Australian Open Draw 2026 – Perfect Tennis

The men’s singles draw for the 2026 Australian Open is out and Carlos Alcaraz enters as world No. 1 and top seed, still chasing the one major missing from his CV, while Jannik Sinner returns to Rod Laver Arena aiming for a rare three-peat after back-to-back titles Down Under.

Elsewhere, Novak Djokovic’s fitness, Alexander Zverev’s unfinished business and a deep pool of informed challengers ensure there is very little margin for error from the opening round onwards.

Full quarter-by-quarter breakdown of the draw below.

Tournament information

Australian Open 2026 Seeds

1. Carlos Alcaraz
2. Jannik Sinner
3. Alexander Zverev
4. Novak Djokovic
5. Lorenzo Musetti
6. Alex de Minaur
7. Félix Auger-Aliassime
8. Ben Shelton
9. Taylor Fritz
10. Alexander Bublik
11. Daniel Medvedev
12. Casper Ruud
13. Andrey Rublev
14. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
15. Karen Khachanov
16. Jakub Menšík
17. Jiří Lehečka
18. Francisco Cerundolo
19. Tommy Paul
20. Flavio Cobolli
21. Denis Shapovalov
22. Luciano Darderi
23. Tallon Greek track
24. Arthur Rinderknecht
25. Teacher Tien
26. Cameron Norrie
27. Brandon Nakashima
28. João Fonseca
29. Frances Tiafoe
30. Valentin Vacherot
31. Stefanos Tsitsipas
32. Corentin Moutet

Wild Cards

Protected Ranking

• Shang Juncheng
• Zhang Zhizhen

Socket

Pangs

Lucky Losers

2026 Australian Open draw

Upper half

Lower half

Thoughts on the draw

First Quarter: Alcaraz Top Seed, Questions Linger

Seeded Players: (1) Carlos Alcaraz, (6) Alex de Minaur, (10) Alexander Bublik, (14) Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, (19) Tommy Paul, (20) Flavio Cobolli, (29) Frances Tiafoe, (32) Corentin Moutet

Carlos Alcaraz starts the 2026 Australian Open as the top seed, but unlike previous seasons, he arrives in Melbourne with more questions than certainty.

Now, without Juan Carlos Ferrero in his corner, the Spaniard is still chasing a first Australian Open title, the only major missing from his CV and the final piece needed to complete a career Grand Slam.

I’m interested to see how it goes, as Ferrero talked to Alcaraz almost every point when he was in his corner and was Carlos’ main point of contact when he won a point or needed encouragement.

Alcaraz opens against local hope Adam Walton, a manageable first-round assignment, but the draw solidifies quickly.

A potential fourth-round meeting with Tommy Paul looms as a dangerous matchup, as Paul usually plays well against Carlos, and he has found some form over in Adelaide.

Anchoring the bottom half of the quarter, Alex de Minaur immediately faces one of the most eye-catching first round matches of the tournament against Matteo Berrettini. The Australian had a fantastic 2025 with trademark consistency, but Berrettini remains a dangerous opponent on hard courts if healthy.

If de Minaur advances, Alexander Bublik looms as a likely fourth-round opponent. The Kazakh has been in excellent form in recent months, with a title in Hong Kong, and his unpredictability makes him a nightmare matchup in week one.

Second quarter: Zverev Tested, Medvedev the Wild Card

Seeded Players: (3) Alexander Zverev, (7) Felix Auger-aliassime, (11) Daniil Medvedev, (13) Andrey Rublev, (18) Francisco Cerundolo, (24) Arthur Rinderknech, (25) Learner of thees, (26) Cameron Norrie

Alexander Zverev, last year’s finalist, heads to Melbourne with unfinished business. The German opens against big-serving Canadian Gabriel Diallo, a dangerous opponent who can break points, but Zverev’s return match should see him through.

A fourth-round match with Andrey Rublev looks likely and represents Zverev’s biggest hurdle heading into the quarter-finals. Rublev’s power can trouble anyone on his day, although he has still never been past the last eight in a Grand Slam.

In the lower half, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Daniil Medvedev are the two prominent names. Medvedev endured a turbulent 2025, but he started the new year with the Brisbane title, and his numbers were significantly higher than his average from last year (serve, return, etc.).

Auger-Aliassime took part in the United Cup and won 1 of her 2 singles matches after a fantastic end to the season.

If Medvedev can rediscover his top form on hard courts, he could easily upset this quarter and based on what I saw in Brisbane, I like his chances.

Third Quarter: Djokovic Still the Standard

Seeded Players: (4) Novak Djokovic, (5) Lorenzo Musetti, (9) Taylor Fritz, (16) Jakub Mensik, (17) Jiri Lehecka, (23) Tallon Griekspoor, (27) Brandon Nakashima, (31) Stefanos Tsitsipas

Novak Djokovic enters Melbourne surrounded by fitness issues, but history suggests it’s a mistake to write him off here.

The Serbian initially planned to start his season in Adelaide but pulled out of the tournament before it started, with media reports saying he had a neck injury. However, he featured in Melbourne’s opening weekend matches and defeated Tiafoe in straight sets

The 10-time champion opens against Pedro Martinez and should have enough experience to make it into the second week, although his physical condition remains less than ideal.

Djokovic retired injured in last year’s semi-final against Zverev, but Melbourne has consistently been his safest Grand Slam environment. If his body holds up, he remains the most dangerous player in this section.

Lorenzo Musetti comes in off a second in Hong Kong and will fancy his chances of a deep run.

Taylor Fritz is also in this section, but he is also a fitness doubt due to knee tendinitis. So far he has done well but his United Cup was not a huge success with only 1 win in his 3 singles matches.

Stefanos Tsitsipas is another wildcard. He showed flashes of form in the United Cup before a surprise loss to Aleksandar Vukic in Adelaide, continuing a pattern of inconsistency that has defined his past two seasons.

Fourth Quarter: Sinner the Man to Beat

Seeded Players: (2) Jannik Sinner, (8) Ben Shelton, (12) Casper Ruud, (15) Karen Khachanov, (21) Denis Shapovalov, (22) Luciano Darderi, (28) Joao Fonseca, (30) Valentin Vacherot

Two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner enters Melbourne as the tournament’s most reliable hard court player. Despite a tough draw, the Italian’s consistency and confidence in Australia make him a strong favorite to reach the final again.

Sinner opens against Hugo Gaston and should build momentum early. Ben Shelton, a semi-finalist here last year, headlines the bottom half of the quarter and looks well placed for another deep run. But his power play still struggles against Sinner’s rebounding and baseline control.

Among the outsiders, Joao Fonseca is the most exciting name, although his lack of match play following a lower back problem clouds expectations. Casper Ruud and Karen Khachanov round out a solid but unspectacular supporting cast, and I don’t see anyone bothering Sinner here.

Interesting matches in the first round