Day 1 of the 2026 Australian Open: Bai Zhuoxuan narrowly defeats Zhang Zhizhen to advance; Alcaraz moves on

On January 18th, the 2026 Australian Open commenced its first day of competition with two Chinese players participating, resulting in one victory and one defeat. Bai Zhuoxuan edged out last year’s quarterfinalist Pavlyuchenkova in three sets, securing her first main draw win at the Australian Open and her second Grand Slam main draw win overall. This was also the first main draw win for the Chinese team at this edition of the Australian Open; Zhang Zhizhen, however, lost to the 18th seed Cerundolo in the opening round.

Bai Zhuoxuan

Zhang Zhizhen

Playing the final match on Rod Laver Arena, world number one Alcaraz defeated Australian wildcard Walton 6-3, 7-6(2), 6-2, securing his first win of the new season and marking the opening victory on his quest for a career Grand Slam. In his 20 Grand Slam main draw appearances, he has never failed to pass the first round. His second-round opponent will be German player Hanfmann.

Alcaraz

Zverev

Third seed and last year’s finalist Zverev avoided an upset against the energetic Canadian powerhouse Diallo. After losing the first set in a tiebreak, he won the next three sets 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 to claim victory. His second-round opponent will be decided between local favorite Poplin and French player Miller.

Bublik

This year’s Hong Kong champion and new top 10 player Bublik showcased excellent form by defeating American Brooksby with three 6-4 sets. He advances to the second round to face Hungarian player Fucsovics. The 29th seed Tiafoe and 32nd seed Moutet also progressed.

The biggest upset in the men’s singles was the exit of 20th seed Cobolli, who lost in three sets to qualifier Ferry. According to Italian media reports, Cobolli suffered a sudden stomach pain after the match began, losing significant fluids and experiencing severe fatigue. He will return to Monte Carlo for rest and training.

Zheng Rui

Another surprise was American-born Chinese youngster Michael Zheng’s five-set victory over Coda, earning his first Grand Slam main draw win. After battling through three rounds of qualifying at this Australian Open, Zheng made his main draw debut. The NCAA champion from Columbia University will face 32nd seed Moutet in the second round.

Kostyuk

In women’s singles, 11th seed Aleksandrova was the highest-ranked player to be eliminated. She lost a tough three-set battle 5-7, 6-4, 4-6 to Turkish qualifier Senmez. Two Ukrainian seeds — 20th seed Kostyuk and 26th seed Yastremska — both bowed out in the first round. Kostyuk, who reached the final of the WTA 500 Brisbane event in the first week of the season, showed good form but unfortunately suffered an ankle injury late in her opening match at the Australian Open, which severely affected her performance and led to her early exit.

Sabalenka

Serena Williams

World number one Sabalenka overcame a slow start to defeat French wildcard Rajona 6-4, 6-1, extending her winning streak to six matches this season. The 45-year-old American legend Serena Williams, playing on a wildcard, failed to reach the second round despite winning the first set and leading 4-0 in the final set. She was ultimately overturned and lost 7-6, 3-6, 4-6 to Serbian player Danilovic. Williams’ performance was commendable, but she was defeated by an opponent 20 years her junior in a valiant exit. Her last Grand Slam win dates back to Wimbledon 2021.

12th seed Svitolina and 28th seed Raducanu both advanced in straight sets. Former Wimbledon champion Vondrousova withdrew due to injury before the tournament; lucky loser Townsend replaced her but lost in three sets to compatriot Baptiste in the first round.

Complete results from Day 1 of the 2026 Australian Open

(Text and editing by Wang Fei)