MELBOURNE PARK, AUSTRALIA – The tennis world turns its eyes to Melbourne Park as the Australian Open 2026 kicks off, with the spotlight firmly fixed on Carlos Alcaraz. The young Spaniard arrives on the eve of his fifth campaign at the season's first major, carrying the weight of history and a tantalizing mission: completing the Career Grand Slam.
As the top seed, Alcaraz’s journey officially begins on Sunday night against local hope Adam Walton. This opening match serves as the first test in a fortnight where the 22-year-old six-time major champion hopes to finally conquer the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup—a title that has eluded him, with his best efforts resulting in quarterfinal appearances in the last two years.
The Weight of Hypotheticals
Alcaraz has recently been presented with career-defining hypotheticals that illustrate the high stakes of his current trajectory. At the close of the previous year, having secured the year-end No. 1 ranking for the second time, he was asked to choose between a maiden Australian Open trophy or two of the other three major titles in 2026. His immediate answer favoured Melbourne Park, signifying the importance of achieving the Career Grand Slam.
However, a second, even tougher hypothetical was recently posed just before the tournament began: an Australian Open title in 2026, or securing the other three Grand Slams that year. This choice left even the composed Spaniard momentarily stumped.
“Well, that's a good one,” Alcaraz admitted with a grin. “I don't know. I don't know which one I would choose. Obviously completing the career Grand Slam is something amazing to do, to be able to be the youngest that has done it before, you know, is even better. But three [is] three. Three Grand Slams are three Grand Slams. So I don't know. It is a question that I got to think about it, not just a quick answer.”
While the philosophical quandaries may linger, there is little time for contemplation on court. Alcaraz is eager for his first competitive hit-out of the new season. He has kept sharp through high-profile exhibitions, facing Jannik Sinner in Seoul and Alex de Minaur in Sydney.
First Hurdle: Adam Walton
Sunday night’s opponent, Adam Walton, is a 26-year-old from Home Hill, North Queensland. Walton achieved a career-high ranking of world No. 74 three months ago, bolstered by a solid previous season that included a fourth-round appearance at Indian Wells and his first ATP semifinal appearance in Los Cabos. The pair have met once before, on grass at Queen’s Club last year, where Alcaraz claimed the victory en route to the title.
Melbourne Park Showdown: Other Key Openers
The Australian Open 2026 schedule is packed with compelling opening-day matchups across Rod Laver Arena. The women’s side also features major storylines.
Sabalenka Returns to the Scene of Heartbreak
Women’s top seed Aryna Sabalenka commences her campaign Sunday night against Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah, a 20-year-old qualifier from France. Sabalenka, who ended the previous season as year-end No. 1 for the second consecutive year following a successful US Open title defence, returns to Melbourne Park for the first time since last year’s final, where her bid for a third straight title was thwarted by Madison Keys.
“That final was a tough one. She played incredible and overplayed me. Took me a little time to recover,” Sabalenka reflected on the loss. “Going to this AO, I'm not really focusing on that last year result. But of course I would like to do just a little bit better than I did last year.”
Rakotomanga Rajaonah, who captured her maiden tour title as a qualifier in Sao Paolo, faces a monumental task in her Rod Laver Arena debut against the formidable Belarusian.
The Day Session Opener
The honour of playing the first official match on Rod Laver Arena for AO 2026 falls to women’s seventh seed Jasmine Paolini. The 30-year-old Italian, a finalist at Roland Garros and Wimbledon two years ago, warmed up for her seventh Melbourne Park appearance by competing at the United Cup. She will face the resilient 31-year-old qualifier Aliaksandra Sasnovich. While Sasnovich won their only previous encounter six years ago in Palermo, she enters this match in strong form, having won seven of her last eight matches, including a notable victory over world No. 14 Clara Tauson in Brisbane.
Men's Third Seed in Action
Closing out the RLA day session, men’s third seed Alexander Zverev steps onto court against Canadian Gabriel Diallo for their first career meeting. Zverev is aiming for a breakthrough in Melbourne, having reached his third major final two years ago.
With the early schedule set, the focus remains squarely on Alcaraz. Can he navigate the early rounds and finally claim the title that would elevate him to an elite echelon of tennis history? The 2026 Australian Open is poised to deliver drama from the first serve.
