2026 Australian Open
The 2026 Australian Open was a Grand Slam level tennis tournament that was held at Melbourne Park, from 18 January to 1 February 2026, with the preliminary rounds played from 12 to 15 January. It was the 114th edition of the Australian Open, the 58th in the Open Era and the first major of the year. The tournament consisted of events for professional players in singles, doubles and mixed doubles. Junior and wheelchair players competed in singles and doubles tournaments.[1][2]
The defending men's singles champion, Jannik Sinner, lost in the semifinals.[3] The defending women's singles champion, Madison Keys, lost in the fourth round.[4] Venus Williams became the oldest player to play in the women's singles draw at age 45.[5]
Russian and Belarusian players were still required to participate as neutral athletes. Their national flags were not shown against their names and both flags were still banned from the tournament venue due to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
Singles players
[edit]
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Matches
[edit]Men's singles
[edit]
Carlos Alcaraz def. 
Novak Djokovic, 2–6, 6–2, 6–3, 7–5
Women's singles
[edit]
Elena Rybakina def. 
Aryna Sabalenka, 6–4, 4–6, 6–4
Men's doubles
[edit]
Christian Harrison / 
Neal Skupski def. .svg/40px-Flag_of_Australia_(converted).svg.png)
Jason Kubler / Marc Polmans, 7–6(7–4), 6–4
Women's doubles
[edit].svg/40px-Flag_of_Belgium_(civil).svg.png)
Elise Mertens / 
Zhang Shuai def. Anna Danilina / Aleksandra Krunić, 7–6(7–4), 6–4
Mixed doubles
[edit]- Olivia Gadecki / John Peers def.
Kristina Mladenovic / Manuel Guinard, 4–6, 6–3, [10–8]
Wheelchair men's singles
[edit]
Tokito Oda def. Martín de la Puente, 3–6, 6–2, 6–2
Wheelchair women's singles
[edit]- Li Xiaohui def.
Diede de Groot, 6–1, 6–2
Wheelchair quad singles
[edit]- Niels Vink def. Sam Schröder, 6–3, 7–6(7–5)
Wheelchair men's doubles
[edit]
Gustavo Fernández / Tokito Oda def. Daniel Caverzaschi / Ruben Spaargaren, 6–2, 6–1
Wheelchair women's doubles
[edit]- Li Xiaohui / Wang Ziying def. Yui Kamiji / Zhu Zhenzhen, 6–4, 6–3
Wheelchair quad doubles
[edit]
Guy Sasson / Niels Vink def. Heath Davidson / Andy Lapthorne, 6–3, 6–1
Boys' singles
[edit]
Žiga Šeško def. Keaton Hance, 4–6, 6–3, 6–4
Girls' singles
[edit]- Ksenia Efremova def. Ekaterina Tupitsyna, 6–3, 7–5
Boys' doubles
[edit]
Connor Doig / 
Dimitar Kisimov def. Ymerali Ibraimi / Cooper Kose, 6–3, 6–4
Girls' doubles
[edit]
Alena Kovačková / Jana Kovačková def. Tereza Heřmanová / Denisa Žoldáková, 6–1, 6–3
Wheelchair boys' singles
[edit]- Alexander Lantermann def. Matthew Knoesen, 6–0, 6–2
Wheelchair girls' singles
[edit]- Luna Gryp def. Seira Matsuoka, 6–4, 6–4
Wheelchair boys' doubles
[edit]- Lucas John De Gouveia / Alexander Lantermann def. Matthew Knoesen / Arlo Shawcross, 6–2, 6–3
Wheelchair girls' doubles
[edit]- Lucy Foyster / Seira Matsuoka def. Luna Gryp / Lucy Heald, 6–3, 7–5
Points and prize money
[edit]Point distribution
[edit]Below is a series of tables for each competition showing the ranking points offered for each event.[6][7][8][9]
Senior points
[edit]| Event | W | F | SF | QF | Round of 16 | Round of 32 | Round of 64 | Round of 128 | Q | Q3 | Q2 | Q1 |
| Men's singles | 2000 | 1300 | 800 | 400 | 200 | 100 | 50 | 10 | 30 | 16 | 8 | 0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men's doubles | 1200 | 720 | 360 | 180 | 90 | 0 | N/A | |||||
| Women's singles | 1300 | 780 | 430 | 240 | 130 | 70 | 10 | 40 | 30 | 20 | 2 | |
| Women's doubles | 10 | N/A | ||||||||||
Wheelchair points[edit]
Junior points[edit]
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Prize money
[edit]The Australian Open total prize money for 2026 increased by 16% year on year to a tournament record A$111,500,000.[10][11]
| Event | W | F | SF | QF | Round of 16 | Round of 32 | Round of 64 | Round of 128 | Q3 | Q2 | Q1 |
| Singles | A$4,150,000 | A$2,150,000 | A$1,250,000 | A$750,000 | A$480,000 | A$327,750 | A$225,000 | A$150,000 | A$83,500 | A$57,000 | A$40,500 |
| Doubles | A$900,000 | A$485,000 | A$275,000 | A$158,000 | A$92,000 | A$64,000 | A$44,000 | N/A | |||
| Mixed doubles | A$ | A$ | A$ | A$ | A$ | A$ | N/A | ||||
| Wheelchair singles | A$ | A$ | A$ | A$ | N/A | ||||||
| Wheelchair doubles | A$ | A$ | A$ | N/A | |||||||
| Quad singles | A$ | A$ | A$ | ||||||||
| Quad doubles | A$ | A$ | N/A | ||||||||
Exhibition events
[edit]1 Point Slam
[edit]The 2026 1 Point Slam was held on 14 January, with significantly increased prize money for the champion. Amateur tennis player Jordan Smith defeated Joanna Garland in the final, winning a $1 million prize, along with $50,000 in funding for his tennis club.[12][13] (Alec Reverente defeated Smith in a bonus round to win a Kia EV3.)[14]
The list of professional players who participated in this edition included Jannik Sinner, Maria Sakkari, Nick Kyrgios, Amanda Anisimova, Carlos Alcaraz, Coco Gauff, Laura Pigossi and others.[15]
AO Pickleball Slam
[edit]The AO Pickleball Slam is scheduled to return for its second edition.[16]
Charity matches
[edit]On 13 January, Alexander Zverev and Lorenzo Musetti played an exhibition match, with the latter retiring injured while trailing 6–7(7–9).[17] Two days later, Carlos Alcaraz played Alex de Minaur, with the Spaniard triumphing 6–3, 6–4.[18]
In the women's exhibitions, McCartney Kessler defeated Amanda Anisimova 6–3, 3–6, [10–7].[19] Anisimova played Elina Svitolina in a subsequent match.[20]
Jannik Sinner defeated Félix Auger-Aliassime 6–4, 4–6, [10–4] in the final charity match.[21]
Red Bull Bassline
[edit]The Red Bull Bassline was an event characterized by a non-traditional format that combined short tie-break matches with live music played by a DJ. Matches were conducted without official umpires, with players responsible for making line calls and resolving points on court. Audience participation was encouraged, including involvement in disputed calls.[22]
Matches were played in a rapid best-of-three format, with each set consisting of a tie-break to five points. Six players participated, divided into two groups, usually identified as Red and Blue. Within each group, the competition followed a round-robin structure, with each player facing all other players in the same group. Music was played throughout the matches, and spectators were invited to engage through voting and audible support, contributing to the event’s informal presentation.[22]
Nicolai Budkov Kjaer was the winner.
Mixed doubles showdown
[edit]A mixed doubles tournament where matches were timed at 10 minutes with a 15-second shot clock, and the serve order followed a 1–2–2–2 sequence, as in a tiebreak. The team with the most points at the end of the match was declared the winner. At the conclusion of the group stage, the team with the highest number of points in each group advanced to the final. In the event of a tie, a golden point was to be played to determine the winner. All other rules applicable to Grand Slam mixed doubles tennis would apply unless otherwise specified.[23]
The final was played by Australians Ellen Perez and Nick Kyrgios against Brazilian Luisa Stefani and Salvadoran Marcelo Arevalo. Perez and Kyrgios were the winners with a score of 10/9.[24]
Opening Ceremony
[edit]Roger Federer, Lleyton Hewitt, Pat Rafter and Andre Agassi (later subbed off for Ash Barty) participated in a Fast4 exhibition doubles match to commemorate the Australian Open's first ever opening ceremony.[25]
References
[edit]- ^ Gill, Samuel (29 October 2025). "Australian Open 2026: Dates, Tickets, Schedule & Info". Tennisuptodate.com. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
- ^ Barrett, Chris (31 October 2025). "Code violation? Tennis Australia under fire from ousted officials". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 1 December 2025. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
- ^ "Merciless Sinner wins back-to-back Melbourne titles". BBC Sport. 26 January 2025. Archived from the original on 27 January 2025. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
- ^ "Keys edges Sabalenka in Australian Open final thriller for first Slam title". Women's Tennis Association. 25 January 2025. Archived from the original on 27 January 2025. Retrieved 25 January 2025.
- ^ Pye, John (16 January 2026). "Yay for me! Venus Williams set for a record at the Australian Open". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 17 January 2026. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
- ^ "2026 Rulebook" (PDF). IX. PIF ATP RANKINGS. ATP Tour, Inc. 2025. p. 272. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 December 2025. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
- ^ "2026 WTA Rulebook" (PDF). WTA RANKING SYSTEM | SECTION VIII - WTA RANKING SYSTEM. Women's Tennis Association. 2025. p. 145. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 January 2026. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
- ^ "ITF WORLD TENNIS TOUR JUNIORS 2026 REGULATIONS" (PDF). Allocation of Points. International Tennis Federation. 5 December 2025. p. 12. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
- ^ "ITF WHEELCHAIR TENNIS COMPETITION REGULATIONS | 2026" (PDF). APPENDIX I. | RANKING POINTS TABLES. International Tennis Federation. 2025. p. 148. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
- ^ "Australian Open announces record $111.5 million prize pool". Ausopen. Archived from the original on 9 January 2026. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
- ^ "Australian Open Prize Money 2026". Perfect Tennis. Archived from the original on 9 January 2026. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
- ^ Harper, Lachlan; Negrepontis, Nic (14 January 2026). "Sydney tennis coach reveals plan to spend $1m prize after 'overwhelming' 1 Point Slam victory". Wide World of Sports. Archived from the original on 18 January 2026. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
- ^ "Represented clubs". tennis.com.au. Archived from the original on 18 January 2026. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
- ^ Briscomb, Bede (14 January 2026). "Aussie amateur beats AO champ for $1M. payday in 1 Point Slam". ausopen.com. Archived from the original on 18 January 2026. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
- ^ Kennelly, Hannah (14 January 2026). "This amateur tennis player just defeated Sinner and won $1 million. Meet Jordan Smith". The Age. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ "The AO Pickleball Slam Returns in 2026". tennis.com.au. 13 January 2026. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ Patten, George (13 January 2026). "Lorenzo Musetti apologises after retiring from Alexander Zverev exhibition match". Yahoo Sports. Archived from the original on 14 January 2026. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ^ "Carlos Alcaraz keeps his off-season secret close to his chest after exhibition win over Alex de Minaur". amp.nine.com.au. 15 January 2026. Archived from the original on 18 January 2026. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ^ "Surprise result as McCartney Kessler beats Amanda Anisimova in AO Women's Charity Exhibition". Tennisuptodate.com. 14 January 2026. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
- ^ "Svitolina v Anisimova - Full Match | Australian Open 2026". www.vidio.com. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ^ "Sinner Beats Auger-Aliassime on Rod Laver Arena: 'Best Preparation Possible'". en.tennistemple.com. 16 January 2026. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
- ^ a b Carayol, Tumaini (15 January 2026). "The secret is out: how Australian Open helped usher in three-week slam festivals". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ^ "Nick Kyrgios signs up for unconventional tennis event at the Australian Open". hitc.com. 16 January 2026. Archived from the original on 17 January 2026. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
- ^ Syndication, T. S. G. (17 January 2026). "Nick Kyrgios and Ellen Perez win inaugural Mixed Doubles Showdown". The Sunday Guardian. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
- ^ "Roger Federer, Andre Agassi, Lleyton Hewitt & Patrick Rafter light up Australian Open ceremony | ATP Tour | Tennis".
External links
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