Australian Open draw preview: Keys could face Pegula, Anisimova in path to defend title

MELBOURNE, Australia -- The 2026 Australian Open draw is set.

Eleven Grand Slam winners are in the mix, including five previous Australian Open champions. Among them, Madison Keys returns to Melbourne Park after winning her first-ever Grand Slam last year. She defeated Aryna Sabalenka, who has reached the final each of the past three editions, and won titles in 2023 and 2024.

The season's first Grand Slam closes out a spectacular summer of tennis Down Under and the Australian swing on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz. Here is a breakdown of each quarter, the key first-round matches to watch and the potential quarterfinal matchups:

Full draw

First quarter

First-round matches to keep an eye on

[17] Victoria Mboko vs. [WC] Emerson Jones: Mboko, the WTA Newcomer of the Year in 2025, will open her debut at the Australian Open against Aussie fan favorite, Jones. The former junior No. 1, Jones received her second straight wild card for the Australian Open -- she lost to Elena Rybakina in the first-round of 2025. Mboko will be seeded for the second straight Grand Slam after she won the WTA 1000 in Montreal last summer. This will be their first meeting against one another.

[29] Iva Jovic vs. Katie Volynets: Entering her first Grand Slam as a seeded player, Jovic looks build off her strong 2025 season where she won a WTA 500 title in Guadalajara. Last week, she reached the semifinals in Auckland, falling to eventual champion Elina Svitolina. Jovic will face American compatriot Volynets, and this will be their first time sharing the court.

Other notable first-round matches: [1] Aryna Sabalenka vs. [WC] Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah (WC); [SR] Mananchaya Sawangkaew vs. [28] Emma Raducanu

Potential quarterfinal showdown

[1] Aryna Sabalenka vs. [20] Marta Kostyuk: We saw this matchup recently in the Brisbane International final, where Sabalenka won 6-4, 6-3 to win back-to-back titles in Queensland. If Brisbane is any indicator, then the way both players performed throughout the tournament could see this be a top quarterfinal matchup. Kostyuk upset Amanda Anisimova, Mirra Andreeva and Jessica Pegula en route to the Brisbane final, while Sabalenka dominated the field with all straight-set victories. Kostyuk has only made on Grand Slam quarterfinal -- the 2024 Australian Open.

Second quarter

First-round matches to keep an eye on

Barbora Krejcikova vs. [23] Diana Shnaider: Two-time Grand Slam champion Krejcikova looks to climb her way back into the form she once had as former World No. 2, and will face Shnaider to begin her Australian Open campaign. Shnaider has performed well in Adelaide with wins over Katerina Siniakova and 2021 US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez. This will be their first matchup on the WTA Tour.

Olga Danilovic vs. [WC] Venus Williams: Williams, seven-time Grand Slam champion and two-time finalist at the Australian Open, will make her return to Melbourne Park for the first time in five years. Williams, 45, played at the WTA 250 tournaments in Auckland and Hobart to start the season. The reason this matchup with Danilovic -- who is currently in the quarterfinals in Hobart -- is intriguing is because the winner could likely face Coco Gauff in the second round. Gauff notably defeated Williams at Wimbledon in 2019 and the Australian Open in 2020 as she was a rising star in the sport.

Other notable first-round matches: [12] Elina Svitolina vs. Cristina Bucsa; Magda Linette vs. [15] Emma Navarro; [3] Coco Gauff vs. Kamilla Rakhimova; Donna Vekic vs. [8] Mirra Andreeva

Potential quarterfinal showdown

[3] Coco Gauff vs. [8] Mirra Andreeva: This would be a spectacular quarterfinal matchup, featuring the sport's younger stars. Gauff, the 2025 Roland Garros champion, has proven she can always rise to the occasion, and holds a 4-0 advantage over Andreeva. Andreeva, just 18 years old, sits inside the top 10 and is ready to make that breakthrough to a Grand Slam title. The two haven't played in a Grand Slam since 2023, but last played in Madrid last May, a tournament Gauff ultimately won.

Third quarter

First-round matches to keep an eye on

[22] Leylah Fernandez vs. Janice Tjen: Fernandez had a strong 2025 season, winning titles in Washington D.C. and Osaka. The 2021 US Open finalist's best finish at a Slam since was the quarterfinals at Roland Garros in 2022. For the first time, she'll face Tjen, Indonesia's rising star who climbed from outside the top 400 to outside the top 50 in 2025, spearheaded by titles in Chennai and the Jinan WTA 125.

Oleksandra Oliynykova vs. [9] Madison Keys: Keys begins her quest to defend her 2025 Australian Open title against a new opponent in Oliynykova, who is making her tour-level main draw debut. Keys' path back to Grand Slam glory could feature Jessica Pegula in the Round of 16 and Amanda Anisimova in the quarterfinals.

Other notable first-round matches: Emiliana Arango vs. McCartney Kessler; [13] Linda Noskova vs. Darja Semenistaja; [27] Sofia Kenin vs. Peyton Stearns; [WC] Zarina Diyas vs. [25] Paula Badosa; [SR] Karolina Pliskova vs. [Q] Sloane Stephens

Potential quarterfinal showdown

[4] Amanda Anisimova vs. [6] Jessica Pegula: An all-American battle for a spot in the Australian Open semifinals would be a very entertaining matchup. Both players still covet that first Grand Slam title, and each have been on the doorstep. Anisimova fell in the Wimbledon and US Open singles finals last year while Pegula lost to Sabalenka in the 2024 final. Pegula holds the head-to-head 3-0, but they have not faced since Toronto 2024.

Fourth quarter

First-round matches to keep an eye on

Tereza Valentova vs. [30] Maya Joint: Joint, 19, whose family lives in Melbourne, will be seeded at a Grand Slam for the first time in her career. With titles in Rabat and Eastbourne last season, she became the Australian No. 1. After difficult matches at the United Cup, she's currently in the quarterfinals in Adelaide. Joint faces 18-year-old Valentova -- who won a pair of 125 titles in Portugal and Italy last season, and made her first tour-level final in Osaka -- for the first time in an all-teenage affair.

Katie Boulter vs. [10] Belinda Bencic: Bencic could not have asked for a better start to her 2026 season. Despite Switzerland's loss to Poland in the United Cup final, Bencic finished 9-1 throughout the tournament and 5-1 in singles, including a win over Iga Swiatek, who she could meet in the Australian Open quarterfinals. She returned back into the top 10, and has the most momentum heading into the tournament alongside Sabalenka. Bencic has played Boulter just once, a win in Estonia in 2022.

Other notable first-round matches: [16] Naomi Osaka vs. Antonia Ruzic; [5] Elena Rybakina vs. Kaja Juvan; Sorana Cirstea vs. Eva Lys; Daria Kasatkina vs. [Q] Nikola Bartunkova, [Q] Yuan Yue vs. [2] Iga Swiatek

Potential quarterfinal showdown

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