The first grand slam of the 2026 season is underway in Melbourne, delivering early drama as British qualifier Arthur Fery scored the tournament's biggest shock so far. Meanwhile, the top seeds, Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka, have begun their campaigns for history at the Australian Open.
Early Upset and Top Seeds in Focus
Arthur Fery, representing Great Britain, produced a stunning first-round performance to knock out the men's 20th seed, Flavio Cobolli. The qualifier secured a memorable victory in straight sets, 7-6 (1), 6-4, 6-1, marking the most significant upset of the opening days.
At the summit of the draws, Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka hold the coveted number one seeding. They are closely followed by second seeds Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek as the quest for the year's first major title intensifies.
Historic Pursuits and Storylines to Follow
The men's tournament features a tantalising potential narrative: Alcaraz and Sinner could become the first pair to contest four consecutive grand slam finals since the legendary Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal rivalry of 2011-2012. Alcaraz is chasing a maiden Australian Open crown, which would see him become the youngest man ever to complete a career Grand Slam. Sinner, meanwhile, aims for a remarkable third straight title in Melbourne.
On the women's side, Sabalenka and Swiatek have never met in a major final. Swiatek, the reigning Wimbledon champion, needs only the Australian Open to complete her own career Grand Slam. Sabalenka, the US Open champion, is determined to reclaim the title she lost in a shock defeat to Madison Keys in the 2025 final.
American star Coco Gauff is seeded third and could face the experienced Venus Williams in a captivating second-round encounter. Defending champion Keys is seeded ninth.
Ten-time champion Novak Djokovic, seeded fourth, is projected to meet Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals should both players progress.
Complete Seed List and First-Round Matchups
Men's Seeds:
- Carlos Alcaraz vs Adam Walton
- Jannik Sinner vs Hugo Gaston
- Alexander Zverev vs Gabriel Diallo
- Novak Djokovic vs Pedro Martínez
- Lorenzo Musetti vs Raphael Collignon
- Alex de Minaur vs Matteo Berrettini
- Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Nuno Borges
- Ben Shelton vs Ugo Humbert
- Taylor Fritz vs Valentin Royer
- Alexander Bublik vs Jenson Brooksby
- Daniil Medvedev vs Jesper de Jong
- Casper Ruud vs Mattia Bellucci
- Andrey Rublev vs Matteo Arnaldi
- Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs Filip Misolic
- Karen Khachanov vs Alex Michelsen
- Jakub Mensik vs Pablo Carreno Busta
- Jiri Lehecka vs Arthur Gea [Q]
- Francisco Cerundolo vs Zhang Zhizhen
- Tommy Paul vs Aleksandar Kovacevic
- Flavio Cobolli - KNOCKED OUT by Arthur Fery [Q]
- Denis Shapovalov vs Bu Yunchaokete [WC]
- Luciano Darderi vs Cristian Garin
- Tallon Griekspoor vs Ethan Quinn
- Arthur Rinderknech vs Fabian Marozsan
- Learner Tien vs Marcos Giron
- Cameron Norrie vs Benjamin Bonzi
- Brandon Nakashima vs Botic van de Zandschulp
- Joao Fonseca vs Eliot Spizzirri
- Frances Tiafoe vs Jason Kubler [Q]
- Valentin Vacherot vs Martin Damm [Q]
- Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Shintaro Mochizuki
- Corentin Moutet vs Tristan Schoolkate
Women's Seeds:
- Aryna Sabalenka vs Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah [WC]
- Iga Swiatek vs Yuan Yue [Q]
- Coco Gauff vs Kamilla Rakhimova
- Amanda Anisimova vs Simona Waltert
- Elena Rybakina vs Kaja Juvan
- Jessica Pegula vs Anastasia Zakharova
- Jasmine Paolini vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich [Q]
- Mirra Andreeva vs Donna Vekić
- Madison Keys vs Oleksandra Oliynykova
- Belinda Bencic vs Katie Boulter
- Ekaterina Alexandrova vs Zeynep Sonmez [Q]
- Elina Svitolina vs Cristina Bucsa
- Linda Noskova vs Darja Semenistaja
- Clara Tauson vs Dalma Galfi
- Emma Navarro vs Magda Linette
- Naomi Osaka vs Antonia Ruzic
- Victoria Mboko vs Emerson Jones [WC]
- Liudmila Samsonova vs Laura Siegemund
- Karolina Muchova vs Jaqueline Cristian
- Marta Kostyuk vs Elsa Jacquemot
- Elise Mertens vs Lanlana Tararudee [Q]
- Leylah Fernandez vs Janice Tjen
- Diana Shnaider vs Barbora Krejcikova
- Jelena Ostapenko vs Rebecca Sramkova
- Paula Badosa vs Zarina Diyas [WC]
- Dayana Yastremska - KNOCKED OUT by Elena-Gabriela Ruse, 6-4, 7-5
- Sofia Kenin vs Peyton Stearns
- Emma Raducanu vs Mananchaya Sawangkaew [PR]
- Iva Jovic vs Katie Volynets
- Maya Joint vs Tereza Valentova
- Anna Kalinskaya vs Sonay Kartal
- Marketa Vondrousova - WITHDREW before first round vs Hailey Baptiste
How to watch: In the UK, the Australian Open is being broadcast live on TNT Sports and streamed on Discovery+. Viewers in the United States can follow the action on ESPN and the Tennis Channel.
