Australian Open 2026 Preview: Sinner, Alcaraz, and the First Grand Slam of the Year

There’s something about the first Grand Slam of the year that hits different. I played professionally for seven years, never made it past the third round of a major, but I remember that Melbourne feeling. The jet lag. The heat. The sense that everything you do in January sets the tone for your whole season.

The 2026 Australian Open kicks off with qualifying on January 12th and the main draw starting January 18th. It runs through February 1st, and if you’re a tennis fan, you already know why this tournament matters.

But let me break it down for folks who maybe don’t follow the sport closely, because there are storylines here worth paying attention to.

The Big Two (And Whether Anyone Can Stop Them)

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have dominated the majors. They’ve met in the last three Grand Slam finals. The only major where they haven’t faced each other? The Australian Open.

That might change this year.

Alcaraz comes in as world number one, chasing something that’s eluded him: a career Grand Slam. He’s won the French, Wimbledon, and the US Open. Melbourne is the missing piece. And at 23 years old, he’s playing some of the most complete tennis we’ve seen since… honestly, since Novak Djokovic in his prime.

Sinner is the defending champion. Won it in 2024, won it again in 2025. Beat Daniil Medvedev in four sets last year. The Italian is going for something that only one man in the Open Era has accomplished: three consecutive Australian Open titles. That man is Djokovic, who did it four times (three consecutive, then added a fourth later).

Speaking of Djokovic — he’s still around, ranked fourth in the world, with ten Australian Open titles to his name. The Serbian reached all four major semifinals in 2025, making him the oldest man in the Open Era to accomplish that in a single season. Write him off at your own risk.

The Women’s Draw

Aryna Sabalenka has appeared in the last three Australian Open finals. Won two of them. Lost last year to Madison Keys in one of the best matches of the tournament.

Keys comes back as defending champion, having finally captured a major title after years of near-misses and injury battles. The American is 30 now, which in women’s tennis used to mean you were winding down. These days? Thirty is just getting started.

The wildcard in the women’s draw is Iga Swiatek, world number two, who’s also chasing a career Grand Slam after finally winning Wimbledon in 2025. She’s dominated on clay but the hard courts of Melbourne haven’t been her strongest surface. Still, when you’re that talented, surface matters less than confidence.

And then there’s Coco Gauff, the reigning Roland Garros champion, who beat Sabalenka in the French Open final. She’s young, she’s hungry, and she’s got the game to win anywhere.

What Makes Melbourne Special

I played qualies in Melbourne twice. Never made the main draw there, but I remember the atmosphere. The heat that hits you like a wall when you walk onto court. The crowds that actually show up for early rounds. The way the tournament feels like a celebration of tennis rather than just a competition.

The “Happy Slam,” they call it. And that’s not marketing nonsense — there’s something genuinely different about the vibe in Melbourne compared to the other majors.

The tournament has three retractable roof stadiums now, which matters more than you’d think. Melbourne weather is unpredictable. I played matches there where the temperature dropped 20 degrees in an hour. Having indoor options keeps the schedule moving.

This year’s schedule includes some changes. The women’s final is Saturday, January 31st. Men’s final is Sunday, February 1st. Nineteen finals play out across the last three days, including wheelchair events, junior championships, and doubles.

The Notable Absence

Holger Rune, world number 15, won’t be there. He’s still recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon, which is one of the most devastating injuries an athlete can face. I tore my calf in 2018 and it took me eight months to feel right. An Achilles is worse.

When you see a player like Rune, 22 years old, dealing with that kind of injury, it reminds you how fragile careers can be. One bad step. One awkward landing. And suddenly your season — maybe your prime years — disappears.

My Pick

Look, I learned a long time ago not to bet against Djokovic in Melbourne. Ten titles. Ten. But I think this is Alcaraz’s tournament to lose. The career Slam is there for the taking. He’s playing the best tennis of his life. And the hunger for that final piece of a legacy drives athletes to another level.

Sinner will be dangerous. He always is. But defending back-to-back titles against a motivated Alcaraz? That’s asking a lot.

Women’s side is trickier. Sabalenka’s track record in Melbourne is ridiculous. Three straight finals. But Keys showed last year that she can handle the pressure of a major final, and experience matters.

I’ll go Alcaraz over Sinner in the men’s final, Sabalenka over Swiatek in the women’s. But honestly? I’d watch any combination of those four players compete for a title.

That’s the beauty of this tournament. The best players. The biggest stage. The first Slam of the year, when everyone’s healthy (mostly), hungry, and ready to make a statement.

Tennis is back. Melbourne is ready. And somewhere, there’s a qualifier grinding through the early rounds who might just surprise everyone.

I know how that feels. The possibility. The dream. Even when you lose, being part of a Grand Slam is something you never forget.

Marcus Webb played professional tennis from 2012-2019 and now covers the sport for ReportDoor. Contact: mwebb@reportdoor.com