Day 2 at the Australian Open has seen the local contingent achieve mass success at Melbourne Park, with yet another bumper crowd queueing up as far as the eye could see.

Alex de Minaur was chief among them, having won his first round match against Mackenzie McDonald.

Other Australians to get wins in the opening Round included Storm Hunter, Jordan Thompson, Priscilla Hon, Ajla Tomljanovic and Rinky Hijikata.

Like Day 1, there were also plenty of upsets.

The biggest of them all would be World No.7 Felix Auger-Aliassime, who retired hurt with a cramp in his left leg during his third set against Nuno Borges.

He wouldn't be the only one with fellow countrywoman Marina Stakusic requiring a wheelchair to be escorted off the court following a cramp.

Other seeds knocked out included Emma Navarro (No. 15) and 2020 AO Champion Sophia Kenin (No. 27)

While for the men, Jiri Lehecka (No. 17), Arthur Rinderknech (No. 24), and Brandon Nakashima (No. 27) would all be bounced following their first matches.

It was also days for the veterans, with 2014 Singles Champion Stan Wawrinka and 2018 finalist Marin Cilic progressing into the second round.

There was also news on the civil war front, with Tennis Australia settling with the Professional Tennis Players' Association (PTPA) and a college student who is not going to be able to claim his winnings.

See all the key moments below.

9:09pm - Auger-Aliassime: "I can't recall...cramping this early in a tournament"

Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime has admitted his surprise following his shock exit in the first round.

The World No.7 would retire hurt after the conclusion of the third set against Portugal's Nuno Borges.

The Canadian managed to win the first set 6-3 but then lost the next two (6-4, 6-4) with the cramping beginning to occur during the third.

"I just started cramping at the start of the third set," he said.

"Yeah, it became very difficult to be competitive at this level."

Auger-Aliassime would go on to say he couldn't remember a time when he had this issue occur in a match.

"I can't recall ever in my life (cramping) this early in a tournament, this early in a match."

He wouldn't be the only one who would retire hurt as a result of cramps.

At ANZ Arena, Canadian qualifier Marina Stakusic had to be wheeled off the court in her match against Australian Priscilla Hon as a result of a cramp in her foot.

That would happen towards the end of the third set with the World No. 127 down 3-5 before she made the decision, with Hon consoling her.

8:50pm - Popyrin pops off in the opening set

Alexi Popyrin has started his AO run with a bang!

With the John Cain Arena behind him, the Aussie has stormed to a 6-2 first-set win against France's Alexandre Muller.

His serving game was incredible, having hit 10 aces and won all but one of his first serve points.

Popyrin also produced 17 winners, showing that he is not here to muck around.

Unfortunately the Aussie would go on to lose in five sets.

8:25pm - Hijikata achieves three year first

For the first time since 2023, Rinky Hijikata has claimed a singles win in the Australian Open.

He defeated French veteran Adrian Mannarino in straight sets (6-3, 6-3, 6-1) with the crowd on Court 6.

After a tough second-set battle, which lasted nearly an hour, the Australian found another gear as he nearly bageled his opponent.

Aussie fans will certainly hope that he can replicate his 2023 US Open run when he made it all the way to the last 16.

7:46pm - Tomljanovic continues third set procession

After being a set down, Ajla Tomljanovic gets a much-needed match win.

Having won the second set, her Ukrainian opponent, Yullia Starodubtseva, required a medical timeout, with the Australian pouncing on that fact.

She won the first two games before the World No. 110 got a game of her own.

But following that, Tomljanovic did not relent as she reeled off the next four games in the set to claim victory.

She wasn't able to win on her first or second match point opportunity, but the third time proved to be the charm with Starodubtseva slicing it into the net.

It's now the third time in a row that Tomljanovic has made the second round of the Australian Open.

She'll face Romania's Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the Round of 64. She has just come off beating the No. 26 Dayana Yastremska.

7:19pm - Tomljanovic gets an important break

Ajla Tomljanovic is holding her own here at John Cain Arena.

Against Ukrainian qualifier Yuliia Starodubtseva, she started off poorly losing the first set 6-4, with the qualifier's forehand helping her immensily.

But Tomljanovic would use that loss as a great motivator, proceeding to break Starodubtseva's serve twice to take a 3-0 lead.

The Aussie would let the World No. 110 back into the game but won the tie break to go the distance.

And the 32-year-old has claimed the first two games of the third and final set.

The Australian Open has not been a happy hunting ground for the Croatian-born Australian.

She has never been able to progress beyond the second round at the tournament.

6:41pm - AO continues to set attendance records

Tennis Australia has confirmed an attendance of 68,687 people going through the turnstiles for the day session on the 2nd day of the tournament.

This is the highest crowd the Australian Open has had on the first Monday, with this crowd beating last year's record of 59,621.

6:15pm - Jones can't keep up with Canadian phenom

Another Aussie has unfortunately been eliminated from the Aus Open, with Emerson Jones being eliminated from the women's singles draw.

The 17-year-old has had her singles campaign ended at the hands of No. 17 seed Victoria Mboko 6-4, 6-1.

Jones was given a wildcard into the main draw, having been a former junior World No. 1 and has shown plenty of promise to be Australia's next big hope in the Tennis space.

This definitely won't be the last time we see her on the court here at Melbourne Park.

5:20pm - Courier criticises Zheng situation

Tennis legend Jim Courier has slammed the ridiculous college rules which could prevent Australian Open giant killer Michael Zheng from an enormous payday.

The US sensation who came through three qualifying matches to secure a singles berth last week before ousting Seb Korda on day one is set to collect a minimum of $225,000 for his efforts.

But bizarre regulations in America may force the 21-year-old, who is still studying his psychology degree at Colombia University, to leave $215k on the table because contractually college players cannot win more than $10k in any calendar year.

“It makes no sense,” Courier said on Channel 9 when asked about the scenario Zheng is facing.

“He has earned it and he should keep it.

“It makes no sense, it doesn’t, and logic will prevail. We have a lot of issues in America, that’s one of them.”

Zheng now faces the tough decision of whether to turn pro or risk missing out on this substantial cheque.

“I feel like it’s gotten blurrier than it used to be in some ways in terms of the line between turning pro and staying in college,” he said after his victory over Korda.

“I still have one more semester at Columbia, which I do intend to finish. So whenever my run here is done, I’m going back to school.

“I’ll talk to our head coach, try to figure out what’s the deal with the prize money, if I’m allowed to take it or not.

“I’ll try to figure that out after the tournament’s over, I think.

“I’ve heard rumours that I’m allowed to take it because it’s my senior spring.

“But I want to make sure to double check, make sure there’s nothing wrong with eligibility if I take it. I don’t want to get in trouble or anything.

“I’ll talk to our head coach, and I’ll try to figure that out after.”

Following his win against Korda, Zheng faces off against Frenchman Corentin Moutet in the Second Round.

4:55pm - Vukic's singles campaign concludes

Aleksandar Vukic has now become the first Australian to be knocked out on Day 2 at the Australian Open.

The New South Welshman was beaten comfortably and soundly by Argentina's Thiago Agustin Tirante in straight sets (7-5, 6-2, 6-2) out on ANZ Arena (formerly Showcourt 3).

Having been unable to break Tirante's serve throughout the match, victory was improbable.

And with 34 unforced errors from Vukic to Tirante's 15, it became impossible.

4:43pm - Thompson continues Aussie success

The Aussies are certainly making the most of their opportunities on Day 2 at the Australian Open.

Jordan Thompson has become the fourth Australian today to progress into the second round with a four-set win against Juan Manuel Cerundolo out on 1573 Arena.

It was a tight opening two sets between the World No. 111 and the Argentine with Cerundolo winning the first in a tie break before Thompson equalled in the second, winning 7-5.

But from there, the Sydney-born right hander was exceptional, winning the third and fourth sets 6-1.

4:20pm - Hunter reflects on opening round win

Storm Hunter has opened up on her First Round win at the Australian Open saying that her win against Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro means everything to her.

Following her third round apperance in 2024, the 31-year-old would tear her achilles months after her amazing run.

Reflecting on her win, the World No. 367 said he felt so much joy being able to come back and win.

Hunter: "Yeah, it means everything to be winning singles matches here in Melbourne.

"I feel like I have had a very up-and-down career, a lot of injuries in my career from when I was 18.

"You know, when I made the third round in 2024, I finally felt like that was my time. I was sitting at career-high ranking, really thought I was going to crack the top 100.

"Then obviously with my Achilles, that was the most heartbreaking thing I've ever gone through in my life, missing Olympics, missing the chance.

To come back from an Achilles rupture, I don't know anyone who has done it in tennis. We didn't have any, I guess, plans, return-to-play plans to go through, so it was kind of a let's see how we go.

"I'm really lucky that I had really good people around me to help me with my rehab to get back.

"Even when I did come back, I definitely felt like I was not at the level that I was at previously, and that took me six months to kind of feel like, okay, let's try and get better on a singles court.

"I really truly didn't think I'd be able to be moving how I'm moving in these matches here in Melbourne, and that's why I felt so much joy, because, you know, you don't know when you're going to get the chance to play on these courts again in front of big crowds.

2:45pm - Star leaves in a wheelchair

Aussie wildcard Priscilla Hon has made it through the second round after her opponent Marina Statkusic was forced to retire hurt.

The Canadian struggled with cramps throughout the clash, and, with Hon set to serve for the match, it all became too much.

Statkusic fell to the floor in agony and required a wheelchair to leave the court with Hon holding her opponent's leg straight as she departed.

It's definitely not the way she would have wanted the match to finish.

It's one of three incidents to force players into a premature end on day two with England’s Francesca Jones bowing out at 2-6 2-3 down on Court 15, while men's seventh seed Felix Auger-Aliassime retired at 3-6 6-4 6-4.

“I can’t recall (cramping) ever in my life this early in a tournament, this early in a match,” Auger-Aliassime said.

“I don’t have all the answers, I’m trying to be very professional at everything I do, prepare well. I love this sport, and I love to play. So I try to do everything I can in my control to get ready.

"It wasn’t happening in the past, so I’ll have to figure it out. I don’t like to be on the court that way. I want to be on the court winning."

2:20pm - De Minaur starts hot

It's a dream start for Alex de Minaur out on Rod Laver Arena.

In the space of 30 minutes he has claimed the first set 6-2 with opponent Mackenzie McDonald making too unforced errors.

Demon wins it with an ace and is showing plenty of confidence in his game as noted by Channel 9's Todd Woodbridge.

Woodbridge: "He nails that one."

"It’s so hard to win a point against him, he makes you play one, two, three extra shots."

"Alex using the weapons he has. He’s using his speed to chase thigs down no matter what is being thrown at him he has the answers."

"As his opponent you have to work so hard against him. McKenzie is up against a brick wall, he's playing a better version of himself."

FAN FURY

The Australian Open risks being undone by its own success with insane queues to get into day two of the tournament leaving fans furious.

73,000 fans flooded in for a record-breaking day one on Sunday and that number looks under threat already on day two, but the accessibility has become a nightmare.

By 10:45am on Monday morning the queue for access at Garden Square was already snaking up the ramp to the overpass bridge and back towards the MCG with few officials on hand to assist with redirection of queries.

Trams were unable to open their doors to let patrons off at the various stations around the precinct owing to the standstill queues that were still on the platform.

So have they overcooked the ground passes for 2026? Or is this a lesson to attendees to arrive earlier and plan ahead?

“It’s trench warfare with the ground pass. All bets are off," Sam Edmund said on SEN Breakfast.

“It’s almost oversubscribed. I know the F1 had the same battle when it came to their ground pass. When does it reach the tipping point of maximising revenue – which they have to do - and ruining crowd experience. I reckon they’re just about there if not over it at the tennis."

Even Channel 9 – the official broadcast partner - was their lead item last night (on the news) which you would expect but it had a slightly negative element which I found interesting.

Credit to them, there is pressure as a rights holder for an event you’re supposed to be on their side of the net but they crossed it, briefly and pointedly.

1:45pm - DE MINAUR TAKES TO THE COURT

The Demon is just moments away from beginning his AO26 campaign with the World No.6 having just entered Rod Laver Arena.

He was initially scheduled to play Italian and former AO semi-finalist Matteo Berrettini.

But, he would be unable to take his place following an oblique (lower abdomen) injury on the eve of the main draw.

He now faces lucky loser Mackenzie McDonald, with the Australian having a 2-0 record against the American.

While he gets an easier opponent in Round 1, his path still remains difficult as he hopes to become the first Australian male since Llyeton Hewitt to make the AO semi-finals.

1pm - HUNTER CLAIMS ROUND 1 SCALP

Hunter by name and Hunter by nature.

Aussie Qualifier Storm Hunter has progressed into the second round with a 6-4 6-4 victory over Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro out on Kia Arena.

She was able to really to make the match her own with her ability to win points on her second serve helping get her over the line.

She now faces American Hailey Baptiste in the second round as Hunter looks to repeat her third round efforts from 2024.

8:44am NO BIG PAYDAY

Spare a thought for Michael Zheng.

The two-time NCAA champion, who came though three qualifying matches to reach the main draw of the Australian Open before ousting Seb Korda on day one, is unlikely to be able to claim his prizemoney.

The 21-year-old is a psychology major at Colombia University in the USA and opted not to turn professional on the tour until he finished his degree.

College rules dictate that athletes can only earn a maximum of $10,000 a year.

So far, Zheng is entitled to $150,000 in winnings.

He said: “I feel like it’s gotten blurrier than it used to be in some ways in terms of the line between turning pro and staying in college.

“I still have one more semester at Columbia, which I do intend to finish. So whenever my run here is done, I’m going back to school.

“I’ll talk to our head coach, try to figure out what’s the deal with the prize money, if I’m allowed to take it or not.

“I’ll try to figure that out after the tournament’s over, I think.

“I’ve heard rumours that I’m allowed to take it because it’s my senior spring.

“But I want to make sure to double check, make sure there’s nothing wrong with eligibility if I take it. I don’t want to get in trouble or anything.

“I’ll talk to our head coach, and I’ll try to figure that out after.”

7:30am TA PAYOUT IN CIVIL WAR

This update from The First Serve:

In November, The First Serve explained Tennis Australia's push to break away from the other three Grand Slams in an effort to settle a lawsuit filed by the PTPA against multiple governing bodies, including the ATP and WTA, for matters such as player welfare and prize money.

Then, at the end of 2025, TA issued a public statement to confirm that an agreement had been reached to settle a lawsuit with the PTPA.

"Tennis Australia today confirmed it has reached agreement to settle the class action lawsuit filed in New York District Court earlier this year, without admitting any liability or wrongdoing. The settlement remains subject to final documentation and court approval processes.

"The plaintiffs' lawyers have applied to the court to continue the stay of proceedings against Tennis Australia while settlement documentation is completed.

"Early resolution allows Tennis Australia to focus entirely on delivering an outstanding Australian summer of tennis and continuing to invest in the growth of our sport."

Nearly four weeks later, the PTPA provided an update on the settlement arrangement.

"The Professional Tennis Players Association and Player Plaintiffs have secured an early-stage settlement with Tennis Australia. The agreement provides invaluable consultation on the future of the tennis industry and litigation cooperation, strengthening our case. The settlement demonstrates the merits of our claims and signals that the remaining Defendants may find it in their interest to engage promptly with reform," the statement read.

"Our lawsuit challenges a broken system artificially suppressing player compensation, dictating punishing schedules, enforcing restrictive participation requirements, and limiting sponsorship opportunities. This systematic suppression stifles growth, innovation, and fairness across tennis.

"Players at every level recognise the current system fails them. They also recognise reform benefits everyone: players, tournaments, sponsors, fans, and the sport itself.

"Our legal case is backed by comprehensive funding sufficient to last through trial. We have the resources, leadership, strategy, and resolve to prove professional tennis has engaged in unlawful restraints of trade, violating antitrust law.

"History shows transformative change in professional sports comes through sustained pressure on anticompetitive structures. The window for reform is now. The choice is stark: shape the future or defend a hopelessly problematic and entangled cartel.

"The PTPA calls on all stakeholders to support comprehensive reform. This is a generational opportunity to reshape professional tennis for the better."