In the quarterfinals of the 2026 Adelaide International, home favorite Aleksandar Vukic faces off against the tournament’s No. 2 seed, Tommy Paul, on Thursday, January 15.
This match features a bit of “form vs. ranking” as both players look to build momentum ahead of the Australian Open.
Match Details
- Tournament: ATP Adelaide International (Quarterfinals)
- Date: Thursday, January 15, 2026
- Surface: Hard Court (Outdoor)
| Feature | Aleksandar Vukic (AUS) | Tommy Paul (USA) |
| ATP Ranking | No. 87 | No. 21 |
| Current Form | Looking confident after qualifying rounds. | Easing into the season after an injury layoff. |
| Key Weapon | Big serve and aggressive baseline play. | Great footwork, solid and good variety. |
| Adelaide Path | Defeated [S. Tsitsipas](7-6, 7-6) and [A. Vavassori](6-2, 7-6). | Defeated [R. Opelka](6-4, 6-4). |
Vukic vs Paul
The 29-year-old Australian is playing some of the best tennis of his career in his hometown. He stunned Stefanos Tsitsipas in the first round without dropping his serve once, proving he can hang with the elite on a quick hard court.
Tommy Paul missed the end of the 2025 season due to a foot injury. While he showed some rust in a loss in Brisbane last week, his clinical straight-sets win over Reilly Opelka in the previous round suggests he is back to 100% and ready to challenge for the title. More on Tommy Paul’s racquet.
Playing at the Memorial Drive Tennis Centre, Vukic will have the full backing of the Adelaide crowd. He has stated he intends to “adopt the same fearless approach” against Paul as he did against Tsitsipas.
Predictions and Odds
While Tommy Paul is the clear favorite on paper due to his defensive skills and overall higher rankings, Vukic is currently in very good form and will look to surprise here. If Vukic continues to serve at a high percentage and keeps the points short, he could push this to a third set. However, I don’t think this is a favorable matchup for Vukic vs a very solid opponent who also has good variety in his game.
My prediction: Tommy Paul in three sets.
