Eleven of top 12 men’s seeds reach Australian Open R16, as no unseeded competitors remain

What a difference a year can make.

Twelve months after five unseeded men’s competitors made their way to the round of 16 of the Australian Open, zero have advanced to the second week of the Happy Slam.

In fact, eleven of the Top 12 seeds are still standing. Seventh-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime’s retirement in the first round due to cramping marks the only notable casualty.

Of the sixteen men left vying for the title, six are yet to drop a set. Among them include Carlos Alcaraz and No. 19 seed Tommy Paul, set to duel during Sunday’s day session on Rod Laver Arena. The top seed won both of their prior Grand Slam meetings, as the 22-year-old continues his chase towards completing a Career Grand Slam.

Tenth seed Alexander Bublik and Francisco Cerundolo, who are also perfect in their sets contested, are among the newcomers to this stage of the tournament. Bublik, now holding a full set of fourth-round major appearances, meets sixth seed Alex de Minaur. Cerundulo, seeded 18th, aims to advance past returning finalist Alexander Zverev for a maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal berth. The third seed has won 14 of his past 16 matches at Melbourne Park.

And don’t forget 10-time champion Novak Djokovic, now the holder of 400 major match wins. The fourth seed has sailed past his first three opponents, yet to spend three hours on the court in a single contest. The heat turns up for the 38-year-old, with a 2025 Miami Open final rematch looming against No. 16 seed Jakub Mensik.

On the flip side, Mensik is one of four players pushed to a deciding set. Two face off in a compelling AO rematch, as No. 11 seed Daniil Medvedev—a three-time runner-up—looks to avoid a repeat result against left-handed 25th seed Learner Tien.

Lorenzo Musetti survived in five Saturday to earn his best showing at the season's opening major. The fifth seed and his next opponent, ninth-seeded Taylor Fritz, have split their prior six encounters but haven’t played on an outdoor hard court before.

Musetti clinched a little history for Italy in the process when he joined two-time reigning title holder Jannik Sinner and No. 22 seed Luciano Darderi in the last 16. One is guaranteed to be eliminated before the quarterfinals, with the second seed and Darderi clashing.

Could 2025 semifinalist Ben Shelton get another shot at Sinner on the Grand Slam stage? The eighth seed rounds out the hopefuls yet to drop a set here. Shelton is due to battle Casper Ruud, after the No. 12 seed completed the lineup with a late-night four-set victory over 2018 finalist Marin Cilic.