Sloan Stephens has accused the media of calling her 'flat' on court as she hit out at reporters after she beat Daria Kasatkina in Round 2 in Melbourne.

By Nick Mulvenney MELBOURNE (Reuters) -Aryna Sabalenka opened her bid for a third straight Australian Open title with a 6-3 6-2 victory over Sloane Stephens on Sunday after rain had washed away a good chunk of play on the opening day at Melbourne Park.

Aryna Sabalenka has started her bid to become the first woman in a quarter-century to win three consecutive Australian Open titles with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over 2017 U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens.

Madison Keys said on Wednesday she was "really, really proud" to be back in the Australian Open semifinals, 10 years after she first made the last four at Melbourne Park.

Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka extended her Australian Open winning streak to 15 matches on a rain-soaked opening day at Melbourne Park. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

Jannik Sinner will try to put a doping scandal behind him when he kicks off his Australian Open defence against Nicolas Jarry, while Aryna Sabalenka's bid for a hat-trick of titles starts on Sunday against Sloane Stephens.

Aryna Sabalenka powered past Sloane Stephens to begin her quest for a third consecutive Australian Open crown yesterday with Zheng Qinwen and Casper Ruud also winning as storms caused havoc on day one of the Grand Slam.

Iga Swiatek drops just three games as she breezes past Emma Navarro to set up an Australian Open semi-final against Madison Keys.

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus reacts while playing against Sloane Stephens of the United States during the first round on Day 1 of the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 12, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia (Photo by Robert Prange/Getty Images ...

(AP Photo/Vincent Thian) Sloane Stephens of the U.S. plays a forehand ... She won her first major championship at Melbourne Park in 2023, then added another last January, before raising her ...

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP ... eliminating 2017 U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens 6-3, 6-2 on Sunday night in just 71 minutes. Sabalenka is seeded No. 1 at a Grand Slam tournament for the ...

Hope for an All-American semifinal remains, but will require an Emma Navarro upset of five-time Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek.