Belarusian second seed Sabalenka won 6-3 6-2 to claim her second Grand Slam singles trophy without dropping a set.
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Djokovic will need this to claim a record-extending 10th Australian Open title in a generational clash against Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Nadal’s elimination shakes up the men’s draw and puts a twist in the Grand Slam titles race, with nine-times champion Novak Djokovic able to draw level with the Spaniard’s 22 major championships should he take a 10th crown at Melbourne Park.
The scorching heat gave players an early test of their endurance on a sweltering Day Two at Melbourne Park.
The British No. 1 had the left ankle she rolled in Auckland 11 days ago taped up but grew in confidence through the match.
The 42-year-old has rarely seen the court over the past couple of years, with her most recent singles match coming in the 2022 US Open, which she also received a wildcard for.
Djokovic’s return to the court in just over six weeks ended sooner than expected, following his defeat on Tuesday.
Becker stood trial at Southwark Crown Court accused of concealing his Wimbledon and Australian Open trophies, several properties and around £1.8 million ($2.3 million).
The 20-time Grand Slam winner was deported from Australia ahead of the Australian Open in January and insisted that he would be prepared to miss further major tournaments over his stance.
Rafael Nadal was down a set against Daniil Medvedev but led 5-3 in the second set and was on break point when play was stopped after 90 minutes.
The top-ranked Barty won the first set with one service break against the 27th-seeded Collins.
Seventh seed Berrettini eventually turned the match into a contest, but Nadal completed a 6-3 6-2 3-6 6-3 win.
The world number one went into the semi-final on an expectant Rod Laver Arena having not come close to dropping a set all tournament and eased to a 6-1 6-3 victory in only 62 minutes.
In temperatures of 32C, Cornet won 6-4 3-6 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals of a major for the first time.
Nadal would have expected to have to get past the third seed to reach the last four but Zverev’s underachievement at the grand slams went on as he was beaten in straight sets by Denis Shapovalov.
He was deported from Australia the day before the start of the Melbourne Slam, delaying his attempt to win a record 21st major singles title.
Hours earlier, three judges at the Federal Court had unanimously dismissed the unvaccinated Serbian superstar’s last-gasp attempt to overturn the government’s cancellation of his visa.
Consequently, he is set to be deported from Australia, after losing his appeal against his visa cancellation.
The Serbian faces deportation after his visa was cancelled for a second time, with the government labelling the 34-year-old a threat to public health.
The 34-year-old – who has always refused to publicly reveal his vaccination status – initially travelled to compete at the Grand Slam with a medical exemption from having a COVID-19 vaccine.