Alexander Zverev of Germany (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) Aryna Sabalenkova began her quest for a third Australian Open crown in four years on Sunday, but it was not without early stumbles as Alexander Zverev also had to hold on to reach the second round on a record opening day in Melbourne. As the first day unfolded, attention later turned to Carlos Alcaraz, who was set to launch his campaign, while 45-year-old Venus Williams prepared to make history as the oldest woman to ever compete at a Grand Slam. Sabalenkova, the world number one and tournament favorite, was pushed aside early before asserting her authority against French representative Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah. Still reeling from her loss to Madison Keys in the 2025 final, the Belarusian needed time to find her rhythm, committing a string of unforced errors before closing out a 6-4, 6-1 win on Rod Laver Arena. “It’s always difficult to play with someone young, with someone you don’t know and with a left-hander,” Sabalenka said after the match. The 20-year-old Rajaonah played freely and energetically, but Sabalenka’s strength, experience and shot selection proved decisive in the end. The top seed admitted the occasion added an extra layer of pressure, with Roger Federer and Rod Laver sitting on the court. “I hope you enjoyed watching me play, I hope you enjoyed it at least a little bit,” Sabalenka said during her on-court interview with the two legends. Her next opponent will be either Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova or Chinese qualifier Bai Zhuoxuan. Other title contenders Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff will begin their campaigns on Monday. Alexander Zverev survived a scare in steamy conditions earlier in the day. The third seed dropped the opening set to 41st-ranked Canadian Gabriel Diallo and briefly looked vulnerable before regrouping to win 6-7 (1/7), 6-1, 6-4, 6-2. When asked how he managed to turn the tide, last year’s runner-up was straightforward. “I thought it couldn’t get any worse,” Zverev said. The German will next face either Australian Alexey Popyrin or Frenchman Alexandre Muller. There were smoother passages for some female seeds. Italy’s seventh seed Jasmine Paolini cruised past Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-1, 6-2, while Ukraine’s 12th seed Elina Svitolina advanced with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Spain’s Cristina Bucsa. However, the draw was not without twists and turns. British qualifier Arthur Fery stunned 20th seed Flavio Cobolli of Italy to win 7-6 (7/1), 6-4, 6-1. Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska, seeded 26th, was also eliminated after losing 6-4, 7-5 to Romanian Elena-Gabriela Ruse. Another seeded Ukrainian, Marta Kostyuk, left at the first hurdle, defeated by the French Elsa Jacquemot in three sets. Tournament organizers confirmed a daily attendance of 73,235, the most in Australian Open history, although the increase led to complaints of long gate queues. The intensity of the conditions was highlighted when a ball girl fainted during a match between Zeynep Sonmez and Ekaterina Alexandrova, prompting both players to rush to her aid as temperatures hovered around 30 degrees Celsius. Later on Sunday, all eyes turned to Carlos Alcaraz. The 22-year-old Spaniard was due to face world No. 79 Adam Walton in the final match of the day at Rod Laver Arena. Alcaraz had already won titles at the US Open, Wimbledon and the French Open, leaving the Australian Open as the only missing piece in his Grand Slam collection. His best result in Melbourne to date is a quarter-final and he has made no secret of his ambition to unseat reigning champion Jannik Sinner in 2026. If successful, Alcaraz would overtake Rafael Nadal to become the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam. Meanwhile, Venus Williams returned to Melbourne for the first time since 2021 after receiving a wild card. Now ranked 576th, the former world number 1 faces a tough opening test against 69th-ranked Serbian Olga Danilovic. Williams was eliminated in the first round of both of her warm-up tournaments and has competed sparingly in recent seasons. Day one brought heat, history and early surprises, setting the tone for what promises to be another engaging Australian Open.
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