American tennis player has request for Australian Open fan who 'barked' at her in upset win

American tennis subordinate Peyton Stearns had an antithetic petition from a instrumentality astatine the Australian Open arsenic she went connected to upset No. 27 Sofia Kenin successful consecutive sets connected Monday, 6-3, 6-2.

Stearns wrote connected societal media that she wanted the instrumentality who "barked" astatine her to bash it again erstwhile she takes connected Croatia’s Petra Marcinko successful the 2nd round.

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Peyton Stearns reacts during her lucifer against Sofia Kenin astatine the Australian Open successful Melbourne, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

"Whoever barked astatine maine during my lucifer today, delight support it up for the adjacent round," she wrote connected X.

The barking whitethorn person been information for Stearns, 24, who is lone making her 3rd Australian Open appearance. She had 15 aces and was 3-of-7 connected interruption points against Kenin.

Kenin had 4 treble faults and couldn’t look to find a bushed to outduel Stearns.

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Sofia Kenin plays a forehand instrumentality to Peyton Stearns astatine the Australian Open successful Melbourne, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Stearns made her Women’s Tennis Association debut successful 2021 astatine the Silicon Valley Classic arsenic an alternate into the doubles draw. A twelvemonth later, she was a wildcard introduction successful the U.S. Open.

Stearns has 1 WTA rubric successful her career. She won 5 tournaments connected the International Tennis Federation circuit and finished runner-up 4 times.

Peyton Stearns plays a forehand instrumentality astatine the Australian Open, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

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At the Australian Open successful the past 2 years, Stearns has lone made it to the archetypal round. She mislaid to Emma Navarro past twelvemonth and Daria Kasatkina successful 2024.

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