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It’ll only be a few more days until the 2026 season begins – really, just one more day in Perth, Australia for United Cup. Over the weekend into early next week, the other more regulation ATP and WTA events will get under way.
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, fresh from making … some noise in her “Battle of the Sexes” revamp in Dubai with Nick Kyrgios, is in Brisbane to start off her 2026 season.
Sabalenka won in Brisbane a year ago, against a field that looks to be eclipsed by the 2026 edition. The only top 25 player she had to beat to win was No. 16 Mirra Andreeva in the semifinals.
It cannot be overstated what a consistent year Sabalenka had; she had some huge disappointments in some big events. But she got to the pointy event nearly every time, with the exception of the post-Australian Open Middle East swing where she was surely still nursing her disappointment over losing the Australian Open final.
Look at her year:
Brisbane: WON
Australian Open: Lost final to Keys (7-5 in the 3rd)
Doha 1000: lost opener to Alexandrova
Dubai 1000: Lost 3R to Tauson
Indian Wells: Lost final to Andreeva (6-3 in the 3rd)
Miami: WON
Stuttgart: Lost final to Ostapenko
Madrid: WON
Rome: Lost QF to Zheng
Roland Garros: Lost final to Gauff (6-4 in the 3rd)
Berlin: Lost SF to Vondrousova
Wimbledon: Lost SF to Anisimova (6-4 in the 3rd)
Cincinnati: Lost QF to Rybakina
US Open: WON
Wuhan 1000: Lost SF to Pegula (third-set tiebreak)
WTA FInals: Lost final to Rybakina
Also on the stadium court at Pat Rafter Arena on New Year’s Eve were Amanda Anisimova and Elena Rybakina, practicing together. Also: Daniil Medvedev.
Aussie Alja Tomljanovic, the 32-year-old who actually played a full season in 2025 after several years of injury woes, was also in the house.
She played 26 events, actually, which is … a lot. By anyone’s standards, never mind a player who had had so many injuries. But with all that effort she was only able to make very small moves in the rankings.
Tomjlanovic began the season at No. 114 before the Australian Open, broke back into the top 100 after the Austin WTA 250, got as high at No. 64 after Roland Garros, fell back outside the top 100 (just) before the Ningbo tournament in October and finished the season at No. 80.
Here they all are, in action on Wednesday (rights-free footage supplied by Tennis Australia).
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