Defending champion Jannik Sinner will begin his Australian Open title defence against French world number 94 Hugo Gaston after the draw for the 2026 tournament was released at Melbourne Park.
The Italian, who is targeting a third successive crown in Melbourne, has been handed a manageable opening round but faces a potentially challenging path later in the tournament. Sinner could meet fellow Italian Lorenzo Musetti, the fifth seed, in the quarterfinals, with a possible semifinal clash against Novak Djokovic looming.
Men’s top seed Carlos Alcaraz will start his campaign against unseeded Australian Adam Walton. The Spaniard is chasing his first Australian Open title, which would see him become the youngest male player to complete the career Grand Slam. However, his section of the draw also includes home favourite Alex de Minaur, the sixth seed, who faces a tricky opening test against Italy’s Matteo Berrettini.
Ten-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic, seeded fourth, has been drawn against Spain’s Pedro Martinez in the first round. The Serbian is bidding for a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title and could cross paths with Sinner in the latter stages of the tournament.
Sinner’s opening week appears favourable, with the possibility of a third-round meeting against 28th seed Joao Fonseca, provided the 19-year-old Brazilian recovers fully from recent back issues. Speaking at the draw ceremony, Sinner downplayed the significance of opponents, stressing the difficulty of navigating a Grand Slam draw regardless of matchups.
In the women’s draw, top seed Aryna Sabalenka begins her campaign against French wildcard Tiantsoa Rakotomanga. The two-time champion has few obvious threats in her quarter before a potential semi-final against third seed Coco Gauff, who opens against Uzbekistan’s Kamilla Rakhimova.
Second seed Iga Swiatek faces a qualifier in the first round, but her route to a first Australian Open title could include a demanding quarter-final against fifth seed Elena Rybakina. The Kazakh enters the tournament in strong form after lifting the WTA Finals trophy in November and opens against Slovenia’s Kaja Juvan.
Defending champion Madison Keys will play Ukrainian Oleksandra Oliynykova in the first round, though the ninth seed faces a difficult path that could include matches against compatriots Jessica Pegula and Amanda Anisimova in the latter stages.
Meanwhile, Australian hopes suffered a blow as Thanasi Kokkinakis withdrew from the men’s draw due to a shoulder injury sustained at the Adelaide International, despite entering the tournament with a protected ranking.
