The Australian Open 2026 commenced with dominant performances from tennis elites while marking the end of a historic chapter in the sport. World No. 1 players Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka successfully launched their campaigns with straight-set victories on the opening day at Melbourne Park.
Alcaraz demonstrated his championship caliber against Australian Adam Walton (6-3, 7-6(2), 6-2), moving closer to completing his career Grand Slam collection. The Spanish phenom acknowledged the challenging conditions while expressing satisfaction with his performance after a nine-week competitive hiatus.
Sabalenka navigated a tricky encounter against French wildcard Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah (6-4, 6-1), overcoming initial unforced errors to secure her progression. The Belarusian revealed feeling additional pressure with tennis legends Roger Federer and Rod Laver observing from courtside.
The day witnessed both triumph and heartbreak as 45-year-old Venus Williams, the oldest woman to compete in Australian Open history, fell to Serbia’s Olga Danilovic in a grueling three-set marathon (6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4) that lasted over two hours. Williams displayed flashes of her former brilliance but ultimately succumbed to her 20-years-younger opponent.
British qualifier Arthur Fery delivered the tournament’s first major upset, dismantling 20th seed Flavio Cobolli of Italy in straight sets (7-6(1), 6-4, 6-1). Meanwhile, third seed Alexander Zverev recovered from a first-set tiebreak loss to defeat Canada’s Gabriel Diallo (6-7(1), 6-1, 6-4, 6-2).
Extreme heat conditions approaching 30°C affected both players and spectators, with a ball girl fainting during the match between Zeynep Sonmez and Ekaterina Alexandrova. Tournament organizers reported over 100,000 attendees despite complaints about lengthy queues in the challenging weather.
The stage is set for Monday’s action featuring Novak Djokovic’s pursuit of a record 25th major title and appearances by title contenders Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff.