Australian Open Draw 2026 – Perfect Tennis

The men’s singles draw for the 2026 Australian Open is out, and Carlos Alcaraz arrives as the world No. 1 and top seed, still chasing the one major missing from his résumé, 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 cast of in-form contenders ensure there’s very little margin for error from the opening round onward. 

Full breakdown of the draw quarter by quarter below.

Tournament Info

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. Daniil Medvedev
12. Casper Ruud
13. Andrey Rublev
14. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
15. Karen Khachanov
16. Jakub Menšík
17. Jiří Lehečka
18. Francisco Cerúndolo
19. Tommy Paul
20. Flavio Cobolli
21. Denis Shapovalov
22. Luciano Darderi
23. Tallon Griekspoor
24. Arthur Rinderknech
25. Learner 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

Withdrawals

Qualifiers

Lucky Losers

2026 Australian Open Draw

Top Half

Bottom 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 begins 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 one major missing from his résumé and the final piece needed to complete a Career Grand Slam.

I’m interested to see how that goes, as Ferrero was speaking to Alcaraz almost every point when in his corner and was Carlos’s main focal point whenever he won a point or needed encouragement.

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

A potential fourth-round meeting with Tommy Paul stands out as a danger match, as Paul typically plays Carlos well, and he’s found some form over in Adelaide.

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

If de Minaur progresses, Alexander Bublik looms as a likely fourth-round opponent. The Kazakh has been in excellent form in recent months, capped by a title in Hong Kong, and his unpredictability makes him a nightmare matchup in week one. But over 5 sets? He hasn’t shown a great deal of pedigree so while I hope he performs as he’s one of the better players to watch, I don’t think he’s too big a danger.

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 Tien, (26) Cameron Norrie

Alexander Zverev, last year’s finalist, heads into Melbourne with unfinished business. The German opens against big-serving Canadian Gabriel Diallo, a dangerous opponent capable of shortening points, but Zverev’s return game should see him through.

A fourth-round clash with Andrey Rublev looks likely and represents Zverev’s biggest obstacle before the quarterfinals. Rublev’s power can trouble anyone on his day, though he has still never been past the last eight at a Grand Slam.

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

Auger-Aliassime took part in the United Cup, winning 1 of his 2 singles matches after a superb end of season run.

If Medvedev can rediscover his peak hardcourt form, he could easily disrupt 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 concerns, but history suggests writing him off here is a mistake.

The Serb initially planned to start his season in Adelaide but withdrew from the tournament before it began, and, according to media outlets, he had a neck injury. He did, however, feature in Melbourne’s opening weekend matches, defeating Tiafoe in straight sets

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

Djokovic retired injured in last year’s semifinals against Zverev, yet 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 buoyed by a runner-up finish in Hong Kong and will fancy his chances of a deep run.

Taylor Fritz is also in this section, but he’s also a fitness doubt due to knee tendonitis. So far, he’s managed it well, but his United Cup wasn’t a huge success with just 1 win in his 3 singles matches.

Stefanos Tsitsipas is another wildcard. He showed flashes of form at the United Cup before a surprise loss to Aleksandar Vukic in Adelaide, continuing a pattern of inconsistency that has defined his last 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 difficult draw, the Italian’s consistency and confidence in Australia make him a strong favourite to reach the final once again.

Sinner opens against Hugo Gaston and should build momentum early. Ben Shelton, a semifinalist here last year, headlines the bottom half of the quarter and looks well placed for another deep run. However, his power game still struggles against Sinner’s returning and baseline control.

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

Interesting First Round Matches