This is the seed order for the Australian Open 2026

We detail the potential opponents that the title favorites will face in the 2026 Australian Open round by round, both in the men's and women's tournaments.

Diego Jiménez Rubio | 11 Jan 2026 | 13.26
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Alcaraz and Sinner, seed order at Australian Open 2026. Photo: gettyimages
Alcaraz and Sinner, seed order at Australian Open 2026. Photo: gettyimages

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Mystery solved. Once the first week of competition in the new season has concluded, the order of seeds for the Australian Open 2026 has been determined. This is a crucial factor to know the potential opponents that the top favorites may face in each round, a decision that will come in Thursday's draw. Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner could only encounter each other in the final.

Maximal excitement is in the air in the tennis world regarding what the Australian Open 2026 might bring, a tournament that could make history. There are numerous incentives to enjoy this first Grand Slam and many mysteries to uncover. Some of these may start to become clear this Thursday, during the draw of both individual brackets. Reviewing the order of seeds and analyzing the potential matchups round by round is crucial to understand the magnitude of the challenge that the title favorites face in both individual brackets.

How Final Draw Works in Grand Slam Tournaments

This Thursday, January 15, in Melbourne, the draw for the individual men's and women's brackets of the Australian Open 2026 will take place, starting at 16:30 local time, which translates to 04:30 in Spain. What is already known is that Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, along with Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek, could only face each other in hypothetical finals. But there are many other regulations that need to be understood to determine the potential opponents for each player.

Third Round

  • Seeds 1-8 can face seeds 25-32
  • Seeds 9-16 can face seeds 17-24

 

Round of 16

  • Seeds 1-4 can face seeds 13-16
  • Seeds 5-8 can face seeds 9-12

 

Quarterfinals

  • Seeds 1-4 can face seeds 5-8

 

Order of Seeds in the Men's Draw of the Australian Open 2026

  1. Carlos Alcaraz
  2. Jannik Sinner
  3. Alexander Zverev
  4. Novak Djokovic
  5. Lorenzo Musetti
  6. Álex de Miñaur
  7. Félix Auger-Aliassime
  8. Ben Shelton
  9. Taylor Fritz
  10. Alexander Bublik
  11. Daniil Medvedev
  12. Casper Ruud
  13. Andrey Rublev
  14. Alejandro Davidovich
  15. Karen Khachanov
  16. Jakub Mensik
  17. Jiri Lehecka
  18. Francisco Cerúndolo
  19. Tommy Paul
  20. Flavio Cobolli
  21. Denis Shapovalov
  22. Luciano Darderi
  23. Tallon Griekspoor
  24. Arthur Rinderknech
  25. Learner Tien
  26. Cameron Norrie
  27. Brandon Nakashima
  28. Joao Fonseca
  29. Frances Tiafoe
  30. Stefanos Tsitsipas
  31. Valentin Vacherot
  32. Corentin Moutet

 

Both Alcaraz and Sinner are aware that they cannot relax in the slightest if they want to assert their status as favorites to meet in the final. If they manage to avoid upsets in the first two rounds, they will have to face potential matchups in the third round against players ranked between 25th and 32nd among the seeds. Young talents like Tien and Fonseca could pose a significant challenge, as would a revamped Tsitsipas, experienced Norrie, or the ever-capable Moutet. The uncertainties increase with Tiafoe and Vacherot.

Tsitsipas, potential rival of Alcaraz in the Australian Open 2026. Photo: gettyimages

In the round of 16, Carlos, Jannik, Djokovic, and Zverev know they could cross paths with Rublev, Davidovich, Khachanov, or Mensik, all of whom are highly dangerous players on a good day. Perhaps the Spaniards and Djokovic are the most likely to surprise but also to be clearly outplayed if they do not arrive in optimal physical and mental conditions.

Looking ahead to the quarterfinals, there won't be any easy opponents, with De Miñaur backed by the local crowd, Auger-Aliassime and Musetti seeking to advance in their careers, and Shelton causing great concern to any opponent due to his rapid play. Djokovic and Zverev will each head to opposite sides of the draw, setting up potential semifinal clashes for Alcaraz and Sinner.

Order of Seeds in the Women's Draw of the Australian Open 2026

  1. Aryna Sabalenka
  2. Iga Swiatek
  3. Cori Gauff
  4. Amanda Anisimova
  5. Elena Rybakina
  6. Jessica Pegula
  7. Jasmine Paolini
  8. Mirra Andreeva
  9. Madison Keys
  10. Belinda Bencic
  11. Ekaterina Alexandrova
  12. Elina Svitolina
  13. Linda Noskova
  14. Clara Tauson
  15. Emma Navarro
  16. Naomi Osaka
  17. Victoria Mboko
  18. Liudmila Samsonova
  19. Karolina Muchova
  20. Marta Kostyuk
  21. Elise Mertens
  22. Leylah Fernández
  23. Diana Shnaider
  24. Jelena Ostapenko
  25. Paula Badosa
  26. Dayana Yastremska
  27. Sofia Kenin
  28. Emma Raducanu
  29. Iva Jovic
  30. Maya Joint
  31. Anna Kalinskaya
  32. Marketa Vondrousova

 

Many envision a Grand Slam final between Sabalenka and Swiatek, a real possibility this tournament. However, both the Belarusian and the Polish player will need to overcome tough challenges in each round. If they clear the hurdles in the first and second rounds, they will face formidable opponents in the third round, including Badosa, Raducanu, Kenin, Vondrousova, or the rising star Jovic.

Emma Raducanu, potential opponent of the favorites in the Australian Open 2026. Photo: gettyimages

Looking towards the round of 16, the top four in the world could meet Noskova, Tauson, Navarro, or Osaka. These contenders pose a significant threat, and witnessing a clash between the Japanese player and Aryna, Iga, Cori, or Amanda would be fascinating. As for potential quarterfinal matchups, Rybakina could be the one to avoid, although Paolini, Pegula, and Andreeva are also capable of defeating any of the top four favorites.

It is essential to remember that the draw will determine which side of the bracket Gauff and Anisimova land on, potentially setting up one of them as the semifinal opponent for Sabalenka and the other for Swiatek. In conclusion, two weeks of excitement are on the horizon at the Australian Open 2026, with the title favorites having no room for relaxation and the draw for both individual brackets potentially being a determining factor in the outcomes from January 18 to February 1 in Melbourne.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Este es el orden de cabezas de serie para el Open de Australia 2026