Six more players have received wildcards for the Australian Open.
Rinky Hijikata, Priscilla Hon, Talia Gibson and Taylah Preston make up the Australian quartet. Rakotomanga Rajaonah and Kyrian Jacquet have also been granted wildcard spots.
Earlier this month, young Australian star Emerson Jones received a wildcard place, as did James Duckworth, Zarina Diyas, Elizabeth Mandlik and Patrick Kypson.
These players will all have the opportunity to prove any doubters wrong when they step onto court in Melbourne, as Ben Shelton did in 2023 when he reached the quarter-finals as a wildcard.
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Taylah Preston is a former junior top 10 star
Taylah Preston, 20, is yet another young Australian star who could make her mark in 2026.
The Australian, formerly the junior world number 10, made her Grand Slam main draw debut at the 2024 Australian Open, losing in the first round to Elina Svitolina in the first round.
Preston, currently ranked 195 in the world, reached her first WTA 125 final at the 2024 Puerto Vallarta Open in Mexico. In the final, she lost to McCartney Kessler in three sets.
Later that year, she was granted a US Open wildcard spot. On her main draw debut, she lost to Anastasia Pavlychenkova.
This year, Preston made a significant breakthrough, winning her first WTA title in doubles. Partnering compatriot Maya Joint – who could be a player to watch in 2026 –
As per the Australian Open, Preston said of her 2025 Australian Open wildcard spot: “I’m extremely grateful and excited for the opportunity to play main draw in Melbourne again.
“It means so much and I can’t wait to get out there and compete.”
Rakotomanga Rajaonah receives a wildcard
Earlier this year, Rakotomanga Rajaonah became the first French teenager to win a WTA-level event since Oceane Dodin in 2016 after winning a WTA event in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Then 19 years old, Rajaonah became the first French woman to win a hard-court title since Caroline Garcia won the WTA Finals in 2022.
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After winning the final against Janice Tjen, the French star said: “It was a really stressful week for me.
“The first round was really difficult and yeah, I didn’t know I was going to win this 250 here in Brazil in the first edition. So yeah, I don’t know what to say.”
