Australian tennis fans were treated to a dramatic night at the Adelaide International as Aleksandar Vukic stunned Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets, 7-6(3), 7-6(5), in the first round on Tuesday, January 13, 2026. The 29-year-old Australian, ranked 87th in the PIF ATP Rankings, delivered a poised and inspired performance in front of a lively home crowd, halting Tsitsipas’s revitalized start to the new season.
Heading into the match, expectations leaned heavily in favor of Tsitsipas. The Greek star, a former world No. 3 and Australian Open runner-up, had kicked off 2026 with a flawless 3-0 record at the United Cup, dispatching Shintaro Mochizuki, Billy Harris, and Taylor Fritz. After a rocky 2025 campaign that saw him tumble out of the Top 20 for the first time since 2018, Tsitsipas appeared to have rediscovered his form and confidence. Their previous encounter at the 2024 Los Cabos event had been one-sided, with Tsitsipas cruising to a 6-3, 6-0 victory over Vukic.
But tennis, as always, has a knack for serving up surprises. Vukic, who had to battle through qualifying just to reach the main draw at his home ATP 250, was determined to flip the script. The Adelaide native entered the match with a modest 15-29 record from the previous season and little to suggest he’d be the one to derail Tsitsipas’s momentum. Yet, buoyed by the energy of the Memorial Drive Tennis Centre and a packed Centre Court, Vukic rose to the occasion in spectacular fashion.
The opening set was a tense, back-and-forth affair, with neither player able to break the other’s serve. Tsitsipas, ranked world No. 33, looked comfortable early on, even managing a wry smile as he swatted away persistent flies at 3-3, drawing laughter from the crowd. However, Vukic’s composure never wavered. He matched Tsitsipas shot for shot, producing world-class winners and keeping his nerves in check during the high-pressure moments.
When the first set reached a tie-break, Vukic seized control. He stormed through the breaker 7-3, capitalizing on a series of unforced errors from Tsitsipas. Commentator John Millman, analyzing for Nine, didn’t mince words: “He looks really composed, don’t see any sign of nerves – he hasn’t been daunted by this court or this player whatsoever.” Millman also noted Tsitsipas’s uncharacteristic lapses, saying, “I don’t understand his shot selection at all. He’s got the mini break, he had a slightly better than neutral exchange there and it was really poorly executed. You can’t be giving away cheap points.”
The second set followed a similar script. Both players held serve, pushing each other to the brink. Tsitsipas managed to earn four break points over the course of the match, but Vukic, showing ice-cold resolve, saved every single one. According to Infosys ATP Stats, Vukic’s serve was a fortress, and his ability to raise his level in the clutch moments proved decisive.
As the second set tie-break unfolded, Tsitsipas appeared to have the edge, jumping out to a 3-1 lead with a mini break. But just as quickly, the momentum shifted. Vukic reeled off six of the last eight points, capitalizing on another spell of tentative play from the Greek. A mistimed drop shot and a couple of “cheap” points, as Millman described them, opened the door for Vukic to complete the upset. When Tsitsipas’s final shot found the net, Vukic let out a roar and the Adelaide crowd erupted in celebration.
“I was talking to my team today [about how] I am just in awe of this stadium and the cricket ground that’s just here,” Vukic said in his post-match interview, visibly moved by the moment. “This centre court is very special, and it’s pretty packed. I appreciate the support, everyone helping me out tonight. It was an awesome win for me.”
The win marked Vukic’s 21st career victory over a Top 50 opponent, but this one clearly meant a little more. Asked if it ranked among the most satisfying results of his career, Vukic didn’t hesitate: “I think in probably the last year, it was. I felt like in the last few months of last year, I started to play better and getting close to the likes of [Taylor] Fritz and [Casper] Ruud, but not beating the top-echelon players. I wanted to give it another crack today and I was happy that I kept my composure.”
Tsitsipas, for his part, was left to rue a match that slipped through his fingers. Despite flashes of the form that made him a perennial threat Down Under—he’s reached the semifinals in Melbourne three times and was runner-up at the Australian Open—he couldn’t find the killer instinct when it mattered most. His 2025 struggles seemed a distant memory after his United Cup heroics, but this loss is a reminder that the margins at the top of men’s tennis remain razor thin.
For Vukic, the night was about more than just a single victory. It was validation for months of hard work and a sign that he can compete with the sport’s elite, especially on home soil. The Australian’s reward is a second-round clash with doubles specialist Andrea Vavassori, who advanced by upsetting Gabriel Diallo. Vavassori, a two-time Nitto ATP Finals competitor and last year’s Adelaide doubles champion alongside Simone Bolelli, will present a new challenge, but Vukic’s confidence will be sky-high after this breakthrough.
The Adelaide International continues to deliver high drama and unexpected twists. Elsewhere in the draw, Tomas Machac secured his first tour-level win since October, defeating James Duckworth, while Rinky Hijikata set up a tantalizing second-round meeting with top seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina after dispatching Tristan Schoolkate in an all-Australian battle.
As the dust settles on a memorable night at Memorial Drive, one thing is clear: Aleksandar Vukic’s star is rising, and with the Australian summer just heating up, he’s a player the rest of the field can’t afford to overlook. The home crowd will be watching closely as Vukic looks to extend his Adelaide adventure in the coming days.
