Naomi Osaka's WTF "jellyfish" moment goes viral

Talk about making sure everyone knows you've arrived.

Naomi Osaka's entrance to Rod Laver made the Serena Williams catsuit look like childsplay on Tuesday night as she walked onto Rod Laver Arena in the most extravagant outfit tennis may have ever seen.

The hat, he umbrella, the veil and the pants. You could not look away.

Forget Bethanie Mattek Sands, Serena and Maria Sharapova, Osaka has hit new levels of "extra-ness".

Asked about the inspiration, the 28-year-old said: "I grew up with the G.O.A.T.s of style, Serena, Venus, Sharapova. People don't talk about her enough, but Bethanie Mattek-Sands, too. She made it work with what she had.

"I think it all comes down to personality, too. I don't expect someone that's really reserved to freaking put a veil on their head and go out and play their match.

"But I think people, I don't know, you see bits of personality. I've seen people with bows in their hair. I think like that's always going to be the first step into something.

"I realise I'm a little strange because I don't really think I care. Like, for me, I just feel like I want to do things that, like, create joy and happiness."

Asked about the design she added: "Yeah, so the inspiration was obviously the jellyfish, then butterflies, which kind of ties back to the butterfly moment I had here a long time ago, in 2021.

"Yeah, no, honestly it came together quite beautifully because I didn't know what to expect when I arrived here.

"Then it just felt like everywhere I looked the theme was water. Obviously the walkout was like you see oceans and waves. I thought that it was really beautiful. Really amazing coincidence."

In her three set win over Antonia Ruzic was she ever worried making an entrance like that and losing might be a little...embarrassing?

"You have like hopes and dreams, but also there's some things that are out of my control," she said.

"I almost feel like I've learned that if I have that fear, it comes true more. When I was playing today, I just told myself, like, Keep your head on the path. If she beats you, then that's unfortunate. But hey, at least you're trending."

Day 3 of the Australian Open has seen reigning champions Jannik Sinner and Madison Keys begin their title defences with wins to see them progress into the second round.

Both would only need two sets, with Sinner's opponent, Hugo Gaston, retiring during their match, looking visibly distraught.

On the Australian front, top-seeded woman Maya Joint has seen her singles campaign come to a halt following a straight-sets loss to Tereza Valentova.

While the No. 30 seed struggled, other Aussies such as Dane Sweeny and Taylah Preston both achieved their first-ever Grand Slam singles wins.

And off the court, Naomi Osaka has turned heads online with her pre-match uniform, garnering plenty of conversation and opinion.

See all the big moments below.

Jannik Sinner begins AO defence with early finish

The two-time reigning champion is not resting on his laurels as he begins his defence of the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup.

The World No. 2 was dominant in his first two sets, winning 6-2, 6-1, before his opponent, Hugo Gaston, would retire hurt following what appears to be some sort of injury.

You can see how hurt the Frenchman is with his hands across his face as he tries to hide his distraught look.

And that would leave SEN Tennis' Mark Woodforde feeling rather sorry for him.

Woodforde: "Hard to really gauge (Sinner's performance) with that, especially with Gaston (and his injury)."

"You've got to feel sorry for that guy. He is an entertainer, and it was somewhat of a muted performance by him.

9:23pm: Duckworth sends match into deciding set

James Duckworth is not going down without a fight!

After losing the third set 6-1 to Croatia's Dino Prizmic, the wildcard has turned the tide by winning the fourth set 7-5.

We're now locked at two sets apiece with the Aussie having won the first game of the deciding set.

If he can, a date with Jannik Sinner in the second round awaits.

8:56pm: Osaka turning heads with pre-match outfit

She has always been one to set trends with her fashion on the tennis court.

And tonight is no different, with Naomi Osaka donning a unique pre-match outfit.

With a white hat and brim obscuring her face alongside an umbrella and veil, the two-time AO Champion will certainly have plenty of people talking.

Looks like it might be a nod to her Japanese roots with the umbrella looking rather similar to what's known as a "wagasa" which is the umbrella that geishas use.

8:44pm: Boulter sent out in straight sets

Against the World No. 10 Belinda Bencic, former British No. 1 and Alex de Minaur's fiancée Katie Boulter has been beaten in the space of 87 minutes.

She was on the backfoot throughout the match after being bagelled in the first set.

And while the second set was better, Boulter was unable to get ahead of the Swiss No. 1, seeing her lose 7-5 on Margaret Court Arena.

8:00pm: Duckworth up against it on Court 6

After a positive start, James Duckworth will now have to win the remaining two sets if he has any chance to make the Round of 64.

Against Lucky Loser Dino Prizmic, the New South Welshman appears to be on the ropes, having lost his last two sets (6-3, 6-1) with the Croatian recovering from his eight double faults in the opener.

7:40pm: Pat Rafter slams player pay demands

Australian Tennis legend Pat Rafter has criticised players asking for more money following a record-breaking prize pool being offered at the Australian Open.

The prize pool for the 2026 Australian Open has increased by 16%, which now sees it sit at $111.5 million.

However, some players believe that they should be entitled to a bigger share of the pie, with Alex de Minaur saying during his press conference that he wants to see players get better compensation.

But the former US Open champion thinks that it is unwarranted.

“It's not warranted,” he told News Corp.

“The guys are getting paid really well, and the money keeps going up every year. The tournaments take a risk every year, and they’re the ones putting the money up and finding the money, so they’ve got to have some upside as well.

“Most of the tournaments throughout the year don’t make money. This one makes a truckload. But at the same time, they (the tournament) put all this infrastructure in, and they (the players) are still getting paid really well.

“How much money do you want?

"To me, I’m not a fan of it. I’m just not happy listening to it.”

7:18pm: Monfils says au revoir to Melbourne Park

In his final match at Melbourne Park, Gael Monfils has delivered a heartfelt tribute to those in attendance.

Monfils: “My journey started in 2003 with you guys when I came here (for the) first time,” he said.

“Now we are (in) 2026, and somehow it is the finish line.

“Thank you so much for this amazing ride, you guys have been unbelievable.

“I’ve got a lot of great memories here, a couple of big battles, quarters, fourth rounds, even today, which was almost four hours.”

6:57pm: Great Dane claims First Round victory

Dane Sweeny has won his first EVER Grand Slam singles victory.

Having come through the qualifying route, the 24-year-old who was born in Penrith has defeated Frenchman Gael Monfils in four sets (6-7, 7-5, 6-4, 7-5) at Kia Arena, which is proving to be a happy hunting ground for many Australians during this tournament.

You can see how much it means to Sweeny as he hits the floor with some disbelief that he is accomplished this feat.

It's also somewhat bittersweet as it will be the last time that Monfils will play at Melbourne Park after 21 years since his first main draw appearance on the old green courts.

And in a rare act which just shows how well loved the Frenchman is, the former World No.6 was handed the mic as he was able to thank the packed out court.

6:32pm: AO sets yet another attendance record

It's another day, and it's another attendance record for the Australian Open.

Tennis Australia has confirmed that there have been 61,578 people in attendance for the day's session.

That is the highest amount for a first Tuesday since 2020.

6:13pm: Sweeny getting closer to a big win

After losing the first set, Dane Sweeny has stepped up his game to now be leading two sets to one against Frenchman Gael Monfils.

The former World No. 6 has not been at his best, having made 61 unforced errors over the match so far.

And the qualifier from Penrith has made the most of it with various breaks of serve.

5:20pm Oliynykova explains her use of face tattoo

The Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova has explained why she had a rather unique look on court.

The World No. 92 made her Grand Slam singles debut on Rod Laver Arena when she faced defending AO champion Madison Keys.

She got off to an impressive start as she won her first four games, leaving many wondering if she could pull off an upset, but she proceeded to lose in straight sets.

But her performance wasn’t the only thing that had people looking twice. Walking out onto the main court, she was seen wearing a plethora of face tattoos, which Oliynykova wore during the match.

When asked if there was any meaning behind her unique choice, the Ukrainian said that the idea came to life at the US Open.

“It’s a temporary tattoo,” she explained.

“It doesn't have meaning because I just got some fun idea at the US Open. I was going shopping, and I saw this face tattoo.

“And then I started to change them. I played with stars, with hearts, and now it’s flowers.

“So yeah, it’s part of the style, and maybe you saw (that) it was matching the outfit and the courts as well.

“Blue dress, blue flowers (and) blue court.”

She has certainly left quite the impression in her maiden Slam.

5:06pm: Russian extends Aus Open streak to a decade

He may have been required to go the distance to retain it, but Karen Khachanov has held his nerve to make the second round.

He managed to beat American Alex Michelsen in a nearly four-hour battle (4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3) on John Cain Arena.

That means he has won all 10 of his first-round singles matches he has been involved with at the AO.

The No. 15 seed is not the only one that accomplished this feat on the men's side in this year's Australian Open.

Alexander Zverev did the same following his victory over Canada's Gabriel Diallo.

22-TIME GRAND SLAM CHAMPION SET TO RETURN TO AO

Rafa Nadal has announced he is returning to the Australian Open for the first time in three years.

The 22-time grand slam winner, who retired at the end of the 2024 season, is set to fly Down under and help celebrate a momentous occasion with Tennis Australia.

“Hello everybody, I am very excited that thanks to Kia and to celebrate their 25 years with the Australian Open, I will be coming to Australia," he said in a video on Instagram.

"I am happy because I have missed Aussie fans a lot that I have not seen in person and real life since 2023. I really hope to share some great moments together on February 1st in the Kia Arena for the Night of Legends.

"I can't wait for this moment. See you soon."

Nadal won the Australian Open twice, 13 years apart.

The first title came in 2009 and the second was an incredible run to the final in 2022.

4:16pm: O'CONNELL RESPONDS WITH A TIEBREAK OF HIS OWN

Aussie Chris O'Connell is now one set away from making it through to the second round.

After losing the second set tie break (7-9) to American qualifier Nishesh Basavareddy, the World No. 118 has returned the favour by winning the third set tie break (7-3).

In all honesty, O'Connell shouldn't have let it get to this stage after being up 5-2, but he still found a way to get the job done.

3:00pm: MCENROE: WHY NOVAK WILL NOT WIN 11TH AUS OPEN CROWN

Novak Djokovic’s chances of an 11th Australian Open title have been written off by legend John McEnroe.

The former world No 1 and 24-time Grand Slam winner eased through his opening round clash against Spain's Pedro Martinez, winning 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 victory, but it’s what awaits the Serbian at the pointy end of the tournament that’s got McEnroe worried.

Despite victory over Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz in last year’s edition of the grand slam, McEnroe can’t see Djokovic beating him or Jannik Sinner this time around.

At 38-years-old, it’s a stretch too far for the star.

"In his heart of hearts and in my opinion, no," the American said when asked about Djokovic’s hopes of a dream run in Melbourne.

"I don't think he can beat both of those guys when he has already had to go through five matches - that's the problem.

“That's the reality he has talked about."

Djokovic’s opening round clash in Melbourne was his first competitive match since October.

He was forced to withdraw from his Aus Open warm-up tournament as well saying his body was not ready.

So why is he still playing?

"A lot of people might think, 'Why are you still going at this point, you haven't won in a couple of years and you are so used to winning?' Why not, would be the question?",” McEnroe added.

Next up for Djokovic is Italian qualifier Francesco Maestrelli.

2:10pm: NO. 12 SEED READY TO FORFEIT AO, IF CALLED UPON

Norway's Casper Ruud could see his Australian Open end early should he get a life-changing call.

The No. 12 seed, with his wife Maria, is expecting to have their first child any day now, which could see him depart the tournament even if he is still contending.

Following his first round victory over Italian Mattia Bellucci at Margaret Court Arena on Monday, the three-time Grand Slam singles finalist will make sure that he is in attendance for the birth.

"I have to thank Maria for letting me go in the first place. I know she's at home resting, getting ready (for the birth)," he said post-game.

"If she goes into labour, I probably won't be here the next day.

"But that's the way it goes. There's more to life than just tennis, but I'm going to be here for as long as I can and as long as Maria lets me."

1:54pm: AUSSIE WILDCARD CLAIMS OPENING SET

In his first main draw match of 2026, Aussie Chris O'Connell has gotten off to a good start at ANZ Arena.

Having been given a wildcard entry into the tournament, the 31-year-old is making the most as he wins the opening set 6-4 against his American opponent, Nishesh Basavareddy.

Basavareddy has a chance to break with the set at 3-2, but O'Connell recovered the opportunity.

And when given the chance to break when both were tied on four games apiece, the Aussie took it with both hands with some solid forehand winners.

He previously advanced to the third round of the men's singles here at Melbourne Park in 2022.

12:48pm: MAYA JOINT CRASHES OUT IN STRAIGHT SETS

After plenty of success on the Australian front on Day 2, things have started poorly on Day 3.

Australia's highest-ranked female player in singles, Maya Joint, has been knocked out in straight sets by the Czech Republic's Tereza Valentova (6-4, 6-4) at John Cain Arena.

The No.30 seed struggled to build any momentum during the match with only 58% of her returns landing in, compared to Valentova's 81%.

The 19-year-old hasn't had the smoothest start to 2026, having missed Australia's opening match in the United Cup due to illness but still managed to progress to the quarters at Adelaide.

However, she now finds herself out of the Australian Open in the first round for a second year running.

12:34pm: AUSSIE WILDCARD NABS FIRST GRAND SLAM WIN

And another Aussie woman gets it done out on Kia Arena.

Following Storm Hunter and Talia Gibson winning their first round match, Taylah Preston has secured her spot in the second round.

It's the first time that the 20-year-old has done so at a Grand Slam as she defeated China's Shuai Zhang 6-3, 2-6, 6-3.

12pm: STAR'S EXPLOSIVE CLAIMS ON PUTIN AND RUSSIAN PLAYERS

Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova has unleashed on the WTA and ITF for allowing Russian players to continue to play on the tour despite the ongoing war between the two nations.

Oliynykova, who opened her Aus Open campaign against Madison Keys, accused Russian players on the tour of supporting Putin, paying for drones and being different personalities behind the scenes.

“I’m absolutely not OK with this decision,” she said when asked by Bounces how she felt about Russian players still being on tour. “I strongly believe these players should be disqualified like in other sports. I think it’s very sad that people are losing attention because this is a long war; of course they are not doing research.

“When they see here a (Russian) player, they see just—if we will talk about WTA players—girls playing tennis. And it all looks fun: nice dresses, they’re filming some TikToks, making posts on Instagram, and they look like normal girls. And people don’t feel like these people are dangerous.

“But actually, if you research, you will find that many of them are supporting Putin or Lukashenko—and this is something which is super easy to find.

“And I was trying to speak about this a lot; maybe now when I will get more attention, maybe people will hear it. Because many of them are not the people that they’re showing on the TV or on the tennis courts. Because behind it, there are some really horrible things, and it’s not OK that people are ignoring this.

“Because their opinions, and the things they are doing, they are dangerous. These players are one of the reasons why my apartment was shaking before I came here. And now I’m here and I see, like, the same kind of treatment for me and for them.

“I mean, they paid for the Shahed drones. They supported the fact that their army is doing this— and it’s not OK. And now we are absolutely not in the same condition, and this is their mistake as well.”

Athletes in numerous other sports have been excluded from competition since Vladimir Putin invaded the Ukraine in 2022, but tennis has maintained participation for the most part.

Wimbledon famously banned Russian and Belarusian athletes form the 2023 edition but has since aligned with other slams and event which prevent both nationalities form displaying national flags and symbols.

11:10am AUSSIE CRITICISES OWN "EGOTISTIC" COMMENTS

It’s been almost four years since Daria Kasatkina called out Vladimir Putin, publicly opposed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and came out as gay.

Her brave comments drew enormous praise from around the world and ultimately led to her switching allegiances in 2025 and becoming an Australian citizen.

Reflecting on the interview she gave to a Russian YouTuber in 2022, the world No 43 says she was egotistic to have made the comments and now carries a level of guilt for the impact it has had on her family.

“In some way, it was quite egoistic,” Kasatkina, who now lives in Melbourne, told the UK Telegraph. “My mum and my father, they’re on pensions, so it would be very difficult for them to switch countries.”

The 28-year-old goes on to explain why she felt the time was right to share her frustrations while so many others from her home country stayed silent.

“As Russian athletes, particularly tennis players, we ended up at a situation where every press conference was about the same thing,” she said. “It’s a very difficult topic to discuss, and not everybody is ready to say anything.

“Not just athletes, but most of the people, they know almost nothing about the political situation. But I just felt that I had to do it. It was bothering me for a long time. Still, I’m not judging the people who decide to stay quiet. I mean, it’s their choice. I cannot judge them.”

Life has been up and down for Kasatkina since her defection. She was forced to end her 2025 season early having reached “breaking point”.

“After this switch, I would say that the stress actually increased a little bit, because it’s a big change,” she said. “But then, gradually, it slowed down.

“After my break I was able to manage my mental state, and figure out a lot of things, which helped me a lot. Now I’m in a much better place than a couple of months ago, and I’m super happy. I can say that my decision was 100 per cent right.”

9:54am AUSSIE LABELLED 'MOST FRUSTRATING PLAYER OF ALL"

Australia's Alexei Popyrin has been labelled the "most frustrating player" on tour after his five set defeat in the opening round of the Australian Open.

The 26-year-old, who last ear reached a career high ranking of 19th in the world, has struggled to find consistent form in recent months with his early departure in Melbourne adding to first round losses in Brisbane and Adelaide this month.

Defeat to Alexandre Muller on Monday was a huge blow for the Aussie who said he needs to have a serious think about his future in the sport.

One man that has followed his journey up close is SEN's Brett Phillips who believes if Popyrin pulled things together he would actually be a better player than compatriot and world No 6 Alex de Minaur.

Lamenting Popyrin's loss on a day whihc saw six Aussies progress to the second round, Phillips said: "Could have been seven if it was not for the capitulation of Alexei Popyrin.

"He’s my most frustrating tennis player. You see the talent but gee it’s a yo-yo. He can get up – we were in awe of his first set last night.

"If he could play like this all the time he could be a world beater…if he could all come together he would be better than De Minaur. But it’s the concentration lapses and the brain fades, the ability not to engage.

"That's the simple difference with Alex top 10 and Alexei 60-ish in the world.

"I’ve always associated with Alexei, he doesn’t appear to have that real grit, he wont dig deep like Alex who plays every game like it’s his last. Pound for pound he (Popyrin) is more talented but doesn’t have the same heart.

"He will just become one of those players that sits in the top 100, living a pretty good life but won’t fulfil the talent they have got.

"They will be happy to be third round or there abouts. Alex talks like a winner, he wants to raise the bar, hes not here to make up numbers. The difference in mind set is so stark to me."

9am CULT HERO BRINGS OPEN TO STANDSTILL

There were insane scenes at the Australian Open on Monday with queues to watch a world No 49 bringing the grand slam to a standstill.

Court 6 had a huge security presence on day two of the tournament as Filipino sensation Alexandra Eala made her way out for her opening round clash.

Thousands of fans were turned away from the court with an incredible video shared on social media showing just how long the queue was to catch a glimpse of the 20-year-old who was up against American Alycia Parks.

“I walked out to her court, there was security stopping people on a walk way,” Brett Phillips told SEN Breakfast. “It’s phenomenal.

“She’s become cult figure. She beat Swiatek last year. She is putting Philippine tennis on the map. She will inspire a nation.

“She was walking through the crowd with about 10 security around her. She’s a rockstar.” While the result didn’t go her way, Eala was over whelmed with her support.

"It was so heart-warming," Eala told her post-match media conference.

"That's one of the things that makes a loss like today a little bit harder as I know a lot of people were rooting for me.

"The fact that everyone came out and really squeezed into that cosy court, I really appreciate it. "I felt so loved. Even when I was 5-2 down in the third, I still felt the love. So I'm really appreciative and super thankful."

Her rise to cult hero figure was kick-started by an incredible run at last year’s Miami Open where she beat Iga Świątek, Madison Keys and Jeļena Ostapenko on her way to the semi-finals.