The Australian Open 2026 has witnessed its first major upset, with seventh seed Felix Auger-Aliassime forced to retire from his opening match due to injury. The Canadian star, a US Open semi-finalist last season, was trailing Portugal's Nuno Borges when he called a halt to proceedings, becoming the highest-profile casualty so far in Melbourne.
Top Seeds Set Sights on History
Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka lead the men's and women's fields respectively as the year's first Grand Slam gets into full swing. Spain's Alcaraz, chasing a maiden Australian Open title that would complete his career Grand Slam, and Italy's Jannik Sinner, the second seed aiming for a third consecutive Melbourne crown, could script history. They are poised to become the first men to contest four consecutive major finals since the legendary Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal did so over a decade ago.
On the women's side, world number one Sabalenka, the reigning US Open champion, and Polish second seed Iga Swiatek, the Wimbledon title holder, have yet to meet in a Grand Slam final. Swiatek is also one Australian Open victory away from a career Grand Slam, while Sabalenka seeks to reclaim the title she lost in a shock defeat to Madison Keys in last year's final.
First Round Drama and Seed Tracker
The tournament began with drama as Auger-Aliassime, seemingly troubled by a thigh issue, retired against Borges with the score at 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. Elsewhere, defending champion Keys is seeded ninth, while Coco Gauff begins her campaign as the third seed. Novak Djokovic, the record ten-time champion, is seeded fourth and is projected to meet Sinner in the semi-finals.
Men's Seeds: Key First Round Results
Advancing: Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Alex de Minaur, Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, and Tommy Paul all secured straight-forward opening victories.
Upsets: Alongside Auger-Aliassime's retirement, seeds Flavio Cobolli (20) and Arthur Rinderknech (24) were knocked out in the first round.
Women's Seeds: Key First Round Results
Advancing: Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, and Emma Raducanu all progressed safely to the second round.
Upsets: The women's draw also saw early exits for Ekaterina Alexandrova (11), Emma Navarro (15), and Marta Kostyuk (20). 2019 champion Sofia Kenin (27) and former finalist Dayana Yastremska (26) also fell at the first hurdle. Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova (32) withdrew before her match.
How to Watch in the UK
For fans in the United Kingdom, live coverage of the Australian Open is available on TNT Sports and via the streaming service Discovery+. In the United States, ESPN and the Tennis Channel are broadcasting the action from Melbourne Park.
