Australian Open 2026: Men’s Singles Draw Preview and Prediction Featuring Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev

The men’s singles draw for the 2026 Australian Open has been revealed, and Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, and other stars have learned their fates. This will be the 114th edition of the Grand Slam event, which has been staged on the hard courts in Melbourne since 1988.

Sinner is the two-time defending champion, having defeated Zverev in the January 2025 final and Daniil Medvedev in the 2024 final. He’s coming into the tournament with last year’s form that saw him win four of the last five tournaments he played in, including the ATP Finals in Riyadh and the Paris Masters.

However, there are some notable absentees from the Australian singles tournament. Jack Draper is the highest-ranked player amongst them to have withdrawn from the event as he continues to deal with a shoulder injury. Also, Arthur Fils, Holger Rune, Emil Ruusuvuori, and Thanasi Kokkinakis have all withdrawn from the tournament.

Tournament Details

• Tournament: Australian Open 2026
• Date: January 18th–1 February, 2026
• No. of Entrants: 128 (Singles)
• Venue: Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Victoria
• Surface: Outdoor hard court
• Total Prize Money Pool: $74.9 million
• Defending Champion: Jannik Sinner

Top Seeds at the 2026 Australian Open

• Carlos Alcaraz (Spain)
• Jannik Sinner (Italy)
• Alexander Zverev (Germany)
• Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
• Lorenzo Musetti (Italy)
• Alex de Minaur (Australia)
• Felix Auger-Aliassime (Canada)
• Ben Shelton (USA)
• Taylor Fritz (USA)
• Alexander Bublik (Kazakhstan

Australian Open 2026 Draw Preview

The full draw Down Under 🦘🍿

Opinions on the 2026 #AustralianOpen draw? pic.twitter.com/oC9BWbMrPW

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) January 15, 2026

First Quarter

World No.1 and top seed, Carlos Alcaraz, will kick off his bid to win the Australian Open for the first time against Adam Walton. The Spaniard could possibly face Yannick Hanfmann or Zachary Svadja in the second round of the event before a potential clash with Frenchman Corentin Moutet in the third round.

Alcaraz is projected to face 14th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the fourth or 19th seed Tommy Paul. In the quarter finals, the six-time Grand Slam champion could possibly take on Alex de Minaur or Alexander Bublik, who has been in incredible form since June last season and arrives in Melbourne following his victory in Hong Kong.

Quarter-finals Prediction: Carlos Alcaraz vs. Alex de Minaur

Second Quarter

Alexander Zverev is the highest-ranked player in this quarter. He will kick off his campaign at the event again Gabriel Diallo, while a possible clash against Alexei Popyrin or Alexander Muller awaits him in the second round. The last year’s finalist could take on Cameron Norrie in the third round.

Felix Auger-Aliassime and Daniil Medvedev are the other two biggest names in this quarter and they might face each other in the round of 16 of the tournament. That means, if Zverev reaches the quarter-finals he might face the winner between Auger-Aliassime and Medvedev.

Quarter-finals Prediction: Alexander Zverev vs. Daniil Medvedev

Third Quarter

Jannik Sinner will start his title defense against Hugo Gaston at the bottom half of the draw. The 24-year-old could then take on James Duckworth or Dino Prizmic in the second round of the tournament. After that, the World No.2 is projected to face Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca in a blockbuster third-round tie.

However, Fonseca might not be at his best at the tournament as he’s just recovering from a back injury. Nonetheless, should Sinner reach the fourth round, he could possibly face Karen Khachanov, while 8th seed Ben Shelton and 12th seed Casper Ruud are his potential quarter-finals opponents.

Quarter-finals Prediction: Jannik Sinner vs. Ben Shelton

Fourth Quarter

Novak Djokovic will play Pedro Martinez in the first round, before a potential second-round clash with Terence Atmane or Francesco Maestrelli. The 10-time champion is seeking his 25th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open; however, he didn’t play in any warm-up tournaments ahead of Melbourne.

He is projected to face Brandon Nakashima in the third round, before a possible clash with Jakub Mensik in the fourth round. The tie will be a rematch of the Miami Open final in March 2025. The Serbian legend could meet either Lorenzo Musetti or American star Taylor Fritz in the quarter-finals.

Quarter-finals Prediction: Novak Djokovic vs. Taylor Fritz

Semi-finals

Carlos Alcaraz has failed to establish himself as a top favorite player to win the Australian Open, as he has never gone beyond the semi-finals. However, he has what it takes to get beyond the last eight stage and cement his place in the semi-finals. He could face either Alexander Zverev or Daniil Medvedev.

Jannik Sinner has been unstoppable at the Australian Open for the past two seasons. He will face tough opposition at this year’s edition, but he can crush any opponent on a good day. He could face Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals, which would be a repeat of the French Open and Wimbledon semi-final clash.

Semi-finals Prediction: Carlos Alcaraz vs Daniil Medvedev, Jannik Sinner vs. Novak Djokovic

Final

This is the blockbuster final that fans will hope to see between Alcaraz and Sinner. The duo have faced each other in the last three Grand Slam finals, with Alcaraz winning two of them. Sinner will be eager to have a revenge at the tournament, but will have to get past a possible clash against Djokovic in the semi-finals.

Final Prediction: Carlos Alcaraz vs Jannik Sinner

Alcaraz and Sinner have never faced each other at the Australian Open. The blockbuster match will make it their 17th meeting on the court and first of the season. They recently faced each other in an exhibition match in Seoul, South Korea, where Alcaraz won in straight sets, but that didn’t matter much as it was not a tour-level match.

Winner Prediction: Carlos Alcaraz

Also Read: Andy Roddick Backs Daniil Medvedev for Australian Open and Highlights ‘Absurd’ Stat: “The Most Meddy Thing Ever”