused Vine and others to crash during final stage

The Australian cycling star Jay Vine has survived a race crash caused by a kangaroo to win the Tour Down Under for the second time.

Despite losing two more UAE Team Emirates colleagues on Sunday’s last stage, Vine’s commanding lead was enough of a buffer. He also won the event in 2023.

Published: January 25, 2026, 6:51 am

Alcaraz beats Paul and Sabalenka defeats brave Mboko as top seeds march into quarter-finals – as it happened

Alcaraz overcomes spirited Paul to reach quarter-finals without dropping a set

This is the first-ever meeting between Sabalenka and 19-year-old rising star Mboko.

“I think it’s super cool,” Mboko said in the build-up. “I’ve never played a current number one in the world. That’s going to be a very different experience. I assume we’d be playing on Rod Laver, as well. I’ve never played on a Grand Slam centre court either. A lot of firsts. I’m just really excited. It’s something not many people get to experience. To be doing that on Sunday is, I think, really cool. Just to show what I got.”

Published: January 25, 2026, 6:20 am

Carlos Alcaraz overcomes spirited Tommy Paul to reach Australian Open quarter-finals without dropping a set

• World No 1 claims 7-6 (6), 6-4, 7-5 victory over 19th seed

• Alcaraz recovers from slow start to navigate first real test at tournament

Carlos Alcaraz continued to build momentum in his pursuit of the career grand slam as he navigated a slow start and pushed through his first test at the Australian Open to reach the quarter-finals with a 7-6 (6), 6-4, 7-5 win over the 19th seed Tommy Paul.

Alcaraz, the world No 1, has now reached the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park for three consecutive years and this is his first time doing so without dropping a set.

Having already won each of the three other grand slam tournaments twice, he will be attempting to break new ground by reaching the semi-finals of the Australian Open for the first time in his career.

Things were far from easy for Alcaraz, who has played many tough matches with Paul over the past four years, losing to the American twice in their seven meetings.

Published: January 25, 2026, 6:04 am

‘I respect him an awful lot’: Carrick reveals Solskjær backing for Manchester United role

• Former teammate and head coach supports appointment

• Carrick suggests change of strategy for Arsenal test

Michael Carrick has revealed that Ole Gunnar Solskjær has been fully supportive of his appointment as Manchester United’s interim head coach because the Norwegian, who was also interviewed for the role, is a close friend.

The pair were at United together during the 2006-07 season and Carrick was a member of Solskjær’s coaching staff when the Norwegian was first the club’s caretaker manager then a permanent appointment from December 2018 to November 2021.

Published: January 24, 2026, 10:30 pm

Bournemouth 3-2 Liverpool: Premier League – as it happened

Amine Adli struck a last-gasp winner for Bournemouth as Liverpool’s comeback ultimately ended in vain

2 min: Gomez goes long down the line to Salah, who scampers after it but hooks his right-footed cross into the fans behind the goal.

Liverpool get things going in their off-white away kit. The weather is miserable.

Published: January 24, 2026, 7:52 pm

Championship roundup: Boro hammer Preston, Oxford pile pain on Leicester

• Boro close gap on Coventry with 4-0 win at Riverside

• Leicester 1-2 Oxford, Sheffield United 3-1 Ipswich

Kim Hellberg insisted there is more to come from Middlesbrough after they ruthlessly brushed aside Preston 4-0 to close to within three points of leaders Coventry.

Alan Browne scored against the club where he made more than 400 appearances between 2014 and 2024, before Tommy Conway and Morgan Whittaker capitalised on defensive lapses to put Boro three up at half-time. Preston were down to 10 men just after the break when Jordan Storey saw red for hauling down Conway, who completed the scoring as Middlesbrough claimed a fourth successive league win.

Published: January 24, 2026, 7:00 pm

Australian Open 2026: Ruud sinks Cilic, Djokovic ‘stressed’ despite win, Osaka withdraws – as it happened

Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek were among the winners while Naomi Osaka withdrew on a heat-disrupted day

Van de Zandschulp has only been broken once in the tournament himself, so Djokovic is unlikely to get anything for free there.

*Van de Zandschulp 0-1 Djokovic (*denotes next server)

Published: January 24, 2026, 2:02 pm