Australian Open LIVE: Aussie icon slams ‘greedy’ stars over pay push; Sinner’s dictator shot at nemesis Kyrgios

Six Aussies are in action on Wednesday, including Alex de Minaur and three wildcards, as the second round of the Australian Open gets underway.

Follow all the news from Day 4 of the Australian Open!

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Follow live updates from Day 4 at Melbourne Park below!

AUSTRALIAN GREAT RAFTER SLAMS ‘GREEDY’ STARS OVER PRIZEMONEY STANCE

Australian tennis legend Pat Rafter has labelled current players “greedy” after their push for more prizemoney from grand slams.

Players such as Alex de Minaur and Coco Gauff have added their voices to a push for greater revenue share from the majors, arguing players deserve a larger proportion of revenue. The Australian Open raised its total prize pool to $111.5 million this year.

“No. It’s not warranted,” Rafter told CODE Sports.

“The guys are getting paid really well, and the money keeps going up every year. The tournaments take a risk every year, and they’re the ones putting the money up and finding the money, so they’ve got to have some upside as well.

“Most of the tournaments throughout the year don’t make money. This one makes a truckload. But at the same time, they (the tournament) put all this infrastructure in, and they (the players) are still getting paid really well.

“How much money do you want? To me, I’m not a fan of it. I’m just not happy listening to it.”

The singles champions of the Australian Open will take home more than $4 million each.

“I’m really happy (for them). But don’t keep asking for more and more,” Rafter said.

“I just think it’s greed at the end of the day. I think they’re making plenty of money. It just irks me.”

Top players earn tens of millions of dollars but those outside the top 150 struggle to break even and much of the push for greater prize pools is to help those lower-end players.

In the US, sports like the NFL and NBA have collective bargaining agreements where players share about 50 percent of revenue streams in certain areas.

The stars of the court are aiming for a 22 per cent share of total revenue by 2030.

NICK OR KIM JONG UN? SINNER NAILS AUSSIE NEMESIS

Would world No.2 and four-time grand slam winner Jannik Sinner rather play doubles with Nick Kyrgios or North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un?

Well…

The Italian, the Australian Open’s back-to-back reigning champion, was just asked that sticky question on the Pod Laver Arena podcast. He said he’d take Kyrgios for tennis, but maybe not to hang out with.

“Well playing tennis definitely with Nick. I don’t want to lose … but also to hang out, honestly … I don’t know.”

Kyrgios has been an outspoken critic of Sinner’s since he received an opaque three-month ban for testing positive for low levels of clostebol, a banned steroid, in March 2024.

Sinner has strongly denied any wrongdoing and said the traces of clostebol came from a contaminated ointment used by his physio on a cut.

DJOKER AND THE THIEF: WORLD NO.1 ‘TAKES LEGEND’S COPYRIGHT’… AND IT COULD SWING AUS OPEN

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, it is no surprise that Novak Djokovic has his share of admirers among those who are contending for slams with him.

But the superstar; who on Monday night claimed his 100th win at Melbourne Park, is demanding reparations from one wealthy colleague.

Carlos Alcaraz, he alleges, has borrowed from his service motion as he bids to create history by becoming the youngest man to complete a career grand slam, something he will achieve if he wins this year’s Australian Open.

The Spanish superstar, who recently parted ways with long-time coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, has arrived in Australia with a tweaked service motion for the second year in succession and Djokovic has noted similarities.

“As soon as I saw it, I sent him a message,” Djokovic joked.

“I said, ‘We have to speak about the copyright.’ Then when I saw him here, I told him we have to talk about a percentage of his winnings. Every ace I expect, you know, a tribute to me. Every ace that he makes here. Let’s see if he’s going to stick to the agreement.”

Alcaraz, who will face Yannick Hanfmann in his second round match on Wednesday, could see the similarities as well in a pre-tournament discussion.

“You wanted to say it’s really similar to Djokovic serve? I know you want to,” he said with a smile.

“I think everyone has to make changes, small details. For me, the serve is something that I really want to be better every year, in every tournament. I am just putting constant work (in) on the serve.

“I would say, like, for myself, I’m just making changes all the time, every tournament, every day, without someone having to tell me. Like, for example, I am just changing the movement a little bit. Now with this movement on the serve, I just feel a really, really comfortable, smooth, really calm and peaceful rhythm, which I think helps me a lot to do a better serve.”

Aussie Craig O’Shannessy, who runs Brain Game Tennis and was part of the Djokovic camp during a period where he won four majors, said he was not surprised.

He said the world’s best players were always looking for ways to improve and given Djokovic’s success on serve as he has gotten stronger, he was a player to look to.

But is it true? How similar are the serves of the world No.1 Alcaraz and the 24-time major champion Djokovic?

O’Shannessy believes there are subtle differences that start right from the opening pose, with his left leg further back. One uses the pinpoint stance, the other the platform. But it is indisputable Alcaraz has straightened his body pose.

When the champions reach the trophy stance – think the tennis trophies you might have seen club players receive, with the left arm up and the right arm bent at a right-angle – Alcaraz’s body is more curved than his rival.

The racquet positioning at the trophy phase is also different, so too when the racquet drops before accelerating up towards the ball. And that is only some of the changes.

“There is no doubt that Carlos has made some changes, and I can see why people can see the similarities, but there are similarities among most top players as well,” he said.

“The fundamentals of tennis don’t change, to an extent, but there are notable differences from the starting point through to the strike point.

“Will it be effective? I guess we will see as the Open and the year go on.”

The sample point is only one match old at Melbourne Park, but Djokovic managed 14 aces in his first round outing compared to the eight by the Spaniard.

The 10-time Melbourne Park king did not drop serve in his opening victory, while Alcaraz was broken once by Aussie Adam Walton in the second set of their clash.

The Spaniard’s fastest serve was smacked down at 210km/h, while Djokovic’s quickest serve was struck at 200km/h. But on average, the Serbian’s first serve speed was almost the same and both players were above the average.

The surprise, of course, is that had someone told Djokovic 15 years ago this would be the motion to borrow, he would have questioned their sanity.

For all his brilliance, there was a period in the infancy of his career where the legend worked diligently to try to write a motion that was awkward and prone to betraying him under immense pressure.

The dedication he put in to rectify the motion has reaped rich rewards. The 10-time Australian Open champion has never been blessed with the fastest serve, nor one that generates free points at will.

But his precision and placement is outstanding and it has become another weapon in an all-round repertoire where it is almost impossible to detect any area of weakness.

And the serve that used to falter on occasion under pressure? Djokovic is now exceptionally good at nailing a big serve when facing a break point.

AUSTRALIAN OPEN DAY 4 ORDER OF PLAY

Men’s and Women’s Singles second round