Australian players are well represented at their home Grand Slam, with 18 players across the men and women’s draw.
Four Australian qualifiers will play the event for the first time since 1992, while the likes of Alex de Minaur and Maya Joint can be considered outside bets for the title.
Teenager Emerson Jones has plenty of Australian tennis fans excited, with many comparing the young talent to Grand Slam winner Ash Barty.
Jordan Thompson, meanwhile, is set to continue a Grand Slam record that dates back to the Australian Open in 2016.
Jordan Thompson’s incredible Grand Slam streak continues at the Australian Open
Thompson has received a wild card for the Australian Open and he will play Juan Manuel Cerúndolo in the first round.
The Australian’s appearance at his home Grand Slam ensures he continues his remarkable streak of playing every Grand Slam since the beginning of 2016.
Pick your Australian Open dark horse!
The 2026 Australian Open will be Thompson’s 40th consecutive Grand Slam appearance, which is more than anyone else on the ATP Tour.
Frances Tiafoe (37), Stefanos Tsitsipas (32), Taylor Fritz (31), and Ugo Humbert (29) are the only players who come close, and neither can match the Aussie.
Thompson has only ever reached as far as the Australian Open second round, which he has managed on five occasions.
The Aussie has beaten the likes of Alexander Bublik, Feliciano Lopez, and João Sousa at his home Grand Slam.
Which other Aussies received an Australian Open wild card?
Thompson is one of four Australian men to receive a wild card for the first Grand Slam of the year.
James Duckworth, Rinky Hijikata, Christopher O’Connell have also gained direct access into the Australian Open.
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Hijikata has previously reached the second round of the event in 2023, while Christopher O’Connell went one better the year prior.
Duckworth, meanwhile, has made the second round of the Australian Open his trademark, having reached that stage on five occasions.
The other male wild cards for the event are Bu Yunchaokete, Stan Wawrinka, Kyrian Jacquet, and Patrick Kypson.
