The 9 best Australian Open Round 1 matches to watch: ft. Williams, Shelton, Andreeva, de Minaur
The Australian Open draws have been made, and action at the opening Grand Slam tournament of 2026 is now just three days away.
Jannik Sinner and Madison Keys enter the Australian Open looking to defend their titles, but across the event, there are string of significant matches set to attract a lot of attention early on.
Here, looking across both the men’s and women’s singles draws, will pick nine of the most interesting round matches from this year’s event.
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(17) Victoria Mboko vs (WC) Emerson Jones
Rising star Mboko will make her Australian Open debut in 2026, and the 19-year-old will surprisingly play an opponent even younger than her in the form of 17-year-old Jones.
A wildcard into her home Grand Slam for the second straight year, Jones is one of the hottest prospects in Australian tennis, and will be eyeing up her first main-draw win at a Grand Slam.
Mboko, the 17th seed, undoubtedly enters as the favourite, though this will be an early interesting test of her tournament credentials.
(10) Alexander Bublik vs Jenson Brooksby
In the form of his life, and with few points to defend, new top-10 star Bublik is one to watch in Melbourne — but Brooksby is far from an easy opening test from the Kazakh.
Whereas Bublik blows hot and cold, Brooksby is the model of consistency and, after winning his first ATP title in Houston last spring, is back inside the top 50 after a return to action in 2025.
The Kazakh’s form and bigger game should get him over the line, but Brooksby is the kind of opponent he cannot afford to have a bad performance against.
Olga Danilovic vs (WC) Venus Williams
Back for a record 22nd Australian Open women’s singles appearance, can 45-year-old Williams pick up a stunning Grand Slam win against 24-year-old Danilovic?
Despite defeats in Auckland and Hobart, Williams has looked competitive this year when on court, and in Danilovic faces an opponent who has dropped down the WTA Rankings in recent months.
The Serbian picked up two confidence-boosting wins in Hobart this week and has youth on her side, but there is a sense that this is far from the worst draw that Williams could have received.
Matteo Berrettini vs (6) Alex de Minaur
Perhaps the pick of round one matches across both draws, home favourite and sixth seed de Minaur gets set to do battle against former world No 6 Berrettini in a blockbuster showdown.
More injury issues dogged Berrettini in 2025, but his quality is undeniable, with the Italian — currently 56th in the world — a former semi-finalist in Melbourne, and a Wimbledon finalist in the past.
De Minaur’s current form makes him the favourite here, but as he looks to break new ground at the majors, this will be a significant opening test for him to navigate.
Barbora Krejcikova vs (23) Diana Shnaider
Two-time Grand Slam singles champion Krejcikova was among the most dangerous unseeded women in the draw, and it is 23rd seed Shnaider who will have to take her on.
Shnaider slumped slightly in 2025 after a breakout 2024 and is still looking for a significant Grand Slam run, though the talented left-hander has undeniable potential and a hugely effective game when in form.
Doubts circle about Krejcikova’s fitness after a challenging 18 months, but her run to the US Open quarter-final last summer shows how dangerous she still is at the very biggest events.
(8) Ben Shelton vs Ugo Humbert
Two prominent ATP Tour left-handers will do battle when eighth seed Shelton and Humbert do battle in another brutal draw for a top-eight seed in Melbourne.
Shelton is hugely consistent at Grand Slams and was a semi-finalist at this event twelve months ago, with the American also seemingly back at full fitness after recovering from a shoulder injury.
However, world No 36 Humbert — who just missed out on being seeded — reached the fourth round of this event twelve months ago, and is also in solid form after returning from his own injury issues.
Donna Vekic vs (8) Mirra Andreeva
After struggling somewhat in the closing months of 2025, Andreeva will hope to be fully refreshed and revitalised heading into a tough opening clash versus Vekic.
Vekic faced a hugely challenging 2025 and has dropped down to 70th in the WTA Rankings, though there is no denying her quality as a former Wimbledon semi-finalist and Olympic silver medallist.
Andreeva has looked in solid form in the opening weeks of the season and should be the favourite for this match, but this will be by no means an easy encounter.
(15) Karen Khachanov vs Alex Michelsen
An Australian Open semi-finalist back in 2023, Khachanov’s Slam form has been patchy in recent years, and the 15th seed does not face an easy opening match versus American rising star Michelsen.
World No 37 Michelsen was not too far off being seeded in Melbourne and memorably reached the fourth round of this tournament twelve months ago — with Khachanov among the players he beat on that run.
The Russian will be gunning for revenge in this showdown, but another win for Michelsen would not come as a significant surprise.
Katie Boulter vs (10) Belinda Bencic
After her starring role at the United Cup last week, all eyes will be on how significant a contender Bencic proves to be at the Australian Open.
The Swiss is the 10th seed and faces an intriguing test against Boulter, who slumped down the WTA Rankings in 2025 — and only entered the main draw thanks to a string of withdrawals.
Despite a difficult year, Boulter remains a strong ballstriker, and will have little to lose against an opponent who has not always gone deep at Slams when expected to do so.
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