2026 Australian Open: Who has received a wildcard and will Nick Kyrgios be awarded one?
The start of the 2026 tennis season is just days away, and fans will not have to wait too much longer for the opening Grand Slam event of the year, either.
Main-draw action at the 2026 Australian Open will start on Sunday, January 18, with the men’s singles and women’s singles draws once again set to consist of 128 players.
While most of the field is already set, there is still qualifying to come, and the possibility that a few more wildcards will also enter the tournament; here, we look at how the wildcard situation for this year’s event looks, with less than three weeks until the tournament begins.
How do wildcards work at the Australian Open?
All four Grand Slams traditionally hand out up to eight wildcards for both the men’s singles and women’s singles draws at the tournaments, though the systems for each are slightly different.
The Australian Open’s partnership with the US Open and Roland Garros means that every year, at least one man and one woman from both the United States and France receive a main-draw wildcard; these are usually dependent on selections from the respective US and French tennis federations.
There is then an Asia-Pacific Wildcard Play-Off for one spot, with players from across the continent competing to earn a wildcard place.
There is also an Australian Pro Tour Wildcard Points Race to decide one spot for an Australian player in both draws, with the remaining wildcards then chosen by the tournament.
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Who has received a men’s singles wildcard?
Five wildcards have been named for the men’s singles draw, meaning that three potential spots remain.
Home hope James Duckworth earned his wildcard spot thanks to his success on the Australian Pro Tour, while compatriot Rinky Hijikata has also been handed a wildcard into his home Grand Slam.
China’s Bu Yunchaokete was victorious in the Asia-Pacific play-off, while American Patrick Kypson and France’s Kyrian Jacquet received their nation’s reciprocal wildcards for the event.
Who has received a women’s singles wildcard?
Only one wildcard spot in the women’s singles draw remains open, with seven wildcards already awarded for action in Melbourne.
Teen star Emerson Jones made her Grand Slam debut as a wildcard into the event last year, and success on the Australian Pro Tour means that she will be back in the draw as a wildcard once again.
Fellow Australians Talia Gibson, Priscilla Hon, and Tayla Preston have also received wildcards into their home Grand Slam tournament.
Kazakhstan’s Zarina Diyas earned a wildcard thanks to her success in the Asia-Pacific play-off, with US star Elizabeth Mandlik — the daughter of two-time Australian Open champion Hana Mandlikova — and France’s Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah will also be in action.
Who else could receive one?
The big question as the tournament approaches is whether Nick Kyrgios will receive a wildcard or not.
Kyrgios used his protected ranking to enter the tournament in 2025, though this has now expired, and his ATP ranking of world No 671 is well below the cutoff for either the main draw or qualifying.
The Australian is attempting his latest comeback at the Brisbane International next week, though he did not look in prime physical shape during his ‘Battle of the Sexes’ showdown versus Aryna Sabalenka.
World No 108 Jordan Thompson is currently just four ranking spots away from the main draw and is a potential pick to be handed a wildcard into his home Slam, as he looks to rally from injury issues in the second half of 2025.
Fellow Australians Jason Kubler, Bernard Tomic, and Alex Bolt — among the home favourites also in the qualifying draw — may also be within a chance, as could 2014 champion Stan Wawrinka, with the Swiss set to retire in 2026.
The women’s wildcard is much more difficult to predict, with only one potential spot left.
Australians Olivia Gadecki, Maddison Inglis, and Astra Sharma are among those in the qualifying draw as things stand, and could benefit from the wildcard.
If the tournament decides to pick a non-Australian, former US Open champion Sloane Stephens and 2021 Australian Open runner-up Jennifer Brady — both on the comeback trail — could also be considered.
Two-time champion and former world No 1 Victoria Azarenka is another wildcard possibility, though the world No 132 is not registered on the qualifying entry list, and has not given any indication that she is travelling Down Under.
The tournament could also decide not to use any or all of the remaining wildcard places, which would mean more lucky losers enter the draw.
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