Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka are overwhelming favorites to win the upcoming Australian Open, the primary main of 2026 in males’s and girls’s tennis to kick-off a strong schedule. 4-time grand slam champion Sinner (-120 at FanDuel Sportsbook) goes for a three-peat in Melbourne after defeating Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev in every of the final two Australian Open males’s finals.
Sabalenka had received consecutive grand slams on the Australian Open earlier than American Madison Keys topped her in final 12 months’s finals in three units. The world No. 1 on the ladies’s aspect is the favourite (+210) forward of Iga Swiatek (+440), Elena Rybakina (+750) and Coco Gauff (+850). Sabalenka is gunning for her fifth profession main after profitable the US Open and coming in second at Wimbledon final 12 months.
Carlos Alcaraz, whose finest profession end in Australia is a quarterfinal look, can have play his finest to have a shot at squaring off with Sinner in one other main last. Alcaraz has received seven of the final eight matchups between the titans, together with three main finals culminating along with his sensible exhibiting on the 2025 US Open.
The place to observe Australian Open males’s, girls’s singles
- Date: Qualifying runs by Jan. 17; Important-draw play begins Jan. 18
- Location: Melbourne Park Sports activities and Leisure Precinct — Melbourne, Australia
- TV: ESPN, ESPN2 | Stream: Fubo (attempt totally free)
Word: Since Melbourne is 16 hours forward of the Japanese Time zone in the USA, many matches will likely be proven stay throughout the nighttime. When particular person match pairings are launched for the primary draw, maintain that in thoughts whereas planning your viewing schedule.
Can the American males break the streak?
Andy Roddick is the latest American to win a slam slam title on the lads’s aspect when he captured the 2003 US Open. Since, tennis has been dominated by three of the most effective gamers in historical past, together with Novak Djokovic, who will seem within the Australian Open together with the emergence of Sinner and Alcaraz.
People Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton, two of the top-10 gamers on this planet, have been essentially the most constant pair over the past two years with massive serves and elevated precision throughout grand slams. Fritz’s finest main end was a semifinal journey at Wimbledon final 12 months whereas Shelton superior to the semifinals in Melbourne.
Aryna Sabalenka enters with razor-sharp focus
Sabalenka pocketed one other Brisbane Worldwide title this month to ship a warning shot to these within the Australian Open principal draw — she’s out for blood. Sabalenka didn’t drop a set in her grand slam warmup and leads what needs to be a aggressive area. Since profitable the 2023 Australian Open for her first main title, Sabalenka and Polish standout Iga Swiatek have mixed to take eight of the final 12 grand slams on the ladies’s aspect. “I am going to do my finest to go so far as potential,” Sabalenka stated.
Novak Djokovic goes for twenty fifth main
Djokovic, the fourth-ranked participant on this planet on the lads’s aspect, withdrew from the Australian Open tuneup event has not performed an official match since November when he beat Lorenzo Musetti within the last of the Hellenic Championship. After that victory, Djokovic introduced he was skipping ATP Finals with a shoulder damage and as a substitute shifted his focus towards 2026’s first grand slam.
Djokovic is a 10-time Australian Open champion, final profitable the event in 2023. He already holds the profession lead with 24, and he almost received that elusive twenty fifth main on tour final 12 months however got here up quick within the semifinals of all 4 occasions. Djokovic, 38, hinted at retirement final 12 months after dropping to Jannik Sinner within the French Open and his phrases following his US Open loss in September mirrored these remarks.
It is clear, he desires to win yet another grand slam earlier than doubtlessly untying his sneakers one last time as an expert athlete and one of many best gamers of all-time.
“Yeah, it will likely be very tough for me sooner or later to beat the hurdle of Sinner or Alcaraz in a best-of-5 in a grand slam,” Djokovic stated in September. “I feel I’ve a greater likelihood best-of-3, however best-of-5 is hard. I am not giving up on grand slams in that regard, having stated that, I’ll proceed preventing and attempt to get to the finals and combat for an one other trophy no less than. However, , it should be a really tough activity.”
Coco Gauff eyes third profession main
After claiming her fourth-straight win over Swiatek throughout the United Cup in Sydney, Gauff grew to become the one participant to have crushed the previous world No. 1 4 consecutive instances in straight units. The budding celebrity on the American aspect has by no means received the Australian Open, however shouldn’t be missing confidence coming into the primary main of the 12 months.
The 21-year-old Gauff, who’s ranked No. 4 on this planet, took to Instagram after beating Swiatek and reposted a photograph of a leaping two-handed backhand smash on the internet, one in every of a number of spectacular winners throughout the match.
“Def(initely) my favourite shot to hit. My model of a slam dunk lol. Not as climatic however nonetheless cool I feel haha,” Gauff wrote.
Gauff received the French Open final 12 months and Wimbledon in 2023. Her finest end down below was a semifinal loss to Sabalenka in 2024.
