Australian Open 2026 Highlights: Venus Williams crashed out after losing to Olga Danilovic in the first round. But Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu registered their berths in the second round of the hard-court major.
Hello and welcome to our live blog for the Australian Open 2026 Day 1.
Emma Raducanu made an encouraging start to her Australian Open campaign with a confident 6-4, 6-1 win over Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew in the first round at Margaret Court Arena on Sunday, January 18.
Venus Williams would have hoped to become the oldest to win a match in the Australian Open and she almost got there.
But World No.69 Olga Danilovic scripted an unreal comeback on Sunday, January 18, winning the opening round match at John Cain Arena. Danilovic had to fight for two hours and 17 minutes before she won 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4.
Carlos Alcaraz has taken the opening set against American Adam Walton, but not without a fight. The contest was evenly poised early on, locked at 3–3, before the Spaniard raised his level and took control. From there, Alcaraz imposed his authority to close out the set in commanding fashion.
That was a dominant response from Olga Danilović, who needed just 30 minutes to wrap up the second set 6–3 against Venus Williams.
The Serb would have been disappointed by how the opening set slipped away, but she brushed that aside impressively, staging a strong comeback to wrest back control and hold firm in the match.
Venus Williams is still hanging on in the second set, but she finds herself trailing 3–5 and staring down a crucial moment in the match.
The American now has to break Olga Danilović’s serve to stay alive in the set—fail to do so, and this contest is headed for a decider. At 45, Williams has defied time before, but the question now is whether she can summon one more surge to turn the tide from here.
Aryna Sabalenka enjoyed a dream moment off the court as she took a unique selfie with the legendary Roger Federer. The Swiss great was present at Rod Laver Arena to watch Sabalenka in action against French qualifier Rakotomanga Rajanoah, making the day even more special for the world No. 1.
Olga Danilović has hit back in emphatic fashion in the second set, racing to a 3–0 lead after narrowly losing the opener.
The Serb has secured an early break and seized control of the momentum, piling the pressure squarely on Venus Williams, who now faces a stern test as she looks to mount a response.
Carlos Alcaraz is out on court at Rod Laver Arena, taking on American Adam Walton as he begins his latest Australian Open campaign.
The Spaniard has already conquered every other Grand Slam, but the hard-court major at Melbourne Park remains the one missing piece in his collection.
As he steps onto the sport’s biggest stage in Melbourne, Alcaraz will be eager to make a strong, statement start in his pursuit of the elusive title.
Venus Williams dug deep to take the opening set against Olga Danilović, showing all the grit and experience that have defined her legendary career. The set went down to a tense tie-breaker, where Williams earned three set points.
Danilović fought back bravely to save two, but the seven-time Grand Slam champion held her nerve when it mattered most, sealing the breaker 7–5 to claim the set 7–6.
Currently ranked No. 586 on the WTA Tour, Williams now stands just one set away from rewriting history at Melbourne Park, with the chance to become the oldest player ever to win a singles match at the venue.
Aryna Sabalenka completes a commanding straight-sets victory over Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah, wrapping up the match 6–4, 6–1. After a competitive opening set, the world No.1 raised her level sharply in the second, dominating with her serve and returns to close out a convincing first-round win.
Alexander Bublik lands the first blow, holding serve to take the opening set 6–4 against Jenson Brooksby. Big serving gave Bublik early control, and despite a brief wobble when Brooksby held to love at 4–5, the 10th seed steadied himself to close out the set, protecting the early break earned in game one.
World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka edged past French qualifier Rakotomanga Rajanoah to take the opening set 6–4, grinding out the advantage in what was far from her cleanest display. As is often the case in a tournament opener, especially against an unfamiliar opponent, Sabalenka took time to find her rhythm, while Rakotomanga impressed with her level and competitive spirit. However, the Belarusian’s experience and composure in the key moments proved decisive as she closed out the set to establish an early lead.
Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah shows impressive composure to halt Aryna Sabalenka’s momentum, holding serve to level the opening set at 3–3. Mixing body serves with smart width, the qualifier forced errors from the world No.1, keeping the contest finely balanced midway through the first set.
World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka backs up her break with a confident hold to move 3–2 ahead in the first set against Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah. Sabalenka dominated with pace and variety, using wide serves to open the court and finishing points at the net, underlining her growing control after the early wobble.
Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah shows impressive resilience to hold serve and level the opening set at 2–2 against world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka. Under heavy pressure and facing break points, the qualifier leaned on smart body serves and brave shot selection, surviving a tense deuce game to halt Sabalenka’s momentum and keep the contest finely balanced early on.
Jenson Brooksby dug deep to hold serve and close the gap to 2–3 in the opening set against Alexander Bublik. After facing break-point pressure, Brooksby leaned on big serving — including a second-serve ace — and steady nerves through multiple deuces, staying in touch with the 10th seed after a tense, hard-fought game.
Frances Tiafoe wrapped up a commanding 7–6, 6–3, 6–2 win over Jason Kubler, closing the match with authority in the third set. After a tight opener, Tiafoe grew stronger, breaking decisively and dominating on serve with pace, precision, and relentless forehand pressure to book his place in the second round of the Australian Open on John Cain Arena.
Aryna Sabalenka continues her recovery in style, holding serve to love to move 2–1 ahead in the first set against Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah. After the early wobble, the world No.1 is now dictating with pace and variety, stringing together dominant service games to seize control.
World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka hits straight back, breaking to love to level the opening set at 1–1 against Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah. Sabalenka’s aggressive returning overwhelmed the French qualifier’s second serve, forcing repeated errors and quickly restoring control after a shaky start.
Stunning start on Rod Laver Arena as Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah shocks world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka with an immediate break. Sabalenka saved four break points with heavy body serves but faltered on the fifth, leaking errors and a costly double fault. The French qualifier leads 1–0, announcing herself on the biggest stage.