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January 26, 2026 — 7:00pm
SPOTTED: The Carlos Alcaraz-Novak Djokovic bromance is well established, but now there’s a budding friendship with talismanic Aussie wildman folk hero Nick Kyrgios, which kicked into gear after the pair bumped into each other in the depths of Rod Laver Arena last week. It was there that the Aussie tennis maverick fanboyed the Spanish top seed, much to his – and our – surprise.
Regular tennis readers will recall that the genial Alcaraz has already been at the centre of some jolly japes involving fourth seed and 10-time AO winner Djokovic.
Alcaraz told tennis fans how he woke up to a phone message from Djokovic which read: “All right, you have to pay me for the serve.”
As we reported, the former world No.1 had decided that the current No.1 was copying his serve – and was jokingly demanding royalties.
Now Open Season can reveal that last Thursday afternoon, in the depths of Rod Laver Arena’s secret underground city strictly reserved for tennis players and their teams, as well as Australian Open officials and staff, Kyrgios happened to bump into Alcaraz and immediately told him: “You are my favourite player.”
“Really?!” the Spaniard replied.
Then Kyrgios made a motivational offer to the No.1 seed.
“You have to win so we can party all night,” the Aussie said, promising to set it up. Too kind.
The encounter has more meaning after the pair exchanged comments via the media last July, when Kyrgios the Commentator was quoted in the media predicting, on the UTS YouTube show, that Sinner would get the better of Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final. “Alcaraz might get distracted, he might party too much. Instead, Sinner, will stay fully focused.” Correct, as it turned out, when two-time winner Sinner beat Alcaraz in the final.
When tennis website Clay asked Alcaraz if he should take such advice seriously, he replied: “No, obviously they’re funny comments and coming from Kyrgios, nothing surprises me.”
The quality of Kyrgios’ Melbourne nightlife event management skills in the light of a potential Alcaraz victory is, at this stage, what we in the media like to call an unknown unknown.
Handler’s grand slam
US actor Evan Handler has completed what he calls his “career slam” — not on court, but courtside. The actor, best known as Sex and the City’s beloved Harry Goldenblatt, the sensible spouse of Charlotte York, was front row at Rod Laver Arena on Sunday night, ticking off the Australian Open as the final stop in a lifetime of tennis devotion.
Handler, a genuine fan rather than a celebrity blow-in, grew up watching tennis in New York where he lived for more than two decades. Tennis, he says, has been part of his life – from watching Billie Jean King and Rod Laver to hitting with a wooden racquet and jumping the fence to sneak onto clay courts near his home.
After a 30-year break, he’s back playing again, armed with a two-handed backhand and a slice he’s proud of: “I can’t hit forehand topspin to save my life, but I have a decent backhand slice,” he told Open Season on Monday.
Off screen, Handler’s relationship with tennis mirrors the grounded appeal of his most loved character – Harry. Despite decades in film and television, he still plays on public courts near his home in Los Angeles and enjoys watching Wimbledon in London – but at public live sites, rather than the royal box.
His enthusiasm was on full display on Sunday as he watched Alex de Minaur progress through to the quarter-finals, although he’s nervous about his next match.
“It’s hard to imagine someone besides Sinner or Alcaraz winning it, but I would really hope that Alex de Minaur gives an incredible fight in his next match,” Handler told us.
On his first visit to Melbourne, Handler, 65, is relishing the experience and powering through the jet lag, hinting that tennis goers might even find him catching matches on one of the outer courts.
Despite a career spanning books, film and television, it’s Sex and the City that still follows him decades after the show debuted. But these days, he says, “I have gone from young women running up to me saying ‘God I love you’ to young women running up to me and saying ‘my mother loves you’.”
Nostalgia festival
Some of tennis’ biggest names have returned to Melbourne Park for a nostalgic nod to the sport’s golden eras.
Among them, Australian greats Lleyton Hewitt, Mark Philippoussis, Pat Rafter, Alicia Molik, Casey Dellacqua and Sam Stosur.
The kind of lineup that rewards long memories – and delights readers that prefer to read us via the print edition.
They are joined by international stars including Marcos Baghdatis, Marat Safin and Angelique Kerber for the upcoming nostalgia jamboree known as the AO Legends Cup.
Now pontificating from the commentary box, Molik told Open Season she was optimistic Aussie Alex de Minaur could find a path to victory in Tuesday’s clash with top seed Carlos Alcaraz.
“From what I’ve seen, has put on a bit of extra muscle. I feel like he’s moving better now than he ever has been.
“He’s being a bit more aggressive on bigger points.”
Braving the afternoon sun on Monday, Philippoussis said he did not suffer from FOMO watching the next generation of Aussie stars on court. “I am very happy with the Legends tournament, taking on half the court and playing for 45 minutes,” he said.
Back on the de Minaur question, two time grand slam winner Lleyton Hewitt kept his cards close to his chest.
“The top guys are tough to come across. It’s going to be a big, big, big match for him,” he said
“He’s worked extremely hard and given himself every opportunity, so he’s still got to go out there and execute. Everybody knows it’s not going to be easy.”
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