Tommy Paul reaches Australian Open round of 16 as Alejandro Davidovich Fokina retires
The No 19 seed Tommy Paul moved into the fourth round in Melbourne after Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, the No 14 seed, was forced to retire while trailing 6-1, 6-1 on Friday night.
Tommy Paul, 2026 | © Zuma / PsNewz
The 28-year-old Tommy Paul, ranked No 20, delivered a clinical performance on John Cain Arena that was cut short after just two sets. Paul dominated from the outset, racing through the first two sets with identical 6-1 scorelines before the 26-year-old Spaniard signaled he could no longer continue.
The victory extends Paul’s flawless head-to-head record against Davidovich Fokina to 5-0 and continues a bizarre statistical trend in Melbourne, where the Spaniard has now lost five consecutive 6-1 sets to the American across their tournament meetings.
Paul reaches the last 16 in peak physical condition, having already dispatched Thiago Agustin Tirante and Aleksandar Kovacevic in straight sets earlier in the week.
injury heartbreak for davidovich fokina
The match took a turn for the worse early in the second set when Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, ranked No 14, began struggling with his lateral movement. The Spaniard called for the physiotherapist to address a left hamstring and thigh issue and took a medical timeout in an attempt to stabilize the leg.
Despite attempting to play on, he ultimately decided to stop after the conclusion of the second set, unable to cope with the relentless baseline pressure applied by Paul. The retirement is a disappointing end to the tournament for Davidovich Fokina, who had shown incredible grit in his opening rounds by outlasting American Reilly Opelka in five sets and defeating Austria’s Filip Misolic.
paul awaits blockbuster clash with top seed alcaraz
With the win, Tommy Paul moves into the fourth round for the third time in four years, maintaining the momentum of the American men’s surge in 2026. Because of the shortened match, Paul has conserved vital energy ahead of a projected encounter with top seed Carlos Alcaraz, who faces Corentin Moutet later in the session. Paul’s ability to dominate the shortest rallies and prevent Davidovich Fokina from finding any rhyth
on serve has established him as one of the most dangerous unheralded players remaining in the draw. As the tournament enters its second week, Paul remains one of the few seeds yet to drop a single set in the men’s competition.
