First rounds and Fashion at the Australian Open 2026

In "Serving Aces" Alexandra Stevenson and Hugues Laverdiere talk diamonds and fashion including winners and losers.  Donna Vekic' diamond company gave each woman in the main draw a diamond bracelet.  Venus Williams was up 4-0 in the third - but somehow collapsed in technique and serve - and lost.  The Open had a record breaking crowd of 73,000 on the first day, with many of the fans rushing to see Alex Eala the young Filipino, who has become a breakout star on the WTA Tour with the amount of fans anxious to see her play.  From Hong Kong to Melbourne they are driven by Ella's tenacity.  She has given her country a lot to cheer.  The Aussies brought out Federer and Agassi to play Rafter and Hewitt in a pre first round doubles exhibition.  The retired Ash Barty came out to relieve a rather winded Agassi.Djokovic Alcaraz easily through as were Pegula, Gauff, Swiatek, Andrea.  Wimbledon champion Vondrousova had to withdraw because of a shoulder injury and Felix Auger Aliassime retired to cramping.  Ball is in Ougi's court talks about why the first round is so important and difficult to get through - as Alexandra attests to her play early in her career.  Podcast quote goes to Mark Twain and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, the Indiana University quarterback. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.