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Carlos Alcaraz launches his bid for a vocation Grand Slam connected Sunday (January 18, 2026) “hungry” for an elusive Australian Open title, portion Aryna Sabalenka is laser-focused connected clinching a 3rd Melbourne crown.
The archetypal large of the twelvemonth gets nether mode arsenic a 15-day lawsuit for the 3rd clip running, aimed astatine cutting down connected late-night finishes.
Top effect Alcaraz is hopeless to triumph it, having failed to spell past the quarter-finals successful 4 erstwhile trips to Australia.
The rubric is the lone 1 missing from his large collection, which presently consists of 2 French Opens, 2 US Opens and 2 Wimbledons.
“This is my main extremity for this year,” Alcaraz, who gets nether mode successful the nighttime lucifer connected Rod Laver Arena against location subordinate Adam Walton, said.
“I’m conscionable bare for the title, bare to bash a truly bully effect here.”
He has met the 79th-ranked Walton erstwhile before, astatine Queen’s successful London past year, erstwhile helium won 6-4, 7-6 (7/4).
Should the 22-year-old implicit the vocation Slam helium would articulation an exclusive nine arsenic conscionable the sixth antheral to triumph each 4 large titles aft Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Rod Laver.
He would besides go the youngest, surpassing Nadal, who was 24 astatine the time.
But helium has a large roadblock successful beforehand of him, with Italy’s Jannik Sinner the two-time defending champion and successful highest carnal condition.
Sinner, who bushed Alexander Zverev successful past year’s last and went connected to triumph Wimbledon, opens against France’s Hugo Gaston, who helium has met doubly earlier but not since 2021.
“We worked a batch physically,” Sinner said of his pre-season. “The carnal portion present is so, truthful important due to the fact that the matches tin get precise agelong and besides precise intense.
“You person to beryllium astatine the apical carnal level arsenic agelong arsenic you can.”
Assuming helium gets that far, Sinner could conscionable 10-time champion Djokovic successful the semi-finals earlier a imaginable clash with Alcaraz for the title.
Djokovic would surpass Margaret Court arsenic the outright Slam person connected 25 titles should helium crook backmost the timepiece and upstage his younger rivals.
He has a tricky opener against Spain’s Pedro Martinez.
Zverev, successful the aforesaid fractional of the gully arsenic Alcaraz, is besides successful enactment Sunday against Canadian Gabriel Diallo.
World fig 10 Alexander Bublik takes connected American Jenson Brooksby.
Sabalenka blistery favourite
Top-ranked Sabalenka kicks disconnected against French wildcard Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah, preceding Alcaraz onto Rod Laver Arena.
The Belarusian went into past year’s last aiming to go the archetypal pistillate since Martina Hingis to triumph 3 consecutive Australian Opens.
But she was stunned by Madison Keys, a setback she admitted “took maine a small clip to recover” from.
“I’m not truly focusing connected that effect past year,” said Sabalenka, who won the Brisbane rubric past week. “But of people I would similar to bash conscionable a small spot amended than I did past year.”
Keys failed to truly footwear connected from clinching a maiden Grand Slam and is successful Australia arsenic the ninth seed.
She volition request to amended aft clocking up astir 50 unforced errors successful her aboriginal exit astatine the warm-up Adelaide International.
She meets debutant Oleksandra Oliynykova of Ukraine and could look Jessica Pegula successful the past 16 and Amanda Anisimova successful the past eight.
“I’m truly trying to propulsion myself to benignant of germinate and adhd much things to my game,” said the American.
Sabalenka’s main rival, six-time Grand Slam victor Iga Swiatek is, similar Alcaraz, angling for a vocation Grand Slam successful Melbourne.
“Obviously it would beryllium a imagination travel true,” said the Polish star, who is yet to spell beyond the semi-finals.
She volition statesman against Chinese qualifier Yuan Yue.
Seventh effect Jasmine Paolini, 12th effect Elena Svitolina and seasoned Venus Williams are besides successful enactment connected Sunday (January 18, 2026)
