Mitchell Ring and Jennifer Colin, who were travelling to Venice for a dream holiday, told Australia’s Channel 9 a woman had died in the aisle beside them during the flight from Melbourne to Doha.

The couple say cabin crew placed her corpse, covered in blankets, next to Mr Ring for the remaining four hours of the flight without offering to move him, despite there being empty seats.

Qatar Airways said it apologised for “any inconvenience or distress this incident may have caused”, adding that it was in the process of contacting passengers.

The couple said they had not been contacted or offered support by Qatar Airways or Qantas, the airline through which they booked the flight.

They said there should be a protocol to ensure passengers onboard were looked after in such situations.

Mr Ring told Channel Nine’s Current Affair programme that staff had responded “in no time” when the woman collapsed, but that “unfortunately the lady couldn’t be saved, which was pretty heart-breaking to watch”.

He said the cabin crew had tried to move her body towards business class “but she was quite a large lady and they couldn’t get her through the aisle”.

Mr Ring said the crew had seen seats were available beside him.

“They said, ‘Can you move over please?’ and I just said, ‘Yes no problem’.

“Then they placed the lady in the chair I was in.”

While Ms Colin was able to move to an empty seat nearby, Mr Ring said he had not been given the option to do so by cabin crew – even though there were vacant seats.

When the plane landed four hours later, he said passengers were asked to stay put while medical staff and police came on board.

He said ambulance officers had then started pulling blankets off the woman and he had seen her face.

The couple said there needed to be a “duty of care” for customers and staff.

“We should be contacted to make sure, do you need some support, do you need some counselling?”

Ms Colin called the experience “traumatic” and said: “We totally understand that we can’t hold the airline responsible for the poor lady’s death, but there has to be a protocol to look after the customers on board.”

In a statement, Qatar Airways said: “First and foremost our thoughts are with the family of the passenger who sadly passed away on board our flight.

“We apologise for any inconvenience or distress this incident may have caused, and are in the process of contacting passengers in line with our policies and procedures.”

A Qantas spokesperson said: “The process for handling incidents onboard an aircraft like this is managed by the operating airline, which in this case is Qatar Airways.”

Barry Eustance, a former Virgin Atlantic captain, said deaths in the air “occur more frequently than people would think” but said as a far as he was aware there was no specific protocol in place for such situations.

“On a long haul flight it tends to depend largely on when it occurs and where it occurs and what the crew have in terms of facilities to place the body somewhere because on an aeroplane, there’s no access to the hold, there’s a crew rest area but that’s for the crew so it can be problematical.”

A toilet area or galley area could be blocked off, he said, but the crew are required to keep a certain number of toilets available.

Mr Eustance said that, while he was not being judgemental as he did not know the full situation, he was surprised that the crew did not move Mr Ring if there had been spare seats.

“I would expect the crew would do all they could to avoid that. You are creating potential future liabilities in terms of the trauma of the people next to whom the body was placed,” he said.

“In my experience the crew would normally try to isolate the body, so there is no passenger exposure to the body and vice versa, for respect and privacy but also for medical reasons. You have a dead body that is uncontained and all that goes with it.”

The world number one’s commanding 6-3 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 win over second seed Alexander Zverev in the Australian Open final meant Sinner became Italy’s first three-time Grand Slam champion.

The 23-year-old has started the season in the same imperious form as he ended the last, extending his career-best winning streak to 21 matches.

But while uncertainty around his ongoing doping case remains, on the court, Sinner remains an unstoppable force.

“Sinner, if he’s not already, is going to be one of the greatest players we have ever seen,” former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“He is in an era where we have just lost a whole bunch of champions – so how many Grand Slams can he actually win?”

The image of Sinner vomiting into a wheelie bin by the side of the court is not one many would expect to mark the start of a new reign of dominance in men’s tennis.But that image, as he battled illness at the China Open in October 2023, has become synonymous with the moment Sinner evolved into a serial title winner.

He would go on to win that match. And that tournament. And most matches he has contested in the 15 months since.

From the start of that tournament in Beijing, Sinner’s record is 98 wins and just nine defeats – and three of those losses were against four-time Grand Slam champion and rival Carlos Alcaraz.

Sinner replaced Novak Djokovic as world number one in June 2024 and since then has won a record-equalling 47 of his first 50 matches as the top ranked men’s player, matching Bjorn Borg and Jimmy Connors.

He also has a 30-2 record at Slams since winning his first Melbourne title 12 months ago.

Cash said: “Sinner and Alcaraz are so far ahead of everybody else.

“Until other young guys come through it is a two-horse race. We saw that for a while with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, then [came] Andy Murray, Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka.

“Things can change really quickly, but as of now it’s a one-horse or two-horse race for the Grand Slams.”

Sinner ‘maturing on and off the court’
Before Sinner became the youngest man since 1993 to win back-to-back Australian Open men’s singles titles, co-coaches Simone Vagnozzi and Darren Cahill identified Sinner’s maturity as key to his progress.

Australian Cahill, coach to former top-ranked players Andre Agassi and Andy Murray, said: “He’s just 23 but sometimes it feels like he’s much older and wiser than we are.

“He’s an incredible young man. He’s matured, for sure, not just on the court but certainly off it as well.

“You grow up fast. You need a wise head on your shoulders. Jannik has one of those.”

Jannik Sinner lifts the Australian Open trophy
IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES
Image caption,
Jannik Sinner is the 11th player in the Open era to retain the Australian Open men’s singles title

Sinner moves exceptionally well for his 6ft 3in frame, marrying court-consuming agility with robust endurance.

His serve has also improved. Sinner won 91.4% of his service games in 2024, his 563 aces representing a 29% increase on the year before and more than 50% on 2022.

He led the Tour for second serve points won (57.9%) and, in condemning Zverev to a third major final defeat, became just the fourth player in 35 years to not face a single break point in a major final.

Perhaps what separates Sinner from most is his resilience in high-pressure moments. He saved an unmatched 73.7% of the break points he faced in 2024, while also ranking second for tie-breaks won (75%).

Sinner has also credited sleep as a key factor in his success – including pre-match naps.

“Usually I’m quite relaxed until 20 minutes before the match,” Sinner said.

“I try to sleep in as long as possible. I slept around 10 hours [before playing in the third round]. Hopefully I wake up when it counts.”

The German second seed lost in straight sets to world number one Jannik Sinner in Melbourne.

As he stepped up to receive his runners-up trophy, a spectator loudly shouted: “Australia believes Olya and Brenda.”

The 27-year-old was accused of violence by his former girlfriend Olya Sharypova in 2020 and of domestic abuse in 2023 by Brenda Patea, with whom he has a child.

Zverev has repeatedly denied both sets of allegations and a Berlin court case brought by Patea was discontinued last year.

Asked afterwards about the heckles, Zverev said: “Good for her. I think she was the only one in the stadium who believed anything in that moment.

“I believe there are no more accusations. There haven’t been for, what, nine months now.

“I think I’ve done everything I can, and I’m not about to open that subject again.”

In October 2020, former girlfriend Sharypova accused Zverev of violence and emotional abuse during their relationship. Zverev denied the allegations and said they were “unfounded”.

Sharypova did not press charges, and a 15-month investigation by the men’s ATP Tour found there was “insufficient evidence” to substantiate claims made by Sharypova and so Zverev did not face disciplinary action.

In November 2023, Zverev was given a penalty order and fined by a German court after being accused of physically abusing his ex-girlfriend Patea.

Zverev denied the claims and lodged an objection against the order, which resulted in a public trial.

The trial was discontinued in June 2024 after a settlement was agreed between the defendant and the complainant.

At the time, the court told BBC Sport: “The decision is not a verdict and it is not a decision about guilt or innocence.”

The Italian top seed delivered in the decisive moments to win 6-3 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 against the second seed.

Despite an ongoing doping case hanging over him, Sinner has been able to block out the noise to claim a third Grand Slam title.

After sealing victory with a composed cross-court winner on his first championship point, the 23-year-old calmly raised his hands into the air before walking over to celebrate with his team.

“It’s an incredible tournament for me, I hope I can keep it going,” said Sinner, who is the first Italian player to win three majors.

The straight-set win was a demonstration of Sinner’s relentless baseline game, physical power and mental steeliness.

Zverev could not create a single break point in the match and grew increasingly frustrated as his game failed to trouble Sinner.

The 27-year-old German becomes the seventh man in the Open era to lose his first three Grand Slam finals, having also fallen at the final hurdle at the 2020 US Open and 2024 French Open.

After slumping forlornly into his chair, a visibly upset Zverev hunched forward and covered his face with a towel.

His runner-up speech was delayed by a heckling spectator who made apparent reference to past domestic abuse allegations against the player.

Zverev, who denied the allegations and had a Berlin court case brought by one woman discontinued last year, then addressed the crowd.

“It sucks standing next to this trophy,” he said.

“I was hoping to be more competitive but Jannik was just too good – as simple as that.”

Backing up the finest season of your career – and one of the most dominant in recent memory – is the challenge facing Sinner this year.

The manner in which he has swept to the Australian Open suggests he is more than capable of reaching the same heights that led to two major trophies, six more ATP titles, a Davis Cup triumph with Italy and an overall record of 73 wins from 79 matches.

What makes his achievements even more extraordinary is the unsettling situation surrounding his ongoing doping case.

It was announced in August that Sinner had tested positive for the banned substance clostebol, sending shockwaves around the sport.

While he was cleared of wrongdoing by the International Tennis Integrity Agency, the World Anti-Doping Agency has appealed against the decision and is seeking a one to two-year ban.

In a difficult time, the tennis court has become his sanctuary.

Sinner’s coping mechanism has been to try and “isolate” himself but his coach Darren Cahill provided a telling insight when he said nobody is “bulletproof”.

However, Sinner has been as close to fully armoured as he could have been in the circumstances.

He has swatted his way through the draw with relative ease, with the hot and humid conditions in his fourth-round match against Denmark’s Holger Rune being his toughest opponent.

The way he ruthlessly dismantled Zverev was a stark contrast to the fight he needed to recover from two sets down against Daniil Medvedev last year.

Calmly converting his first championship point – luring his opponent forward with a drop-shot before drilling a backhand past him – illustrated the ease he felt.

Being dubbed the ‘best men’s player not to have won a Grand Slam title’ is a tag Zverev is desperate to shake off.

As a teenager, Zverev followed older brother Mischa around on tour, but his talents soon saw him labelled as a prospective major champion.

Still the wait goes on.

From the opening exchanges against Sinner, Zverev looked more likely to break down in the baseline rallies.

He became impatient when Sinner targeted his more vulnerable forehand, with errors from that swing contributing to the German losing serve at 4-3.

Sinner demonstrated his all-court brilliance as he closed out the set.

Zverev finally buckled on a fourth break point when Sinner turned defence into attack, leaving the German only able to put a stretching volley into the net.

aThe venom of his groundstrokes were matched by his nimbleness of foot and sharp reactions at the net, before he clinched the lead with a precise ace out wide.

It was no wonder Zverev looked utterly demoralised and felt the need to go off court to collect his thoughts after just 46 minutes on the clock.

The questions continued to be posed by Sinner, though.

Even though he kept the set on serve, Zverev’s furrowed expression suggested he did not believe he could break down his opponent.

A cruel net-cord that swung the second-set tie-break in Sinner’s favour at 5-4 didn’t help either.

Zverev was left with his hands on his hips and angrily thumped his racquet into his bag after Sinner served out for a two-set lead.

The likelihood of Zverev turning the deficit around looked slim and a single break of serve in the sixth game was enough for Sinner to roll home.

Keys, playing her second major final and first for more than seven years, overcame the world number one 6-3 2-6 7-5.

Only three other women have been older than the 29-year-old Keys when winning their first Grand Slam title.

Keys, seeded 19th in Melbourne, clasped her head in amazement before sharing an emotional hug with husband and coach Bjorn Fratangelo.

“I have wanted this for so long. I never knew if I’d be in this position again,” said Keys.

Belarus’ Sabalenka, 25, had been attempting to claim a rare third successive victory at the opening major of the season.

After Keys secured victory, Sabalenka warmly hugged her opponent at the net before her mood quickly soured.

She smashed a racquet then covered her head with a towel before walking off court.

When she returned a few minutes later she received a warm ovation from the 15,000 fans on Rod Laver Arena.

“Madison was incredible and I couldn’t do anything,” said Sabalenka.

“Next time I play Madison I will bring better tennis.”

Patience can be a precious commodity in sport and even Keys thought her chance of winning one of tennis’ greatest prizes had slipped by.

The seven-and-a-bit years between her first and second major finals is the longest gap in the Open era on the women’s side.

After reaching the French Open and US Open semi-finals in 2018, Keys dropped outside of the world’s top 50 after struggling with injuries.

She returned to the top 10 in early 2022 after making the Australian Open semi-finals and also had a run to the last four at the 2023 US Open.

Keys was denied a place in the final of her home Grand Slam by Sabalenka – a crushing defeat in which she regretted playing “too safe”.

“I’m glad I’ve got you back,” Keys joked afterwards.

After another injury-hit season last year, which forced her to miss the Australian Open, Keys was unsure if she would “be able to do it all again”.

A bold move to change racquet manufacturer in the off-season has paid dividends, with Keys keeping her explosive power while playing with a level of confidence she previously lacked.

Beating Sabalenka was the pinnacle of a title run where has beaten a host of star names.

Keys also beat second seed Iga Swiatek in the semi-finals, becoming the first player to beat the top two Australian Open seeds since Serena Williams in 2005.

That came on the back of previous victories over former Melbourne finalists Danielle Collins and Elena Rybakina, plus 2023 Wimbledon semi-finalist Elina Svitolina.

Sabalenka was the pre-match favourite, having won 33 of her previous 34 matches on the Australian hard courts.

But Keys, a powerful baseliner, is one of the few players on the WTA Tour who has the weapons to damage Sabalenka.

The explosive match-up led to a gripping final where Keys won only one more point overall.

A stunning opening set, where she whacked 11 winners and had a rock-solid first serve, set the platform.

Keys was also helped by a nervy start from Sabalenka, whose once-unstable second serve returned to trouble her.

Two double faults in the opening game allowed Keys to break, while another set up a second break point in the fifth game which Sabalenka handed over with a sliced forehand into the net.

Keys continued to play lights out, thumping clean winners from the back of the court and also showing deft touches.

A bemused Sabalenka could only smile when Keys pulled out an ice-cold drop-shot on the way to holding for 5-1.

However, Sabalenka was furious with herself after a fourth double fault handed over another set point, which Keys took with a backhand winner.

“She played super aggressive. It seemed like everything was going her way,” said Sabalenka.

“I was just trying to put the ball back. I couldn’t really play my aggressive tennis and didn’t feel my serve that well.”

An exasperated Sabalenka felt the need to go off court after a 35-minute first set and, having tried to clear her head, was able to shift momentum.

Keys was unable to sustain her previous level, with her winners deteriorating and her first serve lacking precision.

While Sabalenka was still lacking fluency – illustrated by a long forehand that left her dropping her racquet in exasperation – she improved enough to dominate the second set.

A tight and tense decider did not produce a break point until the pivotal 12th game.

Keys upped the ante with some deep returning that Sabalenka could not handle, before sealing victory with a wonderful cross-court forehand winner.

“She played incredible,” said Sabalenka.

“I was trying my best. Obviously it didn’t work well.”

The 37-year-old Briton has been working with his long-time playing rival on a trial basis in Melbourne.

Murray, who retired in August last year, took a surprise coaching role with Djokovic’s team in late November.

After overcoming injury to beat Spanish third seed Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals, Djokovic was forced to retire from his semi-final against German second seed Alexander Zverev on Friday.

“Novak and I agreed that after the tournament we would speak – and we will do that,” Murray said afterwards.

Djokovic said the pair would need to “cool off” before discussing the future.

“We are still hot-headed and disappointed, so it’s kind of hard to switch the page and start talking about what the next steps are,” said the 37-year-old Serb.

“We are both disappointed with what just happened, so we didn’t talk about the future.

“I’ll definitely have a chat with Andy and thank him for being here with me.

“I’ll give him my feedback, which is positive, and see how he feels and we will make the next step.”

It is no secret that Djokovic is a challenging guy when it comes to his pursuit of greatness.

After winning a men’s record 23rd Grand Slam title at the 2023 French Open, Djokovic admitted he had been “torturing” his team during the tournament.

“He’s not an easy guy, let’s put it this way – especially when something’s not going his way,” said then-coach Goran Ivanisevic, who joked Djokovic “chained” his team “with handcuffs”.

Murray said before the Australian Open started that the work had already been “demanding” – despite having only linked up for a 10-day practice block in Spain and a few days in Melbourne.

He also knew it would become more “stressful” during the tournament.

After Djokovic’s run ended in unfortunate circumstances, Murray said the experience had been “a steep learning curve”.

“I’ve certainly learned a lot but there’s a lot more still for me to learn, that’s for sure,” the Scot added.

Whether it is providing detailed insight about an opponent or carrying his racquets to the stringer, Murray has had Djokovic’s back in Melbourne.

The former world number one was even chasing down drop-shots at the end of practice sessions.

Over the past fortnight, Murray showed he was willing to do whatever it takes to help Djokovic win a record 25th Grand Slam title.

“They’re in this together,” Murray’s former coach Dani Vallverdu told BBC Sport.

“It’s the feeling of the older guys against the younger guys – that’s what’s driving them.”

Born a week apart in May 1987, Murray and Djokovic first became acquainted as 12-year-olds at junior tournaments.

The rivalry continued into the senior game as they met in 36 tour-level matches, including seven Grand Slam finals.

“Having someone in his box, and the locker room, who has been through it all on the opposite side of the court gives Novak a feeling of familiarity,” said Vallverdu, who was part of Murray’s team when he beat Djokovic to win Wimbledon in 2013.

“There is someone who understands him and has understood him from the other side of the court.”

Murray also knows Djokovic’s potential opponents inside out.

Murray had played everyone Djokovic faced from the third round onwards in Melbourne – Tomas Machac, Jiri Lehecka, Alcaraz and Zverev – in the past four years.

“I know what the speed of their serve is like, what the top-spin on their shots is like, and hopefully have a decent understanding of their strengths and weaknesses,” Murray said.

During Djokovic’s victory over Alcaraz, former British number one Annabel Croft spotted the Serb going low down the middle during the rallies.

Asked afterwards by a small group of British reporters about his tactical input, Murray grinned.

He refused to take the credit, insisting it was all Djokovic’s own work.

But given his meticulous attention to detail, it would be a surprise if Murray isn’t studying hours of video footage and combing through statistics.

“When Andy played he was one of the more data-driven players out there,” said former Australian player John Millman, who is working as an analyst, external with host television broadcaster Channel Nine.

“He felt better going into a match with that wealth of information. I’m sure he’s brought that into the Djokovic camp.”

At Melbourne Park, there were plenty of chances to see how the team dynamic works.

Murray often worn a serious expression during Djokovic’s matches. Motivating fist pumps were rare, tactical exchanges sparse.

While Djokovic often looked over to his team, there were fewer outbursts than we have been used to seeing.

After his victory over Alcaraz, Djokovic walked straight over to Murray and buried his head in his chest.

“It was kind of a gesture of appreciation and respect for him for the fact that he’s out there and he doesn’t need to be,” said Djokovic afterwards.

During practices, Murray watched every movement intently from close quarters.

Afterwards they usually shared a warm hug and sometimes had a gentle knock.

Then it was back to collecting Djokovic’s racquets and taking them to the stringer.

“When I saw Andy walking through the corridors with all Novak’s racquets, taking them to the stringer, you could see he is taking this job very seriously,” Australian former world number four Sam Stosur told Channel Nine.

Djokovic’s pre-tournament practice sessions against Alcaraz, Jack Draper and Arthur Fils offered more insight.

Standing close behind Djokovic and sometimes in the doubles alley, Murray constantly offered feedback, shouted praise after winners and made notes.

He also compared observations with Boris Bosnjakovic, who ran Djokovic’s training centre in Belgrade before becoming part of the team last May after long-term coach Ivanisevic left.

“The team has done an incredible job over many, many years to allow him to still be competing at this level at the age that he’s at,” said Murray.

“They’ve all been really, really helpful to me. They really welcomed me. It’s been great to be a part of.”

Djokovic, who was bidding for a record-extending 11th title, quit after losing the first set 7-6 (7-5) in 80 minutes.

The 37-year-old Serb had his upper left leg heavily taped after injuring it in Tuesday’s quarter-final win over Carlos Alcaraz.

“I did everything I possibly could do to manage the muscle tear that I had,” said Djokovic, who was also aiming for an all-time standalone record of 25 major titles.

“Towards the end of that first set I just started feeling more and more pain.

“It was too much to handle for me.”

After he slapped a volley into the net on set point, seventh seed Djokovic immediately approached Zverev and shook his hand.

He waved to the crowd and gave them a double thumbs up, despite audible boos from some sections inside Rod Laver Arena.

Asked by Serbian media, external about the reaction, Djokovic said: “I don’t know what to say.

“People have come and paid for the tickets expecting a great match and a big fight, which they didn’t get.

“From that perspective, I can understand. I am doing my best to understand them, but I am not sure whether they understand me or if they even want to.”

German second seed Zverev is still bidding for his first Grand Slam title after twice losing in major finals.

He will face world number one and defending champion Jannik Sinner in Sunday’s final after the Italian beat Ben Shelton.

From the moment Djokovic lunged for a drop-shot towards the end of the first set against Alcaraz and immediately grimaced to his box, there have been questions over his fitness.

Djokovic, as he has on countless occasions in his stellar career, somehow managed to defy the injury to earn a remarkable win against the 21-year-old.

But doubts remained how equipped he would be to play Zverev.

“I knew even if I won the first set, that it’s going to be a huge uphill battle for me to stay physically fit enough to stay with him,” added Djokovic.

“I don’t think I had that in the tank.”

Djokovic had not practised at Melbourne Park since Tuesday night’s victory, cancelling a planned hit on Thursday before spending an hour warming up on court shortly before the semi-final.

Djokovic did not practise between matches during his 2023 title run and later revealed he had a three centimetre tear in his hamstring.

He also won the 2021 title despite tearing an abdominal muscle in the third round.

“The very first thing I want to say is, please guys, don’t boo when a player is injured,” said Zverev, addressing the crowd in his on-court interview.

“I know everyone paid for tickets and wants to see a five-set match but you have to understand Novak Djokovic is someone who has given absolutely everything to tennis.

“He has won this title with an abdominal tear, he has won this title with a hamstring tear.

“If he cannot continue this match, it means he really cannot continue.”

Former Australian player John Millman, working at Melbourne Park as a television summariser, said the crowd’s reaction showed a “total lack of respect”.

He added in a post on X: “Novak getting booed off is a disgrace. Classless.”

Djokovic looked way below his best from the start of the semi-final.

The former world number one was fortunate not to be punished more by Zverev as he struggled badly with his first serve.

Zverev, playing passively behind the baseline, produced poor errors on the four break points he created in the third game of the match.

Two forehands and a backhand were meekly dumped into the net before he framed a forehand into the front rows of the stand on the fourth.

After three slogs of games spanning 23 minutes, Djokovic had three break points himself at 2-1 but could not take his chances.

Djokovic’s service games improved but he had to save another break point at 4-4, and the laboured walks to the chair and anguished facial expressions became more pronounced.

Nevertheless, ending the match early came as a shock to most of the 15,000 crowd on Rod Laver Arena – and Zverev himself.

Asked if he had any indication Djokovic was struggling, Zverev laughed: “No, I actually thought it was a high-level set.

“Of course there were some difficulties and the longer you continue maybe the worse it gets.

“Maybe in the tie-break he was not moving as well, but I thought we had extremely long, physical rallies.”

It is the second time in 12 months that the statue in Sydney has been vandalised.

Australia Day is a national holiday that is held each year on 26 January – the anniversary of Britain’s First Fleet landing at Sydney Cove in 1788. Many Indigenous Australians say the date causes them pain.

The local council in Randwick – the suburb where the statue is located – described the vandalism as “a disservice to the community and a disservice to reconciliation”.

Councillor Carolyn Martin told Sydney radio station 2GB that the vandals had knocked off one hand and parts of the face and nose.

The statue – which was first unveiled in 1874 – was previously targeted in February last year, when it was covered with red paint and had parts of its sandstone damaged. Works to repair and restore it were completed a month later.

There are several Captain Cook statues across Australia, and others have also been vandalised on or around 26 January.

In 2024, one in Melbourne was cut down on the eve of the holiday, while its plinth was spray-painted with the words “the colony will fall”. Two years earlier the same statue had been splashed with red paint, while in 2018 it was graffitied with the words “no pride” and had an Aboriginal flag placed next to it.

Cook charted Australia’s east coast in 1770, laying the groundwork for the later decision to send the First Fleet, which was led by Captain Arthur Phillip.

Australia Day is a contentious holiday for some, particularly among those in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities who view it as a reminder of the dispossession and displacement of their people.

To many Australians though, it is celebrated as a day of nation-building and achievement. Polling suggests a majority of people are supportive of keeping the holiday, despite suggestions it should be changed to a different date.

The 37-year-old was made to work in his 430th Grand Slam singles match but he emerged triumphant, beating qualifier Jaime Faria 6-1 6-7 (4-7) 6-3 6-2.

The win gives Djokovic sole ownership of the all-time record for most Grand Slam singles matches played among men and women, and takes him past former rival Federer, who played his last major match at Wimbledon in 2021.

“I love this sport. I love competition,” Djokovic said when asked about the milestone.

“I try to give my best every single time. It’s been over 20 years that I’ve been competing in Grand Slams at the highest level.

“Whether I win or lose, I will always leave my heart out on the court. I’m just blessed to be making another record.”

The victory also meant the Serb became the first man over the age of 30 to reach 150 Grand Slam singles wins.

Djokovic can make further history still in Melbourne – win the title and he would claim a 25th major, moving him clear of Australia’s Margaret Court as the sole leader of all-time Grand Slam singles titles.

The seventh seed, who has three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray in his coaching box, will face Czech 26th seed Tomas Machac in the third round.

Norwegian sixth seed Casper Ruud became the biggest casualty in the men’s draw, losing 6-2 3-6 6-1 6-4 to 19-year-old Czech Jakub Mensik.

World number 48 Mensik and Joao Fonseca, the 18-year-old Brazilian qualifier who stunned ninth seed Andrey Rublev on Tuesday, are the first teenagers to beat top-10 opponents at the same Grand Slam since Djokovic and Murray at Wimbledon in 2006.

Meanwhile, German second seed Alexander Zverev claimed an assured 6-1 6-4 6-1 victory over Spain’s Pedro Martinez to set up a third-round meeting with Britain’s Jacob Fearnley.

The driver was taken to hospital as a precaution, but appears to have escaped unharmed, according to paramedics.

“Remarkably, she was able to fend the snake off her and weave through traffic before pulling over and leaping out of her car to safety”, Victoria Police said.Officers said she had been “rattled” and “in a state of shock”.Passing drivers were “left in bewilderment” as the snake was pulled out of the car, police added; Tim Nanninga from Melbourne Snake Control said some in traffic started to video the removal.He told ABC News he released the snake back into the wild “well away from houses, people and pets”.