The official entry lists for the 2026 Australian Open are out, and there are very few surprises, with the world’s elite descending on Melbourne in a few weeks time.
On the men’s side, World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz leads the charge as he chases the missing piece of his career Grand Slam. Standing in his way is two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner (No.2), who can become just the second man in the Open Era – after Novak Djokovic – to win three-peat in Melbourne. Remarkably, Alcaraz and Sinner have contested the last three major finals, yet have never met at the Australian Open.
Ten-time champion Novak Djokovic, now ranked No.4, remains a massive threat after becoming the oldest man in the Open Era to reach all four Grand Slam semifinals in a single season (2025).
The only top-100 man missing is Holger Rune (No.15), still recovering from a ruptured Achilles. Using protected rankings to enter are Shang Juncheng, Zhang Zhizhen, Emil Ruusuvuori and Australian crowd favourite Thanasi Kokkinakis. The cut-off for direct acceptance fell at No.101 Thiago Agustín Tirante (ARG).
In the women’s draw, two-time AO champion and three-peat finalist Aryna Sabalenka is the top seed.
Defending champion Madison Keys, five-time major winner Iga Świątek (now hunting the career Slam after her 2025 Wimbledon title) and reigning Roland Garros queen Coco Gauff all feature prominently.
Absentees include Danielle Collins (No.64), Ons Jabeur (on maternity leave) and the cut-off landed at world No.103 Leolia Jeanjean (FRA). Karolina Plíšková, Wang Yafan and Thai teenager Mananchaya Sawangkaew will compete via protected ranking.
Home hopes will be carried by Alex de Minaur (No.7), who heads six Australian men in the main draw, and Maya Joint (No.32), the highest-ranked of four Aussie women.
Eight wildcards and 16 qualifiers per draw) will complete the 128-player fields, with three wildcards already awarded. For the men, the wildcards announced so far, are James Duckworth (AUS), Yunchaokete Bu (CHN), and Patrick Kypson (USA). For the women, Emerson Jones (AUS), Zarina Diyas (KAZ), and Elizabeth Mandlik (USA) have locked in their wildcard slot.
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