Kazakhstan's Putintseva reaches career-best 4th round at Australian Open
World No. 94 Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan reached the fourth round of the Australian Open for the first time in her career in 2026, Qazinform News Agency reports.
On January 23, Putintseva faced Türkiye’s Zeynep Sönmez (ranked 112th in WTA) on the courts of Melbourne and prevailed in a closely contested three-set match, winning 6–3, 6–7 (3–7), 6–3.
During the match, the Kazakhstani tennis player recorded two aces, committed one double fault, converted six of 13 break points, and held serve in 12 games.
Putintseva is set to face the winner of the clash between Italy’s Jasmine Paolini and American Iva Jovic in the fourth round of the tournament.
The fourth-round appearance is a personal best for Putintseva at the Australian Open, improving on her previous best of third-round finishes, achieved four times.
Putintseva received vocal support from Kazakhstani fans in the stands, many waving national flags. The Kazakhstan Tennis Federation said that about 20 Kazakh fans residing in Australia attended the match with the federation’s backing to support the player.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik and Elena Rybakina continue their singles campaigns at the Australian Open, while Alexander Shevchenko and Zarina Diyas have been eliminated following defeats.
