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Monday was the official entry deadline for the singles main draws at the 2026 Australian Open.
Yes, we’re pretty close to already revving up the machine again.
The tournament begins Jan. 18, 2026, again with a Sunday start. And so this is six weeks ahead of that.
The difference this year is that on the men’s side, the 2025 “year-end” rankings dated Nov. 17 are the basis for the list.
On the women’s side, it’s business as usual, with the Monday, Dec. 8 ranking list determining who will be straight in.
There aren’t nearly as many protected-ranking entries as there have been in recent years. Just three – Mananchaya Sawangkaew (No. 100), Wang Yafan (No. 71 and … wait for it … Karolina Pliskova (at No. 40). So the last entry on the initial list – after that number had been inside the top 100 in recent years – is No. 103, Léolia Jeanjean.
Click here for the full women’s list.
Pliskova, now 33, hadn’t played since she withdrew from her second-round match at the 2024 US Open. She was to face Jasmine Paolini.
Just a week later, she had surgery to repair tendons in her left ankle.
Pliskova returned in mid-September this year at a WTA 125 in Portugal, losing in the second round. She played another in early October, losing her opener to Lina Gjorcheska of Moldova.
On the men’s side, Thiago Agustin Tirante of Argentina (ranked No 101) is the last one straight in.
There are four players entered with protected rankings: Juncheng Shang (No. 56), Zheng Zhizhen (No. 60), Emil Ruusuvuori (No. 83) and … wait for it, Thanasi Kokkinakis (at No. 84).
There will no doubt be some withdrawals before the first serve. Some will pull out earlier, figuring they’re not close to healthy enough to even make the long trip. Some will wait until the last minute, after the qualifying begins, because there’s some cash involved if you withdraw late.
Those who have been out a long time with injury are typically the ones who don’t make the date.
The only male player eligible who isn’t on the entry list is Holger Rune of Denmark, who had surgery on a ruptured Achilles and likely won’t be back this year.
On the women’s side, former finalist Danielle Collins isn’t on the list. Neither is Ons Jabeur, who announced her pregnancy a few weeks ago.
The next few players on the lists will be watching closely for any withdrawals, as they would be next in line to get straight in without having to go through qualifying.
Women alternates
No. 104 – Polina Kudermetova (RUS)
No. 105 – Veronika Erjavec (SLO)
No. 106 – Katie Boulter (GBR)
No. 107 – Anastasia Zakharova (RUS)
No. 108 – Lucia Bronzetti (ITA)
Men’s alternates
No. 102 – Vit Kopriva (CZE)
No. 103 – Carlos Taberner (ESP)
No. 104 – Yannik Hanfmann (GER)
No. 105 – Ignacio Buse (PER)
No. 107 – Roman Burruchaga (ARG)
No. 108 – Jordan Thompson (who as an Aussie will surely get a wild card)
The last-minute dash on the Challenger circuit this November was a moot point, with that backdating of the rankings deadline a full three weeks as compared to previous years.
Kopriva moved up a spot, to No. 101 with Monday’s rankings. So he would have gotten direct entry had those rankings been used (he may well get it anyway).
Of course, some of the players on the bubble might well have played another tournament, if this was still in play.
Three of the singles main draw wild cards have already been awarded on both the men’s and women’s sides, with the wild-card playoffs in the U.S., Asia-Pacific and Australia now complete
On the men’s side, it’s James Duckworth for Australia, Bu Yunchaokete of China for the Asia-Pacific pass, and Patrick Kypson for the USTA reciprocal.
For the women, the Aussie wild card is Emerson Jones, Zarina Diyas of Kazakhstan won the Asia-Pacific wild card, and Elisabeth Mandlik earned the USTA reciprocal wild.
The qualifying deadline is in two weeks, with those rankings (Dec. 22) in play for the women.
As an example, the cutoff for qualifying on the women’s side was at No. 225 in the rankings.
Some of the players in action this week trying to make a late move include Aliona Bolsova, Mona Barthel, Tyra Caterina Grant, Marina Bassols Ribera and Chloé Paquet.
For the men, both the qualifying and the doubles entry lists will again be pegged to those Nov. 17 year-end rankings.
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