5 rising stars to watch at the Australian Open – ft. Alex Eala, Learner Tien, Victoria Mboko
The opening Grand Slam tournament of 2026 is just days away, and all eyes will be on who lifts the title at the Australian Open this year.
However, while the focus may be on the biggest names and leading title contenders in Melbourne, there are plenty of rising stars across both the men’s and women’s singles draws who will be looking to make a significant impact.
Here, we pick our five rising tennis stars to watch at the 2026 Australian Open, which begins on Sunday, January 18.
(WTA) Victoria Mboko
Current Ranking: No 17 (17th seed)
Best AO Result: N/A
Twelve months ago, Mboko was not ranked high enough to enter Australian Open qualifying; now, she enters the 2026 event as a top 20 seed and an outside contender for the title.
The 19-year-old surged up the WTA Rankings thanks to a string of ITF titles in the opening months of last year, though she well and truly propelled herself into the upper echelons with her Canadian Open and Hong Kong Open titles in the second half of 2025.
Reaching a new career-high ranking of 17th this week, Mboko has just missed out on a top-16 seed in Melbourne, though her Canadian Open run last summer saw her beat four Grand Slam champions — suggesting any ranking or draw placement will not deter her.
A clean ballstriker, with a game that should work well in these conditions, the Canadian is one to watch on her debut at the ‘Happy Slam’.
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(ATP) Jakub Mensik
Current Ranking: No 18 (16th seed)
Best AO Result: Round 3, 2025
Long-recognised as one of the brightest talents on the ATP Tour, Mensik soared up the ATP Rankings in 2025 thanks to his stunning run to the Miami Open title.
The Czech did not recapture those heights during the second half of the season, but still enters 2026 ranked inside the top 20, and all eyes will be on whether he can progress further across the coming twelve months.
Mensik has suffered a string of tight, often five-set defeats at Grand Slams, and a notable run at a major has not yet come for the 20-year-old — though a string of withdrawals means he is well-placed in Melbourne, as a top-16 seed in the men’s singles draw.
With a strong serve and incredible ballstriking ability, could this be the Grand Slam where Mensik makes the second week for the first time?
(WTA) Iva Jovic
Current Ranking: No 30 (29th seed)
Best AO Result: Round 2, 2025
Jovic was ranked just inside the top 200 when she made her Australian Open debut in 2025, though she will be seeded at a Grand Slam for the first time in Melbourne this year.
The 18-year-old’s run to a first WTA Tour title in Guadalajara last September helped Jovic crack the top 40 after consistent rises earlier in the year, and she has since consolidated herself in a strong position.
By reaching the semi-final of the Auckland Open last week, the American is now at a career-high of 30th in the WTA Rankings, and will be the 29th seed at the opening Grand Slam tournament of the year.
Jovic made it to the second round last year before defeat to Elena Rybakina, but — after an impressive rise since then — will be looking to make the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time, and looks well placed to do so.
(ATP) Learner Tien
Current Ranking: No 27 (25th seed)
Best AO Result: R4, 2025
Twelve months on from a remarkable breakout run inside Melbourne Park, can Tien kickstart further breakthroughs in 2026 with another strong Australian Open campaign?
Tien was a qualifier in Melbourne twelve months ago but memorably progressed to round four — stunning Daniil Medvedev on the way — and back that up with a remarkable 2025 campaign.
The American picked up five top-10 wins across the year and reached his first final at the China Open in September, before lifting his first ATP Tour title at the Moselle Open.
Victory at the Next Gen ATP Finals last month cemented Tien’s place as one of the ATP’s hottest prospects, and, with the star set to be seeded at a major for the first time, all eyes will be on whether the 20-year-old can embark on another impressive campaign Down Under.
(WTA) Alex Eala
Current Ranking: No 49 (Unseeded)
Best AO Result: Round 1 Qualifying, 2023, 2024, 2025
Though she has never previously progressed past the first round of qualifying in Melbourne, Eala will be one of the unseeded stars that the seeded players hope to avoid early on.
The Filipina’s 2025 breakthrough season was truly remarkable and, after winning her first Grand Slam main-draw match at the US Open last year, will be eying the chance to break further new ground Down Under.
Eala started her year strongly with a run to the last four of the Auckland Open last week and sits a new career-high ranking of 49th in the world heading into the opening major of 2026.
Having beaten the likes of Madison Keys, Jelena Ostapenko, and Iga Swiatek last year, the 20-year-old will be one to watch at the Australian Open.
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