Alcaraz Triumphant; Hanfmann Upsets in Melbourne
Carlos Alcaraz Sails Through; Adam Walton No Match
World number one Carlos Alcaraz had little trouble dispatching Australian wildcard Adam Walton in their first-round clash. The Spaniard, making his 2026 debut, never looked ruffled as he romped to a 6-3 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 victory in just over two hours.
Alcaraz, now sporting black hair and a sleeveless, green shirt, was dominant from the start, breaking Walton four times and serving 14 aces. Despite Walton’s best efforts, he was no match for the precision and power of the teenager, who now faces an intriguing second-round clash against Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann.
Yannick Hanfmann’s Shock Upset in Sixth Place
German veteran Yannick Hanfmann shocked crowd favorite Zachary Svajda, coming from behind to win 7-5 4-6 6-4 7-6 (7-5). Playing on the lively ‘Party Court’ in Melbourne, Hanfmann saved a match point and broke Svajda’s serve in the final game of the match to claim a stunning victory.
The win sets up a mouthwatering second-round clash against top seed Carlos Alcaraz. Hanfmann, currently ranked 102, will have his work cut out, but he showed today that he can mix it with the best in the world when the moment is right.
Sönmez Springs Surprise Upset
Turkish tennis sensation Zeynep Sönmez produced one of the tournament’s biggest upsets yet, defeating world number 11 Ekaterina Alexandrova 7-5 4-6 6-4. The 23-year-old’s impressive serve game proved too much for the Russian, with Sönmez breaking Alexandrova’s serve seven times in the match.
The win was a statement from Sönmez, who was supported by a partisan crowd throughout the match. She now faces a daunting second-round clash against top seed Aryna Sabalenka, but after today’s performance, the young Turk will be brimming with confidence.
Flavio Cobolli’s Early Exit
Highly-rated Italian Flavio Cobolli crashed out of the tournament in the first round, falling to British qualifier Arthur Fery 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 6-1. Cobolli, seeded 20th, struggled with stomach problems throughout the match, which may have contributed to his surprise defeat.
The loss means there’s one less favorite in the draw, and Fery, ranked 185th, will fancy his chances of progressing further in the tournament.
Marta Kostyuk’s Thrilling Loss
Marta Kostyuk, seeded 20th, fell victim to a thrilling three-set defeat against unseeded Frenchwoman Elsa Jacquemot. Kostyuk, who had been in impressive form leading up to the tournament, squandered a match point in a tense 6-7 (7-9) 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-4) loss.
Jacquemot, rated outside the world’s top 100, produced a stunning performance to claim one of the tournament’s biggest scalps so far.
Jasmine Paolini’s Perfect Start
Number seven seed Jasmine Paolini began her Australian Open campaign in style, comfortably defeating Qualifier Ali aksandra Sasnovich 6-1 6-2 in the opening match on the prestigious Rod Laver Arena.
The Italian was in imperious form, never giving Sasnovich a chance in the match. Paolini will be looking to build on this impressive performance in her next match.