What to Watch on Day 11 of the Australian Open

The final four semifinal spots at the 2026 Australian Open are on offer on Day 11, with four Grand Slam champions who have won a combined 35 major titles all competing to make the cut.

Scroll down for a look at the matchups.

SEE THE FULL DAY 11 SCHEDULE HERE

Swiatek and Rybakina Clash For the 12th Time

Get ready for installment No.12 of a classic rivalry at the site of Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina’s first Grand Slam meeting, way back in 2023.

It was Rybakina who claimed that round of 16 battle, en route to her first and only Australian Open final, and the pair have traded haymakers ever since, including their last Grand Slam meeting on the red clay of Roland-Garros last spring, with Swiatek rallying for a dramatic victory, 7-5 in the third.

Swiatek says those meetings don’t hold as much water as pundits might think. In the ever changing landscape of women’s tennis, the here and now is what calls shots.

“I wouldn’t say head-to-head matters, because even when one of us was winning, it was always a tight match or she beat me easy,” the Pole said with a smile. “Doesn’t matter. Doesn’t make sense to overanalyze who won the last ones or how it has been looking. Every match is a different story.

“Like on every match she’s been a tough opponent, and her tennis for sure is great. I need to be 100 percent ready and go for it and use my experience and also the knowledge from previous matches, and that’s it.”

Swiatek is also downplaying the media’s interest in her bid for the Career Grand Slam. The six-time major is bidding to become the third youngest woman to ever achieve the feat, but she says it isn’t on her mind. She’s about process and preparation and nothing else.

(Another) All American Battle

It’s been a tremendous tournament for the American women, and we have to say: when is that ever surprising? It’s always somebody carrying the torch for the American women, and there has now been an American women in each of the last five major finals.

Jessica Pegula and Amanda Anisimova each are looking ready to make an extended play for the title in Melbourne, and their fourth career meeting promises to be a tight one. Pegula has taken each of the pair’s three meetings but Anisimova has pushed her to three sets in the last two.

“It’s been pretty crazy how well the women have been doing and how many top-ranked girls there are. I’m just happy to be a part of that conversation,” said Pegula.

Anisimova, who has won 16 of her last 18 Grand Slam matches, is aware of Pegula’s unique set of strengths.

“I know her game pretty well now,” Anisimova said, when asked what makes Pegula a tricky opponent for her.

“I would say it’s just the fact that she gets a lot of balls back. Yeah, she can challenge any of the top players. She’s obviously at the top for a reason… I feel like I always have a chance against anyone… I think the fact that I’ve never beaten her before is an extra challenge for me.”

Novak Rested and Ready

Not sure it would be possible to underestimate the importance of brevity in Novak Djokovic’s case. In recent years he’s expended too much energy getting into the later rounds, and that has left him depleted when he eventually faces his biggest challenges in the Grand Slam semifinals. It happened four times last year, and four times he fell short.

But this year in Australia, Djokovic has won all nine sets he has played, and he even got an extra few days off when Jakub Mensik pulled out of the pair’s fourth-round encounter due to an ab injury. If there is any player that knows what to do with an extra 48 hours of preparation, it is the meticulous Djokovic. This is the freshest that Novak Djokovic may ever be ahead of a Grand Slam quarterfinal, and if he can use his clear advantage (see the 9-1 career record) against Musetti in their quarterfinal, he just may have a chance to do some damage against Sinner in the semifinals.

No guarantee, but the perfect set up is in place.

Meanwhile, Musetti has looked incredibly good in reaching the quarterfinals. Not known for his hard court prowess or his fitness in years past, he has shored up those weak spots and is looking like much more of a threat on faster surfaces and deep in Slams. His eleventh encounter with Djokovic should be a good one.

Can Shelton Break Through the Wall?

Three of Ben Shelton’s last four losses at the Slams have come to Jannik Sinner (2x) or Carlos Alcaraz. The other came to Adrian Mannarino at last year’s US Open but that was a retirement due to a shoulder injury. The moral of the story? To be the best you have to beat the best and here comes another opportunity for the 23-year-old southpaw to prove that he belongs in the conversation as a disruptor in the men’s game.

Sinner, who knocked out Shelton in straight sets in the semifinals in Melbourne last year, is not one to give up ground these days, especially against Shelton. After losing the pairs’ first meeting, the Italian has won the last 19 sets he has played against the former Florida Gator, so even a set would be a victory for Shelton in this contest.

Sinner had major struggles in his third-round clash with American Eliot Spizziri, primarily due to the scalding Melbourne heat, but he was saved by the heat rule, which gave him time to recover during a roof closure and after the third set of his four-set win. He was fine in his round of 16 victory over compatriot Luciano Darderi, and he tends to get better with each passing round at the majors.

The onus will be on Shelton to ruffle the feathers of the four-time major champion. It will not be easy against a phenom who has won his last 18 matches at Melbourne Park.