The closing rounds of the Australian Open really grabbed the world’s attention, and the U.S. TV numbers for the men’s final between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic prove it. Even with no American players in the mix, the showdown drew 730,000 viewers on ESPN, according to Nielsen. That’s a whopping 57% jump from last year’s Jannik Sinner vs. Alexander Zverev final—despite the brutal 3:30 a.m. ET start time.

It’s the biggest American audience for an Australian Open men’s final since 2017, back when Roger Federer outlasted Rafael Nadal in a five-set classic that pulled in 1.1 million viewers.

The women’s final between Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka also ticked up, pulling 487,000 viewers—an 8% increase from 2025—even though Madison Keys, an American, beat Sabalenka that year.

Alcaraz’s win has cranked up his status as a marketing powerhouse. Brand expert Jack Kenney-Herbert from Sid Lee in London told Tennis365 that Alcaraz is now “the perfect commercial storm”—a 22-year-old Career Grand Slam winner with a digital reach the old “Big Three” never had when they started. With whispers of a signature logo coming from Nike, Kenney-Herbert thinks Alcaraz has already stepped beyond the sport into global-icon territory. His brand value is sky-high, and with his age and the money now in tennis, Kenney-Herbert says Alcaraz is on track to break earning records and become the most marketable athlete of his generation.

If Alcaraz keeps winning on the court and making smart moves off it, Kenney-Herbert says he isn’t just chasing trophies—he’s on track to join Federer as tennis’s next billionaire.

He’s already signed on with Rolex, BMW, Calvin Klein, Louis Vuitton, and Evian. After this latest win, those deals are set to pay out bonuses and get even more valuable when renewal talks come up. Now Nike is reportedly planning to launch an Alcaraz signature brand, putting him in rare company with Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan—guys with their own apparel lines. And this might just be the beginning.

He looks ready to follow Federer’s path. Federer became tennis’s first billionaire, partly thanks to his move from Nike to take a stake in On, a then-small footwear company. Federer’s involvement helped turn On into a $20 billion giant, with his own share now rumoured to be worth $1 billion. Alcaraz could be next in line to make that kind of splash.

Aryna Sabalenka, fresh off her Australian Open final run, has decided to skip the Qatar Open. Her withdrawal is just the latest in a wave of big-name exits that’s left the Doha tournament looking a little thin at the top. After losing to Elena Rybakina in Melbourne, Sabalenka wants more time to rest up before diving back into the tour grind.

With Sabalenka out, Iga Swiatek steps into the top seed spot. The draw’s opened up even more because Jessica Pegula, world No. 6, has also pulled out. Sabalenka actually lost in the first round in Doha last year, so she isn’t missing out on many ranking points by sitting this one out.

That’s not all—Naomi Osaka won’t be playing in the Middle East either, and both Madison Keys and Iva Jovic have confirmed they’re out, citing physical issues or changes to their plans. Marta Kostyuk is still recovering from injury, so she’s on the sidelines too. Lois Boisson, last year’s French Open crowd favourite, hasn’t played a match this season and won’t be in Doha.

All these withdrawals mean Alexandra Eala, Emiliana Arango, Daria Kasatkina, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, and Cristina Bucsa get bumped up into the main draw.

Despite earning over £1 million for her run in Australia, Sabalenka’s track record in Doha hasn’t been great since she won the tournament on her debut back in 2020. She’s expected to return for the Dubai Championships the following week.

After her tough loss to Rybakina—where she was up 3-0 in the third set—Sabalenka wasn’t in the mood to break it all down. “She played an incredible match, and I tried my very best. I was fighting until the last point,” she said, managing a laugh at her press conference. “I had my chances. It feels like I missed a couple, but that’s tennis. Today you lose, tomorrow you win. Hopefully, I’ll win more this season.”

When a reporter asked when she’d sit down with her team to process the loss, Sabalenka looked at her agent and joked, “When… today? Oh, fuck you, no! Maybe in a week. Or maybe a few days. Whenever I feel like I can move on from this.”

She admitted she was a mess after the match—laughing, crying, just letting it all out. “I was really upset with myself. I had my opportunities. I played great until a certain point, then I just couldn’t handle her aggression today. But overall, I think I played great tennis in Australia—even in the final, I was fighting. She was just better today. We’ll talk as a team—though right now, they’re all avoiding me. They know it’s not exactly healthy to be around me at the moment!”