Australian Open 2026 takes centre court

From baseline battles to breakthrough moments, the year’s first Grand Slam gets underway in sunny Melbourne on 18^th January. 

The new tennis calendar begins Down Under, and we have another majestic chance to witness the elite tennis players of the world do battle on the court, as well as against the scorching sun often served up this time of the year (it is summer after all in the beautiful city of Melbourne).

The Australian Open (AO) is the first Grand Slam of the new year and acts as a springboard for the top players to start on the right foot and set the tone for the rest of the year.  Known for its friendly atmosphere, exemplary organisation, and warm hospitality, the AO is nicknamed “The Happy Slam” by former world No.1 Roger Federer. 

Greek tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas once admitted in an interview: “The very first time I visited Australia I got an understanding of just how warm and nice people are there.  It always has a special place in my heart visiting Australia.”

Quite a few developments and changes have been seen in the world of tennis last year and I feel it is going to be an even more exciting and riveting year for tennis fans in 2026.  Here are some top things you should know about heading into this year’s AO.

Roger’s back!

The Australian Open will introduce a new tradition with its first-ever Opening Ceremony the night before the main draw begins.  The Opening Ceremony will take place on Saturday, January 17 at Rod Laver Arena.

Roger Federer, six-time AO champion will headline this historic” Battle of the World No. 1s” match with iconic greats Andre Agassi, Australian heroes Lleyton Hewitt and Patrick Rafter.

Federer commented: “Coming back to win the AO in 2017 is one of my most treasured Grand Slam memories and backing it up to win in 2018 was another dream come true in Melbourne. I can’t wait to come down under again to the AO and create more fantastic moments with all the Aussie fans.”

The Sinner / Alcaraz “duopoly”

Two names stand atop men’s tennis today.  Even if you are not into tennis, I am pretty sure you would have heard of the names Carlos Alcaraz (Spaniard, world No.1, 22 years old) and Jannik Sinner (Italian, world No.2, 24 years old).  In the past two years, this dynamic duo has split the last eight Grand Slam titles, winning four titles each, and taking their total major wins to six and four respectively.  To also highlight just how dominant these two have been, take the ATP tour world ranking points at the end of 2025.  Sinner, world no.2, had 11,500 points.  The next closest (world No. 3, Alexander Zverev) had only 5,110 points.  This huge gap indicates just how far they have distanced themselves from the rest of the tennis pack.

Watch any Sinner or Alcaraz match, and you will be blown away by their aggressive style of play, fast accurate serves, powerful topspin groundstrokes, delicate drop shots, and ultra-fast movements covering every inch of the court.  What astounds me more than their amazing yet consistent ball-striking, is that even though they are playing at such a high level, they seem to continue to make improvements in their games every single year (particularly on their serves), raising the bar higher and higher for everyone else to catch up.  And they also make adjustments to their games every time they lose to each other.

Their rivalry has already enchanted the tennis world, and their mutual respect for each other, on and off the court, is indeed pleasant to see. Whether any player can break this “duopoly” anytime soon remains to be seen.  In the meanwhile, just sit back, relax and enjoy tennis ball-striking at its finest.  The era of “The Big Three” of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic has now quickly made way for the era of “The New Two”.

Alcaraz’s coach drama

The news came as a shock in mid-December las year.  Alcaraz announced that he has parted ways with his long-time coach Juan Carlos Ferrero ahead of the 2026 season.  Ferrero has been coaching Alcaraz since Alcaraz was 15 years old, leading him to six Grand Slam titles.  The question on everyone’s mind was “Why would anyone want to mess with this winning formula?”  The world was curious, especially when Ferrero mentioned in an interview on the split - “I wish I could have continued”.  Whatever the reason, all eyes will be on Alcaraz this year, to see how he well he will cope without Ferrero by his side.

Djokovic:  Still going on strong

24 -time Grand Slam winner (and 10-time AO winner) Novak Djokovic returns.

Firmly established as an all-time great with the most Grand Slams titles so far in men’s tennis, he continues to surprise and delight.

My admiration for Djokovic goes beyond his tennis skills and many titles.  I admire his incredible mental strength, and the holistic way he manages himself through his wellness and longevity practices such as yoga, meditation, intention setting and mindfulness.  At 38 years “young”, he is the world’s No. 4 player, and is playing top-level tennis against many younger opponents (Djokovic is the oldest player in the top 50 players in the world, and the only player in the top 10 who is in his thirties.  Only four other players in the top 50 are in their thirties (and they are between 30 and 34 years of age). 

Djokovic may be more selective in his choice of tournaments to play in; however, he has definitely earned the right to choose.  His dedication and approach to wellness and longevity have no doubt made him where he is today, and in 2024, he became the Global Ambassador and Wellness Advisor for Aman Resorts.  As to whether Djokovic may win another Slam, who knows?  As a tennis fan who appreciates the level of dedication and motivation it takes to be among the top four players in the world, I just want to enjoy watching Djokovic do his best with his wealth of experience against players who are a decade or more younger than him.

The other Contenders

Sinner and Alcaraz have certainly set the standard so high that even tour players acknowledge that they are at another level to the rest of the players.  I believe this can be seen as a good thing for the sport of tennis.  This situation is “forcing” the other top players to realise that they have to really raise their game in so many areas (power, movement, consistency, fitness, mental strength etc) just to try and match Sinner/Alcaraz.  And you can already see the improvements made by some of the top players, particularly the Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime (world No. 7).  He reached the US Open semi-finals last year, and has continued his good form into the ATP Finals where he passed the Group stage but lost to Alcaraz in the semis.  The big-serving American Taylor Fritz (world No. 9) should do well at the AO.  He reached the semifinals at Wimbledon last year, losing to Alcaraz in a tightly contested match.  Fritz is known for his aggressive baseline play and his work ethic (On the social side, he is known for having the popular social media influencer and model Morgan Riddle as his girlfriend.)

Germany's Alexander Zverev (world No. 3) has reached multiple Grand Salm finals but unfortunately failed to win his maiden Slam.  Perhaps the cards may fall in his favour at this year’s AO.  Aussie hopes are flying high for Australian Alex de Minaur (world No. 6), who reached his first ATP finals last year.  Nicknamed “The Demon” (for his explosive movement around the court), de Minaur has played more offensively and introduced more power to his groundstrokes to counter the fire-power of his fellow top-ranked players.  The home-crowd support should provide him with more energy and motivation in his matches.  Other players to watch out for are American Ben Shelton (world No. 8) with his lefty big serve and Great Britain’s Jack Drapper (world No. 11), another lethal leftie with an aggressive all-round game.  They could cause a stir at the AO as no one likes to play an in-form leftie.  Their serves, shots (and spin) just come off different and can be hard to manage, even for the likes of Sinner and Alcaraz.

Wawrinka’s Last Dance

In December 2025, “the other” famous Swiss tennis player Stan Wawrinka announced that he has finally called time on his career and will give a final push for 2026 before retiring at the end of the year.  "Every book needs an ending. It’s time ‍to write the final chapter of my career as a professional tennis player. 2026 will be my last year on tour," Wawrinka wrote on Instagram.

Competing in the era of The Big Three, “Stan the Man” (his nickname) managed to win three Glam Slam titles: the 2014 Australian Open, the 2015 French Open and the 2016 US Open, beating Nadal in Melbourne, and Djokovic in the French and US Open finals.  He also won 16 ATP titles and had a career-high world ranking of ​three.  Alongside fellow Swiss Roger Federer, they won Olympic doubles gold in 2008 and Wawrinka helped Switzerland win their ⁠maiden Davis Cup title in 2014.

Possessing what many regard as one of the greatest one-handed backhands in the game, he used it to great effect, often bewildering opponents with its pace and accuracy.  Stan the Man will be missed (and another one-handed backhand player bites the dust).

Who is the Women’s champion?

On the women's side of the draw, it would be a bit of a challenge for the betting man to put a wager on which player will win this year’s AO title.  Over the last ten years, there have been eight different women’s champions in Australia (Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka and current world No.1 Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka each won twice).  Sabalenka and Polish world No. 2

Iga Swiatek have consistently performed well in the previous year, with Sabalenka wining the US Open and Swiatek winning Wimbledon.  However, the women’s field overall is very strong with many players possessing enough fire-power and ball-striking ability to go deep in the tournament.  Last year’s AO winner, American Madison Keys, was ranked world No. 19 heading into AO 2025.

American Amanda Anisimova (world No. 3) reached two Grand Slam finals last year (Wimbledon and US Open) and has impressed with her aggressive style of play and backhand winners.  Hard to believe that Anisimova was ranked world No. 359 in 2023.  Two-time Grand Slam Winner American Coco Gauff (world No. 4) is only 21 years old and has steadily been improving her form and ranking since bursting into the tennis scene as a 15-year-old in 2019, memorably beating former world No. 1 Venus Williams at Wimbledon that year. 

Wimbledon 2022 winner Elena Rybakina (world no. 5) from Kazakhstan, won the 2025 WTA Finals undefeated, and in doing so, famously won US$5.2 million in prize money.  Rybakina hits the ball with seemingly effortless power, and combined with her powerful serve, she poses a threat every time she enters a tennis court.  Americans Jessica Pegula (world No. 6) and Madison Keys (world No. 7) join Coco in leading the US charge to the title.  I also like the chances of Italian Jasmine Paolini (world No. 8) and Mirra Andreeva (world No. 9 and the only teenager in the top 10 at 18 years old) who have been performing well in their tournaments entered.

New Year, Same Champion?

Sinner won his first major Grand Slam title at the 2024 Australian Open, and repeated as the AO 2025 champion.  Given his immense talent and recent form (he won the ATP finals in November last year without dropping a set), he could very well end up with a three-peat of AO titles by the end of the tournament.  As for the women’s side, although world No. 1 Sabalenka is a strong favourite to win the title, I feel the likes of Rybakina or Anisimova could break through.  Enjoy AO 2025, it promises to be an incredible two weeks of scintillating tennis!

Sidebar on the Tennis and Luxury brands collaborations

Luxury brands x Tennis

Polo Ralph Lauren, returns to the AO as the Official Outfitter of the tournament (for the sixth consecutive year).  You will see over 4,000 staff across the tournament - from ball kids to on-court officials and ground crew – wearing fresh Polo Ralph Lauren outfits that give off that stylish tennis-inspired looks on and off the court.  RL is also the official Sunglasses of the AO, supplying much needed shades to all AO personnel.

RL also has a very exclusive Hospitality Suite at the AO, offering invited guests an exquisite and glamorous dining experience with champagne and courtside access.

Louis Vuitton is the Official Trophy Trunk Partner of the Australian Open, designing handcrafted Monogram trunks for the tournament’s legendary trophies: the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup (for women) and the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup (for men).  Lined with blue to honour the signature blue courts of the AO, the cases showcase the white AO logo, and a 'V' for Victory and Vuitton.  LV also sponsors the No.1 player Alcaraz and keeps him fashionably dressed off the court.

Gucci’s relationship with tennis started in the 1970s when it created its first tennis-inspired pieces.  Italian world No.2 Sinner is the Italian fashion house’s Global Brand Ambassador and besides wearing chic Gucci clothes off court, Sinner is often seen carrying Gucci duffle bags as he makes his grand entrance into the courts of the major Grand Slam events.

Lacoste has a deep connection to tennis heritage, dating back to the 1920s when its founder, former top French tennis player Rene Lacoste, introduced an innovative tennis shirt with a pique cotton fabric to enhance breathability.  The fabric is still popular with many polo shirt makers today.  Lacoste sponsors top men’s players like Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev and Grigor Dimitrov, and recently added emerging tennis talent Eva Lys (German, ranked top 40, 23 years old) as tennis ambassador.

Boss (Hugo Boss) has Italian Matteo Berrettini and American world No. 9 Fritz as its brand ambassadors, highlighting its sportswear line smart aesthetics with performance-driven features.

New Balance x Miu Miu collaboration with Coco Gauff features exclusive, stylish tennis outfits and sneakers that Gauff wears when she plays in tournaments.

Burberry has appointed British world No. 11 Jack Draper as its brand ambassador, calling him one of his generation’s most gifted player and representing the brand’s commitment to British excellence.

Dior selected Chinese tennis champion and 2024 Paris Olympics gold medallist winner Zheng Qinwen (world No. 24) as its brand ambassador, highlighting her resilience and pioneering spirit that align with the brand’s values.

Tiffany & Co. partnered with world No. 3 Anisimova during last year’s US Open, where she wore jewellery such as bracelets, earrings, and necklaces in her matches.

Championship predictions

“"I think it will be Alcaraz and Sinner again in a Grand Slam Final.  They are still the two hardest players to beat!  If you ask me to choose one, ok I think it will be Alcaraz.  For the ladies it is much harder to predict, but I'll take Sabalenka." 

-          Arthur Tay, Chairman and CEO of SUTL Group, ONE°15 Marina.

“For the men, Carlos Alcaraz.  He’s coming in without the burden of defending a title, while Jannik Sinner carries all the pressure to retain.  For the women, Aryna Sabalenka.  Australian Open is built for her game. The fast hard courts amplify her serve and first-strike power.”

-          Janice Wong, Chef-Artist, chocolatier, entrepreneur.

“I think Sinner will win - he has a relentless consistency in court depth and coverage with his strokes compared with Alcaraz’s preference for flashy variation that tends to prove more enduring in the matches of attrition that increasingly define modern tennis.”

Brandon Cheong, Senior Executive – Business Development, Hong Fok Corporation.