To most of us, mention Saudi Arabia and visions of blindingly hot deserts are conjured up, but the two men reliving an epic 1927 road trip between London and Melbourne reckon northern Australia tops the Middle East for roasting.

Coco Gauff has made improvements to her serving and her forehand. And the strides in both of those areas are among the reasons she's considered one of the few women ready to challenge two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka for the title at the Australian Open.

Jessica Pegula feels the decision to give herself an extra week to recover from a niggling knee injury has paid off as the American heads into the Australian Open on the back of a run to the final of the tune-up tournament in Adelaide.

Canadian Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand didn't waste much time punching their tickets to the Australian Open semifinals on Monday.

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus plays a forehand return to Zheng Qinwen of China during the women's singles final at the Australian Open tennis championships at Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024. Credit: AP/Andy Wong

Police arrest man involved with Sydney synagogue swastikas vandalism Dramatic update after Sydney synagogue was vandalised with red swastikas by group of hooded men in Camperdown.

Elena Rybakina has split with coach Goran Ivanisevic after two 2025 events, he announced Tuesday. "After our trial period that finished with Australian Open, I wish Elena and her team the best of luck moving forward,

Homeward Bound, a transformational leadership initiative dedicated to supporting women with STEMM backgrounds, is to set sail for Antarctica.

CRAIG REUCASSEL, HOST: We have the Prime Minister on the line, bring him up now. Morning, Prime Minister. ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good morning, Craig. Good to be with you. Good to be in Parramatta.

DAVOS (Switzerland) - World Economic Forum annual meeting PICTURE. VIDEO. (To 24) PARIS (France) - Paris Fashion Week, Menswear Fall/Winter 2025-2026 VIDEO. PICTURE. (To 26) ANKARA (Turkey) - EU crisis management chief Hadja Lahbib visits VIDEO. (To 22) DAVOS (Switzerland) - Conversation with Pham Minh Chinh, prime minister of Vietnam (1530 GMT)

Saudi Arabia said it received a record 30 million foreign tourists last year as the kingdom spends heavily on hotels, luxury projects and entertainment to transform itself into a hub for tourism.

Desert Rock, one of the world’s most anticipated luxury hospitality experiences, has officially opened its doors. Located in the Hejaz Mountains of Saudi Arabia, the resort is designed by Oppenheim Architecture in close collaboration with Red Sea Global.