All eyes on Alcaraz, Sabalenka as Australian Open begins

The Australian Open, first Grand Slam tournament of the year, begins in Melbourne on Sunday, with Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka leading the spotlight.

Alcaraz starts his bid for a career Grand Slam, with the Australian Open the only title missing from his collection. The top seed, who faces home player Adam Walton, said: “This is my main goal for this year… I’m just hungry for the title.” He has never gone beyond the quarter-finals in Melbourne.

Should the 22-year-old complete the career Slam, he would join an exclusive club as just the sixth man to win all four major titles after Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Rod Laver. He would also become the youngest, surpassing Nadal, who was 24 at the time.

But he faces a major roadblock in Italy’s Jannik Sinner, the two-time defending champion. Sinner, who beat Alexander Zverev in last year’s final, opens against France’s Hugo Gaston and could meet Djokovic in the semifinals.

Djokovic, chasing a record 25th major, begins against Pedro Martinez, while Zverev faces Canadian Gabriel Diallo.

On the women’s side, top-ranked Sabalenka opens against wildcard Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah. After losing last year’s final, she said: “I’m not really focusing on that result… but of course I would like to do just a little bit better.” The two-time champion is coming off a Brisbane title win.

Iga Swiatek, Sabalenka’s main rival, is also chasing a career Grand Slam in Melbourne, having never gone beyond the semifinals.

HIGHLIGHTS

**American Madison Keys, currently ranked seventh in the WTA, claimed a thrilling Grand Slam victory last year, defeating Aryna Sabalenka 6–3, 2–6, 7–5.

**On the men’s side, world number two Jannik Sinner lifted the trophy after a straight-sets win over Alexander Zverev.

**This year’s prize pool is a record $111.5 million — a 16 per cent increase on 2025 — with the men’s and women’s singles champions each earning $4.15 million and runners-up taking home $2.15 million.

**At 38, Novak Djokovic said he still gets a “drug-like” adrenaline rush from tennis and has no plans to retire anytime soon.

**Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams said she is “up for the challenge” as she prepares to become the oldest woman to compete at the Australian Open at age 45