In the men's singles, the top two ranked players, Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, are undoubtedly the strongest contenders for the title. Alcaraz needs the Australia Open to become the youngest player in history to complete a career grand slam. Sinner is also on track to achieve a hat-trick of titles, succeeding Novak Djokovic as the reigning champion, who was the last to achieve this.
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Alcaraz trains on Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia on 14/1. Photo: PDB |
To meet in another grand slam final, Alcaraz and Sinner will need to overcome a host of strong contenders, including Djokovic and world number three Alexander Zverev. The German player was defeated by Sinner in last season's final, while Djokovic defeated Alcaraz in the quarterfinals before sustaining an injury.
Djokovic recently withdrew from the Adelaide event due to fitness concerns. His withdrawal from the ATP Finals for similar reasons had already raised fan concerns about his injury status. However, Nole is almost certain not to miss his favorite grand slam, where he has been crowned champion 10 times.
Other players in the top 8 men's singles seeds include Lorenzo Musetti, Alex de Minaur, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Ben Shelton.
The women's singles features world number one and two-time champion Aryna Sabalenka, who is considered the strongest contender as she aims to reclaim the title after last year's final loss.
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Sabalenka had a good start to the Australia Open by winning the Brisbane title last week. Photo: Reuters |
Iga Swiatek will be seeded second, and like Alcaraz, she is aiming for her seventh grand slam title and a career grand slam in Melbourne. Coco Gauff is the third seed at the year's first grand slam, while world number four Amanda Anisimova is seeded fourth in her quest for a maiden grand slam title.
Other top seeds include Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula, Jasmine Paolini, and Mirra Andreeva, while defending champion Madison Keys will be seeded ninth.
The Australia Open 2026 boasts a record total prize money compared to previous seasons. The singles champions will take home 2,7 million USD, an increase of about 400,000 USD from last year. Simply participating in the main draw guarantees players a minimum of 100,000 USD.
The draw ceremony takes place today, 15/1, with the main draw commencing three days later. The women's singles final is scheduled for 31/1, and the men's singles final for sunday, 1/2.
Vy Anh
