Overview
- Carlos Alcaraz beat Australia’s Adam Walton 6-3, 7-6 (7-2), 6-2 in his first match since parting with Juan Carlos Ferrero, now guided by Samuel Lopez and set to face Yannick Hanfmann next.
- Aryna Sabalenka opened with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Sarah Rakotomanga and will meet qualifier Bai Zhuoxuan in the second round as she pursues a third Melbourne title.
- Last year’s finalist Alexander Zverev overcame Gabriel Diallo 6-7 (1-7), 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 and awaits Alexandre Müller or Alexei Popyrin in round two.
- France’s Elsa Jacquemot stunned No.20 Marta Kostyuk in a 3h31 thriller decided by three tie-breaks for her first top-20 win, earning a meeting with Yulia Putintseva.
- Early volatility featured seeded exits for Ekaterina Alexandrova, Flavio Cobolli, Dayana Yastremska and Kostyuk, fitness alarms with Corentin Moutet’s thigh pain and Felix Auger-Aliassime’s retirement, and smooth progress for Novak Djokovic, Iga Swiatek, Daniil Medvedev and Coco Gauff.