Quick Served: Australian Open Day 12

Kim Clijsters joins the show for a Novak debate and the women's semis recap

Jan 29, 2026

Welcome back, Kim Clijsters! Our Love All host took a break from shoveling snow in New Jersey to debate Andy on Novak Djokovic’s verbal bout with a reporter this week. Then Clijsters brought her perspective on playing big hitters to our women’s semifinal analysis. Only on Served.

See what Andy has to say about Djokovic’s brawler mentality that was on display in his testy exchange with a reporter.

📝 Programming note: Techy Sean will host the live chat tonight starting at 8 p.m. EST.

Watch Quick Served Day 12 on YouTube

Women’s Semifinals Recaps

Aryna Sabalenka [1] and Elena Rybakina [5] set up a rematch of their heavyweight 2023 final, won by Sabalenka. Both smothered their opponents with power and precision, with the exception of one epic set.

It’s the first time neither finalist has dropped a set since 2008 Wimbledon with the Williams sisters.

Aryna Sabalenka [1] def. Elina Svitolina [12] 6–2, 6–3

An early hindrance call for grunting didn’t faze Sabalenka. She controlled the match from the beginning and never let up.

Svitolina will return to the Top 10 on Monday for the first time since her comeback in 2023. It was her first loss of the year after opening the season with a title.

Sabalenka went 29–15 in winners and unforced errors
Svitolina was 12–17 in winners to errors, forced to go for riskier shots
Sabalenka served 67% first serves and won 70% of those points
Sabalenka won 8 of 10 long rallies

🎤 Sabalenka
“I think [the hindrance] was the wrong call, but whatever. She really—how do I say in a nice way? She really pissed me off, and it actually helped me. I was more aggressive. So if she ever want to do it again, like, go ahead, call it. It’s going to help me.”

🎤 Svitolina
“I think I was returning good, but then her second shot was unbelievable. She was returning well, quick, and then she had another punch coming, the second shot after her serve. I mean, that’s why she’s World No. 1.”

Jump to Women's Semifinals Recap

Elena Rybakina [5] def. Jessica Pegula [6] 6-2, 7-6

What started as one-way traffic ended in a one-hour, roller-coaster second set. Rybakina served for the match twice and had three match points from 5–3, but Pegula broke twice to force a tiebreak. Pegula went up a mini-break but made a couple of errors to let Rybakina back into it.

Rybakina’s kick serve in the ad court prevented Pegula from getting onto her front foot and playing to her strengths: redirecting pace and a newly improved transition game. It also took Pegula a full set to adjust to the slow nighttime conditions.

Rybakina served only 48% in the first set but won 77% of those points and 79% of second-serve points
Pegula held Rybakina to 26% second-serve points won in the second set
Rybakina was 4-for-10 on break points
Pegula was 3-for-4 on break points

🎤 Rybakina
“The WTA Finals gave me a lot of confidence, because I played against top players. I maintained my level. I played tough matches, very close matches. I won all of them. This is what I’m trying to do this season, remembering some good stuff from this WTA Final and just bring it to this season.”

🎤 Pegula
“I’m disappointed in my level. I felt like I didn’t play very well until maybe the very end, and even at the end it was still kind of shoddy. I have been playing every match during the day [when] it’s playing much hotter, much faster. Getting out there, it was a nice night, cool, but slow, very slow. It took me a while to get my feet under me.”

Jump to Women's Semifinals Recap

Men’s Semifinals Preview

There hasn’t been a five-setter in Rod Laver Arena yet this year, and Andy doesn’t think that will change tonight. Of the two semifinals, he gives Alexander Zverev [3] the better chance of pulling an upset over Carlos Alcaraz [1] than Novak Djokovic [4] has over Jannik Sinner [2].

The key for Zverev? Chaos. Listen to Andy explain this episode.

Jump to Men's Semifinals Preview

Here’s what Holger Rune had to say about playing Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.

Aussies in Action

The Aussies have two more chances for a home winner, in doubles and wheelchair events.

Defending mixed doubles champions Olivia Gadecki/John Peers are back in the final, and the wild cards Jason Kubler/Marc Polmans will play for the men’s doubles championship.

Mixed doubles final (today)
- Olivia Gadecki/John Peers vs. Kristina Mladenovic/Manuel Guinard.
Men’s doubles final (tomorrow)
- Christian Harrison/Neal Skupski [6] vs. Jason Kubler/Marc Polmans

Wheelchair History in Play

British great Alfie Hewett [1] is still in the men’s final, seeking his seventh Australian Open. Standing in their way is 19-year-old sensation Tokito Oda [2], who’s going for his fourth major in a row.

Oda would be the second man to accomplish the consecutive box set. Shingo Kunieda won 12 in a row between 2007 and 2011. Dylan Alcott won six straight majors in quad singles, too.

Men’s wheelchair semifinals (tonight)
- Alfie Hewett [1] vs. Martin de la Puente [4]
- Tokito Oda [2] vs. Gustavo Fernandez [3]
- Full wheelchair results

Andy’s interview with wheelchair tennis Hall of Famer Rick Draney was one of his favorites of all time.

Update: Whoop, There It Is Again

Whoop, whose wearable devices have been banned from the Australian Open to much controversy, is going undercover to fight back.

After the tournament told top players including Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner to remove their Whoops during matches, the company made the right PR move and overnighted them underwear with the trackers sewn in, according to CEO Will Ahmed’s Instagram post. It’s unclear if anyone is wearing them.

Andy weighed in on Whoop-gate in yesterday’s Quick Served.

Jump to the Whoop controversy

Perfect Delivery

In the least surprising tennis news of the week, Emma Raducanu split with Francisco Roig, her coach of six months. The signs were neon after her second-round loss in Melbourne. She didn’t try to hide her feelings about the way Roig wanted her to play. We’re all for honesty.

“At the end of the day, I just want to hit the ball to the corners and hard. I feel like I’m doing all this variety, and it’s not doing what I want it to do. I need to just work on playing in a way more similar to how I was playing when I was younger.”

How many coaches has Raducanu had since she won the 2021 US Open? Enough that we need the weekend to count. Watch our AO recap next week for more.

115

MPH speed of Elena Rybakina’s average serve during the 2026 Australian Open

Fast and Furious

Rybakina’s 115 mph is far ahead of the rest of the WTA Top 10, averaging 104 mph.

It also outpaces Serena Williams’s career average of 106 mph and overlaps with the slower end of the men. In 2022, for example, Dan Evans averaged 115 mph on his first serve.

Second Opinion

Rybakina’s first-serve percentage is low for the tournament—just 55 percent. But her second serve is doing damage, too.

🎤 Roddick
“It seems like Rybakina is getting more kick than she has in the past. [Pegula] said to [her coach] Mike Merklein, ‘It feels like it’s hanging and I’m getting stuck. I can’t get a clean hit on it.’”

Happy Returns

Rybakina backs up her savage serve with a solid ground game, which puts pressure on any opponent who manages to get a break.

🎤 Pegula
“You’re always kind of on edge with her, because even when you break her, it’s not like she’s a terrible returner and you’re going to win free games. It’s like, ‘Oh, no, she usually plays a better return game right afterward,’ and you are like, ‘Gosh, now I have to go back and try and break her again.’ Which is impossible.”