ATP Tour
Selfie time with legends: Sabalenka opens Australian Open campaign with Federer & Laver
Federer and Laver watched Sabalenka courtside in Rod Laver Arena
January 18, 2026
Getty Images
Aryna Sabalenka was in action in front of Roger Federer and Rod Laver on Sunday in Melbourne.
By Sam Jacot
Aryna Sabalenka’s Australian Open campaign started in fittingly star-studded fashion on Sunday, when tennis royalty looked on as the World No. 1 powered through her opening-round match. Seated courtside were none other than Roger Federer and Rod Laver, adding extra sparkle to Sabalenka’s first steps at the hard-court major.
The pair smiled, clapped and soaked it all in throughout the match before unexpectedly becoming part of the post-match show. Phone in hand, Sabalenka pulled the two legends into a courtside selfie, instantly creating one of the tournament’s early viral moments.
That’s one special picture 📸
We are patiently awaiting the result of this selfie, @SabalenkaA 🤳 pic.twitter.com/CXUQi2JgJf
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 18, 2026
Asked afterward whether she’d noticed them during play, Sabalenka laughed: “Of course I did. I’m a huge fan. The whole match I was just telling myself, do not look there, please, do not look. But yeah, it’s incredible. I would never thought that Roger Federer and Rod Laver are going to be sitting first row watching my match. Yeah, that’s unbelievable.”
Sabalenka is chasing a third Australian Open crown in four years, lofty company befitting the champions who watched her on Sunday. Federer lifted the trophy in Melbourne six times, while Laver claimed it twice, once during the Open Era.
Federer has been making the most of his Melbourne visit. On Saturday, he delighted fans by rolling back the years in a doubles match alongside fellow ATP No. 1 Club Members Andre Agassi, Lleyton Hewitt and Patrick Rafter. Read more here.
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