Top seeds Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka are through to the second round of the Australian Open after some early scares as the main draw of the first tennis Grand Slam of 2026 gets under way in Melbourne.
Home qualifier Adam Walton shocked Alcaraz in the second round despite winning in straight sets to claim the world number one spot on Sunday.
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The Spaniard started his quest for his first Australian Open title with a 6-3, 7-6 (7-2), 6-2 victory in two hours and five minutes, which would help him complete a career Grand Slam.
The reigning French and US Open champion hit 8 aces and 38 winners to face Germany’s Yannick Hanffmann in the second round.
But he committed 36 unforced errors, more than his 81st-ranked opponent.
He has failed to reach the quarter-finals in four visits to Australia, losing to Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev at that stage last year.
If he ends his drought in Australia, Alcaraz will become the youngest man to win a career Grand Slam, surpassing retired compatriot Rafael Nadal, who won all four majors at the age of 24.
He would also become the youngest man in the Open era to win seven Grand Slams since 23-year-old Bjorn Borg.
Meanwhile, an error-plagued Sabalenka made a good start to the title with a 6-4, 6-1 win over French wildcard Tiansoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah.
World number one Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia, chasing a third Melbourne crown in four years, or China’s Bai Zuoxuan will next face each other.
“I didn’t start at my best, but she was playing well; it was a difficult start,” said Sabalenka, who lost in last year’s final.
The 27-year-old Belarusian, fresh from winning the season-opening Brisbane International, got off to a poor start, losing the first three points of the match on serve.
In front of a watching Roger Federer, Sabalenka clawed to deuce but again misfired to drop the game in front of a shocked Rod Laver Arena.
Sabalenka, the favorite to add a fifth Grand Slam title to her career, pulled level again, but if she expected the world number 118 to melt away, it didn’t happen right away.
The US Open champion apologized when she hit a forehand into the head of the 20-year-old at 4-4.
Sabalenka’s errors continued to pile up, but she eventually broke Rajonah’s resistance to win the first set, before breaking back in the second set.
“I was very happy that I found my level,” said Sabalenka, who was guilty of 13 unforced errors in the first set.
“It’s always difficult to play young, you don’t know and you’re left-handed.”
Earlier, last year’s Jenic Sinner runner-up Zverev overcame a sluggish start to beat Gabriel Diallo 6-7 (7), 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 in the afternoon clash to reach the second round for the 10th year in a row.
“Definitely, when I saw the draw, I wasn’t happy to be honest,” he said of the difficult challenge presented by the 41-ranked Diallo. “He’s very young, very smart. Incredibly aggressive.
“The first set wasn’t my best tennis, I would say. After that, it just got better for me.”
Seventh seed Jasmine Paolini defeated Aleksandra Sasnovich 6-1, 6-2 and 12th seeds Elina Svitolina and Maria Sakkari also advanced in straight sets.
Former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrossova withdrew with a shoulder injury ahead of her scheduled first-round match, leaving lucky loser Taylor Townsend in the main draw to face Haley Baptiste, who won 6-3, 6-7 (3), 6-3.
Francis Tiafoe beat Jason Kubler 7-6 (4), 6-3, 6-2 and Michael Zeng defeated Sebastian Korda 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (0), 6-3.
Zeng next faces No. 32 Corentin Moutet, who suffered an underarm serve on match point in a 6-4, 7-6 (1), 6-3 victory over Tristan Schoolquet.
20th seed Flavio Cobolli became the first seeded men’s player to exit the tournament with a 7-6 (1), 6-4, 6-1 loss to British qualifier Arthur Ferry.
In the second eagerly-awaited match, former champion Venus Williams failed to progress as she was given a wildcard by the tournament organizers.
Olga Danilovic defeated Williams 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4 as the Serbian trailed the American veteran 4-0.
Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam champion who returned to tennis last season after a 16-month layoff, became the oldest woman to compete in the singles main draw when she returned to the tournament after five years.
