The Australian Open is the first Grand Slam of the year, taking place on the hard courts at Melbourne Park in Australia from Jan. 20 until Feb. 2.
Although the Australian Open is typically referred to as “The Happy Slam,” since it is the first tournament of the tennis calendar, the Melbourne skyline was hidden in smoke and the fireworks were cancelled due to the fires that have taken over Australia.
When the Australian Open began last week, the air in Melbourne was hazardous and some players explained that their chests felt tight as they ran across the court. Many players also shared images of rescue workers and animals that were being cared to, along with links to highlight relief efforts.
Although the air was heavy with smoke, the decision by tournament officials was to allow play to continue.
In Men’s Singles, Roger Federer beat Tennys Sandgren to qualify for the semi-finals of the 2020 Australian Open. There was a lot of drama in this match as the American, Sandgren, was accidentally run into by a ballgirl and hit in the knee.
He was still able to play the rest of the match and Federer came back, risking defeat in the fourth set, to win at the tie-break. He will face Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals, who came out victorious in his match against Milos Raonic. Djokovic won in straight sets for the fourth straight match, helping him advance to the semifinal round as he tries to defend his Australian Open title.
Dominic Thiem defeated world No. 1, Rafael Nadal, on Wednesday to secure a semifinal spot against Alexander Zverev. Thiem won in four riveting sets and will play in his first Grand Slam semifinal. Nadal was hoping to match Federer’s men’s record of 20 major singles titles and could also lose his No. 1 ranking to Djokovic, who would be able to reclaim it by winning the title.
The Women’s matches have also been exciting to watch. Ashleigh Barty, world No. 1, has reached her first Australian Open semifinal after beating Petra Kvitova. Barty could be the first Australian woman to win a singles title at the Australian Open since 1978, creating some pressure as she competes on her home stage. Barty is facing off against the American, Sofia Kenin, in the semifinal round.
Simona Halep also takes on Garbine Muguruza in the semifinal round. Muguruza is unseeded but beat the No. 30 seed to advance to the semifinals. Halep and Muguruza have both been ranked No. 1 in the world and have won two Grand Slam singles titles. Muguruza won at Roland Garros in 2016 and Wimbledon in 2017, while Halep won the French Open in 2018 and at Wimbledon last summer.
It will be exciting to see who ends up making it to the Final round for both Men and Women. Djokovic could be in a position to defend his title after winning the Australian Open last year and Barty could be the first Australian woman to win the Open since 1978. The Finals will be played this weekend on Saturday, Feb. 1 and Sunday, Feb. 2.