The 2026 Australian Open delivered great tennis, memorable moments and two deserving champions.

Held in Melbourne, the first major tournament of the year serves as a litmus test for the long 10 months ahead. With the amount of media attention, tennis during the summer Down Under also often produces the first viral moments for the sport each year, across both the men's and women's tours.

From Naomi Osaka's extravagant walk-out outfit to Carlos Alcaraz and Elena Rybakina's championship runs, look back on all the highlights, lowlights, snafus and surprises of this year's Australian Open.

01 of 12

Best Walk-Out Fit… Ever?: Naomi Osaka

Osaka shocked the tennis world when she arrived for her first-round match against Antonia Ružić in the most elaborate walk-out ensemble the sport has ever seen. The viral outfit — designed by Robert Wun and inspired by her 2-year-old daughter Shai's love for jellyfish — featured a long veil, flowy pants and an umbrella.

"So much of the time, other people get to write our stories for us," the former No. 1 player told Vogue. "This felt like a moment where I could write a little bit of my own.”

02 of 12

Oops, Someone Misses the Good Ole Days: Novak Djokovic

After recording his 100th career victory at the Australian Open, Novak Djokovicreflected on his physique when he beat Rafael Nadal in their grueling 2012 final that lasted nearly six hours.

"I wish I could bring back that body, to be honest," he said. "Not for the beach, not for the looks, but for the functionality on the court."

When the interviewer started to move the mic away from him, Djokovic asked if he could keep on speaking, joking that he gets "excited" when he talks about his body.

"I'm getting excited!" said the interviewer, to which the tennis star quickly quipped, "I mean, thank you, but no."

03 of 12

Worst Net Confrontation: Naomi Osaka and Sorana Cîrstea

Following a frosty handshake at the net, Osaka asked her second-round opponent Sorana Cîrstea, "What was that for?"

The Romanian tennis player scolded Osaka for hyping herself up with "come on"s between first and second serves. In her post-match interview, Osaka commented on the exchange, saying, "I think this was her last Australian Open, so sorry she was mad about it."

Osaka, who withdrew from the tournament before the next round due to an abdominal injury, apologized for the interview in her press conference. What the whole ordeal really proved, though, is that the tennis community can't handle a little petty drama anymore.

04 of 12

Best Bow-Out: Stan Wawrinka

In his last Australian Open ever, three-time major champion Stan Wawrinka went out with a bang. At nearly 41 years old, he made a run to the third round, where he lost in four close sets to Taylor Fritz. After thanking the fans for their support over the last two decades, he shared a beer with the CEO of Tennis Australia, Craig Tiley.

05 of 12

Worst Conditions to Succeed: Jannik Sinner vs. Eliot Spizzirri

The Australian summer heat nearly knocked defending champion Jannik Sinner out of the tournament in round 3. During his match against American player Eliot Spizzirri, the world No. 2 visibly struggled with cramps in the middle of the match. Due to the tournament's extreme heat rule, play was paused to close the roof. Sinner recovered during the break and went on to win in four sets.

"I got lucky with the heat rule, they closed the roof," he admitted in his post-match interview. "I took my time, as the time passed, I felt better. I’m very happy with this performance.”

Alcaraz also struggled in the intense heat during his semifinal match against Alexander Zverev, a thriller that lasted almost five and a half hours.

06 of 12

Made You Look: Carlos Alcaraz Changes After a Match

The crowd had another reason to cheer after Alcaraz's fourth-round win over Tommy Paul. When the world No. 1 took off his tank top to change into his cool-down jacket, the audience applauded, and Alcaraz flashed an Office-esque look to the camera.

Interviewer and former tennis star Jim Courier jokingly noted to him, "I've also noticed here, when you make a change that has impact, when you change your shirt, man, the crowd's going crazy. … I mean, you're kind of milking it."

"I don't, to be honest. I just want to be comfortable for the interview," a laughing Alcaraz responded. "I'm just happy that the people like it."

07 of 12

Worst Timing for an Injury: Lorenzo Musetti

Up two sets to zero against Djokovic in their quarterfinal, Italian player Lorenzo Musetti suffered a right leg injury that forced him to retire from the match.

"He should have been the winner today," Djokovic said of Musetti in his post-match interview. "He was a far better player. I was on my way home tonight.”

08 of 12

Worst Moment Caught on Camera: Coco Gauff's Racket Smash

Coco Gauff's 6-1, 6-2 defeat to Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals understandably had her frustrated. The two-time Grand Slam champion went off to smash her racket in private, which was caught on camera and ignited a discussion among Gauff and her fellow tennis players about what should be filmed.

“I tried to go somewhere where they wouldn’t broadcast it, but obviously, they did," said the star athlete in her press conference. "So, yeah, maybe some conversations can be had because I feel like at this tournament the only private place we have is the locker room.”

Compatriot Jessica Pegula echoed the sentiment, saying, "Honestly we were talking about cameras years ago. … Maddie Keys, her number one priority on council was, 'We have to stop with these cameras. This is crazy.' "

09 of 12

Oops: Reporter Forgets He's Talking to the GOAT

Djokovic pressed a reporter who suggested that he began his career "chasing" Roger Federer and Nadal, and he would end it "chasing" Alcaraz and Sinner for Grand Slam titles.

"So I'm always the chaser, and I'm never being chased?" asked the athlete, who has spent 428 weeks at No. 1 and won 101 tournaments.

"In the mean time, you've won 24 Grand Slams," clarified the reporter.

"Thanks. It's worth saying that sometimes, right?" responded Djokovic sarcastically. "I find it a little disrespectful that you kind of miss out on what happened in between. … There's probably about a 15-year period in between where I was dominating the Grand Slams. I think it's important to put that in perspective."

He continued, "I don't feel like I'm chasing. I'm creating my own history."

10 of 12

Oops, Hindrance: Aryna Sabalenka

A mishit ball that caught the line earned Aryna Sabalenka a hindrance call from the umpire, who explained that the world No. 1 had an irregular grunt that disrupted her opponent, Svitolina. Sabalenka won the match 6-2, 6-3 to advance to the final.

"She called it, and I was, like, 'What? What is wrong with you?' " Sabalenka recalled in her press conference. "I think it 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 and benefited my game."

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Best Bounce Back: Elena Rybakina

Nearly four years since her last Grand Slam title, at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships — and three since her nail-biter Australian Open final against Sabalenka — Elena Rybakina finally won the Daphne Akhurst Trophy. She defeated Sabalenka 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, coming back from a 0-3 deficit in the final set to seal her victory with an ace.

"I always believed that I [could] come back to the level I was," Rybakina said in her press conference. "Of course, we all have ups and downs. I think everyone thought maybe I will never be again in the final or even get a trophy, but it's all about the work."

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Best of a Generation: Carlos Alcaraz

Alcaraz defeated Djokovic in four sets to claim his first Australian Open trophy. With the tournament, he became the youngest man in history, at age 22, to win all four Grand Slams at least once. The victory was also his seventh major title overall, and the young Spanish phenom is looking more and more like the future GOAT with every passing month.

Read the original article on People