Australian Open 2026: Top seeds Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka set to go in first round

Top seeds Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka will open against Adam Walton and Tiantosa Rakotomanga Rajanoah in the first round of the 2026 Australian Open.

Following the draw for tennis’s first Grand Slam of the year on Thursday (15 January), the men’s and women’s singles world Nos. 1 were pitted against a home-crowd favourite in Walton and a French wild card, respectively.

Alcaraz is in the hunt for the one Grand Slam title the Spaniard has not won.

Defending champions Jannik Sinner and Madison Keys were drawn with Hugo Gaston and Oleksandra Oliynykova. The main draw starts on Sunday in Melbourne.

Third seed Coco Gauff and Venus Williams, who have won nine majors between them, are on a collision course to meet in the second round .

The 45-year-old Williams, a wild-card entry here, is set to become the oldest woman to compete at the Australian Open in her first-round match versus No. 68 Olga Danilovic.

Williams will rewrite the mark held by Date Kimiko of Japan, who was 44 when she appeared at the 2015 tournament.

Second-ranked Iga Świątek is in line for a potential fourth-round clash against Naomi Osaka while 10-time winner Novak Djokovic will launch his campaign in the face of Spain’s Pedro Martinez.

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