Near-perfect fields confirmed for next month’s Australian Open at Melbourne Park
Only one player from the world’s top-100 ranked men will miss the Australian Open, and it’s a similarly elite women’s field for the first grand slam of 2026.
Injured Danish star Holger Rune will be the only notable absentee from the 2026 Australian Open men’s field, with 99 of the world’s top 100 players confirmed starters at Melbourne Park next month.
World No.15 Rune is sidelined after rupturing his Achilles tendon in the semi-finals of the Stockholm Open in October.
However, it’s another star-studded field heading to Melbourne, where world No.1 Carlos Alcaraz will attempt to complete a career Grand Slam.
Standing the way of Spaniard Alcaraz – who is yet to progress past the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park – will be world No.2, Italy’s Jannik Sinner, who will bid for a third successive Australian Open title.
The men’s field will also include 10-time Australian Open champion, 38-year-old Novak Djokovic.
The women’s field is similarly strong, with it including 98 of the world’s top 100 female players.
The only players missing from the women’s top 100 will be world 64th-ranked Danielle Collins and world.No 76th-ranked Ons Jabeur, who is on maternity leave.
Two-time Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka heads the women’s field that also includes defending champion Madison Keys and world No.2 Iga Swiatek.
Australia’s contingent of players will be headed in the respective men’s and women’s fields by Alex de Minaur and Maya Joint, while Thanasi Kokkinakis has entered the tournament using a protected ranking.
Australian star Alex de Minaur has no intention of slowing down before the new season after claiming a $964,000 pay cheque for his Ultimate Tennis Showdown victory.
De Minaur is in good form, having won the Ultimate Tennis Showdown final on Monday (AEDT) in London over Norway’s Casper Ruud.
“I’ve had some tough matches here this week and playing Casper in the final was always going to be difficult,” de Minaur said.
“It is amazing to come through There is no rest for me now. I might take (Tuesday) off, but then it’s back on court practicing for the new season.”
The Australian Open starts on January 18, with the qualifying competition also taking place at Melbourne Park from January 12-15.
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