Ep 12- Australian Open 2026 Round 1 Carnage – Seeds Falling & Statement Wins

ound 1 at the Australian Open has delivered absolute chaos — and we’re here to unpack all of it.

In this episode, Adam the Antimal is joined by Chrissy P and Vargos as the crew recaps Day 1 and Day 2 of the Australian Open, breaking down the biggest results, wild upsets, and unforgettable moments from the opening rounds.

🔊 Episode Highlights

🎙️ Intro

Welcome back to Talkn Tennis, the only tennis podcast you need for headlines, results, and well-informed, unfiltered opinions. Whether you’re a returning listener or new to the pod, don’t forget to subscribe and help us win over the algorithm gods.

Adam the Antimal is joined by:

1. Chrissy P – AO record holder for women’s matches and deli sandwiches in a single day session
2. Vargos (Adrian) – fresh off breaking his own AO record for alcohol smuggled into Melbourne Park

🇦🇺 AO Adventures

1. Shake Shack vs Hector’s Deli: the real Melbourne Park rivalry
2. Evading security while sneaking drinks into the grounds
3. The epic queues that test every tennis fan’s resolve
4. Naomi Osaka stealing the spotlight with a ridiculous on-court intro and outfit

📰 Headline Recap – Round 1 Mayhem

Sunday / Monday

We kick things off with a brutal casualty report — Round 1 has been ruthless for seeded players.

1. Flavio Cobolli (20) crashes out in straight sets to British qualifier Arthur Fery, while battling severe illness in one of the strangest Grand Slam exits you’ll ever see.
2. Felix Auger-Aliassime (7) retires due to cramping against Nuno Borges after a grueling four-set battle.
3. Alexander Zverev survives an early scare, dropping the first set to big-serving Canadian Gabriel Diallo before recovering in four.

Women’s draw shockers:

1. Ekaterina Alexandrova (11) stunned by Turkish qualifier Zeynep Sönmez in three tight sets.
2. A heartbreaking 3.5-hour marathon sees Marta Kostyuk (20) fall to Elsa Jacquemot in a triple-tiebreak epic, ending 10–7 in the final set.

Tuesday / Wednesday

1. Daniil Medvedev grinds past Quentin Halys in four sets.
2. Andrey Rublev (13) survives a scare against qualifier Jaime Faria.
3. Nuno Borges continues his strong run, knocking out Aussie hope Jordan Thompson in four.

⭐ Statement Wins

1. Coco Gauff opens her campaign with an impressive first-round win.
2. Carlos Alcaraz delivers one of the most dominant performances of the tournament so far.
3. Venus Williams rolls back the years in an epic three-set battle against Olga Danilović.

👀 Round 2 Matches to Watch

1. Tomas Machac vs Stefanos Tsitsipas
2. Giulio Zeppieri (Q) vs Stan Wawrinka (WC)
3. Jakub Menšík (16) vs Martin Landaluce (Q)
4. Denis Shapovalov vs Marin Čilić
5. Jaume Munar vs Casper Ruud